Continuous Conversion Research Articles

Numerical performance investigation of a photovoltaic-thermal hybrid collector-evaporator with different tube configurations for heat pumps

Surface temperature build-up due to the continuous conversion of incident sunlight to heat deteriorates the power output, efficiency, and life of photovoltaic panels. Photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) systems provide a potential solution to avoid excessive heating of PV panels, simultaneously providing useful heat energy. A heat extraction unit is attached to the PV panel in PV-T systems that extract and convert the waste heat into useful heat. Therefore, design and material selection are keys to better performance in the system-level approach. Additionally, it is a cumbersome task dealing with refrigerant-based heat and fluid flow interactions in a system-level approach. With this in perspective, this paper analyzes different materials and flow configurations of PV-T systems. A transient, three-dimensional turbulence solver coupled with heat transfer through solids and liquids physics is modeled using COMSOL Multiphysics software. R-32 refrigerant acts as the heat transfer fluid in the system loop. The conservation equations are discretized using the finite element method. The present study involves two different plate materials (aluminum and copper) and three flow configurations (serpentine, roll-bond, and spiral) with and without absorber plates. A total of eight different configurations are being investigated here. The obtained results suggest that with the absorber plate, the performance increases significantly with a PV panel temperature decrease of 4–5 K, and the outlet fluid temperature increase by 2–8 K. It was observed that the performance difference between copper and aluminum plate is minimal (2%). Roll-bond flow configuration has scope for further research since it is more efficient than others because of the larger contact area for heat transfer.

Ni-Cu bimetallic catalytic membranes for continuous nitrophenol conversion

Bimetallic nanocatalysts are of great interest due to their greater activity, selectivity, and chemical and electrochemical stability, compared to their monometallic counterparts. Bimetallic nanocatalysts formed from abundant and inexpensive elements provide greater opportunities for applications over noble metal catalysts. In this study, inexpensive Ni-Cu bimetallic catalytic membrane microreactors (CMMRs) were synthesized in a simple two-step process to catalytically degrade the environmental pollutant, 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), and produce the valuable feedstock, 4-aminophenol (4-AP). Ni-Cu nanoparticles were either produced by a replacement reduction reaction or a co-reduction reaction, producing either bimodal or integrated nanostructures, respectively, as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while the electronic reconfiguration between bimetallic systems was verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Compared to 4-NP batch conversion, flow-through reactions demonstrated enhanced mass transfer contributing to 2-fold higher conversion (>99%), 30-fold higher processing capacity (0.95 mol∙m−2∙h−1) and co-reduced Ni-Cu CMMRs boasted a reaction rate constant of 725.03 min−1.4-NP conversion on the Ni-Cu catalysts in the presence of NaBH4 followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanism, and the conversion efficiency was highly dependent on flow rate, representing an optimization trade-off critical for CMMR applications. The polydopamine-assisted fabrication and the tortuous membrane pore structure contributed to the CMMRs’ stability with <5% metal loss during operation. The enhanced activity was attributed to the synergistic electronic effects of the Ni-Cu bimetallic structure, the metal-polydopamine interactions, and the catalysts’ unique structure and high surface area.

Furnishing Continuous Efficient Bidirectional Polysulfide Conversion for Long-Life and High-Loading Lithium-Sulfur Batteries via the Built-In Electric Field.

Most catalysts cannot accelerate uninterrupted conversion of polysulfides, resulting in poor long-cycle and high-loading performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, rich p-n junction CoS2 /ZnS heterostructures embedded on N-doped carbon nanosheets are fabricated by ion-etching and vulcanization as a continuous and efficient bidirectional catalyst. The p-n junction built-in electric field in the CoS2 /ZnS heterostructure not only accelerates the transformation of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), but also promotes the diffusion and decomposition for Li2 S the from CoS2 to ZnS avoiding the aggregation of lithium sulfide (Li2 S). Meanwhile, the heterostructure possesses a strong chemisorption ability to anchor LiPSs and superior affinity to induce homogeneous Li deposition. The assembled cell with a CoS2 /ZnS@PP separator delivers a cycling stability with a capacity decay of 0.058% per cycle at 1.0 C after 1000 cycles, and a decent areal capacity of 8.97 mA h cm-2 at an ultrahigh sulfur mass loading of 6 mg cm-2 . This work reveals that the catalyst continuously and efficiently converts polysulfides via abundant built-in electric fields to promote Li-S chemistry.

On-line current control for continuous conversion of CO2 to CH4 in a microbial electrosynthesis cell

This study demonstrates the continuous conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to methane (CH4) in a microbial electrosynthesis (MES) cell with on-line CO2 concentration measurements in the cathode off-gas and feedback control of the current. First, a dynamic non-linear model describing CO2 conversion to acetate and CH4 was used to evaluate the impact of MES cell current on electricity consumption and cathode off-gas composition, and to select proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller parameters. Next, on-line current control based on CO2 measurements was demonstrated in laboratory-scale 0.5 L and 1 L (cathode volume) MES cells fed with pure CO2 or synthetic biogas (40% CO2 and 60% CH4). In all tests, feedback control resulted in stable long-term CH4 production at a volumetric rate of 0.8–1.4 L (LR d)−1, near-constant CO2 content in the cathode off-gas, and Coulombic efficiency of 65–80%. Acetate (500 – 1000 mg L−1) was observed in cathodic liquid in all tests, suggesting relatively low activity of acetoclastic methanogens in the cathodic biofilm. The model and the proposed approach for current control can be also applied for MES of products other than CH4, such as carboxylic acids.

On the influence of the probabilistic microstructural characteristics of glass fiber‐reinforced composites on the wave propagation in GLARE

AbstractIn an attempt to reduce the crack propagation speed in structures made of fiber‐reinforced composites metal layers are added to the laminate forming a new group of materials, so‐called fiber metal laminates. GLARE, a combination of glass fiber‐reinforced polymer and aluminum, is well‐known and frequently used in the aeronautical industry. One major drawback of such materials is their susceptibility to impact damage, which is not detectable by visual inspections. Hence, an adequate structural health monitoring technique to detect interlaminar damage like delaminations is essential for components made from fiber metal laminates. One approach here is the use of guided ultrasonic waves because they travel long distances without substantial damping and cover the whole thickness of thin‐walled structures. However, the probabilistic microstructure causes a continuous mode conversion in wave guides made from fiber‐reinforced composites. This significantly influences the signal processing and as a consequence, the interpretation of captured time signals. This phenomenon is induced by the random spatial distribution of the fibers in the matrix material, leading to an ongoing excitation of new wave modes within the propagating S0 wave mode. In this research, the effect is studied for the wave propagation in GLARE 3/2‐0.4. Therefore, the spatial distribution of the transverse YOUNG's modulus for the glass fiber‐reinforced layers is represented by homogeneous second‐order GAUSSian random fields. Afterwards, the propagation of the guided ultrasonic wave is simulated numerically. The results reveal that the continuous mode conversion is not only observable within the glass fiber‐reinforced polymer layers but also at the top and bottom surface and hence, within the isotropic layers. This holds for the wave propagation both in and perpendicular to the fiber orientation of the glass fiber‐reinforced polymer layers.

Compact Back-End Electronics with Temperature Compensation and Efficient Data Management for In Situ SiPM-Based Radiation Detection.

A compact back-end interface for silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) implementing Zener diode-based temperature compensation has been developed for the remote detection of beta and gamma radiation. Remote detection is facilitated by the development of an efficient data management system utilising MySQL database storage for recording periodic spectra data for wireless access over a private Wi-Fi network. A trapezoidal peak shaping algorithm has been implemented on an FPGA for the continuous conversation of pulses from the SiPM, signifying the detection of a radiological particle, into spectra. This system has been designed to fit within a 46 mm cylindrical diameter for in situ characterization, and can be attached to one or more SiPMs used in conjunction with a range of scintillators. LED blink tests have been used to optimise the trapezoidal shaper coefficients to maximise the resolution of the recorded spectra. Experiments with an array of SiPMs integrated with a NaI(Tl) scintillator exposed to sealed sources of Co-60, Cs-137, Na-22 and Am-241 have shown that the detector achieves a peak efficiency of 27.09 ± 0.13% for a gamma peak at 59.54 keV produced by Am-241, and a minimum energy resolution (Delta E/E) of 4.27 ± 1.16% for the 1332.5 keV gamma peak from Co-60.

Exploration and Insight of Dynamic Structure Evolution for Electrocatalysts

ConspectusElectrochemical energy technology is crucial for transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources due to its clean, efficient, and sustainable nature. Electrocatalysts are capable of maximizing energy conversion efficiency in a practical electrochemical energy technology by accelerating the charge transfer at the electrode–electrolyte interface, in which the structure and composition of the electrocatalyst directly determine the catalyst performance. Therefore, advanced electrocatalysts possess not only an optimal structure and composition but also sufficient self-stability in electrochemical processes to achieve continuous and efficient energy conversion. However, the structural evolution of electrocatalysts in various electrocatalytic processes has been gradually revealed and intensified, which hinders the practical application of electrocatalysts in electrochemical energy technology.The electrocatalytic process involves the adsorption and bonding of reactants on active sites, and this results in an instantaneous change in the structure of electrocatalysts. Structural evolution of electrocatalysts proposed here emphasizes the change in the surface or internal structure/composition of electrocatalysts in electrocatalytic reaction systems due to factors such as reaction medium, reactants, potential, and so on. Generally, structural evolution of electrocatalysts involves the transformation of active sites/phases of electrocatalysts under reaction potentials. This process, known as reconstruction, can lead to changes in activity and/or selectivity. Related research focuses on how to control and utilize reconstruction to prepare robust electrocatalysts. However, reconstructed catalysts may not always maintain structural stability and may undergo further structural evolution, such as the loss or passivation of active components, eventually leading to deactivation. This further reconstruction is commonly referred to as electrocatalyst corrosion, which emphasizes the final degradation of catalytic activity due to the structural evolution of electrocatalysts. The related research focuses on the inducement of triggering corrosion and the more critical corrosion prevention strategies. Therefore, it is urgent to clarify the inducement of corrosion and formulate corrosion prevention strategies, such as designing corrosion-resistant electrocatalysts. However, due to the harsh and complex electrochemical environment/conditions and the dynamic and changeable structure evolution behavior of electrocatalysts, it is challenging to clarify the structure evolution mechanism/law and catalytic mechanism. It is also impossible to establish an accurate structure–activity relationship and further guide the design and preparation of high-efficiency corrosion-resistant catalysts.In this Account, we present recent research progress on the structural evolution of electrocatalysts. We first discuss electrocatalyst reconstruction in electrolysis systems, including the behavior and mechanism of reconstruction and several high-efficiency reconstructed catalysts prepared by manipulating reconstruction. We also introduce unique microbially induced synthesis technology that can upgrade reconstruction synthesis. Next, we examine the corrosion of Pt-based catalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction and propose a Pt dissolution mechanism caused by adsorbed oxygenated species. We suggest corrosion-resistant Pt–Ni catalysts, and extendable carbon-coated corrosion resistance strategies are further suggested. Finally, we propose challenges and opportunities for the structural evolution of electrocatalysts in electrochemical energy technologies.

Coaching as an educator: Critical elements in a faculty development program

Introduction: Coaching has gained acceptance in the education field as a way to enable learners to achieve their fullest potential. In the endeavor to set up a coaching ecosystem in our university, we started by equipping our educators with fundamental coaching skills and techniques. Our training workshop, Coaching As An SIT Educator, covers the key coaching competencies and is highly practice focused. Participants get hands-on skills practice using contextualised scenarios that are based on realistic academic, workplace and clinical placement settings. Methods: To address concerns on time-effectiveness, we adopt a solution-focused approach to coaching. We want to create a mindset shift for educators, from subject experts providing advice and solutions, to coaches asking powerful coaching questions that help students make discoveries and work towards their goals. We encourage our educators to engage students holistically by finding coachable moments in their daily student interactions. Results: Competency-based assessments are conducted to determine achievement of the learning outcomes, articulated by the knowledge, attitude, and demonstration of coaching skills with students. Assessments consist of a reflection, multiple-choice question (MCQ) quiz, and scenario-based coaching role plays. Participants achieved the learning outcomes as demonstrated from the assessments. Conclusion: The coach training workshop is the major pillar of our coaching initiative. Beyond the workshop, ongoing coaching development is supported through other activities and resources, including community of practice, coaching circle and knowledge repository. Opportunities for continuous learning and conversation platforms for sharing coaching experiences are part of the growing coaching ecosystem at SIT.

Multichannel Sparse Deconvolution of Teleseismic Receiver Functions With f − x Preconditioning

AbstractTeleseismic receiver functions (RFs) are an effective tool for structural imaging due to their simplicity and sensitivity to changes in rock elastic properties. Generally, RFs are estimated through trace‐by‐trace deconvolution. This individualized approach ignores the lateral coherency among RFs from neighboring raypaths, which could lead to rougher or incorrect seismic sections due to the presence of noise. This study presents a multichannel sparse deconvolution method that takes advantage of the cross‐trace coherency of RFs at individual stations for stable and accurate imaging outcomes. The proposed algorithm incorporates sparse inversion and frequency‐space prediction filters, which facilitate the retrieval of high‐resolution and spatially continuous conversion energy. Rigorous testing using synthetic and actual data typically suggests the higher robustness of multichannel deconvolution over single‐channel deconvolution, especially under low signal‐to‐noise ratios. The noise‐resistance property of the multichannel approach offers new opportunities to increase the volume of usable, high‐quality data for receiver function analysis.

Measurements of the dispersion, the dispersion slope and nonlinear coefficients of photonic crystal fibers based on degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM)

Abstract A simple and accurate method based on degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) to evaluate optical fiber dispersion and nonlinearity is presented. We investigated the continuous wave degenerate FWM characteristics of two photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) and a SMF28 fiber. Simply by measuring and analyzing the continuous wave degenerate FWM conversion efficiency as a function of the wavelength difference between pump and signal waves, fitting between experimental data and analytical FWM conversion efficiency expression is carried out to determine the dispersion, dispersion slope and nonlinear coefficient of the fiber. The fiber parameters simultaneously obtained from a single set of FWM measurement for Single Mode Fiber 28 (SMF28) are found to be agreement with the manufacturer specifications for this fiber, thus validating the PCF results and, more generally, the acceptable accuracy of the simple method proposed here.

β-Xylosidase mutant immobilization on UiO-66-NH2 for continuous production of ginsenoside Rg1 and selective production of furfural from notoginsenoside R1

In order to improve the activity and reusability of β-xylosidase, the β-xylosidase mutant S160N-R333H (R333H) which could convert notoginsenoside R1 to ginsenoside Rg1 and xylose was immobilized on the metal-organic framework (MOF) UiO-66-NH2. The physical and biochemical properties of immobilized β-xylosidase (R333H@UiO-66-NH2) were studied in detail. The results showed improved performances, i.e. the high immobilization yield of 93% and recovery activity of 192.8%, better stability under acidic or trypsin-containing conditions, the higher activity in the reaction containing ions, and the improved catalytic efficiency (was 1.37-fold than that of free R333H). Importantly, the ginsenoside Rg1 yields remained more than 80% after six recycles in McIlvaine buffer and pure water. The UiO-66-NH2 could catalyze xylose dehydration to produce furfural and the yield reached 69%. Thus this study provides a promising method for production of bioactive or platform chemicals via continuous conversion of xyloylated substrates using nanocatalyst synthesized by β-xylosidase and MOF.

Design three-dimensional CoFe2O4 nanocage via ion exchange route for ultra-sensitive electrochemical sensing of nitrobenzene

Bimetallic transition metal oxide materials have rich valence states, good biocompatibility, conductivity, high stability, and satisfactory catalytic performance, and stand out among many materials. Therefore, we develop a simple synthesis method of CoFe2O4 nanocage by ion exchange for the detection of nitrobenzene (NB) in this work, which uses the zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) as cobalt source and three-dimensional hollow organic framework Co-Fe PBA as precursor. The continuous conversion between ionic valence states in CoFe2O4 enhances the conductivity of the material, showing a good synergistic coupling effect. The low-density hollow structure of nanocage offers various types of sites for adsorbing reactants, and the thin shell structures provide more channels for ion migration and electron transport, facilitate charge transfer, and further improve their electrical sensing ability. Electrochemical tests proved that the material demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic activity for NB, with the limit of detection as low as 0.038 μM, a wide linear response (0.05–1664.55 μM), higher sensitivity, good repeatability, long-term stability and selectivity. More importantly, the sensor has been successfully applied to the determination of trace NB in water samples with satisfactory recovery (98.7%–104.7%). This work provides a novel idea for the detection of low content of NB and expands the application of bimetallic oxide materials in the sensing field.

Future Direction of Fuels Management in Sagebrush Rangelands

Sagebrush ecosystems in the United States have been declining since EuroAmerican settlement, largely due to agricultural and urban development, invasive species, and altered fire regimes, resulting in loss of biodiversity and wildlife habitat. To combat continued conversion to undesirable ecological states and loss of habitat to invasive species fueled by frequent fire, a variety of fuel treatments, including networks of fuel breaks, are being implemented or proposed in sagebrush ecosystems, particularly in and around the Great Basin. In this forum paper we briefly review current knowledge of common fuel treatment approaches, their intended benefits, potential risks, and limitations. We additionally discuss challenges for fuel treatment strategies in the context of changes in climate, invasive species, wildlife habitat, and human population, and we explore how advances in geospatial technologies, monitoring, and fire behavior modeling, as well as accounting for social context, can improve the efficacy of fuels management in sagebrush ecosystems. Finally, given continued potential for ecosystem transformation, we describe approaches to future fuels management, by considering the applicability of the Resist-Accept-Direct framework. The intent of this paper is to provide scientists and land managers with key information and a forward-thinking framework for fuels science and adaptive management that can respond to both expected and unexpected changes in sagebrush rangelands.

Comparative study on thermodynamic performance of hydrogen liquefaction processes with various ortho-para hydrogen conversion methods

Catalytic conversion of ortho-para hydrogen is essential for hydrogen liquefaction. Among the three ortho-para hydrogen conversion methods, i.e., isothermal, adiabatic and continuous conversion, it has already been accepted that the continuous conversion is the most energy-efficient. However, studies on quantitative analyses and the underling mechanisms are still lacking. In this paper, the three conversion methods are evaluated based on a reference 5 t/d-scale hydrogen liquefaction process with a self-developed numerical model. Optimizations are conducted to identify the lowest specific energy consumption (SEC) of the hydrogen liquefaction process with different conversion methods. The three conversion methods are compared in terms of the temperature distribution along the process, the conversion-heat-associated exergy and SEC. The optimization results show that the continuous-conversion based process reaches the lowest SEC, i.e., 11.38 kWh/kgLH2, which is 21.8% and 28.7% lower than the adiabatic and isothermal ones. Exergy analyses indicate that the exergy consumption associated with dissipating the conversion heat is the lowest for the continuous conversion (139.54 kW), followed by the adiabatic conversion and then the isothermal conversion, i.e., 174.94 kW and 273.90 kW, respectively. This work demonstrates the differences quantitively and reveals its mechanism thermodynamically, which would be helpful for understanding, and designing hydrogen liquefaction processes.

Mut‘a as Practised by Danish Shi‘i Women

Abstract The article is a study based on ten semi-structured interviews to show how mut‘a, known as temporary, pleasure marriage, is practised in seven different ways in present-day Denmark. Continuous conversations with Danish Shi‘i women provide a rare insight into the discourses and emotions behind making sense of a world of love, relationships and social norms formulated as divine intentions. The practices vary from relationships, dating and online relations, to tools in therapeutic settings. Mut‘a is articulated as a formalised tool to navigate a highly gender segregated world and is only practised by individuals who hold rigid views regarding gender regulations. The study demonstrates noticeable differences between cultural interpretations of related concepts such as mahr and ‘idda, thus leading to a conversation about what constitutes Muslim law and practices. The findings contribute to a wider study of how contextual settings, such as individual experience, world-making and cognitions, aid inductive productions of social norms within Muslim law.

Radio espacio estacion broadcast Fordlândia

On September 16th and 17th, 2017, the nomadic online radio station radioee broadcast from Fordlândia, today a district of the city of Aveiro, state of Pará, in the Brazilian Amazonia. Produced by artist Augustina Woodgate along with cultural producers Stephanie Sherman and Hernan Woodgate and several other partners in every new location, Radio Espacio Estacion/radioee was conceived as a multilingual, mobile, online radio station set up around 24-hour/36-hour long events broadcast from different parts of the world to discuss issues of migration, mobility, transportation, environment, and climate change. In Transmissão Fordlândia, radioee revisited the legendary history of the site’s foundation by the Ford Motor Company in 1927. The broadcast questions the official narrative of desertion after Ford’s enterprise failed, which implies ideas of underdevelopment associated with a colonial modern economy of representation of Latin America. Adopting live and online radio communication, based on immediacy, synchronicity, and accessibility, Transmissão Fordlândia combined research, interviews, and first-hand descriptions of the site in a continual multilingual conversation, producing a non-linear narrative enriched with a bustling soundscape of people, birds, water, motorcycles, boats, and everyday activities, transmitted to a global audience. This paper investigates how Transmissão Fordlândia articulates an ecocritical approach to space through site-oriented practices and sonic-spatial imagination, challenging colonial modern representations of tropical landscapes based on spatial rationalization and the duality of culture–nature. This paper also explores the sonic-spatial effects of live radio transmission as an aesthetic device for imagining place.

MRNA ageing shapes the Cap2 methylome in mammalian mRNA.

The mRNA cap structure is a major site of dynamic mRNA methylation. mRNA caps exist in either the Cap1 or Cap2 form, depending on the presence of 2'-O-methylation on the firsttranscribed nucleotide or both the first and second transcribed nucleotides, respectively1,2. However, the identity of Cap2-containing mRNAs and the function of Cap2 are unclear. Here we describe CLAM-Cap-seq, a method for transcriptome-wide mapping and quantification of Cap2. We find that unlike other epitranscriptomic modifications, Cap2 can occur on all mRNAs. Cap2 is formed through a slow continuous conversion of mRNAs from Cap1 to Cap2 as mRNAs age in the cytosol. As a result, Cap2 is enriched on long-lived mRNAs. Large increases in the abundance of Cap1 leads to activation of RIG-I, especially in conditions in which expression of RIG-I is increased. The methylation of Cap1 to Cap2 markedly reduces the ability of RNAs to bind to and activate RIG-I. The slow methylation rate of Cap2 allows Cap2 to accumulate on host mRNAs, yet ensures that low levels of Cap2 occur on newly expressed viral RNAs. Overall, these results reveal an immunostimulatory role for Cap1, and that Cap2 functions to reduce activation of the innate immune response.

Effects of Al distribution in the Cu-exchanged AEI zeolites on the reaction performance of continuous direct conversion of methane to methanol

The effects of the organic structure-directing agent (OSDA) with or without Na cations for the synthesis of AEI zeolite on the location and content of the Al atoms in the framework as well as the Cu speciation and acidic features of the exchanged Cu/AEI zeolite catalysts and their catalytic properties in the continuous direct conversion of methane to methanol (cDMTM) were investigated. The AEI zeolite synthesized with Na cations led to more Al and a higher percentage of Al pairs than the one prepared without Na cations. Consequently, the Cu/AEI zeolite catalysts synthesized with Na cations exhibited lower apparent activation energy of methane conversion, higher methanol formation rate, and less stable ability in the cDMTM reaction due to the more active dicopper species and higher acid amount than those prepared without Na cations. Adjustment of the close Al content in the framework of the two AEI zeolites by calcination, the Cu/AEI zeolite synthesized with Na cations evidenced a higher methanol selectivity and more stable reaction performance because of the different relationship between Cu species and acid sites, such as the distance, caused by the Al distribution. The methanol formation rate of 27.3 µmol·g−1·min−1 with about 50% selectivity and stable performance in the cDMTM reaction at 350 °C were obtained. Moreover, the stability of both 5Cu/AEI zeolite catalysts could be upgraded by further calcination to diminish the acid amount, the high methanol formation rate of the 5Cu/AEI zeolite synthesized with Na cations was maintained and the reaction stability was newly attained. The 5Cu/AEI zeolite synthesized without Na cations, merely the stable performance was reached, while the methanol formation rate and selectivity seriously declined. This work contributed to the development of AEI zeolite with different Al distributions and its significant impacts on the Cu speciation and acidic properties, thus providing a valuable strategy to obtain a robust Cu/AEI zeolite catalytic system for efficient and stable methanol production from methane.

Improved Medication Adherence with the Use of Extended-Release Tacrolimus in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Nonadherence to immunosuppression in liver transplant recipients (LTRs) leads to deterioration in health outcomes. Once-dailyextended-release tacrolimus (TAC-ER) may improve adherence when compared to twice-dailyimmediate-release tacrolimus (TAC-IR). We conducted a randomized controlled study to evaluate medication adherence, clinical efficacy, and safety of TAC-ER in stable LTR. All patients >18 years who underwent liver transplantation before 6 months were eligible. Patients were randomized 1 : 1 to continued TAC-IR or conversion to TAC-ER. The primary outcome was change in medication adherence from baseline to 9 months, assessed using BAASIS. Secondary outcomes were tacrolimus trough levels, safety, and quality of life. Thirty-one patients were consented and randomized to either of the two groups: conversion to TAC-ER (n = 15) or continued TAC-IR (n = 16). Six patients in the TAC-ER group withdrew after randomization due to apprehension about switching medication (n = 2), unwillingness to travel (n = 2), and increased liver tests after conversion (n = 2, both were acute rejections despite therapeutic tacrolimus levels and were considered unrelated to TAC-ER). We compared the results of nine patients in the TAC-ER group that completed the study with those of sixteen in the TAC-IR group. At baseline, there was no difference in tacrolimus trough levels between groups. Improved adherence was observed in the TAC-ER group as 100% of patients reported at least one period of full adherence during the study period (100% vs. 62.6%, p = 0.035). Tacrolimus trough levels and liver tests were comparable between groups throughout the study. There were no differences in eGFR, HbA1c, or QoL between the groups. TAC-ER improved medication adherence while maintaining comparable trough levels, liver function, and QoL as TAC-IR in LTR.

Conceptualizing the Central-Eastern European Memory Wars Through Mechanisms of Reciprocal Incitement

This article provides a framework through which to understand the emergence of the Central-Eastern European memory wars as a reciprocal process of illiberal inter-state signaling. It draws on a discursive and policy analysis of state and state-affiliated actors to capture the chain of mnemonic interactions that has facilitated a self-perpetuating cycle of reciprocal incitement in Central-Eastern Europe. I argue that Russia’s victory cult—the set of Russian discourses, rituals, practices, and policies associated with the mass remembrance of Soviet victory in World War II—emerged and developed not just parallel to but in direct, continual conversation with the mnemonic rhetoric and policies of Central-Eastern European states, with fateful consequences for the civil societies of Russia and its neighbors. I conclude by charting the expansion of the memory wars from Central-Eastern Europe to Western audiences and by outlining the mnemonic and policy implications of this broader conflict.