Time In Samples Research Articles

Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains.

Rising global concentrations of environmental microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) drive concerns for human exposure and health outcomes. Complementary methods for the robust detection of tissue MNPs, including pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, confirm the presence of MNPs in human kidney, liver and brain. MNPs in these organs primarily consist of polyethylene, with lesser but significant concentrations of other polymers. Brain tissues harbor higher proportions of polyethylene compared to the composition of the plastics in liver or kidney, and electron microscopy verified the nature of the isolated brain MNPs, which present largely as nanoscale shard-like fragments. Plastic concentrations in these decedent tissues were not influenced by age, sex, race/ethnicity or cause of death; the time of death (2016 versus 2024) was a significant factor, with increasing MNP concentrations over time in both liver and brain samples (P = 0.01). Finally, even greater accumulation of MNPs was observed in a cohort of decedent brains with documented dementia diagnosis, with notable deposition in cerebrovascular walls and immune cells. These results highlight a critical need to better understand the routes of exposure, uptake and clearance pathways and potential health consequences of plastics in human tissues, particularly in the brain.

Spirituality, self-blame, and trauma symptoms among adolescents waiting for treatment after disclosing sexual abuse.

Adolescents who have been sexually abused commonly experience trauma symptoms, and many spend considerable time waiting for treatment. This study examines the extent to which adolescent perceptions of divine spiritual support, divine spiritual struggles, and self-blame collected during a screening assessment predict trauma symptoms at the beginning of treatment. Participants were 224 adolescents (92.9% female, Mean age=13.46years; 53.6% identified as Hispanic/Latino/a and 24.1% Black/African American). All obtained services at a Children's Advocacy Center in the southern United States. Adolescents reported on trauma symptoms, divine spiritual support, divine spiritual struggles, and self-blame appraisals at a screening assessment (T1). Trauma symptoms were also reported a second time when beginning treatment (T2). The mean level of trauma symptoms declined over time for the total sample, t(223)=9.37, p<.001, d=0.63. Greater divine spiritual struggles (β=0.10, t[219]=1.98, p=.049, sr2=0.02) and self-blame for the abuse (β=0.11, t[219]=2.03, p=.044, sr2=0.02) at the screening assessment were associated with higher levels of trauma symptoms at the beginning of treatment, controlling for sex, trauma symptoms and age at the screening assessment. Assessing adolescents' divine spiritual struggles and self-blame for sexual abuse may be important in triage and treatment planning for youth who have experienced sexual abuse.

Tryptanthrin impairs platelet function and thrombus formation by reducing Gp1bα expression.

Tryptanthrin (Couroupitine A) is isolated from indigo-bearing traditional Chinese herbal medicines. It has a broad spectrum of pharmacological and biological activities. However, the potential effects of tryptanthrin on platelet function and thrombus formation remain elusive. Platelets were harvested from C57BL/6 mice and healthy individuals. Following incubation with tryptanthrin, various platelet functions were assessed. Thrombus formation in the presence of tryptanthrin was evaluated both in vitro, using a BioFlux 200 microfluidic system, and in vivo, through FeCl3-induced thrombosis and mouse deep venous thrombosis experiments. The closure times of the tryptanthrin-treated whole blood samples were determined using the PFA-200 system. Platelet proteomics sequencing was conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which tryptanthrin influences platelet function. Tryptanthrin inhibited mouse platelet function and impaired carotid artery and deep venous thrombus formation. Tryptanthrin also inhibited human platelet spreading, aggregation and clot retraction. The signaling pathways related to platelet activation, aggregation, hemostasis, and the fibrin clotting cascade were significantly suppressed in platelets treated with tryptanthrin. Notably, the expression of Gp1bα in platelets was diminished by tryptanthrin. Tryptanthrin impairs platelet function and thrombus formation.

In vitro Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Interactions between Verapamil Hydrochloride and Citric Acid

The objective of this study is to investigate the combination of drug-drug interactions involving different functional groups by assessing the interaction of a BCS class IV compound (Verapamil Hydrochloride) with Citric acid in various ratios, thereby enhancing the understanding of pharmacological implications. This study elucidated the compatibility between Verapamil Hydrochloride (HCl) and Citric acid, demonstrating an approach to enhance the solubility, permeability, and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs in pharmaceutical applications. The method of solvent evaporation was utilized for the preparation of solid dispersions. This process involved dissolving the active pharmaceutical ingredient and citric acid in ethanol, evaporating the solvent to yield a solvent-free film, and mechanically reducing the residue using a mortar and pestle. The resultant fine powder was sieved through a 40-mesh filter and appropriately stored in vials for subsequent analyses. FT-IR spectra and an HPLC-sensitive method were employed to evaluate the solubility profile and interaction dynamics of the compound. FT-IR spectra of VPM HCl and its physical mixtures with citric acid at ratios of 1:3, 1:5, and 1:7 were obtained using an FT-IR spectrophotometer. The spectra revealed structural and functional group alterations, quantified by analyzing the magnitude and cumulative area of the peaks corresponding to the structural constituents. In accordance with the established linearity, the retention times for VPM HCl, Sample 1, Sample 2, and Sample 3 were recorded as 6.8 ± 0.2, 2.7 ± 0.1, 5.5 ± 0.2, and 3.8 ± 0.1 minutes, respectively, across a concentration range of 1–100 µg/mL. For all analytes, the intra-assay and inter-assay biases were observed to be within 15% and 13.4%, respectively. Furthermore, In vitro evaluations of physical combinations of Verapamil HCl and Citric acid samples revealed minimal interaction. These findings emphasize the stability and compatibility of Verapamil HCl and citric acid, demonstrating citric acid’s role as a reliable excipient for enhancing drug solubility and bioavailability without compromising therapeutic integrity.

Improving Replication in Endometrial Omics: Understanding the Influence of the Menstrual Cycle.

The dynamic nature of human endometrial tissue presents unique challenges in analysis. Despite extensive research into endometrial disorders such as endometriosis and infertility, recent systematic reviews have highlighted concerning issues with the reproducibility of omics studies attempting to identify biomarkers. This review examines factors contributing to poor reproducibility in endometrial omics research. Hormonal fluctuations in the menstrual cycle lead to widespread molecular changes in the endometrium, most notably in gene expression profiles. In this review, we examine the variability in omics data due to the menstrual cycle and highlight the importance of accurate menstrual cycle dating for effective statistical modelling. The current standards of endometrial dating lack precision and we make the case for using molecular-based modelling methods to estimate menstrual cycle time for endometrium tissue samples. Additionally, we discuss statistical considerations such as confounding and interaction effects, as well as the importance of recording the detailed and accurate clinical information of patients. By addressing these methodological challenges, we aim to establish more robust and reproducible research practises, increasing the reliability of endometrial omics research and biomarker discovery.

Automated Detection of Porcine Gelatin Using Deep Learning-Based E-Nose to Support Halal Authentication

Authenticating gelatin sources is essential for consumers, particularly those with dietary restrictions or religious concerns regarding pork-derived ingredients. Porcine gelatin, widely used in food and pharmaceutical products, poses considerable challenges for authentication due to its prevalence and the difficulty of detecting it, especially in processed products. In this study, we developed and evaluated an integrated electronic nose (e-nose) system with a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) to detect and classify gelatin type based on their sources. The e-nose system utilized an array of gas sensors to capture the unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with each gelatin type, which was subsequently classified by the RNN. The classification performance of the integrated 7-module e-nose system showed promising results based on time points after sample preparation, with accuracy, sensitivity, and AUC of 96.3%, 96.6%, and 98.2% at the 0-hour point, respectively, rising to 99.1% for all three metrics at 2-hour point. The sensitivity of the system also showed an increase over time for single gelatin samples, from 100%, 97.8%, and 91.9% to 98.6%, 99.3%, and 99.3% for pig-derived, cow-derived, and fish gelatin, respectively. For mixed gelatin samples, the system maintained high accuracy, sensitivity, and AUC at 98.2%, 97.9%, and 98.1%, respectively. In conclusion, the integrated e-nose system demonstrates the potential for robust performance in gelatin authentication, paving the way for more efficient and reliable methods of halal food authentication.

Effect of chitosan coating and organic acid salts on quality and shelf life of black tiger shrimp stored at 0° C

AbstractThis study investigated the extension of the shelf life of black tiger shrimp stored at 0 °C by applying treatments with organic acid salt solutions combined with chitosan preservation coatings. Four shrimp samples were included: the control sample, the sample treated with 2.5% sodium citrate solution, the sample treated with 2% chitosan solution, and the sample treated with 2.5% sodium citrate solution followed by 2% chitosan. Sensory, chemical, and microbiological quality factors were monitored over 17 days of storage using quality indices such as the quality index (QI) from the quality index method, hypoxanthine, trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA‐N), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), and total viable count (TVC) to assess the shrimp's freshness. As a result, QI and hypoxanthine levels increased linearly with storage time in all shrimp samples. TMA‐N and TVB‐N values exhibited two‐phase linear changes corresponding to the autolysis and decomposition stages of the shrimp. The shelf life was determined to be 8 days for the control sample, 12 days for the citrate sample, 13 days for the chitosan sample, and 15 days for the citrate/chitosan sample. Linear regression equations between the indices and storage time, as well as between the quality indices for each sample, were identified.

Poor self-reported sleep is associated with prolonged white matter T2 relaxation in psychotic disorders.

Psychotic disorders are characterized by white matter (WM) abnormalities; however, their relationship with the various aspects of illness presentation remains unclear. Sleep disturbances are common in psychosis, and emerging evidence suggests that sleep plays a critical role in WM physiology. Therefore, it is plausible that sleep disturbances are associated with impaired WM integrity in these disorders. To test this hypothesis, we examined the association of self-reported sleep disturbances with WM transverse (T2) relaxation times in a cross-diagnostic sample of patients with psychosis. A total of 28 patients with psychosis (11 schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 17 bipolar disorder with psychotic features) were included. Metabolite (N-acetyl aspartate, choline, and creatine) and water T2 relaxation times were measured in the anterior corona radiata at 4T. Sleep was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). PSQI total score showed a moderate to strong positive correlation with water T2 (r = 0.64, p< 0.001). Linear regressions showed that this association was independent of the overall severity of depressive, manic, or psychotic symptoms. In our exploratory analysis, sleep disturbance was correlated with free water percentage, suggesting that increased extracellular water may be a mechanism underlying the association of disturbed sleep and prolonged water T2 relaxation. Our results highlight the connection between poor sleep and WM abnormalities in psychotic disorders. Future research using objective sleep measures and neuroimaging techniques suitable to probe free water is needed to further our insight into this relationship.

Development, Validation, and Application of a Fast Sequential Method for Na, K, Ca, and Mg Determination in Hemodialysis Solutions by HR-CS F AAS.

Hemodialysis solutions are liquid concentrates used during hemodialysis sessions. They are commonly used as a renal replacement therapy. This study aimed to develop a method to determine Na, K, Ca, and Mg in hemodialysis solutions by high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS F AAS) using Design of Experiments (DOE). The combination of the Doehlert Matrix with the desirability function was used to establish a compromise condition in the optimization of the significant variables studied: 60 L/h for acetylene flow rate, 8 mm for burner height, and 0.25% (w/v) and 0.60% (w/v) for Cs and La concentrations. The method was validated by following the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) guidelines and parameters, and, as such, the selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and robustness were evaluated. Calibration curves with the ranges of 25-130 mg/L for Na, 1.0-5.0 mg/L for K and Ca, and 0.30-0.70 mg/L for Mg were employed. The method proved to be precise (RSD lower than 2.7%) and accurate (mean recovery data, contemplating the three levels added, were 103.0% for Na, 100.5% for K, 101.3% for Ca, and 101.5% for Mg). The developed method enables the sequential multielement determination of Na, K, Ca, and Mg in a single run. Requiring only one dilution step, this method significantly reduces analysis time for both sample and standard solution preparation and measurement. This study presents the first method reported in the literature for multielement determination in hemodialysis solutions, offering an alternative approach to the current European Pharmacopeia method.

SPECTRAL-KINETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CATHODOLUMINESCENCE OF LANTHANIDE NIOBATES (Y,Lu,Gd)NbO4:Bi3+

The study is devoted to the study of lanthanide niobates doped with bismuth ions, which are of interest as potential phosphors used in various fields of human activity, such as medicine, industry, and science. In this paper, an experimental study of the cathodoluminescence of niobates (Y,Lu,Gd)NbO4:Bi3+, namely, spectral characteristics with time resolution, as well as the kinetics of luminescence attenuation for the main spectral bands, is carried out. The temperature dependence of the cathodoluminescence attenuation time for the YNbO4 sample is presented.:Bi3+ measured in the temperature range of 5–295 K with an interval of 10 K. The study of the kinetics of luminescence attenuation made in this study showed that at least three pronounced components are observed in the kinetics of attenuation at low temperature. Of the three components, the main contribution to the light sum is made by a slow microsecond component with a decay time in the range of 2–9 microseconds. However, the nanosecond kinetics of intrinsic luminescence of samples in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum is of particular interest. The presence of several fast components indicates the complex structure of this glow associated with the superposition of the glow bands of autolocalized excitons. The data obtained are of both scientific and practical interest in the further development of functional materials.

Water-Seeded Rice Seedling Response to Soil-Water Partitioning of Pendimethalin

Abstract Weed management in California water-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) is challenging due to herbicide-resistant weeds. Research on additional herbicide options is necessary to control herbicide-resistant weeds. Pendimethalin is a dinitroaniline herbicide commonly used in dry-seeded rice; however, it is not registered in water-seeded rice. This study was conducted to determine the pendimethalin fate in water-seeded rice after application at 1-, 3-, and 5-leaf stage rice. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was utilized to quantify pendimethalin and degradants in the water, soil and rice seedling tissue at 1, 5, and 14 days after treatment. Over 50% of recovered pendimethalin was observed in the rice tissue and over 25% in the soil and least observed in the water at all application timings and sampling dates. Three pendimethalin degradants were observed at low concentrations: p36 [1-(1-ethylpropyl)-5,6-dimethyl-7-nitro-1H-benximidazole], p44 [4-[(1-ethylpropyl) amino]-2-methyl-3,5-ditrobenzoic acid] and p48 [4,5-dimethyl-3-nitro-N2-(pentan-3-yl) benzene-1,2-diamine]. The degradant p36 was observed in all samples and most abundant in the soil. The degradants p36 and p44 increased in concentration in the water by 14 days after treatment. The degradants p44 and p48 were at low concentrations or below the lowest level of quantification in water, soil, and tissue samples. The pendimethalin parent molecule remained intact and was not readily metabolized in rice tissue. The crown region and shoots of the rice seedlings demonstrated greater pendimethalin concentrations compared to the roots at all rice stages; however, pendimethalin concentrations remained similar across the three sample timings. Rice root and shoot reduction was 16 and 13%, respectively, after the 1-leaf stage application averaged over sample timings, and 6 and 4% after the 5-leaf stage application. The results suggest the rice stage at the application timing is an important factor for pendimethalin tolerance; therefore, encouraging early root development can be beneficial for pendimethalin tolerance in water-seeded rice.

Running on Fumes: An Analysis of Fine Particulate Matter's Impact on Finish Times in Nine Major US Marathons, 2003-2019.

Under controlled conditions and in some observational studies of runners, airborne fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) is associated with exercise performance decrements. To assess the association between event-day fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and marathon finish times. Using a spatiotemporal machine-learning model, we estimated event-day racecourse-averaged PM2.5 concentrations for nine major US marathons (2003-2019). We obtained 1,506,137 male and 1,058,674 female finish times from 140 event-years of public marathon data. We used linear and quantile mixed models to estimate the mean and percentile-specific year and heat index-adjusted effect of 1µg/m3 higher event-day racecourse-averaged PM2.5 on marathon finish times in sex-stratified samples. Analyzing all finish times, 1µg/m3 higher race-day PM2.5 was associated with 32-s slower average finish times among men (95% confidence limits (CL) 30, 33s) and 25-s slower average finish times among women (95% CL 23, 27s). Quantile-specific associations of event-day PM2.5 with finish times were larger for faster-than-median finishers. While PM2.5 was generally associated with slower finish times in single-event models, there was effect heterogeneity, and most 95% confidence intervals included the null. Greater race-day PM2.5 was associated with slower average marathon finish times, with more pronounced effects in faster-than-median runners. While more research is needed to characterize effect heterogeneity across the performance spectrum, these findings show the impact of PM2.5 on marathon performance and the importance of considering data from multiple competitions when estimating PM2.5 effects from event-level data.

THE EFFECT OF PIGMENT ADDITION ON TRASH BAG MADE FROM RECYCLE HDPE

Trash bag is a product of plastic film in the form of bubbles which is produced using extrusion blown film and coextrusion blown film machines. Trash bags have a variety of colors and sizes. The color of the trash bag comes from pigment additives. The addition of pigments to trash bags is not only to increase their aesthetic value, but can also have an impact on the mechanical properties and water resistance of finished goods. Therefore, experiments were carried out to make trash bags with variations in the addition of pigments (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%), HDPE recycle (60%), LLDPE recycle (40%), desiccant (5%). The experiment was conducted at PT Sang Plastik Indonesia. The purpose of the experiment was to find out the process of making trash bags, the exact formulation, and the mechanical properties and resistance to water. The process of making trash bags uses an extrusion blown film machine at a temperature of 190-195°C. The process of testing the mechanical properties consisting of tensile strength and tear strength was carried out six times for each trash bag sample using a universal testing machine, while the water resistance test was carried out by soaking each sample for 24 hours. The results of the trash bag tensile strength test with the addition of 0% pigment was 6.8 MPa, 5% pigment was 6.7 MPa, 10% pigment was 6.2 MPa, and 15% pigment was 6.1 MPa. The results of the tear strength test of the trash bag with the addition of 0% pigment was 1.8 N, 5% pigment was 1.7 N, 10% pigment was 1.6 N, and 15% pigment was 1.3 N. The results of the trash bag water resistance test with the addition of 0% pigment was 98.10%, 5% pigment is 99.13%, 10% pigment is 98.39%, and 15% pigment is 99.66%.

Longitudinal analysis of serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein in a patient with non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia following brachial plexus block-induced hypotension: a case study.

Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) is a promising biomarker for small-bowel ischemia including non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI). A 75-year-old woman with diabetic nephropathy sustained a distal radius fracture. Two days later, she underwent a brachial plexus block to facilitate orthopedic surgery, which resulted in hypotension. Despite prompt fluid resuscitation and ephedrine administration, the patient developed abdominal pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed hepatic portal venous gas, but no direct evidence of small-bowel ischemia. The gastrointestinal surgery team opted for cautious in-hospital observation overnight. Unfortunately, the patient's condition significantly worsened the following day, prompting an urgent laparotomy. Surgery confirmed ileal segment necrosis, macroscopically characterized by a distinctive geographic pattern. Retrospective analysis of stored serum samples using a human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated that I-FABP levels were moderately elevated (7.2ng/mL) at the initial outpatient visit for the fracture, peaked (17.9ng/mL) at the clinical onset of NOMI, and returned to normal (0.7ng/mL) by postoperative day 2. Serum I-FABP levels correlated with the progression of NOMI, showing potential as an early detection marker. However, the longitudinal analysis of serum I-FABP also highlighted significant challenges of this biomarker, including the influence of renal function and the importance of sampling timing.

A clot waveform analysis-based system for differential diagnosis of prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time in plasma samples.

Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) in plasma samples requires quick and accurate differential diagnosis. We developed two methods using clot waveform analysis (CWA) for plasma samples with prolonged aPTT, particularly for factor (F)VIII deficiency. One method estimates FVIII activity (FVIII:C) using CWA without measuring FVIII:C by template matching. The other utilizes CWA in the mixing test to quickly differentiate FVIII deficiency (FD), FVIII inhibitor (Inh), and lupus anticoagulant (LA). To establish a more accurate system for differential diagnosis of aPTT prolongation, including FIX deficiency, by combining a CWA-based mixing test and template matching. Samples with FD (n = 96), LA (n = 19), and Inh (n = 28) were incubated with normal plasma. FD, LA, and Inh were differentiated using a mixing test, followed by CWA-based template matching. In the mixing test, sensitivity for FD, Inh, and LA was 100%, 93%, and 100%, and specificity was 96%, 100%, and 100%. Samples with FIX inhibitor (> 0.6 BU/mL) were differentiated as the inhibitor sample. In template matching, almost all severe hemophilia A and B were judged as the respective severe types. This novel CWA-based measurement system could aid in differential diagnosis of prolonged aPTT.

Charge regulation for advanced electrode combining ZrNi-UiO-66 and carbon quantum dots towards high specific capacitance

Introducing advanced conductive nanoparticles to combine with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as electrode is emergingly regarded as a practical and efficient approach to improve the capacitive performance of supercapacitors. Herein, a new MOF (ZrNi-UiO-66, Nickel-zirconium 1,4-dicarboxybenzene) is designed to combine with carbon quantum dots (CQDs) to form a composite electrode with high specific capacitance, in which the charge regulation is performed to facilitate the electronic conduction and transfer. Such constructed electrode delivers an enhanced electronic conductivity and an improved specific capacitance of 2468.75 F g−1@ 1 A g−1, which is four times of the contrast sample. Meanwhile, the assembled hybrid supercapacitor exhibits an increased energy density and power density, as well as a sustainable stability after 10,000 cycles with a retention rate of 91.6 %. Basing on the study of advanced characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) simulation, the mechanism of significantly improved specific capacitance can be elaborated as the promote electronic conduction caused from narrowed band gap from 3.9 eV or 0.41 eV–0.23 eV, and the increased charge accumulation at the Ni sites in designed MOFs. This work provides new insights for the design and construction of potential energy storage materials based on MOFs and/or advanced carbon-based materials.

At-Home Self-Collection of Pharmacokinetic Data: Design and Results From a Phase 1 Open-Label Feasibility Trial.

Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies pose unique technical challenges. We present the design of a Phase 1, open-label, fixed-sequence, PK trial that aimed to compare the timing accuracy of participant- versus staff-collected data, and we provide safety and tolerability outcomes for centanafadine treatment. Healthy adults aged 18-55 years received a single 100-mg centanafadine sustained-release tablet at Visits 1, 2, and 4. PK samples (venous sampling and blood microsampling) and safety assessments (12-lead electrocardiograms [ECGs] and vital signs) were collected by clinical site staff only at Visit 1. At Visit 2, site staff collected venous blood, and participants obtained blood microsamples, a 6-lead ECG, and vital signs under staff supervision. At Visit 4, participants obtained blood microsamples, a 6-lead ECG, and vital signs remotely. The absolute differences between actual and scheduled collection times for PK samples, ECGs, and vital signs are reported descriptively. Of the 20 participants, at least 75% obtained blood microsamples within 10 minutes of the planned nominal time. Absolute differences between actual and scheduled collection times of ECGs and vital signs were small. No adverse events were related to treatment. Overall, results support the feasibility of at-home collection of PK samples, ECGs, and vital signs.

Probing the heating of the neutral atomic interstellar medium in the Dwarf Galaxy Survey through infrared cooling lines

Star formation in galaxies is regulated by dynamical and thermal processes. In the Milky Way and star-forming galaxies with similar metallicity, the photoelectric effect on small dust grains usually dominates the heating of the neutral atomic gas, which constitutes the main star-forming gas reservoir. In more metal-poor galaxies, the lower dust-to-gas mass ratio together with the higher occurrence and luminosity of X-ray sources suggest that other heating mechanisms may be at play. We aim to determine the contribution of the photoelectric effect, photoionization by UV and X-ray photons, and ionization by cosmic rays to the total heating of the neutral gas in a sample of 37 low-metallicity galaxies. In particular, we wish to assess whether X-ray sources can be a significant source of heating. We also attempt to recover the intrinsic X-ray fluxes and compare them with observations when available. We used the statistical code MULTIGRIS together with a photoionization grid of Cloudy models propagating radiation from stellar clusters and potential X-ray sources to the ionized and neutral gas. This grid includes physical parameters such as metallicity, gas density, ionization parameter, and radiative source properties. We describe a galaxy as a combination of many 1D components linked by a few physical hyperparameters. We used infrared cooling lines as constraints to evaluate the most likely combinations and parameters. We constrained the heating fractions for the main mechanisms for the first time in a low-metallicity galaxy sample. We show that for the higher metallicity galaxies, the photoelectric effect dominates the neutral gas heating. At metallicities below $1/8$ the Milky Way value, cosmic rays and photoionization can become predominant. We computed an observational proxy for the photoelectric effect heating efficiency on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using the total cooling traced by We show that this proxy can match theoretical expectations when accounting for the fraction of the heating due to the photoelectric effect according to our models. Finally, we show that it is possible to predict the X-ray fluxes reasonably well in the $0.3-8$\,keV band from the gas cooling lines for most of the galaxies observed in this band. With the current grid and assumptions, determining the exact heating fraction due to cosmic rays remains difficult, but we speculate that heating from X-ray sources is more important. As expected from the low abundance of dust and PAHs in metal-poor galaxies, heating mechanisms other than the photoelectric effect heating must be accounted for. Bright X-ray sources may deposit their energy on large scales in such transparent, dust-poor interstellar medium, and thus they represent promising avenues to understand the physical properties of the main star-forming gas reservoir in galaxies. The modeling strategy adopted here makes it possible to recover the global intrinsic radiation field properties when X-ray observations are unavailable, such as in early universe galaxies.

Innovative fabrication of porous polyvinylpyrrolidone-graphene-chitosan adsorbent beads for the extraction of parabens from beverages

Microporous polyvinylpyrrolidone-graphene-chitosan (PVP-G-CS) adsorbent beads were fabricated using a novel technique. The acidic PVP-G-CS mixture was aerated with an air pump, causing bubbles to form in drops that solidified in an alkaline solution to form the adsorbent beads. The beads were applied to simultaneously extract four parabens in beverage samples for analysis by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection. The results exhibited linearity in the range of 5.0 – 1000 µg kg−1 under optimal conditions. The ranges of the limits of detection and limits of quantitation were 4.3 – 7.3 µg kg−1 and 14.3 – 24.3 µg kg−1, respectively. The developed beads demonstrated good repeatability (RSD < 5.7 %, n = 6) and were reusable for up to 15 times in juice samples (RSD ≤ 5.3, n = 3). Recoveries of the target parabens from beverage samples ranged from 72.2 % to 102.8 %. Two alcoholic beverages and four juice samples were found to contain paraben concentrations ranging from 7.2 to 14.2 µg kg−1.

Sleep, Screen Behaviors, and Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Cross-Sectional Study of U.S. Children and Adolescents.

To examine the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and children's obesogenic behaviors (meeting recommendations for sleep duration and screen time) in a representative sample of U.S. children and adolescents. This study assessed data from the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health. Separate multinomial logistic regressions examined the likelihood of failing to meet sleep and screen time recommendations given individual and cumulative ACE scores. 15,581 children (48% female, 32% non-White) experienced one ACE, representing 32% of the analyzed sample. Parents reported financial hardship as the most prevalent ACE (48%). After adjusting for child race/ethnicity, sex of the child, highest education in the household, and child age, we found that participants with four or more ACEs were (1) age-specific sleep recommendations compared with participants with zero ACEs (OR 1.96; 95%CI = 1.64-2.35), and (2) more likely to fall short of meeting screen use recommendations compared with participants with zero ACEs (OR 1.61; 95%CI = 1.26-2.07). U.S. children and adolescents who have experienced four or more ACEs are significantly more likely to fall short of sleep and screen time recommendations compared to their counterparts who experienced zero ACEs. Given the strong associations between ACEs and health outcomes in adulthood, screening for ACEs may better inform practitioners when attempting to improve youth health outcomes.