High Cs Research Articles

Cesarean sections and early-term births according to Robson classification: a population-based study with more than 17 million births in Brazil

BackgroundCesarean section (CS) rates are increasing worldwide and are associated with negative maternal and child health outcomes when performed without medical indication. However, there is still limited knowledge about the association between high CS rates and early-term births. This study explored the association between CSs and early-term births according to the Robson classification.MethodsA population-based, cross-sectional study was performed with routine registration data of live births in Brazil between 2012 and 2019. We used the Robson classification system to compare groups with expected high and low CS rates. We used propensity scores to compare CSs to vaginal deliveries (1:1) and estimated associations with early-term births using logistic regression.ResultsA total of 17,081,685 live births were included. Births via CS had higher odds of early-term birth (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.32–1.32) compared to vaginal deliveries. Births by CS to women in Group 2 (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.49–1.51) and 4 (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.56–1.58) showed the highest odds of early-term birth, compared to vaginal deliveries. Increased odds of an early-term birth were also observed among births by CS to women in Group 3 (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.29–1.31), compared to vaginal deliveries. In addition, live births by CS to women with a previous CS (Group 5 - OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.35–1.37), a single breech pregnancy (Group 6 - OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.11–1.21, and Group 7 - OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.16–1.23), and multiple pregnancies (Group 8 - OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.40–1.52) had high odds of an early-term birth, compared to live births by vaginal delivery.ConclusionsCSs were associated with increased odds of early-term births. The highest odds of early-term birth were observed among those births by CS in Robson Groups 2 and 4.

In situ growth of metal hexacyanoferrate crystals on alginate beads for effective removal of radioactive cesium (137Cs) from seawater

Metal hexacyanoferrates (Me-HCFs) are highly effective materials for removing radioactive Cs (137Cs) in seawater. For their practical application, granulation of Me-HCFs is necessary. However, conventional granulation techniques using a polymer as a binding material adversely affect the adsorption performance of Me-HCFs by blocking their adsorption sites. In the present work, to minimize the interference of the binding material, Me-HCF crystals were synthesized on an alginate bead surface in situ for the treatment of 137Cs+-contaminated seawater. Three different Me-HCFs immobilized on alginate beads (Fe-HCF, Cu-HCF, and Co-HCF) were prepared via a simple and rapid method involving a reaction between ionophorically crosslinked alginate beads (Fe3+, Cu2+, and Co2+ ions) and HCF solution. Among them, Fe-HCF crystals were successfully grown on the alginate bead surface; the other crystals were hardly synthesized despite a longer reaction time. The Fe-HCF crystals composed 15.0 % (w/w) of the beads and were located on the surface of the beads rather than being embedded in the alginate matrix. Because the Fe-HCF crystals were located at the surface of the alginate beads, Cs+ adsorption onto the Fe-HCF crystals showed fast reaction kinetics (achieving equilibrium in ∼ 3 h) and a high Cs+ adsorption capacity (∼33.5 mg/g). Also, a feasibility test was carried out for the removal of radioactive 137Cs+ in real seawater medium. Finally, a continuous Cs+ removal test was conducted in a packed column of the Fe-HCF beads. It was able to treat 65 bed volume of 50 mg/L of Cs+ solution with a flow rate of 1 mL/min.

Construction of Co9S8@NiCo2S4 core–shell hetero-nanostructure with synergistic effect of abundant mesopores and multi-metallic elements for novel high-performance flexible hybrid supercapacitors

Flexible portable supercapacitor devices have gained increasing attention in the field of energy storage in recent years. However, challenges remain in the selection of applicable flexible materials and/or the preparation of materials. Through our research, we have effectively constructed a flexible CS@NCS/CC core–shell hetero-nanostructured cathode material by anchoring Co9S8 (CS) nanopins on a flexible carbon cloth (CC) substrate firstly, and then wrapping NiCo2S4 (NCS) nanosheets on the outer surface of CS nanopins. In this process, we have improved the traditional two-step method of preparing NCS nanosheets into a one-step method, which has greatly improved the efficiency of the material preparation. The prepared CS@NCS/CC material has abundant mesopores, stable core–shell heterostructures and multiple valence states of metal ions, which enable the CS@NCS/CC electrode material to have strong electrochemical reaction kinetics and excellent cycling stability. Additionally, the CC as the flexible substrate improves the charge transfer capability of the transition metal composite. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of these favorable factors, the electrode material exhibits a high Cs value of 2020.6F g−1, which maintains 89.8% after 10,000 constant current charges and discharges. It is worth noting that the CS@NCS/CC can be folded and twisted at multiple angles, which proves that it can be used in wearable applications. The flexible hybrid supercapacitor CS@NCS/CC//AC/CC displays terrific energy density (58 Wh kg−1, at 800 W kg−1) with the synergistic effect of pseudocapacitance and electrical double-layer capacitance, and a capacitance retention rate of 92.9% after 10,000 cycles of constant current charging and discharging. Therefore, using CC as the flexible substrate and transition metal sulphides as the active material is an effective strategy for constructing high-performance flexible supercapacitors.

Leaching of structural Ca2+ ions from a chalcogenide adsorbent by H+ lifts Cs(I) uptake

Acidic wastewater containing radioactive 137Cs is difficult to treat by selective adsorption. Abundant H+ under acidic conditions damages the structure of adsorbents and competes with Cs+ for adsorption sites. Herein, we designed a novel layered calcium thiostannate (KCaSnS) that contains Ca2+ as a dopant. The dopant Ca2+ ion is metastable and larger than the ions attempted before. The pristine KCaSnS demonstrated a high Cs+ adsorption capacity of 620 mg/g at 8250 mg/L Cs+ solution and pH 2, which is 68% higher than that at pH 5.5 (370 mg/g), a trend opposite to all previous studies. The neutral condition allowed the release of Ca2+ present only in the interlayer (∼20%); whereas the high acidity facilitated the leaching of Ca2+ from the backbone structure (∼80%). The complete structural Ca2+ leaching was made possible only by a synergistic interaction of highly concentrated H+ and Cs+. Doping a large enough ion, such as Ca2+, to accommodate Cs+ into the Sn-S matrix upon its liberation opens a new way of designing high-performance adsorbents.

Innovative ICP-MS/MS Method To Determine the 135Cs/137Cs Ratio in Low Activity Environmental Samples.

The 135Cs/137Cs isotopic ratio is a powerful tool for tracing the origin of radioactive contamination. Since the Fukushima accident, this ratio has been measured by mass spectrometry in several highly contaminated environmental matrices mainly collected near nuclear accident exclusion zones and former nuclear test areas. However, few data were reported at 137Cs environmental levels (<1 kBq kg-1). This is explained by the occurrence of analytical challenges related to the very low radiocesium content at the environmental level with the large presence of mass interferences, making 135Cs and 137Cs measurements difficult. To overcome these difficulties, a highly selective procedure for Cs extraction/separation combined with an efficient mass spectrometry measurement must be applied on a quantity of ca. 100 g of soil. In the current research, an innovative inductively coupled plasma-tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) method has been developed for the 135Cs/137Cs ratio measurement in low activity environmental samples. The use of ICP-MS/MS led to a powerful suppression of 135Cs and 137Cs interferences by introducing N2O, He, and, for the first time, NH3, into the collision-reaction cell. By adjusting the flow rates of these gases, the best compromise between a maximum signal in Cs and an effective interference elimination was achieved allowing a high Cs sensitivity of more than 1.105 cps/(ng g-1) and low background levels at m/z 135 and 137 lower than 0.6 cps. The accuracy of the developed method was successfully verified by analyzing two certified reference materials (IAEA-330 and IAEA-375) commonly used in the literature as validation samples and three sediment samples collected in the Niida River catchment (Japan) impacted by the Fukushima fallout.

Occurrence of radioactive cesium-rich micro-particles (CsMPs) in a school building located 2.8 km south-west of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Radioactive Cs-rich microparticles (CsMPs) released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) are a potential health risk through inhalation. Little has been documented on the occurrence of CsMPs, particularly their occurrence inside buildings. In this study, we quantitatively analyze the distribution and number of CsMPs in indoor dust samples collected from an elementary school located 2.8 km to the southwest of FDNPP. The school had remained deserted until 2016. Then, using a modified version of the autoradiography-based “quantifying CsMPs (mQCP) method,” we collected samples and determined the number of CsMPs and Cs radioactive fraction (RF) values of the microparticles (defined as total Cs activity from CsMPs/bulk Cs activity of the entire sample). The numbers of CsMPs ranged from 653 to 2570 particles/(g dust) and 296–1273 particles/(g dust) on the first and second floors of the school, respectively. The corresponding RFs ranged between 6.85 – 38.9% and 4.48–6.61%, respectively. The number of CsMPs and RF values in additional outdoor samples collected near the school building were 23–63 particles/(g dust or soil) and 1.14–1.61%, respectively. The CsMPs were most abundant on the school's first floor near to the entrance, and the relative abundance was higher near the stairs on the second floor, indicating a likely CsMP dispersion path through the building. Additional wetting of the indoor samples combined with autoradiography revealed that indoor dusts had a distinct absence of intrinsic, soluble Cs species, such as CsOH. These combined observations indicate that a significant amount of poorly soluble CsMPs were likely contained in initial radioactive airmass plumes from the FDNPP and that the microparticles penetrated buildings. CsMPs could still be abundant at the location, with locally high Cs activity in indoor environments near to openings.

Suicidal behaviors in patients with chronic physical illness: A test on the interpersonal theory of suicide.

The unalleviated burden of chronic physical illness (CPI) increases the risk of suicidal behaviors (SB) in affected individuals. This study tested the interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) in patients with CPI. Patients diagnosed with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal diseases were recruited from two hospitals in South Korea. Data from 257 participants who completed Time (T) 1 and T2 surveys were analyzed. Hierarchical regression analyses for passive and active suicide ideation (PSI and ASI), and suicide plans and attempts (SP and SA) at both time points were conducted. Interpersonal theory of suicide hypotheses were partially supported. Even accounting for factors such as depression, anxiety, and lifetime SA, some main and interaction effects of the ITS constructs explained SB in a cross-sectional examination, but to a lesser degree in a longitudinal examination that controlled for T1 SB. PB was a consistent correlate of SB. TB was also relevant, as PB-SA association was significant among participants with high TB both times. ASI was associated with SP and SA at T1, and the ASI-SP association at T1 was stronger at a high CS level. Overall, the results suggest the relevance of ITS constructs that warrant attention to prevent SB in patients with CPI.

Pure‐Iodide Wide‐Bandgap Perovskites for High‐Efficiency Solar Cells by Crystallization Control

AbstractWide‐bandgap perovskite is a vital part of perovskite‐based tandem solar cells. Currently, wide‐bandgap perovskites are typically based on mixed‐halide (I/Br) materials, but suffer from photoinduced phase separation. The pure‐iodide formamidine/cesium (FA/Cs) based FAxCs1−xPbI3 perovskites with high Cs content are good candidates, whereas the control of crystallization is challenging due to the complex crystallization kinetics. Here, pure‐iodide FA0.5Cs0.5PbI3 wide‐bandgap perovskite solar cells is reported. As an acidic diammonium salt, methylenediaminium dichloride (MDACl2) is applied as an additive to control the whole crystallization process of perovskite films, including both nucleation and crystal growth. Starting from the solution chemistry, the MDACl2 additive with acidity and strong solvation properties can effectively regulate the chemical composition of perovskite precursor, thus inhibiting the growth of undesired 1D intermediates during the nucleation process. Besides, the incorporation of larger‐sized MDA2+ into the lattice compensates for the tolerance factor and accelerates the ion exchange reaction between FA+ and Cs+ in the crystal growth process. As a result, the crystallinity of the perovskite films is significantly improved, benefitting from the dual function of MDACl2. Finally, the efficiency of hole transport layer‐free carbon electrode‐based wide‐bandgap perovskite solar cells reaches 18.52%, which is the highest reported so far.

Photoinduced enhancement of 137Cs removal by NiFe Prussian blue analogue-alginate hydrogel

Prussian blue analogues are promising materials for 137Cs removal; however, their use is limited by the challenge of separating them from an aqueous solution after 137Cs adsorption. This study synthesized a NiFe embedded alginate hydrogel (NiFe-AH) via cross-linking with Ni2+. The prepared NiFe-AH exhibited an excellent performance for Cs+ adsorption. The adsorption capacity of NiFe-AH under UV (0.891 mmol/g) or visible light irradiation (0.885 mmol/g) increased approximately 1.5 times more than before light irradiation (0.591 mmol/g). Moreover, the volume and weight of NiFe-AH after Cs+ adsorption decreased substantially, showing advantage in radioactive nuclide disposal. NiFe-AH exhibited high Cs+ adsorption capacity in all pH ranges, even in the presence of competing ions such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. Compared to commercialized Cs+ adsorbents (AMP-PAN and KNiFe-PAN), NiFe-AH proved to have a greater Cs+ adsorption capacity. Analyses using XPS and XANES indicated that the photoinduced enhancement mechanism of Cs+ adsorption on NiFe-AH was attributed to NiFe absorbing the light, resulting in the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) within NiFe. Accordingly, Cs+ ions were additionally adsorbed on NiFe. The NiFe-AH showed exceptional 137Cs removal in seawater, suggesting that it has strong potential as a practical adsorbent.

Fabrication and electrochemical evaluation of polyhedral PANI‐coated Co3O4 electrode for supercapacitor application

AbstractIn this work, conducting polymer modification on metal oxide surfaces was targeted to improve the composite conductivity and stability for electrochemical energy storage applications. Polyhedral cobalt oxide (Co3O4) was prepared using a molten salt combustion method and coated with polyaniline (PANI). The composite (PANI‐CoM) was characterized using XRD, TGA, FTIR, FESEM, TEM, and BET. From cyclic voltammetry analysis in 6 M KOH, PANI‐CoM shows a high CS (985 F/g) compared to bare Co3O4 (278 F/g), indicating that PANI coating has improved pseudocapacitive charge storability of the electrode. The electrolyte diffusion on the internal active surfaces has increased from 11% to 31%, contributed by the reduction of internal resistance by 29%. Activated carbon and ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) were used to manufacture two sets of asymmetrical supercapacitor devices, and PANI‐CoM/OMC functioned the best performance with an ED of 22 Wh/kg at a PD of 400 W/kg.

Uptake and Translocation of Cesium in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under Hydroponic Conditions

The uptake of radiocesium (RCs) by plants is key to the assessment of its environmental risk. However, the transfer process of RCs in the water-vegetable system still remains unclear. In this work, the uptake and accumulation processes of Cs+ (0-10 mM) in lettuce were explored under different conditions by using hydroponics. The results showed that the higher exposure concentration of Cs+ could lead to a faster uptake rate and would be beneficial to the uptake and accumulation of Cs+. The uptake of K+ by roots and leaves was inhibited significantly when Cs+ concentration increased, but unapparent for Ca2+ and Mg2+. It was found that the higher K+ and Ca2+ concentration was, the higher inhibition was found for the uptake of Cs+ in root. The uptake of Cs+ leads the decrease of chlorophyll content and brought a negative effect on plant photosynthesis, consequently, a negative effect on lettuce morphology and obvious decrease of biomass and root length. The contents of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and root vitality were increasing during the growth following stress of high concentrations of Cs+, which caused stresses on the antioxidant system of lettuce. The enrichment coefficient for Cs+ in leaves was in the range of 8-217. Moreover, the transfer factor was in the range of 0.114-0.828, which suggested that the high Cs+ concentration could enhance the transfer of Cs+ from lettuce root to leaf. This study provides more information on the transfer of RCs from water to food chain, promoting the understanding of the potential risk of RCs.

Benefits of practice ownership among US private practice veterinarians extend to professional quality of life.

To estimate the effects of practice ownership on wellbeing of US private practice veterinarians. 1,217 practice owners and 1,414 associate veterinarians (ie, nonowners) who participated in the 2021 AVMA Census of Veterinarians and Practice Owners Survey. A professional quality of life instrument was used to measure compassion satisfaction (CS; a positive attribute), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in practice owners and nonowners both as scores and as score categories (low, moderate, and high CS, BO, and STS). For hypothesis tests, propensity score matching was used, with owners (n = 595) matched to nonowners (595) on several demographic and employment factors. Owners had significantly (P < .001) higher CS scores (mean ± SE, 34.1 ± 0.3) and lower BO scores (26.1 ± 0.3) than nonowners (32.8 ± 0.3 and 26.9 ± 0.3, respectively), but STS scores were comparable between groups (27.4 ± 0.3 and 27.5 ± 0.3; P = .55). The prevalence of low CS scores and high BO scores was significantly (P < .001) higher for nonowners versus owners (53.8% vs 42.7% and 51.6% vs 46.4%, respectively). Both owners and nonowners had a high prevalence of high STS scores (81.8% and 83.2%, respectively; P = .53). Results suggested that practice ownership confers a benefit to private practice veterinarians in terms of CS and BO, but not STS. The prevalence of poor CS, BO, and STS scores was higher than reported previously for 2016 to 2018, suggesting an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The high prevalence of high STS scores in both groups warrants attention and action to protect the welfare of the veterinary workforce and support optimal patient care.

Hydrothermal Modification of Chabazite for the Fixation of Cesium Ions

During the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant at March 2011, radioactive cesium (137Cs), which has a long half-life of about 30 years, was released into the environment around the plant. Therefore, methods for the recovery and fixation of 137Cs are required. The CHA-type zeolite, chabazite, has high Cs+ selectivity; Cs+ ions have a diameter of approximately 0.36 nm and can thus enter into and be adsorbed by chabazite, which contains pores with diameters of 0.38 nm. However, some Cs+ ions in the large pores may be released by cation exchange in solutions with a high cation concentration. The ANA-type zeolite (ANA) has pores with 0.28 nm diameters, which are smaller than the diameter of Cs+ ions. ANA is synthesized by an alkaline hydrothermal treatment of natural zeolites such as clinoptilolite, mordenite, and chabazite. This hydrothermal modification may be useful for the fixation of Cs+. In the present study, the modification of chabazite exchanged with Cs+ to produce ANA by hydrothermal treatment was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and the solution stability of Cs+ in the ANA was also evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Modification of chabazite exchanged with Cs+ to produce single-phase ANA was confirmed in a 1.0 mol/L NaOH solution held at 200 °C for 3 to 144 h. The intensity of XRD peaks corresponding to (211) and (220) planes decreased with increasing Cs+ concentration. SEM observations showed that the ANA crystals had a trapezohedral shape and a size of about 5 µm. EDX analysis of ANA crystals confirmed the presence of Cs+. The amount of Cs+ eluted from ANA in a 0.6 mol/L NaCl solution was less than 1.7%.

Formation of the Lened W-(Be) Skarn Deposit by Neutralization of a Magmatic Fluid—Evidence from H3BO3-Rich Fluids

Magmatic-hydrothermal systems, especially those causing the formation of tungsten deposits, may be enriched in boron, as is suggested by the presence of hydrothermal tourmaline. This study examines the boron and metal (including tungsten) concentrations of quartz-hosted fluid inclusions in the Lened W-(Be) deposit of the Canadian Cordillera and resolves (i) the analytical challenges involved during fluid salinity calculations of B-rich fluids and (ii) the relationship between fluid chemical composition and ore-forming processes involved at Lened. The aqueous fluid inclusions from this study have high CO2 and boron contents, indicated by the presence of a carbonic phase and sassolite crystals (H3BO3) in fluid inclusions. The boron content of the aqueous liquid phase (0.5 wt. %) was determined using microthermometric and Raman spectroscopic analyses. Boron was judged the most appropriate internal standard for quantifying the LA-ICP-MS data from these inclusions after calculation of salinity in the H2O-NaCl-H3BO3 system (3.5 to 5 wt. % NaCleq). Trace element data of the fluids show relatively high concentrations of Li (40 to 474 ppm), Al (56 to 1003 ppm), As (36 to 490 ppm) and Cs (68 to 296 ppm); and lower concentrations of Rb (3.6 to 77 ppm), Sr (0.4 to 23 ppm), Sb (1 to 32 ppm), Ba (0.6 to 163 ppm), Mg (6.9 to 7.6 ppm) and other metals, such as Be (2.4 to 10.2 ppm), W (2.4 to 27 ppm) and Cu (5.1 to 73 ppm). The high Cs and Li concentrations suggest a magmatic origin of the metals, while the moderate concentrations in Sr and Ba are indicative of fluid–rock interaction with the surrounding limestone. The presence of sassolite suggests that these fluids were highly acidic. The neutralization of this fluid through interaction with the surrounding limestone is the most probable trigger for scheelite precipitation. The presence of such high boron content in the magmatic fluid at Lened indicates the potential role in the enrichment of the source melt before fluid exsolution.

Efficacy and the safety of endoscopic ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation of pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

e16276 Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided RFA (EUS-RFA) is a minimally invasive emerging modality that may be an alternative to surgical resection for the management of unresectable pancreatic cancer (UPC). In this review, we highlighted the efficacy, clinical and technical success of the EUS-RFA for UPC. Methods: Studies were selected with a comprehensive search strategy for EUS-RFA and pancreatic cancer on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase databases as of October 2021. The primary outcomes were the technical (TS) and clinical success rate (CS) of the EUS-RFA procedure, while the secondary outcome was the adverse events (AEs) rate. Results: Twelve studies including 114 patients with 50% (57) females were included. Common pancreatic tumors were locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (LAPDAC) 38.3% (49), followed by nonfunctional neuroendocrine tumor (NNET) 32% (41), pancreatic cystic neoplastic lesions 14.8% (19), insulinoma 12.5% (16) and others 2.3% (3). The most common site of the tumor was pancreatic head 45.7% (59) followed by body, neck, and tail 47.6% (61). The average number of ablation sessions per patient was 1.4 based on the total of 115 EUS-RFA sessions performed in 84 neoplastic lesions. The pooled TS rate of EUS-RFA calculated from the total number of procedures was 99.2% [95% CI = 0.90-0.98, I2 = 0%]. The pooled CS rate calculated from the total number of pancreatic lesions was 91.9% [95% CI = 0.77-0.92, I2 = 0%]. Clinical improvement in symptoms was reported in five studies whereas complete resolution or decrease in tumor size was reported in all studies. The pooled AEs rate was 24.6% [95% CI = 0.17-0.39, I2 = 30%]. Common AEs were abdominal pain 10.5% (12), and pancreatitis 3.5% (4). Conclusions: EUS-RFA is a promising and safe modality that can be used for the management of UPC in selected patients with a high TS (99.2%) and CS rates (91.9%). Large clinical trials are needed to identify safety, clinical outcomes, and overall survival benefits of EUS-RFA.[Table: see text]

Air‐Processed Carbon‐Based Cs0.5FA0.5PbI3–Cs4PbI6 Heterostructure Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency Over 16%

The preparation of low‐cost, high‐stability cell devices is the primary trend in the future development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The hole transport layer (HTL)‐free carbon electrode‐based PSCs (C‐PSCs) based on methylamine (MA) free perovskites prepared in the ambient air environment is expected to realize this goal. In MA‐free perovskites represented by CsxFA1–xPbI3, although the increase of Cs content increases the bandgap, CsxFA1–xPbI3 with high Cs content has superior stability. Herein, a hot flow‐assisted (HFA) spin‐coating method to prepare Cs0.5FA0.5PbI3 films in the ambient air environment with a wide relative humidity operation window is proposed. Compared with the traditional antisolvent method that requires a dry processing environment, the HFA method can easily prepare high‐quality Cs0.5FA0.5PbI3 films in a high‐humidity ambient air environment. In addition, it is found that the presence of trace amount of Cs4PbI6 can not only passivate the defects of Cs0.5FA0.5PbI3 but also suppress the undesired phase transition. As a result, the in situ formed Cs0.5FA0.5PbI3–Cs4PbI6 heterostructure film corresponds to better stability and higher photovoltaic performance than the plain Cs0.5FA0.5PbI3 film. The efficiency of the assembled champion C‐PSCs is up to 16.30%, which is currently the highest efficiency for MA‐ and HTL‐free low‐temperature C‐PSCs.

Structural stability and aqueous durability of Cs incorporation into BaAl2Ti6O16 hollandite

Hollandite ceramics are well-recognized as a promising host for immobilizing radioactive cesium. In the present paper, the [BaxCsy][(Al3+,Ti3+)2x+yTi4+8-2x-y]O16 (0.4 ≤ x, y ≤ 0.8) ceramics were fabricated to investigate the effect of incorporated Cs on structural stability and durability of (Ba,Cs)(Al,Ti)8O16 ceramics with Cs-incorporated. It was found that the sintered samples at 1250 °C show a pure hollandite phase with tetragonal structure (I4/m) and high Cs retention. Moreover, the synthesized (Ba,Cs)(Al,Ti)8O16 ceramics exhibit an excellent aqueous stability and the normalized Cs release rate is 2.82 (± 0.27)×10-3 g m-2 d-1 after 28 days. All these results reveal that (Ba,Cs)(Al,Ti)8O16 is a promising candidate as a Cs-waste form.

A Combined EMPA and LA-ICP-MS Study of Muscovite from Pegmatites in the Chinese Altai, NW China: Implications for Tracing Rare-Element Mineralization Type and Ore-Forming Process

The mineralogical studies of rare-element (REL) pegmatites are important for unraveling the ore-forming process and evaluating REL mineralization potential. The Chinese Altai orogenic belt hosting more than 100,000 pegmatite dykes is famous for rare-metal resources worldwide and diverse REL mineralization types. In this paper, we present the results of EMPA and LA-ICP-MS for muscovite from the typical REL pegmatite dykes of the Chinese Altai. The studied pegmatites are Li-Be-Nb-Ta, Li-Nb-Ta, Nb-Ta, Be-Nb-Ta, Be and barren pegmatites. The Li+ accompanied with Fe, Mg and Mn substitute for Al3+ at the octahedral site in muscovite from the REL pegmatites, and the substitution of Rb by Cs at the interlayer space is identified in muscovite from the Be pegmatites. The P and B contents increase with evolution degree and the lenses from the Nb-Ta pegmatite are produced at late fluid-rich stage with high fluxes (P and B). The enrichment of HFSE in muscovite indicates a Nb-Ta-Sn-W rich pegmatite magma for the Be-Nb-Ta pegmatite. From barren pegmatite, beryl-bearing zone, to spodumene-bearing zone, the evolution degrees of pegmatite-forming magmas progressively increase. In the Chinese Altai, the possible indicators of muscovite for REL mineralization types include Rb (ca. 400–600 ppm, barren pegmatite; ca. 1200–4000 ppm, Be pegmatite; &gt;4500 ppm, Li pegmatite), Cs (ca. 5–50 ppm, barren pegmatite; ca. 100–500 ppm, Be pegmatite; &gt;300 ppm, Li pegmatite) and Ge (&lt;3 ppm, barren pegmatite; ca. 4–6 ppm, Be pegmatite; ca. 6–12 ppm, Li pegmatite) coupled with Ta, Be (both &lt;10 ppm, barren pegmatite) and FeO (ca. 3–4 wt%, Be pegmatite; ca. 1–2.5 wt%, Li pegmatite). The plots of Nb/Ta vs. Cs and K/Rb vs. Ge are proposed to discriminate barren, Be- and Nb-Ta-(Li-Be-Rb-Cs) pegmatites. The Li, Be, Rb, Cs and F concentrations of forming liquid are evaluated based on the trace element compositions of muscovite. The high Rb and Cs contents of liquid and lower Be contents than beryl saturation value indicate that both highly evolved pegmatite magma and low temperature at emplacement contribute to beryl formation. The liquids saturated with spodumene have large variations of Li, possibly related to metastable state at Li unsaturation–supersaturation or heterogeneous distribution of lithium in the system.

Synthesis of hollow mesoporous silica spheres functionalized with copper ferrocyanide and its application for Cs+ removal.

In this study, the potassium copper ferrocyanide-functionalized hollow mesoporous silica spheres was successfully prepared. SEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS, and XPS techniques were used to characterize the structure of materials before and after functionalization. The synthesized functionalized hollow mesoprous silica was applied to remove cesium from aqueous solution. The applicability of the adsorbent for the removal of cesium ions was assessed and the effective parameters such as solution pH, contacting time, initial Cs+ concentration, and competitive ions effect were evaluated systematically under the batch mode. The experimental results showed that the adsorbent exhibited high Cs+ selectivity even in the highly concentrated coexisting ions solution, which makes them to be used as potential adsorbents for the removal of cesium from nuclear wastewater or contaminated groundwater.

Association between central sensitization and gait in chronic low back pain: Insights from a machine learning approach

BackgroundCentral sensitization (CS) is often present in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Gait impairments due to CLBP have been extensively reported; however, the association between CS and gait is unknown. The present study examined the association between CS and CLBP on gait during activities of daily living. MethodForty-two patients with CLBP were included. CS was assessed through the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), and patients were divided in a low and high CS group (23 CLBP- and 19 CLBP+, respectively). Patients wore a tri-axial accelerometer device for one week. From the acceleration signals, gait cycles were extracted and 36 gait outcomes representing quantitative and qualitative characteristics of gait were calculated. A Random Forest was trained to classify CLBP- and CLBP + based on the gait outcomes. The maximum Youden index was computed to measure the diagnostic test's ability and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) indexed the gait outcomes' importance to the classification model. ResultsThe Random Forest accurately (84.4%) classified the CLBP- and CLBP+. Youden index was 0.65, and SHAP revealed that the gait outcomes’ important to the classification model were related to gait smoothness, stride frequency variability, stride length variability, stride regularity, predictability, and stability. ConclusionsCLBP- and CLBP + patients had different motor control strategies. Patients in the CLBP- group presented with a more “loose control”, with higher gait smoothness and stability, while CLBP + patients presented with a “tight control”, with a more regular, less variable, and more predictable gait pattern.