By taking advantage of a stability criterion established recently, the critical temperature T_c is reckoned with help of the microscopic parameters, characterising the normal and superconducting electrons, namely the independent-electron band structure and a repulsive two-electron force. The emphasis is laid on the sharp T_c dependence upon electron concentration and inter-electron coupling, which might offer a practical route toward higher T_c values and help to understand why high-T_c compounds exhibit such remarkable properties.

Recently, Troyan et al (2019 arXiv:1908.01534) and Kong et al (2019 arXiv:1909.10482) extended near-room-temperature superconductors family by new yttrium superhydride polymorphs, YH_n (n = 4,6,7,9), which exhibit superconducting transition temperatures in the range of T_c = 210-243 K at pressure of P = 160-255 GPa. In this paper, temperature dependent upper critical field data, B_c2(T), for highly-compressed mixture of YH₄+YH₆ phases (reported by Kong et al 2019 arXiv:1909.10482) is analysed to deduce the ratio of T_c to the Fermi temperature, T_F. Our analysis shows that in all considered scenarios the YH₄+YH₆ mixture has the ratio 0.01 ≤ T_c/T_F ≤ 0.04. As the result, YH₄+YH₆ falls in the unconventional superconductors band in the Uemura plot. It is also found that the characteristic temperature of the order parameter amplitude fluctuations, T_fluc, in the YH₄+YH₆ mixture is only several percent above observed T_c, and thus the superconducting transition in yttrium superhydride polymorphs is fundamentally limited by thermodynamics fluctuations.

ZnO has many technological applications which largely depend on its properties that can be tuned by controlled synthesis. Ideally, the most convenient ZnO synthesis is carried out at room temperature in aqueous solvent. However, the correct temperature values are often loosely defined. In the current paper we performed synthesis of ZnO in aqueous solvent, by varying reaction and drying temperature by 10°C steps and monitored the synthesis products primarily by XRD. We found out that a simple direct synthesis of ZnO, without additional surfactant, pumping of freezing, required both a reaction (TP) and a drying (TD) temperature of 40°C. Higher temperatures also afford ZnO, but lowering any of the TP or TD below the threshold value results either in the achievement of Zn(OH)2 or in a mixture of Zn(OH)2/ZnO. A more detailed Rietveld analysis of the ZnO samples reveals a density variation with the synthesis temperature and an increase of the nanoparticles average size also verified by SEM images. The optical properties of ZnO obtained by UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy indicate a red shift of the band gap by ~0.1 eV.

In ref. [1], we pointed out that certain anomalies observed in the published data for ac magnetic susceptibility of a room temperature superconductor reported in Nature 586, 373 (2020) [2] would be cleared up once the measured raw data were made available. Part of the measured raw data were recently posted in arXiv:2111.15017 [3]. Here we report the results of our analysis of these raw data and our conclusion that they are incompatible with the published data. Implications of these results to the claim that the material is a room temperature superconductor are discussed.

: Exploiting the relationship between the stacking modes of molecules and room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) performance is of great important to design afterglow materials. A series of coordination polymers base on carbazole–isophtalic acid are synthesized. These compounds exhibit stacking-dependent RTP. It reveals that the phosphorescence efficiency is not proportional to the overlap of p–p stacking, the triplet excited states of discrete dimer mode rather than H-aggregation can dominate the generation of room-temperature phosphorescence. Besides, compounds 1 and 2 exhibit obvious time-dependent RTP with the afterglow color from orange to green, and show white-light emission owing to fluorescence and phosphorescence dual emission. These results indicate that coordination induction is an efficient approach to regulate the aggregation of chromophores, further modulate the room-temperature phosphorescence.

Research has been actively conducted on the materials used to commercialize finished products that use hydrogen energy. Hydrogen embrittlement that occurs when hydrogen atoms penetrate metals is the largest problem that must be addressed first regarding safety. Because liquefied hydrogen has an 800 times higher density than hydrogen gas, hydrogen has been stored and transported through liquefaction at -253℃ using helium gas as a refrigerant. However, even if extreme temperatures below zero are maintained, natural vaporization loss that reduces liquefied hydrogen by 3 to 5% of the tank storage capacity per day occurs. In addition, when liquefied hydrogen is converted into high-pressure hydrogen gas for use, it is difficult to completely prevent the loss of the gas, even if sealing technology is applied to prevent gas leaks in transport and storage tanks. Therefore, methods to minimize the loss of hydrogen, establishment of assessment criteria for the embrittlement caused by a small amount of hydrogen gas, and related research are essential. We researched the hydrogen embrittlement resistance of SUS316L rods according to the tensile speed by conducting water electrolysis testing at room temperature, at which hydrogen gas is used to present hydrogen embrittlement assessment criteria for primary ring-shaped forged products.

Soluble noble metal salts are widely used for loading noble metals as nano-catalysts in many applications. In this paper, Pt-SnO2 composite nanoceramics were prepared from SnO2 nanoparticles and H2PtCl6 using two Pt-loading methods separately: For the solution reduction method, the H2PtCl6 solution was added to a suspension of SnO2 and zinc powder to form Pt on SnO2 nanoparticles; and for the impregnation method, Pt was formed from H2PtCl6 in the course of sintering. Although a series of samples prepared using both Pt loading methods showed a strong response to H2 at room temperature, the ones prepared using the solution reduction method exhibited much better room temperature hydrogen sensing characteristics. For two samples of 0.5 wt% Pt and sintered at 825°C, the response value for the sample prepared using the solution reduction method was 5300 to 1% H2-20% O2-N2, which was much larger than that of 150 for the sample prepared using the impregnation method. Samples prepared using the two Pt loading methods have similar microstructures as characterized by XRD, FESEM, EDS, TEM, and HRTEM. However, the residual chlorine content in those using the impregnation method was found to be higher than that using the solution reduction method through analysis. It is proposed that the striking difference in the room temperature hydrogen sensing characteristics among samples prepared using these two different Pt loading methods separately resulted from their different chlorine removal process. This study demonstrates the importance of a proper method in loading noble metals from their soluble salts as nano-catalysts in many applications.

In this paper a novel type of a highly sensitive gas sensor device based on the surface photovoltage effect is described. The developed surface photovoltage gas sensor is based on a reverse Kelvin probe approach. As the active gas sensing electrode the porous ZnO nanostructured thin films are used deposited by the direct current (DC) reactive magnetron sputtering method exhibiting the nanocoral surface morphology combined with an evident surface nonstoichiometry related to the unintentional surface carbon and water vapor contaminations. Among others, the demonstrated SPV gas sensor device exhibits a high sensitivity of 1 ppm to NO₂ with a signal to noise ratio of about 50 and a fast response time of several seconds under the room temperature conditions.

Oxide semiconductors are conventionally being used as sensing materials in gas sensors, limiting the detection of gases at room temperature (RT). In this work, a hybrid of copper oxide (CuO) with functionalized graphene (rGO) is proposed to achieve gas sensing at RT. The combination of high surface area and presence of many functional groups in CuO/rGO hybrid material makes it highly sensitive for gas absorption and desorption. To prepare the hybrid material, a copper oxide suspension synthesized using copper acetate precursor is added to the graphene oxide solution during its reduction using ascorbic acid. Material properties of CuO/rGO hybrid and its drop-casted thin films are investigated using Raman, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and four-point probe measurement systems. We find that the hybrid material is enriched with oxygen functional groups (OFGs) and defective sites along with electrical conductivity (~1.5 kΩ/□). The fabricated QCM (quartz crystal microbalance) sensor with a thin layer of CuO/rGO hybrid, demonstrates a high sensing response which is twice the response of the rGO-based sensor for CO₂ gas at RT. We believe that the CuO/rGO hybrid can be highly suitable for existing and future gas sensors used for domestic and industrial safety.

An innovative superconducting mechanism was developed based on a patented discovery of room temperature superconductivity in several thorium (Th) salts or compounds. The rationale behind this discovery is through the experimental results about the unique electrical and magnetic properties of these Th salts. Accordingly, this new superconducting mechanism for these Th salts was obtained through the analyses of the compounds’ molecular configurations and the packings of their relevant crystal structures. Owing to the distinctive properties of the Th compounds in this discovery, we further established a different electron pairing scheme as opposed to the pairing of the Cooper pairs. Compared to the long distance electron pairing of the Cooper pairs, the new electron pairing in our mechanism is constructed by two closely correlated electrons that reside on the same atomic orbital of the Th cation as an electron lone pair. In this new superconducting mechanism, the Th cation is sitting on a relevant crystallographic lattice arrangement or a network of the relevant Th compounds. This network is constructed by many Th cations along certain crystallographic lattice arrangement where each Th cation contains one electron lone pair. This network allows the electron lone pairs on the Th cations to be delocalized over the network, “in pair”, and thus, reveals the electron lone pair in presence in a long distance fashion. The closely correlated electron lone pairs hop on this network and thus, construct the supercurrent over the network. This explanation about the superconductivity laid the basis for our superconducting mechanism. All these conclusions came from the previous studies about these compounds that illustrated their unusual features of a coexistence of high electrical conductivity and diamagnetism. These electrical and magnetic properties fall in line with that of superconductors but, surprisingly, these Th compounds have such properties at the ambient condition, meaning under room temperature and atmosphere pressure. We expect that this mechanism may be appropriate to be utilized to other superconducting cases, either conventional or unconventional, and therefore, can be adapted to describe the superconducting phenomenon for other superconductors.

In Ref. [1] Snider et al reported room temperature superconductivity in carbonaceous sulfur hydride (CSH) under high pressure. Recently the data for the temperature dependent ac magnetic susceptibility shown in figures of Ref [1] have appeared in the form of tables corresponding to different pressures [2]. Here we provide an analysis of the data for a pressure of 160 GPa. This work was performed in collaboration with D. van der Marel.

The accurate quantification of $\frac{F{e}^{3+}}{\Sigma Fe}$ ratios for Mössbauer spectroscopic room temperature measurements involves many steps and, when shown in a composite Mössbaur data table, does not allow enough space for more Mössbauer parameters to be presented in the composite table. So a simple formula is derived, (presented as a short communication) which users will find helpful when they have to determine corrected $\frac{F{e}^{3+}}{\Sigma Fe}$ ratios in their room temperature Mössbauer experiments.

Room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials have been attracted tremendous interest owing to their unique material characteristics and potential applications for state-of-the-art optoelectronic devices. Recently, we have reported a synthesis and fundamental photophysical properties of new RTP materials based on benzil, i.e., fluorinated monobenzil derivative and fluorinated and non-fluorinated bisbenzil derivative analogues [Yamada, S. et al, Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 1154–1162.]. To further understand their RTP properties, here we investigated the excited-state dynamics and photostability of the derivatives by means of time-resolved and steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopies. For these derivatives, clear RTP emissions with lifetimes on the microsecond timescale were identified. Among them, the monobenzil derivative was found to be the most efficient RTP material, showing both the longest lifetime and highest amplitude RTP emission. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectra measured at 77 K and density functional theory calculations revealed the existence of a second excited triplet state in the vicinity of the first excited singlet state for the monobenzil derivative, indicative of the presence of a fast intersystem crossing pathway. A discussion of the correlation between the excited state dynamics, emission properties, and conformational flexibility of the three derivatives is presented.

Grazing incidence X-Ray Diffraction spectroscopy was employed to characterize crystallinity of Iron, Nickel, Copper and Tungsten, prepared by sparking discharge process in presence of 0.4 T magnetic field at ambient temperature 25 °C. Iron thin film preserved crystallinity even after one year of ageing. Nickel exhibit higher crystallinity when sparked in nitrogen gas flow from the one sparked in oxygen. Tungsten was successfully crystalized after just 40 minutes of sparking inside of magnetic field.

Recently Kawashima has reported that, when wetted with alkanes, several forms of graphite and single-layer graphene exhibit superconductor-like properties above room temperature under ambient pressure [AIP Adv. 2013, 3, 052132; arXiv:1612.05294; arXiv:1801.09376]. Under the assumption that these seemingly unlikely properties arise from the presence of paired electrons brought about by the alkane-wetting, we explored their implications to arrive at a probable mechanism for strong electron-pairing driven by Fermi surface nesting and acoustic phonon. This mechanism explains why alkane-wetting is essential for the graphene systems to become “superconductor-like” above room temperature and why the “T_c” of alkane-wetted pitch-based graphite fibers increases almost linearly from ~363 to ~504 K with increasing the molecular weight of alkane from heptane to hexadecane. It also provides a number of experimentally-verifiable predictions, the confirmation of which will provide a strong support for the superconductivity driven by Fermi surface nesting and acoustic phonon.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key half-reaction in electrocatalytic water splitting. Large-scale water electrolysis is hampered by the commercial precious metal-based OER electrocatalysts owing to their high cost and slow kinetics. To address these issues, we present a facile one-pot room-temperature coprecipitation method to quickly synthesize carbon nanotubes-interconnected amorphous NiFe-layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH@CNT) as low-cost, efficient and stable OER electrocatalyst. NiFe-LDH@CNT hybrid catalyst delivers outstanding OER performance with a low onset overpotential of 255 mV and a small Tafel slope of 51.2 mV dec-1, as well as outstanding long-term stability. The terrific catalytic capability of NiFe-LDH@CNT can be associated with the synergistic effects of its room-temperature synthesized amorphous structure, bi-metallic modulation, and conductive CNT skeleton. The room-temperature synthesis can not only offer economic feasibility, but also obtain amorphous NiFe-LDH without crystalline boundaries, facilitating long-term stability during OER process. The bi-metallic nature of NiFe-LDH guarantees a modified electronic structure, providing additional catalytic sites. Simultaneously, the highly conductive CNT network fosters a nanoporous structure, facilitating electron transfer, O2 release and enriching catalytic sites. This study presents a strategy to purposefully design nanoarchitecture and facilely synthesize amorphous transition metal-based OER catalysts, ensuring the cost effectiveness, production efficiency, and long-term stability.

By making periodic thru-holes in a suspended film, the phonon system can be modified. Motivated by the BCS theory, the technique -- so-called phonon engineering -- was applied to a metallic niobium sheet. It was found that its electrical resistance dropped to zero at 175 K, and the zero-resistance state persisted up to 290 K in the subsequent warming process. Despite the initial motivation, neither these high transition temperatures nor the phase transition with thermal hysteresis can be accounted for by the BCS theory. Therefore, we abandon the BCS theory. Instead, it turns out that the metallic holey sheet is partly oxidized to form a niobium-oxygen square lattice, which has points of resemblance to a copper-oxygen plane, the fundamental component of cuprate high-T_c superconductors. Therefore, the pairing mechanism underlying this study should be related to that of cuprate high-T_c superconductors, which we may not yet understand. In addition to the electrical results of zero resistance, the holey sheet exhibited a decrease in magnetization upon cooling, i.e., the Meissner effect. Moreover, the remnant magnetization was clearly detected at 300 K, which can only be attributed to persistent currents flowing in a superconducting sample. Thus, this study meets the established criteria for a conclusive demonstration of true superconductivity. Finally, the superconducting transition with the unambiguous thermal hysteresis is discussed. According to Halperin, Lubensky, and Ma, or HLM for short, any superconducting transition must always be first order with thermal hysteresis because of the intrinsic fluctuating magnetic field. The HLM theory is very compatible with the highly oriented system harboring two-dimensional superconductivity.

Room temperature superconductivity has recently been reported for a carbonaceous sulfur hydride (CSH) under high pressure by Snider et al [1]. The paper reports sharp drops in magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature for five different pressures, that are interpreted as signaling a superconducting transition. Here I question the validity and faithfulness of the magnetic susceptibility data presented in the paper by comparison with the measured raw data reported by two of the authors of ref. [2]. This invalidates the assertion of the paper [1] that the susceptibility measurements support the case for superconductivity in this compound.

The study addresses the fabrication of indium aluminum nitride (InAlN) layers by DC co-sputtering at room temperature, highlighting their potential in optoelectronic and solar cell applications. Experiments were carried out with different powers for the aluminum target, observing changes in the stoichiometry and material properties. XPS and AES analysis confirmed the variation in indium and aluminum concentration, directly affecting bandgap and electrical properties such as mobility and free carrier concentration. The layers showed smooth surfaces with low roughness, suitable for high efficiency interfaces. This method promises to reduce costs and improve the accessibility of efficient solar technologies based on InAlN semiconductor alloy.

The bipartite entanglement is comprehensively investigated in the mononuclear molecular complex (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L], where HL denotes 2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-nitrophenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-oxide-1-oxyl and hfacH stands for hexafluoroacetylacetone. From the magnetic point of view, the molecular compound (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L] consists of an exchange-coupled spin-1 Ni2+ magnetic ion and a spin-12 nitronyl-nitroxide radical substituted nitrophenol. The nickel-radical molecular complex affords an experimental realization of a mixed spin-(12, 1) Heisenberg dimer with a strong antiferromagnetic exchange coupling J/kB= 505 K and two distinct g-factors gRad=2.005 and gNi=2.275. By adopting this set of magnetic parameters we demonstrate that the Zeeman splitting of a quantum ferrimagnetic ground-state doublet due to a weak magnetic field may substantially reinforce the strength of bipartite entanglement at low temperatures. The molecular compound (Et3NH)[Ni(hfac)2L] maintains sufficiently strong thermal entanglement even at room temperature, vanishing only above 546 K. Specifically, the thermal entanglement in the nickel-radical molecular complex retains approximately 40% of the maximum value corresponding to perfectly entangled Bell states at room temperature, which implies that this magnetic compound provides suitable platform of a molecular qubit with potential implications for room-temperature quantum computation and quantum information processing.

Background: Music evokes positive emotions and reduces stress and anxiety. Operating Room (OR) staff face various challenges which can lead to high levels of stress. The aim of the study is to assess whether listening to music during intraoperative phases improves the work environment by reducing anxiety and stress in the entire surgical team. Methods. A prospective observational study was conducted from February to September 2023, involving medical personnel, nursing staff, and nursing students. They were divided into two groups: Group 1 with music during surgical procedures, and Group 2 without music. Participants were administered two validated instruments: the Zung Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale (SAS) to measure anxiety, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule to assess emotions generating stress. Additional items were included for demographics, job satisfaction, and the organization method. Results. Music did not impact anxiety but increased positive emotions while reducing negative ones. Music had an ancillary effect, highlighting the need for significant organizational interventions aimed at increasing operator satisfaction, including voluntary rather than mandatory assignments for nursing staff. Conclusions. Music appears to reduce stress in the intraoperative team when supported by a positive work environment in which assigned operators have chosen to work in the OR.

A labyrinth metamaterial wall with glass coverage is measured in a reverberating chamber and after its installation in a restaurant. Glass is used to meet two aims, namely acoustic absorption and visual design demands. The wall consists of five multiple labyrinth elements of 1.83 m$^2$ each. Glass was taken to make the wall act as a room lightning device where a translucent cover material is needed. Absorption measurements show about four times improved absorption compared to typical glass. Due to the metamaterial behavior, absorption is high in the low-frequency range below 300 Hz where damping is problematic with traditional materials. Especially in this range, the glass metamaterial wall is an excellent compromise between room acoustic and visual design demands, as loud low-frequencies make visitors speak louder and experience less intimacy with additionally reduced speech intelligibility. For mid-frequencies, absorption is shown less effective and improvements are discussed.

Background: India leads in road traffic accident (RTA) deaths, according to the 2018 World Road Statistics. Most unidentified patients exhibit poor Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores ,often less than eight , heightened trauma severity, and suboptimal outcomes despite standard treatment. Our study concentrates on individuals involved in hit-and-run RTAs or found unconscious and brought to the emergency department and their final outcome.Case Presentation: We are presenting a case series featuring five patients admitted to our hospital for treatment. At the time of admission, all these patients' identities were unknown.We did not face any legal challenges in managing the unidentified patients as we followed preestablished protocols. We report a case series of five male patients who had been admitted after road traffic accidents. All of them regained consciousness after conservative management. These complex cases frequently led to extended hospital stays, underscoring the intricacies of providing care to individuals with uncertain medical histories. All of the patients were treated and successfully discharged. Conclusion: Addressing challenges with unidentified adult patients requires proactive measures like staff training and improved resources. In a developing nation, prioritizing public awareness on road safety, prehospital trauma care, and enhancing healthcare delivery, especially in hospitals, is essential for optimal outcomes.

Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) after hyperselective embolization of tumor vessels (HETV) in a hybrid operating room (HOR) that combines traditional surgical equipment with advanced imaging technology, is a non-clamping surgical approach to treat localized kidney tumors that have shown promising short-term results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term oncological and functional outcomes of this procedure. All consecutive patients treated for a localized kidney tumor by LPN after HETV between May 2015 and October 2022 in a single academic institution were included in the study. Clinical, pathological and biological data were collected prospectively in the uroCCR database. We evaluated perioperative data, postoperative complications, surgical margin and modification of renal function after surgery. We included 245 patients. Median tumor size was 3.2 (2.5-4.4) cm. The R.E.N.A.L. complexity was low, medium and high for 104 (43.5%), 109 (45.6%) and 26 (10.9%) patients, respectively. Median LPN time was 75 (65 -100) min and median blood loss was 100 (50-300) mL. Surgical postoperative complications occurred in 56 (22.9%) patients with 17 (5.7%) major complications. The median preoperative Glomerular Function Rate (GFR) was 90.5 (77-101.8) mL/min and the median GFR variation at 6 months was -7.5 (-15- -2) mL/min. Malignant tumors were present in 211 (86.1%) patients and 12 (4.9%) patients had positive surgical margins. After a median follow-up of 27 (8-49) months, 20 (8.2%) patients had a tumor recurrence and 4 (1.6%) died from cancer. The use of a HOR to perform LPN after HETV is a safe and efficient non-clamping approach to treat localized kidney tumors.

This article analyzes the design of MasterMind, an escape room that served as a means of professional development in the use and implementation of online educational tools in academic teaching. Escape rooms have inspired educators all over the world to adapt the popular entertainment activity for education. The time-constrained and problem-based games require active and collaborative participants, which makes an escape room an interesting setting for educators. As there are differences in the settings and goals of educational and recreational escape rooms, there is a need for description of the design process, taking into account game design and educational aspects. MasterMind was developed by a multidisciplinary team of educators, educational researchers and game researchers. The design analysis of MasterMind focuses on three related challenges that have informed the design process: 1) the participants' transition from the real world to the game world; 2) the alignment of game design aspects and educational aspects in the game world; and 3) the transfer from experiences and knowledge obtained within the game world back into the real world. The description and analysis is guided by frameworks on persuasive games and the alignment of game goals and learning goals. The analysis gives insights in how to balance game and educational aspects in the design, in order for players to reach both persuasive and learning goals. We recommend an integrated approach of the different design challenges. Therefore, we propose a design model combining and aligning the used frameworks, leading to an integrated approach in tackling design challenges in persuasive, serious games.

Layout estimation is a challenge of segmenting a cluttered room image into floor, walls and ceiling. We applied Double refinement network proved to be efficient in the depth estimation to generate heat maps for room key points and edges. Our method is the first not using encoder-decoder architecture for the room layout estimation. ResNet50 was utilized as a backbone for the network instead of VGG16 commonly used for the task, allowing the network to be more compact and faster. We designed a special layout score function and layout ranking algorithm for key points and edges output. Our method achieved the lowest pixel and corner errors on the LSUN data set. The input image resolution is 224*224.

Annually, an estimated 13-26 million newborns need respiratory support and 2-3 million newborns need extensive resuscitation, defined as chest compression and 100% oxygen with or without epinephrine in the delivery room. Despite such care, there is a high incidence of mortality and short-term neurologic morbidity. The poor prognosis associated with receiving chest compression alone or with medications in the delivery room raises questions as to whether improved cardiopulmonary resuscitation methods specifically tailored to the newborn could improve outcomes. This review discusses the current recommendations, mode of action, different compression to ventilation ratio, continuous chest compression with asynchronous ventilations, chest compression and sustained inflation optimal depth, and oxygen concentration during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

A case-crossover study examined how PM_2.5 from Asian Dust Storms (ADS) affects the number of emergency room (ER) admissions for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and respiratory diseases (RDs). Our data indicated that PM_2.5 concentration from ADS was highly correlated with ER visits for CVDs and RDs. The odds ratios (OR) increased by 2.92 (95% CI: 1.22-5.08) and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.30-2.91) per increase 10 µg/m³ in PM_2.5 levels, for CVDs and RDs, respectively. A 10 µg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 from ADSs was significantly associated with increase in ER visits for CVDs among those 65 years of age and older (an increase of 2.77 in OR) and for females (an increase of 3.09 in OR). In contrast, PM_2.5 levels had a significant impact on RD ER visits among those under 65 years of age (OR=1.77). The risk of ER visits for CVDs increased on the day when the ADS occurred in Taiwan and the day after (lag 0 and lag 1); the corresponding risk increase for RDs only increased on the fifth day after the ADS (lag 5). In Taiwan’s late winter and spring, the severity of ER visits for CVDs and RDs increases. Environmental protection agencies should employ an early warning system for ADS to reduce high-risk groups’ exposure to PM_2.5.

Background/Objectives: Different approaches are required in treating patients with multiple pulmonary lesions. A multistage procedure may increase the risk of complications and patient discomfort. This study provides an initial experience with single-stage management of multiple lung lesions using percutaneous ablation with thoracoscopic resection in a hybrid operating room (HOR). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent combined ablation and resection in a HOR between May 2022 and July 2024. All patients received a single anesthesia via endotracheal tube intubation. Clinical data, operative findings, and pathological characteristics of the lung nodules were recorded. Results: A total of 23 patients were enrolled in this study. Twenty patients underwent unilateral procedures, and the other three patients underwent bilateral procedures. Ablations were performed before lung resection in 22 patients; only one patient underwent surgery first. The median global operating room time was 227.0 min. The median total radiation dose (dose area product) was 14076 μGym2. The median hospital postoperative length of stay was 2 days. Conclusion: The single-stage procedure of percutaneous ablation with thoracoscopic resection under general anesthesia in a HOR is feasible and safe. This procedure is an alternative method for managing multiple pulmonary lesions.

We discuss two methods to detect the presence and location of a person in a small-scale room and compare the performances. The first method is Direct Intersection, which determines a coordinate point based on the intersection of spheroids defined by observed distances of high-intensity reverberations. The second method, Sonogram analysis, overlays all channel’s room impulse responses to generate an intensity map for the observed environment. We demonstrate that the former method has lower computation complexity and higher accuracy for small numbers of channels, while the latter performs more robustly.

Estimating heat emission losses of heating systems is an important task of energy efficiency assessments in buildings. To this aim, the present international standards contain tabulated values for different emitter and control system configurations, without however explaining how to compute the effect of increased setpoint temperatures on the system losses. Moreover, the effects of each component are treated as independent, while e.g. vertical stratification and temperature control of the system are cross-related. In this paper we attempt to fill this gap by proposing a calculation method to calculate the product category specific setpoint variations for space heating emitters, accounting for the overall heat balance in the enclosure and including the cross-correlations of each component as well. The emission losses of a heating system are computed using a temperature setpoint variation method that is imposed on annual energy calculations. This complements the procedure presented in the Standard EN15316-2, also providing the possibility to use product-specific values of setpoint variations instead of tabulated values. As the main finding of the study, the calculation process is defined for a European Reference Room, namely for a specific enclosure that allows an accurate and transparent evaluation of the total setpoint variation. The product-specific values of setpoint variations are calculated from measured vertical stratification and control parameters with an annual simulation model of the European Reference Room. The total setpoint variations were simulated for a set of heat emitters and controllers in order to quantify and compare the energy performance of a new and an old type building located in Strasbourg. We find that the total setpoint variation required to overcome emission losses is up to 2.00 °C in the old building and 1.20 °C in the new building, corresponding respectively to an increase in total heating energy usage of up to 22% and 20%.

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the bleeding that occurs during the first weeks of gestation and its implications throughout pregnancy. Secondarily, we assessed the associated complications in order to identify potential risk factors that could be used to select women at higher risk of adverse outcomes that could benefit from an early diagnosis and improved monitoring. Materials and Methods: We made a selection of all the women who consulted in the Emergency Department of the Hospital QuirónSalud in Malaga on 2015 presenting with first trimester metrorrhagia. We refer to first trimester metrorrhagia as that which occurs until week 12+6. Once these pregnant women were identified, we studied several variables not related to the gestation and some others associated with it and its natural course. Results: The average age of the patients assessed was 34.1. Associated gestational complications were metrorrhagia in the second trimester (6.3%), threatened preterm labour (7.4%), preeclampsia (2.5%), gestational diabetes (7.4%), late abortion (1.2%) and early postpartum hemorrhage (1.8%). We sought associations to assess possible risk factors, establishing an increased maternal age as an aggravating factor for the development of complications. We also studied gestational complications finding a higher prevalence of them in older women, such as prematurity (33.11 vs 34.48 years), gestational diabetes (33.11 vs 36.06 years) and preeclampsia (33.25 vs 35 years). Conclusions: Maternal age is a risk factor for first-trimester spontaneous miscarriage and for the development of complications of pregnancy. It is crucial to perform a correct screening of different pathologies throughout the pregnancy to anticipate potential complications.

Background: Serious games are conceptualized as a broad topic and overlap segments of more modern forms of education: e-learning, edutainment, game-based learning, and digital game-based learning. Serious Games aligns with digitalization and the modern era and creates novel opportunities for learning and assessment in medical education. Escape rooms, a type of serious games, merge mental and physical aspects to reinforce critical skills useful in daily life. It challenges logic and reasoning and demands careful analysis of situations to correlate and solve different stages of the escape room under pressurized, timed conditions. Furthermore, it serves as an adequate environment to build problem-solving skills, communication skills, and leadership skills through the collaboration of people to achieve a common goal. The aim of this study was to investigate the applications of escape rooms in Medical Education. Method: This study investigated the applications of escape rooms in medical education. Serious games are expanding in education and have attained great relevance due to their intriguing and intrinsically motivating attributes. Within serious games, we focused on escape rooms in which participants are locked in a room, faced with puzzles that must be solved to ‘escape the room’. Compiling the data from the first 100 hits of medical application of escape rooms, we found 72 cases and categorized them by year, specialty, participants structure, simulation experience, and design. Results: We reported on escape rooms in medical education by the year in which they were reported, the medical specialty, the participant structure, grouped or individual, the experience design; real, hybrid, or digital, and the modality of the delivery. 72% of the escape rooms focused on four main areas: nursing education (25.0%), emergency medicine (22.2%), pharmacy (12.5%), and interprofessional education (12.5%). Most of the escape rooms had a group-based physical design and little attention was given to provide a detailed description of the design considerations, such as the pathway type (linear, semi-linear, open). Conclusion: Escape rooms are applied in a wide range of medical education areas. In Medical Education, group-based on-site escape rooms with a focus on nursing, emergency medicine, pharmacy and interprofessional education dominates the implementation landscape. To further advance the field, stronger emphasis on making explicit the design considerations will advance the research and inform implementations.

The operating room in a cardiothoracic surgical case is a complex environment, with multiple handoffs often required by staffing changes, and can be variable from program to program. This study was done to characterize what types of practitioners provide anesthesia during cardiac operations to determine the variability in this aspect of care. A survey was sent out via a list serve of members of the cardiac surgical team. Responses from 40 programs from a variety of countries showed variability across every dimension requested of the cardiac anesthesia team. Given that anesthesia is proven to have influence on the outcome of cardiac procedures, this study indicates the opportunity to further study how this variability influences outcomes, and to identify best practices.

The global increase of recreational escape rooms has inspired teachers around the world to implement escape rooms in educational settings. As escape rooms are increasingly popular in education, there is a need to evaluate their use, and a need for guidelines in order to develop and implement escape rooms in the classroom. This systematic review synthesizes current practices and experiences, focussing on important educational and game design aspects. Subsequently, relations between the game design aspects and the educational aspects are studied. Finally, student outcomes are related to the intended goals. In different disciplines, educators appear to have different motives to use aspects such as time constraints or teamwork. These educators make different choices for related game aspects such as the structuring of the puzzles. Other educators base their choices on common practices in recreational escape rooms. However, in educational escape rooms players need to reach the game goal by achieving the educational goals. More alignment in game mechanics and pedagogical approaches are recommended. These and more results lead to recommendations for developing and implementing escape rooms in education, and will help educators creating these new learning environments, and eventually help students’ foster knowledge and skills more effectively.

The air attenuation of pure tones as a function of temperature and humidity is well known and described in ISO and ANSI standards. However, room acoustic measurements are performed in octave bands, which is the reason for a complicated, nonlinear behavior of the air attenuation. It is known that room acoustic measurement results depend on air temperature and humidity, and these atmospheric data should always be reported in connection with room acoustic measurements. A calculation model for the air attenuation can make it possible to normalize the room acoustic results. For accurate results it is possible to apply a summation method on each time sample in the impulse response. An approximation to the air attenuation at and above 1 kHz is possible by linearization using the pure-tone attenuation of two different frequencies, one frequency valid for the early part of the impulse response, and another frequency valid for the later part of the impulse response. The purpose of the suggested methods is to make it possible to normalize room acoustic measurements to a standard atmosphere.

This study explores the impact on the stability of drying and encapsulation of a camu camu extract (CCX) using the non-thermal, high-throughput electrospraying assisted by pressurized gas (EAPG) technique. The dried and encapsulated products by the EAPG processing techniques were compared in terms of total soluble phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and storage stability. Whey protein concentrate (WPC) and zein (ZN) were selected as the protective excipients for encapsulation. Dried and encapsulated products were obtained in the form of microparticles, which were smaller and more spherical in the case of the encapsulates. No significant differences were observed in the total polyphenolic content (TSP), and only relatively small differences in the antioxidant capacity were measured among samples. The generated products were subjected to various storage conditions to assess their stability and the preservation of the TSP and the antioxidant properties, i.e. 0% relative humidity (RH) and 4°C; 0% RH and 21°C; 23% RH and 21°C; 56% RH and 21°C; and UV light exposure. The results indicated that ZN encapsulation notably enhanced the retention of total soluble polyphenols and antioxidant activity compared to WPC and dried CCX, especially in the ratio 2:1 (encapsulating polymer: dried CCX). This study demonstrates the potential of protein-based encapsulation, particularly using ZN, for stabilizing bioactive compounds against degradation mechanisms induced by humidity, temperature, or ultraviolet radiation exposure.

1) Background: Several studies have shown the benefit of drawing when learning anatomy. Virtual Reality (VR) also appears to be useful to increase the understanding of the location of anatomical structures. This study aims to describe how students in an Operating Room Nursing (OR nursing) master study program perceive the benefit of active learning methods, including drawing and the use of VR. 2) Methods: We combined these two methods in a class of 29 students. 38 half-finished drawings of anatomical structures were made. The students were to complete these during lectures with guidance from the teacher. The students also attended a two-hour VR session where they were to find various anatomical structures. A paper questionnaire was applied to evaluate the teaching program. Data were analyzed statistically. 3) Results: The students highly appreciated these learning methods. They reported that drawing made them work more actively during lectures and increased their learning outcome. They also perceived that the use of VR technology increased their understanding of the location of anatomical structures. 4) Conclusion: The combination of drawing and VR technology may be of benefit to OR Nursing students when learning anatomy by both increasing student activity and learning outcomes.

A nanocomposite rod-shaped structure with single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) embedded in polypyrrole (PPy) doped with nonafluorobutanesulfonic acid (C4F), SWCNT/C4F-PPy, was synthesized using emulsion polymerization. The hybrid ink was then directly coated on a polyimide film interdigitated with the Cu/Ni/Au electrodes via a screen-printing technique to create a flexible film sensor. The sensor film showed a response of 1.72% at 25 °C/atmospheric pressure when acetone gas of 5 ppm was injected, which corresponds to almost 95% compared to the Si wafer-based array interdigitated with the Au electrode. Additionally, C4F was used as a hydrophobic dopant of PPy to improve the stability of humidity and to produce a highly sensitive film-type gas sensor that provides stable detection even in humid conditions.

Objective: To describe the methodology used and the results found in the implementation of Lean in Emergencies in the Emergency sector of the Hospital de Clínicas of the Federal University of Uberlândia (HC-UFU), verifying the difficulties and particularities that involved the process, as well as the result obtained. Material and methods: For the comparison between the periods before (T1), contemporary (T2) and after (T3) the implementation of Lean, hospital data were used , and the indicators corresponding to 10 variables were analyzed: Male Hospitalization and Female Hospitalization; High Male and High Female; Male Transfer and Female Transfer, Male Death <24h and Female Death <24h; Male Death >24h and Female Death >24h and general occupancy rate. All raw data related to the 36 months of evaluation were provided by the HC-UFU Statistics sector in spreadsheets without identifying patients. The indicators were compared to each other in the three analyzed periods, with the study directed as follows: Previous stage - Pre -intervention (T1): considered between the months of April 2017 to March 2018, completing 12 months before the implementation of Lean; Intra-intervention stage - contemporary (T2): considered between the months of April 2018 to March 2019, in a total of 12 months which was the implementation period; Post-Intervention Stage (T3): later: considered between the months of April 2019 to March 2020, completing 12 months after the implementation of Lean. The Lean in Emergencies scores (NEDOCS and LOS) were only recorded during the period that the implementation team was able to record and were used only to demonstrate trend over time. Comparison of the indicators with those found in other hospital units that also implemented Lean was carried out based on bibliographical research. Results and Discussion: The analysis of the behavior of the indicators did not demonstrate effectiveness related to the implementation of the system in the emergency sector. The failure to obtain better indicators can be attributed to discontinuity in monitoring the project, the lack of involvement of the clinical staff and alignment with the needs of the staff training academy, the difficulty of understanding the project by local and regional public entities. geographical location where the hospital is located, and by users of the health system who were not properly informed about the development of the project. These aspects should be considered in future management projects that may be implemented in the hospital. Despite the result of the implementation of Lean in the emergency sector not having reached the expected goals, the attempt showed windows of opportunity for future action on points that can improve the hospital management process and that should be tested in the next experiences. Conclusion: The methodology followed for the implementation of Lean in Emergencies in the emergency sector of the hospital did not produce improvement in hospital indicators.

Human factors are the most relevant issues contributing to adverse events in obstetrics. Specific training of Crisis Resource Management (CRM) skills (i.e., problem solving and team management, resource allocation, awareness of environment, and dynamic decision-making) are now widespread and are often based on High Fidelity Simulation. In order to be used as a guideline in simulated scenarios, they need to be translated into specific and observable behavioral markers. To this purpose, we developed a set of observable behaviors related to the main elements of CRM in the delivery room. The observational tool was then adopted in a two-days seminar on obstetric hemorrhage where teams working in obstetric wards of six Italian hospitals took part to simulations. The tool was used as guide for the Io and as a peer-to-peer feedback. It was then rated for its usefulness in facilitating the reflection upon one’s own behavior, its ease of use, and its usefulness for the peer-to-peer feedback. The ratings were highly positive, around 4 in a 5-point scale. The CRM observational tool is therefore a useful, quick and easy solution to facilitate the debriefing, the peer-to-peer feedback and, most of all, the transfer of safe behavior from simulation to everyday practice.

Lead-acid batteries utilised in electrical substations release hydrogen and oxygen when these are charged. These gases could be dangerous and cause a risk of fire if they are not properly ventilated. Therefore, this research seeks to design and implement a network control panel for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems (HVACS). This is done using a specific range of controllers, which have more than thirty loops of proportional, integral and derivative (PID) control to achieve a cost-effective design. It performs the required function of extracting hydrogen, oxygen, and maintaining the desired temperature of the battery storage room within the recommended limits (i.e. 25°C ±1°C tolerance) without compromising quality as set out in the user requirement specification in Appendix-A. The system control panel allows the user to access control parameters such as changing temperature set-points, fan-speed, sensor database amongst others. The hardware is configured to detect extreme hydrogen and oxygen gas content in the battery room and ensure that the HVACS extract the gas content to the outside environment. The results of the system show that the network control panel effectively operates as per the recommended system requirements. Therefore, the effective operation of the HVACS ensures sufficient gas ventilation, thus mitigating the risk of fire in a typical battery storage room. Furthermore, the effective operation of HVACS enhances battery lifespan because of regulated operating temperature, which is conducive to minimise the effect of sulfation in lead acid Batteries (LABs).

Background: Echovirus 11 (EV-11) is a notable enterovirus linked to severe infections in neonates, often resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. In April 2019, an EV-11 outbreak occurred in the sick neonate room at a teaching hospital in Taichung, Taiwan, posing a serious threat to the vulnerable infants in this setting. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the source and transmission dynamics of the EV-11 outbreak in the neonatal unit and evaluate the effectiveness of the infection control measures implemented to contain the outbreak. Methods: Patient records, epidemiological data, and laboratory findings were reviewed. For all cases, confirmatory tests were performed using virus isolated from cerebrospinal fluid. Rapid quarantine measures were employed. The hospital’s nosocomial infection surveillance system was used to track confirmed cases and exposed individuals to facilitate effective management and monitoring; Results: Five neonates were confirmed to have EV-11 during the outbreak. Surveillance of 10 contacts and 11 newly admitted cases yielded negative results. All infected infants eventually recovered. The cohort comprised three males and two females, with a birth weight range of 2472–4224 grams. Their gestational ages range of 34 3/7 weeks to 39 weeks; including two premature and three full-term infants. Symptoms began between 6 and 27 days of life, with fever being the consistent clinical manifestation. Strict infection control measures, including isolation of infected cases, suspension of rooming-in, and rigorous disinfection protocols, successfully halted viral spread. The outbreak was contained within 39 days, with no additional cases reported post-intervention; Conclusions: The prompt and effective response, including robust infection control protocols, was crucial for managing and containing the EV-11 outbreak in the neonatal unit. These cases underscore the significance of immediate action, stringent infection control measures, and ongoing monitoring for addressing enterovirus outbreaks in neonatal care settings.

A model of a single-server queuing-inventory system (QIS) with catastrophes and a finite waiting room for consumer customers (c-customers) has been developed. When a catastrophe occurs, all inventory in the system's warehouse is destroyed, but c-customers in the system are still waiting for restocking. In addition to c-customers, negative customers (n-customers) are also taken into account, which displaces one c-customers (if any). The policy (?, ?) is used to replenish stocks. If upon arrival of the c-customer the inventory level is zero, then according to Bernoulli’s scheme this c-customer is either lost or joining the queue. The mathematical model of the studied QIS is constructed in the form of a two-dimensional continuous-time Markov chain (2D CTMC). Exact and approximate methods for calculating the steady-state probabilities of constructed 2D CTMCs are developed and closed-form expressions are derived for calculating the performance measures. The results of numerical experiments are presented, demonstrating the high accuracy of the developed approximate formulas, as well as the behavior of performance indicators depending on the reorder point. In addition, an optimization problem is solved to obtain the optimal reorder point to minimize the expected total cost.

As the control brain of the petrochemical plant, blast resistant performance requirements of the petrochemical control room should be guaranteed when the vapor cloud explosion occurs in the petrochemical production process. 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich structure is a kind of blast resistant material with high energy absorption. Considering the influence factors of the radius of the truss core rod and thickness of the upper and lower panels, in this paper, blast resistant performance of a real steel petrochemical control room with 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich wall is analyzed. With the optimization goal of plastic deformation energy and panel displacement, the optimal wall thickness and radius of the truss core rode are obtained. The optimized blast resistant wall is assembled, and the dynamic response of the steel petrochemical control room with the 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich blast resistant wall is analyzed. The simulation results show that the truss core layer does not dissipate the blast energy effectively when the radius ratio of the truss core rod is larger than 2.7% of the total thickness of the wall; with the increase of the thickness of the upper and lower panels, the proportion of plastic deformation energy of the truss core layer increases gradually and then tends to be a stable proportion value, that is about 90%; When the thickness ratio of the panel is 6.7% of the total one of the wall and the radius ratio of the truss core rod is 2.7% of the total thickness of the wall, the optimal blast resistant 3D-Kagome sandwich wall is determined.

In arXiv:2111.15017v1 [1], Dias and Salamat posted some of the measured data for ac magnetic susceptibility of carbonaceous sulfur hydride, a material that was reported in Nature 586, 373 (2020) [2] to be a room temperature superconductor. They provided additional measured data in arXiv:2111.15017v2 [3]. Here I provide an analysis of these data. The results of this analysis indicate that the claim of ref. [2] that magnetic susceptibility measurements support the conclusion that the material is a room temperature superconductor is not supported by valid underlying data.

This study explores the challenges faced by science educators at the university level, with a focus on teaching practices and classroom management. A total of 100 faculty members, including Associate Professors, Professors, and Heads of Departments, were surveyed to gather insights. Data was collected using a two-point rating scale, examining three core areas: the future challenges in higher education, teaching methodologies, and effective classroom management. Key findings from the study highlight several pressing concerns. Financial burdens, including high tuition costs, continue to create barriers to access for students, while systemic issues hinder equitable opportunities in higher education. The study also identified the need for ongoing professional development for faculty to keep pace with evolving teaching methodologies, particularly in science education. Additionally, the increasing integration of AI tools into academic environments has raised concerns about maintaining academic integrity. Other challenges identified include the difficulties in transitioning to online or hybrid teaching formats, especially in the context of science education, and the growing reliance on adjunct faculty, which can impact the continuity and quality of instruction. The study concludes with recommendations aimed at addressing these challenges, emphasizing the importance of institutional support and faculty training to strengthen teaching practices, enhance classroom management, and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of higher education.

The present study sought to determine the effect of incorporating a Chitosan-TiO2 nano-composite on the color stability of pigmented Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV) maxillofacial silicone subjected to a variety of accelerated aging conditions. The experimental setup consisted of one hundred groups of five disk-shaped specimens (22mm diameter, 2mm thick) each, created using RTV silicon elastomer type A-2186, with the total sample distributed into four groups based on the pigments combined with the silicon—specifically, brilliant red, blue, and yellow dry intrinsic pigments (at 0.2% concentration by weight) and a fourth group that remained non-pigmented. Each of these primary groups was further subdivided into five categories corresponding to the silicon variants treated with different nanoparticles—2% TiO2, 3% Chitosan, a hybrid nano-combination of 1% TiO2/Chitosan, 1% synthesized Chitosan-TiO2 Nanocomposite, and a control group devoid of nanoparticle additions. The synthesized Chitosan-TiO2 Nanocomposite was effectively prepared using the core-shell method. The color stability of each silicon category, irrespective of whether pigmented or non-pigmented was evaluated by calculating the color difference (ΔE) pre- and post-subjection to five distinct accelerated aging conditions: 30 hours in an antibacterial cleaning solution, six months in sebum, six months in sweat, UV-accelerated aging for 720 hours, and outdoor weathering for six months. Color measurements were taken using a Colorimeter within the CIELAB color system. Statistical analyses, including one-way ANOVA at a significance level of p < 0.05, were employed to discern significant differences among the various accelerated aging conditions across the five silicon categories. Further comparisons were made using Dennett's T3 multiple comparison test, Tukey HSD multiple comparisons, and a t-test, with SPSS for Windows version 27.0 as the software platform. Results indicated that all silicon types, whether pigmented or not, exhibited varying degrees of color change under different aging conditions. Red-colored samples, across all silicon categories, demonstrated significant color alterations after 720 hours of UV-accelerated aging, with the most pronounced change in the 3% Chitosan samples and the least in the 2% TiO2 samples. Six months of outdoor weathering led to a marked increase in ΔE values across all categories. The blue-pigmented silicon samples treated with 2% TiO2 showed the highest color modification, while the yellow-pigmented silicon and non-pigmented silicon also underwent significant color shifts, particularly in the control and Chitosan-TiO2 categories, respectively. The study underscores the pervasive influence of outdoor weathering on color stability across all silicon categories. It also demonstrates that while nanoparticle incorporation offers some resilience against accelerated aging, it fails to provide adequate protection against the specific effects of UV radiation encountered during outdoor weathering.

The adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells are becoming the tool of choice for many clinical applications and nowadays, nearly 200 clinical trials are running worldwide to prove the efficacy of this cell type for many diseases and pathological conditions. To reach the goal of cell therapies and produce ATMPs as drugs for regenerative medicine, it is necessary to properly standardize the GMP processes and thus collection methods, transportation strategies, extraction protocols and characterization procedures without forgetting that all the tissues of the human body are characterized by a wide inter-individual variability genetically determined and acquired during life. Here we compare 302 samples processed under GMP rules to exclude the influence of the operator and of the anatomical site of collection. Variability in the age of patients, gender and laboratory parameters like total cell number, cell viability, stem cell number and other stromal vascular fraction cell sub-populations have been compared to each other. Results show that, when the laboratory protocol is standardized, the variability in quantifiable cell parameters is widely statistically non-significant, meaning that we can make a further step toward standardized advanced cell therapy products.

Approximately 10–20% of individuals suffering from COVID-19 develop prolonged symptoms known as long COVID or post-COVID condition (LC). This review aimed to assess healthcare resource use (HCRU) and healthcare costs associated with LC. Because LC is not clearly defined and often remains undiagnosed, studies reporting on long-term follow-up of individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis were also included. Among the 41 publications included, 36 reported on HCRU and 16 on costs. Individuals with LC had significantly elevated HCRU and healthcare cost vs controls without a COVID-19 diagnosis over ≥15 months, with a 7.6%–13.1% increase in total healthcare costs per person per month as assessed by difference-in-difference analysis. Among studies that did not specifically refer to LC, having a COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with a significant 4–10% increase in long-term total HCRU over 6–8 months and a 1.3- to 2.9-fold relative increase in total healthcare costs over 6 months. Due to the heterogeneity of included studies, high-quality evidence is needed to better understand the economic burden of LC. In the absence of effective treatments, prioritizing prevention of acute COVID-19, e.g., through vaccination, may be crucial for preventing LC and the associated long-term HCRU and medical spending.

One of the uses of Helmholtz resonators is as sound absorbers for room acoustic applications, especially for the low frequency range. Their efficiency is centered around their resonance frequency which is mainly depended on elements of their geometry such as the resonator volume and neck dimensions. Incorporating additional necks on the body of a Helmholtz resonator (depending on whether they are open or closed) has been found to alter the resulted resonance frequency. For this study, tunable Helmholtz resonators to multiple resonance frequencies, are proposed and investigated utilizing additional necks. The resonance frequencies of various multi-neck Helmholtz resonators are first modeled with the use of finite element method (FEM), then calculated with the use of an analytical approach and the results of the two approaches are finally compared. Results of this study show that Helmholtz resonators with multiple resonances at desired frequencies are achievable with the use of additional necks, while FEM and analytical methods can be used for the estimation of the resonance frequencies. Analytical and FEM approach results show a good agreement in cases of small number of additional necks, while the increasing differences in cases of higher neck additions, were attributed to the change in effective length of the necks as demonstrated by FEM. The proposed approach can be useful for tunable sound absorbers for room acoustics applications according to the needs of a space. Also, this approach can be applied in cases of additional tunable air resonances of acoustic instruments (e.g. string instruments).

In the dynamic and complex environment of industrial control rooms, operators are often inundated with a multitude of tasks and alerts, which can lead to an overwhelming situation known as task overload. This state can precipitate decision fatigue and a heavier reliance on cognitive biases, potentially compromising the decision-making process. To mitigate such risks, the implementation of decision support systems becomes crucial. These systems are designed to assist operators in making swift and well-informed decisions, particularly when they sense their own judgment may be faltering. Our research introduces an AI-based framework that leverages dynamic influence diagrams and reinforcement learning to construct an effective decision support system. The cornerstone of this framework is the creation of a robust, interpretable, and efficient tool that supports control room operators during critical process disturbances. By integrating expert knowledge, the dynamic influence diagram forms a comprehensive model that captures the uncertainties inherent in complex industrial processes. It is adept at anomaly detection and recommending optimal actions. Moreover, this model is enhanced through a strategic partnership with reinforcement learning algorithms, which fine-tune the recommendations to be more context-specific and precise. The ultimate goal of our framework is to provide operators with a live, reliable decision support system that can significantly improve their response during process upsets. This paper outlines the development of our AI framework and its application within a simulated control room environment. Our findings indicate that the use of decision support systems can lead to improved operator performance and reduced cognitive workload. However, it also reveals a trade-off with situation awareness, which tends to diminish as operators may become overly reliant on the system’s guidance. Trust emerges as a critical factor in the adoption and effectiveness of decision support systems. Our research underscores the importance of balancing the benefits of decision support with the need for maintaining operator engagement and comprehension during process operations.

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the bleeding that occurs during the first weeks of gestation and its implications throughout pregnancy. Secondarily, we studied the associated complications that appeared and tried to identify possible risk factors that could serve to select women at a greater risk of adverse outcomes that could benefit from an early diagnosis and improved monitoring. Materials and Methods: We selected all the women who consulted for first trimester metrorrhagia in the Emergency Department of the Hospital QuirónSalud in Malaga over the year 2015. We refer to first trimester metrorrhagia as that which occurs until week 12+6. Once the pregnant women were identified, we studied certain risk factors already present prior to the gestation and others associated with the gestation and its evolution. Results: After reviewing the visits to the obstetrics and gynecology emergency department, we selected those patients that met the inclusion criteria, resulting in a sample of 696 patients that we followed up. The average age of our patients was 34.1 years, with an average number of visits to the hospital of 1.67, most of them between the 5th and 8th weeks of pregnancy. 45.3% of these pregnancies resulted in a first trimester miscarriage, mainly between weeks 6 and 8. We tried to establish associations in order to identify possible risk factors, finding a relationship between increased maternal age and a higher risk of first trimester pregnancy loss, which rises as maternal age increases (33,37 4,316 years vs 35,01 4,740 years). This increase in risk is proportional to the increase in age. We made subgroups of women over 35 and over 40 and confirmed that increased age led to worse outcomes. We also studied several gestational complications and concluded that they appeared more frequently among older women. These complications include prematurity (33.11 vs 34.48 years), gestational diabetes (33.11 vs 36.06 years) and preeclampsia (33.25 vs 35 years). We reviewed the obstetric history of pregnant women whose gestation resulted in miscarriage and found that 50.5% of them had previously had another loss. Conclusions: Comparing the results with data from the general population, we found that the rate of first trimester miscarriage is up to 3 times higher among women who present bleeding during the first weeks of gestation compared to those who do not develop this complication. Maternal age is a risk factor for first trimester pregnancy loss and for the development of complications associated with pregnancy.

Experiments to measure a single molecule/particle, i.e. an individual molecule/particle, at room temperature or under physiological conditions without immobilization, for example on a surface, or without significant hydrodynamic flow have so far failed. This failure has given impetus to the underlying theory of Brownian molecular motion towards its stochastics due to diffusion. Quantifying the thermodynamic jitter of molecules/particles inspires many and forms the theoretical basis of single-molecule/single-particle biophysics and biochemistry. For the first time, our simulation results for a live cell (cytoplasm) show that the tracks of individual single molecules are localized in Brownian motion, while there is fanning out in fractal diffusion (anomalous diffusion).

Most of the commonly used Ionic Liquids (ILs) contain bulky organic cations with suitable anions. With our COMPLET (Concept of Melting Point Lowering due to Ethoxylation), we follow a different approach. We use simple, low-toxic, cheap and commercially available anions of the type Cx(EO)yCH2COO– to liquefy presumably any simple metal ion, independently of its charge. In the simplest case, the cation can be sodium or lithium, but synthesis of Ionic Liquids is also possible with cations of higher valences such as transition or rare earth metals. Anions with longer alkyl chains are surface active and form surface active ionic liquids (SAILs), which combine properties of ionic and nonionic surfactants at room temperature. They show significant structuring even in their pure state, i.e. in the absence of water or any other added solvent.

Experiments to measure a single molecule/particle, i.e. an individual molecule/particle, at room temperature or under physiological conditions without immobilization, for example on a surface, or without significant hydrodynamic flow have so far failed. This failure has given impetus to the underlying theory of Brownian molecular motion towards its stochastics due to diffusion. Quantifying the thermodynamic jitter of molecules/particles inspires many and forms the theoretical basis of single-molecule/single-particle biophysics and biochemistry. For the first time, our simulation results for a live cell (cytoplasm) show that the tracks of individual single molecules are localized in Brownian motion, while there is fanning out in fractal diffusion (anomalous diffusion).

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the world, causing widespread illness and death. It is essential to focus on prevention strategies to limit the spread of the disease. Despite the advent of vaccines, maintaining a vigilant approach to prevention remains paramount. While vaccines are essential, they do not guarantee absolute immunity, and their protective effect may diminish over time; (2) Methods: We reviewed effective strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission. We focused on me-ta-analyses (MA), literature reviews (LR) and the health care context. Various prevention measures and interventions were reviewed. Both es-tablished practices and unresolved issues were considered; (3) Results: Standard precautions (SP) as the cornerstone of infection control, with hand hygiene and mask use as key components. Debate about the relative importance of droplet versus aerosol transmission led to differences in recommendations between agencies at the onset of the pandemic. We have clarified the role of personal protective equipment (PPE), including eye protection. The effectiveness of masks in pre-venting transmission is reviewed. The use of surgical masks is recommended to prevent droplet transmission, while eye protection is recommended in combination with masks. Although data show some risk reduction, the clear superiority of N95/FFP2 over surgical masks remains unproven. In terms of room occupancy, ventilation is critical in reducing the risk of transmission in poorly ventilated environments. The use of negative pressure isolation rooms (NPIRs) is being investigated. The presence of viral RNA on surfaces does not necessarily indicate infectivity, and the risk of transmission by surface contact is low if surfaces are properly maintained and hand hygiene is practised regularly. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic persons in healthcare settings may help prevent transmission; (4) Conclusions: Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission requires a multifaceted approach, including reducing particle emissions from infected persons by wearing masks, eliminating aerosols by ventilation, ensuring physical separation, and protecting exposed persons with masks and eye protection.

In advanced world stroke is one of the disabling cause of death that can be managed with thrombolysis if presents early despite further risk of intracerebral haemorrhage. Secondary prevention is an important objective in ischaemic stroke where recurrence is very high with subsequent stroke. Carotid End Arterectomy impact a definitive and effective role for both symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis for secondary stroke prevention in selective cases. Thrombolysis is a potential primary management for certain group whereas carotid surgery employs secondary preventative measure in a specified ischaemic stroke group.