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Background Individuals who participate in outdoor sports are subject to an increased risk of developing skin cancer. To date, there has been no review examining skin cancer and sun protective behaviours specific to outdoor, water based sports. Therefore, this scoping reviews objectives were to (1) summarise volume and type of scientific literature available relating to skin cancer, (2) examine current sun protective behaviours and (3) identify knowledge gaps to inform future research. Method A scoping review was conducted to address the objectives following the PRISMA guidelines. Seven databases were searched; identified studies were screened based on title, abstract and full-text for outdoor water based sports which examined skin cancer and/or sun protective behaviours. Data was extracted, synthesised and critically appraised using a modified AXIS tool. Percentage frequencies were calculated, and key results were placed in tabular or graphical presentation. Results Nine cross sectional studies were identified, all defined as low level evidence. A combined sample of 4,377 participants across six countries and five water based sports showed BCC (71%) was the most common skin cancer, followed by melanoma (18%) and SCC (10%). The head (41%) and upper-limbs (27%) were the most common location. Conclusion This review highlights the minimal research available and demonstrates those in water based sports are at high risk of developing skin cancer. Due to difficulty adhering to sun protective behaviours, the most prevalent location is the upper body. Included studies were of low level evidence, providing opportunity for future research to expand upon the gaps in the current literature.

In the majority of rechargeable batteries including lithium‐ion batteries, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) binders are the most commonly used binder for both anode and cathode. However, using PVdF binder requires the organic solvent of N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone which is expensive, volatile, combustible, toxic, and has poor recyclability. Therefore, switching to aqueous electrode processing routes with non‐toxic binders would provide a great leap forward towards the realization of ideally fully sustainable and environmentally friendly electrochemical energy storage devices. Various water‐soluble binders (aqueous binders) were characterized and compared to the performance of conventional PVdF. Our study demonstrates that the electrochemical performance of Zn/MnO2 aqueous batteries is significantly improved by using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) binder. In addition, CMC binders offer desirable adhesion, good wettability, homogeneous material distribution, and strong chemical stability at certain pH levels (3.5–5) without any decomposition for long‐cycle life.

A new scandium naphthalenedicarboxylate with the framework composition [Sc-2(1,4-NDC)(3)] (H-2-1,4-NDC = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid) was obtained under hydrothermal synthesis conditions. A st ...

The exceptional underwater adhesive properties displayed by aquatic organisms, such as mussels (Mytilus spp.) and barnacles (Cirripedia spp.) have long inspired new approaches to adhesives with a superior performance both in wet and dry environments. Herein, a bioinspired adhesive composite that combines both adhesion mechanisms of mussels and barnacles through a blend of silk, polydopamine, and Fe3+ ions in an entirely organic, nontoxic water‐based formulation is presented. This approach seeks to recapitulate the two distinct mechanisms that underpin the adhesion properties of the Mytilus and Cirripedia, with the former secreting sticky proteinaceous filaments called byssus while the latter produces a strong proteic cement to ensure anchoring. The composite shows remarkable adhesive properties both in dry and wet conditions, favorably comparing to synthetic commercial glues and other adhesives based on natural polymers, with performance comparable to the best underwater adhesives with the additional advantage of having an entirely biological composition that requires no synthetic procedures or processing., New mussel‐inspired, high‐performance underwater adhesive is developed using Bombyx mori silk fibroin as protein backbone and polydopamine as catechol bearing molecule. This all‐natural synthetic‐step free composition displays in lap‐shearing bonding tests underwater adhesion forces (2.6 MPa) that rival commercial synthetic adhesives.

RATIONALE Analysis of water-based personal lubricants can provide pivotal information to law enforcement regarding sexual assault allegations, particularly in the absence of biological evidence. Traditional methodology for the extraction and analysis of water-based lubricants is cumbersome, time-consuming, and is often not sufficiently selective or sensitive to fully characterise the wide range of chemical components present within complex formulations. METHODS Liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) was deployed in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to screen a range of water-based lubricants directly from contaminated cotton fabric. Rehydration of the fabric was the only sample preparation required. RESULTS Analysis of ten different water-based lubricants by nano-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry in negative ion mode enabled discrimination based on the presence or absence of nine compounds, which were identified by comparison of their MS/MS spectra to available standards. Lubricants were successfully detected by LESA from stained fabric surfaces; even following extended periods of time between deposition and sampling. CONCLUSIONS A library encompassing the common components of water-based lubricants has been established using HRMS and tandem mass spectrometry to enable identification of personal lubricant formulations and differentiation between suppliers.

PURPOSE: In proton therapy planning, the accuracy of the Stopping Power Ratios (SPR) calculated in the stoichiometric CT calibration is affected by, among others, uncertainties on the mean excitation energies (I-values) of human tissues and water. Traditionally, the contribution of these uncertainties on the SPR has been conservatively estimated of the order of 1% or more for a reference tissue of known composition. This study provides a methodology that enables a finer estimation of this uncertainty, eventually showing that the traditional estimates of the uncertainty are too conservative. METHODS: Since human tissues contain water, a correlation exists between the I-values of tissues and water. As the SPR is the ratio of the tissue stopping power to that of water, this correlation decreases the uncertainty of the SPR. Our formalism considers this by expressing the I-value of the tissue as a function of the water weight fraction and the I-value of water, while applying Bragg's additivity rule only to the nonaqueous mixture of the tissue. For 22 reference tissue compositions, the SPR uncertainty was estimated by randomly sampling Gaussian distributions, based on ICRU data, for the I-values of water and the nonaqueous mixture, as well as for the water weight fraction. RESULTS: The relative standard deviation of the SPR, estimated at 150 MeV, is in the range of 0.1%-0.3% for soft tissues with an average water weight percentage of at least 60%. For tissues with a low water content (e.g., adipose and bones), this uncertainty is in the range of 0.5%-0.7%. CONCLUSION: Uncertainties on the I-values of human tissues and water appear to have a significantly lower impact on the SPR uncertainty than traditionally expected. In the future, this may provide a rationale for using smaller distal and proximal margins on the target volume, provided that all other range uncertainty components are correctly estimated too. ispartof: MEDICAL PHYSICS vol:45 issue:7 pages:3361-3370 ispartof: location:United States status: published