Search

Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected all social systems, but healthcare services were particularly disrupted. The pandemic also had a disproportionate impact on populations made socially vulnerable. In this study, we documented the experiences of Latinx sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals with access to care during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Methods Semistructured qualitative interviews assessing experiences during the stay-at-home orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and patients' experiences accessing healthcare during this period were conducted with 21 Latinx SGM individuals from the Washington, DC, area. Data were analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis (RQA), and salient themes were identified. Results The RQA revealed 3 themes reflecting participants' experiences with pharmaceutical care during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders: (1) challenges in accessing HIV services; (2) community engagement; and (3) providers supporting access to care. Participants experienced problems with adherence to medication, transportation, and technology, as well as delays in care and miscommunication with providers. Latinx SGM individuals demonstrated engagement in response to this emergency as a community and valued their providers and their efforts to facilitate access to care. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic strained healthcare services. Findings from this study show that the impact of the pandemic on the provision of care increased the vulnerability of Latinx SGM people. Future research should explore the impact of public health emergencies on the health of populations historically made socially vulnerable, and innovative solutions should be identified to eliminate these barriers to health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperluminous infrared galaxies (HyLIRGs) are the most extreme star-forming systems observed in the early Universe, and their properties still elude comprehensive understanding. We have undertaken a large XMM – Newton observing programme to probe the total accreting black hole population in three HyLIRGs at z = 2.12, 3.25, and 3.55, gravitationally lensed by foreground galaxies. Selected from the Planck All-Sky Survey to Analyse Gravitationally lensed Extreme Starbursts (PASSAGES), these HyLIRGs have apparent infrared luminosities >1014 L⊙. Our observations revealed X-ray emission in each of them. PJ1336+49 appears to be dominated by high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). Remarkably, the luminosity of this non-AGN X-ray emission exceeds by a factor of about 3 the value obtained by calibration with local galaxies with much lower star formation rates. This enhanced X-ray emission most likely highlights the efficacy of dynamical HMXB production within compact clusters, which is an important mode of star formation in HyLIRGs. The remaining two (PJ0116−24 and PJ1053+60) morphologically and spectrally exhibit a compact X-ray component in addition to the extended non-AGN X-ray emission, indicating the presence of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). The AGN appears to be centrally located in the reconstructed source plane images of PJ0116−24, which manifests its star-forming activity predominantly within an extended galactic disc. In contrast, the AGN in the field of PJ1053+60 is projected 60 kpc away from the extreme star-forming galaxy and could be ejected from it. These results underline the synergistic potential of deep X-ray observations with strong lensing for the study of high-energy astrophysical phenomena in HyLIRGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density functional theory (DFT) and beyond-DFT methods are often used in combination with photoelectron spectroscopy to obtain physical insights into the electronic structure of molecules and solids. The Kohn–Sham eigenvalues are not electron removal energies except for the highest occupied orbital. The eigenvalues of the highest occupied molecular orbitals often underestimate the electron removal or ionization energies due to the self-interaction (SI) errors in approximate density functionals. In this work, we adapt and implement the density-consistent effective potential method of Kohut, Ryabinkin, and Staroverov [J. Chem. Phys. 140, 18A535 (2014)] to obtain SI-corrected local effective potentials from the SI-corrected Fermi–Löwdin orbitals and density in the Fermi–Löwdin orbital self-interaction correction scheme. The implementation is used to obtain the density of states (photoelectron spectra) and HOMO–LUMO gaps for a set of molecules and polyacenes. Good agreement with experimental values is obtained compared to a range of SI uncorrected density functional approximations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most widely used density functional approximations suffer from self-interaction error, which can be corrected using the Perdew–Zunger (PZ) self-interaction correction (SIC). We implement the recently proposed size-extensive formulation of PZ-SIC using Fermi–Löwdin Orbitals (FLOs) in real space, which is amenable to systematic convergence and large-scale parallelization. We verify the new formulation within the generalized Slater scheme by computing atomization energies and ionization potentials of selected molecules and comparing to those obtained by existing FLOSIC implementations in Gaussian based codes. The results show good agreement between the two formulations, with new real-space results somewhat closer to experiment on average for the systems considered. We also obtain the ionization potentials and atomization energies by scaling down the Slater statistical average of SIC potentials. The results show that scaling down the average SIC potential improves both atomization energies and ionization potentials, bringing them closer to experiment. Finally, we verify the present formulation by calculating the barrier heights of chemical reactions in the BH6 dataset, where significant improvements are obtained relative to Gaussian based FLOSIC results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research work is conducted to analyse spatial distribution and possible spatial association between three types of crimes from January 2018 to December 2019 in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. In this study, we consider treating the data as a realization of spatial point processes precisely on street network and propose an equal split continuous kernel estimator to identify particular street segments with higher crime rates than neighbouring segments. The results identify the location of high-risk areas for different kind of crimes and permit to detect individual street where crime rate is higher than the average rate. Additionally, our analysis reveals the existence of clusters with high crime incidence running eastwest across the central part of the urban study area. In that context, the current study suggests a comprehensive overview of road safety metrices for public security system and has important implications for strategic law enforcement. The methodology can be adapted and applied to other urban locations globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the success of density functional approximations (DFAs) in describing the electronic properties of many-electron systems, the most widely used approximations suffer from self-interaction errors (SIEs) that limit their predictive power. Here, we describe the effects of removing SIE from the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-generalized gradient approximation using the Fermi-Löwdin Orbital Self-Interaction Correction (FLOSIC) method. FLOSIC is a size-extensive implementation of the Perdew-Zunger self-interaction correction (PZ-SIC) formalism. We find that FLOSIC-SCAN calculations require careful treatment of numerical details and an integration grid that yields reliable accuracy with this approach. We investigate the performance of FLOSIC-SCAN for predicting a wide array of properties and find that it provides better results than FLOSIC-LDA and FLOSIC-PBE in nearly all cases. It also gives better predictions than SCAN for orbital energies and dissociation energies where self-interaction effects are known to be important, but total energies and atomization energies are made worse. For these properties, we also investigate the use of the self-consistent FLOSIC-SCAN density in the SCAN functional and find that this DFA@FLOSIC-DFA approach yields improved results compared to pure, self-consistent SCAN calculations. Thus, FLOSIC-SCAN provides improved results over the parent SCAN functional in cases where SIEs are dominant, and even when they are not, if the SCAN@FLOSIC-SCAN method is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's uncertain and competitive market, where manufacturing enterprises are subjected to increasingly shortened product lifecycles and frequent volume changes, reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) applications play significant roles in the success of the manufacturing industry. Despite the advantages offered by RMSs, achieving high efficiency constitutes a challenging task for stakeholders and decision makers when they face the trade-off decisions inherent in these complex systems. This study addresses work task and resource allocations to workstations together with buffer capacity allocation in an RMS. The aim is to simultaneously maximize throughput and to minimize total buffer capacity under fluctuating production volumes and capacity changes while considering the stochastic behavior of the system. An enhanced simulation-based multi-objective optimization (SMO) approach with customized simulation and optimization components is proposed to address the abovementioned challenges. Apart from presenting the optimal solutions subject to volume and capacity changes, the proposed approach supports decision makers with knowledge discovery to further understand RMS design. In particular, this study presents a customized SMO approach combined with a novel flexible pattern mining method for optimizing an RMS and conducts post-optimal analyses. To this extent, this study demonstrates the benefits of applying SMO and knowledge discovery methods for fast decision support and production planning of an RMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses unlearned lessons for Black, Latino, and other men with HIV who have sex with men about infectious diseases. Topics discussed include brief background of monkeypox (MPX), lessons from Covid-19 that have not been heeded in the MPX outbreak, and reason the lack of disaggregated data from the states and territories is hampering the response to the MPX outbreak.

Besnoitia besnoiti is an apicomplexan parasite whose life cycle is not completely understood. It is assumed that this parasite might have an indirect life cycle with a carnivore as a definitive host able to shed oocysts after the ingestion of mature cysts in tissues of an infected intermediate host. Cattle and wild cervids on the Iberian Peninsula can act as intermediate hosts of B. besnoiti, and exposure to the parasite has been demonstrated in equids. In this study, we aimed to assess the presence of members of the genera Besnoitia in wild lagomorphs from the Iberian Peninsula and the potential role of these host species in the life cycle of B. besnoiti, as all the animals were sampled from 19 regions of the Iberian Peninsula where cases of bovine besnoitiosis have been previously detected. Serum samples (Oryctolagus cuniculus: n = 552; Lepus europaeus: n = 122) were first analysed by ELISA and subsequently confirmed by Western blot (WB). Specific antibodies against B. besnoiti were not found in any sampled animal by WB. In addition, lung samples from a subset of wild rabbits (n = 16) were tested by PCR and Besnoitia spp. DNA was not detected. These results suggest that Besnoitia spp. are unlikely to circulate in wild lagomorphs in the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, lagomorphs are not expected to play a key role in the biological cycle of B. besnoiti. Further studies are necessary to assess whether different micromammal species, such as rodents, can serve as natural reservoirs of Besnoitia spp. in other European regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the municipality of Pitalito, Huila, Colombia, there is a high degree of ignorance about cognitive functional diversity, by generating a social problem, which raises barriers and prevents the inclusion of people in this condition. Thus, the problem of labor inclusion for people with functional diversity arises from the lack of knowledge of this condition, from the wrong perception of their capabilities, from the educational deficiencies regarding labor competencies and from the lack of governmental intervention in the dissemination of public policies for inclusion. Finally, strategies are proposed under the triple helix innovation model to achieve effectiveness in the inclusive processes of social, educational, and labor insertion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and hypothesis: The mid-urethral sling (MUS) is considered the gold standard for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Nevertheless, this procedure is not excluded from postsurgical complications, which can be challenging for most clinicians. Hence, one of the main concerns about this procedure is late postoperative voiding dysfunction (LDS), defined as obstructive symptoms 6 weeks after surgery. Primary medical management regularly includes expectant management and rehabilitation, including the mid-urethral cut sling (MUCS) as an alternative when it fails. This video provides an anatomical illustration and detailed description of the surgical steps of the J-cut of the lateral sling. Materials and methods: We set up a step-by-step surgical process and provided some advice for MUCS in a video; this material included how to position the sling, dissect, isolate the synthetic material, release adhesions and make a lateral cut of the MUS. Additionally, a case series of 30 patients from our institution is described to confirm the effectiveness of MUCS to manage delayed voiding dysfunction syndrome. Results: MUCS in LDS was beneficial for our patients. Obstructive symptoms improved clinically from 75% to 100%, and urgency-related symptoms decreased from 57.9% to 26.3%, evidencing 20% SUI post-MUCS surgery. Conclusions: The lateral cut of the mid-urethral tape should be considered a surgical alternative for the resolution of post-sling late voiding dysfunction syndrome in patients who do not improve with expectant management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiphoton lithography (MPL), Z-scan spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations were employed to investigate the order of multiphoton excitation that occurs when femtosecond laser pulses are used to excite two sulfonium photo-acid generators (PAGs) commonly used in photoresists based on the cross-linkable epoxide SU-8. The mole-fractions of the mono- and bis-sulfonium forms of these PAGs were determined for the commercially available photoresist SU-8 2075 and for the PAGs alone from a separate source. Both were found to contain similar fractions of the mono- and bis-forms, with the mono form present in the majority. Reichert’s method was used to determine the solvatochromic strength of the SU-8 matrix, so that results obtained for the PAGs in SU-8 and in solution could be reliably compared. The PAGs were found to exhibit a minimal solvatochromic shift for a series of solvents that span across the solvatochromic strength of SU-8 itself. Sub-micron-sized features were fabricated in SU-8 2075 by MPL using amplified and continuouswave mode-locked laser pulses. Analysis of the features as a function of average laser power, scan speed, and excitation wavelength shows that the PAGs can be activated by both two- and threephoton absorption (2PA and 3PA). Which activation mode dominates depends principally upon the excitation wavelength because the average laser powers that can be used with the photoresist are limited by practical considerations. The power must be high enough to effect sufficient crosslinking, yet not so high as to exceed the damage threshold of the material. When the laser pulses have a duration on the order of 100 fs, 3PA dominates at wavelengths near 800 nm, whereas 2PA becomes dominant at wavelengths below 700 nm. These findings are corroborated by openaperture Z-scan measurements and quantum chemical calculations of the cross-sections for 2PA and 3PA as a function of wavelength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human decisions are partially rational. In medicine, critical scenarios make decide-making (DM) difficult. In this review, we propose the "4E" approach to improve the DM of interventions. The "4E" approach includes decisions: "effectual" when interventions have been tested in controlled settings, "effective" when interventions have been tested in uncontrolled or pragmatic clinical settings, "efficient" when the benefits of a new intervention are evaluated by its costs, and decisions that promote "equity" when these interventions are recommended according to the needs of the patient, avoiding barriers. Using this approach could improve DM in clinical practice, but it is not enough to guarantee its incorporation and use. It is also essential to promote the organizational, institutional, and political dynamics of health systems that promote evidence's critical use to make decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elderly female population usually presents damage to the articular discs or menisci of the knee (ADK), generally derived from degenerative cartilage processes that occur in osteoarthritis. Knowing the standard morphological patterns of ADKs in a specific demographic population allows clarity of the indigenous characteristics of that population. One way to characterize these patterns is through the design of Finite Element Models (FEM) that would enable predicting clinical and radiological abnormalities. So far, there is little evidence on the morphometric characteristics of ADKs in the Colombian population. Thus, the objective of the present study was to describe the morphometry of ADK in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of healthy Colombian women. In this study, 25 MRIs of the knee of Colombian women with normal weight were taken, with no history of knee pathology, trauma, or surgery, and with ages between 18 and 60 years. The analysis of the width of the posterior horn of the medial ADK (12.73 ± 2.42) compared to the lateral (8.04 ± 1.52) showed a statistically significant difference (p <0.05). On the other hand, the medial ADK presented an increased anteroposterior diameter (38.52 ± 2.71) compared to that of the lateral ADK (29.18 ± 2.75) close to statistical significance (p = 0.051). Similarly, the height of the anterior horn was found to be increased in the medial ADK (4.42 ± 0.79) compared to the lateral (3.66 ± 0.76), with a trend towards statistical significance (p = 0.063). Anatomically, it is recognized that the medial and lateral ADK adapt to the shape and size of the femoral condyles, which is in agreement with the results of the studied population where measurements show that medial ADK has a longer (anterior to posterior diameter) and a shorter height than the lateral ADK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOIP, the catalytic component of the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC), is a critical regulator of inflammation. However, how HOIP itself is regulated to control inflammatory responses is unclear. Here, we discover that site‐specific ubiquitination of K784 within human HOIP promotes tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐induced inflammatory signaling. A HOIP K784R mutant is catalytically active but shows reduced induction of an NF‐κB reporter relative to wild‐type HOIP. HOIP K784 is evolutionarily conserved, equivalent to HOIP K778 in mice. We generated HoipK778R/K778R knock‐in mice, which show no overt developmental phenotypes; however, in response to TNF, HoipK778R/K778R mouse embryonic fibroblasts display mildly suppressed NF‐κB activation and increased apoptotic markers. On the other hand, HOIP K778R enhances the TNF‐induced formation of TNFR complex II and an interaction between TNFR complex II and LUBAC. Loss of the LUBAC component SHARPIN leads to embryonic lethality in HoipK778R/K778R mice, which is rescued by knockout of TNFR1. We propose that site‐specific ubiquitination of HOIP regulates a LUBAC‐dependent switch between survival and apoptosis in TNF signaling. SYNOPSIS: The E3 ligase complex LUBAC generates Met1‐linked linear ubiquitin chains, and regulates inflammation and cell death. Ubiquitination of the LUBAC catalytic component HOIP itself is found to control apoptosis in mammalian cells and TNF‐dependent development and systemic inflammation in mice. Multiple lysine residues of RBR‐type E3 ligase HOIP are modified with linear and mixed‐linkage polyubiquitin chains.Ubiquitination of human HOIP at K784 within the IBR domain controls the apoptotic pathway in fibroblasts.K784R mutation in HOIP does not affect E3 ligase activity or ability to generate Met1‐linked ubiquitin chains.The equivalent K778R mutation in murine HOIP does not affect mouse development.Synthetic embryonic lethality in SHARPIN‐deficient HOIPK778R/K778R mice is rescued by TNFR1 knockout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensor based on the electrical permittivity of the fluid was used to analyze the tomographies of the different patterns that appear in multiphase oil and water flow (Liquid-Liquid). The experimental study was carried out in a borosilicate glass tube with an internal diameter of 25.4 [mm] and length of 12 [m]. The sensor is made up of two 8 x 8 wire flat wire mesh called a wire mesh sensor (WMS). The experiments were carried out with two different oil viscosities, one with 200 [cP] and the other with 60 [cP] at 860 [kg / m³]density with the tube positioned horizontally and slightly inclined at + 5 degrees, to vary the viscosity of the oil, a heat exchanger was used. The analyzed multiphase flow pattern was annular, stratified and dispersed. The tomographies obtained by the WMS were compared with a highspeed camera for the qualitative validation of the results. Twelve models of electrical permittivity were used to study the current fluid regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diffractive plenoptic camera (DPC) was developed as a system that would capture the spectral and spatial information of a scene in one snapshot. While the DPC couples a diffractive optic with plenoptic camera designs to provide snapshot spectral imaging capabilities, it produces rendered images with low pixel count and low spatial resolution. A modified setup of the DPC, the intermediate image (II)DPC, was built and tested for the first time and compared to both the DPC and a diffractive-optic camera as a system that could improve the cutoff spatial frequency of the rendered images. This paper reports on the spatial resolution achieved for different configurations of the IIDPC and looks at the factors limiting performance. The IIDPC improved on the cutoff spatial resolution over the DPC over a wavelength range of 750 to 790 nm for a design wavelength of 770 nm and improved resolution over a diffractive-optic camera at wavelengths below 750 nm or above 790 nm, with the best results achieved for IIDPC configurations with the largest magnification. Frequency analysis of each system determined that the optic limiting performance was the microlens array. Models showed that decreasing the microlens size improved resolution but reduced the spectral range for the DPC, while decreasing the f/# of the microlenses improved the resolution for the IIDPC. These results will help optimize the designs of future systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burden of epilepsy in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region causes a profound regional impact on the health care system and significantly contributes to the global epilepsy burden. As in many other resource-limited settings worldwide, health care professionals and patients with epilepsy in LAC countries face profound challenges due to a combination of factors, including high disease prevalence, stigmatization of epilepsy, disparities in access to care, limited resources, substantial treatment gaps, insufficient training opportunities for health care providers, and a diverse patient population with varying needs. This article presents an overview of the epidemiology of epilepsy and discusses the principal obstacles to epilepsy care and key contributors to the epilepsy diagnosis and treatment gap in the LAC region. We conclude by highlighting various initiatives across different LAC countries to improve epilepsy care in marginalized communities, listing strategies to mitigate treatment gaps and facilitate better health care access for patients with epilepsy by enhancing the epilepsy workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clin Infect Dis 2020; 70: 1131-38. 12 SL Reisner CS Moore A Asquith High risk and low uptake of pre-exposureprophylaxis to prevent HIV acquisition in a national online sample oftransgender men who have sex with men in the United States J Int AIDSSoc 222019e25391 Reisner SL, Moore CS, Asquith A, et al. 13 US Centers for Disease Control and PreventionEstimated HIV incidence andprevalence in the United States, 2010-2016 HIV Surveillance SupplementalReport 242019189 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Estimated HIV incidence and prevalence in the United States, 2010-2016.HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2019; 24: 1-89. 14 DH McCree T Walker E DiNenno A programmatic approach to addressincreasing HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino MSM, 2010-2014 PreventMed 11420186471 McCree DH, Walker T, DiNenno E, et al. [Extracted from the article]

We report the first example of discrete cationic indium complexes for the copolymerization of epoxides, cyclic ethers, and lactide. [SalenIn][SbF6] in particular proved to be a highly active catalyst for the homo-polymerization of functionalized epoxides and their copolymerization with other cyclic ethers THF, oxetane and oxepane. This catalyst also proved competent in the polymerization of epichlorohydrin and lactide, forming copolymers with good activity and control. Investigation of the role of counteranions and solvent donors on the kinetics of polymerization of epoxides revealed a subtle effect of solvents on initiation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This brief presents a highly scalable parallel neuromorphic architecture to efficiently compute high-order adaptive FIR filters using a least mean square (LMS) algorithm. This has been achieved by eliminating critical paths because they critically affect the scalability of advanced parallel architectures. Here, the scalability is defined in terms of number of taps and bit-length. On the computation of high-order adaptive FIR filters, the multiplication is the most demanding operation. Therefore, we have made intensive efforts to create a compact new neural multiplier by improving the design and hardware implementation of an existing neural multiplier. The resulting multiplier requires 50 % fewer synapses, 40 % fewer neurons, 30 % fewer area resources and 26 % fewer clock cycles compared with the existing neural multiplier, respectively. The efficient implementation of the proposed multiplier has allowed us to eliminate critical paths significantly and thus the bit-length can be easily increased to guarantee the convergence performance when high-order adaptive filters are processed. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the proposed multiplier was included in the neuromorphic architecture to support high-order adaptive FIR filters. In addition, we employ the time multiplexing technique to maximize the utilization of the proposed neural multiplier by performing filter processing and the adaptive process because multiplication is involved in both. We mainly use this strategy to eliminate critical paths and reduce the area consumption by implementing a large number of taps. The proposed neuromorphic architecture was implemented on the Kintex-7 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development kit to validate its performance. Our results demonstrate that the neuromorphic architecture is capable of processing higher adaptive FIR filters compared with previously reported solutions. This potentially allow its practical use in many advanced digital signal processing applications such as acoustic echo cancellers, active noise control, channel equalization and system identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Tensile mechanical properties of welded wire meshes available in Colombia is assessed. • Strain, area reduction and ultimate-to-yield strength ratio of wires are also assessed. • Parameters are compared to those specified by American and European codes. • Stress-strain curves of wires are proposed for code-base design. • Limitations of the use of electro-welded cold-drawn wire mesh are identified. Abstract Concrete members reinforced with electro-welded cold-drawn wire meshes have experimented deformation capacity lower than that of elements reinforced with conventional ductile reinforcing bars. The tensile mechanical properties of the electro-welded wire meshes available in Bogotá, Colombia, are experimentally assessed in this paper. The mechanical properties evaluated were the yield strength, tensile strength and ductility capacity of the wires in terms of the area reduction, ultimate-to-yield strength ratio, and strain ductility capacity. A statistical analysis allowed contrasting the actual mechanical properties obtained in the experimental campaign, with nominal properties specified by manufacturers and standards. Stress–strain curves of the wires were proposed for code-based design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report on the theoretical-experimental analysis of the two photon absorption and circular dichroism spectra of 1-(2-pyridyl)-4-methoxy-carbo[6]helicene derivative (P6). The primary outcomes of our investigation on this particular helicene derivative with a donor-acceptor motif on one end led to two important conclusions: (1) the lengthening of the π-electron delocalization within the helical core of P6 predominantly increases the contribution of the magnetic dipole transition moment to the two-photon circular dichroism (TPCD) signal; and (2) the electric quadrupole transition moment contribution to the TPCD signal is enhanced by the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) produced by the donor-acceptor combination on one end of the molecule. To corroborate our results, we performed a comparative theoretical analysis of the effect of the energy gap and ICT on TPCD on a series of P6-like helicenes with different donor-acceptor combinations. Two-photon absorption and TPCD spectra were obtained using the double L-scan technique over a broad spectral range (400-900 nm) using 90 fs pulses at a low repetition rate (2-50 Hz) produced by an amplified femtosecond system. The theoretical simulations were calculated using time dependent density functional theory at the CAM-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence is increasing at differential rates depending on race. We aimed to identify associations between race and survival after HCC diagnosis in a diverse American population.Methods: Using the cancer registry from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospitals, we performed retrospective analysis of 999 patients diagnosed with HCC between 9/24/2004 and 12/19/2014. We identified clinical characteristics by reviewing available electronic medical records. The association between race and survival was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression.Results: Median survival in days was 425 in Blacks, 904.5 in non-Hispanic Whites, 652 in Hispanics, 570 in Asians, and 928 in others, p < 0.01. Blacks and Asians presented at more advanced stages with larger tumors. Although Whites had increased severity of liver disease at diagnosis compared to other races, they had 36% reduced rate of death compared to Blacks, [hazard ratio (HR) 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-0.8, p < 0.01]. After adjusting for significant covariates, Whites had 22% (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.61-0.99, p 0.04) reduced risk of death, compared to Blacks. Transplant significantly reduced rate of death; however, only 13.3% of Blacks had liver transplant, compared to 40.1% of Whites, p < 0.01.Conclusions: In this diverse sample of patients, survival among Blacks is the shortest after HCC diagnosis. Survival differences reflect a more advanced tumor stage at presentation rather than severity of underlying liver disease precluding treatment. Improving survival in minority populations, in whom HCC incidence is rapidly increasing, requires identification and modification of factors contributing to late-stage presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two problems in colloid chemistry have proved difficult to solve. First the specific counterion and hydration effects on the properties of association colloids of ionic surfactants such as micelles, microemulsions and vesicles and second the efficiency of antioxidants, AOs, in fluid, opaque, usually nonionic emulsions. Specific ion and hydration effects are important because they contribute to the balance-of-forces determining association colloid properties along with the hydrophobic effect, however, few methods provide estimates of interfacial molarities. Determining antioxidant efficiencies in emulsions, an important problem in food science, is difficult because emulsions are opaque and antioxidant (AO) distributions are difficult to monitor. This review reports the development of two methods: chemical trapping (CT) and chemical kinetic (CK) methods for solving these problems, both based on the chemistries of arenediazonium ions. The CT method provides estimates of interfacial molarities of weakly basic nucleophiles including water, halides, alkyl carboxylates and sulfates, alcohols (including nonionic surfactants) and amide oxygen in the interfacial regions of association colloids. Results to date show that specific ion effects on association colloid properties, such as the sphere-to-rod transition concentration also involve displacement of interfacial water. The CK method, provides the observed rate constant, k obs , described by a pseudophase kinetic model for the reduction of the arenediazonium ion by an AO in intact emulsions to determine the oil/water partition constants by fitting kinetic data with two equations in two unknowns to obtain estimates of distributions and concentrations of AOs in the oil, interfacial and aqueous regions of nonionic emulsions. Part I of this review describes new insights obtained by the chemical trapping CT method, especially how changes in interfacial water and counterion molarities depend on their bulk solution concentrations. Part II reviews the chemical kinetic CK method based on the pseudophase kinetic model for determining the distributions of AOs in nonionic surfactant emulsions and provides a natural explanation for the cut-off effect. Part III describes a new combined application of the CT and CK methods for interpreting the complex kinetics of TBHQ reduction by the arenediazonium ion in mixed cationic/nonionic micelles. Perspectives and prospects complete the review in Part IV . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finite impulse response (FIR) filters have been widely used in many digital signal processing applications because of their interesting properties such as phase linearity, bounded-input-bounded-output (BIBO) stability and easy implementation. However, the implementation of high order filters requires many multipliers. Several authors have proposed new methods such as multiple constant multiplication (MCM), distributed arithmetic (DA) and signed-powers-of-two (SPT) to avoid the use of multipliers by using the minimum number of registers. Nevertheless, the implementation of these strategies generates critical paths that limit their performance. In this work, we propose a compact hardware architecture to compute FIR filters at high processing speeds using new parallel neural multipliers. The scalability of the system enables the construction of many neural multiplier units for higher order FIR filters. To validate the proposal, the hardware architecture was implemented on the Kintex-7 field programmable gate array (FPGA) development kit. The results demonstrate that this new approach can be interfaced with the conventional binary systems to improve advanced signal processing applications such as high quality media contents, wireless communication and biomedical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence against women research largely excludes transgender women's experiences and violence from perpetrators other than intimate partners. This study compares patterns of violence exposure among cisgender and transgender female sex workers (FSWs) and the associations with syndemic health outcomes. We used cross-sectional surveys from samples of cisgender and transgender FSWs living with HIV in the Dominican Republic (N = 211 and 100, respectively). We used latent class analysis to identify patterns of emotional, physical, and sexual violence and harassment by partners, clients, and police. We assessed sociodemographic and occupational predictors in relation to class membership, and class membership in relation to health (HIV continuum of care outcomes, mental health, substance use), using logistic regression. Two classes were identified in cisgender sample: Low Reported Violence Exposure (Class 1) and Sex Work-related Police Harassment (Class 2). Class 2 participants had greater odds of scoring abnormal or borderline abnormal anxiety on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A) (adjusted OR = 3.97, p<0.01), moderate-to-severe depression per the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (aOR = 5.74, p<0.01), and any illicit drug use in the past six months (aOR = 3.06, p<0.05), compared to Class 1. The transgender sample produced three classes: Low Reported Violence Exposure (Class 1); Sex Work-related Police Harassment (Class 2); and Sex Work-related Violence and Harassment (Class 3). Class 3 participants had greater odds of having anxiety (aOR = 6.65, p<0.01) and depression (aOR = 4.45, p<0.05), while Class 2 participants had greater odds of perfect ART adherence during the previous four days (aOR = 2.78, p<0.05), compared to Class 1. The more diverse and extreme violence patterns uncovered for the transgender sample show this group's heightened risk, while similar patterns across groups regarding police abuse highlight a need for police-focused violence prevention interventions. Each sample's highest violence class was associated with poor mental health, underscoring the need for mental health interventions for all FSWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 10 years, there has been a considerable increase in the number of studies on the development of multiplier circuits based on spiking neural P systems with the aim of taking advantage of their intrinsic distributed parallel computing characteristics. Nevertheless, these efforts have had difficulties in adequately exploiting parallel data processing because they are designed to process the input data using a sequential protocol and thus suffer from the resulting increase in processing time. This paper develops a novel parallel multiplier that is based on spiking neural P systems and is capable of multiplying two natural numbers with many digits in parallel. The proposed method employs the divide and conquer strategy (i.e., segmenting the numbers into units, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.), to optimize the processing time of the arithmetic operations, and every two units are treated by a single neuron that can calculate up to 9 × 9 sequentially. The use of one neuron to perform a sequential multiplication represents the best improvement in terms of the number of neurons that has been reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Evaluate the performance of clock drawing test- Manos versión (PDR-M) and Mini Mental State Examination - Peruvian version (MMSE) to detect dementia in a sample based on urban community of Lima, Peru. Materials and methods. This study is a secondary analysis database, observational, analytical and cross-sectional, the gold standard was the clinical and the neuropsychological evaluations together. Performance testing individually and in combination were evaluated. Data were obtained from prevalence study conducted in 2008 in Cercado de Lima. Results. MMSE performance for evaluation of patients with dementia of any kind showed sensitivity of 64,1%, specificity of 84,1%, PPV of 24.4%, NPV of 96.7%, PLR of 4,03 and NLR of 0,43. PDR-M showed sensitivity of 89,3%, specificity of 98,1%, PPV of 79.3%, NPV of 99.1%, PLR of 47,79 and NLR of 0,11. When both tests were applied, and at least one of them was positive, they showed sensitivity 98.1%, specificity 84.1%, PPV of 33.1%, NPV of 99.8%, PLR of 6,17 and NLR of 0,02. When performing separate analysis of Alzheimer-type dementia and non- Alzheimer dementia, the values of the parameters do not differ substantially from those obtained for dementia of any kind. Conclussions. The combination of MMSE and PDR-M show good discriminative ability to detect moderate and severe dementia in population living in urban community in Lima. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a method for solvent-less growth of single crystalline hematite Fe2O3 nanoparticles from metal-containing polymeric macromolecular complexes, and demonstrate their efficient photocatalytic degradation of persistent cationic dye pollutants under visible light. Macromolecular complexes such as chitosan·(FeCl2)y, chitosan·(FeCl3)y, PS-co-4-PVP·(FeCl2)y and PS-co-4-PVP·(FeCl3)y with controlled polymer : metal molar ratios of 1 : 1 and 5 : 1 were prepared by single reaction of the respective polymers and iron chloride salts in CH2Cl2. The stable insoluble compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, infra-red spectroscopy, EPR and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and confirm Fe salts with degrees of coordination of ∼60–70%. Pyrolysis of these macromolecular precursors under air and at 800 °C forms networked Fe2O3 nanoparticles, whose volumetric density, size and shape is controlled by the metal content and the nature of the macromolecular complex (chitosan or PS-co-4-PVP). For both polymers, the 1 : 1 molar ratio precursor produces nanoparticles ranging from 10–200 nm with a moderate superparamagnetic behavior and optical bandgap marginally larger than bulk Fe2O3. A matrix-incubated formation mechanism involving the carbonization of the organic matter, forming voids within the macromolecular complex wherein the Fe centres coalesce, oxidize and crystallize into nanoparticles is also proposed. The hematite Fe2O3 nanoparticle materials demonstrate very efficient photocatalytic degradation of persistent water pollutants such as the cationic dye methylene blue. The nanoparticulate material obtained from chitosan·(FeCl2)y 1 : 1 under the simulated sunlight (full visible spectrum) irradiation provides high rate degradation of MB by 73% in 60 min and ＞94% after 150 min, measured at 655 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources, stands out as a substitute to petroleum-based plastics. PLA based films for food packaging has been an area of both commercial and research interest within the context of sustainability. In spite of its high strength, packaging applications have been limited because PLA is more brittle than traditional oil-based plastics. Because of this, films display low tear and impact resistance and produce a loud crackling sound when manipulated. Although many studies address the toughening of PLA in the bulk, little attention has been placed on the film performance. The present study is aimed at providing a survey of binary PLA based blends with other biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastics. Acrylic impact modifier (AIM, 5 wt. %), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA, 20 wt.%), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA, 10 wt.%), polycaprolactone (PCL, 30 wt.%), polybutylene succinate (PBS, 20 wt.%) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC, 30 wt.%) were each blended with PLA through single-screw extrusion and converted into films via the blown-film process. Tear and impact resistance, heat seal strength, and noise level were measured. EVA, PHA, PCL, and PBS improved the tear resistance with EVA having the highest effect (>2x). Similarly AIM, EVA and PPC improved the resistance of the film to impact-puncture penetration. Heat seal strength was significantly improved by the PHA and moderately increased by AIM (2x) and EVA. Additionally, we proposed a method to quantify the annoyance of the noise made by the films upon manipulation. PCL and PBS significantly reduced the annoyance level of the films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel unary spiking circuit for a serial multiplier with variable dendritic delays. Serial multipliers commonly use the soma model for the arithmetic operation. The structure of the serial multiplier and the efficient implementation of the dendritic delays on customized neuromorphic hardware are the major contributions of this work. The design of the multiplier was inspired by the biological processes of dendrites, which use feedback connections and dendritic growth to synchronize the neural processing performed by the soma. The multiplier eliminates complex rules by adopting the soma model with dendritic connectivity configurations, increasing the processing speed compared with previously reported solutions based on Spiking Neural Networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we describe an effective and tested model of a week-long summer science intensive program for high school students that aimed to elaborate on concepts covered in a high school chemistry or biology course, and to provide high school students an opportunity to learn about studying and pursuing careers in the sciences. The program was developed to combine instructional sessions, hands-on activities, and laboratory tours in order to review and build upon what students learn in high school. Student assessment and feedback confirms the effectiveness of this student-run program to teach and inspire high school students to pursue the sciences in their academic career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To report a single-center experience in the endovascular management of cerebral aneurysms in children with stenting and flow-diversion techniques. Methods: During a 7-year period, 5 male patients with six intracranial aneurysms (IA) were treated by endovascular therapy with stenting or flow-diversion. The average age was 11 years (range 6-18 years). Results: The etiology of the aneurysms was vasculopathic in 3 cases (50%), traumatic in 2 patients (33.3%), and idiopathic in 1 case (16.7%). Two-thirds of the aneurysms were giant in size. The aneurysms were most frequently located in the anterior circulation (66.7%). Fifty percent of the aneurysms were treated with stenting and coiling, and 50% were treated with flow-diversion stents alone. After treatment, occlusion was graded as: partial in five aneurysms (88.3%) and complete in 1 case (16.7%). Most cases (83.3%) had a good outcome after the procedure. During follow-up, most aneurysms had progressive occlusion (80%), while the rest were unchanged (20%). Most stents and flow-diverter devices remained patent (80%). However, one Pipeline flow-diverter device in the Anterior cerebral artery (ACA) A2 segment had an asymptomatic occlusion. Conclusions: In this series, device-assisted endovascular techniques were a relatively safe and effective method of treatment of pediatric aneurysms. However, continued follow-up is required after treatment, because there are unsolved issues regarding the durability of flow-diverters and stents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens caused by percutaneous injuries or mucosal contamination is frequent among Healthcare Workers (HCW). Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of HCW with an occupational exposure to blood reported to professional risk insurance agencies between 2009 and 2014 was performed. Comparisons between groups according to exposure level (mild, moderate, and severe) were evaluated. Results: Two thousand, four hundred three reports were classified according exposure as mild 2.7 %, moderate 74.8 %, severe 21.9 %. Factors related: health sciences student with mild exposure events [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 11.91, 95 % CI 5.13-27.61, p < 0.00001], and physician with moderate exposure events (AOR 1.90, 95 % CI 1.17-3.07, p = 0.009). Factors inversely related: physician with severe exposure events (AOR 0.54, 95 % CI 0.32-0.91, p = 0.02) and health sciences student with moderate exposure events (AOR 0.08, 95 % CI 0.04-0.15, p < 0.00001). It was found an important relationship between severe events with infectious diseases specialist assessment, and follow-up adherence. Additionally, a case of Human Immunodeficiency Virus seroconversion was presented (0.0004 %), no other seroconversions were observed. Conclusions: Occupational exposure events must be managed according to established protocols, but adherence failure was evident with the exception of severe exposure cases. Thus, interventions to enhance occupational safety are required. Occupation must be considered as a risk factor during initial assessment of events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the effect of self-interaction error (SIE) on the static dipole polarizabilities of water clusters modeled with three increasingly sophisticated, non-empirical density functional approximations (DFAs), viz., the local spin density approximation (LDA), the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized-gradient approximation (GGA), and the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-GGA, using the Perdew–Zunger self-interaction-correction (PZ-SIC) energy functional in the Fermi–Löwdin orbital SIC framework. Our results show that while all three DFAs overestimate the cluster polarizabilities, the description systematically improves from LDA to PBE to SCAN. The self-correlation free SCAN predicts polarizabilities quite accurately with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.53 bohr3 with respect to coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) values. Removing SIE using PZ-SIC correctly reduces the DFA polarizabilities, but overcorrects, resulting in underestimated polarizabilities in SIC-LDA, SIC-PBE, and SIC-SCAN. Finally, we applied a recently proposed locally scaled SIC (LSIC) method using a quasi self-consistent scheme and using the kinetic energy density ratio as an iso-orbital indicator. The results show that the LSIC polarizabilities are in excellent agreement with mean absolute errors of 0.08 bohr3 for LSIC-LDA and 0.06 bohr3 for LSIC-PBE with most recent CCSD polarizabilities. Likewise, the ionization energy estimates as absolute of highest occupied energy eigenvalue predicted by LSIC are also in excellent agreement with CCSD(T) ionization energies with MAEs of 0.4 eV for LSIC-LDA and 0.06 eV for LSIC-PBE. The LSIC-LDA predictions of ionization energies are comparable to the reported GW ionization energies, while the LSIC-PBE ionization energies are more accurate than the reported GW results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing new materials or modifying the existing ones is an amply field studied in the world of research. Due to its outstanding physical and chemical properties, graphene is attractive material for new applications. The methodologies for obtaining graphene are diverse and have changed over time. Graphene oxide is a versatile form of graphene, due to the presence of oxygenated functional groups. Chemical oxidation of graphite and exfoliation by ultrasonic waves is one of the preferred methods to obtain graphene oxide; chemical oxidation time and the degassing effect in the ultrasonic bath are parameters that play an important role in the features and properties of graphene oxide. Thus, in this study, the conventional times used for the oxidation of graphite and degassing in an ultrasonic bath to obtain graphene oxide were modified. The structural changes in the carbon materials were evaluated based on their photocatalytic activity in the removal of an organic pollutant in water (removing up to 38% of phenol). The band gaps of the graphitic materials were obtained by UV-vis obtaining a value range of 1.5–4.7 eV and the structure and morphology of the carbon materials were characterized by infrared and Raman spectroscopies and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High penetration of renewable energy requires high reliability to compensate the intermittency of the sources, which is generally tackled by using energy storage systems. However, the selection of the storage technology is not an easy task; it depends on parameters like efficiency, self-discharge, investment costs, etc. Among the different alternatives, hydrogen storage systems present several advantages, such as its low investment costs and inexistent self-discharge, but comparatively, it presents low efficiency. This paper introduces the experimental results of controlling a hydrogen storage system connected to a micro-grid based on renewable generation. The research has been carried out in LabDER at the Universitat Politècnica de València, a controlled laboratory designed for the study of distributed energy resources. During the research, a specific control system has been designed and assembled to regulate the hydrogen production, consuming just the excess of energy produced by the renewable sources. The paper includes the design process of the controller, including the experimental characterization of the elements and the experimental results of such control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we present a simple and versatile theoretical-experimental approach to assess the tautomeric distribution on 5(6)-aminobenzimidazole (5(6)-ABZ) derivatives in solution via one-photon absorption. The method is based on the optimized weighted sum of the theoretical spectra of the corresponding tautomers. In this article we show how the choice of exchange-correlation functional (XCF) employed in the calculations becomes crucial for the success of the approach. After the systematic analysis of XCFs with different amounts of exact-exchange we found a better performance for B3LYP and PBE0. The direct test of the proposed method on omeprazole, a well-known 5(6)-benzimidazole based pharmacotherapeutic, demonstrate its broader applicability. The proposed approach is expected to find direct applications on the tautomeric analysis of other molecular systems exhibiting similar tautomeric equilibria. Graphical abstract: Using a weighted sum of the corresponding individual tautomer theoretical spectra, the tautomeric population of benzimidazole derivatives in solution and at room temperature is directly determined through the theoretical-experimental fitting of the UV-Vis spectra of the tautomeric mixture at equilibrium. The reliability of the proposed method is based on the existent spectral difference between the two species.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Despite the wealth of literature addressing sexual practices and condom use among men and women, very little data are available among Hispanic/ Latino populations and in the Caribbean Region. This study adds to the existing literature on sexual practices and condom use in Puerto Rico ( PR) and provides comparisons based on sex given the need for more current information on the sexual characteristics and condom use rates among understudied populations. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the rates of sexual practices and condom use among adults, aged 21-49, in PR. Methods We report the prevalence of lifetime and recent (past 3 months) sexual practices by sex, as event-level condom use rates, and condom familiarity and accessibility in an online-based sample of adult men and women in PR. Main Outcome Measures The main variables assessed include sociodemographic characteristics, solo and partnered sexual practices, and condom use frequencies, as well as familiarity and accessibility to male and female condoms. Results Overall, 93% of the sample reported having been sexually active (engaged in oral, vaginal, and/or anal sex) in their lifetime and 78% reported sexual practices in the past 3 months. As in other studies Hispanic/ Latino populations, reported rates of anal intercourse ( AI) among both men and women were relatively high. Overall, a greater proportion of men reported condom use during all sexual practices (41% vaginal intercourse ( VI); 65% receptive AI; 46% insertive AI) than women (22% VI; 18% AI). Conclusions These findings provide current sexual practice and condom use frequency rates that can aid in the understanding of the particular sexual health needs of Hispanic/ Latino populations as well as of other groups in the Caribbean. It also serves for the development of future studies and sexual health promotion programs, including comprehensive sexual health care. Rodriguez-Diaz CE, Collazo E, Dodge B, Roman-Rivera A, Candelaria-Rosa E, Colon-Colon M, and Herbenick D. 'Sexplorando': Sexual practices and condom use among an Internet-based sample of men and women in Puerto Rico. J Sex Med 2014;11:2385-2395. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown cause, great clinical heterogeneity and variable prognosis. Case report: A 42-yearold woman with a history of Evans' syndrome, urticarial vasculitis, chronic consuming of anovulatory; goes to Almanzor Aguinaga Asenjo National Hospital (HNAAA) with edema in left foot, positive Hollow and Homans signs. Eco-Doppler suggested Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), antibodies to Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) positive, APS diagnosed. Conclusion: The study of SLE detected: positive ANA, negative Anti-DNA-dc and Anti-Sm; Renal Biopsy revealed Lupus Nephritis I, SLE was diagnosed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-interaction (SI) error, which results when exchange-correlation contributions to the total energy are approximated, limits the reliability of many density functional approximations. The Perdew-Zunger SI correction (PZSIC), when applied in conjunction with the local spin density approximation (LSDA), improves the description of many properties, but overall, this improvement is limited. Here, we propose a modification to PZSIC that uses an iso-orbital indicator to identify regions where local SICs should be applied. Using this local-scaling SIC (LSIC) approach with LSDA, we analyze predictions for a wide range of properties including, for atoms, total energies, ionization potentials, and electron affinities and, for molecules, atomization energies, dissociation energy curves, reaction energies, and reaction barrier heights. LSIC preserves the results of PZSIC-LSDA for properties where it is successful and provides dramatic improvements for many of the other properties studied. Atomization energies calculated using LSIC are better than those of the Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and close to those obtained with the strongly constrained and appropriately normed meta-GGA. LSIC also restores the uniform gas limit for the exchange energy that is lost in PZSIC-LSDA. Further performance improvements may be obtained by an appropriate combination or modification of the local scaling factor and the particular density functional approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomaterials have attracted much attention over the last decades due to their very different properties compared to those of bulk equivalents, such as a large surface-to-volume ratio, the size-dependent optical, physical, and magnetic properties. A number of solution fabrication methods have been developed for the synthesis of metal and metal oxides nanoparticles, but few solid-state methods have been reported. The application of nanostructured materials to electronic solid-state devices or to high-temperature technology requires, however, adequate solid-state methods for obtaining nanostructured materials. In this review, we discuss some of the main current methods of obtaining nanomaterials in solid state, and also we summarize the obtaining of nanomaterials using a new general method in solid state. This new solid-state method to prepare metals and metallic oxides nanostructures start with the preparation of the macromolecular complexes chitosan·Xn and PS-co-4-PVP·MXn as precursors (X = anion accompanying the cationic metal, n = is the subscript, which indicates the number of anions in the formula of the metal salt and PS-co-4-PVP = poly(styrene-co-4-vinylpyridine)). Then, the solid-state pyrolysis under air and at 800 °C affords nanoparticles of M°, MxOy depending on the nature of the metal. Metallic nanoparticles are obtained for noble metals such as Au, while the respective metal oxide is obtained for transition, representative, and lanthanide metals. Size and morphology depend on the nature of the polymer as well as on the spacing of the metals within the polymeric chain. Noticeably in the case of TiO2, anatase or rutile phases can be tuned by the nature of the Ti salts coordinated in the macromolecular polymer. A mechanism for the formation of nanoparticles is outlined on the basis of TG/DSC data. Some applications such as photocatalytic degradation of methylene by different metal oxides obtained by the presented solid-state method are also described. A brief review of the main solid-state methods to prepare nanoparticles is also outlined in the introduction. Some challenges to further development of these materials and methods are finally discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative research amplifies the voices of marginalized communities and thus plays a critical role in shaping our understanding of health inequities and their social determinants. Traditional qualitative approaches, such as grounded theory or thematic analysis, require extensive training and are time- and labor-intensive; as such, they may not be adequately suited to address healthy equity issues that require a swift response. Rapid qualitative analysis (RQA) is an action-oriented approach to qualitative data analysis that may be used when findings are needed to quickly inform practice. RQA capitalizes on using a team to summarize key points from qualitative data into matrices to explore relevant themes efficiently and systematically. In this paper, we provide case examples from our work applying RQA to health equity research with Latino communities to address community needs, such as responses to public health emergencies and the development of service delivery and technology interventions for infectious and chronic diseases. We draw from our collective experiences to share lessons learned and provide the following specific recommendations ("EARS") to researchers interested in applying RQA for health equity research: (1) Employ RQA to address rapidly evolving, urgent, health equity challenges; (2) Assure quality and rigor throughout the RQA process; (3) Respond to barriers and problem-solve as needed; and (4) Strengthen community relationships before, during, and after using RQA. Overall, we advocate for the use of RQA to promote health equity due to its ability to integrate the vital perspectives of marginalized communities and efficiently respond to their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Analysis of the theoretical TPCD spectra of Trp residues in proteins with secondary structures. [•] TPCD spectra of the Trp residues in each configuration reveal fingerprints down to the FUV. [•] Results show that the main-chain angles are affected by the side-chain configuration and vice-versa. [•] FUV-TPCD can help identifying conformation of amino acid residues in relatively complex structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research technology organisations or RTOs have attracted academic interest in the last decade due to their role as technology transfer agents and R&D collaborative leaders for firms and especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Although their role within the diversity of specialised structures in generating R&D for industry in National Innovation Systems is recognised, there are scarce publications in relation to their strategies, performance or characteristic, as leaders of R&D collaboration with SMEs. The aim of this work is to identify the role, barriers and facilitators for RTOs performance as well as to develop a contingency relationship between industry environment, strategy, organisational structure and other factors for successful technology transfer from technology organisations to SMEs. This research is based on a field study conducted on 14 technology organisations based in the Valencia region, working with various industry sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In microcellular foaming processof wood/plastic composites, thealterations in melt viscosity induced by the addition of wood-flourinto the plastic matrix play an important role during the growth andstabilization of nucleated cells. This study examined the effectsof wood-flour and low molecular weight rheology modifier additionlevels on the melt flow index, shear viscosity, and extensional viscosityof PLA/wood-flour composites. From the results, an effective strategyis proposed to successfully and continuously produce microcellularfoamed PLA/wood-flour composites with cellular structures similarto those achieved in neat PLA foams. It consists of matching the composites’melt index value (or melt viscosity) to that of neat PLA by usinga rheology modifier. Lowering the melt index of the composites fromthe matching value resulted in unprocessable foaming conditions owingto the increased melt viscosity, whereas cell structures slightlydeteriorated by increasing the melt index of the composite above itsoptimum value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermentation of sugarcane-derived liquors for ethanol production produces a liquid waste called vinasse, which is highly contaminant and constitutes a serious ecological problem. Therefore, to reduce this liquid waste's contamination potential, vinasses from the alcoholic distillation were used as a growth medium for microalgae species like Chlorella vulgaris , evaluating their possible environmental advantages and industrial uses. Reductions in COD and BOD of up to 49% and 70% respectively, were observed, coupled with a maximum algal biomass production of 10.50 ± 0.92 g/L. Also, after fermentation, the human ingestion toxicity potential, terrestrial toxicity potential, and photochemical oxidation potential were reduced by 85%, 83%, and 93% respectively. These results contribute to the understanding of C. vulgaris growth using vinasses as a culture medium under strict heterotrophic conditions and the use of microalgal biomass to reduce the environmental burden caused by vinasses. [Display omitted] • Vinasses are a source of nutrients for microalgae culture. • Chlorella vulgaris heterotrophic cultivation reduces vinasses pollution power. • BOD and COD form vinasses decreased up to 70% through fermentation. • Chlorella vulgaris grows in solutions with high concentrations of vinasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]