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Unstable rock slopes, prone to collapse, pose an increasingly severe threat to both people and infrastructures, necessitating effective monitoring for risk mitigation. While many techniques rely on surface displacements to assess slope stability, seismic indicators such as resonance frequency, variations in seismic wave velocity and site amplification offer valuable insights into the structural integrity of the slope, aspects not captured by surface deformation alone. Research has demonstrated that these site-response parameters can serve as monitoring tools to detect precursory signs of failure, such as a drop in resonance frequency and relative seismic wave velocity prior to collapse. Still, environmental factors like temperature, precipitation, snow melt, earthquakes and freeze-thaw cycles transiently influence the seismic response. Our main objective is to understand the correlations and drivers between environmental parameters and seismic response, distinguishing between reversible and irreversible changes in dynamic behaviour. Over a 5-yr monitoring period, we continuously recorded ambient vibration data at the Brienz/Brinzauls instability and monitored three different site-response parameters (resonance frequency, site amplification, relative seismic wave velocity variation) using enhanced frequency domain decomposition, site-to-reference spectral ratio and single station ambient vibrations correlation techniques. Our results highlight a long-term increase in site amplification and a long-term decrease in first and second resonance frequencies, indicating ongoing structural weakening. Temperature was found to correlate with seasonal variations of seismic wave velocity with a few day's time lag. Snow melting and rainfalls exerted a secondary influence, temporarily reducing relative seismic wave velocity during snowmelt and rainfall. Our findings suggest that single-station relative seismic velocity variations are mainly influenced by the shallow subsurface (depth of about 30 m), limiting its application to study the stability this deep structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the journal Neuropediatrics, examines the outcome and brain volume changes over time in children with MOG-encephalitis (MOG-E), a rare clinical phenotype of MOGAD. The study included 21 children with MOG-E, who presented with symptoms such as encephalopathy, headache, focal neurological signs, seizures, or CSF pleocytosis. The results showed that the majority of children had a good clinical outcome, with resolution of MRI changes and decreasing MOG antibodies over time. However, brain volumetry measurements indicated a decrease in whole brain volume, particularly in gray matter, after onset. [Extracted from the article]

This article, published in the journal Neuropediatrics, explores the differences between prepubertal and (post)pubertal children with multiple sclerosis (MS) in terms of clinical, laboratory, and imaging features. The study included 248 MS patients from various European pediatric hospitals who were diagnosed before the age of 18. The results showed that prepubertal children had an equal distribution of MS between sexes, while postpubertal children had a higher prevalence in females. Prepubertal children also had more relapses in the first two years and a different range of MRI features compared to (post)pubertal children. Overall, the findings suggest both similarities and differences between the two age groups in terms of MS characteristics. [Extracted from the article]

The hydroformylation of renewable oleochemicals in aqueous liquid-liquid multiphase systems was operated continuously using a jet-loop reactor concept, demonstrated in two case studies. The main challenge on this path was to find an optimal compromise between activity and catalyst retention. In Case 1, methyl oleate was converted in an isopropanol/water system with stationary yields of up to 35 % in more than 55 hours of continuous operation at low catalyst loss of only 0.1 %/h and very high selectivity. In Case 2, a reaction system consisting of butanol/water was used to convert methyl 10-undecenoate. Fine-tuning of the substrate loading and separation temperature was required. Under optimised reaction conditions, steady-state yields of >80 % were achieved in a campaign of >55 hours of continuous operation. As little as 16.7 mg of rhodium was leached per kilogram of product formed at excellent selectivities to the linear product. This is the first time a miniplant concept has been presented that enables the hydroformylation of these two renewables in continuous operation. [Display omitted] • Hydroformylation of renewable oleochemicals in aqueous systems in jet-loop reactor. • Challenges: Optimizing activity vs. catalyst retention in continuous operation. • Case 1: Methyl oleate in isopropanol/water system, 35 % yield over 55 hours. • Case 2: Methyl 10 undecenoate in butanol/water system, Fine-tuning required. • Achieved >80 % steady-state yield with Rh loss of only 16.7 mg Rh/kg product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]