Approach Force Research Articles

A novel process approach of a circular economy practice in the production of hydroxyapatite from phosphogypsum

Phosphogypsum (PG), a by-product of phosphate fertilizer industry, is chemically impure gypsum (CaSO4 · 2 H2O) containing phosphate residues. Provided by the calcium and phosphorus content, PG can be considered as a precursor for synthetic hydroxyapatite (s-HAp) production. This study proposes a two-step alkali route for s-HAp production from PG. Resulting samples were characterized by ICP-OES, SEM, XRD and FT-IR analyses in comparison with bone ash (BA) sample. Ca/P ratio (wt%) was determined as 2.46 and 2.78 for s-HAp and BA samples, respectively. SEM analysis showed the uniform distribution of spherical shaped particles in BA samples; however s-HAp particles showed irregular distribution of nearly spherical-like particles agglomerated as platelets on the surface. XRD analysis indicated that s-HAp particles possessed low crystallinity and ICDD references showed the appearance of apatite-CaOH phases. FT-IR spectrum showed the vibration bands of PO4 3− bands in the range of 1018–601 cm−1. According to characterization analyses, s-HAp samples show lower Ca/P ratio, irregular morphology, and low crystallinity due to possible impurities. Thus, further downstream operations regarding to impurity removal should be employed to develop a promising route to synthetic HAp production and employ a CE approach on industrial scale to evaluate s-HAp samples as a commercial substitute to BA.

Codebook-Based Solutions for Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces and Their Open Challenges

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) is a revolutionary technology to cost-effectively improve the performance of wireless networks. We first review the existing framework of channel estimation and passive beamforming (CE & PBF) in RISassisted communication systems. To reduce the excessive pilot signaling overhead and implementation complexity of the CE & PBF framework, we conceive a codebook-based framework to strike flexible tradeoffs between communication performance and signaling overhead. Moreover, we provide useful insights into the codebook design and learning mechanisms of the RIS reflection pattern. Finally, we analyze the scalability of the proposed framework by flexibly adapting the training overhead to the specified quality-of-service requirements and then elaborate on its appealing advantages over the existing CE & PBF approaches. It is shown that our novel codebook-based framework can be beneficially applied to all RIS-assisted scenarios and avoids the curse of model dependency faced by its existing counterparts, thus constituting a competitive solution for practical RIS-assisted communication systems.

Virtuous circles: Transformative impact and challenges of the social and solidarity circular economy

AbstractThe conventional view tends to consider the social dimension of the circular economy as conspicuous by its absence. This paper draws attention to business strategies and organisational practices that bring together the valorisation of wasted material resources and marginalised people. Theoretically, we build on the literature on hybrid forms of organisation and management typical of the social and solidarity economy (SSE)—for example, social cooperatives—to introduce a more realistic and dynamic model of social and solidarity circular economy (SSCE). Offering a definition of SSCE based on existing hybrid organisational practices rather than abstract ideals, we juxtapose the SSCE and the current corporate‐led CE approach across three key dimensions: strategic aims; organisational boundaries and governance mechanisms. To illustrate how this SSCE works, we focus on the case of CAUTO, an Italian network of circular social cooperatives based in Northern Italy. We identify three intertwined steps through which CAUTO developed an effective SSCE strategy: social circular innovation, networked actions and participatory scaling up. Taken together, our findings suggest a realistic pathway to business circularity that is inclusive, pragmatic and embedded in social practices.

Community engagement: health research through informing, consultation, involving and empowerment in Ingwavuma community.

The goal of community involvement in health research is to improve a community's ability to address its own health needs while ensuring that researchers understand and consider the community's priorities. Recent data show that socio-economic and environmental challenges continue to be a barrier to informing, consulting, involving and empowering communities in community-based health research beneficial to them. The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which the Ingwavuma community in KwaZulu-Natal Province, in rural South Africa, was informed, consulted, involved and empowered about two research projects conducted between 2014 and 2021. The study used the modified random-route procedure to administer a standardized questionnaire to 339 household heads selected randomly. The questionnaires were administered face-to-face. The sample size was estimated using the Yamane sample size generating formula. Chi-square tests were performed to assess associations between demographic variables (age, gender, education, village) and respondents' knowledge and information of the projects, Malaria and Bilharzia in Southern Africa and Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa as well as their participation. The communities were generally well-informed about the health projects that were being carried out. Fewer than half of those who had heard about the projects had directly participated in them. The majority had been tested for one or more diseases and conditions, mostly high blood pressure, diabetes, and schistosomiasis, and had participated in a community feedback group; many had given their children's permission to be tested for schistosomiasis or to participate in project research activities. Others participated in public awareness campaigns and surveys. There was some evidence of a consultation process in the form of public consultation discussed in the projects, and not much discussion on empowerment. The findings demonstrate that researchers' CE approach was adaptable as communities were largely educated, involved, and subsequently empowered though without much consultation and that researchers had provided a space for sharing responsibilities in all engagement process decision-making. For the empowerment of the community, projects should take into account the intrapersonal and personal aspects affecting the community's capacity to effectively benefit from the information, consultation, involvement, and empowerment procedures.

Single atomic cerium sites anchored on nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres for highly selective electroreduction of nitric oxide to ammonia

Electrocatalytic nitric oxide reduction reaction (NORR) at ambient environments not only offers a promising strategy to yield ammonia (NH3) but also degrades the NO contaminant; however, its application depends on searching for high-performance catalysts. Herein, we present single atomic Ce sites anchored on nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres that are capable of electro-catalyzing NO reduction to NH3 in an acidic solution, achieving a maximal Faradaic efficiency of 91 % and a yield rate of 1023 μg h−1 mgcat.−1 at –0.7 V vs RHE for NH3 formation, both of which outperform these on Ce nanoclusters and approach the best-reported results. Meanwhile, the single atomic Ce catalyst shows good structural and electrochemical stability during the 30-h NO electrolysis. Furthermore, when the single atomic Ce catalyst was used as cathodic material in a proof-of-concept of Zn–NO battery, it delivers a maximal power density of 3.4 mW cm−2 and a high NH3 yield rate of 309 μg h−1 mgcat.−1. Theoretical simulations suggest that the Ce-N4 active moiety can not only activate NO molecules via a strong electronic interaction but also reduce the free energy barrier of *NO transition to *NOH intermediate as the limiting step, and therefore boosting the NORR kinetics and suppressing the competitive hydrogen evolution.

Evaluating a community engagement model for malaria elimination in Haiti: lessons from the community health council project (2019–2021)

BackgroundCommunity engagement (CE) plays a critical role in malaria control and elimination. CE approaches vary substantially, with more participatory programmes requiring higher levels of adaptive management. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a volunteer-based CE programme developed in Haiti in 2018. The approach was based on local leaders organizing and implementing monthly anti-malaria activities in their communities, and was implemented as part of Malaria Zero Consortium activities.MethodsThis programme evaluation draws on quantitative and qualitative data collected from 23 Community Health Councils (CHCs) over a two-year period (2019–2021) in Grand’Anse department, a malaria hotspot region in Haiti.ResultsMonthly monitoring data showed that 100% of the 23 CHCs remained functional over the two-year period, with an average of 0.90 monthly meetings held with an 85% attendance rate. A high degree of transparency and diversity in membership helped create strong planning and involvement from members. CHCs conducted an average of 1.6 community-based activities per month, directly engaging an average of 123 people per month. High levels of fluctuation in monthly activities were indicative of local ownership and self-organization. This included school and church sensitization, environmental sanitation campaigns, mass education, support for case referrals and community mobilization during mass drug administration (MDA) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) campaigns. Members drew on the tradition of konbit (mutual self-help), local histories of health and development campaigns and a lexicon of “solidarity” in difficult times as they negotiated their agency as community volunteers. Small incentives played both symbolic and supportive roles. Some level of politicization was viewed as inevitable, even beneficial. Rumours about financial and political profiteering of CHC volunteers took time to dispel while the tendency towards vertical planning in malaria control created conditions that excluded CHCs from some activities. This generated resentment from members who felt sidelined by the government malaria programme.ConclusionThe CHC model was effective in promoting group solidarity and community-based anti-malaria activities over a two-year period in Haiti. With the end of the Malaria Zero Consortium in early 2021, there is now an opportunity to better integrate this programme into the primary healthcare system, evaluate the impact of the CHCs on malaria epidemiology, and promote the greater integration of CHCs with active surveillance and response activities.

Alternating chempolishing and electropolishing for interior and exterior surface finishing of additively manufactured (AM) metal components

Additively manufactured (AM) components’ surface finishing is crucial in adopting them for intended applications in challenging environments involving fatigue, corrosion, high temperature, and nuclear radiation. In our prior research, chempolishing (C) was utilized as an electroless etching process that uniformly smoothens complex AM components’ accessible interior and exterior surfaces (Tyagi et al. Additive Manufacturing, 25:32–38, 22). A wide range of electropolishing (E) has been demonstrated for AM surface finishing. However, electropolishing can impact a surface that can be juxtaposed to counter electrode and can yield a very smooth surface to sub-micrometer level roughness. However, a knowledge gap exists about the impact of applying both approaches on the same surface one after another and what new advantages may arise because of combining two methods. This paper uses dual-stage liquid-based surface finishing strategies produced by alternating the chempolishing (C) and electropolishing (E) steps. Two dual-stage surface finishing approaches, i.e., chempolishing followed by electropolishing (CE) and electropolishing followed by chempolishing (EC), were performed on the 316 stainless AM steel component. Impacts of EC and CE approaches were compared with single-stage C and E surface finishing approaches. An optical microscope and mechanical profilometer were utilized to investigate the wide range of surface roughness parameters. CE and EC produced Ra ~ 1.4 µm and ~ 1.6 µm, respectively. Surface roughness on CE- and EC-treated AM samples was lower than those individually treated by C and E approaches. Scanning electron microscopy provided further insights into the microstructural difference between CE- and EC-treated AM samples. This paper reports a liquid contact angle study on CE- and EC-treated AM samples to provide insights into the relative difference in surface energy that is crucial for making coatings on AM parts. A spectroscopic reflectance study was also employed to register the difference in physical properties of AM components treated with CE and EC approaches. This study reveals industrially practicable interior and exterior surface finishing approaches for complex AM metal components that require minimum tooling and real-time process monitoring.

Clinical characteristics and antibodies against Echinococcus granulosus recombinant antigen P29 in patients with cystic echinococcosis in China

ObjectivesCystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected parasitic zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus). This study aimed to understand the clinical characteristics of human CE in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR) located in northwest China and to investigate the antibody profiles against the recombinant E. granulosus antigen P29 (rEg.P29) in plasma of CE patients.MethodsA total of 37 human CE patients, along with 37 healthy donors enrolled in this study and demographic and clinical data were analyzed, including age, gender, laboratory data, symptoms, and cysts description. Plasma levels of cytokines, total IgG, and total IgE were determined by sandwich ELISA kits. Specific antibodies against rEg.P29 and hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) were assessed by indirect ELISA.ResultsThe results revealed that females have a higher percentage of CE patients than males. The incidence of CE reached a peak in the 41–50 years-old group. The liver was the most frequent location, accounting for 91.9%. Based on the CT images, cysts of 34 patients who had liver involvement, were classified as 1 (2.9%) CE1, 12 (35.3%) CE2, 5 (14.7%) CE3a, 1 (2.9%) CE3b, and 15 (44.2%) CE5. Twenty-nine (78.4%) patients had a single cyst and 8 (21.6%) had at least two cysts. The most frequently reported symptom was upper abdominal pain. The plasma level of IL-6 and total IgE were significantly increased in CE patients compared with healthy donors. Additionally, IgG response to rEg.P29 in CE patients was significantly higher than in healthy donors, and the dominant IgG subclass was IgG4. Further analysis of different patient groups revealed that rEg.P29-specific IgG and IgG4 were only elevated in CE patients with CE2 type cysts.ConclusionsThis study systematically investigated the clinical characteristics of patients with CE and may provide a reference basis for the diagnosis and treatment of CE in NHAR. Furthermore, tests of specific IgG and IgG4 against rEg.P29 can be used as an assisted method for imaging techniques to identify cystic activity and determine the best therapeutic approach for CE.

A chemometric experimental design with three-step stacking capillary electrophoresis for analysis of five tobacco-specific nitrosamines in cigarette products

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) as carcinogens endanger our health and life from cigarette products. However, the safe range of TSNAs levels in commercial cigarette products has not yet been established. For the purpose of safety and supervision, a three-step stacking approach including field amplified sample injection (FASI), sweeping, and analyte focusing by micelle collapse (AFMC), was developed for the simultaneous determination of five TSNAs levels in cigarette products. This approach also involved aspects of chemometric experimental design, including fractional factorial design and central composite design. After the multilevel optimization of the experimental design, the five TSNAs were well separated. The LOD (S/N = 3) values of the N´-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N´-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N´-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in the FASI-sweeping-AFMC CE approach were 1.000 ng/mL, 0.500 ng/mL, 0.125 ng/mL, 1.000 ng/mL, and 0.500 ng/mL respectively. The results of relative standard deviation (RSD) and relative error (RE) were all less than 3.35%, demonstrating good precision and accuracy. Finally, this novel approach was further applied to monitor three commercial cigarette products, and a range of 250.1–336.6 ng/g for NNN, 481.6–526.7 ng/g for NAT, 82.2–247.6 ng/g for NAB, 167.7–473.7 ng/g for NNAL, and 39.4–246.7 ng/g for NNK could be observed among these. Based on these results, the novel CE stacking strategy was successfully applied for the analysis of five TSNAs levels in cigarette products and could serve as a tool for assays of quality control of nitrosamines.

Proposal of a Dual Circularity Concept for Sustainable Design

AbstractCurrent CE approach, and its many definitions, does not explicitly consider the interconnectedness of the biological and technological cycle. This paper uses state-of-the-art to articulate nuances of the CE to encourage a more comprehensive understanding of the concept from a perspective of both cycles. The results address that acknowledged sustainably driven shifts of resources between cycles are neglected in most state-of-the-art. Therefore, the Dual Circularity (DC) definition is proposed and further evaluated by three examples.

Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry with Multisegment Injection and In-Capillary Preconcentration for High-Throughput and Sensitive Determination of Therapeutic Decapeptide Triptorelin in Pharmaceutical and Biological Matrices.

A capillary electrophoresis–tandem mass spectrometry method with a multisegment injection and an in-capillary field-enhanced sample stacking for determination of therapeutic peptide triptorelin in pharmaceutical and biological matrices was developed. The CE separation conditions were optimized in order to obtain maximal separation efficiency, analytical signal intensity and stability, and minimal adsorption of the analyzed peptide onto the capillary wall (1 M formic acid—HFo, pH 1.88). The implementation of the field-enhanced sample injection into CE improved the value of limit of detection 50 times while the multisegment injection increased the sample throughput three times in comparison to a conventional CE approach. The proposed method was characterized by favorable performance parameters, such as linearity (r2 ≥ 0.99), limit of detection (5 ng mL−1 in water matrix, 25 ng mL−1 in plasma matrix), precision (relative standard deviation, 1.5–9.4% for intraday and 2.3–11.9% for interday reproducibility), or accuracy (relative errors in the range of 80–109%). The FDA-validated method was successfully applied to the analysis of triptorelin in the commercial drug Diphereline® 0.1 mg (powder for injection) and in spiked human plasma samples. Favorable performance parameters along with proven application potentialities indicate the usefulness of the proposed method for its routine use in drug quality control laboratories and for clinical analysis, such as determination of triptorelin levels in plasma (for pharmacokinetic study).

Ethyl cellulose coated sustained release aspirin spherules for treating COVID-19: DOE led rapid optimization using arbitrary interface; applicable for emergency situations

This work attempts to resolve one of the key issues related to the design and development of sustained-release spherule of aspirin for oral formulations, tailored to treat COVID-19. For that, in the Design of Experiments (DOE) an arbitrary interface, “coating efficiency” (CE) is introduced and scaled the cumulative percentage coating (CPC) to get predictable control over drug release (DR). Subsequently, the granules containing ASP are converted to spherules and then to Ethyl cellulose (EC) Coated spherules (CS) by a novel bed coating during the rolling (BCDR) process. Among spherules, one with 0.35 mm than 0.71 mm shows required properties. The CS has a low 1200 angle by Optical Microscopy (OM), smooth surface without cracks by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and better flow properties (Angle of repose 29.69 ± 0.780, Carr's index 6.73 ± 2.24%, Hausner's Ratio 1.07 ± 0.03) than granules and spherules. Once certain structure-dependent control over release is attained (EC coated spherules shows 10% reduction in burst release (BR) than uncoated spherules showing a release of 80–91%) the predictability is achieved and Design of space (DOS) by DOE (CE-70.14%and CPC-200% and DR-61.54%) is established. The results of DOE to experimentally validated results were within 20% deviation. The aspirin is changing its crystal structure by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) from Form-I to Form-II showing polymorphism inside the drug reservoir with respect to the process. This CE and CPC approach in DOE can be used for delivery system design of other labile drugs similar to aspirin in emergency situations.

Charge-Based Separation of Acid-Functional Polymers by Non-aqueous Capillary Electrophoresis Employing Deprotonation and Heteroconjugation Approaches.

Water-borne polymers are in ever-increasing demand due to their favorable ecological profile compared to traditional solvent-borne polymer systems. Many water-borne polymer particles are stabilized in aqueous media by the incorporation of acid-functional monomers. Due to the large variety of comonomers applied, these water-borne polymers have various superimposed statistical distributions, which make it challenging to obtain in-depth information regarding incorporation of the acidic monomers. For selective analysis of the incorporated acidic monomers, a charge-based non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) separation was developed. Two approaches were developed: (i) deprotonation of the acid functionality with an organically soluble strong base and (ii) heteroconjugation of anions of carboxylic acids with incorporated acid functionality. In both approaches, N-methylpyrrolidone, as a strong solvent for polymers with a favorable relative permittivity for the presence of dissociated ionic species, was used for the separation. It was shown that anions of carboxylic acids specifically associate with the incorporated acid groups in the polymers, resulting in negatively charged complexes that could be separated based on charge-to-size ratio by NACE. Although both approaches give comparable results with respect to acid distribution for acid-functional polymers, the effective mobility of the deprotonated polymers is roughly double that obtained from the heteroconjugation approach. Unlike the heteroconjugation approach, deprotonation conditions were detrimental to the fused-silica capillary, limiting practical use. Polymers with different chemical compositions, molecular weights, and acid contents were subjected to the CE approaches developed. Polymers with varying molecular weight but similar relative acid monomer content were shown to have similar migration times, which confirms that this approach separates polymers based on charge-to-size ratio.

Past, present, and future developments in enantioselective analysis using capillary electromigration techniques.

Enantioseparation of chiral products has become increasingly important in a large diversity of academic and industrial applications. The separation of chiral compounds is inherently challenging and thus requires a suitable analytical technique that can achieve high resolution and sensitivity. In this context, CE has shown remarkable results so far. Chiral CE offers an orthogonal enantioselectivity and is typically considered less costly than chromatographic techniques, since only minute amounts of chiral selectors are needed. Several CE approaches have been developed for chiral analysis, including chiral EKC and chiral CEC. Enantioseparations by EKC benefit from the wide variety of possible pseudostationary phases that can be employed. Chiral CEC, on the other hand, combines chromatographic separation principles with the bulk fluid movement of CE, benefitting from reduced band broadening as compared to pressure‐driven systems. Although UV detection is conventionally used for these approaches, MS can also be considered. CE‐MS represents a promising alternative due to the increased sensitivity and selectivity, enabling the chiral analysis of complex samples. The potential contamination of the MS ion source in EKC‐MS can be overcome using partial‐filling and counter‐migration techniques. However, chiral analysis using monolithic and open‐tubular CEC‐MS awaits additional method validation and a dedicated commercial interface. Further efforts in chiral CE are expected toward the improvement of existing techniques, the development of novel pseudostationary phases, and establishing the use of chiral ionic liquids, molecular imprinted polymers, and metal‐organic frameworks. These developments will certainly foster the adoption of CE(‐MS) as a well‐established technique in routine chiral analysis.

Drivers of adopting Circular Economy in Oman built environment

Circular Economy is a sustainable transition from the current linear thinking to a circular approach. The construction industry is criticized as the first responsible of waste generation and resources consumption, thus, it will be the sector which has potential of adopting the Circular economy approach. Oman construction industry is not an exception, it also negatively suffers from high waste and therefore adopting CE approach will be crucial to enhance the industry reputation and sustainability aspects. According to previous research, the critical challenges facing the adoption of circular economy concept in Oman built environment were introduced firstly with absence of clear vision and legislation supporting CE, as well as, lack of government funding of research, innovation, and investment as governmental barriers, followed by a technical barrier which is absence of qualified professionals in CE in construction industry.
 The aim of this study is to explore the drivers supporting the adoption CE in Oman Built Environment. An exploratory study was conducted to explore the main drivers of CE in Oman built environment through 10 interviews of the built environment professionals and 80 questionnaire survey responses of built environment stakeholders. The results revealed that the key findings of the critical drivers of adopting CE in Oman built environment are: governmental responsibility through establishment of a clear vision and regulations of CE, upgrade public awareness, being a role model of CE implementation, as well as, establishing of supportive infrastructure for recovery process through collaboration with the private sector.
 Finally, gaining momentum in CE in Oman built environment shall be initiated by governmental effort to benefit economically, socially and environmentally. 

Searching for new community engagement approaches in the Netherlands: a realist qualitative study

BackgroundCommunity engagement is increasingly seen as key to improving healthcare systems and to increasing communities’ involvement in the shaping of their own communities. This paper describes how ‘community engagement’ (CE) is understood and being operationalised in the Dutch healthcare system by investigating the CE approaches being implemented in six different regions and by examining engaged citizens’ and professionals’ experiences of those CE approaches.MethodsFor this realist study, interviews and focus groups were held with citizens (16) and professionals (42) involved in CE approaches in the six regions. Additionally, CE-related activities were observed to supplement interview data.ResultsThis study shows that citizens and professionals defined and experienced CE differently and that they differed in who they felt had ownership of CE. The CE approaches implemented in community-led initiatives and organisationally-led initiatives varied accordingly. Furthermore, both citizens and professionals were searching for meaningful ways for citizens to have more control over healthcare in their own communities.ConclusionCE can be improved by, first of all, developing a shared and overarching vision of what CE should look like, establishing clear roles and remits for organisations and communities, and taking active measures to ensure CE is more inclusive and representative of harder-to-reach groups. At the same time, to help ensure such shared visions do not further entrench power imbalances between citizens and professionals, professionals require training in successful CE approaches.

PROVENANCE AND DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE CARBONATES FROM BALUTI FORMATION (LATE TRIASSIC), KURDISTAN REGION, IRAQ

The carbonate of Late Triassic Baluti Formation, Kurdistan Region, Iraq was geochemically investigated to interpret provenance, depositional environments and sources of the rare earth elements (REEs) based on major, trace, and rare earth elements geochemistry. The predominance of Ca and the low percentage of Mg suggest that mineral phase is calcite at Sararu; in contrast, the dominance of MgO is in Sarki indicates the carbonate is subject to intensive dolomitization. P and Sr are dominated over the other elements, especially for Sararu carbonate. The positive correlation of ΣREE with Ti, Al, K, Sc, V, Rb, Y, Zr, and Nb and negative correlation with Ca in addition to slight enrichment of LREE suggest an input of siliciclastic sediments from the continent. The low values of the Y/Ho ratio (29.83 to 33.85) relative to marine water and approach of Ce anomaly to 1.0 refer to increasing the clastic flux from the adjacent continent and freshwater intrusion to seawater during the precipitation of Baluti carbonates. The low abundance of Cr, Ni, Co, and the Th/Sc, La/Sc, Cr/Th ratios indicate the felsic source rocks; this is confirmed by the slightly LREE enriched and flat HREE patterns and a slightly high average of (La/Yb)sn. Low authigenic U contents, U/Th ratios and slightly negative Ce anomalies suggest the Baluti carbonates were precipitated under oxic conditions and shale at Sarki section was influenced by suboxic conditions. The high Mg/Ca and low Sr/Ca ratios reflect shallow marine environments for Baluti carbonates with diagenetic effect especially in Sarki section. The Mn/Sr ratio implies the Sararu samples have higher degrees of preservation relative to Sarki. Most of REE contents in Sararu is attributed to the terrigenous origin, and the weak non-significant positive correlation of Si, Ti, and Al with REE content suggest little contribution in the Sarki and the biogenic carbonate from the seawater may play a role in the REE concentration. These carbonates possess non-seawater-like REE patterns with slightly LREE enrichment and HREE depletion, and characterized by –ve Ce*.

One-pot synthesis of uniform hollow nanospheres of Ce–Zr–O mixed oxides by spray pyrolysis

Abstract Ultra-thin hollow nanospheres of Ce–Zr–O mixed oxides were successfully synthesized in a one-pot mode via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, using a highly diluted aqueous solution of cerium and/or zirconium nitrate salts as nanospheres precursors and glycine as a template. The structure, morphology, and physicochemical properties of the samples were carefully studied by SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, UV–Vis, Raman, and XPS. Obtained nanospheres composed of small CexZryO, CeO2, or ZrO2 nanoparticles with low crystallinity featured high uniformity and relatively low wall thickness (c.a. 5 nm) with an external diameter c.a. 100 nm. It was found that interaction between CeO2 and ZrO2 proceeded almost entirely with the formation of the corresponding mixed phases even at a short residence time (c.a. 2 s) in the high-temperature zone of a spray pyrolysis reactor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work on the synthesis of uniform ceria-zirconia hollow nanospheres by spray pyrolysis technique. The suggested approach of Ce–Zr nanospheres synthesis opens an effective, promising, and simple way for large-scale preparation of nanospheres and nanoreactors with a tunable microstructure using different precursors for wide commercial applications.

The Comprehensive Community Engagement Framework for Health and Well-being

Abstract Background Community engagement (CE) and empowerment are required to support the sustainability and effectiveness of actions to reach Agenda 2030. There is a need to guide CE for health and well-being to take action on important societal challenges such as the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and health inequities. The framework proposed in this study has been designed to assist professionals, practitioners and communities to effectively engage. Methods A narrative review of existing grey literature, policy papers and models related to CE was performed. This guided the development of a systematic search strategy, performed by two researchers, which reviewed CE approaches and key influencing factors. The search strategy captured different terms used for CE. Results A total of 27 studies of different types, from around the world, were identified for inclusion into the review. The study compiled a set of widely-used theories and approaches to CE. Key factors such as governance, trust, accessibility and sociocultural contextualisation were also identified as important for the success of CE initiatives. Subsequently, the Comprehensive Community Engagement Framework (CCEF) was developed. It combines theoretical and empirical principles, proven participatory actions and key factors to produce evidence-based health and well-being outcomes across different sectors and levels of society. Conclusions This study has formed the basis of a forthcoming WHO report on CE. The CCEF enables the operationalisation of CE to guide for possible practical approaches to planning, initiating, sustaining and evaluating CE processes alongside the community. It can be used by the health sector as well as the non-health sectors to address health, well-being and broader societal challenges. Key messages The CCEF can be used to engage health and non-health stakeholders to tailor CE processes, increase impact of interventions and policies, building capacity and empowering communities. The proposed framework provides the first comprehensive guidance to conduct community engagement.

MPS reveals isometric PCR artefacts in degraded samples

It is well known that DNA damage promotes PCR artefacts. In addition, as MPS provides the most accurate typing of PCR products, this technology should be able to highlight more PCR artefacts than the conventional CE approach. To test this hypothesis, a DNA sample was degraded by heating at 70 °C for 8, 16 and 24 h. The three resulting samples #1, #2 and #3 and the untreated control sample were then analysed by the Precision ID Globalfiler NGS STR Panel v2, in duplicate tests. The data analysis was performed by the Converge v2.1 software using the default setting parameters.Artefacts were identified only in the degraded samples #2 and #3. Few well known artefacts (allelic imbalance, stutter products and allelic drop out) and several drop in phenomena were flagged by the software. The majority (18 out 22) of these drop ins were sequenced as “isometric artefacts”, e.g. PCR artefacts which cannot be identified by the employment of CE. The molecular features of these PCR artefacts, as well as their risk to be confused with a DNA mixture, are described.