Types Of Sites Research Articles

One-Pot Synthesis of Mixed-Phase MoVTeNbOx Catalysts for Selective Oxidation of Propane to Acrylic Acid.

One-pot hydrothermal synthesis assisted by sodium citrate and citric acid is developed to fabricate mixed-phased MoVTeNbOx catalysts with different phase compositions for selective oxidation of propane to acrylic acid. Structures of various catalysts are comprehensively characterized. Interfacial interactions occur among the M1 and M2 phases of mixed-phase MoVTeNbOx catalysts to exert synergistic effects on the selective production of acrylic acid. Various mixed-phase MoVTeNbOx catalysts exhibit the same type of active site on the M1-phase component, with a significantly enhanced ability to adsorb and activate propane. The propane conversion increases linearly with the density of surface site for propane adsorption, while the propene selectivity increases linearly with the density of surface site for propene adsorption. Among the synthesized catalysts, a MoVTeNbOx catalyst composed of 35.3 wt % M1 phase, 19.2 wt % M2 phase, and 45.7 wt % amorphous phase exhibits the largest density of active site and consequently the best catalytic performance with 38.9% propane conversion and 71.2% acrylic acid selectivity at 380 °C.

The clinical effect of thoracoscopic segmentectomy in the treatment of lung malignancies less than 2CM in diameter

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of thoracoscopic segmentectomy in the treatment of lung malignancies less than 2CM in diameter.MethodsIn this retrospective study, a total of 103 patients with lung cancer who received outpatient or inpatient treatment from December 2020 to May 2022 were selected and divided into the lobectomy group (n = 48) and the segmentectomy group (n = 55) according to different surgical methods. The lobectomy group was treated with thoracoscopic lobectomy, while the segmentectomy group was treated with thoracoscopic segmentectomy. The prognostic effect, complications, blood gas level and respiratory function indexes of the two groups were observed and compared.ResultsThe general data of the two groups of patients, such as gender, age, course of disease, body mass index, lesion diameter, lesion site and pathological type, were analyzed by statistical software. There was no statistical significance in the operation time and the number of lymph node dissection between the two groups (P > 0.05), while the drainage volume and intraoperative blood loss in the segmentectomy group were lower than those in the lobectomy group, and the drainage time and hospital stay were shorter than those in the lobectomy group, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in various lung function indexes between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the values of FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in each group had different amplitude changes, and the values of FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in the segmentectomy group were significantly higher than those in the lobectomy group, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Thoracoscopic segmentectomy showed a lower incidence of respiratory complications (P = 0.042) and higher pulmonary air leak (P = 0.023) than thoracoscopic lobectomy. After propensity score-matched analysis, respiratory complications remained significantly higher in thoracoscopic segmentectomy (P = 0.017). However, the difference in the total complication rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). There were no differences during the 2-year follow-up (median follow-up in months: 18.4; interquartile range, 14.8–21.3) in terms of overall survival (P = 0.49) and disease-free survival (P = 0.34) between groups (P > 0.05).ConclusionsFor patients with lung cancer less than 2 cm in diameter, thoracoscopic segmentectomy can achieve good short-term efficacy, with rapid postoperative recovery and little impact on lung function, which may be helpful to improve patients’ postoperative quality of life.

Procedural and clinical outcomes according to ultrasound-guided access in TAVI: a propensity-matched comparative sub-analysis from the PULSE registry

Abstract Background Access-related vascular and bleeding complications during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Ultrasound-guided (USG) puncture may reduce the incidence of these events, particularly in large-bore arterial access. However, large-scale data on this approach are limited and it has not yet fully been implemented into standard clinical practice during TAVI. Purpose We compared access-related vascular and bleeding complications in USG versus fluoroscopy-guided (FG) access from a large multicenter TAVI registry. Methods The PULSE registry (Plug or sUture based vascuLar cloSurE after TAVI) retrospectively evaluated data of 9,295 patients who underwent transfemoral TAVI at 10 high-volume German heart centers from 2016 to 2021. USG and FG access were performed in 1,992 (21.4%) and 7,303 (78.6%) patients, respectively. A propensity score was used to match 1,023 FG with 1,023 USG access patients in a 1:1 fashion. The primary endpoint was a composite of minor and major vascular complications at the TAVI-access site or bleeding type II-IV. Outcomes were evaluated in accordance with the Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC-3) definitions. Results Mean age was 81.9±6.25 years and 48.0% of patients were female. Comorbidities and clinical variables were well-balanced in matched groups. The overall risk profile was comparable in USG vs. FG (mean EuroSCORE II: 3.4 [2.1, 6.4] vs. 3.6 [2.2, 5.7], p=0.54). The primary end point occurred in 12.0% in the USG and 17.7% in the FG group, p&amp;lt;0.001. While major large bore access-related vascular complications did not differ significantly (3.5% vs. 4.2%, p=0.49), there was a trend towards lower minor complications for USG compared to FG (5.9% vs. 7.8%, p=0.096). Large bore access-related bleeding occurred in 5.5% versus 7.8% (p=0.04) of patients. Endovascular balloon inflation was required in 0.6% and 3.3% (p&amp;lt;0.001) of all large-bore access vascular complications. Stroke (1.7% vs. 1.5%, p=0.86) and stage III/IV acute kidney injury (3.0% vs. 2.2%, p=0.42) were similar in both groups. Conclusion In patients treated with transfemoral TAVI, ultrasound-guidance for gaining access was associated with lower rates of access-related vascular complications or type II-IV bleeding. Endovascular treatment was required more frequently in case of a fluoroscopy-guided approach. These findings challenge the fact that most TAVI procedures were performed with fluoroscopy-guidance.

Environmental and social impacts of shifting park-use patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from state and local park managers

Parks and protected areas offer a variety of ecosystem services and promote opportunities that enhance human health and well-being. However, these benefits may be jeopardized when overcrowding degrades environmental and social conditions in parks. The COVID-19 pandemic is assumed to have been associated with substantial increases in visitation to parks and protected areas, but patterns in use and degradation varied by site type (e.g., state versus local parks; urban versus rural). In this study, we aimed to understand how changing recreational use patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted parks, and how those changes differed between state and local parks across urban-rural gradients. We distributed a survey asking state park superintendents (n = 36) and local park managers (n = 84) in the state of North Carolina to estimate the extent of environmental and social impacts in their parks both before and during the pandemic. We discovered that, based on managers’ responses, state parks were approximately 12 times more likely to experience heightened environmental impacts and 23 times more likely to experience heightened social impacts than local parks during the pandemic, even when controlling for impact levels prior to the pandemic. We found no significant differences between urban and rural parks. These findings suggest regional parks may be the most vulnerable to environmental and social disturbances during times of heightened visitation, and thus highlight a need for both more resources and more attention to governance issues for these parks. Management implicationsThis study found that state parks in North Carolina experienced more frequent social and environmental impacts, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to local parks. This highlights the need to explore measures that can maintain state parks as sources of resilience and recovery during future crises while mitigating park impacts. Proposed strategies include:•Directing park usage to more resilient areas.•Establishing strategic partnerships between parks to enhance capacity.•Education and outreach to minimize visitor impacts.•Establishing emergency funds for parks most likely to be impacted during times of heightened visitation.•Expanding accessible greenspace in anticipation of increased visitation.

A New Corpus of Roman Coins from England and Wales. An Overview of the Evidence and Analysis of the Data

Abstract This paper considers a new corpus of 490,154 Roman coins (site finds) which have been recorded from England and Wales. The corpus provides British and regional means to aid in the preparation of coin reports in line with Historic England guidelines, along with spatial data providing new opportunities for research. The methods of data collection will be detailed and some of the possibilities this dataset can provide presented through a number of case studies. Through the consideration of applied numismatic analyses, the social distribution of the material and, crucially, the spatial distribution of Roman coinage, we can identify new trends and patterns. Case studies evaluating the fourth century will emphasise the changing importance of settlements in Roman Britain and identify those linked with the late Roman state. Furthermore, the retraction of coinage distributions in the second half of the fourth century will be explored. Building on the national and site type means explored within the paper, the full dataset has been made available in a range of forms on the Archaeology Data Service and in an interactive map developed by Maploom.

Development of Polymorphic Index Model for Assessing Subtropical Secondary Natural Oak Forest Site Quality Under Complex Site and Climate Variables

Site and climate conditions are the key determinants controlling dominant height growth and forest productivity, both independently and interactively. Secondary natural oak forests are a typical forest type in China, especially in Hunan Province, but little is known about the site index of this forest under the complex site and climate variables in the subtropics. Based on survey data of dominant trees and site variables from 101 plots in Hunan oak natural secondary forests and climate data obtained using spatial interpolation, we used the random forest method, correlation analysis, and the analysis of variance to determine the main site and climate factors affecting oak forest dominant height and proposed a modeling method of an oak natural secondary forest site index based on the random effect of site–climate interaction type. Of the site variables, elevation affected stand dominant height the most, followed by slope direction and position. Winter precipitation and summer mean maximum temperature had the greatest impact on stand dominant height. To develop the modeling method, we created 10 popular base models but found low performance (R2 ranged from 0.1731 to 0.2030). The optimal base model was Mitscherlich form M3 (R2 = 0.1940) based on parameter significance tests. Since site and climate factors affect the site index curve, the dominant site and climate factors were combined into site types and climate types, respectively, and a nonlinear mixed-effects approach was used to simulate different site types, climate types, site–climate interaction types, and their combinations as random effects. Site–climate interaction type as a random factor enhanced model (M3.4) performance and prediction accuracy (R2 from 0.1940 to 0.8220) compared to the optimum base model. After clustering the 62 site–climate interaction types into three, five, and eight groups using hierarchical clustering, a mixed-effects model with the random effects of eight groups improved model performance (R2 = 0.8265) and applicability. The modeling method developed in this study could be used to assess a regional secondary natural oak forest site index under complex site and climate variables to evaluate the forest productivity.

Evidence for Distinct Active Sites on Oxide-Derived Cu for Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction.

Cu is a promising catalyst for electrochemical nitrate (NO3-) reduction. However, desorption of the nitrite (NO2-) intermediate can occur, leading to lowered ammonia productivity and Faradaic efficiency. Here, we discovered that this does not occur with oxide-derived Cu due to the presence of at least two distinct types of cooperative active sites: one for NO3- → NO2- and another for NO2- → NH3. As a result, oxide-derived Cu exhibits enhanced ammonia productivity with a mixed NO3-/NO2- feed relative to pure NO3- or NO2-. In contrast, this was not observed with a standard Cu sample, implying the presence of only a single type of active site. Our dual-site hypothesis was supported by attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and isotopic labeling experiments involving co-reduction of 15NO3-/14NO2-. We also successfully simulated our experimental results using a mathematical model involving two different adsorption sites. These findings motivate the need for further study and rational design of such active sites.

A Multivariate Phenotypical Approach of Sepsis and Septic Shock—A Comprehensive Narrative Literature Review

Despite medical advances, sepsis and septic shock remain some of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with a high inter-individual variability in prognosis, clinical manifestations and response to treatment. Evidence suggests that pulmonary sepsis is one of the most severe forms of sepsis, while liver dysfunction, left ventricular dysfunction, and coagulopathy impact the prognostic. Sepsis-related hypothermia and a hypoinflammatory state are related to a poor outcome. Given the heterogeneity of sepsis and recent technological progress amongst machine learning analysis techniques, a new, personalized approach to sepsis is being intensively studied. Despite the difficulties when tailoring a targeted approach, with the use of artificial intelligence-based pattern recognition, more and more publications are becoming available, highlighting novel factors that may intervene in the high heterogenicity of sepsis. This has led to the devise of a phenotypical approach in sepsis, further dividing patients based on host and trigger-related factors, clinical manifestations and progression towards organ deficiencies, dynamic prognosis algorithms, and patient trajectory in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Host and trigger-related factors refer to patients’ comorbidities, body mass index, age, temperature, immune response, type of bacteria and infection site. The progression to organ deficiencies refers to the individual particularities of sepsis-related multi-organ failure. Finally, the patient’s trajectory in the ICU points out the need for a better understanding of interindividual responses to various supportive therapies. This review aims to identify the main sources of variability in clustering septic patients in various clinical phenotypes as a useful clinical tool for a precision-based approach in sepsis and septic shock.

Lack of Association Between BsmI and FokI Polymorphisms of the VDR Gene and Sporadic Colorectal Cancer in a Romanian Cohort-A Preliminary Study.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem worldwide, currently ranking third in cancer incidence and second in mortality. Multiple genes and environmental factors have been involved in the complex and multifactorial process of CRC carcinogenesis. VDR is an intracellular hormone receptor expressed in both normal epithelial and cancer colon cells at various levels. Several VDR gene polymorphisms, including FokI and BsmI, have been evaluated for their possible association with CRC susceptibility. The aim of our study was to investigate these two SNPs for the first time in Romanian CRC patients. FokI (rs228570 C>T) and BsmI (rs1544410 A>G) were genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 384-well plates using specific TaqMan predesigned probes on a ViiA™ 7 RT-PCR System. A total of 441 subjects (166 CRC patients and 275 healthy controls) were included. No statistically significant difference was observed between CRC patients and controls when we compared the wild-type genotype with heterozygous and mutant genotypes for both FokI (OR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.56-1.28; OR 0.95, 95% CI: 0.51-1.79, respectively) and BsmI (OR 0.97, 95% CI: 0.63-1.49; OR 1.10, 95% CI: 0.65-1.87, respectively) or in the dominant and recessive models. Also, we compared allele frequencies, and no correlation was found. Moreover, the association between these SNPs and the tumor site, TNM stage, and histological type was examined separately, and there was no statistically significant difference. In conclusion, our study did not show any association between FokI and BsmI SNPs and CRC susceptibility in a Romanian population. Further studies including a larger number of samples are needed to improve our knowledge regarding the influence of VDR polymorphism on CRC susceptibility.

Heteroaryl Group Containing Trisubstituted Alkenes: Synthesis and Anti-tumor Activity.

Pancreatobililary cancers are fatal solid tumors that pose a significant threat to human life. It is imperative to investigate novel small molecule active compounds for controlling these cancers. Heterocyclic compounds (e. g. gemcitabine) and multi-substituted alkenes (e. g. resveratrol) are commonly applied in tumor treatment. Researchers have proposed that the synthesis of new trisubstituted alkenes containing heteroaromatic rings by combining these two scaffolds may be a fresh strategy to develop new active molecules. In this study, we utilized alkenyl bromide and heteroaryl boronic acid as substrates, employing Suzuki coupling to generate a series of triarylethylenes featuring nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms. Through in vitro experiments, the results indicated that some compounds exhibited remarkable anti-tumor efficacy (e. g. IC50[3be, GBC-SD]=0.13 μM and IC50[3be, PANC-1]=0.27 μM). The results further demonstrated that the antitumor efficacy of these compounds was dependent on the heteroatom, π-system, skeleton-bonding site, and substituent type.

By order of the king? Castles in Gallecia in the Early Middle Ages (ninth-tenth centuries)

ABSTRACT With the end of the Visigothic Kingdom in the early eighth century, the territory of Gallecia, located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, entered a period initially characterized by the absence of major supra-local powers. Although nineteenth-century ideas of demographic abandonment have been surpassed, the different powers controlling this territory struggled to impose their agency. Only during the ninth century was this territory gradually integrated into the kingdom articulated from its political hub in Asturias. In this process, a fortified landscape in which castles were a fundamental part of the sociopolitical organization of the territory emerged. These types of sites have been significantly underestimated by archaeologists, with an increased interest in their study developing only in recent years. In this text, we examine several fortified elements located in Gallecia and analyze the relationship of these archaeological sites to the power dynamics and territorial control of the kingdom (ninth-tenth centuries).

Developing highly stable and reusable WO3 on mesoporous cellular foam silica for dilute bioethanol dehydration to ethylene

This study developed a highly stable and reusable WO3 on mesoporous cellular foam silica catalyst (MCF-Si) for dilute bioethanol (70%v/v) dehydration to ethylene. WO3/MCF-Si exhibited exceptional performance during reaction, maintaining a high yield of ethylene ranging from 79.6% to 76.3% even in the final cycle over five consecutive cycles (20 h each), operating without requiring regeneration. Characterization of the spent catalyst revealed the preservation of key textural properties and a shift in the acidity profile. The strength of acidity transitioned from weak to strong acidity, while the type of acid sites evolved from Lewis to Bronsted acid sites. However, the remaining acidity remained sufficiently high to promote efficient ethylene production. Additionally, WO3/MCF-Si demonstrated outstanding resistance to coke formation, with a coke content measured below 0.9 wt%. In light of these findings, WO3/MCF-Si emerges as a promising candidate catalyst for developing sustainable processes for converting dilute ethanol to ethylene.

Land use drives prokaryotic community composition of directly adjacent grasslands

AbstractUnderstanding the impact of agricultural land use on the soil prokaryotic communities in connected downslope sites is crucial for developing sustainable strategies to preserve ecosystem properties and mitigate agriculture’s environmental impacts. In this study, we investigated topsoil samples collected at three time points in 2022 (March, June, and November) from two adjacent catenas, reaching from hillslope to floodplain. The catenas differed in land use (extensive grassland vs. extensive cropland) at the top and middle parts, while the floodplain remained an extensive grassland due to legal restrictions. Using quantitative real-time PCRs and metabarcoding, we assessed prokaryotic abundance and prokaryotic community composition. Results show higher bacterial abundance in the cropland-influenced floodplain part across all time points compared to the grassland-influenced floodplain part. Temporal dynamics revealed a progressive decrease in the shared prokaryotic communities of the floodplain parts, peaking at the summer sampling time point, indicating a significant influence of the respective management type of the agricultural sites over the bacterial and archaeal communities of the floodplain parts. Differential abundance analyses identified several nitrifying taxa as more abundant in the cropland-influenced floodplain. Upstream land use also influenced the prokaryotic network of the cropland-floodplain, with some cropland taxa becoming keystone taxa and altering network morphology, an effect not observed in the grassland-influenced floodplain. These findings suggest that upstream agricultural land use practices have exerted a long-term influence on the floodplain prokaryotic communities over the past three decades. Moreover, there is evidence suggesting that these prokaryotic communities may undergo a potential reset during winter, which requires further investigation.

Comparing results of midline catheter and peripherally inserted central catheter in cancer patients under chemotherapy.

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC), and peripherally inserted midlines (MC) represent a possible less invasive alternative option to totally implantable vascular access devices (TIVAD) in cancer patients. This study aims to investigate the outcomes of PICC, and MC devices in patients undergoing chemotherapy. A prospective non-concurrent observational study was conducted at the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova (Italy) on 559 cancer patients candidate to chemotherapy bearing PICC, and MC during the period 2019-2022. The primary endpoint was the comparative analysis for failure of the different types of peripheral insertion accesses requiring removal. Secondary outcome measures were age at diagnosis, gender, period of diagnosis, cancer site and type of chemotherapy. The negative binomial regression analysis was applied to estimate catheter removal rate ratios (RR), along with 95% confidence limits (95% CL), in each category of the risk factors. The median follow-up time was 2.6 months (IQR = 1.4-4.6; min-max = 0.03-12.7), and at the end of the study period, a total of 45 catheter failures were detected. A risk reduction of approximately 75% (RR = 0.24; 95% CL = 0.11-0.51) was emphasized for patients with PICC when compared with those with MLC. Type of chemotherapy and cancer site appeared to be important predictive factors for catheter removal risk. For cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy by a non TIVAD, PICC must be preferred to MC because of higher safety and efficacy.

A high-precision radiocarbon chronology of Inka rule in the Upper Loa River Region of northern Chile

Abstract The chronology of the Inka Empire is poorly resolved, with most scholars utilizing a post hoc ethnohistoric reconstruction of imperial expansion as a common reference point. Radiocarbon-based analyses can now accomplish sufficient resolution for meaningful independent estimates of Inka chronology, however, and it is incumbent upon archaeologists to develop such appraisals. Here we produce a Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon data from the Upper Loa River area of northern Chile to estimate the timing of Inka incorporation of this region. In order to accurately associate samples with Inka rule, only radiocarbon dates from Inka sites without prior occupations are used (n = 34), producing a model for the onset of Inka rule of AD 1401–1437 (95% hpd) with a median date of AD 1420. This estimate is further used as a point of comparison for understanding diachronic imperial processes in the region. Site-level models of a variety of site types indicate that the Inka rapidly founded several administrative/mining bases at the onset, followed by the addition of smaller infrastructure components during a second pulse of activity near the middle of the 15th century. Date assemblages at the agricultural sites of Topaín and Paniri also indicate a decline in activity at the former and an increase in activity at the latter from early on in Inka rule. These results provide a high-resolution data point for reconstructing Inka imperial chronology, and expanding such studies will be essential to understanding processes of Inka imperialism at larger scales.

Outcomes of Invasive Fungal Infections Treated with Isavuconazole: A Retrospective Review.

Isavuconazole (ISA) has a favorable side effect profile that makes it attractive for treatment of invasive fungal infections (IFI). It carries FDA approval for invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis, but there are fewer data for other organisms and non-pulmonary infections. We conducted this review to investigate how ISA performed at treating IFI, with an especial interest in these non-approved indications. We retrospectively identified and reviewed 131 patients who received ISA as treatment for IFI at our institution, some of whom received ISA as their first anti-fungal therapy and others who received ISA as either step-down therapy or salvage therapy. We identified the microbiologic cause of infection as well as the anatomic site involved for each patient. We then classified patients according to their response to ISA: namely cured, partially responded, or stabilized. The majority of patients were immunocompromised (n = 76, 58%). ISA was used primarily as a secondary therapy (n = 116, 89%); either as a step-down/switching from other agents, or as salvage therapy. The most common reasons for switching to ISA were toxicities with prior agents followed by QT prolongation. Although pulmonary aspergillosis and mucormycosis were represented in more than half of the cohort, ISA was also used off-label for treatment of other organisms such as endemic fungi (n = 19, 15%) as well as central nervous system (CNS) infections (n = 15, 11%). We have described the detailed clinical characteristics of these CNS infections cases. The overall clinical response rate varied by type of infection and site involved (57-73% response rate). We demonstrated encouraging clinical responses, particularly outside the FDA-approved indications, as well as good tolerability. This report highlights the critical need for expanded scope of prospective studies to delineate the efficacy of this better-tolerated agent, especially in central nervous system infections.

Bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil based on both toxicity risk control and hydrocarbon removal-progress and prospect.

Petroleum contamination remains a worldwide issue requiring cost-effective bioremediation techniques. However, establishing a universal bioremediation strategy for all types of oil-polluted sites is challenging. This difficulty arises from the heterogeneity of soil textures, the complexity of oil products, and the variations in local climate and environment across different oil-contaminated regions. Several factors can impede bioremediation efficacy: (i) differences in bioavailability and biodegradability between aliphatic and aromatic fractions of crude oil; (ii) inconsistencies between hydrocarbon removal efficiency and toxicity attenuation during remediation; (iii) varying adverse effect of aliphatic and aromatic fractions on soil microorganisms. This review examines the ecotoxicity risk of petroleum contamination to soil fauna and flora. It also discusses three primary bioremediation strategies: biostimulation with nutrients, bioaugmentation with petroleum degraders, and phytoremediation with plants. Based on current research and state-of-the-art challenges, we highlighted future research scopes should focus on (i) exploring the ecotoxicity differentiation of aliphatic and aromatic fractions of crude oil, (ii) establishing unified risk factors and indicators for evaluating oil pollution toxicity, (iii) determining the fate and transformation of aliphatic and aromatic fractions of crude oil using advanced analytical techniques, and (iv) developing combined bioremediation techniques that improve petroleum removal and ecotoxicity attenuation.

Stabilization of High-Valent Molecular Cobalt Sites through Oxidized Phosphorus in Reduced Graphene Oxide for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Catalysis.

Heterogeneous molecular cobalt (Co) sites represent one type of classical catalytic sites for electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline solutions. There are dynamic equilibriums between Co2+, Co3+ and Co4+ states coupling with OH-/H+ interaction before and during the OER event. Since the emergence of Co2+ sites is detrimental to the OER cycle, the stabilization of high-valent Co sites to shift away from the equilibrium becomes critical and is proposed as a new strategy to enhance OER. Herein, phosphorus (P) atoms were doped into reduced graphene oxide to link molecular Co2+ acetylacetonate toward synthesizing a novel heterogeneous molecular catalyst. By increasing the oxidation states of P heteroatoms, the linked Co sites were spontaneously oxidized from 2+ to 3+ states in a KOH solution through OH- ions coupling at an open circuit condition. With excluding the Co2+ sites, the as-derived Co sites with 3+ initial states exhibited intrinsically high OER activity, validating the effectiveness of the strategy of stabilizing high valence Co sites.

Effect Modification by Obesity on Nonsurgical Periodontal Treatment.

Obesity is associated with increased periodontal disease prevalence and incidence. This retrospective cohort study examined whether body mass index (BMI) is an effect modifier of periodontal treatment outcomes in patients attending an urban dental school clinic. Data were extracted from electronic health records of 344 patients at a large urban dental school clinic who had at least 1 tooth with a probing pocket depth (PD) ≥5 mm at baseline and who subsequently received nonsurgical periodontal treatment. BMI was computed from self-reported weight and height and categorized as obese (≥30 kg/m2), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2), or healthy (18-24.9 kg/m2). The primary treatment outcome of interest was defined as having no teeth with PD ≥5 mm in a quadrant on follow-up after nonsurgical periodontal therapy. That outcome was considered to represent treatment success in this study. Secondary outcomes included changes in mean PD and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Analyses included 879 treated quadrants among 344 patients (185 males, 159 females; mean age 49 ± 12 y at baseline; mean posttreatment follow-up of 6 ± 2 mo). Clinical outcomes in patients who were overweight or obese were compared to healthy-weight patients using generalized linear models for binary or continuous outcomes, accounting for clustering within patients. Covariates were age, gender, tobacco use, history of diabetes, insurance type, and number of baseline sites ≥5 mm. Obesity was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of successful nonsurgical treatment (odds ratio = 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.88) than healthy weight. Being overweight was not associated with treatment success. Posttreatment reductions in the percentage of sites with pockets ≥5 mm and CAL ≥5 mm were greater in patients with healthy weight as compared to those either overweight or obese. However, posttreatment changes in mean PD and CAL did not differ among the BMI groups. Obesity adversely modifies the effectiveness of nonsurgical periodontal treatment among dental school clinic patients. The results of this study may be used by dental providers to better understand and manage periodontal therapy in patients with obesity. Furthermore, patients will be better informed about their therapeutic options and outcome success.

Effects of Nest‐Site Availability on Male–Male Competition and the Foraging Costs of Egg Attendance in an Arachnid With Exclusive Paternal Care

ABSTRACTNatural cavities are monopolizable resources used as nest sites across many species exhibiting exclusive male care. However, our understanding of how the availability of this type of reproductive site influences male–male competition and the foraging costs associated with parental care is limited and based on studies of fish. The harvestman Magnispina neptunus offers the opportunity to explore these questions in invertebrates because males defend natural cavities used as oviposition sites and provide exclusive parental care. We hypothesized that low nest availability would increase male–male competition and the foraging costs of egg attendance. To test this hypothesis, we collected observational data in the field and conducted a laboratory experiment with two groups, low and high nest availability. Field data indicate natural cavity scarcity, as only 50% of the males were nest holders. Larger males were more likely to hold nests in the field, but body size did not predict nest ownership in the laboratory. In the field, nests with openings smaller than average were equally occupied by small and large males, while nests with openings larger than average were occupied almost exclusively by large males. The nest opening in the laboratory experiment was adjusted to be equal to the average found in the field, which may have increased nest defensibility, regardless of male size. Thus, prior residency may outweigh body size in determining nest possession. Because nest owners seem to have an advantage over intruders, the costs of abandoning a nest are likely high. This may explain why the frequency of nest takeovers and foraging outside the nests did not differ between experimental groups. In conclusion, although underexplored in empirical studies, external factors, such as the opening size of cavities defended by males of many species with resource‐defense mating systems, may play a key role in the defensibility of nest sites.