Exhaust Components Research Articles

The Correlation of the Smart City Concept with the Costs of Toxic Exhaust Gas Emissions Based on the Analysis of a Selected Population of Motor Vehicles in Urban Traffic

The intensive development of road transport has resulted in a significant increase in air pollution. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in urban areas. This creates the need for analyses and forecasts of the scale and extent of future emissions of harmful substances into the environment. The aim of this study was to estimate the costs of the emission of toxic components of exhaust gases generated by all users of conventionally propelled vehicles travelling on a section of urban road in the next 25 years. The traffic study was carried out on an urban traffic route, playing a key role for road transport in the dimension of a given urban agglomeration. The traffic forecast for the analysed road section was based on the results of our own measurements carried out in April 2023 and external data from the General Directorate for Roads and Motorways. The results of the observations concerned six categories of vehicles for the morning and afternoon rush hours. Based on the data obtained, the generic structure of the vehicle population on the analysed section and the average daily traffic were determined. Using the methodology contained in the Blue Book of Road Infrastructure, parameters were calculated in the form of annual indicators of traffic growth on the analysed section, travel speed, and annual air pollution costs for selected vehicle categories, remembering at the same time that the Blue Book-based methodology does not distinguish between unit costs in relation to the type of emissions. The results of the study confirmed that there was an increase in the cost of toxic emissions for each vehicle category over the projected 25-year period. The largest increases were seen for trucks with trailers and passenger cars. In total, for all vehicle categories, emission costs nearly doubled from 2024 to 2046, from EUR 3,745,229 to EUR 7,443,384, due to the doubling of the number of vehicles resulting from the traffic forecast. The analyses presented here provide an answer to the question of what pollution costs may be faced by cities in which road transport will continue to be based on conventional types of propulsion. In addition, the research presented can be used to develop urban mobility transformation plans for the coming years, within the scope of the widely promoted smart city concept and the idea of electromobility, by pointing out to local authorities the direct economic benefits of these changes.

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange to Reverse Plasma Failure in Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome.

Plasma plays a crucial role in maintaining health through regulating coagulation and inflammation. Both are essential to respond to homeostatic threats such as traumatic injury or microbial infection; however, left unchecked, they can themselves cause damage. A well-functioning plasma regulatory milieu controls the location, intensity, and duration of the response to injury or infection. In contrast, plasma failure can be conceptualized as a state in which these mechanisms are overwhelmed and unable to constrain coagulation and inflammation appropriately. This dysregulated state causes widespread tissue damage and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Unlike plasma derangements caused by individual factors, plasma failure is characterized by a heterogeneous set of plasma component deficiencies and excesses. Targeted therapies such as factor replacement or recombinant antibodies are thus inadequate to restore plasma function. Therapeutic plasma exchange offers the unique ability to remove harmful factors and replete exhausted components, thereby reestablishing appropriate regulation of coagulation and inflammation.

Mitigating Undergraduate Learning Burnout: Development of an Assessment Tool and Positive Thinking Training Program

The purposes of the current study were to 1) develop a learning burnout assessment for Thai undergraduate students and 2) examine the effects of a positive thinking training program on Thai undergraduate students’ learning burnout. The study was divided into two parts: the instrumental development of the assessment tool and the implementation of the positive thinking training program. The first part involved 250 undergraduate students selected using a multi-stage sampling method. The second part involved implementing the positive thinking training program with 25 participants. The results led to the creation of a learning burnout assessment tool for Thai undergraduate students, encompassing the components of emotional exhaustion, social disengagement, and academic workload. The assessment tool demonstrated content validity, construct validity, and reliability. Additionally, the positive thinking training program effectively reduced learning burnout among participants. This study contributes to the field by introducing a validated learning burnout assessment tool in the Thai educational context and demonstrating the benefits of psychological training in reducing learning burnout.

Association of left atrial function with frailty: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Frailty is common in people with cardiovascular disease. Worse left atrial (LA) function is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, whether worse LA function is associated with frailty is unclear. We included 3292 older adults from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study who were non-frail at baseline (visit 5, 2011-2013) and had LA function (reservoir, conduit, and contractile strain) measured from two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography. LA stiffness index was calculated as a ratio of E/e' to LA reservoir strain. Frailty was defined using the validated Fried frailty phenotype. Incident frailty was assessed between 2016 and 2019 during two follow-up visits. LA function was analyzed as quintiles. Multivariable logistic regression examined odds of incident frailty. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 74 (71-77) years, 58% were female, and 214 (7%) participants developed frailty during a median (IQR) follow-up of 6.3 (5.6-6.8) years. After adjusting for baseline confounders and incident cardiovascular events during follow-up, the odds of developing frailty was 2.42 (1.26-4.66) times greater among participants in the lowest (vs highest) quintile of LA reservoir strain and 2.41 (1.11-5.22) times greater among those in the highest (vs lowest) quintile of LA stiffness index. Worse LA function was significantly associated with the development of exhaustion, but not the other components of the Fried frailty phenotype. Worse LA function is associated with higher incidence of frailty and exhaustion component independent of LA size and left ventricular function. Future studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that drive the observed association.

The impact of ammonia and hydrogen additives on the combustion characteristics, performance, stability and emissions of an industrial DF diesel engine

Both hydrogen and ammonia are potential fuels that can significantly replace fossil fuels in the automotive and energy sectors. In compression ignition engines, they can be effectively and efficiently co-combusted with diesel fuel. This study presents experimental comparative research on the impact of alternative fuels, namely ammonia and hydrogen, on the performance, stability, and emissions of an industrial dual-fuel compression ignition engine. The research was conducted on an engine operating under constant load (0.7 MPa) and constant speed (1500 rpm), comparing scenarios of diesel-only operation and alternative fuel energy shares of 8 %, 12 %, 24 %, and 32 %. For both ammonia/diesel and hydrogen/diesel engines, combustion characteristics, performance, and emissions were determined and analyzed. Additionally, an evaluation of the dual-fuel engine’s operational stability was conducted. For the compression ignition engine co-combusting ammonia with diesel, the most favorable solution was using a 32 % energy share of NH3. In this configuration, the engine achieved nearly the highest efficiency (38 %), the most stable operation, and the lowest emissions of harmful and toxic exhaust components (NO = 2.23 g/kWh, HC = 0.2 g/kWh, CO = 24.9 g/kWh, CO2 = 512 g/kWh, Soot = 0.51 g/kWh). For the engine co-combusting hydrogen with diesel, the optimal energy share of H2 was 24 %. In this configuration, the engine achieved the highest efficiency (39.8 %), almost the most stable operation, and the lowest emissions of HC = 0.22 g/kWh, CO = 15.8 g/kWh, CO2 = 434.7 g/kWh and Soot = 0.52 g/kWh. Unfortunately, a significant drawback of using H2 in a compression ignition engine is the substantial increase in NO emissions.

Enhanced Catalytic Oxidation Reactivity over Atomically Dispersed Pt/CeO2 Catalysts by CO Activation.

The elevation of the low-temperature oxidation activity for Pt/CeO2 catalysts is challenging to meet the increasingly stringent requirements for effectively eliminating carbon monoxide (CO) from automobile exhaust. Although reducing activation is a facile strategy for boosting reactivity, past research has mainly concentrated on applying H2 as the reductant, ignoring the reduction capabilities of CO itself, a prevalent component of automobile exhaust. Herein, atomically dispersed Pt/CeO2 was fabricated and activated by CO, which could lower the 90% conversion temperature (T90) by 256 °C and achieve a 20-fold higher CO consumption rate at 200 °C. The activated Pt/CeO2 catalysts showed exceptional catalytic oxidation activity and robust hydrothermal stability under the simulated working conditions for gasoline or diesel exhausts. Characterization results illustrated that the CO activation triggered the formation of a large portion of Pt0 terrace sites, acting as inherent active sites for CO oxidation. Besides, CO activation weakened the Pt-O-Ce bond strength to generate a surface oxygen vacancy (Vo). It served as the oxygen reservoir to store the dissociated oxygen and convert it into active dioxygen intermediates. Conversely, H2 activation failed to stimulate Vo, but triggered a deactivating transformation of the Pt nanocluster into inactive PtxOy in the presence of oxygen. The present work offers coherent insight into the upsurging effect of CO activation on Pt/CeO2, aiming to set up a valuable avenue in elevating the efficiency of eliminating CO, C3H6, and NH3 from automobile exhaust.

The Influence of Powering a Compression Ignition Engine with HVO Fuel on the Specific Emissions of Selected Toxic Exhaust Components

The aim of the research was to determine the potential of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in reducing nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions from the Perkins 854E-E34TA compression ignition engine. The concentrations of these toxic exhaust gas components were measured using the following analyzers: AVL CEB II (for NOx concentration measurement) and Horiba Mexa 1230 PM (for PM measurement). The measurements were carried out in the ESC test on a compression ignition engine with direct fuel injection and a turbocharger. The engine had a common rail fuel supply system and met the Stage IIIB/Tier 4 exhaust emission standard. Two fuels were used in the tests: diesel fuel (DF) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). As part of the experiment, the basic indicators of engine operation were also determined (torque, effective power, and fuel consumption) and selected parameters of the combustion process, such as the instantaneous pressure of the working medium in the combustion chamber, maximum pressures and temperatures in the combustion chamber, and the heat release rate (HRR), were calculated. The tests were carried out in accordance with the ESC test because the authors wanted to determine how the new generation HVO fuel, powering a modern combustion engine with a common rail fuel system, would perform in a stationary emission test. Based on the obtained research results, the authors concluded that HVO fuel can replace diesel fuel in diesel engines even without major modifications or changes in engine settings.

Investigation the performance of a new fuel produced from the phthalocyanine-gasoline mixture in an internal combustion engine

The study involved the utilization of novel developed six distinct fuel, denoted as, PG5, PG10, PG15, PG20, PG25, and PG30 and G100 (pure gasoline). These fuels were derived from various blends of gasoline and phthalocyanines. Experimental investigations were conducted to assess the internal combustion engine's performance in terms of both energy and exergy. The mixtures underwent testing across a range of engine speeds, spanning from 1400 rpm to 3000 rpm. Notably, optimal performance across all fuels and engine speeds was consistently observed at 2600 rpm. In terms of energy and exergy efficiency assessments for all fuels and engine speeds, PG25 fuel demonstrated the highest efficiency levels, with 35% energy efficiency and 33% exergy efficiency at 2600 rpm. Conversely, G100 fuel exhibited the lowest energy and exergy efficiency at the same engine speed, registering values of 27% and 24%, respectively. Meanwhile, with regard to exhaust exergy, G100 fuel demonstrated the highest exhaust energy at 10.69 kW, occurring at 3000 rpm, whereas PG25 fuel exhibited the lowest exhaust exergy, measured at 3.09 kW. It has been observed that N2 gas, one of the exhaust components that affects the exergy of exhaust gases, affects the exhaust exergy to a large extent and this ratio is approximately 50%. In addition, the sustainability index value for all fuels was found to be at most 2600 rpm. It was calculated as 1.50 for PG25 fuel and 1.32 for G100 fuel.

Investigating the Job Burnout Levels and Related Factors in Medical Interns of Guilan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Job burnout is a state of mental fatigue resulting from a person's professional life and consists of three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased personal accomplishment. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the levels of job burnout and its related factors in medical internship students of Guilan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study involved 71 medical interns of Guilan University of Medical Sciences participating by census in 2022. The Maslach Burnout Inventory and a socio-economic status questionnaire were completed by the students. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tests (percentage, frequency, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics tests (Chi-square and Fisher's exact test) through SPSS (version 25). The P-value < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: Out of 71 medical interns, 47.9% of medical students were female, while 52.1% were male. The findings showed that 44.1% of female (15 individuals) and 51.4% of male (19 individuals) experienced severe burnout, and 55.9% of female (19 people) and 48.6% of male (18 people) had moderate burnout. Participants earned high scores in emotional exhaustion (76.1%), depersonalization (67.6%), and decreased personal accomplishment (26.8%). There was a significant relationship between the internship level (P=0.00), the medical school GPA (P=0.011), the pre-internship test score (P=0.003), and the father's education rate (P=0.023) and the emotional exhaustion score. There was also a significant relationship between the depersonalization score and the internship level (P=0.003). Results indicated a significant statistical relationship between variables of maternal education (P=0.026), economic status (as assessed by the student or family regarding housing prices) (P=0.047), and medical school GPA (P=0.004) and the decreased personal accomplishment dimension score. ConclusionThe results of this study showed a high level of burnout among interns, with students scoring high in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization components. Therefore, according to the results of the present study, further research on preventive interventions and strategies to mitigate exposure to burnout factors would be beneficial.

Prenatal 1-Nitropyrene Exposure Causes Autism-Like Behavior Partially by Altering DNA Hydroxymethylation in Developing Brain.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by social communication disability and stereotypic behavior. This study aims to investigate the impact of prenatal exposure to 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), a key component of motor vehicle exhaust, on autism-like behaviors in a mouse model. Three-chamber test finds that prenatal 1-NP exposure causes autism-like behaviors during the weaning period. Patch clamp shows that inhibitory synaptic transmission is reduced in medial prefrontal cortex of 1-NP-exposed weaning pups. Immunofluorescence finds that prenatal 1-NP exposure reduces the number of prefrontal glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) positive interneurons in fetuses and weaning pups. Moreover, prenatal 1-NP exposure retards tangential migration of GAD67-positive interneurons and downregulates interneuron migration-related genes, such as Nrg1, Erbb4, and Sema3F, in fetal forebrain. Mechanistically, prenatal 1-NP exposure reduces hydroxymethylation of interneuron migration-related genes through inhibiting ten-eleven translocation (TET) activity in fetal forebrain. Supplement with alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG), a cofactor of TET enzyme, reverses 1-NP-induced hypohydroxymethylation at specific sites of interneuron migration-related genes. Moreover, α-KG supplement alleviates 1-NP-induced migration retardation of interneurons in fetal forebrain. Finally, maternal α-KG supplement improves 1-NP-induced autism-like behaviors in weaning offspring. In conclusion, prenatal 1-NP exposure causes autism-like behavior partially by altering DNA hydroxymethylation of interneuron migration-related genes in developing brain.

High Temperature Oxidation Behavior of High Al-Si Alloyed Vermicular Graphite Cast Iron for Internal Combustion Engine’s Hot-End Exhaust Components

High Temperature Oxidation Behavior of High Al-Si Alloyed Vermicular Graphite Cast Iron for Internal Combustion Engine’s Hot-End Exhaust Components

Analysis of dual biodiesel doped with different proportions of TiO2 nanoparticles

India is home of two species Madhuca indica and jatropha. Mahua, also referred to as Illupai maram in Tamil and Hippi in Kannada, is a plant that grows well in arid, barren areas. The seeds from the tree dubbed the “Indian butter tree.” With a compression ratio of 17.5:1, an inlet valve opening timing of 13O bTDC, and an injection pressure of 200 bars, a performance and emission analysis for various proportions of nano additives with biodiesel blend was conducted at various loads ranging from zero load to 100 % of brake power. Using a brake drum dynamometer, load was applied to the engine. It is noted how long it takes to use 10 ml of gasoline for each load. The diesel engine employed is a single-cylinder, direct-injection Kirloskar engine with typical inlet valve timing, compression ratio, and injection pressure, 1500 rpm is the continuous speed. The components of exhaust gases change depending on the load. Standard diesel is used to run the engine at first to gather baseline data, and then JME5MME15 blends with different amounts of nano additives added for the experiment. These amounts are 25 PPM, 50 PPM, and 75 PPM. The reading is taken using the same process. Among the various blends analyzed JME5MME15 has an SFC of 0.321 kg/kW h. The SFC results for JME5MME15T25 are 0.382 kg/kWh. JME5MME15T50 and JME5MME15T75 have similar values of 0.282 kg/kWh and 0.421 kg/kWh. The SFC of the JME5MME15T50 is almost identical to that of diesel.

Navigating the High Seas of Mental Health: Exploring the Prevalence of Depression, Stress, Anxiety, and Burnout Among Indian Seafarers

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the extent to which depression, stress, anxiety, and burnout in Indian seafarers. The study collected data from 109 Indian seafarers through Google Forms from March 2023 to April 2023. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to summarize the data based on selected demographic factors. The results showed that Indian seafarers suffered from mild depression (Mean =13.54) Seafarers also suffer from moderate levels of anxiety (Mean= 10.81). The levels of stress are found to be of normal level (Mean=13.28). The average scores for the components of burnout, namely Disengagement, and Exhaustion, among seafarers are 20.03 (SD= 3.673) and 20.43 (SD= 4.051) respectively. These findings suggest that seafarers exhibit moderate levels of burnout. Also, the correlational analysis shows a positive moderate correlation between total scores of depression, anxiety, stress, and components of Burnout with a value of 0.392 at a 1 % level of significance. The study highlights the need for mental health interventions and support services for seafarers to prevent and manage mental health issues in this population.

Unveiling the roles of distinct active sites over Pd/SSZ-13 for low-temperature NOx adsorption

Pd-based zeolites are attractive candidates for passive NOx adsorbers to reduce NOx emission from vehicle exhausts at low temperature. However, it is not well understood the NO adsorption/desorption mechanism in the presence of H2O and CO, which are constant components in diesel exhaust. In this study, an initial Pd/SSZ-13 sample was treated by reduction in H2 and then oxidation in NO to obtain a hydrophilic Pd/SSZ-13 with mostly Z[Pd2+(OH)] sites, or by thermal aging at 750 °C to prepare a hydrophobic Pd/SSZ-13 dominated by Z2Pd2+ and Z[Pd2+(OH)] sites. The two distinct Pd/SSZ-13 catalysts were characterized by XRD, H2-TPR, 27Al MAS NMR, and in situ DRIFTS spectra of CO adsorption, etc. Furthermore, the NOx adsorption/desorption reaction experiments and in situ DRIFTS studies were carried out on the two Pd/SSZ-13 catalysts under various conditions to explore the role of Z2Pd2+ and Z[Pd2+(OH)] sites in NO adsorption in the presence of H2O or co-existence of H2O and CO. Additionally, the recovery of active Pd sites after NO desorption was studied.

Thermal Runaway Characteristics and Gas Analysis of LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 Batteries

Layered ternary materials with high nickel content are regarded as the most promising cathode materials for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries, owing to their advantages of high capacity, low cost, and relatively good safety. However, as the nickel content increases in ternary layered materials, their thermal stability noticeably decreases. It is of paramount importance to explore the characteristics of thermal runaway for lithium-ion batteries. In this study, two high-nickel LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 batteries were laterally heated to thermal runaway in a sealed chamber filled with nitrogen to investigate the thermal characteristics and gas compositions. The temperature of the battery tabs was measured, revealing that both batteries were in a critical state of thermal runaway near 120 degrees Celsius. A quantitative analysis method was employed during the eruption process, dividing it into three stages: ultra-fast, fast, and slow; the corresponding durations for the two batteries were 3, 2, 27 s and 3, 3, 26 s. By comparing the changes in chamber pressure, it was observed that both batteries exhibited a similar continuous venting duration of 32 s. However, the pressure fluctuation ranges of the two samples were 99.5 and 68.2 kPa·m·s−1. Compared to the other sample, the 211 Ah sample exhibited larger chamber pressure fluctuations and reached higher peak pressures, indicating a higher risk of explosion. In the experimental phenomenon captured by a high-speed camera, it took only 1 s for the sample to transition from the opening of the safety valve to filling the experimental chamber with smoke. The battery with higher energy density exhibited more intense eruption during thermal runaway, resulting in more severe mass loss. The mass loss of the two samples is 73% and 64.87%. The electrolyte also reacted more completely, resulting in a reduced number of measured exhaust components. The main components of gaseous ejections are CO, CO2, H2, C2H4, and CH4. For the 211 Ah battery, the vented gases were mainly composed of CO (41.3%), CO2 (24.8%), H2 (21%), C2H4 (7.4%) and CH4 (3.9%), while those for the other 256 Ah battery were mainly CO (30.6%), CO2 (28.5%), H2 (21.7%), C2H4 (12.4%) and CH4 (5.8%). Comparatively, the higher-capacity battery produced more gases. The gas volumes, converted to standard conditions (0 °C, 101 kPa) and normalized, resulted in 1.985 L/Ah and 2.182 L/Ah, respectively. The results provide valuable guidance for the protection of large-capacity, high-energy-density battery systems. The quantitative analysis of the eruption process has provided assistance to fire alarm systems and firefighting strategies.

Study of the effect of ignition crank angle and mixture composition on the performance of a spark-ignition engine fueled with ethanol

The publication presents the results of the measurements of the operating parameters of a spark-ignition engine fueled with 95-octane unleaded gasoline (ES95) and ethyl alcohol, approx. 92%. The measurements were carried out at a constant load: an engine speed of 1,500 rpm and a constant pressure in the intake system - MAP=0.45 bar. For each type of fuel, the measurements were carried out in two series for two variables. The ignition crank anglewas varied in the range of 0˚÷40˚ and the mixture composition λ in the range of 0.85÷1.25. The recorded engine performance parameters included torque, intake manifold pressure, intake air temperature, exhaust gas temperature and temporal fuel consumption; and exhaust gas composition was examined in terms of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. The study showed that an ethanol-fueled engine has lower average efficiency compared to a gasoline one. The highest efficiency for ethanol was obtained for rich mixtures in the range λ=0.85÷1.0 and at high ignition advance angles. The use of alcohol fuel showed a very favorable effect on the composition of exhaust gas and a significantly lower content of harmful exhaust components was demonstrated. For the same operating points, carbon monoxide content was reduced by an average of 15%, and hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides by an average of 80%.

A water-soluble Pd4 molecular tweezer for selective encapsulation of isomeric quinones and their recyclable extraction.

Quinones (QN) are one of the main components of diesel exhaust particulates that have significant detrimental effects on human health. Their extraction and purification have been challenging tasks because these atmospheric particulates exist as complex matrices consisting of inorganic and organic compounds. In this report, we introduce a new water soluble Pd4L2 molecular architecture (MT) with an unusual tweezer-shaped structure obtained by self-assembly of a newly designed phenothiazine-based tetra-imidazole donor (L) with the acceptor cis-[(tmeda)Pd(NO3)2] (M) [ tmeda = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethane-1,2-diamine]. The molecular tweezer encapsulates some quinones existing in diesel exhaust particulates (DEPs) leading to the formation of host-guest complexes in 1 : 1 molar ratio. Moreover, MT binds phenanthrenequinone (PQ) more strongly than its isomer anthraquinone (AQ), an aspect that enables extraction of PQ with a purity of 91% from an equimolar mixture of the two isomers. Therefore, MT represents an excellent example of supramolecular receptor capable of selective aqueous extraction of PQ from PQ/AQ with many cycles of reusability.

Emotional labor and emotional exhaustion in psychologists: Preliminary evidence for the protective role of self-compassion and psychological flexibility

The emotional exhaustion component of burnout is concerningly prevalent in psychologists providing psychotherapy. Emotional labor is a known contributor to burnout through the pathway of emotional dissonance and is beginning to develop attention in psychologist wellbeing literature. Although the relationship between emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion in psychologists has been observed previously, constructs within an individual's locus of control that affect this relationship are not known. We attempted to explore possible variables that may affect emotional dissonance's relationship with emotional exhaustion in psychologists to identify possible factors amenable to future interventions aimed at improving psychologist wellbeing. Specifically, we examined how self-compassion, psychological flexibility, and career experience may affect the relationship between emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion. We conducted a path analysis on data gathered from 454 psychologists recruited internationally. Results indicated that self-compassion may affect burnout indirectly through the mechanism of emotional dissonance. Additionally, results suggest that psychological flexibility may exert a conditional effect on the relationship between emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion such that higher rates of psychological flexibility may weaken this relationship. We found no evidence to support career experience's hypothesized conditional effects. Our findings provide the first examination of these constructs in this occupational group and support the potential role of self-compassion and psychological flexibility in assisting psychologists to improve their wellbeing.

In Situ Real-Time Simultaneous NMR Analyses of Anode and Cathode Exhausts of Direct Ethanol and Methanol Fuel Cells

Understanding the electrochemical reaction mechanisms of energy conversion and storage systems is essential for improving their performance. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is excellent for probing electrochemical reactions due to its capability to provide quantitative and qualitative information. For the in situ simultaneous acquisition of the anode and cathode exhaust spectra of direct alcohol fuel cells such as a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) or direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC), real-time flow-NMR spectroscopy using a toroid cavity detector was developed in our laboratory. In the cathode exhaust of DMFC, the CD3OH crossed over from the anode as well as HOD was observed. Ex situ NMR spectroscopy cannot detect gas products because they are lost during sample preparation. On the other hand, the amount of CO2 gas detected in the anode exhaust using our in situ detection method was proportional to the HOD amount. It was also proportional to the cell current generated. This explains differences in the fuel cell performance by identifying generated and consumed chemicals and their pathways in the cells at respective conditions. Analyses of DEFC exhausts showed various reaction products such as acetic acid and acetaldehyde but CO2 gas detected was negligible. Our results show that this in situ real-time analysis could identify and quantify the exhaust components, including the gaseous products. Therefore, our results demonstrate that this in situ real-time analysis is appropriate to study the reaction mechanisms of diverse other liquid-flowing electrochemical systems in addition to fuel cells. Furthermore, it may be applicable to designing advanced materials for the systems.

Frail and Pre-Frail Older Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Have Inferior Survival Due to Higher Rates of Disease-Related Deaths

Introduction: The intensity of initial remission-inducing therapy for patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may be high (anthracycline and cytarabine-based), intermediate (venetoclax combinations), or low (single hypomethylating agent or targeted therapy). In older adults, it is important to consider “fitness” when selecting initial therapy. Current methods to determine “fitness” in AML include subjective measures such as physician assessment (“clinician gestalt, CG”) semi-subjective measures such Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) or Karnofsky performance status (KPS), and those based on clinical comorbidity data like the hematopoietic cell transplantation-comorbidity index (HCT-CI). Geriatric assessments in older adults with cancer may improve therapy selection and decision-making, but whether unfit patients have better outcomes with lower intensity compared to higher intensity therapies is unknown. Freid's Frailty Phenotype (FP) combines subjective (self-reported exhaustion, weight loss >5%, activity level) and objective (4-meter walk speed and grip strength) measures to categorize patients into fit, pre-frail, and frail. We hypothesized that being frail by FP is associated with higher overall mortality (OM) and inferior overall survival (OS) and may inform decision-making for older adults. Methods: Eighty-fivepatients 60 years or older admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at the time of AML diagnosis or electively admitted for AML chemotherapy initiation were prospectively enrolled from September, 2018 to May, 2023 on an IRB approved study. FP, HCT-CI, KPS, ECOG, gait speed, and recorded CG (fit or unfit) were performed prior to initiation of disease-directed therapy. Results: Themedian age of the cohort was 71 (range60-91). Patients in our cohort had high-risk disease features: 64% were adverse risk by European LeukemiaNet (ELN) 2017 with 73% of patients harboring mutations associated with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) (Table 1). 39% of patients received IC, 52% received HMA/ven, 6% received HMA alone or targeted therapy, and 2% received best supportive care. By FP, 18% of patients were fit, 38% were pre-frail, and 45% were frail. Higher ECOG, KPS, CG, and HCT-CI were associated with frail phenotypes (Table 1). For the entire population, 60-day and 100-day OM rates were 18% and 33%, respectively. For fit, pre-frail, and frail patients 60-day OM was 7%, 13%, and 24% and 100-day OM was 13%, 22%, and 42%, respectively. Two-year OS was 65% for patients aged 60-69 years old and 15% for patients ≥70 years old (p=0.002). FP was significantly associated with OS (Figure 1; p=0.0474): 2-year OS was 57%, 42%, and 21% in fit, pre-frail, and frail patients, respectively. Of the individual components of FP, self-reported exhaustion and slower gait speed were both associated with inferior OS (p=0.0015 and p=0.0005). Neither activity level, (p=.0864), weight loss (p=0.1988), or grip strength (p= 0.7136) were associated with OS. Of the total population 19% went on to hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) with 8% of frail patients receiving HCT compared to 27% of fit and 28% of pre-frail patients. ECOG, HCT-CI, CG, and gait speed ≤8 meters/sec were all significantly associated with OS, but KPS was not. The 6-month OS for frail patients receiving IC was 75% compared with 49.7% for those receiving HMA/Ven, although not significant due to small sample size. Cause of death was leukemia-related for 40% of fit patients, 76% of pre-frail patients, 77% of frail patients. Conclusions: FP was associated with a doubling of early mortality and inferior 2-year OS. Pre-frail and frail patients had increased disease-related deaths. This work supports that most geriatric assessments, including FP and clinician intuition, can be utilized to risk-stratify newly diagnosed older adults with AML. Future work is needed to evaluate whether we can integrate geriatric assessments, such as individual components of FP or gait speed, with molecular features to improve risk stratification of older adults with AML. Given frailty's association with disease-related deaths, further study is warranted to determine whether this is due to adverse disease biology or whether frail patients are undertreated.