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Abstract Background Attention is focused on the health and physical fitness of older adults due to their increasing age. Maintaining physical abilities, including safe walking and movement, significantly contributes to the perception of health in old age. One of the early signs of declining fitness in older adults is limited mobility. Approximately one third of 70-year-olds and most 80-year-olds report restrictions on mobility in their apartments and immediate surroundings. Restriction or loss of mobility is a complex multifactorial process, which makes older adults prone to falls, injuries, and hospitalizations and worsens their quality of life while increasing overall mortality. Objective The objective of the study is to identify the factors that have had a significant impact on mobility in recent years and currently, and to identify gaps in our understanding of these factors. The study aims to highlight areas where further research is needed and where new and effective solutions are required. Methods The PRISMA methodology was used to conduct a scoping review in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Papers published from 2007 to 2021 were searched in November 2021. Of these, 52 papers were selected from the initial 788 outputs for the final analysis. Results The final selected papers were analyzed, and the key determinants were found to be environmental, physical, cognitive, and psychosocial, which confirms the findings of previous studies. One new determinant is technological. New and effective solutions lie in understanding the interactions between different determinants of mobility, addressing environmental factors, and exploring opportunities in the context of emerging technologies, such as the integration of smart home technologies, design of accessible and age-friendly public spaces, development of policies and regulations, and exploration of innovative financing models to support the integration of assistive technologies into the lives of seniors. Conclusion For an effective and comprehensive solution to support senior mobility, the determinants cannot be solved separately. Physical, cognitive, psychosocial, and technological determinants can often be perceived as the cause/motivation for mobility. Further research on these determinants can help to arrive at solutions for environmental determinants, which, in turn, will help improve mobility. Future studies should investigate financial aspects, especially since many technological solutions are expensive and not commonly available, which limits their use.

Abstract Persistent abnormalities in microcirculatory function are associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with circulatory shock. We sought to identify patients with acutely reversible microcirculatory dysfunction using a low-dose topical nitroglycerin solution and handheld videomicroscopy during circulatory shock after cardiac surgery. Forty subjects were enrolled for the study, including 20 preoperative control and 20 post-operative patients with shock. To test whether microcirculatory dysfunction is acutely reversible during shock, the sublingual microcirculation was imaged with incident dark field microscopy before and after the application of 0.1 mL of a 1% nitroglycerin solution (1 mg/mL). Compared to the control group, patients with shock had a higher microcirculation heterogeneity index (MHI 0.33 vs. 0.12, p 1.8 SD from shock baseline. Hemodynamics and vasoactive doses did not change during the 30-min study period. Our findings suggest a topical nitroglycerin challenge with handheld videomicroscopy can safely assess for localized recruitment of the microcirculatory blood flow in patients with circulatory shock and may be a useful test to identify nitroglycerin responsiveness.

We describe a 69-year-old dialysis-dependent patient who developed intractable ascites after zone 2 aortic reconstruction for a type IA thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair endoleak. Investigation as to the cause of ascites revealed a unique set of clinical circumstances leading to intractable bloody ascites. Investigation included imaging and invasive testing to diagnose the culprit mechanism. Ultimately, interventional catherization of the left subclavian vein illustrated an abnormally elevated pressure in the left subclavian vein. It was thus determined that, owing to the combination of a left brachiocephalic (innominate) vein occlusion after surgical ligation and in situ left brachiobasilic arteriovenous dialysis graft, there was overcirculation through the thoracic duct. Retrograde flow through the pop-off thoracic duct led to hematogenous ascites. Ligation of the left brachiobasilic arteriovenous dialysis graft resulted in near instantaneous and complete resolution of the ascites.

Contemporary cities require excellent walking conditions to support human physical activity, increase humans’ well-being, reduce traffic, and create a healthy urban environment. Various indicators and metrics exist to evaluate walking conditions. To evaluate the spatial pattern of objective-based indicators, two popular indices were selected—the Walkability Index (WAI), representing environmental-based indicators, and Walk Score (WS), which applies an accessibility-based approach. Both indicators were evaluated using adequate spatial units (circle buffers with radii from 400 m to 2414 m) in two Czech cities. A new software tool was developed for the calculation of WS using OSM data and freely available network services. The new variant of WS was specifically designed for the elderly. Differing gait speeds, and variable settings of targets and their weights enabled the adaptation of WS to local conditions and personal needs. WAI and WS demonstrated different spatial pattern where WAI is better used for smaller radii (up to approx. 800 m) and WS for larger radii (starting from 800 m). The assessment of WS for both cities indicates that approx. 40% of inhabitants live in unsatisfactory walking conditions. A sensitivity analysis discovered the major influences of gait speed and the β coefficient on the walkability assessment.

The eigenvalue problem for the p-Laplace operator with p>1 on planar domains with zero Dirichlet boundary condition is considered. The Constrained Descent Method and the Constrained Mountain Pass Algorithm are used in the Sobolev space setting to numerically investigate the dependence of the two smallest eigenvalues on p. Computations are conducted for values of p between 1.1 and 10. Symmetry properties of the second eigenfunction are also examined numerically. While for the disk an odd symmetry about the nodal line dividing the disk in halves is maintained for all the considered values of p, for rectangles and triangles symmetry changes as p varies. Based on the numerical evidence the change of symmetry in this case occurs at a certain value p_0 which depends on the domain.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is rapidly gaining popularity as a technique to surgically manage aortic stenosis (AS) in high risk patients. TAVR is significantly less invasive than the traditional approach to aortic valve replacement via median sternotomy. Patients undergoing TAVR often suffer from multiple comorbidities, and their postoperative course may be complicated by a unique set of complications that may become evident in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this article, we review the common complications of TAVR that may be observed in the ICU, and different strategies for their management.

Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) have demonstrated promise in reducing particulate matter (PM) emissions, but their potential for simultaneously reducing NOx in small-scale combustion systems remains largely unexplored. This study examines the potential of ESP with DC corona discharge of negative polarity to reduce both PM and NOx emissions from small-scale combustion. A chemical kinetic model is first developed to predict NOx removal in the ESP. The model accounts for the non-uniform electric field distribution and inhomogeneity of non-thermal plasma in chemical kinetic while remaining simple enough for practical engineering applications. This allows for the optimisation of ESP parameters during the initial design phase. Using this model, the ESP was developed and applied with different energisation regimes to control emissions from a 15 kW pellet combustion heating unit. The initial concentrations for PM and NOx were 48 mg/m3 and 305 mg/m3, respectively (0 °C, 101.3 kPa; at reference O2 = 10 %vol.). The efficiency of the ESP was both theoretically and experimentally determined for various operational regimes at voltages ranging from 6.8 to 11 kV. At 11 kV, the ESP demonstrated a PM removal efficiency of 99.99 % and a NOx removal efficiency of 38 %, achieving compliance with Ecodesign Directive limits. The model's predictions showed reasonable agreement with experimental data, with a slight miscalculation for both particle precipitation and NOx removal. These findings have significant implications for the design and operation of ESPs in small-scale biomass combustion systems, offering a foundation for optimising these devices for combined NOx and particulate matter control.

Bioethanol burners are significantly expanding devices in Europe, still considered preferably as the design element while its possible importance in the energy system of the household used to be neglected. The aim of this study was to determine the operating techno-environmental parameters as the heat output and the flue gas composition of the bioethanol fireplace with vortex flame. The measurement methodology was based on actual valid standard EN 16647 Fireplaces for Liquid Fuel. In general, three ethanol-based fuels were tested in combination with one bioethanol burner equipped with different regulation rings changing burner opening area. The average reached heat energy output ranged between 3.97 and 2.22 kW with maximal burner opening area (without the usage of regulation rings) for different fuels. By usage of the regulation rings, the heat energy output was reduced to 35 – 40 % of the nominal average heat output. Simultaneously the time of the burning of one fuel dose can be increased by regulation ring usage up to 195 % of the combustion time without the regulation ring. By placing the regulation rings on the burner bowl opening area, the flue gas composition was affected positively in terms of CO and negatively in terms of NOx.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is rapidly gaining popularity as a technique to surgically manage aortic stenosis (AS) in high risk patients. TAVR is significantly less invasive than the traditional approach to aortic valve replacement via median sternotomy. Patients undergoing TAVR often suffer from multiple comorbidities, and their postoperative course may be complicated by a unique set of complications that may become evident in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this article, we review the common complications of TAVR that may be observed in the ICU, and different strategies for their management.

Aim: The aim of the research was to demonstrate that the use of low-emission carbon fuels (obtained using the initial thermal conversion of coal feedstock) in residential heating also makes it possible to reduce mercury emissions from small-scale coal-fired boilers. Project and methods: The publication presents the results of mercury emission tests conducted using five different small-scale coal-fired boilers and five different coal fuels. The research was carried out under laboratory conditions, but also using heating devices of residential users. They covered a wide range of operational parameters, both energy and emission. The flux of coal fuels burned ranged from 2 to 12.2 kg/h, with an equally wide range of boiler efficiencies obtained – 67.6–88.5%. Results: The test results presented in the article show that the amount of emissions of pollutants limited by the criteria of the PN-EN 303-5+A1:2023-05 standard and the ecodesign, namely carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, dust and organic substances, depends mainly on the design and operating conditions of the device in which the specific solid fuel is burned. There is a group of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere, for which the amount of emissions depends primarily on the quality of the fuel burned. These pollutants include sulphur oxides and mercury, whose emissions depend primarily on the combustible sulphur and mercury content of the fuel being burned. Conclusions: Experimental studies were carried out to verify what portion of Hg contained in coal during its combustion in domestic boilers with manual and automatic fuel feeding remains bound in bottom ash, and what is emitted into the atmosphere. The content of Hg in bottom ash, regardless of the boiler and fuel used, was at a similar low level, reaching a maximum of about 6% of Hg initially contained in the fuel. As studies have shown, more than 94% of mercury contained in coal fuels burned in small-scale coal-fired boilers is emitted into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to the deterioration of the environment. Replacing traditional coal with low-emission carbon fuels (e.g., such as BC fuel) would significantly reduce mercury emissions from small-scale coalfired boilers, by up to 90% compared to current emissions. Setting a legal requirement for the permissible level of mercury content in coal fuels used in domestic boilers, for example, at a maximum value of 0.05 mg/kg, would reduce mercury emissions from these devices by at least half. Keywords: mercury emission, small-scale coal-fired boilers, low-emission carbon fuel

Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) have shown promise in reducing particulate matter (PM) emissions, but their potential for simultaneous NOx reduction in small-scale combustion systems remains underexplored. This study focuses on using non-thermal plasma generated in a corona discharge to reduce PM and NOx emissions from small-scale combustion. ESP was specifically designed for a commercially available 15 kW boiler with wood pellet combustion and used with both positive and negative discharge polarity to control emissions without any chemical additives. ESP performance was evaluated across a range of specific input energies (SIE) in terms of particle mass and number concentrations and NOx concentrations obtained by continuous gas analysis. ESP ensured the reduction in PM concentrations from 48 mg/m3 to the magnitude of PM content in the ambient air. The highest precipitation efficiency was observed for particles in the 20–200 nm range. Concurrently, NOx emissions were reduced by up to 78%, from 178 mg/m3 to 39 mg/m3. These results were achieved at specific input energies of 36 for positive and 48 J/L for negative corona, which is significantly lower than those reported for many existing separate PM and NOx control systems. This study demonstrates the potential of ESPs as a compact, energy-efficient solution for simultaneous PM and NOx removal in small-scale combustion systems, offering promising implications for improving air pollution control technologies for small-scale combustion systems.

The detection of people in urban environments from satellite imagery can be employed in a variety of applications, such as urban planning, business management, crisis management, military operations, and security. A WorldView-3 satellite image of Prague was processed. Several variants of feature-extracting networks, referred to as backbone networks, were tested alongside the Faster R–CNN model. This model combines region proposal networks with object detection, offering a balance between speed and accuracy that is well suited for dense and varied urban environments. Data augmentation was used to increase the robustness of the models, which contributed to the improvement of classification results. Achieving a high level of accuracy is an ongoing challenge due to the low spatial resolution of available imagery. An F1 score of 54% was achieved using data augmentation, a 15 cm buffer, and a maximum distance limit of 60 cm.

The active substance used in oxidation honeycomb catalysts determined for real flue gas purification usually consists of precious metals such as platinum or palladium, while the most common is the mixture of the two mentioned elements, however high prices and limited availability of these elements encourages producers for the search for new, equally or better effective alternatives. In this study V2O5-WO3/TiO2 honeycomb catalyst was tested during the combustion test with commonly sold manually loaded stove. The catalyst was installed in the flue gas duct at the stove outlet. The experimental comparison of the flue gas composition at the catalyst inlet and at the catalyst outlet was performed. Flue gas sampling took place for whole combustion periods. Relatively high conversion rates by catalyst of CO (up to 87.1%), C3H8 (up to 61.3%) and TSP (up to 17.7%) were reached, which meant that the limit values of Commission regulation for mentioned kind of equipment were met during four, not only one period (in case of non-use of the catalyst). The V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst has a great potential as the secondary emission control device for achieving low mass concentration of the certain pollutants in the flue gas.

Commonly sold bioethanol fireplaces can represent significant heat source, however due to their intermittent operation the heat energy output is strongly uneven. The aim of this study was to determine the possibilities of heat energy accumulation by individually built ethanol fireplace intended for commonly sold ethanol burner installation. For the measurements of heat energy output, long term tests of the individually built ethanol fireplace with 1, 2 and 3 consecutive combustion periods in a unique calorific room were performed. Accumulation ethanol fireplace has proven high ratio between accumulated heat energy after the ethanol burner last burn-out reaching from 21.4 to 48.4% according to the number of consecutive fuel doses. By usage of the described ethanol fireplace the time of heat energy releasing was increased from approximately 1.15, 2.35 and 3.55 h in case of ethanol burner usage in a non-accumulation fireplace for 1, 2 and 3 fuel doses to 6.5, 11 and 15 h in case of accumulation ethanol fireplace usage. This was also strongly connected with average heat output ranging between 2.54 to 2.47 kW in the case of ethanol burner usage in a non-accumulation ethanol fireplace and 0.38 to 0.59 kW in the case of accumulation ethanol fireplace usage.