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Background: Wearable technologies have the potential to support health promotion and disease prevention. However, it remains unclear how the role of social determinants of health (SDoH) and digital determinants of health (DDoH) plays in this context., Objective: This study investigates differences in sociodemographic factors and digital health literacy between wearable users and non-users, whether the association with wearable use varies across age groups and its potential mediator., Methods: A cross-sectional nationwide telephone survey was conducted in November 2022 in a panel of adult internet users in Germany. Assessments included self-reported wearable use, sociodemographic factors (sex, age, education, household size and income, and residence region), and digital health literacy (measured with the eHealth Literacy Scale, eHEALS). Associations between wearable use, sociodemographic factors and digital health literacy were analyzed using binomial logistic regression models in the total sample and with age group stratification, with a supplementary mediation analysis examining digital health literacy as a mediator in the relationship between age and wearable use., Results: Overall, 24% (223/932) of participants (52% male, mean age 55.6 years) reported using wearables for health. Wearable use was lower among participants aged 65 and above, with lower educational attainment, living in 1-2 person households, with below-average household income, and residing in smaller cities or former East Germany. Wearable use prevalence is substantially lower in older age groups (18-40: 36%; 41-64: 26%; 65+:14%). Wearable users reported higher levels of digital health literacy (mean: 30.7, SD = 5) than non-users (mean: 28.3, SD = 6). Stratified analyses indicate that the association between digital health literacy and wearable use varies by age group, with significant positive association observed in older age groups (OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.07 in age group 18-40; OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.12 in age group 41-64; OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.19 in age group 65+). Mediation analysis indicated that digital health literacy partially mediates the relationship between age and wearable use (indirect effect: coefficient = -0.0156, 95% CI: -0.0244 to -0.00791, p <.001)., Conclusions: This study indicates sociodemographic disparities in wearable use among the German population and differences in digital health literacy between wearable users and non-users. A generational divide in wearable use was identified, with older adults being less likely to embrace this technology. This was especially true for older adults with lower digital health literacy. Future public health initiatives employing health technologies should take SDoH and DDoH into consideration to ensure effective and equitable impacts., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of Interest: The authors have no competing interests to declare which are relevant to the content of this article. Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare which are relevant to the content of this article. Ethical Statement: The study adheres to the ethical guidelines according to the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained verbally from all participants prior to their interviews due to the nature of the study being conducted via telephone, which precluded the possibility of obtaining written consent. Participant anonymity was strictly maintained throughout the study. All data collected were anonymized, and no personally identifiable information was recorded. Participation in the study was entirely voluntary, and participants were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time without any consequences. Additionally, the survey items were carefully designed to ensure that they did not pose any physical, psychological, or social risks to the participants. An ethical waiver was not sought for the study as the data were externally acquired from a market research company (Cerner Enviza GmbH, Germany, which now belongs to Cerner Oracle GmbH)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The necessity for high operational temperatures presents a considerable obstacle to the commercial viability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The introduction of active co-dopant ions to polycrystalline solid structures can directly impact the physiochemical and electrical properties of the resulting composites including crystallite size, lattice parameters, ionic and electronic conductivity, sinterability, and mechanical strength. This study proposes cobalt-iron-substituted gadolinium-doped ceria (Co x Fe 1-x GDC) as an innovative, nickel-free anode composite for developing ceramic fuel cells. A new co-precipitation technique using ammonium tartrate as the precipitant in a multi-cationic solution with Co 2+ , Gd 3+ , Fe 3+ , and Ce 3+ ions was utilized. The physicochemical and morphological characteristics of the synthesized samples were systematically analysed using a comprehensive set of techniques, including DSC/TGA for a thermal analysis, XRD for a crystallographic analysis, SEM/EDX for a morphological and elemental analysis, FT-IR for a chemical bonding analysis, and Raman spectroscopy for a vibrational analysis. The morphological analysis, SEM, showed the formation of nanoparticles (≤15 nm), which corresponded well with the crystal size determined by the XRD analysis, which was within the range of ≤10 nm. The fabrication of single SOFC bilayers occurred within an electrolyte-supported structure, with the use of the GDC as the electrolyte layer and the CoO-Fe 2 O 3 /GDC composite as the anode. SEM imaging and the EIS analysis were utilized to examine the fabricated symmetrical cells.

Engineering the interfacial interaction between the active metal element and support material is a promising strategy for improving the performance of catalysts toward CO 2 methanation. Herein, the Ni-doped rare-earth metal-based A-site substituted perovskite-type oxide catalysts (Ni/AMnO 3 ; A = Sm, La, Nd, Ce, Pr) were synthesized by auto-combustion method, thoroughly characterized, and evaluated for CO 2 methanation reaction. The XRD analysis confirmed the perovskite structure and the formation of nano-size particles with crystallite sizes ranging from 18 to 47 nm. The Ni/CeMnO 3 catalyst exhibited a higher CO 2 conversion rate of 6.6 × 10 -5 mol CO 2 g cat -1 s -1 formation due to the surface composition of the active sites and capability to activate CO 4 molecules under redox property adopted associative and dissociative mechanisms. The higher activity of the catalyst could be attributed to the strong metal-support interface, available active sites, surface basicity, and higher surface area. XRD analysis of spent catalysts showed enlarged crystallite size, indicating particle aggregation during the reaction; nevertheless, the cerium-containing catalyst displayed the least increase, demonstrating resilience, structural stability, and potential for CO 2 molecules under redox property adopted associative and dissociative mechanisms. The higher activity of the catalyst could be attributed to the strong metal-support interface, available active sites, surface basicity, and higher surface area. XRD analysis of spent catalysts showed enlarged crystallite size, indicating particle aggregation during the reaction; nevertheless, the cerium-containing catalyst displayed the least increase, demonstrating resilience, structural stability, and potential for CO 2 methanation reaction., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Adhesins are crucial factors in the virulence of bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli. However, to date no resources have been dedicated to the detailed analysis of E. coli adhesins. Here, we provide adhesiomeR software that enables characterization of the complete adhesin repertoire, termed the adhesiome. AdhesiomeR incorporates the most comprehensive database of E. coli adhesins and facilitates an extensive analysis of adhesiome. We demonstrate that adhesiomeR achieves 98% accuracy when compared with experimental analyses. Based on analysis of 15,000 E. coli genomes, we define novel adhesiome profiles and clusters, providing a nomenclature for a unified comparison of E. coli adhesiomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Escherichia coli intestinal infection pathotypes are characterized by distinct adhesion patterns, including the recently described clumpy adhesion phenotype. Here, we identify and characterize the genetic factors contributing to the clumpy adhesion of E. coli strain 4972. In this strain, the transcriptome and proteome of adhered bacteria were found to be distinct from planktonic bacteria in the supernatant. A total of 622 genes in the transcriptome were differentially expressed in bacteria present in clumps relative to the planktonic bacteria. Seven genes targeted for disruption had variable distribution in different pathotypes and nonpathogenic E. coli, with the pilV and spnT genes being the least frequent or absent from most groups. Deletion (Δ) of five differentially expressed genes, flgH , ffp , pilV , spnT, and yggT, affected motility, adhesion, or antibiotic stress. Δ flgH exhibited 80% decrease and Δ yggT depicted 184% increase in adhesion, and upon complementation, adhesion was significantly reduced to 13%. Δ flgH lost motility and was regenerated when complemented, whereas Δ ffp had significantly increased motility, and reintroduction of the same gene reduced it to the wild-type level. The clumps produced by Δ ffp and Δ spnT were more resistant and protected the bacteria, with Δ spnT showing the best clump formation in terms of ampicillin stress protection. Δ yggT had the lowest tolerance to gentamicin, where the antibiotic stress completely eliminated the bacteria. Overall, we were able to investigate the influence of clump formation on cell surface adhesion and antimicrobial tolerance, with the contribution of several factors crucial to clump formation on susceptibility to the selected antibiotics., Importance: The study explores a biofilm-like clumpy adhesion phenotype in Escherichia coli, along with various factors and implications for antibiotic susceptibility. The phenotype permitted the bacteria to survive the onslaught of high antibiotic concentrations. Profiles of the transcriptome and proteome allowed the differentiation between adhered bacteria in clumps and planktonic bacteria in the supernatant. The deletion mutants of genes differentially expressed between adhered and planktonic bacteria, i.e., flgH , ffp , pilV , spnT , and yggT, and respective complementations in trans cemented their roles in multiple capacities. ffp , an uncharacterized gene, is involved in motility and resistance to ampicillin in a clumpy state. The work also affirms for the first time the role of the yggT gene in adhesion and its involvement in susceptibility against another aminoglycoside antibiotic, i.e., gentamicin. Overall, the study contributes to the mechanisms of biofilm-like adhesion phenotype and understanding of the antimicrobial therapy failures and infections of E. coli ., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Previous comparisons of experimental data with nonlinear numerical simulations of density stratified Taylor-Couette (TC) flows revealed nonlinear interactions of strato-rotational instability (SRI) modes that lead to periodic changes in the SRI spirals and their axial propagation. These pattern changes are associated with low-frequency velocity modulations that are related to the dynamics of two competing spiral wave modes propagating in opposite directions. In the present paper, a parameter study of the SRI is performed using direct numerical simulations to evaluate the influence of the Reynolds numbers, the stratification, and of the container geometry on these SRI low-frequency modulations and spiral pattern changes. The results of this parameter study show that the modulations can be considered as a secondary instability that are not observed for all SRI unstable regimes. The findings are of interest when the TC model is related to star formation processes in accretion discs. This article is part of the theme issue 'Taylor-Couette and related flows on the centennial of Taylor's seminal Philosophical Transactions paper (Part 2)'.

This study addresses transpiration in a tropical evergreen mountain forest in the Ecuadorian Andes from the leaf to the stand level, with emphasis on nocturnal plant-water relations. The stand level: Evapotranspiration (ET) measured over 12 months with the Eddy-Covariance (ECov) technique proved as the major share (79%) of water received from precipitation. Irrespective of the humid climate, the vegetation transpired day and night. On average, 15.3% of the total daily ET were due to nocturnal transpiration. Short spells of drought increased daily ET, mainly by enhanced nighttime transpiration. Following leaf transpiration rather than air temperature and atmospheric water vapor deficit, ET showed its maximum already in the morning hours. The tree level: Due to the humid climate, the total water consumption of trees was generally low. Nevertheless, xylem sap flux measurements separated the investigated tree species into a group showing relatively high and another one with low sap flux rates. The leaf level: Transpiration rates of Tapirira guianensis, a member of the high-flux-rate group, were more than twice those of Ocotea aciphylla, a representative of the group showing low sap flux rates. Representatives of the Tapirira group operated at a relatively high leaf water potential but with a considerable diurnal amplitude, while the leaves of the Ocotea group showed low water potential and small diurnal fluctuations. Overall, the Tapirira group performed anisohydrically and the Ocotea group isohydrically. Grouping of the tree species by their water relations complied with the extents of the diurnal stem circumference fluctuations. Nighttime transpiration and hydrological type: In contrast to the isohydrically performing trees of the Ocotea group, the anisohydric trees showed considerable water vapour pressure deficit (VPD)-dependent nocturnal transpiration. Therefore, we conclude that nighttime ET at the forest level is mainly sourced by the tree species with anisohydric performance., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Raffelsbauer et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Lysozymes are hydrolytic enzymes characterized by their ability to cleave the β-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds in peptidoglycan, a major structural component of the bacterial cell wall. This hydrolysis action compromises the integrity of the cell wall, causing the lysis of bacteria. For more than 80 years, its role of antibacterial defense in animals has been renowned, and it is also used as a preservative in foods and pharmaceuticals. In order to improve the antimicrobial efficacy of lysozyme, extensive research has been intended for its modifications. This manuscript reviews the natural antibiotic compound lysozyme with reference to its catalytic and non-catalytic mode of antibacterial action, lysozyme types, susceptibility and resistance of bacteria, modification of lysozyme molecules, and its applications in the food industry.

Biomass gasification streams typically contain a mixture of CO, H 2 , CH 4 , and CO 2 as the majority components and frequently require conditioning for downstream processes. Herein, we investigate the catalytic upgrading of surrogate biomass gasifiers through the generation of syngas. Seeking a bifunctional system capable of converting CO 2 and CH 4 to CO, a reverse water gas shift (RWGS) catalyst based on Fe/MgAl 2 O 4 was decorated with an increasing content of Ni metal and evaluated for producing syngas using different feedstock compositions. This approach proved efficient for gas upgrading, and the incorporation of adequate Ni content increased the CO content by promoting the RWGS and dry reforming of methane (DRM) reactions. The larger CO productivity attained at high temperatures was intimately associated with the generation of FeNi 3 alloys. Among the catalysts' series, Ni-rich catalysts favored the CO productivity in the presence of CH 4 , but important carbon deposition processes were noticed. On the contrary, 2Ni-Fe/MgAl 2 O 4 resulted in a competitive and cost-effective system delivering large amounts of CO with almost no coke deposits. Overall, the incorporation of a suitable realistic application for valorization of variable composition of biomass-gasification derived mixtures obtaining a syngas-rich stream thus opens new routes for biosyngas production and upgrading., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

1,2-unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) represent a large group of secondary plant metabolites exhibiting hepatotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic properties upon bioactivation. To examine how the degree of esterification affects the genotoxic profile of PA we investigated cytotoxicity, histone H2AX phosphorylation, DNA strand break induction, cell cycle perturbation, micronuclei formation, and aneugenic effects in different cell models. Analysis of cytotoxicity and phosphorylation of histone H2AX was structure- and concentration-dependent: diester-type PAs (except monocrotaline) showed more pronounced effects than monoester-type PAs. Cell cycle analysis identified that diester-type PAs induced a S-phase arrest and a decrease in the occurrence of cells in the G1-phase. The same structure-dependency was observed by flow-cytometric analysis of PA-induced micronuclei in CYP3A4-overexpressing V79 cells. Analysis of centromeres induced by lasiocarpine in the micronuclei by fluorescence in situ hybridization indicated an aneugenic effect in V79 h3A4 cells. Comet assays revealed no significant induction of DNA strand breaks for all investigated PAs. Overall, diester-type PAs induced more pronounced effects than monoester-type PAs. Furthermore, our results indicate aneugenic effects upon exposure towards lasiocarpine in vitro. These data improve our understanding how structural features of PA influence the genotoxic profile. Especially, the monoester-type PAs seem to induce less severe effects than other PAs., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Profitability studies are needed to establish the potential pathways required for viable biomethane production in the Brandenburg region of Germany. This work study the profitability of a potential biomethane production plant in the eastern German region of Brandenburg, through a specific practical scenario with data collected from a regional biogas plant located in Alteno (Schradenbiogas GmbH & Co. KG). Several parameters with potential economic influence such as distance of the production point to the grid, waste utilization percentage, and investment, were analyzed. The results illustrate a negative overall net present value with the scenario of no governmental investment, even when considering trading the CO 2 obtained throughout the process. Subsidies needed to reach profitability varied with distance from 13.5 €/MWh to 19.3 €/MWh. For a fixed distance of 15 kms, the importance of percentage of waste utilization was examined. Only 100% of waste utilization and 75% of waste utilization would reach profitability under a reasonable subsidies scheme (16.3 and 18.8 €/MWh respectively). Concerning the importance of investment, a subsidized investment of at least 70% is demanded for positive net present values. Besides, the sensitivity analysis remarks the energy consumption of the biogas upgrading stage, the electricity price, and the energy consumption of biogas production as major parameters to be tackled for the successful implementation of biogas upgrading plants. The results here obtained invite to ponder about potential strategies to further improve the economic viability of this kind of renewable projects. In this line, using the CO 2 separated to produce added-value chemicals can be an interesting alternative., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Tropical mountain ecosystems are threatened by climate and land-use changes. Their diversity and complexity make projections how they respond to environmental changes challenging. A suitable way are trait-based approaches, by distinguishing between response traits that determine the resistance of species to environmental changes and effect traits that are relevant for species' interactions, biotic processes, and ecosystem functions. The combination of those approaches with land surface models (LSM) linking the functional community composition to ecosystem functions provides new ways to project the response of ecosystems to environmental changes. With the interdisciplinary project RESPECT, we propose a research framework that uses a trait-based response-effect-framework (REF) to quantify relationships between abiotic conditions, the diversity of functional traits in communities, and associated biotic processes, informing a biodiversity-LSM. We apply the framework to a megadiverse tropical mountain forest. We use a plot design along an elevation and a land-use gradient to collect data on abiotic drivers, functional traits, and biotic processes. We integrate these data to build the biodiversity-LSM and illustrate how to test the model. REF results show that aboveground biomass production is not directly related to changing climatic conditions, but indirectly through associated changes in functional traits. Herbivory is directly related to changing abiotic conditions. The biodiversity-LSM informed by local functional trait and soil data improved the simulation of biomass production substantially. We conclude that local data, also derived from previous projects (platform Ecuador), are key elements of the research framework. We specify essential datasets to apply this framework to other mountain ecosystems.

Low-temperature magnetoresistance measurements of n- and p-doped germanium-tin (Ge 1-y Sn y ) layers with Sn concentrations up to 8% show contributions arising from effects of weak localization for n-type and weak antilocalization for p-type doped samples independent of the Sn concentration. Calculations of the magnetoresistance using the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model for two-dimensional transport allow us to extract the phase-coherence length for all samples as well as the spin-orbit length for the p-type doped samples. For pure Ge, we find phase-coherence lengths as long as (349.0 ± 1.4) nm and (614.0 ± 0.9) nm for n-type and p-type doped samples, respectively. The phase-coherence length decreases with increasing Sn concentration. From the spin-orbit scattering length, we determine the spin-diffusion scattering length in the range of 20-30 nm for all highly degenerate p-type doped samples irrespective of Sn concentration. These results show that Ge 1-y Sn y is a promising material for future spintronic applications.

Temperature-induced change in reactivity of the frequently used ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C 4 C 1 im]BF 4 ) is presented as a prerequisite for the rational screening of reaction courses in material synthesis. [C 4 C 1 im]BF 4 becomes active with oxidic precursor compounds in reduction reaction at ϑ≥200 °C, even without the addition of an external reducing agent. The reaction mechanism of forming red amorphous selenium from SeO 2 is investigated as a model system and can be described similarly to the Riley oxidation. The reactive species but-1-ene, which is formed during the decomposition of [C 4 C 1 im]BF 4 , reacts with SeO 2 and form but-3-en-2-one, water, and selenium. Elucidation of the mechanism was achieved by thermoanalytical investigations. The monotropic phase transition of selenium was analyzed by the differential scanning calorimetry. Beyond, the suitability of the single source oxide precursor Bi 2 Se 3 O 9 for the synthesis of Bi 2 Se 3 particles was confirmed. Identification, characterization of formed solids succeeded by using light microscopy, XRD, SEM, and EDX., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are considered as an effective and promising method for the degradation and mineralization of aqueous recalcitrant organic pollutants. In this study, application of ozonation and various types of AOPs including photocatalysis, Fenton alone and their combinations were investigated and compared for the degradation and mineralization of chloroacetic acids (CAAs) in aqueous solutions, using a planar falling film reactor. CAAs are widely available in water treated by chlorination processes and are resistance against ozonation in the darkness. The results of the present work showed that the plain ozonation was inefficient method for the destruction of the CAAs as only about 2% degradation was observed after 90 min treatment. However, the best results were achieved by ozone in combinations with other oxidation processes. Furthermore, a synergistic effect on the removal rate was observed when these processes were exposed to the UVA light. Among the examined processes, combination of photo-Fenton with ozonation was found to be the fastest one for CAAs degradation. The effects of different parameters such as initial concentration of Fe 2 ⁺, H₂O₂ and CAAs in photo-Fenton combined with ozonation were investigated. The optimum ratio of 0.12 of Fe 2 ⁺/H₂O₂ concentration was found to give the best result for CAAs degradation. The degree of CAAs mineralization, measured by the total organic carbon removal, as well as the effect of falling liquid film flow rate on the removal of CAAs were also studied and discussed., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The antiradical and antimicrobial activity of lignin and lignin-based films are both of great interest for applications such as food packaging additives. The polyphenolic structure of lignin in addition to the presence of O-containing functional groups is potentially responsible for these activities. This study used DPPH assays to discuss the antiradical activity of HPMC/lignin and HPMC/lignin/chitosan films. The scavenging activity (SA) of both binary (HPMC/lignin) and ternary (HPMC/lignin/chitosan) systems was affected by the percentage of the added lignin: the 5% addition showed the highest activity and the 30% addition had the lowest. Both scavenging activity and antimicrobial activity are dependent on the biomass source showing the following trend: organosolv of softwood > kraft of softwood > organosolv of grass. Testing the antimicrobial activities of lignins and lignin-containing films showed high antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria at 35 °C and at low temperatures (0-7 °C). Purification of kraft lignin has a negative effect on the antimicrobial activity while storage has positive effect. The lignin release in the produced films affected the activity positively and the chitosan addition enhances the activity even more for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Testing the films against spoilage bacteria that grow at low temperatures revealed the activity of the 30% addition on HPMC/L1 film against both B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens while L5 was active only against B. thermosphacta . In HPMC/lignin/chitosan films, the 5% addition exhibited activity against both B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Antioxidant activity is an essential aspect of oxygen-sensitive merchandise and goods, such as food and corresponding packaging, cosmetics, and biomedicine. Technical lignin has not yet been applied as a natural antioxidant, mainly due to the complex heterogeneous structure and polydispersity of lignin. This report presents antioxidant capacity studies completed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The influence of purification on lignin structure and activity was investigated. The purification procedure showed that double-fold selective extraction is the most efficient (confirmed by ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) and 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and X-ray diffraction), resulting in fractions of very narrow polydispersity (3.2⁻1.6), up to four distinct absorption bands in UV/Vis spectroscopy. Due to differential scanning calorimetry measurements, the glass transition temperature increased from 123 to 185 °C for the purest fraction. Antioxidant capacity is discussed regarding the biomass source, pulping process, and degree of purification. Lignin obtained from industrial black liquor are compared with beech wood samples: antioxidant activity (DPPH inhibition) of kraft lignin fractions were 62⁻68%, whereas beech and spruce/pine-mixed lignin showed values of 42% and 64%, respectively. Total phenol content (TPC) of the isolated kraft lignin fractions varied between 26 and 35%, whereas beech and spruce/pine lignin were 33% and 34%, respectively. Storage decreased the TPC values but increased the DPPH inhibition.

Although potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) is associated with risk of harm due to adverse effects, it is frequently prescribed for elderly patients. The aim of this qualitative multi-center study was to gain insight into contextual factors that might lead to chronic PIM use. We conducted semi-structured interviews with elderly patients with or without chronic PIM use (patient interviews: n = 52). Patients were between 86 and 96 years old. The participants were recruited from the AgeCoDe study. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts of the interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Deductive and inductive categories were determined. We found contextual factors related to the patient and related to patient-general practitioner (GP) communication that might lead to chronic PIM use (i.e., positive features of PIM, maintaining characteristics of medication intake, barriers to deprescribe PIM, external actors supporting PIM intake, system-related factors). Besides certain health-related behaviours (e.g., own obligation to report to GP) and medication-related attitudes and knowledge (e.g., awareness of side effects and interaction of medicines), patient-GP-interactions that were characterised by mutual agreements on drugs (e.g., concerning dosage or discontinuation of a drug) might be advantageous to reduce the probability of chronic PIM use. The results might assist in the development of guidelines and educational programs aiming to reduce PIM use in the elderly., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The aim of the study was to develop predictive models of the ecological status of rivers by using artificial neural networks. The relationships between five macrophyte indices and the combined impact of water pollution as well as hydromorphological degradation were examined. The dataset consisted of hydromorphologically modified rivers representing a wide water quality gradient. Three ecological status indices, namely the Macrophyte Index for Rivers (MIR), the Macrophyte Biological Index for Rivers (IBMR) and the River Macrophyte Nutrient Index (RMNI), were tested. Moreover two diversity indices, species richness (N) and the Simpson index (D) were tested. Physico-chemical parameters reflecting both water quality and hydromorphological status were utilized as explanatory variables for the artificial neural networks. The best modelling quality in terms of high values of coefficients of determination and low values of the normalized root mean square error was obtained for the RMNI and the MIR networks. The networks constructed for IBMR, species richness and the Simpson index showed a lower degree of fit. In all cases, modelling quality improved by adding two hydromorphological indices to the pool of explanatory variables. The significant effect of these indices in the models was confirmed by sensitivity analysis. The research showed that ecological assessment of rivers based on macrophyte metrics does not only reflect the water quality but also the hydromorphological status., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Renewable resources are gaining increasing interest as a source for environmentally benign biomaterials, such as drug encapsulation/release compounds, and scaffolds for tissue engineering in regenerative medicine. Being the second largest naturally abundant polymer, the interest in lignin valorization for biomedical utilization is rapidly growing. Depending on its resource and isolation procedure, lignin shows specific antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Today, efforts in research and industry are directed toward lignin utilization as a renewable macromolecular building block for the preparation of polymeric drug encapsulation and scaffold materials. Within the last five years, remarkable progress has been made in isolation, functionalization and modification of lignin and lignin-derived compounds. However, the literature so far mainly focuses lignin-derived fuels, lubricants and resins. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current state of the art and to highlight the most important results in the field of lignin-based materials for potential use in biomedicine (reported in 2014⁻2018). Special focus is placed on lignin-derived nanomaterials for drug encapsulation and release as well as lignin hybrid materials used as scaffolds for guided bone regeneration in stem cell-based therapies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background: Oldest-old persons frequently receive potentially inappropriate medication. Medication use takes place under the patients' informal caregivers' influence. We explored informal caregivers' perspectives on medication of (relatively) independent oldest-old persons to identify starting points for safer medication prescription/handling., Methods: In this exploratory qualitative interview study we interviewed 45 informal caregivers of 45 oldest-old persons (23 with potentially inappropriate medication/22 without potentially inappropriate medication). Interviews were recorded, transcribed and content analyzed (deductive/inductive coding)., Results: Interviewees had little knowledge about/influence on oldest-old persons' medication, but declared to monitor oldest-old persons' needs for assistance. They were unaware of the concept of potentially inappropriate medication but sometimes sensitive to substance dependency. Most informal caregivers were satisfied with the oldest-old persons' medication and viewed medication as increasing the patients' quality of life. Inadequate communication was found between informal caregivers and general practitioners., Conclusions: Influence of informal caregivers on (relatively) independent oldest-old persons' medication seems low. Stakeholders need to be aware that there is a transitional period where independency of oldest-old persons decreases and support needs increase which may be missed by (in-)formal caregivers or concealed by oldest-old persons. Monitoring patients' medication competencies; measures supporting communication between informal caregivers and health care professionals; provision of educational and support resources for informal caregivers and the acceptance of oldest-old persons' increasing assistance needs may increase medication safety.

Ozonation and advanced oxidation processes based on photocatalysis (P.C.) and non-thermal plasma generated in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in different gas atmospheres were compared for the degradation and mineralization of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in aqueous solutions, using a planar falling film reactor with comparable design. The energetic yields (G 50 ) as measure of the efficiencies of the different methods are for 2,4-D in the order DBD/Ar-Fenton>ozonation>DBD/Ar>P.C.ozonation>DBD/Ar:O 2 ≫DBD/Air>P.C.oxidation. For 2,4-DCP the order is ozonation≫DBD/Ar-Fenton>P.C.ozonation>DBD/Ar>DBD/Ar:O 2 ≫P.C.oxidation>DBD/Air. The degradation by using ozone is very effective, but it should be noted that the mineralization measured by the total organic carbon (TOC) removal is low. The reason is the formation of stable towards ozone intermediates, especially low chain carboxylic acids. The fate of these intermediates during the degradation with the different methods has been followed and discussed., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In order to assess the capillary segmented flow reactor as a potentially appropriate reactor device for the enzymatic hydrolysis of vegetable oils, a study was made to reveal the impact of incident mass transfer processes on the hydrolysis rate. As demonstrated by means of experiments performed in a modified Lewis-cell type contactor, which allows the independent adjustment of flow rates for both phases, the enzymatic hydrolysis rate of rapeseed oil is strongly governed by mass transport processes taking place in both phases. In the oil phase, any increase in convective mass transfer results in an enhancement of hydrolysis rate due to facilitated removal of fatty acids from interface layer which is known to inhibit the activity of the enzyme adsorbed at the interface. At asynchronous condition when solely the water phase is agitated, however, convective mass transport in the interface layer has an inverse effect on the hydrolysis rate due to the generation of considerable shear stress in the vicinity of the interface unfavorable for the performance of the enzymes. By operating at synchronous agitation conditions, the shear stress can considerably be reduced. Generally, the positive effect of mass transport in the oil phase compensates the negative one in the aqueous phase thus resulting in an overall increase in hydrolysis rate of 57% with increasing stirrer rates. The results can be applied to the operation of segmented-flow capillary reactors by choosing the oil phase as disperse phase and the water phase as continuous phase, respectively.

In this work, a laboratory-scale of a 3-phase [(I) immobilized photocatalyst, (II) polluted water and (III) oxygen or ozone] falling-film reactor was designed and developed for heterogenous advanced oxidation processes. Characterization and assessment of the annular falling film reactor for handling different advanced oxidation methods was performed. Degussa P-25 TiO2 particles were immobilized on borosilicate glass (BSG) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) tubes and used as a photocatalyst in this study. The characteristics of the falling film reactor, such as the thickness and distribution of falling films and the level of gas absorption into the liquid falling films, as well as the effect of UVA irradiation on the decomposition of ozone inside the falling film reactor, were studied. The adsorption of a model compound on the surface of the immobilized catalyst was measured and the photoactivity of the immobilized photocatalyst was evaluated for the degradation of the model compound. Oxalic acid was chosen as the model compound in this study., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To shed light on nanopattern formation upon femtosecond laser ablation, an adopted surface erosion model is developed, based on the description for ion beam sputtering. In particular, the dependence of generated patterns on the laser polarization is taken into account. We find that an asymmetry in deposition and dissipation of incident laser energy results in a respective dependence of coefficients in a nonlinear equation of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky type. Surface morphologies obtained by this model for different polarization of the laser beam are presented and the time evolution of the nanopattern is discussed. A comparison of these numerical results with experimental data shows an excellent agreement. Dependence of femtosecond laser induced formation on the polarization of the incident beam within an adopted surface erosion model is considered. A continuum theory of erosion by polarized laser radiation is developed. We exploit the similarity to ion-beam sputtering and extend a corresponding model for laser ablation by including laser polarization. This yields a respective dependence of coefficients in a nonlinear equation of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky type. We present the surface morphologies obtained by this model for different polarization of the laser beam and discuss a time evolution of the nanopattern. These numerical results are in a good agreement with numerous experimental data. We show that the correlation of ripples orientation with laser polarization can be described within a model where the polarization causes the breaking of symmetry at the surface. Our results support the non-linear self-organization mechanism of pattern formation on the surface of solids.