Maximum Exposure Research Articles

A comparative study of efficacy of coconut oil, lemon water and dishwashing liquid as surrogates to xylene.

Histopathology is the field of science that helps in analyzing the architectural pattern of cells under the microscope. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections are used for routine histopathological examination. Xylene being a biohazardous hydrocarbon is used in many steps of tissue processing and laboratory personnel are exposed to this toxic substance. Maximum exposure to xylene occurs in the step of deparaffinization, for which alternate safer methods should be introduced. This study compares the efficacy of natural products like coconut oil, lemon water, less chemical substance like dish wash liquid with xylene as deparaffinizing agent. 50 paraffin embedded sections were used in each of the groups using xylene, coconut oil, diluted lemon water and dish wash liquid as deparaffinizing agents. 80% of slides using dishwashing liquid, 64% using lemon water and 42% of slides using coconut oil showed excellent cellular features. 96% of slides using xylene showed good quality staining, 54% of slides using dishwashing liquid and 40% slides using lemon water showed good quality staining. Only 4% of slides prepared using coconut oil showed good quality staining. Dishwashing liquid is the best surrogate and among the natural products, diluted lime water yields a better result and coconut oil, the least productive as deparaffinizing agent in this study.

Epidemiology and Determinants of Vitamin D Deficiency in Eastern Nepal: A Community-Based, Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective To estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the eastern part of Nepal and identify the sociodemographic factors associated with it. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 324 participants between the ages 18 and 65 years from the Sunsari and Morang districts of Nepal. A semi-structured questionnaire helped obtain sociodemographic data followed by anthropometric measurements and blood sampling. 25(OH)D level was measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) via a fully automated Maglumi 1000 analyzer (SNIBE Co., Ltd., China). Serum 25(OH)D was classified as deficient, insufficient, and sufficient (<20 ng/ml, 20–29 ng/ml, and 30–100 ng/ml, respectively). The chi-square test was used to analyze the sociodemographic variables followed by a post hoc analysis. Significant variables were subjected to multivariate logistic regression. Result 181(55.9%) of the study population had vitamin D deficiency. There was significant association between vitamin D status and time of maximum sun exposure (chi square test = 11.1, p = 0.02), duration of sun exposure (chi-square test = 15.1, p = 0.004), type of meat intake (Fisher's exact test is 16.4, p = 0.01), frequency of fish intake (Fisher's exact test is 19.3, p = 0.001), and frequency of dairy intake (chi-square test=11.2, p = 0.02). In multivariate regression, consumption of dairy products ≥3/week had lower OR (95% CI) (0.3(0.1–0.8) p : 0.02) and weekly fish consumption had lower OR (95% CI) (0.06(0.008–0.6) p : 0.01) for vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was relatively high in eastern Nepal. This highlights the need to create public awareness regarding the importance of bare skin sun exposure, nutritional sources of vitamin D, and the need to implement food fortification policies by the government.

Impact of Concrete Degradation on the Long-Term Safety of a Near-Surface Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility in Korea

The migration of radionuclides from radioactive waste into the environment poses a public safety concern. Thus, the long-term safety assessment for near-surface disposal sites for radioactive waste in South Korea entails providing reasonable assurance that the annual radiation dose exposure from radionuclide release from the waste repository into the biosphere will not exceed the regulatory limit of 0.1 mSv/yr. At the first near-surface disposal site in Gyeongju, concrete was a crucial component of the engineered barriers designed to contain radionuclides within the disposal site. The ability of concrete to retain radioactive waste within the disposal site is attributed to its high sorption capacity for radionuclides. However, research has shown that the degradation of concrete can affect its radionuclide retention capabilities, which are defined by sorption properties of distribution (Kd) and diffusion (Ds) coefficient parameters. As a result, changes in sorption properties may lead to radionuclides migrating out of the disposal vault. In light of the geochemical deterioration of engineered concrete barriers, this study assesses the long-term safety of near-surface disposal sites. To simulate the impact of concrete degradation on radionuclide migration, we employed RESRAD-OFFSITE’s extended source-term features, which can model the release of radionuclides from radioactive waste shielded by concrete barriers. Using carefully screened published sorption data of four radionuclides (14C, 137Cs, 90Sr and 99Tc) in different stages of concrete degradation, the results indicated that released radioactivity during the most degraded state of concrete will result in a maximum radiation exposure dose of 1.4 × 10−8 mSv/yr from 99Tc which is below the permissible limit of 0.1 mSv per year, thus demonstrating that concrete is a reliable component of the engineered designed barriers for near-surface disposal facilities.

RF-EMF Measurement for 5G over C-band and mm-Wave frequency band: Exposure assessment and Procedures

The 5G network is intended to accommodate a significant quantity of mobile data traffic as well as a great number of wireless connections. It improves cost, power consumption, and offers ultra-low latency and ultra-high dependability to enable new services in a variety of sectors. However, the general public is concerned about the possible health dangers linked with 5G equipment's Radio Frequency (RF) radiation, and numerous localities are actively lobbying to prevent 5G implementation. This aims to demonstrate the cause of increasing the amount of RF-EMF exposure, and the international standards of RF-EMF accepted limits. In addition, it aims to illustrate some measurement procedures to conduct RF-EMF measurement for different researchers and two other procedures and the result of the maximum exposure emitted by a 5G base station operating on 3.5 GHz and the mm-Wave frequency band by the author of this paper.

Verifying domain knowledge and theories on Fire-induced spalling of concrete through eXplainable artificial intelligence

• Spalling theories and domain knowledge were verified for the first time using XAI. • XAI is an effective to gain new insights into the spalling phenomenon. • Recommendations for concrete mixtures with low tendency to spall under fire are proposed. This paper adopts eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) to identify the key factors influencing fire-induced spalling of concrete and to extract new insights into the phenomenon of spalling by investigating over 640 fire tests. In this pursuit, an XAI model was developed, validated, and then augmented with two explainability measures, namely, Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Local eXplainable model-agnostic explanations (LIME). The proposed XAI model not only can predict the fire-induced spalling with high accuracy (i.e., >92 %) but can also articulate the reasoning behind its predictions (as in, the proposed model can specify the rationale for each prediction instance); thus, providing us with valuable insights into the factors, as well as relationships between these factors, leading to spalling. Our findings indicate that there are eight key factors that heavily govern spalling: 1) presence of Polypropylene fibers, 2) degree of moisture content, 3) heating rate, 4) maximum exposure temperature, 5) silica fume/binder ratio, 6) sand/binder ratio, 7) water/binder ratio and 8) fly ash/binder ratio. While these factors were also listed by the majority of the existing spalling theories, the contribution of each factor seems to vary significantly and, most importantly, was not quantified for the most part. Thus, the validated model was then utilized to contrast and quantify the spalling-based knowledge domain and theories as collected by some of the most cited studies in this domain.

Studies on the anthelmintic activity of &lt;i&gt;Syzygium aromaticum&lt;/i&gt; oil on common poultry worms &lt;i&gt;Ascaridia galli&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Heterakis gallinae&lt;/i&gt;

Dried flower buds of cloves (Family myrtaceae) commonly known as Lavangaha are grind with the help of grinder. Fine powder of cloves is taken and oil was extracted using petroleum ether as solvent in soxhlet extractor for 20 to 24 hr. The greasy mass obtained after the complete evaporation of solvent is suspended in ethylalcohol. Different conc. of test solution i.e. 2, 4 and 6% were prepared by diluting the test solution and test for in vitro anthelmintic activity. Different concentration 2%, 4% and 6% caused mortality in A. galli and H. gallinae after a maximum exposure of 11 and 16 hr. Clove oil significantly reduces glucose uptake, glycogen content, oxygen consumption and relatively activity of acid and alkaline phosphomonoesterase in both the parasites. The possible mode of action is discussed

Long-range wireless optical power transfer system using an EDFA

A wireless optical power transfer (WOPT) system using an erbium-doped fiber amplifier as an optical power source is proposed to achieve long range, high power, and hazard-free power delivery in the air. The transmitter generates a wide band of amplified spontaneous emission around the central wavelength of 1550 nm. A wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) filter (λ=1552.25 nm) is deployed to obtain a safe narrowband beam illuminating the receiver units. A ball lens retroreflector reflects a small portion of the incident beam back to the transmitter, establishing a closed ring resonance loop. An improved safety mechanism is proposed to terminate the resonance when an obstacle blocks the transmitter-receiver line of sight. The measured incident power of 1 W decreases to 0.79 mW after the WDM filter is deployed which is well within defined maximum permissible exposure standards. For the demonstration of free-space transmission, transmitter-receiver separation is extended to 30 m. The experimental results show that a single-channel WOPT system provides an optical power of 400 mW with a channel linewidth of 1.027 nm over 30 m and an electrical power of 85 mW is acquired using a gallium antimonide photovoltaic.

Long-Term Evolocumab in Patients With Established Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

In FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk), the proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitor evolocumab reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and risk of cardiovascular events and was safe and well tolerated over a median of 2.2 years of follow-up. However, large-scale, long-term data are lacking. The parent FOURIER trial randomized 27 564 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and LDL-C ≥70 mg/dL on statin to evolocumab versus placebo. Patients completing FOURIER at participating sites were eligible to receive evolocumab in 2 open-label extension studies (FOURIER-OLE [FOURIER Open-Label Extension]) in the United States and Europe; primary analyses were pooled across studies. The primary end point was the incidence of adverse events. Lipid values and major adverse cardiovascular events were prospectively collected. A total of 6635 patients were enrolled in FOURIER-OLE (3355 randomized to evolocumab and 3280 to placebo in the parent study). Median follow-up in FOURIER-OLE was 5.0 years; maximum exposure to evolocumab in parent plus FOURIER-OLE was 8.4 years. At 12 weeks in FOURIER-OLE, median LDL-C was 30 mg/dL, and 63.2% of patients achieved LDL-C <40 mg/dL on evolocumab. Incidences of serious adverse events, muscle-related events, new-onset diabetes, hemorrhagic stroke, and neurocognitive events with evolocumab long term did not exceed those for placebo-treated patients during the parent study and did not increase over time. During the FOURIER-OLE follow-up period, patients originally randomized in the parent trial to evolocumab versus placebo had a 15% lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or hospitalization for unstable angina or coronary revascularization (hazard ratio, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.75-0.96]; P=0.008); a 20% lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.68-0.93]; P=0.003); and a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.60-0.99]; P=0.04). Long-term LDL-C lowering with evolocumab was associated with persistently low rates of adverse events for >8 years that did not exceed those observed in the original placebo arm during the parent study and led to further reductions in cardiovascular events compared with delayed treatment initiation. URL: https://www. gov; Unique identifiers: NCT02867813 and NCT03080935.

Using a GIS-based spatial approach to determine the optimal locations of bikeshare stations: The case of Washington D.C

Today, the number of cities implementing bike-share programs is remarkably increasing. One of the critical elements of implementing a successful bike-share program is integrating it with other transportation modes such as bus and metro and extending its coverage in high-density residential and employment areas to encourage more demand. In this study, we utilize a GIS-based method to visualize the spatial distribution of bike-share stations using the location-allocation problem, using the Capital bike-share program in Washington D.C. metropolitan areas as a study area. We chose Washington D.C. as it was one of the first cities in the United States that launched a bike-share program and currently has one of the largest bike-share systems across the country. The location-allocation problem, including Target Market Share (TMS) and Maximize Coverage and Minimize Facility (MCMF), is considered to analyze the accessibility of promoting transit modes with bike-share systems across the District of Columbia. Location-allocation models are investigated to determine the potential bike station locations accessible to the maximum population and within a 300-m buffer around public transit stations (e.g., bus, metro). The results show that the bike-share system in Washington D.C. is more accessible for transit users as an access/egress mode. At the same time, in areas farther away from downtown D.C., docking stations are more distanced apart and offer less coverage, especially in residential-only areas. Finally, our methodology can potentially be utilized for optimal station location allocation in any other city where maximum exposure is required.

The Influence of Weekly Sprint Volume and Maximal Velocity Exposures on Eccentric Hamstring Strength in Professional Football Players.

Background: Hamstring strains are the most common moderate-major severity injuries in football. The majority of hamstring injuries occur during sprinting, with low eccentric hamstring strength being associated with an elevated risk. Objective: To examine the relationship between sprinting and eccentric hamstring strength by monitoring total weekly sprint distance and weekly efforts > 90% and >95% of maximum velocity. Methods: Fifty-eight professional male footballers were observed over one-and-a-half seasons. Players’ running was monitored during training and matches using GPS, and eccentric hamstring strength was measured weekly. Results: Weekly sprint distance (ρ = −0.13, p < 0.01) and weekly efforts >90% of maximum velocity (ρ = −0.08, p = 0.01) both displayed significant inverse relationships with the percentage change in eccentric hamstring strength; weekly efforts >95% of maximum velocity showed no relationship with hamstring strength (ρ = −0.02, p = 0.45). Only weekly efforts >90% of maximum velocity significantly influenced the mean percentage change in eccentric hamstring force, F(3,58) = 3.71, p = 0.01, with significant differences occurring when comparing 7–8 sprint efforts with 0–2 efforts (0.11%, p = 0.03) and 5–6 efforts (0.12%, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Eccentric hamstring strength levels significantly decrease when 7–8 weekly sprint efforts are completed at >90% of maximum velocity. Monitoring weekly sprint loading at velocities > 90% of maximum velocity may be valuable to help to reduce the risk of hamstring injuries in professional football.

Dietary intakes of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids from ready-to-eat vegetables in taiwan.

Chlorine-based disinfectants are often used to sanitize fruit and vegetables to produce a product called ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables. During the disinfection process, disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), might be formed via chlorination. To determine the amounts of DBPs that occur in RTE vegetables in Taiwan, an analytical method which can detect THMs and HAAs simultaneously was developed for this study. For HAAs, dimethyl sulfate (DMS) was first added into the sample as derivatization reagent and tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate (TBA-H2SO4) was used as the ion-pairing agent to improve the derivatization process. Afterwards, the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure coupled with gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometers (GC/MS/MS) was performed to measure the HAAs derivatives and THMs in the sample. A total of 92 single RTE ingredients were analyzed in this study. Among various THMs and HAAs, the results showed that dibromochloromethane (21%) and dichloroacetic acid (12%) had the highest detection rates, respectively. Compared with fruits, vegetables were more easily to contain DBPs. For adults in Taiwan, the maximum daily exposure of THMs and HAAs estimated via the consumption of RTE vegetables were 28.53 and 77.83 μg, respectively. The findings from this study suggest that the exposure of DBPs from RTE vegetables is an important food safety issue in Taiwan.

Preclinical toxicological assessment of levothyroxine and liothyronine Maillard impurities.

Following the introduction of new stability-indicating related substances methods, an unknown impurity was observed in levothyroxine (LeMI) and liothyronine (LiMI) tablets (ADVANZ PHARMA) in concentrations ≥1.0%, from 6months of storage onwards. The impurity was identified as a Maillard condensation product between lactose and LeMI/LiMI in the LeMI and LiMI tablets, respectively. To establish the toxicity profile of LeMI and LiMI in humans and to define appropriate shelf-life specification limits, a comprehensive nonclinical toxicological assessment was performed, including in silico (Leadscope and Derek Nexus analyses), in vitro (Ames test), and in vivo tests (7-day dose range finding and 90-day dose repeat studies in rats). In silico analyses indicated that potential LeMI and LiMI structures should not be considered bacterial mutagens or in vitro/in vivo clastogens, and that at the low oral exposure levels expected, the impurities are unlikely to cause harm. In vitro testing showed that neither LeMI nor LiMI were cytotoxic or mutagenic at up to 5000μg/plate, both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation. The 2 in vivo studies further confirmed that no systemic toxicity or other notable negative effects were evident at up to 200μg/kg/day for LeMI and 45μg/kg/day for LiMI, the highest doses tested. These doses represent 120-122 times the maximum daily exposures of LeMI and LiMI, based on body surface area (μg/m2). Based on these results, a proposal has been formulated to increase the limits of Maillard condensation products to ≤8.0% for LeMI and≤6.0% for LiMI at shelf life.

Quantitative Risk Assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Toxi Infection Associated with the Consumption of Roasted Shrimp (Penaeus monodon)

In this study, a risk assessment on Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections was carried out in order to estimate the likelihood of gastroenteritis for Cameroonians after consumption of roasted shrimp (Penaeus monodon). The Codex Alimentarius Commission framework was used in this study. Based on the distribution of total V. parahaemolyticus in shrimp and literature information indicating that nonhaemolysing carrier strains could be pathogenic to humans, the cooking, and consumption patterns, the daily exposure level generated in this study, and the dose-response model from other studies, the infectious risk was evaluated and quantified by the Monte Carlo simulation. This simulation was realized based on 10,000 iterations using the Model Risk software, version 4.0, in combination with Microsoft Excel. To better quantify the exposure of consumers and the resulting risk of infection, several scenarios reflecting the minimal, average, and maximal exposures were undertaken. According to the results, the 90% confidence intervals for minimum and maximum exposures ranged from 15 to 24 colony-forming units per day (cells/day) and from 160 to 228 cells/day, respectively. Based on the modal scenario, 90% of the population consuming this shrimp is exposed to V. parahaemolyticus loads ranging from 74 to 110 cells/day, indicating a risk of infection ranging from 1.2 to 1.8 cases per million of consumption. The estimated number of annual disease cases based on annual production is between 1 and 10 cases. This reflects a relatively low risk of infection for roasted shrimp. Good hygiene practices during handling, cooking, and storage may help reduce the actual risk.

A comparison of activity data generated from cardiovascular telemetry studies - With quantitative open field locomotor studies in Wistar Han rats

Compound-mediated locomotion changes, conducted via open field infrared photobeam breaks, are an important common component of neurological assessments conducted in safety pharmacology studies. In addition to open field locomotor activity assessments, activity data (derived from changes in signal strength) from cardiovascular (CV) telemetry studies can also be an alternative method potentially used to assess locomotor effects. However, comparisons of these two methods have not been extensively characterized. The goal of this work was to compare these two methodologies to assess activity in rats using reference compounds known to have central nervous system (CNS)-stimulant (preladenant) or CNS-depressant (chlorpromazine) effects. Open field activity was conducted using the Kinder Scientific Motor Monitor system and data were collected for 30 min at each drug's expected time of maximum plasma exposure (Tmax). Telemetry-based CV assessment data were continuously acquired using DSI radiotelemetry instrumented animals for 24 h postdose (HPD). Drugs were administered during the lights-on period for both study types. Administration of preladenant caused increases in activity within 0.5–2 HPD for both methods. While administration of chlorpromazine caused decreases in activity in the infrared beam-based open field assessment (1.0–1.5 HPD), there was no effect on telemetry-derived activity during a similar time period. However, telemetry-derived decreases in activity were observed during the lights-off period (16–20 HPD), suggesting CNS-depressant compounds may be mischaracterized if the optimal dose administration time is not selected based on the light/dark cycle and pharmacokinetics. Overall, these results suggest that telemetry-based activity assessment is capable of detecting CNS-stimulant effects of compounds.

Efficient activation of peroxydisulfate by a novel magnetic nanocomposite lignin hydrogel for contaminant degradation: Radical and nonradical pathways

A novel magnetic nanocomposite lignin hydrogel (MNLH) was synthesized and applied for peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation in this study. Detailed characterization data indicated that the unique 3-dimensional (3D) structure of the lignin hydrogel is beneficial in dispersing magnetic nanoparticles (nZVI/Ni particles), which enhances the maximum exposure of nZVI/Ni particles. The 3D structure of the lignin hydrogel provides more attachment sites for nZVI/Ni, PDS and contaminants, accelerating the electron transfer between nZVI/Ni and PDS and promoting the degradation of contaminant. Notably, the optimized MNLH0.8 catalyst (where the number 0.8 indicates the mass ratio of [Lignin hydrogel]/[nZVI/Ni] = 0.8) exhibits excellent performance for PDS activation. Under the MNLH0.8/PDS system, 5 mg/L bisphenol A (BPA, 40 mL) can be completely degraded within 15 min with 0.05 g/L catalyst and 0.66 mM PDS. Quenching experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra reveal that both radicals (O2•−) and nonradicals (1O2) are generated in the MNLH0.8/PDS system as the dominant active species for BPA degradation. In addition, the MNLH0.8 catalyst still shows effectiveness for BPA degradation in the presence of inorganic anions and natural organic matter (NOM). UPLC-Q-TOF-MS system was used to identify the BPA degradation products and four possible pathways for BPA degradation were proposed. According to the results of toxicity prediction, BPA can eventually be transformed into nontoxic products. Additionally, the MNLH/PDS system can effectively degrade different contaminants in water, which highlights promising applications for organic wastewater treatment.

Reactive oxygen species-responsive dual-targeted nanosystem promoted immunogenic cell death against breast cancer.

The development of an optimal treatment modality to improve the therapeutic outcome of breast cancer patients is still difficult. Poor antigen presentation to T cells is a major challenge in cancer immunotherapy. In this study, a synergistic immunotherapy strategy for breast cancer incorporating immune cell infiltration, immunogenic cell death (ICD), and dendritic cell (DC) maturation through a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive dual-targeted smart nanosystem (anti-PD-L1-TKNP) for the simultaneous release of DOX, R848, and MIP-3α in the tumor microenvironment is reported. Following local injection, anti-PD-L1-DOX-R848-MIP-3α/thioketal nanoparticle (TKNP) converts tumor cells to a vaccine owing to the combinatorial effect of DOX-induced ICD, R848-mediated immunostimulatory properties, and MIP-3α-induced immune cell recruitment in the tumor microenvironment. Intratumoral injection of anti-PD-L1-DOX-R848-MIP-3α/TKNP caused significant regression of breast cancer. Mechanistic studies reveal that anti-PD-L1-DOX-R848-MIP-3α/TKNP specifically targets tumor tissue, resulting in maximum exposure of calreticulin (CRT) and HMGB1 in tumors, and significantly enhances intratumoral infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in tumors. Therefore, a combined strategy using dual-targeted ROS-responsive TKNP highlights the significant application of nanoparticles in modulating the tumor microenvironment and could be a clinical treatment strategy for effective breast cancer management.

Mitigating Anisotropic Changes in Classical Layered Oxide Materials by Controlled Twin Boundary Defects for Long Cycle Life Li-Ion Batteries

The classical layered NMC oxides LiNixMnyCo1–x–yO2 (0 < (x,y) < 1) are promising high energy density cathodes for Li-ion batteries. However, their inherent structure instability at the highly delithiated state causes capacity degradation as cycling proceeds. Here, we report a mitigating strategy for addressing the capacity decay problem in multiple classical NMC materials through the design of controlled twin boundary defects. The radially aligned twin boundary defects are engineered in nanosized NMC cathodes through polyol synthesis. The crystallographic orientation of each subgrain rotates across the twin boundaries, and the particles have maximum exposure to the electrolyte with the (003) planes (which are more stable than other planes). Increased cation disorder and the formation of rocksalt-like phase are consistently observed along the twin boundaries through scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), acting as a rigid framework that mitigates anisotropic changes in NMC during cycling. Operando X-ray diffraction confirms this hypothesis as the degree of anisotropic changes is minimized in NMC with twin boundaries. The synthesized NMC materials with twin boundary defects exhibits enhanced electrochemical performance compared to the corresponding microsized materials with identical composition. The twin boundary defects engineering in NMC structure can effectively suppress the phase transformation and material degradation, serving as a novel and universal approach in designing stable intercalation compounds for high voltage long-cycle life Li-ion batteries.

Safety Analysis for Laser-Based Optical Wireless Communications: A Tutorial

Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (laser) sources has many advantages for use in high-data-rate optical wireless communications (OWCs). In particular, the low-cost and high-bandwidth properties of laser sources, such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), make them attractive for future indoor OWCs. In order to be integrated into future indoor networks, such lasers should conform to eye safety regulations determined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for laser safety. In this article, we provide a detailed study of beam propagation to evaluate the received power of various laser sources, based on which and the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) defined by the IEC 60825-1:2014 Standard, we establish a comprehensive framework for eye safety analyses. This framework allows us to calculate the maximum allowable transmit power, which is crucial in the design of a reliable and safe laser-based wireless communication system. Initially, we consider a single-mode Gaussian beam and calculate the maximum permissible transmit power. Subsequently, we generalize this approach for higher mode beams. It is shown that the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M$ </tex-math></inline-formula> -squared-based approach for analysis of multimode lasers ensures the IEC eye safety limits; however, in some scenarios, it can be too conservative compared to the precise beam decomposition method. Laser safety analyses with consideration of optical elements, such as lens and diffuser, as well as for the VCSEL array, have been also presented. Skin safety, as another significant factor of laser safety, has also been investigated in this article. We have studied the impacts of various parameters, such as wavelength, exposure duration, and the divergence angle of laser sources on the safety analysis by presenting insightful results.

Long-term efficacy and safety of inotersen for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis: NEURO-TTR open-label extension 3-year update

BackgroundHereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR/ATTRv) results from the deposition of misfolded transthyretin (TTR) throughout the body, including peripheral nerves. Inotersen, an antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor of hepatic TTR production, demonstrated a favorable efficacy and safety profile in patients with the polyneuropathy associated with hATTR in the NEURO-TTR (NCT01737398) study. We report longer-term efficacy and safety data for inotersen, with a median treatment exposure of 3 years.MethodsPatients who satisfactorily completed NEURO-TTR were enrolled in its open-label extension (OLE) study. Efficacy assessments included the modified Neuropathy Impairment Score + 7 (mNIS + 7), Norfolk Quality of Life–Diabetic Neuropathy (Norfolk QoL-DN) questionnaire total score, and the Short Form 36 (SF-36v2) Health Survey Physical Component Summary score. Safety and tolerability were also assessed. Efficacy is reported for patients living in Europe and North America (this cohort completed the study approximately 9 months before the remaining group of patients outside these regions); safety is reported for the full safety dataset, comprising patients living in Europe, North America, and Latin America/Australasia. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02175004.ResultsIn the Europe and North America cohort of the NEURO-TTR study, 113/141 patients (80.1%) completed the study, and 109 patients participated in the OLE study. A total of 70 patients continued to receive inotersen (inotersen–inotersen) and 39 switched from placebo to inotersen (placebo–inotersen). The placebo–inotersen group demonstrated sustained improvement in neurological disease progression as measured by mNIS + 7, compared with predicted worsening based on projection of the NEURO-TTR placebo data (estimated natural history). The inotersen–inotersen group demonstrated sustained benefit, as measured by mNIS + 7, Norfolk QoL-DN, and SF-36v2, compared with estimated natural history as well as compared with the placebo–inotersen group. With a maximum exposure of 6.2 years, inotersen was not associated with any additional safety concerns or increased toxicity in the OLE study. Platelet and renal monitoring were effective in reducing the risk of severe adverse events in the OLE study.ConclusionInotersen treatment for > 3 years slowed progression of the polyneuropathy associated with hATTR, and no new safety signals were observed.

Organophosphate flame retardants in Hangzhou tap water system: Occurrence, distribution, and exposure risk assessment

The usage of Organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) is gradually increased as the ban on brominated flame retardants (BFRs) worldwide. The frequent accessibility of OPFRs in aquatic environment poses potential risk to human. Previous studies have concerned on surface water, while studies on tap water are limited. In this research, we aim to evaluate the removal efficiency of the tap water treatment process and investigate the exposure risk of OPFRs in tap water. Herein, we collected 14 samples from water source, 10 samples from water treatment plants and 47 from tap to analyze the concentrations and removal efficiency of OPFRs in Hangzhou tap water supply system. The results showed the concentrations of ∑OPFRs ranged from 9.25 to 224.74 ng/L in all samples, with Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) Phosphate (TCPP), Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), and Tributyl phosphate (TBP) being the predominant compounds. Levels of the OPFRs had a 10.0 % - 50.4 % declination when compared samples after treatment with that before. The maximum exposure doses of ∑OPFRs via tap water for both adults and children were much lower than the reference dose (RfD). As a result, the hazard index (HI) and the carcinogenic risk (CR) pinpointed a negligible non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk for the residents. Even so, given the pervasive usage of OPFRs, the residual levels and the potential risk of OPFRs in watershed should be continuously concerned.