Sequential Procedure Research Articles

Evaluating the Effects of Solid-Phase Cartridge Chemistry on Extraction of Bisphosphonates and ITPP From Equine Plasma.

Bisphosphonate drugs and myo-inositol trispyrophosphate are of concern to the racing industry and have been listed as prohibited substances in equine sports. The current bisphosphonate plasma screening analysis employed at the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory involves the use of sequential solid-phase extraction procedures, passing the samples through a mixed mode cartridge, followed by a weak anion exchange cartridge. The eluates collected following the second extraction are then methylated and analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Under these extraction conditions, some bisphosphonates have shown poor recovery. To improve the extraction efficacy, the effects of cartridge chemistry were evaluated. In particular, the weak anion exchange cartridges used for screening were compared to an affinisep AttractSPE polymeric phase cartridge. The effectiveness of each extraction approach was assessed through both a visual comparison of signal to noise in extracted chromatograms and recovery measurements to determine the best approach for routine screening.

Evaluation of the remediation effect of solid waste synergistic materials on heavy metal-contaminated soil

In this study, we investigated the effect of various solid waste materials such as fly ash (CFA), steel slag, and kaolinite on the simultaneous stabilization of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the soil of abandoned lead-smelting slag plant. Synchronous stabilization of HMs in highly contaminated soils was achieved using the application of 29 % formulated material Fe/Ca-Si based co-remediation material (FCS) with a ratio of FeSO4 + CFA + kaolinite of 14 %: 12 %: 3 %, the bioavailable content of HMs As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn was reduced by 71.55 %, 49.62 %, 91.35 %, 61.37 %, and 41.45 %, respectively, and had little effect on the pH of the soil. Leaching toxicity analyses guaranteed the safety of restorative materials. The results of the field validation experiments showed that the FCS was able to effectively reduce the content of HMs in plant rhizomes and stabilized with maintenance time. European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) and Wenzel sequential extraction procedures showed that FCS promoted the transformation of HMs in soil from unstable to stable phases. The analysis of soil microbial community diversity by FCS showed that it created a favorable soil living environment for microorganisms and was conducive to the stabilization of HMs. SEM, Surface scanning analysis, XRD, and FTIR results showed that FCS reacts with HMs to form a stable phase. Cost analysis showed that it has certain economic benefits. In conclusion, FCS is feasible for soil remediation in lead-smelting slag-polluted areas and also provides a way for high value-added utilization of solid waste.

Syntheses of Diarylmethanes Via an Oxidative Benzylic Functionalization of P-Alkyl Phenol Derivatives Under Quaternary Ammonium Hypoiodite Catalysis.

We herein report two strategies for the quaternary ammonium hypoiodite-mediated oxidative benzylic functionalization of p-alkyl phenol derivatives. By using either dibenzoylperoxide or H2O2 in hexafluoroisopropanol in the presence of tetrabutyl ammonium iodide gives access to activated intermediates which can then be coupled with electron-rich aromatic compounds. Overall, this sequential two-step one-pot procedure gives access to diversely decorated diarylmethane derivatives straightforwardly. Furthermore, the suitability of these products to undergo further oxidation reactions was successfully demonstrated.

Deep learning permits imaging of multiple structures with the same fluorophores

Fluorescence microscopy, which employs fluorescent tags to label and observe cellular structures and their dynamics, is a powerful tool for life sciences. However, due to the spectral overlap between different dyes, a limited number of structures can be separately labeled and imaged for live-cell applications. In addition, the conventional sequential channel imaging procedure is quite time consuming, as it needs to switch either different lasers or filters. Here, we propose a novel double-structure network (DBSN) that consists of multiple connected models, which can extract six distinct subcellular structures from three raw images with only two separate fluorescent labels. DBSN combines the intensity-balance model to compensate for uneven fluorescent labels for different structures and the structure-separation model to extract multiple different structures with the same fluorescent labels. Therefore, DBSN breaks the bottleneck of the existing technologies and holds immense potential applications in the field of cell biology.

Self-Management Effect on Preeclampsia in Pregnant Women at RSI Jemursari Surabaya

The leading cause of mortality after infection and hemorrhage is preeclampsia. Preeclampsia can develop in a pregnant woman anywhere from the third trimester onwards, or after the 20th week of gestation. Finding out how self-management affects preeclampsia in pregnant women was the goal of this study at RSI Jemursari Surabaya. This study's pre-experimental design makes use of the One-Group Pre-Test and Post-Test methodology. The study's population consisted of sixty-two pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia at RSI Jemursari Surabaya. extracted with the use of a sequential non-random sampling procedure. One variable that may be controlled is preeclampsia, while another is self-management. The device used a preeclampsia observation sheet. In order to analyze the data, the Wilcoxon ranks test statistic was used, with a significance threshold of = 0.05. The results obtained from 53 respondents that before being given intervention there were severe preeclampsia (39.6%), mild preeclampsia (49.1%) of respondents, and superimposed (11.3%). 0%), mild preeclampsia (71.7%) and superimposed preeclampsia (11.3%). Analysis of the Wilcoxon ranks test statistical test obtained a significance value of P=0.001 so that H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted. Self Management has an effect on the incidence of preeclampsia, so pregnant women can do it independently and nurses are expected to be able to provide education in health services.

Sustainable reuse of modified incineration sewage sludge ash (M-ISSA) for stabilization of highly As-contaminated soil

Arsenic (As) is an environmental hazardous contaminant, seriously threatening human health. Chemical activation can effectively enhance As adsorption performance of incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA). Through modification, the iron (mainly present as hematite) in the ISSA was rearranged to KFeO2. Based on the results of the present study, addition of modified ISSA (M-ISSA) in contaminated soil had a positive effect on As immobilization. A set of laboratory batch experiments including toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP), and sequential extraction procedure (SEP) were carried out to investigate effects of M-ISSA dosages and curing time on immobilization of As contaminated soil (100, 500, 1000 mg As/kg soil). Results indicated that a higher addition amount of M-ISSA enhanced the effectiveness of stabilization and significantly reduced the As leachability after a stabilization period of 28 d. Particularly, in 1000 mg As/kg soil, M-ISSA reduced the labile As concentration in the TCLP test from 21.45 to 0.73 mg/L and in the SPLP test from 27.75 mg/L to 7.83 mg/L. M-ISSA transformed As in soil to more stable forms that were bounded to amorphous iron hydrous oxides. The number of stable fractions saw a sharp rise from 31% to 60%, when the M-ISSA addition was 5%. Different characterizations were conducted including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), in order to demonstrate the stabilization behavior and mechanism of As and M-ISSA. The main stabilization mechanism was associated with adsorption and coprecipitation processes. Overall, this study proposed a novel recycling method for ISSA that could be chemically modified into a reliable and efficient additive for the immobilization of As contaminated soil.

Critical condition for initiation of dynamic recrystallisation in electron beam powder bed fused Ti-6Al-4 V Alloy

Despite the unique capabilities of Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes for producing Ti components with complex geometries, the desired properties are only achievable if a holistic scheme is devised, considering the synergistic role of post-processing steps. This work aimed to enhance the applicability of metal AM products by improving the process chain in the manufacturing industry. For this purpose, the current work demonstrates a comprehensive investigation into the hot deformation of Ti-6Al-4 V (Ti64) pre-forms produced via the Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (EB-PBF) process focusing on the determination of critical conditions for initiating Dynamic Recrystallization (DRX) in these components. Following a sequential evaluation procedure, hot deformation experiments were carried out at temperatures ranging from 1000 to 1200 °C and strain rates of 0.001–1 s−1 to determine the critical stress and strain required for initiating DRX in Ti64 pre-forms and compare them to their wrought counterparts. In addition, a specific Finite Element Model (FEM) was coupled with DRX kinetics equations to predict the volume percentage of DRX grains during the hot deformation of the pre-forms. The analysis of flow stress curves showed a significant peak stress at low strains, which is then followed by a period of flow softening and eventually transitions into a nearly steady-state flow at higher strains. In addition, compared to their wrought counterparts, the EB-PBF samples exhibited a significantly superior flow softening behavior, as evidenced by a more significant volume fraction of DRX and faster recrystallisation rates. It was also revealed that the normalised strain for DRX initiation in the EB-PBF Ti64 and wrought one was 0.55 and 0.67, respectively. FEM results closely matched the experimental finding, confirming its reliability in providing valuable insights into microstructural evolution and offering a time-efficient alternative for process design and property optimisation, lowering dependence on trial-and-error approaches. Through a combination of experiments, numerical analysis, and finite element simulations, this study sheds light on the macroscopic deformation and microstructural transformations occurring during hot working processes.

Practical estimation and use of natural background concentrations in surface waters for nickel in Europe.

Estimates of ambient background concentrations in surface waters, referred to as natural background concentrations (NBCs) in European guidance documents, may be an important factor in determining whether a monitoring site meets the legally binding Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) when assessing naturally occurring substances. Here, we focus on utilizing routine regulatory surface water monitoring data to provide risk assessors and environmental practitioners with a transparent, implementable, repeatable, and resource-effective approach to estimate NBCs. The methodology does not use additional environmental sampling beyond that which is routine or require advanced statistical methods, or the incorporation of highly specialist, and not always readily accessible, local knowledge. It determines both whether a site is suitable for NBC assessment as well as the identification of suitable surrogate sites and local NBCs using 11 criteria: six for identifying if a site is suitable for NBC correction, and five for identifying suitable surrogate sites for local NBC values. The criteria consider both the extent of any EQS exceedance, after accounting for bioavailability in line with the European guidance and potential anthropogenic impacts at the site, and can be applied in a simple sequential procedure. The method has been applied to derive NBCs for nickel on three case-study countries-Cyprus, France, and Spain-to determine its useability and impact on compliance. The methodology presented addresses a gap in the current guidance regarding the practical and consistent implementation of NBCs and could be applied to other naturally occurring substances in an EQS or Water Quality Guideline compliance assessment process. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-14. © 2024 WCA Environment Ltd and NiPERA Inc. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Transformation of typical heavy metals during preparation of porous carbon from coal gasification fine slag

To clarify the fate of typical heavy metals during preparation process of porous carbon, we produced porous carbon using a two-step strategy and investigated the transformation behavior of heavy metals including V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn and Ba in the process. A modified Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction procedure was implemented to reveal the occurrence state of heavy metals. The results clearly showed that the transformation of selected heavy metals in activated carbon was mostly determined by the occurrence state, volatile nature and operating procedure. In addition to the new aluminosilicate minerals, abundant pore structure also had evident dependence on solidifying heavy metals in porous carbon. The content of heavy metals in activated carbon were considerably lower than YKFS, and V, Cr and Cu were more accumulated in porous carbon. It is also important to note that Zn possessed markedly lower content and REI value (3.61–56.17 %) in activated carbon and porous carbon owning to the volatile nature of Zn and acid solubility of Zn-base minerals. The Risk Assessment Code (RAC) evaluation conducted that the acid leaching operation effectively decreased the hazardous properties of heavy metals. The research results can provide significant guidance for value-added utilization of gasification fine slag in an environmentally friendly.

Sequential correction of sagittal vertical alignment and lumbar lordosis in adult flatback deformity

BackgroundFlatback deformity, or lumbar hypolordosis, can cause sagittal imbalance, causing back pain, fatigue, and functional limitation. Surgical correction through osteotomies and interbody fusion techniques can restore sagittal balance and relieve pain. This study investigated sagittal vertical alignment (SVA) and lumbar lordosis correction achieved through sequential procedures on human spine specimens. MethodsHuman T10-sacrum specimens were stratified into 2 groups: degenerative flatback specimens had smaller L1-S1 lordosis compared to the iatrogenic group (26.1°±15.0° vs. 47.8°±19.3°, p<.05). Specimens were mounted in the apparatus in simulated standing posture with a nominal sacral slope of 45 degrees and subjected to a 400N compressive follower preload. Sequential correction of degenerative lumbar flatback deformity involved: anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) at L5-S1, ALIF at L4-5, lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) at L2-3 and L3-4, and posterior column osteotomy (PCO) at L2-3 and L3-4. In iatrogenic specimens, flatback deformity was created by performing a posterior in-situ immobilization using pedicle screw instrumentation at L4-L5-S1 followed by distraction across the pedicle screws. We then performed LLIF at L2-3 and L3-4, followed by PCO at L2-3 and L3-4. ResultsStatistically significant incremental corrections were noted in SVAs and lordosis after L5-S1 ALIF, L4-5 ALIF, and PCO in degenerative flatback specimens. For the iatrogenic group, statistically significant worsening was noted in measures of standing alignment after L4-L5-S1 hypolordotic fusion. Subsequent LLIF at L2-3 and L3-4 did not significantly improve sagittal alignment. However, after PCO at L2-3 and L3-4, final alignment parameters were not significantly different than preoperative baseline values prior to hypolordotic fusion. ConclusionsALIF cages in the lower lumbar segments significantly improved sagittal alignment in degenerative flatback specimens. In the upper lumbar segments, LLIF cages alone were ineffective at enhancing lumbar lordosis. LLIF cages in conjunction with PCO improved alignment parameters in degenerative and iatrogenic flatback deformities.

Modes of Occurrence, Migration, and Evolution Pathways of Lithium and Gallium during Combustion of an Al-Rich Coal, Inner Mongolia, China

The modes of occurrence, migration, and evolution pathways of lithium (Li) and gallium (Ga) during combustion of an Al-rich coal from Inner Mongolia, China, were investigated using methods of simulated combustion experiments, the sequential chemical extraction procedure (SCEP), and the thermodynamic equilibrium calculation. Mineralogical and chemical compositions of the feed coal and combustion ash were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study reveals that Li and Ga are significantly enriched in the ash after combustion, with the contents reaching up to 1086 μg/g and 133 μg/g, respectively. The primary modes of occurrence of Li and Ga in the ash are quartz and aluminosilicates, and sulfides, respectively. Li, in the form of LiAlSi4O10 (s), primarily occurs in hematite, glass, and quartz below 800 °C. However, it migrates into the glass phase, mullite, and quartz above 1000 °C. On the other hand, Ga exists as Ga4S5 (s) and transforms into Ga2S (g) as the temperature rises from 800 °C to 1000 °C, maintaining this gaseous form until 1200 °C. Ga4S5 (s) predominantly occurs in the glass phase at 600 °C, whereas mullite and quartz become its dominant modes of occurrence in industrial combustion ashes and ashes obtained from simulated combustion above 600 °C.

Corrosion performance of 6061 aluminium alloy protected by plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings modified by acrylic acid

Long-term corrosion studies (six weeks) of aluminium alloy 6061 treated by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with or without the addition of a corrosion inhibitor (acrylic acid) in oxygenated 3.5 wt% NaCl are reported. A two-step sequential procedure (PEO + enrichment with acrylic acid) was compared with PEO carried out in the presence of the inhibitor. EIS backed by ICP-OES and SEM data showed that the sequential method offers the best long-term protection. A new approach for testing weight loss due to corrosion underneath the PEO coatings is proposed. The obtained results are consistent with other methods used in the study.

How to increase the success rate in microsurgical free and pedicled flap reconstructions with intraoperative multistep ICG imaging: A case series with 400 consecutive cases

BackgroundOver the last decade, microsurgical soft tissue transfer became the gold standard for a wide variety of reconstructions throughout the body. Continued improvement of instruments and surgical techniques allowed reaching a very high success rate, like the employment of intra-operative indocyanine green angiography (ICG-A). This study aims to assess and validate the role of a standard intraoperative ICG-A in free flap and pedicled flap surgery to improve the overall outcomes. Patients and MethodsFrom April 2018 and April 2023, four hundreds consecutive patients who underwent reconstruction using free flap and pedicled flap were enrolled. The ICG-A was always performed in free flap after elevation of the flap, after microsurgical anastomosis, immediately after the flap inset and after wound closure; in pedicled flap the sequential procedure was performed after elevation of the flap, after flap inset and after wound closure. ResultsAll four hundred patients who underwent flap reconstruction using intraoperative ICG angiography had an extremely low incidence of necrosis (0.75% partial necrosis among free flaps and pedicled flaps) and reoperation for perfusion-related complications (0.75% due to acute ischemia and 0.50% due to flap congestion). Minor complications like hematoma, seroma, wound dehiscence, and wound infections were managed with a second operation. No flaps were lost and all the patients were successfully treated. ConclusionsThe present report shows how the employment of systematic multiple-steps ICG angiography for intra-operative assessment of both free and pedicled flap’s perfusion can significantly reduce the complications rate, including flap loss and re-exploration surgeries, in a time- and cost-effective manner.

Iron species and sulfur isotopic compositions of authigenic pyrite in deep-sea sediments at southern Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia margin (ODP Leg 204): implications for non-steady-state depositional and diagenetic processes

Two accretionary sediment sequences from Sites 1245 and 1252 recovered during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 204 at southern Hydrate Ridge were investigated to explore the response of geochemical partitioning of iron and sulfur isotopic composition of authigenic pyrite to non-steady-state depositional and diagenetic scenarios. Five iron species were characterized by a modified sequential extraction procedure that covers almost all iron-bearing minerals in sediment cores, including: (1) iron-bearing carbonates, mainly siderite; (2) ferric (hydr)oxides, probably ferrihydrite and/or lepidocrocite; (3) magnetite; (4) iron-bearing silicates; and (5) pyrite. Highly reactive iron has been accumulated for a long-term steady-state history and its pyritization, to varying degrees, is limited by availability of dissolved sulfide. This causes pyrite and siderite occurred in the same sedimentary layer and shows an inverse relationship between their concentrations. From this, their proportions to highly reactive iron can be chosen for evaluating the degree of sulfidization. A significant change in sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite (-42.4 to +16.8‰ VCDT) indicates that the steady-state conditions are dramatically limited, where the δ34S values higher than -20‰ may result from an upward shift of SMT zone close to the seafloor or a sudden, massive depositional event. To explain the downcore sulfidization effects and pyrite δ34S values, we developed two categories of conceptual scenarios based on variations in sedimentation rate and methane flux. The geochemical features similar to those derived from each scenario were searched in the sediment columns and the non-steady-state events behind the scenarios were proved to be consistent with the real observations. Thus, iron species and pyrite δ34S values can be regarded as a proxy to differentiate different non-steady-state depositional and diagenetic controls on the sedimentary record.

Prediction of surface urban heat island based on predicted consequences of urban sprawl using deep learning: A way forward for a sustainable environment

The present work aimed at the spatiotemporal analysis of Land Surface Temperature (LST) and several land-use land-cover spectral indices, namely Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) and to develop a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model to predict the LST and the indices for Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) evaluation based on the impervious surface area. The predictions were made only for LST and two indices (NDVI and NDBI) because of their strong correlation with LST. Landsat-8 satellite imageries acquired for 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021 were utilized, and the Sialkot district, a swiftly urbanizing and advancing industrial city, was selected as a case study area. In the study, first, the indices (NDVI and NDBI) were predicted for 2019, 2021, and 2023 following a sequential procedure, and then based on the predicted indices, the LST for the mentioned years was predicted. Ultimately, to analyze the impact of impervious area on SUHI, impervious and SUHI were extracted for 2019, 2021, and 2023 using the predicted NDBI and LST, respectively, by employing Otsu's Thresholding technique. The predicted LST and indices for 2019 and 2021 were compared with the obtained 2019 and 2021 LST and indices through several statistical measures, such as the kappa index, to evaluate the performance of the CNN model. The kappa index of different kappa statistics for 2019 and 2021 varied between 0.81 and 0.96, which resembles several previous studies, thus indicating sufficient future predictions. SUHI evaluation was conducted based on the observed (2016) and simulated (2021) impervious area and normalized LST images. The results showed that the distribution of the SUHI was highly related to the impervious area. Suppose the urbanization rate in the study area continues at its current pace. In that case, this expansion will cause a dramatic increase in SUHI distribution unless decision-makers consider any proper urban planning model for the study area.

Sometimes memory misleads: Variants of the error-speed effect strengthen the evidence for systematically misleading memory signals in recognition memory.

The error-speed effect describes the observation that the speed of recognition errors in a first binary recognition task predicts the response accuracy in a subsequent two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) task that comprises the erroneously judged items of the first task. So far, the effect has been primarily explained by the assumption that some error responses result from misleading memory evidence. However, it is also possible that the effect arises because participants remember and use their response times from the binary task to solve the 2AFC task. Furthermore, the phenomenon is quite new and its robustness or generalizability across other recognition tasks (e.g., a confidence-rating task) remains to be demonstrated. The aim of the present study is to address these limitations by introducing a new variant of the error-speed effect, replacing the 2AFC task with a confidence-rating task (Experiment 1), and by reversing task order (Experiment 2) to test whether participants employ a response-time strategy. In both experiments, we collected data using a sequential probability ratio t-test procedure and found evidence in favor of the hypothesis that the speed of binary recognition errors predicts confidence ratings for the same stimulus. These results attest to the robustness and generalizability of the error-speed effect and reveal that at least some errors must be due to systematically misleading memory evidence.

A Novel generalization of sequential decision-theoretic rough set model and its application

This paper introduces a refined and broadened version of decision-theoretic rough sets (DTRSs) named Generalized Sequential Decision-Theoretic Rough Set (GSeq-DTRS), which integrates the three-way decision (3WD) methodology. Operating through multiple levels, this iterative approach aims to comprehensively explore the boundary region. It introduces the concept of generalized granulation, departing from conventional equivalence-relation-based structures to incorporate similarity/tolerance relations. GSeq-DTRS addresses the limitations encountered by its predecessor, Seq-DTRS, particularly in managing sequential procedures and integrating new attributes. A notable advancement is its seamless handling of continuous-scale datasets through a defined Generalized Granular Structure (GGS), enabling classification across multiple levels without necessitating reduction of attributes. A refined version of conditional probability (CP), aligned with tolerance classes, enhances the approach, supported by a meticulously designed algorithm. Extensive experimental analysis conducted on two datasets sourced from https://www.kaggle.com demonstrates the efficacy of the procedure for both continuous and discrete datasets, effectively classifying probable elements into POS or NEG regions based on their membership. Unlike traditional Seq-DTRS, it does not require reduction of attributes at each new level. Additionally, the algorithm exhibits lower sensitivity to parametric values and yields results in fewer iterations. Thus, its potential impact on decision-making processes is readily apparent.

Iron biogeochemical redox cycling dominantly controls cadmium availability in acidic paddy soils

Periodic redox condition changes in acidic paddy soils substantially induce the biogeochemical redox cycling, and consequently affect Cd availability. However, the underlying biogeochemical mechanisms of the complicated redox processes in paddy soil remain poorly understood. Thus, we investigated the dynamics of Cd fractions under anoxic (0–40 days) and oxic (40–55 days) conditions. The available Cd content was evaluated using the diffusive gradients in thin film (DGT) technique, and the results show it decreased from 6.3 μg L–1 to below 0.1 μg L–1 under anoxic conditions, but rapidly increased to 13.5 μg L–1 under oxic conditions. Both sequential extraction procedures and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analyses found that majority of available Cd transformed to organic matter complex and Fe-Mn oxides fractions, rather than bounded with sulfides. The soil chemical properties further evaluated, and the correlation analysis and principal component analysis results suggested that the key factors in soils for the available Cd was the SO42–, pH, and surface site concentration. The reduction of SO42– could generate sulfides which may precipitate with dissolved Cd. The biogeochemical redox cycling of Fe/N/S determined the changes of soil pH and consequently influenced adsorption behavior of Cd. The breakdown of the soil aggregations changed the surface site concentration, which may affect the immobilization of Cd. A process-based kinetic model was established, and it found that iron biogeochemical redox cycling dominated the changes of soil pH, and thereby contributed to majority Cd retention by Fe-Mn oxides (34.4 %) and organic matter (33.7 %). In addition, sulfur biogeochemical redox cycling only contributed to 13.6 % of the total Cd contents, because of relatively low Cd solubility in contaminated soils and the competition with other cations for limited sulfides. The findings provide robust targets for interpreting the iron and sulfur biogeochemical processes for Cd availability and would be helpful for developing the precise and effective remediation strategies in Cd-contaminated soils.

Sequential Extraction of Incineration Bottom Ash: Conclusions Regarding Ecotoxicity

The classification of incineration bottom ash (IBA) as hazardous or non-hazardous according to ecotoxic hazard property HP14 is still under debate. In this context, only the compounds of Zn and Cu with the hazard statement code H410 are of relevance. With an approach based on the grouping of substances, it was shown that such substances are either readily water-soluble or slightly and sparingly soluble. The concentrations of readily soluble Cu and Zn compounds in IBA are far below the cut-off value of 0.1%. Slightly and sparingly soluble Zn and Cu compounds could be quantified in the first fraction of a four-step sequential extraction procedure. With the results from the complete sequence, the dimensionless synthesis toxicity index (STI) was calculated and was in the range of 494 to 1218 for the four investigated IBA samples. It was concluded that IBA can usually be classified as non-hazardous.

Stabilization of approximate GHZ state with quasi-local couplings

We propose a reservoir design, composed of fixed dissipation operators acting each on few local subsystems, to stabilize an approximate GHZ state on n qubits. The main idea is to work out how a previously proposed sequence of two stabilization steps can be applied instead in appropriate (probabilistic) superposition. We examine various alternatives to synchronize the superposition using local couplings only, thanks to a chain of ‘clock’ ancillas or to additional levels on the data subsystems. The practical value of these alternatives depends on experimental constraints. They all feature a design tradeoff between approximate stabilization fidelity and protection against perturbations. These proposals illustrate how simple autonomous automata can be implemented in quantum reservoir engineering to replace sequential state preparation procedures. Encoding automaton actions via additional data levels only, appears particularly efficient in this context. Our analysis method, reducing the Lindblad master equation to a Markov chain on virtual output signals, may be of independent interest.