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Angular motion measurement using commercial sensing technologies can be challenging due to the nonlinearity of the motion and the combination of translational, oscillatory, and rotational behaviors. Recent advances in hyperelastic and self-sensing materials have facilitated the development of flexible electronics, enabling robust and cost-effective angular motion sensing systems. The authors have recently proposed a flexible strain sensor termed corrugated soft elastomeric capacitor (cSEC). The cSEC is a thin-film, ultra-compliant, and scalable sensor that transduces geometric variations into a measurable change in capacitance. It is constituted by layering two conductive plates sandwiching a dielectric that is surfacecorrugated. In this paper, we study the use of the cSEC for angular motion sensing of a free rotational hinge, in which the cSEC was adhered onto the rotating area of the hinge subjected to an axial displacement generating clockwise and counterclockwise angular rotations.

Tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) adversely affects child health. Intervention research on reducing childhood TSE and uptake of evidence-based smoking cessation programs has had limited reach in high-risk communities. Intervening in clinics delivering the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) could address overlapping public health priorities essential for healthy child development-nutrition and smoke-free environments. The Babies Living Safe and Smokefree (BLiSS) trial addresses existing gaps by implementing and evaluating a WIC in-clinic evidence-based training based on Ask, Advise, and Refer (AAR) guidelines. WIC nutrition staff (n = 67) completed surveys pre- and post-training as part of the larger BLiSS trial. Staff sociodemographic data, knowledge, and attitudes about maternal smoking and child TSE prevention, and AAR practices in clinic were collected using self-administered surveys. Pre-post outcomes were assessed using bivariate statistics and multiple regression models. Controlling for baseline AAR-related practices and other covariates, nutrition managers were more likely to engage in post-training AAR practices than nutrition assistants. Sociodemographics and smoking status were not related to post-training AAR. Lower perceived barriers and higher reported frequency of tobacco intervention practices at baseline were associated with higher engagement in post-test AAR practices. WIC-system interventions aimed at reducing child TSE and maternal tobacco smoking may be more effective if nutrition management-level staff are involved in assessment and by addressing barriers related to TSE among nutrition assistants. Findings suggest that WIC in-clinic training may help to increase self-efficacy for staff engagement in brief screening, intervention, and referral practices.Intervention research on reducing childhood tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) and uptake of evidence-based smoking cessation programs has had limited reach in high-risk communities. Intervening in clinics delivering the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) could address overlapping public health priorities essential for healthy child development—nutrition and smoke-free environments. The Babies Living Safe and Smokefree (BLiSS) trial implemented and evaluated training on evidence-based guidelines in WIC clinics to nutrition managers and nutrition assistants. Findings suggest that WIC in-clinic training may help to increase self-efficacy for staff engagement in brief screening, intervention, and referral practices. Further, our results indicate that interventions aimed at reducing child TSE and maternal tobacco smoking may be more effective if nutrition management-level staff are involved in assessment and by addressing barriers related to TSE among nutrition assistants.

Despite the massive scale of COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing (CI/CT) programs operating worldwide, the evidence supporting the intervention's public health impact is limited.To evaluate the Public Health-SeattleKing County (PHSKC) CI/CT program, including its reach, timeliness, effect on isolation and quarantine (IQ) adherence, and potential to mitigate pandemic-related hardships.This program evaluation used descriptive statistics to analyze surveillance records, case and contact interviews, referral records, and survey data provided by a sample of cases who had recently ended isolation.The PHSKC is one of the largest governmental local health departments in the United States. It serves more than 2.2 million people who reside in Seattle and 38 other municipalities.King County residents who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between July 2020 and June 2021.The PHSKC integrated COVID-19 CI/CT with prevention education and service provision.The PHSKC CI/CT team interviewed 42 900 cases (82% of cases eligible for CI/CT), a mean of 6.1 days after symptom onset and 3.4 days after SARS-CoV-2 testing. Cases disclosed the names and addresses of 10 817 unique worksites (mean = 0.8/interview) and 11 432 other recently visited locations (mean = 0.5/interview) and provided contact information for 62 987 household members (mean = 2.7/interview) and 14 398 nonhousehold contacts (mean = 0.3/interview). The CI/CT team helped arrange COVID-19 testing for 5650 contacts, facilitated grocery delivery for 7253 households, and referred 9127 households for financial assistance. End of IQ Survey participants (n = 304, 54% of sampled) reported self-notifying an average of 4 nonhousehold contacts and 69% agreed that the information and referrals provided by the CI/CT team helped them stay in isolation.In the 12-month evaluation period, CI/CT reached 42 611 households and identified thousands of exposure venues. The timing of CI/CT relative to infectiousness and difficulty eliciting nonhousehold contacts may have attenuated the intervention's effect. Through promotion of IQ guidance and services, CI/CT can help mitigate pandemic-related hardships.

Background: During quit attempts, smokers must overcome smoking urges triggered by environmental cues and nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This study investigates the psychometric properties of the 12-item Tobacco Urge Management Scale (TUMS), a new measure of smoking urge management behaviors. Methods: We analyzed secondary data (n = 327) from a behavioral smoking cessation intervention trial, Kids Safe and Smokefree (KiSS). Results: Confirmatory factor analysis of the TUMS indicated that a one-factor model and a correlated two-factor model had similar model fit indices, and a Chi-square difference test supported the one-factor model. Further study of the parsimonious one-factor scale provided evidence of reliability and construct validity. Known group validity was evidenced by significantly higher TUMS scores in the KiSS intervention arm receiving urge management skills training than in the control arm (p < 0.001). Concurrent validity was evidenced by TUMS’s inverse association with cigarettes smoked per day and positive associations with nonsmoking days, 7-day abstinence, and self-efficacy to control smoking behaviors (p’s < 0.05). Conclusion: The TUMS is a reliable, valid measure of smoking urge management behaviors. The measure can support theory-driven research on smoking-specific coping mechanisms, inform clinical practice by identifying coping strategies that might be under-utilized in treatment-seeking smokers, and function as a measure of treatment adherence in cessation trials that target urge management behaviors.

Time-lapse live cell imaging of caspase-3/7 activation in irradiated Panc02 cells treated with PUGNAc or alloxan

Heatmap and Reactome pathway proteomic data

intratumoral imaging of Hoechst 33342 stained nuclei (blue), GFP-IBD (green) and TagRFP-IBD (red) reporters in untreated control tumor xenograft.

Intratumoral IRIF imaging demonstrates similar patterns for GFP-IBD (green) and TagRFP-IBD (red) fluorescence in tumor at 3 h after irradiation with 6 Gy.Control tumor

S1. Validation of TagRFP-IBD as IRIF reporter in vitro. S2. Effects of radiation on MCF7 cells with altered O-GlcNAcylation. S3. Targeting O-GlcNAc modification by small molecule inhibitors affects kinetics of IRIF resolution in different cell lines. S4. Cellular apoptosis assays using fluorescent dyes and a caspase substrate probe. S5. Alloxan potentiates senescence in Panc02 cells in a radiation dose-dependent manner. S6. Blocking O-GlcNAcylation in vivo by inducing shOGT or alloxan treatment qualitatively reduces EZH2 immunoreactivity after irradiation.

Three-dimensional imaging of irradiated MCF7 tumor xenografts with dual fluorescent reporters for IRIF (TagRFP, red) and shRNAmir expression (ZsGreen, green)

Supplementary Methods and Supplementary Figure, Movie and Table Legends

The metabolic reprogramming associated with characteristic increases in glucose and glutamine metabolism in advanced cancer is often ascribed to answering a higher demand for metabolic intermediates required for rapid tumor cell growth. Instead, recent discoveries have pointed to an alternative role for glucose and glutamine metabolites as cofactors for chromatin modifiers and other protein posttranslational modification enzymes in cancer cells. Beyond epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression, many chromatin modifiers also modulate DNA repair, raising the question whether cancer metabolic reprogramming may mediate resistance to genotoxic therapy and genomic instability. Our prior work had implicated N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc) formation by the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) and resulting protein O-GlcNAcylation as a common means by which increased glucose and glutamine metabolism can drive double-strand break (DSB) repair and resistance to therapy-induced senescence in cancer cells. We have examined the effects of modulating O-GlcNAcylation on the DNA damage response (DDR) in MCF7 human mammary carcinoma in vitro and in xenograft tumors. Proteomic profiling revealed deregulated DDR pathways in cells with altered O-GlcNAcylation. Promoting protein O-GlcNAc modification by targeting O-GlcNAcase or simply treating animals with GlcNAc protected tumor xenografts against radiation. In turn, suppressing protein O-GlcNAcylation by blocking O-GlcNAc transferase activity led to delayed DSB repair, reduced cell proliferation, and increased cell senescence in vivo. Taken together, these findings confirm critical connections between cancer metabolic reprogramming, DDR, and senescence and provide a rationale to evaluate agents targeting O-GlcNAcylation in patients as a means to restore tumor sensitivity to radiotherapy.Implications:The finding that the HBP, via its impact on protein O-GlcNAcylation, is a key determinant of the DDR in cancer provides a mechanistic link between metabolic reprogramming, genomic instability, and therapeutic response and suggests novel therapeutic approaches for tumor radiosensitization.

Intratumoral IRIF imaging demonstrates similar patterns for GFP-IBD (green) and TagRFP-IBD (red) foci in tumor at 24 h after irradiation with 6 Gy

We investigated whether beliefs about the current versus future effectiveness of memory strategies predict young and older adults' everyday strategy use.103 young and 91 older adults reported their memory goals, beliefs about the current and future effectiveness of various strategies, and frequency of use of each strategy type.The two age groups equally valued current and future memory. Young adults' strategy selection related only to their beliefs about the strategies' current effectiveness; older adults utilized approaches they perceived as effective for improving both future and current memory.Findings highlight the importance of the temporal nature of memory strategy beliefs.

Nineteen out of 22 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, have ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) treaty. One of FCTC’s provisions prohibits tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS). The TAPS provision requires nations to ban direct and indirect tobacco ads in media, as exposure to tobacco use in the media encourages smoking initiation. A limited number of studies have examined TAPS in Arabic media. This study examined the occurrence of tobacco use across Arabic television (TV) series released between January 2017 and December 2019 to assess compliance with the FCTC provision banning TAPS. The content analysis examined incidents of tobacco use in Arabic TV series, types of tobacco products used and the portrayal of second-hand smoking exposure. Out of 92 Arabic TV series (2952 episodes), there were 32 044 incidents of tobacco use. Incidents of tobacco use per episode fluctuated over time. During Ramadan, the median number of tobacco incidents declined from 6 in 2017 to 3 in 2019; however, it increased to 8 in 2018. Regular cigarettes and water pipes were the most common tobacco products used in TV series. While 27% of tobacco use showed characters who smoked tobacco products alone, 13% of the incidents portrayed characters who were smoking in the presence of children. This study concludes that tobacco imagery is not completely banned in Arabic media and its continued representation weakens tobacco control measures.

Background Prior studies have shown an increase in mortality in elderly patients when compared to their younger cohort. Methods Level 1 trauma patients ≥50 years old were recruited upon admission to the ICU and prospectively followed. After an initial survey, inpatient data were collected and phone surveys were completed at 3 and 6 months. Results 100 patients were included. There was an 18% inpatient mortality. At 6 months, the mortality rate was 24%; 73% of surviving patients reported good health. 6-month nonsurvivors had a higher percentage requiring preinjury assistance with ambulation. Conclusions Severe trauma in patients ≥50 years of age carries a significant rate of mortality however survivors have good outcomes. Need for assistance with ambulation prior to injury is associated with 6 month mortality and could be used as a screening tool for interventions.

Stimulating brain tissue regeneration is a major challenge after central nervous system (CNS) injury, such as those observed from trauma or cerebrovascular accidents. Full regeneration is difficult even when a neurogenesis-associated repair response may occur. Currently, there are no effective treatments to stimulate brain tissue regeneration. However, biomaterial scaffolds are showing promising results, where hydrogels are the materials of choice to develop these supportive scaffolds for cell carriers. Their combination with growth factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), together with other cell therapy strategies allows the prevention of further neuronal death and can potentially lead to the direct stimulation of neurogenesis and vascularisation at the injured site. Imaging of the injured site is particularly critical to study the reestablishment of neural cell functionality after brain tissue injury. This review outlines the latest key advances associated with different strategies aiming to promote the neuroregeneration, imaging, and functional recovery of brain tissue. Graphical abstract

Universal spinal immobilization has been the standard of prehospital trauma care since the 1960s. Selective immobilization has been shown to be safe and effective for emergency medical services use, but it is unclear whether such protocols reduce unnecessary and potentially harmful immobilization practices. This study evaluated the impact of a selective spinal immobilization protocol on practice patterns in a regional trauma system.All encounters for traumatic injury in the Tidewater Emergency Medical Services region from 2010 to 2016 were extracted from the Virginia Pre-Hospital Information Bridge. An interrupted time series analysis was used to assess practice change after system-wide protocol implementation in 2013. Intravenous access was used as a nonequivalent outcome measure in the absence of an appropriate control group.A total of 63,981 encounters were analyzed. At baseline, 16.7% of patients underwent full immobilization. The preprotocol slope was slightly positive (0.2% per month; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.2%). Slope and level changes after protocol implementation did not differ from those observed for intravenous access (-0.4% vs. -0.4% per month [ p = 0.4917] and -1.6% vs. -1.1% [ p = 0.1202], respectively). Cervical spinal immobilization became more common over the postimplementation period (0.1% per month; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.1%). Rates of immobilization for isolated penetrating trauma remained unchanged.Implementation of a selective spinal immobilization protocol did not reduce prehospital immobilization rates in a regional trauma system. Given the entrenched nature of immobilization practices, more intensive education and training strategies are needed. Efforts should prioritize eliminating immobilization for isolated penetrating trauma given its association with increased mortality.Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV.

In the present work, a series of Bronsted and Lewis hybrid, magnetic, dendritic fibrous silica microsphere core shell particles with an open and easily accessible mesopore channels as the catalyst supports (Fe3O4@SiO2@KCC-1) were prepared, impregnated with aluminum (10 wt%) followed by encapsulation of different loadings of tungstophosphoric acid (PTA) from 10 to 40 wt% into mesoporous channels of fibrous silica shell (Fe3O4@SiO2@KCC-1/Al10/PTAx). They are utilised for the efficient and clean production of biomass-derived liquid fuel 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) through direct etherification of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and one-pot conversion of fructose and other carbohydrates. High EMF yields of 93.1%, 62.2%, 23.9%, and 21.4% were obtained, when HMF, fructose, sorbose, and sucrose were subjected as substrate, respectively. These catalysts were characterised by XRD, py-FTIR, TGA, N2-physisorption, SEM and TEM-EDX mapping. Importantly, the catalyst could be reused at least four times almost without a significant loss of activity.

Lignin in advanced energy applications: source, extraction methodolgy, structure/property relationships.

Background Personal care products may contain many chemicals, some of which are suspected endocrine disrupters. This is an important source of chemical exposure for women, but little is known about how chemical exposure differs among different races/ethnicities. Objective This study examines differences in personal care product use among Black, Latina, Vietnamese, Mixed Race, and White women in California. Methods We used a community-based participatory process to create and administer a personal care product usage survey to 321 Black, Latina, Vietnamese, Mixed Race, and White women. We used multivariate regression models with pairwise comparisons to examine the frequency of product use by race/ethnicity. Results We found distinct trends of personal care product use by race/ethnicity: Latina women typically used makeup most frequently; Black women used certain hair products or styles most frequently; and Vietnamese women were most likely to use facial cleansing products compared to other races/ethnicities. Latina and Vietnamese women were less likely to try to avoid certain ingredients in their products. Significance These findings can help estimate disparities in chemical exposure from personal care product use and complement future research on health inequities due to chemical exposures in the larger environmental and social context.

Electrically conductive bio-scaffolds are being explored in the field of tissue engineering (TE) as a solution to address the clinical need of electroactive tissues, finding applications in nervous, cardiac, and spinal cord injury repair. In this work, we synthesise polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPy NP) via the mini-emulsion method with further combination with a gelatin/hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel to create electro-conductive Gel:HA:PPy-NP TE scaffolds. The electro-conductive Gel:HA:PPy-NP scaffolds possess excellent mechanical properties at 1.08 ± 0.26 MPa, closely matching to reported spinal cord mechanical performance. Scaffolds were designed with controlled porosity of 526.2 ± 74.6-403.9 ± 57.4 µm, and conductivities of 4.3×10− 6±1.1×10− 6 S.cm− 1 were reached. Rheological studies show that prior to lyophilisation, the Gel:HA:PPy-NP hydrogels display a shear-thinning behaviour. These gels were subsequently 3D printed into predefined 2 layer lattice geometries and displayed excellent post-printing shape fidelity. In-vitro studies show that the Gel:HA:PPy-NP scaffolds are cytocompatible with mesenchymal stem cells and neuronal stem cells and display encouraging cell attachment and proliferation profiles. Based on these results, the incorporation of PPy NPs into Gel:HA biomaterial scaffolds enhances the conductive capabilities of the material, while showcasing biocompatible behaviour with cell cultures. Hence, Gel:HA:PPy-NPs scaffolds are a promising TE option for the stimulating of nervous tissue injury regeneration.

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are at high risk of dying from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The optimal management of AML patients with COVID-19 has not been established. Our multicenter study included 388 adult AML patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and October 2021. The vast majority were receiving or had received AML treatment in the preceding 3 months. COVID-19 was severe in 41.2% and critical in 21.1% of cases. The chemotherapeutic schedule was modified in 174 patients (44.8%), delayed in 68 and permanently discontinued in 106. After a median follow-up of 325 days, 180 patients (46.4%) had died ; death was attributed to COVID-19 (43.3%), AML (26.1%) or to a combination of both (26.7%), whereas in 3.9% of cases the reason was unknown. Active disease, older age, and treatment discontinuation were associated with death, whereas AML treatment delay was protective. Seventy-nine patients had a simultaneous AML and COVID-19 diagnosis, with better survival when AML treatment could be delayed (80% ; P

Curcumin is a known naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agent derived from turmeric, and it is commonly used as a herbal food supplement. Here, in order to overcome the inherent hydrophobicity of curcumin (Cur), polylactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesised using a solvent evaporation, and an oil-in-water emulsion method used to encapsulate curcumin. Polymeric NPs also offer the ability to control rate of drug release. The newly synthesised NPs were analysed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), where results show the NPs range from 50 to 250 nm. NPs containing graded amounts of curcumin (0 %, 0.5 %, and 2 %) were added to cultures of NIH3T3 fibroblast cells for cytotoxicity evaluation using the Alamar Blue assay. Then, the curcumin NPs were incorporated into an alginate/gelatin solution, prior to crosslinking using a calcium chloride solution (200 nM). These hydrogels were then characterised with respect to their chemical, mechanical and rheological properties. Following hydrogel optimization, hydrogels loaded with NP containing 2 % curcumin were selected as a candidate as a bioink for three-dimensional (3D) printing. The biological assessment for these bioinks/hydrogels were conducted using THP-1 cells, a human monocytic cell line. Cell viability and immunomodulation were evaluated using lactate dehydrogenase (LHD) and a tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay, respectively. Results show that the hydrogels were cytocompatible and supressed the production of TNF-α. These bioactive hydrogels are printable, supress immune cell activation and inflammation showing immense potential for the fabrication of tissue engineering constructs.

A magnetically separable palladium nanocatalyst has been synthesized through the immobilization of palladium onto 3-aminopropylphenanthroline Schiff based functionalized silica coated superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The nanocatalyst (Fe3O4@SiNSB-Pd) was fully characterized using several spectroscopic techniques, such as FT-IR, HR-SEM, TEM, XRD, ICP, and XPS. The microscopic image of Fe3O4 showed spherical shape morphology and had an average size of 150 nm. The Pd-nanoparticles exhibited an average size 3.5 ± 0.6 nm. The successful functionalization of Fe3O4@SiNSB-Pd was identified by FT-IR spectroscopy and the appearance of palladium species in Fe3O4@SiNSB-Pd was confirmed by XRD analysis. While XPS has been utilized for the determination of the chemical oxidation state of palladium species in Fe3O4@SiNSB-Pd. Several activated and deactivated arene halides and olefines were employed for Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling reactions in the presence of Fe3O4@SiNSB-Pd, each of which produced the respective cross-coupling products with excellent yields. The Fe3O4@SiNSB-Pd shows good reactivity and reusability for up to seven consecutive cycles.

BACKGROUND: Studies are needed to understand the association between self-reported home smoking bans and objective measures of in-home smoking according to smokers’ ethnicity/nativity. METHODS: Data came from a trial that used air particle monitors to reduce children’s secondhand smoke exposure in smokers’ households (N = 251). Linear regressions modeled (a) full home smoking bans by ethnicity/nativity, and (b) objectively measured in-home smoking events, predicted by main and interaction effects of self-reported home smoking bans and ethnicity/nativity. RESULTS: Among smokers reporting < a full ban, U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinos had fewer in-home smoking events than US-born Whites (p

Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) trees are ubiquitous in riparian–floodplain zones of Australia’s south-eastern river catchments, where natural ecosystems continue to be affected. In the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), provision of environmental flows to mitigate tree decline is informed by past field studies. However, broadscale empirical field data on tree nutrition and response to external changes remain scarce. This is the first study to gather soil and plant data across a large area of catchment lowlands to generate a low-resolution regional snapshot of tree nutrition and soil chemistry. Leaves and soils were sampled across and adjacent to the MDB; from and beneath mature trees of three key riverine eucalypts, Eucalyptus largiflorens, E. camaldulensis, and E. coolabah. Foliar sodium concentrations ranged from ∼500 mg kg−1 for E. coolabah up to ∼4500 mg kg−1 for E. largiflorens, with highest values at the River Murray sites. The results suggest E. largiflorens is highly salt tolerant by foliage accumulation given all trees sampled were in good condition. Further research into these species is needed to determine toxicity thresholds for elements such as sodium to aid early diagnosis of potential tree stress, which could provide an additional line of evidence for when environmental water is required to mitigate decline.

One hundred years on from the founding of the Magistrates Association (MA) this article explores the role that the MA has played, and continues to play, in informing and influencing the future development of the magistracy, the courts and the broader criminal justice system. It looks at reforms to the magistracy over the last century and then explores the need for further reform, looking at magistrate numbers, diversity and training, magistrates' courts and the court reform programme, the powers available to magistrates, and the need for political will to enable the modernisation of the magistracy within the context of reform to the courts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Howard Journal of Crime & Justice is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background Rib fractures are present in 10% of all trauma patients and 30% of patients with significant chest trauma. Pain from rib fractures results in decreased respiratory effort which can lead to atelectasis and potentially pneumonia and death. Pain control is therefore of utmost importance in preventing the complications of rib fractures by improving respiratory function. Erector spinae plane blocks (ESPB) have been effectively used in elective surgery with subjective and objective improvements in pain. Materials and Methods We sought to evaluate subjective pain and objective evaluation of respiratory effort by way of incentive spirometry levels after administration of an ESPB for patients with rib fractures. Our trauma service applied ESPB over 2 years in patients with rib fractures. Ultrasound guidance was used to administer 50cc of a long-acting local anesthetic at the transverse process underneath the erector spinae muscle group. Evaluation of pain scores and incentive spirometry levels were measured prior to and after the ESPB. Results In total, we obtained data from 45 patients. Mean pre-pain scores were 7.93 with post-pain scores of 4.47 (p < 0.001). Mean pre-block incentive spirometry volumes were 1160 cc with post-block IS of 1495cc (p 0.035). There were no associated complications. Discussion ESPBs are safe and significantly reduce pain scores and increased incentive spirometry volumes after administration. They are easy to perform and can be done by the trauma service, including trainees. ESPB has the potential to reduce pulmonary complications of rib fractures, as well as subjectively improving pain experienced by our trauma patients. Based on our results, we recommend this block as an adjunct to multimodal analgesia for patients with rib fractures.

Iron oxychloride (FeOCl) has been reported to be a highly efficient heterogeneous Fenton catalyst over a wide pH range. In order to determine the true catalytic performance of FeOCl, we simultaneously quantified the adsorptive and oxidative removal of formate, oxalate, and rhodamine-B (RhB) and the formation of RhB oxidation products at both pH 4.0 and 7.0. FeOCl was found to be a poor Fenton catalyst at either pH, as gauged by the oxidation of formate, oxalate, and rhodamine B and the decomposition of H2O2, in comparison with ferrihydrite (Fhy), one of the most common Fe-containing Fenton catalysts. The adsorption of target contaminants to FeOCl and homogeneous Fenton processes, induced by dissolved iron, resulted in overevaluation of the catalytic performance of FeOCl, especially for (i) the use of strongly adsorbing target compounds, without consideration of the role of adsorption in their removal and (ii) exceedingly high concentrations of H2O2 to remove trace quantities of target contaminants. Overall, this study highlights that the systematic quantification of H2O2 decomposition, target compound adsorption, and oxidation as well as the concentrations of oxidized products formed are prerequisites for unequivocal elucidation of the catalytic nature and reaction mechanism of solid Fenton catalysts.