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Our understanding of how Fe(II) reacts with Fe(III) oxides has evolved based on evidence for electron transfer at the oxide-water interface and Fe(II)-catalyzed recrystallization. There is, however, some evidence that these, and other processes, such as microbial reduction, cease after continued contact with Fe(II) as the Fe oxide becomes "passivated". Here, we explore the mechanism of oxide passivation by measuring whether exposure to Fe(II) inhibits Fe(II)-goethite electron transfer, and whether this inhibition is reversible. To quantify the extent of electron transfer, we used selective isotope labeling with 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. We provide experimental evidence that pre-exposure to Fe(II) alters the products formed and inhibits the extent of electron transfer between goethite and Fe(II). We demonstrate that the goethite surface can accumulate a passivation layer of sorbed Fe(II) and that further electron transfer between Fe(II) and goethite is inhibited. Importantly, however, electron transfer can be partially restored upon removal of the layer of Fe(II) by extraction or oxidation. Our results suggest that in environments that are commonly subjected to transient geochemical fluctuations, electron transfer between Fe(II) and Fe oxides, and processes linked to it are likely to be relevant beyond just short time scales.

Background: In Germany, around 2.250 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year. Despite generally positive long-term survival rates, many patients must cope with late effects of the disease and its treatment. This highlights the need for a well-structured, long-term approach addressing both physical and mental health issues. Currently, the German healthcare system lacks such comprehensive structures. Our study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured, multidisciplinary long-term approach compared to conventional "treatment as usual" (TAU). Methods: A prospective, multicenter study with ten pediatric university clinics in Germany will be conducted. The cluster-randomization takes place at the clinic level. Children and adolescents who completed their cancer treatment at least five years ago and their parents will be eligible to participate. While the control group (CG) receives TAU, the intervention group (IG) participates in a structured program. This program includes risk-based medical treatment and psychosocial interventions tailored to each patient's individual needs within a two-month timeframe. The primary outcome is the improvement of self-efficacy. Secondary outcomes are satisfaction with health care, improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), reduction of mental health problems, and improvement of transition readiness. Discussion: This approach has the potential to optimize the health care for individuals who survived cancer during childhood or adolescence. It addresses the challenges of overuse, underuse, and misuse of health care resources. By considering both medical and psychosocial factors and promoting increased self-efficacy, independent from parental involvement, it may facilitate a smoother transition to adult medicine and enhance adherence to lifelong aftercare. If proven successful, this approach will contribute to the integration of multidisciplinary strategies into standard healthcare practice. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00029269. Registered on December 23, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anaerobic digestion of aqueous condensate from fast pyrolysis is a promising technology for enhancing carbon and energy recovery from waste. Syngas, another pyrolysis product, could be integrated as a co-substrate to improve process efficiency. However, limited knowledge exists on the co-fermentation of pyrolysis syngas and aqueous condensate by anaerobic cultures and the effects of substrate toxicity. This work investigates the ability of mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic mixed cultures to co-ferment syngas and the aqueous condensate from either sewage sludge or polyethylene plastics pyrolysis in semi-batch bottle fermentations. It identifies inhibitory concentrations for carboxydotrophic and methanogenic reactions, examines specific component removal and assesses energy recovery potential. The results show successful co-fermentation of syngas and aqueous condensate components like phenols and N-heterocycles. However, the characteristics and load of the aqueous condensates affected process performance and product formation. The toxicity, likely resulting from the synergistic effect of multiple toxicants, depended on the PACs' composition. At 37 °C, concentrations of 15.6 gCOD/gVSS and 7.8 gCOD/gVSS of sewage sludge-derived aqueous condensate inhibited by 50% carboxydotrophic and methanogenic activity, respectively. At 55 °C, loads between 3.9 and 6.8 gCOD/gVSS inhibited by 50% both reactions. Polyethylene plastics condensate showed higher toxicity, with 2.8 gCOD/gVSS and 0.3 gCOD/gVSS at 37 °C decreasing carboxydotrophic and methanogenic rates by 50%. At 55 °C, 0.3 gCOD/gVSS inhibited by 50% CO uptake rates and methanogenesis. Increasing PAC loads reduced methane production and promoted short-chain carboxylates formation. The recalcitrant components in sewage sludge condensate hindered e-mol recovery, while plastics condensate showed high e-mol recoveries despite the stronger toxicity. Even with challenges posed by substrate toxicity and composition variations, the successful conversion of syngas and aqueous condensates highlights the potential of this technology in advancing carbon and energy recovery from anthropogenic waste streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel approach to shape modeling and a model-based image segmentation procedure tailor-made for the proposed shape model. A common way to represent shape is based on so-called key points and leads to shape variables, which are invariant with respect to similarity transformations. We propose a graphical shape model, which relies on a certain conditional independence structure among the shape variables. Most often, it is sufficient to use a sparse underlying graph reflecting both nearby and long-distance key point interactions. Graphical shape models allow for specific shape modeling, since, e.g., for the subclass of decomposable graphical Gaussian models both model selection procedures and explicit parameter estimates are available. A further prerequisite to a successful application of graphical shape models in image analysis is provided by the "toolbox" of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods offering highly flexible and effective methods for the exploration of a specified distribution. For Bayesian image segmentation based on a graphical Gaussian shape model, we suggest applying a hybrid approach composed of the well-known Gibbs sampler and the more recent slice sampler. Shape modeling as well as image analysis are demonstrated for the segmentation of vertebrae from two-dimensional slices of computer tomography images. Index Terms--Shape, Bookstein coordinates, conditional independence, graphical Gaussian models, Markov random fields, Bayesian image segmentation, Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling methods, Gibbs sampler, slice sampler.

The Enset plant is a potential food source for about 20 million Ethiopians. A massive amount of residual byproduct is discarded from traditional Ethiopian Enset food processing. This study shows a compositional analysis of Enset biomass and its use for biobutanol production. The Enset biomass was pretreated with 2% (w/v) NaOH or 2% (v/v) H2SO4 and subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis. The enzymatic hydrolysates were then fermented anaerobically by C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum DSM 14923. The majority of Enset biomass waste samples contained 36–67% cellulose, 16–20% hemicelluloses, and less than 6.8% lignin. In all alkali-pretreated Enset biomass samples, the enzyme converted 80–90% of the biomass to glucose within 24 h, while it took 60 h to convert 48–80% of the acid-pretreated Enset biomass. In addition, the alkali pretreatment method released more glucose than the acid pretreatment in all Enset biomass samples. After 72 h of ABE fermentation, 2.8 g/L acetone, 9.9 g/L butanol, and 1.6 g/L ethanol were produced from mixed Enset waste hydrolysate pretreated with alkali, achieving an ABE yield of 0.32 g/g and productivity of 0.2 g × L−1 × h−1, showing the first value of butanol produced from Enset biomass in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cloning, sequencing and expression of the genes of tetrachloroethene reductive dehalogenase from gram-negative Dehalospirillum multivorans were studied. Findings supported by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction data showed that the pceA and pceB genes were cotranscribed. The pceA and pceB genes encoded 510- and 74-amino acid proteins, respectively. The pceA gene contained a nucleotide stretch highly similar to binding motifs for two Fe4S4 clusters.

Background and Purpose Method Results Conclusions Chlormadinone acetate (CMA) is a synthetic progestin for which cases of intracranial meningioma have been reported following prolonged exposure.An observational cohort study was conducted based on the French national health data system. Women aged 10‐70 years and who started CMA between 2007 and 2017 were included. Participants were considered to be exposed if they had received a cumulative dose >360 mg of CMA during the first 6 months and very slightly exposed (control group) when they had received a cumulative dose ≤360 mg. The outcome was surgery or radiotherapy for one or more intracranial meningioma(s). Poisson models assessed the relative risk (RR) of meningioma.In total, 828,499 women were included: 469,976 in the exposed group (mean age 39.1 years, SD 10.1) and 358,523 in the control group (38.3 years, SD 11.0). Surgery or radiotherapy for intracranial meningioma between 2007 and 2017 was recorded for 164 and 104 women in the exposed and control groups, respectively. The incidence of meningioma was 18.5 and 6.8 per 100,000 person‐years for the exposed and control groups respectively (crude RR = 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1–3.5; age‐adjusted RR = 3.1, 95% CI 2.4–4.0). Meningioma incidence reached almost 47 cases/100,000 person‐years in the most exposed group (>8.64 g), giving an age‐adjusted RR of 6.9, 95% CI 5.1–9.2, relative to the control group.A strong dose–effect relationship was observed between prolonged use of CMA and risk of meningiomas. As with other progestogens, meningiomas associated with CMA are more likely to be found at the base of the skull. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]