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Despite strong evidence of benefits and increasing consumer demand for homebirth, Australia has failed to effectively upscale it. To promote the adoption and expansion of homebirth in the public health care system, policymakers require quantifiable results to evaluate its economic value. To date, there has been limited evaluation of the financial impact of birth settings for women at low risk of pregnancy complications. This study aimed to examine the difference in inpatient costs around birth between offering homebirth in the public maternity system versus not offering public homebirth to selected women who meet low-risk pregnancy criteria. We used a whole-of-population linked administrative dataset containing all women who gave birth in Queensland (one Australian State) between 01/07/2012 and 30/06/2018 where publicly funded homebirth is not currently offered. We created a static microsimulation model to compare the inpatient cost difference for mother and baby around birth based on the women who gave birth between 01/07/2017 and 30/06/2018 (n = 36,314). The model comprised of a base model – representing standard public hospital care, and a counterfactual model – representing a hypothetical scenario where 5 % of women who gave birth in public hospitals planned to give birth at home prior to the onset of labour (n = 1816). Costs were reported in 2021/22 AUD. In our hypothetical scenario, after considering the effect of assumptive place and mode of birth for these planned homebirths, the estimated State-level inpatient cost saving around birth (summed for mother and babies) per pregnancy were: AU$303.13 (to Queensland public hospitals) and AU$186.94 (to Queensland public hospital funders). This calculates to a total cost saving per annum of AU$11 million (to Queensland public hospitals) and AU$6.8 million (to Queensland public hospital funders). A considerable amount of inpatient health care costs around birth could be saved if 5 % of women booked at their local public hospitals, planned to give birth at home through a public-funded homebirth program. This finding supports the establishment and expansion of the homebirth option in the public health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of ammonia via electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) provides an attractive alternative approach to the traditional Haber-Bosch process. In this regard, a one-step hydrothermal method was adopted to synthesize a bimetallic oxide， ferric molybdate (Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3), coated with carbon black on the surface (denoted as Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 /C). The carbon black coating minimizes aggregation of Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 , leading to increased electrochemical active sites for NRR. Additionally, this coating improves the electrical conductivity of Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 thereby accelerating electron transfer between carbon black and Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 , which is beneficial to charge transfer and enlarge the electrochemical active surface areas. At a potential of −0.4 V RHE (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE), the ammonia yield achieved was up to 51.76 μg h−1 mg cat −1, with a Faradaic efficiency of 90.63% at −0.35V RHE. Impressively, this electrocatalyst exhibited excellent cycle stability and durability. Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 /C electrocatalyst was prepared via a one-step hydrothermal method and demonstrated to be a highly efficient non-noble metal catalyst towards electrocatalytic NRR. The obtained Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 /C gives an NH 3 yield rate of 51.76 μg h−1 mg cat −1 at −0.4 V RHE and FE of 90.63% at −0.35 V RHE in 0.1 M Na 2 SO 4 solution, which is much higher than that of the contrast Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 sample. [Display omitted] • Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 /C composite electrocatalyst is reasonably designed and synthesized. • Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 /C shows excellent stability for electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction in 0.1 M Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte. • The excellent NRR activities of Fe 2 (MoO 4) 3 /C own to the enhanced electron transfer and enlarged ECSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The independence number of a square matrix A , denoted by α (A) , is the maximum order of its principal zero submatrices. Given any integer n , let S n + be the set of n × n nonnegative symmetric matrices with zero diagonal. We characterize the linear maps on S n + preserving the independence number of all matrices in S n +. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased integration of digital health into maternity care—alongside growing use of, and access to, personal digital technology among pregnant women—warrants an investigation of the cost-effectiveness of mHealth interventions used by women during pregnancy and the methodological quality of the cost-effectiveness studies. A systematic search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed studies published in the last ten years (2011–2021) reporting on the costs or cost-effectiveness of mHealth interventions used by women during pregnancy. Available data related to program costs, total incremental costs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were reported in 2020 United States Dollars. The quality of cost-effectiveness studies was assessed using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS). Nine articles reporting on eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Direct intervention costs ranged from $7.04 to $86 per woman, total program costs ranged from $241,341 to $331,136 and total incremental costs ranged from -$21.16 to $1.12 million per woman. The following ICERs were reported: $2168 per DALY averted, $203.44 per woman ceasing smoking, and $3475 per QALY gained. The full economic evaluation studies (n = 4) were moderate to high in quality and all reported the mHealth intervention as cost-effective. Other studies (n = 4) were low to moderate in quality and reported low costs or cost savings associated with the implementation of the mHealth intervention. Preliminary evidence suggests mHealth interventions may be cost-effective and "low-cost" but more evidence is needed to ascertain the cost-effectiveness of mHealth interventions regarding positive maternal and child health outcomes and longer-term health service utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An in situ cryogenic tensile X-ray tomography testing system is developed. • Damage evolution is revealed through time-lapse X-ray tomography. • A void nucleation model is proposed considering the orientation of inclusions. • The Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman model is extended to low temperatures. This work investigates the failure behaviour of tungsten inert gas (TIG) welded 2219 aluminum alloy butt welds deformed over a range of cryogenic temperatures relevant to liquid hydrogen/oxygen propellent storage tanks. A novel in situ tensile testing machine, able to deform samples at temperatures down to 83 K, was designed to be accommodated on synchrotron computed tomography beamlines. In this way we were able to observe the accumulation of damage from void nucleation through growth to coalescence and ultimate failure by time-lapse X-ray microtomography during tensile straining at 293 K and 123 K. The results reveal that micro-void nucleation is triggered by θ (Al 2 Cu) precipitates and α-Al + θ (Al 2 Cu) eutectics in the form of particle fracture and interface decohesion. After nucleation, these freshly nucleated voids, along with pre-existing welding defects, extend with straining along the loading direction. This leads to void linkage, a very short void coalescence stage and subsequent catastrophic failure. The probability distribution function that describes the rate at which voids nucleate by interface decohesion considering the particle orientation was determined through the Eshelby inclusion theory. The evolution of void aspect ratio and void growth were modelled using the Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman model and Le Roy model, respectively. This suggests that pre-existing defects grow faster, but that the numerous closely spaced nucleated voids play a significant role in failure. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NiCoCr's composition and SRO significantly influence surface energies and USFE, thereby affecting strength and toughness. • Tailoring SRO leads to a synergy between strength and toughness for material enhancement. • Exceptional toughness results from both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. • In the presence of SRO, intrinsic toughening mechanisms usually associated with crack tip blunting and dissipationare seen to also facilitate the onset of extrinsic toughening mechanisms of nanobridging and zig-zag crack path associated with nanovoid formation and coalescence. The pursuit of enhancing strength and toughness remains a critical endeavor in the field of structural materials. This study explores two distinct strategies to overcome the traditional strength-toughness trade-off. Specifically, we manipulate the chemical composition and short-range order (SRO) of the NiCoCr medium-entropy alloy, which has shown remarkable fracture toughness in recent experiments. Utilizing molecular dynamics simulations, we uncover nano-scale deformation mechanisms during crack propagation. Our findings highlight that optimizing the SRO degree leads to improvements in both atomic scale strength and toughness defined as the area underneath stress-strain curves from MD simulations. In contrast, a trade-off between strength and toughness persists when only manipulating the Ni content in the NiCoCr alloy. Based on the simulation results, we establish a strong correlation between toughness, strength, surface energies, and unstable stacking fault energies. These factors are influenced by the chemical composition and SROs in NiCoCr, with SROs acting as strong obstacles to dislocations, thereby contributing to additional strength. The exceptional toughness of NiCoCr with SRO arises from a synergy of intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms, including dislocation glide, nanobridging during nanovoid coalescence and zigzag crack path. It is found that, in the presence of SRO, intrinsic toughening mechanisms usually associated with crack tip blunting and dissipation can also facilitate the onset of extrinsic toughening mechanisms of nanobridging and zig-zag crack path associated with nanovoid formation and coalescence. This study emphasizes the importance of tailoring SRO in designing materials with enhanced strength and toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify the economic impact of upscaling access to continuity of midwifery carer, compared with current standard maternity care, from the perspective of the public health care system. We created a static microsimulation model based on a whole-of-population linked administrative data set containing all public hospital births in one Australian state (Queensland) between July 2017 to June 2018 (n = 37,701). This model was weighted to represent projected State-level births between July 2023 and June 2031. Woman and infant health service costs (inpatient, outpatient and emergency department) during pregnancy and birth were summed. The base model represented current standard maternity care and a counterfactual model represented two hypothetical scenarios where 50 % or 65 % of women giving birth would access continuity of midwifery carer. Costs were reported in 2021/22 AUD. The estimated cost savings to Queensland public hospital funders per pregnancy were $336 in 2023/24 and $546 with 50 % access. With 65 % access, the cost savings were estimated to be $534 per pregnancy in 2023/24 and $839 in 2030/31. A total State-level annual cost saving of $12 million in 2023/24 and $19 million in 2030/31 was estimated with 50 % access. With 65 % access, total State-level annual cost savings were estimated to be $19 million in 2023/24 and $30 million in 2030/31. Enabling most childbearing women in Australia to access continuity of midwifery carer would realise significant cost savings for the public health care system by reducing the rate of operative birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fatigue strength and life of 2219 welded joints at 77 K are improved compared to RT. • The maximum pore defects near the weld surfaces are predicted by EVS. • Fatigue strengths at RT and 77 K are predicted using EVS and El-Haddad model. • A fatigue life prediction model at room and low temperatures is proposed. This study investigated the tensile and high-cycle fatigue (HCF) properties of a tungsten inert gas (TIG)-welded 2219 aluminum alloy at room temperature (RT) and 77 K for the first time. Defect-sensitivity-based fatigue strength and life prediction models were proposed to link welding defects with fatigue properties at cryogenic temperatures. The findings revealed that the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and fatigue strength of 2219 welded joints at 77 K were significantly improved by 29.7 %, 34.1 %, and 60.4 %, respectively, compared to those at RT. The largest possible pore defects near the weld surface were predicted using a combination of laboratory X-ray computed microtomography and the extreme value statistics (EVS) method. Furthermore, the fatigue strength was predicted by considering the maximum defect size in terms of the El-Haddad-based Kitagawa–Takahashi (K–T) diagram. The predicted fatigue strength was 95.5 MPa with an error of 5.4 % at RT, whereas at 77 K, the predicted value was 144.5 MPa with an error of 10.8 %. Finally, a fatigue life prediction model at both RT and 77 K was proposed based on a modified K–T diagram and Murakami's S - N prediction model. The combination of the fatigue life prediction model and the maximum possible defect size based on EVS can provide slightly conservative predictions of the fatigue life without conducting a large number of HCF tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Construct a neural network with physical constraints in loss function. • Effects of temperature and strain rate on fatigue life are involved. • The effect of the strength of physical constraints on prediction accuracy is discussed. • Prediction accuracy of fatigue life is located within the twice error band. Degraded fatigue performance has been frequently reported for metallic materials at elevated temperatures, which is further deteriorated by reducing the loading frequency due to creep deformation. The evaluation of fatigue life for materials and structures typically relies on a large number of experiments and simulations, which is time-consuming and expensive. To address these challenges, a novel physical informed-based multi-layer nested neural network framework is proposed in this work to predict the low-cycle fatigue life of 316 stainless steels at different temperatures and strain rates. The proposed framework integrates physical constraints into a multi-layer nested neural network. Introducing physical constraints into the neural network can enhance the prediction accuracy of the machine learning approach. All predicted fatigue lives fall within the twice error band, with the majority of them falling within the 1.5 times error band. This approach has the potential to significantly improve computational efficiency and reduce resource consumption in the fatigue life prediction of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA), a widespread degenerative disease characterized by cartilage destruction, has emerged as a public health challenge in the current aging society. In addition to applied steroids and surgery, near-infrared (NIR) sensitive nano-enzyme for the treatment of osteoarthritis through mitochondrial repair and cartilage protection is attractive and promising. In this study, a NIR sensitive multifunctional heterostructure (EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate) decorated Au-Ag nano-jars (E@Au-Ag)) was introduced as an enzyme-sensitive active nanoplatform for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Molecular biology results indicated that E@Au-Ag possesses intrinsic properties of anti-oxidative stress and was able to reduce the apoptosis rate of chondrocytes by 83.3%. The area of the intra-articular joint cavity injected with E@Au-Ag can be elevated to 46.6 °C under NIR to promote the release of EGCG further to induce cartilage regeneration. X-ray radiography and section staining showed that E@Au-Ag reduced cartilage damage and decreased OARSI scores by approximately 52% after 8 weeks of treatment in a surgically induced OA model. The results demonstrated that this multifunctional enzyme-like nanoplatform with a synergistic NIR sensitive property to facilitate cartilage migration and regeneration repair provides a promising OA treatment strategy. 1. NIR-sensitive nano-enzyme is gaining much attention in the field of biomedical materials. 2. EGCG decorated Au-Ag nano-heterostructures were utilized as NIR-sensitive nano-enzymes for the treatment of osteoarthritis through mitochondrial repair and cartilage protection. 3. The obtained multifunctional Au-Ag nano-heterostructures are promising for osteoarthritis treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing resource constraints around land, water, and energy while tackling climate change in Central Asia threaten the agricultural sustainability that underpins food security and people livelihoods. However, there is a lack of comprehensive long-term evaluations of the intricate water-food-energy‑carbon nexus on a wider scale, hindering sustainable agriculture across this region. This study developed an integrated top-down and bottom-up approach to quantify the water consumption, energy use, and carbon emissions from crop production in Central Asia and established the coupling coordination model to evaluate the nexus (1995–2020). The results show that the total water consumption in Central Asia increased from 161.55 × 109 to 170.93 × 109 m3 at a rate of 1.39 × 109 m3/a in which blue water accounted for 59%. However, the energy use and carbon emissions decreased at a rate of − 1.57 PJ/a and − 0.06 Mt CO 2 eq / a , respectively, in which the indirect energy and indirect carbon emissions varied greatly. Furthermore, the coupling coordination level of water-food-energy‑carbon nexus oscillated between uncoordinated and transitional development stages before 2000 and then entered coordinated development in 2003 after a short transitional development. The findings revealed that this oscillation may have been abnormal owing to issues such as yield loss and soil degradation. These results highlight the complex interplay between water, food, energy, and carbon of crop production across Central Asia and emphasise the need for a more integrated policymaking with increased regional cooperation, improvement in resource utilization efficiency, agricultural structure optimization, and protection of farmers rights towards agricultural sustainability. [Display omitted] • Method of constructing water-food-energy-carbon nexus for crop production is improved. • Rising coupling coordination degree of the nexus in Central Asia maybe abnormal. • Agriculture input, land reform, cropping structure, trade are behind nexus changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Post-heat treated LPBF 316L steel exhibits a cyclic hardening followed by non-saturated cyclic softening stage. • The cyclic deformation is primarily influenced by the evolution of dislocation density and dislocation patterns. • Anisotropy in fatigue life is attributed to the anisotropic microstructure, defects and yield strength. • Ratchetting strain and ratchetting strain rate are highly dependent on the applied stress levels. This study has investigated the cyclic deformation and ratchetting-fatigue interaction of 316L stainless steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and subjected to a 900 °C/2 h post-heat treatment, considering both the vertical and horizontal orientations. Strain- and stress-controlled low cycle fatigue (LCF) tests are conducted to explore the cyclic deformation and the effects of the mean stress and stress amplitude on the fatigue life and ratchetting deformation. A detailed analysis of the cyclic deformation mechanism is conducted through X-ray microtomography and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations. The results show that post-heat treated LPBF 316L steel exhibits cyclic hardening followed by a non-saturated cyclic softening stage. This behavior is attributed to the evolution of dislocation density and dislocation patterns, and the formation of surface cracks. The ratchetting strain and its rate are sensitive to the mean stress and stress amplitude. The fatigue lives of vertically built specimens are slightly higher under strain-controlled loading conditions, but significantly lower under stress-controlled loading conditions than those of horizontally built ones. Furthermore, ratchetting deformation can promote fatigue damage, resulting in a reduction in fatigue life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria-induced infection is becoming a huge challenge for clinical treatment, especially for non-healing diabetic wound infections, which increase patient mortality. MRSA infections and delayed wound healing (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) accounted for a higher proportion. Although surgical debridement and continuous use of antibiotics are still the main clinical treatments, new multifunctional therapeutic nanoplatform are attractive for MIDW. Thus, in the present study, black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) encapsulated in hydrogel (BPQDs@NH) were utilized as nanoplatforms for MIDW treatment to achieve the multifunctional properties of NIR (near infrared) responsiveness, ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation and antibacterial activity. Upon NIR irradiation, the temperature of the BPQDs@NH-treated MIDW area rapidly increased up to 55 °C for sterilization. In vitro experiments showed that BPQDs@NH exerted a synergistic effect on inhibiting MRSA by producing of ROS, lipid peroxidation, glutathione, adenosine triphosphate accumulation and bacterial membrane destruction upon NIR irradiation. The resulting BPQDs@NH achieved an effective sterilization rate of approximately 90% for MRSA. Furthermore, animal experiments revealed that BPQDs@NH achieved an effective closure rate of 95% for MIDW after 12 days by reducing the inflammatory response and regulating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Meanwhile, intravenous circulation experiments showed good biocompatibility of BPQDs, and no obvious damage to rat major organs was observed. The obtained results indicated that BPQDs@NH achieved the synergistic functions of NIR-responsiveness, ROS generation, and antibacterial activity and promoted wound healing, suggesting that they are promising multifunctional nanoplatforms for MIDW healing. 1. NIR-triggered ROS-generating and antibacterial nanoplatforms are attractive in the wound healing field. 2. In this work, black phosphorus quantum dots encapsulated in a hydrogel were used as a nanoplatform for treating MRSA infected wounds. 3. The obtained materials have achieved an effective sterilization rate for MRSA and effective wound closure rate. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The tensile properties of WAAM 2219 over the temperature range (77 ∼ 573 K) were obtained. • The effects of temperature on void nucleation and evolution were explored by a combination of SEM and EBSD observations, and X-ray micro computed tomography. • The effects of temperature on deformation and fracture mechanisms were investigated. • True stress and strain responses over a wide temperature range (77 ∼ 523 K) and strain rate range (0.0001 ∼ 0.01 s−1) were predicted using an improved Arrhenius constitutive model. This work investigates the deformation and damage mechanisms of wire + arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) 2219 aluminum alloy over a broad temperature range of 77 K to 523 K. It is found that the strength and work hardening rate increase significantly with decreasing the temperature from 523 K to 77 K, and the fracture mode transitions from transgranular fracture mode to a mixture of intergranular and transgranular fracture ones. The large elongations to fracture are very similar for the specimens tested at 77 K and 523 K. This is mainly attributed to higher uniform elongation before necking at 77 K and higher post-necking elongation at 523 K. The cracking of α-Al + θ (Al 2 Cu) eutectics is the primary mechanism of micro-void nucleation, independent of the test temperature. The nucleated micro-voids, along with larger gas pore defects introduced by WAAM, extend along the tensile direction. In addition, as the temperature increases from 77 K to 523 K, the fracture mechanism transitions from high strain localization to extensive necking, leading to higher dislocation density, more grain fragmentation and micro-void nucleation, and more significant grain elongation and void growth. True stress and strain responses over the studied temperature range (77 ∼ 523 K) and strain rate range (0.0001 ∼ 0.01 s−1) are well predicted using an improved Arrhenius-type constitutive model, by considering the activation energy of deformation as a function of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysregulated cell death machinery and an excessive inflammatory response in Coxsackievirus B3(CVB3)-infected myocarditis are hallmarks of an abnormal host response. Complement C4 and C3 are considered the central components of the classical activation pathway and often participate in the response process in the early stages of virus infection. In our study, we constructed a mouse model of CVB3-related viral myocarditis via intraperitoneal injection of Fer-1 and detected myocarditis and ferroptosis markers in the mouse myocardium. Then, we performed co-IP and protein mass spectrometry analyses to explore which components interact with the ferroptosis gene transferrin receptor (TFRC). Finally, functional experiments were conducted to verify the role of complement components in regulating ferroptosis in CVB3 infection. It showed that the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 could alleviate the inflammation in viral myocarditis as well as ferroptosis. Mechanistically, during CVB3 infection, the key factor TFRC was activated and inhibited by Fer-1. Fer-1 effectively prevented the consumption of complement C3 and overload of the complement product C4b. Interestingly, we found that TFRC directly interacts with complement C4, leading to an increase in the product of C4b and a decrease in the downstream complement C3. Functional experiments have also confirmed that regulating the complement C4/C3 pathway can effectively rescue cell ferroptosis caused by CVB3 infection. In this study, we found that ferroptosis occurs through crosstalk with complement C4 in viral myocarditis through interaction with TFRC and that regulating the complement C4/C3 pathway may rescue ferroptosis in CVB3-infected cardiomyocytes. [Display omitted] • This research showed that the expression of the component C3 decreased and that of C4b increased on the 14th days of post-CVB3 infection in myocardium. • It has been confirmed for the first time that ferroptosis regulates myocarditis damage through its interaction with complements in CVB3 induced myocarditis. • This may provide a new method for the clinical treatment of myocardial cell death in patients with viral myocarditis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an omnidirectional electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) for generating and receiving A 0 mode of Lamb waves in plate structures. The proposed EMAT is composed of a spiral meander coil (SMC) and a new concentric permanent magnet pairs with opposite polarity (CPMP-OP) for enhancing the generation and detection of A 0 mode. A finite element model was established to simulate the directions of the static magnetic field produced by the permanent magnets and the incentive process of guided waves. To verify the performance of the EMAT, several experiments were performed. Firstly, we experimentally verified that the developed EMAT could generate and receive a pure single A 0 mode omnidirectionally. Then, the relationship between the frequency response characteristic of the developed EMAT and the interval l (the distance between the two adjacent annular wires of the SMC) were explored. Furthermore, the circumferential consistency of the transducer was well demonstrated. Finally, the sensing performance of the developed omnidirectional A 0 mode EMAT employing a CPMP-OP was compared with that of EMAT with different structures of coils and permanent magnets. The experimental results indicated that the developed omnidirectional A 0 mode EMAT employing a CPMP-OP could enhance the signals of the A 0 mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a series of metal oxides (Fe,Cu) modified HZSM-5 catalysts were synthesized by incipient-wetness impregnation method and then characterized by XRD, N 2 adsorption-desorption, H 2 -TPR, NH 3 -TPD, UV-vis, FT-IR and XPS measurements. The catalytic hydrolysis and oxidation behaviors toward HCN were investigated. The results indicated that the Fe-Cu/HZSM-5 catalysts exhibited more excellent performence on coupling catalytic hydrolysis and oxidation of HCN than HZSM-5, Fe/HZSM-5, Cu/HZSM-5, and both nearly 100% HCN conversion and 80% N 2 selectivity were obtained at about 250 °C. The improved catalytic performance could be ascribed to the creation of highly dispersed iron and copper composites on the surface of the HZSM-5 support, the excellent redox and regulated acid properties of the active ingredients. Moreover, the highly N 2 selectivity could be attributed to the good interaction between the Fe and Cu nanocomposites which was facilitated to the NH 3 -SCR (selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH 3 ) reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to propose a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) method to evaluate and select solvent in a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) approach. The DLLME is applied to the determination of itraconazole and hydroxy itraconazole in plasma by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). To achieve this goal, extraction efficiency, chromatographic resolution, and greenness of solvent were identified as the three indicators in MCDA. Then, Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was employed to evaluate and select the solvent. Weight assignment was set up by integrating the subjective scoring from experienced analysts and the objective approach using Shannon's entropy weight method. Under chosen parameters (extraction solvent: 1-decanol 40 μL, dispersing solvent: methanol 400 μL), the method was validated satisfactorily and applied successfully to the analysis of itraconazole and hydroxy itraconazole in real human plasma samples. The results show that the comprehensive weighted TOPSIS analysis is a promising tool to choose experimental conditions toward an integrative goal. It can provide analysts with a decision making reference to maintain a balance between the analytical performance and eco-friendliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Asia is a strategic geopolitical region, which has recently been identified to be on the verge of a water-related crisis. Yet, most studies addressing water-related issues across Central Asia have lacked multi-sectoral and cross-country perspectives. This study used the multi-region input−output model to quantify the water footprint in Central Asia as well as the STIRPAT technique to study its driving forces from 1995 to 2015. The results revealed that the production and consumption-based water footprints of Central Asia sharply increased, as proven by the growth rate of 12.69 × 109 m3/annum and 9.52 × 109 m3/annum, respectively. The water-intensive agriculture sector completely dominated Central Asia's water footprint. In addition, between 1995 and 2015, the volume of imported and exported water footprints in Central Asia increased. In terms of exports, the internal water footprint accounted for 3%–5%, whereas the external accounted for 95%–97%. With respect to imports, the internal water footprint dropped from 50% to 37%. Nevertheless, the gap between export and import volumes was approximately ten-fold, which revealed that international trade exacerbates Central Asia's water crisis. Furthermore, urbanisation was revealed to have significant positive effect on water footprint changes compared to population, gross domestic product (GDP) and water use efficiency in Central Asia. This study provides policy implications for promoting Central Asia's water resource management, as well as highlighting the driving forces of water footprint that need attention, resulting in cooperative water resource management to promote sustainable development. [Display omitted] • This study quantified the water footprint in Central Asia. • The production and consumption-based water footprints increased by 12.69 × 109 and 9.52 × 109 m3/a. • The agricultural sector dominated the water footprint's growth. • Europe is the largest export destination of Central Asia's water footprint at 69%. • Urbanisation was revealed to have significant positive effect on water footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]