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The effect of prior malignancy on the risk of developing, and prognosis of, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is unknown. This observational study utilized the California Cancer Registry to estimate the risk of developing ALL after a prior malignancy using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs, 95% confidence intervals). ALL occurring after a malignancy with an SIR>1 (increased-risk (IR) malignancies) was considered secondary ALL (s-ALL). Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs, 95% confidence intervals) compared the effect of s-ALL with de novo ALL on overall survival. A total of 14 481 patients with ALL were identified (1988-2012) and 382 (3%) had a known prior malignancy. Any prior malignancy predisposed patients to developing ALL: SIR 1.62 (1.45-1.79). Hematologic malignancies (SIR 5.57, 4.38-6.98) and IR-solid tumors (SIR 2.11, 1.73-2.54) increased the risk of developing ALL. s-ALL increased the risk of death compared with de novo ALL (aHR 1.38 (1.16-1.63)) and this effect was more pronounced among younger patients (age

Abstract Crashes between cars and powered two‐wheelers (PTWs: motorcycles, scooters, and e‐bikes) are a safety concern; as a result, developing car safety systems that protect PTW riders is essential. While the pre‐crash protection system automated emergency braking (AEB) has been shown to avoid and mitigate injuries for car‐to‐car, car‐to‐cyclist, and car‐to‐pedestrian crashes, much is still unknown about its effectiveness in car‐to‐PTW crashes. Further, the characteristics of the crashes that remain after the introduction of such systems in traffic are also largely unknown. This study estimates the crash avoidance and injury risk reduction performance of six different PTW‐AEB algorithms that were virtually applied to reconstructed car‐to‐PTW pre‐crash kinematics extracted from a Chinese in‐depth crash database. Five of the algorithms include combinations of drivers’ and PTW riders’ comfort zone boundaries for braking and steering, while the sixth is a traditional AEB. Results show that the average safety performance of the algorithms using only the driver's comfort zone boundaries is higher than that of the traditional AEB algorithm. All algorithms resulted in similar distributions of impact speed and impact locations, which means that in‐crash protection systems likely can be made less complex, not having to consider differences in AEB algorithm design among car manufacturers.

Background: As patients interact with a healthcare service system, patterns of service utilization (PSUs) emerge. These PSUs are embedded in the sparse high-dimensional space of longitudinal cross-continuum health service encounter data. Once extracted, PSUs can provide quality assurance/quality improvement (QA/QI) efforts with the information required to optimize service system structures and functions. This may improve outcomes for complex patients with chronic diseases. Method: Working with longitudinal cross-continuum encounter data from a regional health service system, various pattern detection analyses were conducted, employing (1) graph community detection algorithms, (2) natural language processing (NLP) clustering, and (3) a hybrid NLP–graph method. Result: These approaches produced similar PSUs, as determined from a clinical perspective by clinical subject matter experts and service system operations experts. Conclusions: The similarity in the results provides validation for the methodologies. Moreover, the results stress the need to engage with clinical or service system operations experts, both in providing the taxonomies and ontologies of the service system, the cohort definitions, and determining the level of granularity that produces the most clinically meaningful results. Finally, the uniqueness of each approach provides an opportunity to take advantage of the various analytical capabilities that each approach brings, which will be further explored in our future research.

Individuals from a variety of backgrounds are affected by the opioid crisis. To provide optimal care for individuals at risk of opioid overdose and prevent subsequent overdoses, a more targeted response that goes beyond the traditional taxonomical diagnosis approach to care management needs to be adopted. In previous works, Graph Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing methods were used to model the products for planning and evaluating the treatment of patients with complex issues. This study proposes a methodology of partitioning patients in the opioid overdose cohort into various communities based on their patterns of service utilization (PSUs) across the continuum of care using graph community detection and applying survival analysis to predict time-to-second overdose for each of the communities. The results demonstrated that the overdose cohort is not homogeneous with respect to the determinants of risk. Moreover, the risk for subsequent overdose was quantified: there is a 51% higher chance of experiencing a second overdose for a high-risk community compared to a low-risk community. The proposed method can inform a more efficient treatment heterogeneity approach for a cohort made of diverse individuals, such as the opioid overdose cohort. It can also guide targeted support for patients at risk of subsequent overdoses.

Objectives: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common perioperative arrhythmia. The association of POAF with negative short-term outcomes after cardiac surgery is well understood; however, the association of POAF with long-term morbidity and mortality is not well described. We compared the risk of long-term clinical outcomes (up to 9 years postdischarge) in patients with and without POAF following open-chest cardiac surgery. Methods: This observational, retrospective cohort study used data from the Swedish Web-system for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-based care in Heart disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies (SWEDEHEART) Swedish Cardiac Surgery Registry and National Board of Health and Welfare. Patients aged 55 to 90 years who underwent open-chest coronary artery bypass and/or valvular surgery between 2010 and 2019 were included. Clinical outcomes were adjusted for differences in baseline demographics and clinical history using multivariable Cox regression. Results: A total of 30,870 patients with a mean age of 69.2 years were included in the study (no POAF, n = 20,734; POAF, n = 10,136). The median follow-up was 4.6 years. After adjustment, POAF was associated with a significantly higher risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio [HR], 2.30; 95% CI, 2.21-2.41), heart failure (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.10-1.25), chronic kidney disease (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.07-1.24), all-cause mortality (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04-1.18), and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06-1.26). POAF was also associated with a numerically higher risk of ischemic stroke and major bleed, but these findings were not statistically significant after adjustment. Conclusions: These data provide further insight into the long-term clinical outcomes associated with POAF in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Surface Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is a well-studied intervention for multiple muscular disorders. However, it is still controversially discussed as a complementary therapy for complete facial paralysis. The aim of this intervention is to test a daily home-based ES concept as a pilot study regarding safety, feasibility, and effects on facial functionality and symmetry. In a prospective single-centre pilot study, 10 patients (median 61 years, denervation 130 d) with complete peripheral facial paralysis performed home-based FES of the affected lateral mouth region Stimulation parameters, facial paralysis scores and standardised photographs were assessed in monthly follow-ups. No serious adverse events appeared. Stimulation parameters could be constantly increased indicating effective muscle training while subjectively perceived functionality of the face improved. Thus, smile angle of the paralysed side improved as well. FES is a safe therapy model for application in facial nerve paralysis patients. A feasible stimulation protocol could be applied, which improved the functionality and symmetry of the stimulated facial region. A future controlled, randomised and double-blind follow-up study is needed to investigate these initial results in a further evolved replicable setting.

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is an established intervention for a range of muscular and neurological disorders that has already been studied in numerous publications. However, its application to Peripheral Facial nerve Paralysis (PFP) still needs to be sufficiently investigated. As the first approach known to the authors, this study examines the effect of FES on the facial muscles in complete PFP using ultrasonography as a means of observation. In a prospective single-center observational pilot study, ten patients with complete PFP, confirmed by needle-electromyography (EMG), performed FES of the affected lateral mouth region at home twice daily for 20 minutes. The facial muscles’ Cross-Sectional Area (CSA) was regularly assessed using sonographic quantification. While the CSA of most non-stimulated muscles decreased considerably during ongoing paralysis, a significant CSA increase of the Zygomaticus Muscle (ZYG), which was regularly subjected to FES, could be demonstrated. FES can halt the atrophy of denervated ZYG and potentially other facial muscles. Further investigations with a more significant patient collective are recommended. From now on, FES could be established as an additive method in the non-invasive treatment of PFP.

We demonstrate how continuous freeze-casting without post-treatment sintering may be successfully employed using a pure water–glass (WG) solution to fabricate hierarchically porous foams lacking a morphology gradient along the freeze direction. By adjusting the water content (dilution) and/or the alkali ratio of the solution, we achieved lamellar structures with sub-features or cellular structures, with porosities spanning ∼65% to 83%. The WG foams exhibit astounding mechanical properties; notably, foams with a relatively low density of ∼0.33 g/cm3 demonstrated the highest compressive strength (5 MPa), due to their microstructure and pore morphology. In situ uniaxial compression tests combined with phase-contrast enhanced micro-computed tomography in a synchrotron revealed bending, buckling, fracture and splitting of the lamellar structures as main failure mechanisms. Our newly developed approach of continuous freeze-casting of pure WG solutions with an improved understanding of the relationship between composition, structure, and failure mechanisms provide a basis for a customized design and manufacture of a wide range of freeze-cast WG-based materials for applications ranging from biomedicine to energy generation and storage.

Healthcare organizations have a contractual obligation to the public to address population-level inequities to health services access and shed light on them. Various studies have focused on achieving equitable access to healthcare services for vulnerable patients. However, these studies do not provide a nuanced perspective based on the local reality across the full continuum of care. In previous work, graph topology was used to provide visual depictions of the dynamics of patients’ movement across a complex healthcare system. Using patients’ encounters data represented as a graph, this study expands on previous work and proposes a methodology to identify and quantify cohort-specific disparities in accessing healthcare services across the continuum of care. The result has demonstrated that a more nuanced approach to assessing access-to-care disparity is doable using patients’ patterns of service utilization from a longitudinal cross-continuum healthcare dataset. The proposed method can be used as part of a toolkit to support healthcare organizations that wish to structure their services to provide better care to their vulnerable populations based on the local realities. This provides a first step in addressing inequities for vulnerable patients in accessing healthcare services. However, additional steps need to be considered to fully address these inequities.

Background: Optimizing care for patients with complex problems entails the integration of clinically appropriate problem-specific clinical protocols, and the optimization of service-system-encompassing clinical pathways. However, alignment of service system operations with Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) is far more challenging than the time-bounded alignment of procedures with protocols. This is due to the challenge of identifying longitudinal patterns of service utilization in the cross-continuum data to assess adherence to the CPGs. Method: This paper proposes a new methodology for identifying patients’ patterns of service utilization (PSUs) within sparse high-dimensional cross-continuum health datasets using graph community detection. Result: The result has shown that by using iterative graph community detections, and graph metrics combined with input from clinical and operational subject matter experts, it is possible to extract meaningful functionally integrated PSUs. Conclusions: This introduces the possibility of influencing the reorganization of some services to provide better care for patients with complex problems. Additionally, this introduces a novel analytical framework relying on patients’ service pathways as a foundation to generate the basic entities required to evaluate conformance of interventions to cohort-specific clinical practice guidelines, which will be further explored in our future research.

Background: Providing care to persons with complex problems is inherently difficult due to several factors, including the impacts of proximal determinants of health, treatment response, the natural emergence of comorbidities, and service system capacity to provide timely required services. Providing visibility into the dynamics of patients’ engagement can help to optimize care for patients with complex problems. Method: In a previous work, graph machine learning and NLP methods were used to model the products of service system dynamics as atemporal entities, using a data model that collapsed patient encounter events across time. In this paper, the order of events is put back into the data model to provide topological depictions of the dynamics that are embodied in patients’ movement across a complex healthcare system. Result: The results show that directed graphs are well suited to the task of depicting the way that the diverse components of the system are functionally coupled—or remain disconnected—by patient journeys. Conclusion: By setting the resolution on the graph topology visualization, important characteristics can be highlighted, including highly prevalent repeating sequences of service events readily interpretable by clinical subject matter experts. Moreover, this methodology provides a first step in addressing the challenge of locating potential operational problems for patients with complex issues engaging with a complex healthcare service system.

Urea cocrystal materials are a potential fertilizer source that has shown to decrease environmental nitrogen losses. Novel nitrogen (N)-containing urea cocrystal fertilizers, CaSO4·4urea (UC1) and Ca(H2PO4)2·4urea (UC2), were synthesized using the mechanochemical method to form stable urea cocrystals to be tested as a fertilizer source for turfgrass. The objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate the response of ‘Tifway’ hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. traansvalensis Burt Davy) to N fertilization by urea cocrystals and traditional coated urea products (MU·PCU, methylene urea, urea, polymer-coated urea; PCU, polymer-coated urea, urea) supplied at two rates at the beginning of two, 10-week study periods conducted under a greenhouse setting and 2) investigate N release behavior of urea and two cocrystal products using a rapid water release test. In the turfgrass response study conducted in the greenhouse, improved turfgrass quality above the minimum quality threshold was observed when averaging across all products. For normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), cocrystal outperformed all other products in the summer study and both cocrystal products outperformed the traditional product (MU·PCU) in the winter study. Further, both cocrystal products showed favorable growth responses compared with the commercial products provided by positive clipping production and vertical extension rates. In the nitrogen release experiment, a rapid water release test revealed the N release peak of urea was significantly higher than both UC1 and UC2. Furthermore, significantly higher N was leached from urea (15% loss) compared with both UC1 and UC2 (≈8% loss). Results from both studies provide evidence supporting suitability of urea cocrystal application on bermudagrass and potential as a slow-release fertilizer source through sustained turfgrass vigor, growth, decreased N release peak, and decreased leaching losses.

Desorption and adsorbent regeneration are imperative factors that are required to be taken into account when designing the adsorption system. From the environmental, economic, and practical points of view, regeneration is necessary for evaluating the efficiency and sustainability of synthesized adsorbents. However, no study has investigated the optimization of arsenic species desorption from spent adsorbents and their regeneration ability for reuse as well as safe disposal. This study aims to investigate the desorption ability of arsenic ions adsorbed on hybrid granular activated carbon and the optimization of the independent factors influencing the efficient recovery of arsenic species from the spent activated carbon using central composite design of the response surface methodology. The activated carbon before the sorption process and after the adsorption-desorption of arsenic ions have been characterized using SEM-EDX, FTIR, and TEM. The study found that all the investigated independent desorption variables greatly influence the retrievability of arsenic ions from the spent activated carbon. Using the desirability function for the optimization of the independent factors as a function of desorption efficiency, the optimum experimental conditions were solution pH of 2.00, eluent concentration of 0.10 M, and temperature of 26.63 ℃, which gave maximum arsenic ions recovery efficiency of 91 %. The validation of the quadratic model using laboratory confirmatory experiments gave an optimum arsenic ions desorption efficiency of 97 %. Therefore, the study reveals that the application of the central composite design of the response surface methodology led to the development of an accurate and valid quadratic model, which was utilized in the enhanced optimization of arsenic ions recovery from the spent reclaimable activated carbon. More so, the desorption isotherm and kinetic data of arsenic were well correlated with the Langmuir and the pseudo-second-order models, while the thermodynamics studies indicated that arsenic ions desorption process was feasible, endothermic, and spontaneous.

Abstract Using turn signals to convey a driver's intention to change lanes provides a direct and unambiguous way of communicating with nearby drivers. Nonetheless, past research has indicated that drivers may not always use their turn signals before starting a lane change. In this study, realistic driving data are analyzed to investigate turn signal usage during lane changes on highways in and around Gothenburg, Sweden. Turn signal usage is examined and factors that influence it are identified by employing Bayesian hierarchical modelling. The study found that drivers used their turn signal before changing lanes in 60% of cases, after starting the lane change in 33% of cases, and did not use it at all in 7% of cases. The Bayesian hierarchical modelling results indicate that various factors, such as the speed and direction of lane changes and the presence of surrounding vehicles, influence the usage of turn signals. The study concludes that understanding the factors affecting turn signal usage is crucial for improving traffic safety in current and future mixed traffic with autonomous vehicles. The study discusses the implications of findings concerning increasing turn signal compliance through general policy‐making, improving existing in‐vehicle technologies and including turn signal usage in Pay‐As‐You‐Drive insurances.

Abstract Background Microsporidia are a large taxon of intracellular pathogens characterized by extraordinarily streamlined genomes with unusually high sequence divergence and many species-specific adaptations. These unique factors pose challenges for traditional genome annotation methods based on sequence similarity. As a result, many of the microsporidian genomes sequenced to date contain numerous genes of unknown function. Recent innovations in rapid and accurate structure prediction and comparison, together with the growing amount of data in structural databases, provide new opportunities to assist in the functional annotation of newly sequenced genomes. Results In this study, we established a workflow that combines sequence and structure-based functional gene annotation approaches employing a ChimeraX plugin named ANNOTEX (Annotation Extension for ChimeraX), allowing for visual inspection and manual curation. We employed this workflow on a high-quality telomere-to-telomere sequenced tetraploid genome of Vairimorpha necatrix. First, the 3080 predicted protein-coding DNA sequences, of which 89% were confirmed with RNA sequencing data, were used as input. Next, ColabFold was used to create protein structure predictions, followed by a Foldseek search for structural matching to the PDB and AlphaFold databases. The subsequent manual curation, using sequence and structure-based hits, increased the accuracy and quality of the functional genome annotation compared to results using only traditional annotation tools. Our workflow resulted in a comprehensive description of the V. necatrix genome, along with a structural summary of the most prevalent protein groups, such as the ricin B lectin family. In addition, and to test our tool, we identified the functions of several previously uncharacterized Encephalitozoon cuniculi genes. Conclusion We provide a new functional annotation tool for divergent organisms and employ it on a newly sequenced, high-quality microsporidian genome to shed light on this uncharacterized intracellular pathogen of Lepidoptera. The addition of a structure-based annotation approach can serve as a valuable template for studying other microsporidian or similarly divergent species.

Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) are widely used in electronic packaging. Increasing power density and limited assembly space pose high demands on thermal management. Large cooling surfaces need to be covered efficiently. When joining the heatsink, previously dispensed TIM spreads over the cooling surface. Recommendations on the dispense pattern exist only for simple surface geometries such as rectangles. For more complex geometries, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are used in combination with manual experiments. While CFD simulations offer a high accuracy, they involve simulation experts and are rather expensive to set up. We propose a lightweight heuristic to model the spreading behavior of TIM. We further speed up the calculation by training an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) on data from this model. This offers rapid computation times and further supplies gradient information. This ANN can not only be used to aid manual pattern design of TIM, but also enables an automated pattern optimization. We compare this approach against the state-of-the-art and use real product samples for validation.

The excessive mineralization of organic molecules during anaerobic fermentation increases the availability of nitrogen and carbon. For this reason, the development of downstream processing technologies is required to better manage ammonia and carbon dioxide emissions during the storage and land application of the resulting soil organic amendment. The present work investigated classical distillation as a technology for valorizing ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4+-N) in anaerobic digestate. The results implied that the direct isolation of ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) was possible when applying the reactive distillation to the food waste digestate (FWD) with a high content of NH4+-N, while the addition of antifoam to the agrowaste digestate (AWD) was necessary to be able to produce an aqueous solution of NH4HCO3 as the distillate. The reason was that the extraction of NH4HCO3 from the AWD required a higher temperature (>95 °C) and duration (i.e., steady state in batch operation) than the recovery of the inorganic fertilizer from the FWD. The titration method, when applied to the depleted digestate, offered the quickest way of monitoring the reactive distillation because the buffer capacity of the distillate was much higher. The isolation of NH4HCO3 from the FWD was attained in a transient mode at a temperature below 90 °C (i.e., while heating up to reach the desired distillation temperature or cooling down once the batch distillation was finished). For the operating conditions to be regarded as techno-economically feasible, they should be attained in the anaerobic digestion plant by integrating the heat harvested from the engines, which convert the biogas into electricity.

Water pollution is a major concern due to its detrimental effects on the environment and public health. The particular danger of inorganic pollutants arises from their persistent toxicity and inability to biodegrade. Recently, electrocoagulation (EC) has been demonstrated as an alternative sustainable approach to purifying wastewater due to the increasingly strict pollution prevention rules. In particular, EC has been used to remove inorganic pollutants, such as Cr, Zn, Pb, or As. EC has emerged as a sustainable tool for resource recovery of some inorganic pollutants such as N and P that, when recovered, have value as plant nutrients and are critical in a circular economy. These recovered materials can be obtained from diverse agricultural drainage water and recycled as fertilizers. In this work, a state-of-the-art technique is reviewed describing the advances in contaminant removal and nutrient recovery using EC through an in-depth discussion of the factors influencing the contaminant removal process, including operating pH, time, power, and concentration. Furthermore, limitations of the EC technology are reviewed, including the high-power consumption, fast deterioration of the sacrificial electrodes, and the types of contaminants that could not be efficiently removed. Finally, new emerging constructs in EC process optimization parameters are presented.

It is often assumed in X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy that binding energy shifts are synonymous with changes in the chemical state of an atom and the chemical state can be described in terms of oxidation state and stoichiometry of the elements in a material that correlates with photoemission peaks. However, when an atom is bonded into a crystal lattice, the shapes and binding energy of photoemission may not match the expected stoichiometry when measured by XPS, even though shifts in binding energy suggest new oxidation states. In this work, a set of experiments is presented, in which Ar+ and He+ ions of different energies modify the native oxide on a titanium foil which yields XPS spectra that are not easily open to analysis by conventional peak models. In the course of analyzing these complex photoemission data by linear algebraic methods, the prospect emerged that XPS is suggesting that sputtering a native oxide may be providing insight into structural perturbation in addition to the stoichiometry-type changes to the native oxide.

Abstract Low-cost approaches for mass production of III–V-based photovoltaics are highly desired today. For the first time, this work presents industrially relevant mask and plate for front metallization of III–V-based solar cells replacing expensive photolithography. Metal contacts are fabricated by nickel (Ni) electroplating directly onto the solar cell’s front using a precisely structured mask. Inkjet printing offers low-cost and high-precision processing for application of an appropriate plating resist. It covers the solar cell’s front side with narrow openings for subsequent electroplating. The width of the resulting Ni contacts is as low as (10.5 ± 0.8) µm with sharp edges and homogenous shape. The 4 cm2-sized champion III–V-on-silicon triple-junction solar cell with mask and plate front metallization reaches a certified conversion efficiency η of (31.6 ± 1.1) % (AM1.5 g spectrum). It performs just as well as the reference sample with photolithography-structured evaporated front contacts, which reaches η = (31.4 ± 1.1) %.

In milling processes in which material removal is performed periodically from solid material, dynamic effects are generally considered to be responsible for instabilities and subsequent productivity limits. Usually, in such applications, the process-inherent complex dynamic load spectrum on machines, tools and workpieces is considered together with vibration-based relative displacements that can be attributed to the regenerative effect. There are numerous techniques in the literature addressing the suppression of these dynamic effects, but they require a large amount of analysis and implementation effort as well as specific expert knowledge. The approach presented here, however, provides a universally applicable method for suppressing chatter vibrations and deflections. By applying structure elements to the flanks of the minor cutting edges of HSS end mills, it was possible to increase the chatter-free limiting depth of cut ap,crit in the milling processes of the aluminum alloy EN AW-7075. Structured tools were used in ramp milling tests to investigate various effects, such as the influence of certain geometric design features on the stabilization potential compared to a reference tool. Furthermore, the effects of varied process parameter configurations and wear-related effects on the performance of the tool concept were focused on as well. The three key design features of the cutting edge and the structured profiles were identified from the results of the investigation, which, when combined in the most efficient design, in each case led to the development of an optimized structure and process configuration with cumulative potential for increasing the stability limit up to 200%.

Complex inorganic powders based on calcium phosphates have found a plethora of practical applications. Of particular interest are the CaO-P2O5 system-based multi-component material powders and granules as the source of major- and micronutrients for the plants. The emerging strategy is to use nano fertilizers based on hydroxyapatite (HAP) for phosphorus and other nutrient delivery. The doping of micronutrients into HAP structure presents an interesting challenge in obtaining specific phase compositions of these calcium phosphates. Various techniques, including mechanochemical synthesis, have been employed to fabricate doped HAP. Mechanochemical synthesis is of particular interest in this review since it presents a relatively simple, scalable, and cost-effective method of calcium phosphate powder processing. The method involves the use of mechanical force to promote chemical reactions and create nanometric powders. This technique has been successfully applied to produce HAP nanoparticles alone, and HAP doped with other elements, such as zinc and magnesium. Nanofertilizers developed through mechanochemical synthesis can offer several advantages over conventional fertilizers. Their nanoscale size allows for rapid absorption and controlled release of nutrients, which leads to improved nutrient uptake efficiency by plants. Furthermore, the tailored properties of HAP-based nano fertilizers, such as controlled porosity and degradation levels, contribute to their effectiveness in providing plant nutrition.

The underutilization of agricultural waste products in recent years has resulted in environmental issues owing to improper disposal. As a result, heavy metals removal from aqueous systems utilizing sorbent materials produced from agricultural wastes has received a lot of attention. The current study provides an insightful review of the use of bio-adsorbents synthesized from maize/corn residues to decontaminate various toxicants from wastewater. Although bio-adsorbents made from maize/corn residues have shown to be efficient in the sequestration of heavy metals from wastewater, no study has looked at hybrid bio-adsorbents made from various parts of the maize/corn plant. Moreover, all studies practically investigate the sorption processes using the one-factor design technique, which exceedingly consumes time and is expensive for a significant number of biosorption/adsorption factors. Besides, the majority of the studies used bio-adsorbents produced from maize/corn biomass to remove heavy metals from single sorption systems. Furthermore, very few studies have focussed on heavy metals desorption from the exhausted maize/corn bio-adsorbents following the adsorption process to recycle the spent bio-adsorbents for future usage, which would be more cost-effective. Based on the gaps revealed in this review, it is recommended that further investigations on the usefulness of bio-adsorbents derived from maize/corn biomass in cleansing different water toxicants should be carried out.

During host cell invasion, microsporidian spores translocate their entire cytoplasmic content through a thin, hollow superstructure known as the polar tube. To achieve this, the polar tube transitions from a compact spring-like state inside the environmental spore to a long needle-like tube capable of long-range sporoplasm delivery. The unique mechanical properties of the building blocks of the polar tube allow for an explosive transition from compact to extended state and support the rapid cargo translocation process. The molecular and structural factors enabling this ultrafast process and the structural changes during cargo delivery are unknown. Here, we employ light microscopy and in situ cryo-electron tomography to visualize multiple ultrastructural states of the Vairimorpha necatrix polar tube, allowing us to evaluate the kinetics of its germination and characterize the underlying morphological transitions. We describe a cargo-filled state with a unique ordered arrangement of microsporidian ribosomes, which cluster along the thin tube wall, and an empty post-translocation state with a reduced diameter but a thicker wall. Together with a proteomic analysis of endogenously affinity-purified polar tubes, our work provides comprehensive data on the infection apparatus of microsporidia and uncovers new aspects of ribosome regulation and transport.

Despite numerous tutorials and standards written to the technical community on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), difficulties with data acquisition, analysis, and reporting persist. This work focuses on common errors in XPS that are frequently observed in the scientific literature and their sources. Indeed, this work covers: (i) XPS data collection, initial data analysis, and data presentation, (ii) Handling XPS backgrounds, (iii) Common errors in XPS peak fitting, and (iv) XPS data presentation and reporting. Graphical examples of errors and appropriate ways of handling data and correcting errors are provided. Additional readings are listed for greater in-depth exploration of the subjects discussed.

Mechanosensitive ion channels play an essential role in reacting to environmental signals and sustaining cell integrity by facilitating ion flux across membranes. For obligate intracellular pathogens like microsporidia, adapting to changes in the host environment is crucial for survival and propagation. Despite representing a eukaryote of extreme genome reduction, microsporidia have expanded the gene family of mechanosensitive ion channels of small conductance (mscS) through repeated gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer. All microsporidian genomes characterized to date contain mscS genes of both eukaryotic and bacterial origin. Here, we investigated the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the bacterially derived mechanosensitive ion channel of small conductance 2 (MscS2) from Nematocida displodere, an intracellular pathogen of Caenorhabditis elegans. MscS2 is the most compact MscS-like channel known and assembles into a unique superstructure in vitro with six heptameric MscS2 channels. Individual MscS2 channels are oriented in a heterogeneous manner to one another, resembling an asymmetric, flexible six-way cross joint. Finally, we show that microsporidian MscS2 still forms a heptameric membrane channel, however the extreme compaction suggests a potential new function of this MscS-like protein.

X-ray phase-contrast micro computed tomography using synchrotron radiation (SR PhC-µCT) offers unique 3D imaging capabilities for visualizing microstructure of the human brain. Its applicability for unstained soft tissue is an area of active research. Acquiring images from a tissue block without needing to section it into thin slices, as required in routine histology, allows for investigating the microstructure in its natural 3D space. This paper presents a detailed step-by-step guideline for imaging unstained human brain tissue at resolutions of a few micrometers with SR PhC-µCT implemented at SYRMEP, the hard X-ray imaging beamline of Elettra, the Italian synchrotron facility. We present examples of how blood vessels and neurons appear in the images acquired with isotropic 5 μm and 1 µm voxel sizes. Furthermore, the proposed protocol can be used to investigate important biological substrates such as neuromelanin or corpora amylacea. Their spatial distribution can be studied using specifically tailored segmentation tools that are validated by classical histology methods. In conclusion, SR PhC-µCT using the proposed protocols, including data acquisition and image processing, offers viable means of obtaining information about the anatomy of the human brain at the cellular level in 3D.

Tekstarbeid er norskfagets kjernevirksomhet, og mange elever vil trenge mye støtte fra læreren for å mestre norskfagets mange og fagspesifikke måter å bruke tekster på. Det er derfor viktig at lærerstudenter i norsk lærer å tilby støttestrukturer for elevers tekstarbeid. Denne artikkelen rapporterer fra en innovasjon i lektorutdanningen for 8. til 13. trinn der lærerstudenter arbeidet med tre støttestrukturer –strategiundervisning, modellering og muntlige tilbakemeldinger – gjennom bruk av video både på campus og i praksisskoler. Med utgangspunkt i videodata fra lærerstudentenes norskundervisning i praksis og intervjuer med lærerstudentene og deres praksisveiledere, undersøker studien hvordan lærerstudentene støtter opp under ulike former for tekstarbeid i norskfaget ved hjelp av strategundervisning, modellering og muntlige tilbakemeldinger, samt hva som, ifølge lærerstudentene og deres praksisveiledere, er suksessfaktorer for at de skal lykkes med dette. Funnene viser at lærerstudentene tilbød elevene mye støtte i arbeidet med litterær analyse, retorikk og resonnerende fagskriving, og at viktige suksessfaktorer var studentenes egen norskfaglige tekstkompetanse og hvilket repertoar de hadde av støttestrukturer. Studien bidrar med innsikt i hva lærerstudenter må kunne for å støtte elevers tekstarbeid, og indikerer at lærerstudentene trenger mer trening i å støtte opp under kritiske og utforskende tilnærminger til tekster i norskfaget. I tillegg bidrar studien med å vise frem en innovasjon på tvers av campus og praksisskoler som kan egne seg til å utvikle lærerstudenters kompetanse i å støtte elevers tekstarbeid, i tett samarbeid med praksisfeltet.

The Vietnamese Mekong Delta including Ca Mau province (CMP) is seriously affected by land subsidence. Groundwater over-extraction is considered to be a major driver for this process. To address the reduction of groundwater (GW) extraction as a potential counter measure for further subsidence, this study focuses on understanding the importance of GW in people's life and water using habits as well as their awareness with current environmental problems in Ca Mau. Therefore, GW sampling campaigns and surveys were conducted in all 9 districts of Ca Mau province in 2019 and 2020. The analyzed water samples showed a connection with information from questionnaires and created a general picture of water using habits. GW plays an important role in people's lives, it is used for washing, cooking, drinking and other activities. People use GW for different purposes depending on their perception of water quality. For important and direct health related purposes, such as cooking or drinking, people prepare to treat water more carefully or choose another alternative water resource. The analytical approach to evaluation results based on viewpoints from general to detail helped to dig deeper into people's stories to explain research results with their behavior in each situation. When people are dependent on GW and have no option to use alternative water resources, the importance level of GW in their life increases and their awareness of GW over-extraction becomes less. If people have another water source to use such as tap water (TW), habits of using GW change. This opens up the idea that a potential alternative water will reduce the dependence of people on GW and protect GW from over-exploitation. Besides, people in Ca Mau do not have much awareness of land subsidence or the reason leading to environmental problems. Therefore, raising the awareness of people by well-design education campaigns should be strongly considered.

AbstractWe examined the nexus between four internal audit functions (IAF) and sustainability audits (SA) of manufacturing firms. The specific IAF employed in this study were; risk management practices (RMP), sustainability sensitivity (SS), internal audit effectiveness (IAE) and enactments, policies, standards, systems and procedures (EPS). In line with the four measures of IAE, the study puts forward to investigate four research hypotheses. The explanatory research design and quantitative research approach were applied to achieve the study’s objective. A sample of 1340 managers of SMEs were invited to complete a standard questionnaire based on extensive evaluations of prior empirical investigations. The samples were chosen using a straightforward random process from a population of 2495 manufacturing companies. The results were estimated using the partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method. Findings from the study divulged that internal audit effectiveness, risk management process and sustainability sensitivity had significant positive relationship with sustainability audits. It is important for the creation of an audit department, the hiring of a permanent internal auditor, the provision of suitable logistics, the training of personnel on the value of internal audit, and the use of internal auditing standards and principles in the report-writing process for an enhanced sustainability audit.

We demonstrate a proof of principle of a simple all-solid-state post-compression setup for low-energy, high-repetition-rate laser pulses, where spectral broadening was performed using a combination of highly nonlinear bulk materials in a simple single-pass geometry. The 75 fs, 210 nJ pulses from an amplified 76 MHz, 15.7 W Yb:KGW oscillator after sequential spectral broadening in ZnS and YAG samples of 2 mm and 15 mm thickness, respectively, were compressed to 37 fs by means of Gires–Tournois interferometric mirrors. The post-compressed pulses with an average power of 11.47 W demonstrated reasonable spatial-spectral homogeneity of the beam with the spectral overlap parameter V>83% and good beam quality with Mx2=1.28 and My2=1.14.

In the present study, AA6082 aluminium is deposited onto AISI 4140 steel substrates via friction surfacing (FS). Aiming to understand the influence of substrate surface for the bonding mechanism during the plasticising as well as the deposition phase, three different surface topographies have been manufactured via grinding and machining. Subsequently, FS process parameter dependencies on the deposits have been investigated. The resulting optical appearance, geometry and microstructure of the deposits have been studied. A deeper surface topography was found to facilitate plasticising and therefore FS layer deposition. Defect-free layer-to-substrate (LTS) joints have been generated for all topographies showing a fine-grained recrystallized microstructure as well as flow lines in the AA6082 deposits following closely the substrate surface topography, whereas no metallurgical changes in the AISI4140 substrates have been detected. At the LTS interfaces, a correlation of flow lines to an increased occurrence of high angle grain boundaries is identified. Appearance, geometries and grain size ratios of the AA6082 deposits show a dependency on substrate surface topography. Although complete bonding was achieved in the LTS joints, no distinct diffusion zone or interfacial mixing was observed. Mechanical interlocking on the micro scale was detected only for the samples with ground substrate surfaces.

Ein epidemisches Auftreten des Polsterförmigen Feuerschwamms (Fomitiporia punctata, Agaricomycotina, Fungi) wurde in den vergangenen Jahren auf verschiedenen Laubgehölzen (Wisteria floribunda, Platanus acerifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia) im innerstädtischen bzw. innenstadtnahen Teil von Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland) beobachtet. Zahlreiche gepfropfte rund 40 Jahre alte Kugelrobinien (R. pseudoacacia 'Umbraculifera') sind krank oder sind bereits abgestorben. Eine rDNA-Analyse (Marker: ITS) auf der Basis von Frisch- und Herbarmaterial zeigte, dass es sich mitnichten um F. punctata sondern um den eingewanderten morphologischen Doppelgänger Mittelmeer-Feuerschwamm (F. mediterranea) handelt. Diese Art war bisher in Deutschland überwiegend auf Wein (Vitis vinifera) bekannt. Die Symptome bei Kugelrobinien werden, u. a. anhand von Stammquerschnitten, detailliert beschrieben und illustriert. Eine Verbreitungskarte der beiden Pilzarten wird für Karlsruhe erstellt. Der Fund (Herbarbeleg) von F. mediterranea auf C. avellana von 1988 aus Rheinland-Pfalz ist der Erstnachweis der Art in Deutschland. Die Frage, wann ungefähr die Art nach Deutschland einwanderte ist Gegenstand der Diskussion.

Principal component analysis (PCA), as applied to the processing of the complex X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) lineshapes, is discussed. PCA analysis example is provided of complex native iron oxide films on Fe foil XPS spectra further modified by argon and helium ion beams. Abstract PCA components are derived from Fe 2p, O 1 s and C 1 s regions leading to the assignments of surface (oxy)hydroxide, Fe2O3, FeO and Fe metal, as corroborated by the corresponding elemental quantification profiles. Detailed mathematical concepts behind PCA analysis of spectra data are provided.

In this paper enrolment and study problems in the faculty of Mathematics and informatics of Vilnius Pedagogical university are discussed.

Efficient treatment of nutrient-rich wastewater is of paramount importance for protecting the ecosystem. In this work, an efficient, abundant, and eco-friendly adsorbent was derived from biochar and employed for phosphorus (P) adsorption. The key factors influencing the P removal efficiency of the activated biochar, including P concentration, pH, dosage, temperature, adsorption time, and influence of co-existing ion type, were investigated. Maximum P adsorption percentage (100%) was obtained with 10 mg/L and zinc chloride activated biochar (BC–Zn) compared to the other activated biochars. Results show that by increasing the P concentration from 5 to 200 mg/L, the phosphorus adsorption capacity increases from 0.13 to 10.4 mg/g biochar. Isotherms and kinetic studies further show that the P adsorption follows the Langmuir and quasi-second-order kinetic models. The mechanistic investigation demonstrated that P adsorption occurred by precipitation reaction. Furthermore, P desorption has been studied at different time intervals to understand the P release rate after adsorption.

Plain English summary Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) describes a pathological obsession with proper and high quality nutrition that is characterized by a restrictive diet, ritualized patterns of eating, and rigid avoidance of foods believed to be unhealthy or impure. This obsession is found among sports athletes in some studies, and there is an assumed link between ON and exercise in general. In this study, the term exercise is defined as any activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined the overall prevalence of ON in the exercising population. Searching in scientific databases resulted in 613 articles, of which 24 met the rigorous inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of ON in the general exercising population was 55.3%. The prevalence was thought to be predictable by sex, type of sport, and sample size, but no significant associations were found. This may be due to poor study quality and a lack of demographic information on the participants in some of the included studies. Other predictors worth investigating might be age, student status, status as vegetarian/vegan, psychiatric comorbidity, and intensity/frequency of exercise. This knowledge may bear implications for the prevention and right treatment for people at risk of developing ON.

Proteasomes are vital eukaryotic complexes that recycle unneeded proteins. Here, the authors present the structure of a compacted proteasome derived from the dormant stage of parasitic microsporidia and bound by an endogenous inhibitory protein.

Particle assemblies created by software package Blender are converted into artificial scanning electron micrographs (SEM) with a generative adversarial network (GAN). The introduction of height maps (i.e., surface topography or relief structure) considerably enhances the quality of the artificial SEM images by providing 3D information on the input data. These artificial images serve as input data to train a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify and classify nanoparticles. Although the performance of the CNN trained with artificial SEM images is slightly inferior to the same CNN trained with real SEM images, this offers a pathway to create training data for segmentation and classification networks for SEM image analysis by deep learning algorithms.

The conventional anodic oxygen evolution (OER) in electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R) needs to be replaced as it accounts for a major share in energy consumption while being a product of little to no value. In this work, we replace OER by glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) to synthesize products such as formate, lactate and glycolate. Hereby, for the first time, GOR was successfully paired with cathodic CO2R to formate in a flow reactor at a significant current density of 50 mA/cm2 producing value added anode products with a simultaneously reduced cell voltage. Using a porous platinum anode, GOR reduced the anode potential as well as cell potential by ∼1 V compared to OER. We report an anodic Faraday efficiency (FE) of 30% to ∼53% for liquid products, of which lactate dominates. The structure of the electrode has a significant impact on the dominant product as mainly formate is synthesized on a planar electrode, where the cummulated FE for all liquid products is up to 76%. The concurrent FE to formate at cathode and anode reached a values of up to 74% and 30% respectively and 66% and 76%, respectively, considering all value-added products. By successfully pairing GOR with CO2R in a flow cell reactor, this work marks an important step towards energy-efficient and economically viable processes.

This study examined the organization and performance of chicken egg marketing in northern Ghana, relying on cross-sectional data from 180 randomly selected chicken egg marketers. Using descriptive statistics, Gini coefficient and gross margin analysis, the results revealed four chicken egg marketing channels, viz. Direct sales to consumers, itinerant wholesalers, sedentary wholesalers and retailers. The retailer marketing channel is the most patronized channel in the study area, followed by the wholesaler channel. The consumer marketing channel is the least patronized channel. A chicken egg marketer earns an average monthly gross margin and net return of GH₵807.40 and GH₵692.10, respectively. These findings suggest that the checking egg marketing in northern Ghana is lucrative. The Gini Coefficient of 55.87% implies moderate inequality among the marketers, and the market share is said to be oligopolistic.

Urea, a basic chemical compound, holds diverse applications across numerous domains, ranging from agriculture to energy storage. Of particular interest is its role as a hydrogen bond donor (HBD). This specific characteristic has propelled its utilization as an essential component in crafting deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for battery electrolytes. Incorporating urea into DESs presents a promising avenue to address environmental concerns associated with traditional electrolytes, thereby advancing battery technology. Conventional electrolytes, often composed of hazardous and combustible solvents, pose significant environmental risks upon improper disposal potentially contaminating soil and water and threatening both human health and ecosystems. Consequently, there is a pressing need for eco-friendly alternatives capable of upholding high performance and safety standards. DESs, categorized as organic salts resulting from the blending of two or more compounds, have emerged as promising contenders for the next generation of electrolytes. Urea stands out among DES electrolytes by enhancing ion transport, widening the electrochemical window stability (ESW), and prolonging battery cycle life. Further, its non-toxic nature, limited flammability, and elevated thermal stability play pivotal roles in mitigating environmental concerns and safety issues associated with traditional electrolytes. Laboratory testing of urea-based DES electrolytes across various battery systems, including Al-ion, Na-ion, and Zn-ion batteries, has already been demonstrated. This review examines the evolution of urea-based DES electrolytes by elucidating their structure, molecular interaction mechanisms, performance attributes, and preparation methodologies.