Steep Rise Research Articles

Temporal trends of aortic valve replacement modalities by age group in the United-States 2015 - 2023

Abstract Background/Introduction Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has led to a paradigm shift in treating aortic stenosis (AS) across patients of all surgical-risk categories. To guide the clinical decision, the ACC/AHA guidelines recommended an age group classification; with SAVR being recommended in patients < 65 years, and TAVI being favored over SAVR in patients > 80 years. In patients between 65-80 years, both modalities are to be considered after shared decision making. The impact of those guidelines-derived age group classification on the contemporary AVR practice remains of interest and is dynamically changing. Purpose This study aims to examine the temporal trends in the modality of AVR (TAVI vs SAVR) in the U.S. among different age groups using a contemporary nationwide database. Methods We conducted a retrospective study using de-identified data from the Vizient Clinical Database, which gathers patient and hospital data from more than 1000 medical Centre. We analysed TAVI and SAVR procedures from October 1, 2015, to November 30, 2023, excluding patients under 18. We examined the national trends of TAVI vs SAVR in 3 age groups (<65, 65-80, >80 years) with AS. Trend analysis was performed using linear regression. This study was deemed exempt from the requirements of 45 CFR 46.104(d) by The Miriam Hospital Institutional Review Board given that it involved de-identified data. Results During the study period, 467,832 underwent AVR (TAVI n= 252,834, SAVR n= 214,998). The patient and hospital characteristics by age group are summarized in the Table. We observed a significant rise in TAVI adoption from 33.5% in 2015 to 59.96% in 2023. However, the pattern of temporal trends varied among different age groups. In patients > 80 years, TAVI showed a steep rise from 69.95% in 2015 to 92.96% in 2023 (p<0.002). The 65-80 years age cohort demonstrated the most pronounced growth in TAVI, rising from 26.23% in 2015 to about 60% in 2020 (p.001), after which a plateau in percentage was observed. TAVI in patients <65 years has also been increasingly adopted, rising from 7.18% in 2015 to 19.12% in 2020 (p<0.002), however, followed with a slight downtrend to 16.36% in 2023 (Figure). Conclusion In this most contemporary analysis from the U.S., we demonstrate an increase in the adoption of TAVI across all age groups over the study period, with the steepest rise observed in patients between 65-80 years of age. Since the 2020 ACC/AHA guidelines, there has been a gradual downtrend in the utilisation of TAVI in patients <65 years of age indicating a possible change in practice based on scientific societal recommendations. The stabilization in TAVI percentage in the age groups 65-80 years and > 80 years in the last few years may hint towards approaching equilibrium between TAVI and SAVR for these age groups.Proportions of AVR across age groups

Patterns of trajectories of glycated hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, and body mass index until the first clinic visit: the real-world history of type 2 diabetes using repeated health checkup data of Japanese workers

Abstract Background There is a lack of evidence regarding the trajectories of type 2 diabetes until the first clinic visit, including the untreated period after diagnosis. Objective We aimed to determine the real-world history of type 2 diabetes until the first clinic visit, including the untreated duration, and to assess the effective timing of the therapeutic intervention. Methods A total of 23,622 nondiabetic Japanese workers with a mean (SD) age of 38.8 (11.5) years were retrospectively followed from 2008 to 2022 for annual health checkups. The trajectories of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and body mass index (BMI) until the first clinic visit in diabetes individuals were determined. ROC analysis was performed to assess the contribution of each measure to the first visit. Results During a median follow-up of 12.0 years, 1,725 individuals developed type 2 diabetes, of whom 532 individuals visited clinics. HbA1c and FPG trajectories steeply rose in the year before the first clinic visit after their progressive upward trends. ROC analysis showed cutoff values for each measure. As the untreated duration increased, glycemia increased and BMI decreased among individuals who visited clinics. Conclusions To prevent the initial worsening of diabetes, early therapeutic intervention is necessary during the increasing trends before the steep rise in glycemia, regardless of the degree of obesity. HbA1c ≥6.5% (47.5 mmol/mol) and an HbA1c ≥0.2% (2.2 mmol/mol)/year increase may be an effective timing for therapeutic intervention.

Trend of RTS,S vaccine uptake in the malaria vaccine implementing programme (MVIP) pilot regions, Ghana; 2019–2022

IntroductionThe uptake trend of a new vaccine is unpredictable and may reflect the quality of introduction process and community acceptance. The objective of this study was to conduct a trend analysis of RTS,S malaria vaccine uptake in the seven pilot regions of Ghana from 2019 to 2022. The findings are envisaged to strengthen malaria vaccine introductions in the future. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on routine childhood immunisation data for 2019–2022. Coverages for the first (RTS,S1), second (RTS,S2), third (RTS,S3) and fourth (RTS,S4) doses of malaria vaccine; third dose of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis-containing vaccine (DTP3/Penta3); first dose measles-rubella (MR1) and second dose measles-rubella (MR2) vaccines were calculated. Dropout rates and uptake gaps were estimated to assess variations in the uptake of consecutive RTS,S schedules; and the differences in the uptake of RTS,S and the comparator vaccines, respectively. ResultsNationally, the coverages of the first three doses of the RTS,S malaria vaccine rose sharply from 2019 (RTS,S1 = 54.9 %; RTS,S2 = 54.6 %; RTS,S3 = 38.6 %) through 2020 (RTS,S1 = 70.7 %; RTS,S2 = 67.4 %; RTS,S3 = 66.3 %) to peaks in 2021 (RTS,S1 = 76.0 %; RTS,S2 = 73.1 %; RTS,S3 = 74.2 %), and declined marginally in 2022 (RTS,S1 = 74.0 %; RTS,S2 = 69.9 %; RTS,S3 = 71.3 %). For the fourth dose, the low uptake in 2020 (7.5 %) was followed by a steep rise in 2021 (46.9 %) that continued, but at a reduced rate to 50.6% in 2022. The dropout rates and uptake gaps were initially high but declined consistently over the study period. Generally, the trends in vaccination coverages, and dropout rates and uptake gaps at the national level were reflected in the respective regions. ConclusionThe coverage of RTS,S malaria vaccine improved consistently over the study period despite the low uptake in the early phase of the pilot. While the decreasing dropout rates and uptake gaps may indicate improved community acceptance, strengthening immunisation service delivery is crucial in sustaining the observed trajectory.

A review of the harvesting methods for offshore renewable energy – advances and challenges

The present work offers general information about present-day and developments in offshore renewable energy, specially of wind, wave and the solar energy harnessing structures. In the introduction, the authors raise awareness of the despite more untapped potentials that exist in the oceans and the offshore Wind Energy Market that is experiencing a steep rise in the recent past due to technological advancement and the great policies that support this energy source. This mainly focuses on the very huge additionality of offshore wind power and the improvements in floating solar PV systems. Section three outlines an assortment of studies that were done by different writers on the strengths and weaknesses of offshore renewable energy technologies through a meta-analysis of the literature. The method of data extraction revolved around several factors, namely technological admissibility, resource identification, location and environmental and economic factors. The sources used comprised of scholarly articles published within the peer reviewed journals in the period of 2013 to 2024, to ensure that the study offered a comprehensive analysis on the technological advancements. The results and discussion section gives an analysis of the results achieved and demonstrates the developments in Offshore Wind Energy, Wave Energy Conversion, and Floating Solar PV Systems. Thus, offshore wind energy is described as the rapidly evolving segment and particular focus is made on the floating wind farms and their advancements in the aspects of power density and structural stability. Wave energy converters are discussed regarding their applicability to complement hybrid electricity production despite limited data on the devices’ performance. Another key feature is that the FFPV systems are reported to be more efficient and cheaper than the land mounted systems. Thus, the article emphasizes the need to produce the further literature on offshore renewable energy, political support, and cooperation between different sectors. It concludes that an offshore renewable energy has the potential for the future development due to advancement in the technology as well as due to environmental factors.

Geographic bias effects on interpretations of secular trends of Hf isotope times series in zircons

The analysis of εHf(t) time series data from zircon reveals notable discrepancies based on sample type (igneous versus detrital), statistical weighting methodology, and geographic sampling bias. These differences warrant caution when interpreting data in the context of tectonic settings and the history of supercontinents. In terms of tectonic setting, accretionary orogens dominate in both sedimentary basins that host detrital zircons and in igneous zircon sources. Because of differences between the various time series, emphasis in this study is on peaks, valleys and secular trends and not on absolute εHf(t) values. Specifically, the igneous time series for εHf(t) in zircons shows more peaks and valleys than corresponding detrital time series for both weighted and unweighted data (weighting corrects for disproportionate geographic sampling). Also, sample-based (each sample considered separately) and site-based (samples grouped by geographic location and age) results align closely to the igneous time series, whereas the site-based detrital series displays more negative εHf(t) values. Regardless of the type of time series, the failure to compensate for disproportionate geographic sampling increases the prospects of producing an unrepresentative time-series. Nine zircon age peaks (both detrital and igneous) have corresponding εHf(t) peaks (3200, 2700, 2500, 2150, 1500, 1100, 750 Ma) and two have corresponding age valleys (1800–2000, 550 Ma). With exception of a geographically widespread 1500 Ma peak, most of the εHf(t) peaks and valleys are controlled by specific geographic regions and are likely not be global in extent.Two distinct periods (200–0 and 1800–1600 Ma) display εHf(t) signatures that rise steadily for 100–200 Myr, coinciding with the final stages of supercontinent assembly and the transition to the retreat of exterior orogens. An εHf(t) peak at 750 Ma and a high at 1400–1100 Ma partly overlap with supercontinent breakup and valleys at 550 Ma and 900 Ma with supercontinent assembly. A large εHf(t) valley at 2000–1800 Ma corresponds with the onset of craton collisions that led to the final assembly of Columbia at 1800–1600 Ma. The steep rise in εHf(t) in the last 200 Myr in both igneous and detrital zircons is controlled by sites in Circum-Pacific orogens in North and South America and Southwest Asia, and it parallels the breakup of Pangea. The general increase in zircon εHf(t) in the last 500 Myr in both detrital and igneous data reflects an increase in the proportion of isotopically juvenile components in accretionary orogens.

Belgian Heart Rhythm Meeting 2023

Objectives To assess the impact of the diagnosis-to-ablation time (DAT) on atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence in search of lower and upper DAT thresholds. Background DAT strongly predicts AF recurrence after ablation. Whether this association holds any lower and/or upper limits is unknown. Methods A total of 2000 AF patients from two cohorts of 1000 patients each (69% males, age 62 ± 10 years) undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) between 2005–2014 and 2017–2019, followed for 3 years. Results Clinical success was achieved in 61.7% of the patients. Median DAT decreased over time from 36 (Q1–Q3: 12–72) in the first cohort to 12 months (Q1–Q3: 5–48) in the second (p < .001). A multivariable Cox proportional hazards fitted model of AF recurrence rate in relation to DAT (range 0–288 months) demonstrated a steep rise in AF recurrence from 27% to 40% in the first 36 months (d%/dt = 0.36), with a first hinge point at 36 months and a less steep rise to 45% until 90 months (d%/dt = 0.09), with flattening beyond 90 months (d%/dt = 0.026). Rise in AF recurrence rate in the first 36 months was higher in persistent AF patients (from 40% to 54%, d%/dt = 0.39) than in paroxysmal AF (19%–29%, d%/dt = 0.28). Conclusions The association between DAT and AF recurrence has no lower limit (‘the shorter the better’) while little gain is to be expected beyond 36 months (‘the longer the more irrelevant’). Our data advocate for performing PVI as early as possible, certainly within 3 years of AF diagnosis, and even more so in persistent AF.

Analyzing the effect of hydrodynamic damping on the wake behavior in circular blade cascades: numerical study on a global mode

Abstract In this study, a numerical investigation has been performed to extract and compare the hydrodynamic damping of a non-rotating system of eight planar hydrofoils, arranged in a radial configuration, with the related wake behaviour downstream the structure. A modal acoustic analysis has been performed on the structure in order to extract the global modes corresponding to Nodal Diameter 0. Using the deformation related to the global mode, the hydrodynamic damping has been extracted for different velocities, ranging from 2 to 14 m/s, by analyzing the work done on the structure from the fluid, following the so-called “flutter” method developed by ANSYS®. The related wake behaviour has been analyzed for each specific velocity and hydrodynamic damping conditions. This numerical study has been performed in ANSYS Mechanical® and CFX®. The results for the present geometry suggest that the primary factor governing vortex shedding frequency is the motion of the body itself, in the present case locked to the excitation frequency of the global structural mode (ND0). The study identifies a lock-in region around 10 m/s, consistent with empirical formulas. After the region of lock-in, the fluctuations of velocity and pressure values tend to converge, indicating a stabilization of the wake dynamics. The observed hydrodynamic damping trend exhibits a linear pattern preceding the lock-in region, succeeded by a steep rise thereafter. This pattern aligns with established literature, affirming its consistency with prior research findings. Overall, this numerical approach offers valuable insights into wake behavior and hydrodynamic damping value serving as a promising tool for preliminary estimation and analysis of oscillating systems in water flowing environments. Its low computational complexity and rapid completion time make it a viable alternative to more complex FSI simulations, facilitating comprehensive exploration of multiple flow scenarios within a reasonable time frame of weeks.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment in Arab countries: a bibliometric review of the literature on SDG 5

Purpose This manuscript conducts a bibliometric analysis of scholarly literature on sustainable development goal 5 (SDG 5) – gender equality, focusing on Arab countries. The purpose is to comprehensively assess the research landscape, identify trends, contributors and research hotspots and inform evidence-based policies for advancing gender equality in the region. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive bibliometric analysis was used, using the Scopus database for data collection. The study covers English-language research papers published in peer-reviewed journals between 1993 and 2022, using a comprehensive search strategy focused on gender equality in Arab countries. Findings The analysis of 634 papers revealed a steep rise in publications post-2015, aligning with the adoption of SDGs. The growth trajectory and citation analysis demonstrated a significant increase in both publications and impact over the last decade. The study identified prolific journals, subject areas, countries, institutions and authors contributing to the literature on gender equality in Arab countries. Notable research hotspots include domestic violence, female genital mutilation, women’s empowerment, microfinance and gender-based violence. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by providing a detailed bibliometric review of SDG 5 research in Arab countries, offering insights into the growth patterns, prolific contributors and research hotspots. The identification of recent research topics, such as child marriage in conflict contexts and female leadership, adds originality to the analysis.

New insights: mupirocin resistance among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in southern Indian region

: Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) remains to be the most concerned pathogen with enhanced multi-drug resistance in clinical set-ups. With an immediate need to control MRSA infection, there is a steep rise in the use of mupirocin as a decolonization regime.: A total of 65 MRSA samples were analysed in the present study. infection identified by standard conventional phenotypic methods. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of mupirocin (5 μg/ml) was found using Kirby Bauer’s disc diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determined using MIC E-test strips of mupirocin.: All the bacterial strains presented with MIC value less than 4 μg/ml, 23 isolates falls in the range of 0.05 μg/ml and 0.19 μg/ml, 12 strains MIC ranged between 0.125 and 0.640 μg/ml. However, five MRSA isolates showed no zone against mupirocin E-strip.: In present study, 92% of isolates were sensitive to mupirocin, this gives hope that mupirocin can be promising in the elimination of MRSA strains, a major concern in clinical practice. Also, the use of 5µg mupirocin discs is economical as compared to mupirocin E-strips, mupirocin discs can be used in a low resourceful clinical setups. However, our study revealed no difference in sensitivity for both the E-strip and disc method.

Serum INSL3 measured by LC-MS/MS in pubertal girls and in girls with precocious puberty during GnRH agonist treatment.

The peptide hormone Insulin-like Factor 3 (INSL3) is a biomarker of testicular Leydig cells in the male but is also expressed by the theca cells of the ovaries. With the advent of sensitive assays INSL3 can be quantified in female circulation, and we suggest that circulating INSL3 is a novel biomarker for pubertal development in girls. The aim of the study is to quantify INSL3 by LC-MS/MS in sera from normal girls during pubertal transition, and during gonadal suppression by GnRH agonist therapy in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP). The sensitivity of an established LC-MS/MS-based method for serum INSL3 was improved by switching to a state-of-the-art triple quadruple mass spectrometer (Altis Plus, Thermo). The limit of detection of the improved LC-MS/MS method for serum INSL3 was 0.01 ug/L (1.5 pM) and the inter-assay CV was < 12%. Serum INSL3 increased during the pubertal transition in healthy girls and changes correlated with the concomitant rise in other measured hormones. In some girls, but not all, INSL3, FSH, inhibin B and estradiol serum concentrations increased prior to first clinical signs of puberty. Serum INSL3 concentrations were increased at baseline in girls with CPP compared to prepubertal controls and decreased during treatment with GnRH agonist followed by a steep rise and normalization after cessation of treatment. The improved method allowed for quantification of INSL3 in longitudinally collected serum samples during pubertal transition in healthy girls as well as in girls with CPP before, during and after treatment with GnRH agonist. Future studies are needed to clarify if INSL3 in combination with other biomarkers enhances the predictive value of differentiating between premature thelarche and CPP.

Breakdown mechanisms induced by stationary crossflow vortices in hypersonic three-dimensional boundary layers

This study investigates the crossflow breakdown of a Mach 6 flow over a swept flat plate by direct numerical simulation (DNS) considering three cases with different spanwise wavenumbers of stationary vortices. Transition in these cases is initiated by the linear and nonlinear evolution of these vortices, followed by secondary instabilities and breakdown due to type-I, type-II modes, and wall blowing/suction perturbations, respectively. The results showed that amplified secondary instabilities significantly distort the mean flow, causing a steep rise in the wall friction coefficient. Fourier analysis shows that, in this fast-varying flow region, the low-frequency disturbances undergo significantly greater amplifications than high-frequency disturbances. Moreover, the stability characteristics of the time- and spanwise-averaged mean flow were examined to elucidate the breakdown mechanisms. It was found that the unstable region initially contracts to a lower frequency band and then expands significantly in the spanwise wavenumber range at low frequencies. This suggests the significant amplifications of low-frequency disturbances, consistent with the observations from DNS. These amplified low-frequency disturbances, in turn, modify the mean flow, leading to the final breakdown. The presented mechanisms, highlighting the critical role of low-frequency disturbances in the breakdown process, are likely to be universally relevant across various parameter regimes.

Flash Flood Simulation for Hilly Reservoirs Considering Upstream Reservoirs—A Case Study of Moushan Reservoir

With the advancement of society and the impact of various factors such as climate change, surface conditions, and human activities, there has been a significant increase in the frequency of extreme rainfall events, leading to substantial losses from flood disasters. The presence of numerous small and medium-sized water conservancy projects in the basin plays a crucial role in influencing runoff production and rainwater confluence. However, due to the lack of extensive historical hydrological data for simulation purposes, it is challenging to accurately predict floods in the basin. Therefore, there is a growing emphasis on flood simulation and forecasting that takes into account the influence of upstream water projects. Moushan Reservoir basin is located in a hilly area of an arid and semi-arid region in the north of China. Flooding has the characteristics of sudden strong, short confluence time, steep rise, and steep fall, especially floods caused by extreme weather events, which have a high frequency and a wide range of hazards, and has become one of the most threatening natural disasters to human life and property safety. There are many small and medium-sized reservoirs in this basin, which have a significant influence on the accuracy of flood prediction. Therefore, taking Moushan Reservoir as an example, this paper puts forward a flash flood simulation method for reservoirs in hilly areas, considering upstream reservoirs, which can better solve the problem of flood simulation accuracy. Using the virtual aggregation method, the 3 medium-sized reservoirs and 93 small upstream reservoirs are summarized into 7 aggregated reservoirs. Then, we construct the hydrological model combining two method sets with different runoff generation and confluence mechanisms. Finally, after model calibration and verification, the results of different methods are analyzed in terms of peak discharge error, runoff depth error, difference in peak time, and certainty coefficient. The results indicate that the flooding processes simulated by the proposed model are in line with the observed ones. The errors of flood peak and runoff depth are in the ranges of 2.3% to 15% and 0.1% to 19.6%, respectively, meeting the requirements of Class B accuracy of the “Water Forecast Code”. Method set 1 demonstrates a better simulation of floods with an average flood peak error of 5.63%. All these findings illustrate that the developed model, utilizing aggregate reservoirs and dynamic parameters to reflect regulation and storage functions, can effectively capture the impact of small water conservancy projects on confluence. This approach addresses challenges in simulating floods caused by small and medium-sized reservoirs, facilitating basin-wide flood prediction.

The Socio-Legal Impacts of Maternal Incarceration on Children: Emotional, Social, and Physical Considerations in Sentencing Decisions

This paper explores the socio-legal impacts of maternal incarceration on children in the United States. The steep rise in incarceration rates, particularly among women, has highlighted challenges faced by children with incarcerated mothers. These challenges include emotional distress, social stigmatization, behavioral issues, psychological maladjustment, and more. Despite the existence of programs aimed at supporting these children, such initiatives often lack a cohesive national policy, resulting in inequality in access and implementation. This study advocates for a comprehensive analysis of the legal context, including trends, sentencing policies, and the rights of the child. It emphasizes the need for a more consistent application of the "best interests of the child" standard in sentencing decisions. At the same time, it analyzes international and national practices and programs situated in addressing said challenges. By evaluating current approaches and proposing reforms, this study aims to provide insights for improving support systems for children affected by maternal incarceration.

Sensitivity to heat and mass transfer correlations of the model for an evaporative condenser

Evaporative condensers have established themselves in refrigeration plants for food process and storage owing to the combination of air and water cooling, with an overall reduction in energy (pumping) and fluid (water) consumption. Given the steep rise of electricity prices, the need to develop conduction strategies at the plant level which are less energy-intensive has driven the need for models to carry out simulations of the new strategies without actually impacting normal plant operations. This paper describes the development of a distributed-parameter model of an evaporative condenser with fill-pack, based on Merkel’s pioneering works on evaporative cooling. Several correlations are available for the heat and mass transfer coefficients, but none that satisfies the operating conditions of the case at hand, yet they are the most critical set of parameters for the model, therefore a sensitivity study has been carried out, to ascertain which combinations of transport coefficients out of a total of 288 would yield a total cooling power closest to the value declared by the manufacturer for a real-life evaporative condenser under rating conditions. This work demonstrates the applicability of the correlations examined, and also twenty of the examined combinations allow the model to reach a good agreement with the reference data (within ±5%). Further, the distributed-parameter structure of the model allows highlighting the reasons for good or bad performance of the correlations by determining the spatial distribution in the cooling coil and fill-pack of quantities such as moist air enthalpy and water temperature. The model and methodologies are a little cost-intensive in terms of computational time and can be applied to the study and design of any similar piece of equipment.

Development of complete hydrometallurgical processes for gold recovery from ICs and CPUs using ionic liquids

Integrated circuits (ICs) and central processing units (CPUs), essential components of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), are complex composite materials rich in recyclable high-value strategic and critical metals, with many in concentrations higher than in their natural ores. With gold the most valuable metal present, increase in demand for gold for EEE and its limited availability have led to a steep rise in the market price of gold, making gold recycling a high priority to meet demand. To overcome the limitations associated with conventional technologies for recycling e-waste, the use of greener technologies (ionic liquids (ILs) as leaching agents), offers greater potential for the recovery of gold from e-waste components. While previous studies have demonstrated the efficiency and feasibility of using ILs for gold recovery, these works predominantly concentrate on the extraction stage and often utilise simulated solutions, lacking the implementation of a complete process validated with real samples to effectively assess its overall effectiveness. In this work, a simulated Model Test System was used to determine the optimal leaching and extraction conditions before application to real samples. With copper being the most abundant metal in the e-waste fractions, to access the gold necessitated a two-stage pre-treatment (nitric acid leaching followed by aqua regia leaching) to ensure complete removal of copper and deliver a gold-enriched leach liquor. Gold extraction from the leach liquor was achieved by liquid-liquid extraction using Cyphos 101 (0.1 M in toluene with an O:A = 1:1, 20 °C, 150 rpm, and 15 min) and as a second process by sorption extraction with loaded resins (Amberlite XAD-7 with 300 mg of Cyphos 101/g of resins at 20 °C, 150 rpm and 3 h). In both processes, complete stripping and desorption of gold was achieved (0.5 M thiourea in 0.5 M HCl) and gold recovered, as nanoparticles of purity ≥95%, via a reduction step using a sodium borohydride solution (0.1 M NaBH4 in 0.1 M NaOH). These two hydrometallurgical processes developed can achieve overall efficiencies of ≥95% for gold recovery from real e-waste components, permit the reuse of the IL and resins up to five consecutive times, and offer a promising approach for recovery from any e-waste stream rich in gold.

Incidence of brown rot disease caused by Gnomoniopsis smithogilvyi on buds, flowers and chestnuts and rapid HRM-based detection of the disease

Chestnut production is considered one of the most important economic resources of rural mountainous areas in Greece. Lately, producers report a steep rise in the incidence of brown rot disease caused by the fungus Gnomoniopsis smithogilvyi (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales), which results in severe chestnut rot. The pathogen is considered an emerging pathogen in many countries worldwide (Italy, France, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand). This study aimed at (a) exploring the incidence of the brown rot disease in Vria (Regional Unit of Pieria, Region of Central Makedonia, Greece), (b) isolating and identifying the causal agent of the disease, (c) exploring the fungus presence at different phenological stages of the chestnut trees, and (d) implementing species-specific Bar- High Resolution Melting Analysis (HRM) for the early detection of G. smithogilvyi in chestnuts. G. smithogilvyi occurrence in chestnut tissues was more severe in June (59 %), nearly disappeared in July (19 %) and August (7 %) and increased again during harvesting time in September (57 %). This result could be attributed to a sum of different factors, including climate conditions. Moreover, it was demonstrated that G. smithogilvyi can be identified using a Bar-HRM analysis of chestnut tissues (buds, flowers and nuts). Results of this study clearly demonstrate that Bar-HRM can be used for the accurate, rapid and reliable identification of G. smithogilvyi universally on infected samples from different localities.

Mediating Power-to-X: A case study of green imaginaries and environmental conflicts in local Danish news media

Abstract Recently, Power-to-X (PtX) has come to play a prominent role in the public discussion of a green energy future, with high hopes expressed by political and business players. In the Danish news media, PtX has experienced a steep rise in attention, which calls for studies of how PtX is made sense of as a societal, not only a technological, phenomenon. Informed by the notion of sociotechnical imaginaries, this article investigates the local introduction of PtX in Frederica, one of the forerunner towns for PtX in Denmark, as represented in the coverage of the daily newspaper Fredericia Dagblad. The study analyses how PtX is made sense of by being connected to local actors, circumstances, and imagined futures. Two diverging sociotechnical imaginaries are identified, centring on 1) local (business) cooperation for green energy solutions towards a PtX adventure, and 2) concerns for scarce nature in a densely industrialised area. The findings show both similarities with and differences to already known mediatised environmental conflicts and point to dynamics between media, market, politics, and civil society in future mediatised environmental conflicts.

The effects of ecdysterone and enalapril on nitric oxide synthesis and the markers of oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats: a comparative study.

Cardiovascular functions in diabetes greatly depend on constitutive NOS (cNOS) activity. A comparative study of the effects of a steroid hormone ecdysterone and enalapril, an ACE inhibitor widely used to treat cardiac disorders on cNOS, inducible NOS (iNOS), xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) activity, RNS, ROS, and lipid peroxidation in heart tissue in experimental diabetes was conducted. The rat model of diabetes was established by streptozotocin injection. NOS activity, NO2-, NO3-, uric acid, nitrosothiols, hydroperoxide, superoxide, and diene conjugate formation were studied spectrophotomerically. In diabetes, cNOS downregulation correlated with a dramatic fall of NO2- production and ~4.5-fold elevation of nitrosothiols, which agreed with a steep rise of iNOS activity, while NO3- remained close to control. Dramatic activation of XOR was observed, which correlated with the elevation of both superoxide production and nitrate reductase activity and resulted in strong lipid peroxidation. Ecdysterone and enalapril differently affected RNS metabolism. Ecdysterone moderately restored cNOS but strongly suppressed iNOS, which resulted in the reduction of NO3-, but full restoration of NO2- production. Enalapril better restored cNOS but less effectively suppressed iNOS, which promoted NO3- formation. Both drugs similarly inhibited XOR, which equally alleviated oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. The synergistic action of iNOS and XOR was a plausible explanation for strong lipid peroxidation, abolished by the inhibition of iNOS and XOR by ecdysterone or enalapril. Complementary effects of ecdysterone and enalapril on cNOS, iNOS, and RNS are a promising basis for their combined use in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders caused by cNOS dysfunction in diabetes.

Labelling in the academy: identity renegotiation among postgraduate teaching assistants

In recent years, higher education has encountered a steep rise in the employment of postgraduate teaching assistants. While this has provided professional development opportunities to doctoral candidates, conflict around the perception of these early career colleagues has emerged. Notably, the role of the postgraduate teaching assistant is characterised by flexibility, by its existing between structures and recognised roles. This betweenness can be problematic, leading to regular identity renegotiation to gain a sense of stability. Employed at a research-intensive Russell Group university, the author of this autoethnographic article examines self-reported reflective journals to ascertain the adjustments encountered throughout their practice. The author considers a postgraduate teaching assistant as blended professional, based on their experience with merging cultures and identities while situated on the periphery. The discussion reveals how postgraduate teaching assistants are influenced and supported by their academic and social environments, determining who and how they are in relation to others. The author also considers encounters that have helped to develop their third space activity, closing with a reflection on renegotiation pointing to the ways postgraduate teaching assistants can be anchored in the institutional structure.

Increase in acute mastoiditis at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeCommon respiratory infections were significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to general protective and hygiene measures. The gradual withdrawal of these non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) was associated with a notable increase in these infections, particularly in pediatric and adult otorhinolaryngology. The aim of this retrospective monocentric study was to evaluate the impact of NPI during the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and severity of acute mastoiditis (AM).MethodsPre-pandemic clinical data of AM cases from 2011 to 2019 were compared with infection counts from January 2020 to June 2023 for seasonal periodicity, age-specific differences, pathogens, and complication rates in a German third-level hospital.ResultsOut of 196 patients with AM 133 were children, the majority between 1 and 5 years of age. Complications of AM, such as meningitis, brain abscess, and sinus vein thrombosis, were more common in adults (87%) than in children (17%). Morbidity and mortality rates were similar before, during and after the pandemic. Pneumococci were the most common pathogen in both age groups, with a post-pandemic cumulation of Streptococcus pyogenes infections in children. While pre-pandemic cases clustered in spring, seasonality was absent in all age groups during the main phase of the pandemic. The cessation of NPI caused a steep rise in AM cases in both age groups starting from December 2022.ConclusionNPI during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the incidence of AM. Their reversal led to a substantial increase in the incidence of AM during the post-pandemic period, which may be due to a general increase in viral respiratory infections and an insufficiently trained immune system.