Limitations Of Analysis Research Articles

Enhanced Biomechanical Stability in Proximal Humeral Fractures: Finite Element Analysis of a Novel Endosteal Anatomical Support Nail for Improved Fixation in Elderly Patients.

Intramedullary nailing is preferred for treating elderly proximal humeral fractures, but secondary reductions are common, particularly in elderly and osteoporotic patients. This occurs due to the intramedullary nail fixation's insufficient anti-varus and anti-rotational capacities and high stress at the bone-implant interface. We aim to enhance the anti-varus and anti-rotational stability of the fixation structure while reducing the stresses on the bone and internal fixation through structural design. We developed a novel endosteal anatomical support nail (EASN) that integrates an endosteal torus construct into the proximal portion of the angle-stable proximal humerus nail. The endosteal torus construct includes endosteal anatomical support (EAS) with a flat plane that allows direct fixation of the humeral head fragments and is shaped to conform to the medial side of the medullary cavity of the proximal humerus. We conducted finite element analysis to assess the biomechanical stability of four constructs: EAS with a calcar screw (CS), EAS without CS, non-EAS with CS, and non-EAS without CS. This analysis determined the contribution of the EAS to the mechanical stability of the proximal humerus in two-part PHF with medial column disruption. Specimens were subjected to loads simulating partial-weight-bearing (as in rising from a chair or using crutches) and full-weight-bearing (as in rising from bed). We evaluated the stiffness of the construct, displacement at the fracture site, von Mises stress, and stress distribution. Under compressive or rotational loads, the EAS construct, with or without CS, was significantly stiffer than the non-EAS construct. Displacement at the fracture site was significantly less with the EAS fixation than with the non-EAS fixation. However, the stiffness and displacement at the fracture site of the EAS fixation without CS were comparable to those of the non-EAS construct with CS. The EAS construct reduced the load on the nail and decreased the risk of implant failure. Both von Mises stress and stress distribution were significantly lower following fixation with the EAS constructs. This study introduces a novel EAS concept to enhance the anti-varus and anti-rotational capabilities of the humeral head and distribute stress at the bone-implant interface in treating elderly PHFs. This strategy shows promise based on our limited analysis.

Feeding behavior of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) during austral summer in northern Chilean Patagonia

Over recent decades, the feeding strategies of the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the northern Chilean Patagonia have been studied mainly through visual observation and anatomical dissection, with limited direct behavioral analyses and measurements of prey distribution due to the difficulty of sampling. Here, we investigated the foraging ecology of this species during six annual research cruises (2014–2019) in the northern Chilean Patagonia, an important feeding and nursery area. We deployed 28 sound and movement recording tags (DTAGs), attached by suction cups, to measure fine-scale behaviors of this species. In addition, from 2016 to 2019, prey density and distribution were simultaneously recorded with tag data utilizing a scientific echosounder. A total of 949 foraging dives and 3,183 feeding events were detected from movement sensors throughout more than 190 hr of data, during both day and nighttime. Blue whales exhibited both shallow and deep foraging events utilizing different strategies in response to changing conditions of prey depth and density, with foraging dives recorded continuously for the whole duration of the deployments. Whales showed a higher feeding rate at night as they foraged on shallow and dispersed krill, but they exhibited a higher rate of foraging events per dive during the day, as they foraged on deep and dense krill patches. The whales used less energetically costly maneuvers when foraging near the surface, with lower values of pitch and speed. Both strategies are consistent with optimal foraging theory, as the whales minimizing energetic costs associated with feeding while simultaneously maximizing energy intake. These results provide valuable insights into the behavioral and foraging ecology of blue whales to promote specific conservation plans in the northern Chilean Patagonia.

Budgetary Tracking of Food and Nutrition Security Funding in selected Sahel and West Africa regions from 2017-2019.

The longer-term trend towards decreasing foreign assistance has aroused great interest in tracking of domestic funding given that more than half of the anticipated additional funding for nutrition is expected from domestic sources. Given the limited trend analysis of nutrition budgets across developing countries, this review aimed to examine trends in nutrition financing as a proxy of national commitment for nutrition. We explored the program-based budget allocations and expenditure from 2017-2019 in the Chad republic, Gambia and Ghana for food and nutrition security (FNS) activities in various sectors. The total annual allocations for FNS activities from 2017-2019 in the Chad republic, Gambia and Ghana were €24,796,501, €155,416,112, and €3,299,472,194 of which 93.5%, 15.7% and 100% respectively of allocated funded were expended. The proportion of FNS allocations and expenditure was <5% of the gross domestic product across the three countries. Three-quarters (the Chad republic and Gambia) and one-quarter (Ghana) of all FNS activities were nutrition friendly as compared to being nutrition-specific/sensitive. Of the nutrition-specific/sensitive activities, about 9 in 10 were nutrition-sensitive. The main thematic areas of FNS activities were agriculture/food systems, health, education, water, sanitation and hygiene. There were significant resource gaps in FNS budget allocations and expenditure across the three countries making it difficult to establish a consistent domestic funding trend. Resource mobilization plans to bridge budget implementation gaps for domestic funding are urgently needed to scale-up government commitments toward the attainment of the sustainable development goals in these countries.

A CH4-Driven Ion Cloud-Stretched Approach Enables ICP-qMS for Multiplex Single-Cell Analysis.

In the last 40 years, inductively coupled plasma quadrupole (q) mass spectrometry (ICP-qMS) has been recognized as one of the best tools for the quantification of multiple elements/isotopes and even the biomolecules they labeled in a homogeneous solution sample. However, it meets a tough challenge when acquiring multi-m/z signals from an intact single-cell dispersed in a cell suspension, since the single-cell ion cloud generated in ICP presents an intermittently transient event with a duration time of hundreds of microseconds while the dwell time plus settling time of the q is at the similar time scale when peak-hopping between different m/z. Herein, we report CH4 is able to stretch the single-cell ion cloud duration time to more than 7,000 μs in collision-reaction-cell (CRC), allowing multi-m/z signals acquisition by ICP-qMS. Quantification of single-cell's multiple phenotype protein markers can thus be achieved on ICP-(CH4-CRC)-qMS, not only revealing the heterogeneity between the single cells but also enabling an unambiguous cell-classification of their subtypes. CH4-driven ion cloud-stretched approach breaks through the long-standing bottleneck limited single-cell multiplex analysis on ICP-qMS, paving a path for more important applications of ICP-qMS in the fields related to single-cell analysis.

Analysis pipeline to quantify uterine gland structural variations.

Technical advances in whole tissue imaging and clearing have allowed 3D reconstruction of exocrine uterine glands deep-seated in the endometrium. However, there are limited gland structure analysis platforms to analyze these imaging data sets. Here, we present a pipeline for segmenting and analyzing uterine gland shape. Using our segmentation methodology, we derive metrics to describe gland length, shape, and branching patterns. We then quantify gland behavior with respect to organization around the embryo and proximity of each gland to the uterine lumen. We apply this image analysis pipeline to uterine glands at the peri-implantation time points of a mouse pregnancy. Our analysis reveals that at the time of embryo or egg entry into the uterus, glands show changes in length, tortuosity, and proximity to the uterine lumen while gland branch number stays the same. Eventually, these shape changes aid in reorganization of the glands around the embryo implantation site. We further apply our analysis pipeline to human and guinea pig uterine glands, extending feasibility to other mammalian species. This work serves as a resource for researchers to extract quantitative and reproduciblemorphological features from three-dimensional uterine gland images to reveal insights about functional and structural patterns.

Exactly defined molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) allows for facile identification of PEGylation sites on proteins

PEGylation (the covalent attachment of one or more poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) units to a therapeutic) is a well-established technique in the pharmaceutical industry to increase blood-residence time and decrease immunogenicity. A challenging aspect of PEGylation is the dispersity of PEGylation agents, which results in batch-to-batch variations and analytical limitations. Herein, we present an approach to overcome these limitations by manufacturing a defined molecular weight (dispersity-free) PEGylation agent. We synthesise a defined molecular weight (Mw), linear 5 kDa methoxy-PEG (mPEG) active ester in an efficient and scalable manner using an iterative liquid-phase approach based on Nanostar Sieving. We then perform a comparative study on the random PEGylation and subsequent characterisation of the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), using both the defined Mw, dispersity-free mPEG active ester, and a commercially available disperse 5 kDa mPEG active ester. We demonstrate that the defined Mw PEG both allows for facile monitoring of chemical modification reactions during the synthesis of the PEGylation agents, and facilitates straightforward identification of the PEGylated fragments within a PEGylated protein via a simple peptide mapping approach using UPLC-MS.

Abstract IA007: Modulating cfDNA biology to enhance liquid biopsies

Abstract Liquid biopsies could transform cancer care but require higher sensitivity to detect early-stage tumors and minimal residual disease (MRD) and to enable tumor molecular profiling and therapy response monitoring for most patients. In this talk, I will focus on the significant biological bottlenecks upstream of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing. I will posit that in many circumstances, insufficient circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) drawn in a blood tube cannot be overcome by assay technology alone, and that in vivo modulation of cfDNA biology may also be required to enhance liquid biopsies. Inspired by widespread use of diagnostic drugs in other areas of medicine, we sought to create the first “priming agents” for liquid biopsies that could be administered before a blood draw to recover more ctDNA. I will describe two such approaches—a monoclonal antibody against double-stranded DNA and a liposome nanoparticle—that briefly attenuate cfDNA clearance by shielding it from nuclease digestion and cellular uptake. These enabled &amp;gt;10x more ctDNA to be collected when administered within 1-2 hours of a blood draw in mice. This improved the analytical limit of detection for ctDNA testing by &amp;gt;10-fold, provided more complete representation of the tumor genome in each blood sample, and increased the sensitivity for detection of small tumors from &amp;lt;10% to &amp;gt;75% in mice. Envisioning a future where liquid biopsies are optionally enhanced with priming, I will also explore a unique potential pairing with our tumor-informed, whole-genome, mutation enrichment sequencing MRD test called MAESTRO, and how it stands to enable routine ctDNA detection below 1 part per million. Citation Format: Viktor Adalsteinsson. Modulating cfDNA biology to enhance liquid biopsies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Liquid Biopsy: From Discovery to Clinical Implementation; 2024 Nov 13-16; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2024;30(21_Suppl):Abstract nr IA007.

Characterization of Disease Patterns in Children with Intracranial Abscesses for Enhanced Clinical Decision-Making.

Intracranial suppurative infections in pediatric patients, while rare, pose a significant risk to patient mortality. Early recognition and fast initiation of diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent fatal outcomes. Between December 2022 and May 2023, a significant cluster of nine cases emerged, each necessitating neurosurgical intervention. This series highlights an important trend in clinical outcomes and raises questions about underlying factors contributing to this pattern. The need for surgical procedures in all instances suggests a commonality in severity, warranting further investigation into potential causes and preventative measures. This retrospective monocentric study aims to explore the clinical features associated with these cases to identify specific disease patterns that can expedite management in clinical practice. Cramer's V effect size was employed to evaluate combinations of clinical features, followed by Fisher's exact test applied to a constructed contingency table. A p-value was assessed for significance analysis, with combinations achieving a Cramer's V value of 0.7 or higher being classified as exhibiting very strong correlations. The analysis revealed distinct patterns of clinical features among children diagnosed with intracranial abscesses. Significant associations were identified, including correlations between sinusitis and Streptococcus pyogenes, and fever accompanied by affected temporal, frontal, and frontobasal lobe regions. Despite the generally limited statistical analysis of pediatric intracranial abscesses in the existing literature, this study provides meaningful significant associations between clinical features, delineating specific disease patterns for children with intracranial abscesses. By addressing this gap, the findings contribute valuable insights and offer a framework that could enhance clinical decision-making and support timely disease management in pediatric cases.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering-Based Multimodal Techniques: Advances and Perspectives.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is a versatile molecular fingerprinting technique with rapid signal readout, high aqueous compatibility, and portability. To translate SERS for real-world applications, it is pertinent to overcome inherent challenges, including high sample variability and heterogeneity, matrix effects, and nonlinear SERS signal responses of different analytes in complex (bio)chemical matrices with numerous interfering species. In this perspective, we highlight emerging SERS-based multimodal techniques to address the key roadblocks to improving the sensitivity, specificity, and reliability of (bio)chemical detection, bioimaging, theragnosis, and theragnostic. SERS-based multimodal techniques can be broadly categorized into two categories: (1) complementary methods or systems that work together to achieve a common goal where each method compensates for the weaknesses of the other to culminate in a single enhanced outcome or (2) orthogonal techniques that are independent and provide separate but corroborating results simultaneously without interfering with each other. These multimodal techniques maximize information gained from a single experiment to achieve enhanced qualitative or quantitative analysis and broaden the range of detectable analytes from small molecules to tissues. Finally, we discuss emerging directions in multimodal platform design, instrument integration, and data analytics that aim to push the analytical limits of holistic detection.

Diagnostic Utility of MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancers.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a serious malignant tumor with a high mortality rate, mainly due to late diagnosis and a lack of effective therapeutic interventions. The possibility of recognizing this cancer with reliable biomarkers using minimally invasive methods is of great importance for improving early detection, prognostic assessment, and targeted treatment methods. In recent years, small non-coding RNAs, especially microRNAs, have emerged as promising candidates for biomarkers of pancreatic cancer. Despite the methodological and analytical limitations of microRNA determination and a lack of available automated and standardized tests, a prospective systematic assessment of this new parameter's use in the detection of pancreatic cancer is warranted. This review provides general information on the diagnostic and prognostic utility of microRNAs, which appear to be well-established in many studies. In summary, microRNAs are promising non-invasive biomarkers of pancreatic cancer, offering potential opportunities for early detection, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. As research in this field progresses, microRNAs should become valuable tools in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Decreasing the Uncertainty in the Comparison of Molecular Fingerprints of Organic Aerosols with H/D Exchange Mass Spectrometry.

High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has become an indispensable tool in the characterization of organic aerosols (OA) providing information on air quality, health assessment, climate trends, reactions, and source apportionment. Spectra-derived lists of formulas and their relative abundances are used to compare ambient OA from different sources or to monitor secondary OA formation under controlled laboratory conditions in smog chamber experiments. Various techniques are implemented to visualize common and unique features, series of precursors, and products. The disadvantage of this conventional approach is in associating elemental compositions to specific compounds, while due to several analytical limitations, the structural information remains hidden. We argue that some of the conclusions derived from this data analysis can be misleading. In this study, we applied in-ESI source H/D exchange (HDX), which facilitated enumeration of labile protons in molecules behind elemental compositions of OA. We applied this technique to compare OA from three different locations representing urban, forest, and marine environments and to examine tentative chemical information derived from Kendrick mass defect (KMD) series analysis. Significant discrepancies were found between numbers of labile protons in protogenic functional groups and the stoichiometry of chemical reactions, which are associated with KMD series. Only a portion of chemical pairs matched target stoichiometries, which highlights the existing limitations in environmental applications of conventional formula-based HRMS data interpretation strategies.

Raman Spectroscopy Detects Bone Mineral Changes with Aging in Archaeological Human Lumbar Vertebrae from Thornton Abbey.

Archaeological human remains provide key insight into lifestyles, health, and diseases affecting past societies. However, only limited analyses can be conducted without causing damage due to the destructive nature of current technologies. The same problem exists with current clinical analyses of the skeleton, and the preferred advanced imaging techniques only provide macroscopic information. Raman spectroscopy could provide chemical information without detriment to archaeological bone samples and perhaps the need for invasive diagnostic procedures in the future. This study measured archaeological human vertebrae to investigate if chemical differences with aging were detectable with Raman spectroscopy and if differences in mineral chemistry could contribute to information on bone mineral diseases. The three lowest bones of the spine (lumbar vertebrae L3-L5), which are subject to the heaviest loading in life, of nine adults from three age groups (18-25, 25-45, and 45+ years) were provided by the Thornton Abbey Project. Three biomechanically important anatomical locations were selected for analysis; likely sites chosen to measure any chemical changes associated with aging, the vertebral body center and the zygapophyseal joints. Results detected chemical changes associated with aging. These changes relate to the minerals phosphate (∼960 cm-1) and carbonate (∼1070 cm-1), which are fundamental to bone function. Overall mineralization was found to increase with aging, but while carbonate increased with age, phosphate increased up to ∼45 years and then declined. These fluctuations were found in all three vertebrae, but were more distinct in L5, particularly in the vertebral body, indicating this is an optimal area for detecting bone mineral chemistry changes with aging. This is the first Raman analysis of bone samples from the historically significant site of Thornton Abbey. Results detected age-related changes, illustrating that ancient remains can be used to enhance understanding of modern diseases and provide information on the health and lifestyle of historic individuals.

Analytical Sensitivity Analysis and Clinical Impact Modeling of Rapigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Malaria.

Laboratory benchmarking allows objective analysis of the analytical performance of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). We present the analytical detection limits of the Rapigen BIOCREDIT Malaria Ag Pf/Pv (pLDH/pLDH), the Rapigen BIOCREDIT Malaria Ag Pf (pLDH/HRPII), and two best-in-class WHO-prequalified comparator RDTs, generated using standardized panels containing recombinant antigen, invitro cultured parasites, international standards, and clinical samples. Detection limit antigen concentrations of HRP2, PfLDH, and PvLDH were determined for the Rapigen and comparator RDTs. Detection of antigens in international units (IU)/mL was also evaluated. The Rapigen Ag Pf (pLDH/HRPII) detected 3.9 and 3.9 IU/mL for PfLDH and HRP2, respectively, and the Ag Pf/Pv (pLDH/pLDH) detected 3.9 and 5.0 IU/mL for PfLDH and PvLDH, respectively. The comparator HRP2/PfLDH and HRP2/PvLDH detected 15.6 and 31.3 IU/mL for HRP2 and PfLDH and 15.6 and 50.0 IU/mL for HRP2 and PvLDH, respectively. The RDT clinical sensitivity was predicted through application of analytical detection limits to antigen concentration distributions from clinical symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. Febrile cases would be detected in a majority by both standard and Rapigen RDTs, but incremental increases in sensitivity in the Rapigen RDTs may be important for clinical cases currently missed by microscopy. Rapigen RDTs were predicted to have improved detection of asymptomatic cases and infections with parasites carrying hrp2 deletions through more sensitive PfLDH detection. Through the benchmarking and simulation of clinical sensitivity, a method for rapidly assessing the ability of new RDTs to meet clinical needs using high-sensitivity antigen distribution data is presented.

HyProCure for Flatfoot Deformity: A Clinical Characteristics Analysis in China.

Flatfoot is a common foot disorder involving progressive foot deformity of the three-dimensional structures of the forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot. Currently, Chinese surgeons and patients favor subtalar arthroereisis (SA) due to its minimally invasive and low-damage characteristics. HyProCure device is widely used. However, there is limited analysis of large sample sizes. This study utilized statistical evaluation with a large sample size to analyze clinical characteristics trends of SA for flatfoot, including baseline indicators, selection of HyProCure size and surgical strategy, complications, and implant removal. This study will enhance the understanding of SA in China. A retrospective analysis of 732 patients (1008 ft) who underwent SA from June 2015 to June 2023, with 509 pediatric and adolescent patients (772 ft) and 223 adult patients (236 ft). Based on the patient's age, patients aged ≤ 18 were included in the children and adolescent group, while adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD) patients aged > 18 were included in the adult group. General data was collected, including patient sex, age, side, body mass index (BMI), surgery date, HyproCure size, and surgical data, and trends were analyzed. Postoperative complications and HyProCure removal were collected as outcome measures during follow-up. The age of patients treated with SA was gradually getting younger, with male patients predominating, mainly concentrated in the 11-14 age group. HyProCure 7 has the highest usage rate. In the children and adolescent group, 288 ft (37.31%) only underwent SA. In the adult group, 18 ft (7.63%) only underwent SA. Complications include sinus tarsi pain, peroneal spasms, achilles tendon tension, and muscle strength decline. The complication rate in the children and adolescent group was 5.05%, while in the adult group it was 28.81%. Overall, it was 10.62%. The removal rate of HyProCure in the children and adolescent group is 1.04%, in the adult group is 15.25%, and overall is 4.37%. The trend in flatfoot treated with SA was towards children and adolescent male patients, and sinus tarsi pain was the most common complication after SA. The complication rate and removal rate in the children and adolescent group were lower than those in the adult group. HyProCure can be removed without additional adverse effects.

Artificial Intelligence and the Development of “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” Small‐ and Medium‐Sized Enterprises

ABSTRACT“Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” (SRUI) enterprises are a crucial part of the national innovation system and play a significant role in enhancing national core competitiveness by leveraging strengths and addressing weaknesses. Given the limited quantitative analysis on the productivity of SRUI enterprises in the academic field, this paper constructs an enterprise‐level artificial intelligence index based on text analysis and machine learning. Using panel data from 2018 to 2022, we investigate the impact of artificial intelligence on the productivity of SRUI small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). The research findings indicate that (1) artificial intelligence significantly enhances the productivity of SRUI SMEs, and for each one standard deviation increase in artificial intelligence, the productivity level of SRUI enterprises will increase by 6.82%. (2) Mechanism tests reveal that artificial intelligence improves productivity by optimizing labor structure, improving labor resource allocation, stimulating endogenous motivation and innovation vitality within enterprises, and enhancing management level and investment efficiency. (3) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that at the regional level, artificial intelligence significantly boosts the productivity of enterprises with well‐developed network infrastructure and robust intellectual property protection systems. At the industry level, AI has a more pronounced effect on the productivity of technology‐intensive and competitive industries. Additionally, we also find that the impact of AI on productivity is more significant in enterprises with younger executive teams and executives with digital and intelligent education backgrounds. This study expands the research scope of productivity and provides valuable insights for the government to optimize digital economy policies and for enterprises to formulate digital innovation strategies.

National goal, local resistance: How institutional gaps hinder local renewable energy development in Taiwan

In most countries, energy transitions are well supported by the public; however, the implementation of renewable energy policies at the local level is often beset with resistance. Previous research has mainly focused on factors influencing community acceptance and strategies to improve social acceptance. Meanwhile, there has been limited analysis of the institutional gaps that lead to local resistance and the dynamic effects of institutional factors on renewable energy implementation at the local level. This paper thus investigates Taiwan's regulations for renewable energy development, presenting a detailed case study from a local context. It examines the factors contributing to local resistance to the implementation of national renewable energy policy targets and explores the dynamics of these resistance actions. Furthermore, through the lens of multi-level governance, the study reveals the institutional gaps and interactions that influence the execution of national policy at the local level. Six major institutional gaps in Taiwan's renewable energy governance were identified, including the lack of energy governance authorizations for local governments, a lack of superordinate site selection criteria and evaluation mechanisms for development zones, lack of governance systems that can address multiple issues, lack of scientific and academic information, lack of information disclosure and public participation mechanisms, and the burden of carbon reduction responsibilities and costs on local communities with few or no benefits. Compounded together, these six institutional gaps lead to the buildup of negative experiences interacting with the government and the renewable energy industry and feelings of worry, panic, distrust, and injustice among the local populace. These ultimately trigger resistance attitudes and the adoption of protest actions, hindering solar farm developments from reaching national policy targets. This study highlights the critical role of multi-level governance in facilitating the energy transition, emphasizing that the successful development of renewable energy requires a robust institutional framework. Such a framework is essential for addressing the complex governance challenges that arise during this transition, particularly aspects supporting local engagement. The six institutional gaps identified from the Taiwan case can serve as policy references for countries or cities intending to promote ground-mounted solar power.

Perovskite Solar Cells: Challenges Facing Polymeric Hole Selective Materials in p–i–n Configuration

AbstractPolymeric hole‐selective materials (P‐HSMs) offer advantages like solution processability, tunable energy levels, and improved mechanical stability, making them suitable for large‐scale and flexible substrates. Poly[bis(4‐phenyl) (2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl) amine] (PTAA) based p–i–n perovskite solar cells exhibit promising power conversion efficiency (PCE), but wettability, dopant, and cost challenges necessitate the development of advanced next‐generation P‐HSMs. To provide a clear understanding of the structural property with photovoltaic performance, this review classifies such newly developed P‐HSMs into five distinct structural categories. Specifically, this review discusses the current status, advancements, challenges, and prospects in structural design and synthetic variations, focusing on enhancing photovoltaic performance, wettability, mitigating surface defects, and stability. Notably, incorporating polar units into P‐HSMs enhances wettability and mitigates ion instabilities and uncoordinated lead defects. Promising structural designs like polymeric self‐assembled monolayers and in situ polymerized hole‐selective materials are examined. Despite performance advancements, emerging, P‐HSMs face significant challenges such as limited thermal stress analysis (55–85 °C) and scalability restricted to small‐scale devices. To bridge this gap, this review emphasizes the urgent need for prioritizing thermal stability testing and large‐scale device fabrication in future research, paving the way for commercial viability of P‐HSMs in p–i–n perovskite photovoltaics.

Large scale study on PFASs levels in fruits, vegetables and soil from allotments and gardens contaminated by atmospheric deposition from a Dutch fluorochemical production plant

Citizens grow their own fruits and vegetables in allotment gardens in the vicinity of a fluorochemical production plant (FCPP) in The Netherlands. Historic emissions and the subsequent atmospheric deposition of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and GenX (hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid / HFPO-DA) from the FCPP have resulted in the nearby environment being contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). This research aimed to investigate the levels of PFASs in garden produce and whether a gradient can be observed in relation to distance from the FCPP. Furthermore, differences between certain types of fruits and vegetables were explored, as well as a potential relation between the measured concentrations in garden produce and soil. 737 fruit and vegetable samples were collected from 17 allotments and 4 gardens up to 20 kilometres from the FCPP, along with soil and water samples. Garden produce included fruits, potatoes, fruiting vegetables, brassicas, leafy vegetables, root vegetables, bulb vegetables, legumes and stem vegetables. PFASs concentrations in the samples were quantified using a very sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method. PFASs were detected in most samples above the analytical limit of detection (0.3 to 12.5 pg/g ww). PFOA and GenX were found in the highest concentrations (up to 5280 pg/g ww GenX and 3020 pg/g ww PFOA) in garden produce sampled downwind and close to the FCPP. Other PFASs were also found, but at (much) lower levels. Field-derived bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) were calculated for PFOA and GenX. The BAFs for PFOA were shown to be approximately 1 order of magnitude lower than BAFs from other studies. This may be explained by aging of the PFASs contamination and the intense cultivation of the garden plots. This study shows that PFOA and GenX can end up in garden produce and this will result in human exposure when the garden produce is consumed.

“Cauldron of Conspiracy”: Conspiratorial Tropes as Modes of Critique in Ḥabībī’s The Pessoptimist and Saʿdāwī’s Frankenstein in Baghdad

Abstract This article uses the concepts of “conspiracy” and “conspiracy theory,” along with their literary tropes, to theorize resistance to the colonial ideals of modernity in Israel and Iraq and to contest the oppressive developmental temporalities associated with this modernity. By analyzing Imīl Ḥabībī’s al-Mutashāʾil (The Secret Life of Saeed, the Pessoptimist, 1974) and Aḥmad Saʿdāwī’s Frānkishtāyn fī Baghdād (Frankenstein in Baghdad, 2013), I show how tropes of conspiracism and conspiratorial thinking are deployed in both of these novels to critique myths of linear progress—often used to justify the Israeli occupation and the U.S. invasion—despite the divergent historical periods and contexts out of which the two texts emerge. In their act of contestation, the novels leverage alternate temporalities in connection to conspiracism, such as the cyclical time of suffering and exploitation, or the apocalyptic time that offers release from said suffering through ending time altogether. Yet in both cases the tropes of conspiracy are ultimately shown to have little explanatory or emancipatory value and high human cost. Both novels thus thematize the analytic and critical limits of conspiracism.

High time resolution quantification of PM2.5 oxidative potential at a Central London roadside supersite

The oxidative potential (OP) of airborne particulate matter (PM) is gaining increasing attention as a health-relevant metric to describe the capacity of PM to promote oxidative stress and cause adverse health effects. To date, most OP studies use filter-based approaches to sample PM and quantify OP, which have relatively poor time resolution (∼24 h) and underestimate the contribution of reactive components to OP due to the time delay between sample collection and analysis. To address this important limitation, we have developed a novel instrument which uses a direct-to-reagent sampling approach, providing robust, continuous, high time resolution (5 min) OP quantification, hence overcoming analytical limitations of filter-based techniques. In this study, we deployed this instrument in the Marylebone Road Air Quality Monitoring Station in London, UK, alongside a broad suite of high time resolution PM2.5 composition measurements for three months continuous measurement during Summer 2023. High time resolution OP quantification reveals dynamic changes in volume-normalised (OPv) and mass normalised (OPm) OP evolving over ∼hourly timescales, observed at an average PM2.5 mass concentration of 7.1 ± 4.2 µg m−3, below the WHO interim 4 target of 10 µg m−3. In addition, high time resolution data facilitates directional analysis, allowing us to determine the influence of wind speed and wind direction on OP, and the identification of PM2.5 chemical components and sources which drive dynamic changes in OP; this includes traffic emissions, as well as emissions from the London Underground into the ambient airshed. These results demonstrate the capacity of high time resolution measurements to provide new insights into the temporal evolution of OP, as well as the composition and emission sources which drive OP, developing our understanding of the characteristics of PM2.5 which may promote adverse health impacts.