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Silicone rubber (SR) micro nanocomposites formed with micro-ATH and nano-alumina particles have been subjected to different levels of gamma-ray irradiation to understand the characteristic variation in the surface condition of the material through contact angle measurement, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) studies, water droplet-initiated corona inception voltage (CIV) measurement and by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis. It is realized that the recovery rate of silicone rubber micro nanocomposites is less compared with the base SR material. It is observed that, irrespective of the level of irradiation, the contact angle and water droplet initiated CIV of the specimen have shown direct correlation. FTIR analysis clearly indicates variation in methyl group formation on irradiation is less with S2 specimen. It is also observed that fractal dimension calculated by three different techniques for the surface profile data obtained using AFM is in directly in proportion with average surface roughness. In addition, the lacunarity values of the irradiated samples followed the same pattern as that of the average surface roughness. The variation in thermal degradation temperature has been analyzed by adopting thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The calculated plasma temperature values from laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and the crater depth formed due to laser ablation have shown inverse relationship. Artificial neural network (ANN) has been employed successfully using LIBS data, to understand the level of irradiation of the SR samples. Overall, the silicone rubber micro-nanocomposite sample S2 filled with micro-ATH and nano Alumina has reflected relatively lesser degradation after being exposed to gamma irradiation, over other test specimens.

Silicone rubber (SR) samples are coated with various types of artificially prepared pollutants, in order to identify and distinguish them by employing laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). LIBS analysis is successful in identifying the elemental composition of the various types of pollutants. The presence of copper sulphate as well as carbon-based compounds such as fly ash, coal and calcium-based compounds such as cement and calcium phosphate (fertilizer) have been identified by the increment in the normalized intensity ratio of the copper, carbon and calcium peaks respectively. LIBS spectral data has been used in conjunction with several machine learning (ML) algorithms such as linear discriminant analysis, decision tree, K-nearest neighbors and various gradient boosting techniques to classify seven different types of contaminated SR samples. When compared to the other ML approaches utilized in the present study, classification using the Light gradient boosting technique has reflected better classification accuracy of 97.43% with a reasonable computation time of 5.1 s.

A Fe-binding protein belonging to the Dps family (DNA binding protein from starved cells) in the N2-fixing marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum is described. A dps gene encoding a protein with significant levels of identity to the members of the Dps family was identified in the genome of T. erythraeum

Stabilization of soil for grounding purposes has been performed by adding different wt% of lime. Electrical breakdown measurements under lightning impulse voltage showed a reduction in breakdown voltage and the time to breakdown with increment in the lime content in the soil. These parameters also increased with curing period for all concentrations of lime of stabilized soil samples. The results show that pH and electrical conductivity of the expansive soil increase as the lime content increases, but decrease with increasing the curing period. Mineralogical and micro-structural analysis has been made by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and by scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. The axial strength obtained from unconfined compressive strength (UCS) analysis, the plasma temperature and the electron number density calculated from Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) data tend to increase with increment in lime content as well as the curing period of the lime stabilized soil. Using univariate analysis, the normalized intensity ratio of Ca II peaks from LIBS spectral data are correlated with lime content in the soil samples at various curing periods. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) technique is successful in determining the soil parameters with the help of LIBS spectral data, at different curing periods with an R2 value greater than 0.95 and the percentage RMSE value smaller than 4%.

Abstract Water ageing was carried out with epoxy micro–nano composite specimen. Silica micro particles and ion trapping nano particles were used as filler material in the composite specimens. Water ageing was carried out under room temperature and at 90 °C, to analyse the impact of water intake on space charge accumulation and charge decay characteristics. The threshold for space charge accumulation in epoxy specimens reduces, while the rate of space charge accumulation increases after water ageing. The initial surface potential had a marginal increment and the rate of surface potential decay has reduced significantly after water absorption. Trap distribution characteristics confirm the existence of deeper traps and charge mobility reduction in case of water aged specimens. The dynamic mechanical analysis have confirmed the viscoelastic behaviour of epoxy micro–nano composite specimens, is sensitive to the water absorption. Glass transition temperature of epoxy specimen after water absorption has shifted to lower temperatures due to plasticisation of polymer matrix and ascertained with the reduction in the activation energy. Digital image correlation method has been adopted to determine strain field distribution and displacement of the specimen under mechanical loading. Thermo gravimetric Analysis have confirmed the reduction in thermal stability resulting for water aged specimens.

Abstract Epoxy‐Ni nanocomposites of different weight percentages are subjected to accelerated aging by water aging, thermal aging and UV irradiation to understand the influence of aging conditions on their space charge behavior. Homo‐charge accumulation is observed for unaged epoxy‐Ni nanocomposites. The magnitude of accumulated space charge is found to be lesser in 0.5 wt% epoxy‐Ni nanocomposite specimen compared to other unaged specimens. Water diffusion coefficient of epoxy‐Ni nanocomposites decreased with increasing weight percentage of filler addition. Space charge accumulation tends to increase with water aging. Increment in the space charge accumulation of 0.25 wt% epoxy‐Ni nanocomposite specimen is lesser compared to other water aged specimens. Exposure to thermal stress resulted in deterioration of the molecular structure of insulating material leading to an increase in trap‐controlled mobility, further leading to the reduction in space charge density with aging period. UV irradiation marginally assisted the charge transportation phenomenon, which resulted in the slight decrease of space charge density of epoxy‐Ni nanocomposites after UV irradiation. Hetero‐charge formation is found for all the three aging procedures. Overall, the specimen S1 reflected better space charge characteristics after being subjected to different aging conditions.

Epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with glass fiber, have been prepared with various weight percentages (1, 3, and 5 wt.%) of MgO nanofillers to improve their electrical and thermal performance. An increase in MgO nanofiller content up to 3 wt.% tends to enhance surface discharge and corona inception voltages measured using fluorescence and UHF methods, under both AC and DC voltage profiles. Reduced initial surface potential along with increased decay rate is observed after inclusion of MgO nanoparticles. Before and after the polarity reversal phenomena, heterocharge formation is observed in the bulk of test specimens. In comparison with other test samples, the 3 wt.% sample had reflected lower electric field enhancement factor. After MgO filler was added to glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) has reduced, with the 3 wt.% specimen having the lowest CTE value. TGA measurements revealed an improvement in thermal stability of the GFRP nanocomposites up on the inclusion of MgO nanofillers. Overall, the GFRP nanocomposite sample filled with 3 wt.% nano-MgO outperformed the other test samples in terms of electrical and thermal performance.

Epoxy nano–micro composite specimen prepared with micro silica and ion trapping nanoparticle, by shear mixing process, was exposed to gamma radiation and its performance for space charge and charge trap characteristics were analysed. The threshold for space charge accumulation of epoxy nanocomposites reduces and rate of space charge accumulation increases with an increase in dosage of gamma irradiation. The average growth of space charge density during poling and charge decay rate during depoling are relatively higher for gamma-irradiated specimens than the virgin specimen. The initial surface potential has a marginal reduction with increase in the dosage of gamma radiation, but the surface potential decay rate has increased significantly. Trap distribution characteristics indicate more number of shallow traps and increase in charge mobility after irradiation. The relative permittivity and loss tangent of the specimens have high impact due to gamma irradiation. The activation energy calculated from DC conductivity by Arrhenius law reduces with increment in radiation dose. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy reflected no change in elemental composition with gamma-irradiated specimen. The variation in plasma temperature and ion line to atomic line intensity ratio with dosage of gamma radiation have direct correlation to the Vickers hardness number of the specimens.

Background: Glioblastoma patients may develop functional deficits post-operatively that affect activities of daily living and result in worse outcomes. The Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) instrument assigns patients basic mobility and daily activity scores, but it is unknown if these scores correlate with post-operative outcomes in glioblastoma patients., Methods: Adult (≥18 years) glioblastoma patients evaluated by physical/occupational therapy after resection at a single instution (June 2008-December 2020) were identified. Patient demographics, post-operative AM-PAC scores, and clinical outcomes were collected. Multivariate regression identified associations between AM-PAC scores and post-operative outcomes., Results: 600 patients were included (mean age 59.3 years, 59.2 % male); 151 (25.3 %) and 246 (43.8 %) patients had low mobility (<42.9) and activity (<39.4) scores, respectively. 103 (17.2 %) and 177 (29.5 %) patients experienced extended lengths of stay (LOS) in the ICU (≥2 days) and overall (≥7 days), respectively. 154 (25.7 %) patients had non-home discharges. The 30-day readmission rate was 13.7 %. In multivariate analysis, low mobility scores correlated with increased odds of extended overall (p < 0.0001) and ICU (p = 0.0004) LOS, non-home discharge (p < 0.0001), and 30-day readmission (p = 0.0405). Low activity scores correlated with extended overall LOS (<0.0001) and non-home discharge (p < 0.0001). In log-rank analysis, median survival time was shorter for patients with low mobility (9.5 vs. 14.7 months, p < 0.0001) and activity (10.6 vs. 16.3 months, p < 0.0001) scores than for high-scoring patients., Conclusion: AM-PAC basic mobility and daily activity scores are associated with outcomes after glioblastoma resection. These easily obtainable scores may be useful for prognosticating and guiding decision making in post-operative glioblastoma patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Advanced molecular testing has increasingly become an integral component for accurate diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) tumors. We sought to establish the current state of molecular testing availability and approaches for the diagnosis of CNS tumors in US hospitals that conduct high volumes of CNS tumor resections. We distributed a 16-item survey inquiring about molecular testing approaches for CNS tumors to 115 neuropathologists at US hospitals with neurosurgery residency programs. Thirty-five neuropathologists (30.4%) responded to the survey, all of whom indicated their institutions perform molecular testing on CNS tumor tissue. The most commonly offered tests were MGMT methylation profiling and next-generation sequencing. Fourteen respondents (40%) indicated that their institution is able to test for and report all of the molecular alterations included in our survey. Nine (25.7%) respondents indicated that molecular testing is performed as standard of care for all patients with resected CNS tumors. Our results suggest that even in academic hospitals with a high volume of CNS tumor resections, molecular testing for these tumors is limited. Continued initiatives are necessary to expand the availability of molecular testing for CNS tumors to ensure diagnostic accuracy and guide targeted therapy., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc.)

Health disparities cause significant strain on the wellbeing of individuals and society. In this study, we focus on the health disparities present in the condition of Peripartum Depression (PPD), a significant public health issue. While PPD can be managed through therapy and medication, many women do not receive adequate PPD treatment due to issues of social stigma and limited access to healthcare resources. Digital health technologies can offer practical tools for PPD management. However, current solutions do not integrate behavior theory and are rarely responsive to the transient information needs stemming from women's unique sociodemographic, clinical and psychosocial profiles. We describe a pilot acceptability evaluation of MomMind, a health-disparities focused digital health intervention for the prevention and management of PPD. A crucial MomMind advantage is its basis on behavior change theory and patient engagement as enabled by the Digilego digital health framework. Following an internal usability evaluation, MomMind was evaluated by patients through cross-sectional acceptability surveys, pre-and-post PPD health literacy surveys, and interviews. Survey respondents included n = 30 peripartum women, of whom n = 16 (53.3%) were Hispanic and n = 17 (56.7%) of low-income. Survey results show that 96.6% of participants (n = 29) approved and welcomed MomMind, and 90% (n = 27) found MomMind to be an appealing intervention. Additionally, significant improvements (p< = 0.05) were observed in participants' PPD health literacy, specifically their ability to recognize PPD symptoms and knowledge of how to seek PPD information. Interview main themes include MomMind's straightforward design and influence of others (family members, providers) on use of technology. Results suggest that enhancement of a digital health framework with health literacy theory can support production of digital health solutions acceptable to vulnerable populations. This study incorporates existing theories from different disciplines into a unified approach for mitigating health disparities, and produced a novel solution for promotion of health in a vulnerable population., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.)

Bromine (Br) is widely distributed through the lithosphere and hydrosphere, and its chemistry in the environment is affected by natural processes and anthropogenic activities. While the chemistry of Br in the atmosphere has been comprehensively explored, there has never been an overview of the chemistry of Br in soil and aquatic systems. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the sources, geochemistry, health and environmental threats, remediation approaches, and regulatory guidelines pertaining to Br pollution in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Volcanic eruptions, geothermal streams, and seawater are the major natural sources of Br. In soils and sediments, Br undergoes natural cycling between organic and inorganic forms, with bromination reactions occurring both abiotically and through microbial activity. For organisms, Br is a non-essential element; it is passively taken up by plant roots in the form of the Br - anion. Elevated Br - levels can limit plant growth on coastal soils of arid and semi-arid environments. Br is used in the chemical industry to manufacture pesticides, flame retardants, pharmaceuticals, and other products. Anthropogenic sources of organobromine contaminants in the environment are primarily wastewater treatment, fumigants, and flame retardants. When aqueous Br - reacts with oxidants in water treatment plants, it can generate brominated disinfection by-products (DBPs), and exposure to DBPs is linked to adverse human health effects including increased cancer risk. Br - can be removed from aquatic systems using adsorbents, and amelioration of soils containing excess Br - can be achieved by leaching, adding various amendments, or phytoremediation. Developing cost-effective methods for Br - removal from wastewater would help address the problem of toxic brominated DBPs. Other anthropogenic organobromines, such as polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants, are persistent, toxic, and bioaccumulative, posing a challenge in environmental remediation. Future research directives for managing Br pollution sustainably in various environmental settings are suggested here., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: High-risk pregnancy (HRP) conditions such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hypertension (HTN), and peripartum depression (PPD) affect maternal and neonatal health. Patient engagement is critical for effective HRP management (HRPM). While digital technologies and analytics hold promise, emerging research indicates limited and suboptimal support offered by the highly prevalent pregnancy digital solutions within the commercial marketplace. In this article, we describe our efforts to develop a portfolio of digital products leveraging advances in social computing, data science, and digital health., Methods: We describe three studies that leverage core methods from Digilego digital health development framework to (1) conduct large-scale social media analysis ( n  = 55 301 posts) to understand population-level patterns in women's needs, (2) architect a digital repository to enable women curate HRP related information, and (3) develop a digital platform to support PPD prevention. We applied a combination of qualitative coding, machine learning, theory-mapping, and programmatic implementation of theory-linked digital features. Further, we conducted preliminary testing of the resulting products for acceptance with sample of pregnant women for GDM/HTN information management ( n  = 10) and PPD prevention ( n  = 30)., Results: Scalable social computing models using deep learning classifiers with reasonable accuracy have allowed us to capture and examine psychosociobehavioral drivers associated with HRPM. Our work resulted in two digital health solutions, MyPregnancyChart and MomMind are developed. Initial evaluation of both tools indicates positive acceptance from potential end users. Further evaluation with MomMind revealed statistically significant improvements ( P  < .05) in PPD recognition and knowledge on how to seek PPD information., Discussion: Digilego framework provides an integrative methodological lens to gain micro-macro perspective on women's needs, theory integration, engagement optimization, as well as subsequent feature and content engineering, which can be organized into core and specialized digital pathways for women engagement in disease management., Conclusion: Future works should focus on implementation and testing of digital solutions that facilitate women to capture, aggregate, preserve, and utilize, otherwise siloed, prenatal information artifacts for enhanced self-management of their high-risk conditions, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.)