Achieving uniformly dispersed and stable nanoparticles of gold on oxide supports is a challenge in heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we show that zincochromite (ZnCr2O4) is a promising support for ...obtaining high and stable gold dispersion. Despite a low surface area of ZnCr2O4, finely dispersed gold (∼3–4 nm particles) could be obtained by a simple deposition–precipitation method, pointing to strong gold–support interactions. Using a combination of XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, HAADF-STEM, and IR spectroscopy, we confirmed that the calcination temperature of the ZnCr2O4 support had a substantial influence on the crystallinity, morphology, and acidic properties of thereof derived Au/ZnCr2O4 catalysts. Gold supported on a high-temperature (≥700 °C) calcined ZnCr2O4 support displayed the best catalytic performance in gas-phase oxidation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone, which is an important intermediate in the chemical industry. When calcined at 800 °C, the material did not show any sign of deactivation in a 90 h stability test, high cyclohexanol conversion (93%) and high cyclohexanone yield (91%) were achieved at 300 °C, with a space−time yield of 250 g product gAu−1 h−1. On the contrary, Au/ZnCr2O4 based on supports calcined at lower temperatures (≤600 °C) catalyzed side reactions such as cyclohexanol dehydration to cyclohexene (Lewis acid sites), which further oligomerized to coke deposits that deactivated the catalyst. The CO oxidation trends with respect to calcination temperature were inversed to those in cyclohexanol oxidation, showing that smaller gold particles and the presence of hydroxyls are favorable for CO oxidation to CO2. DFT calculations provided insight into the (electronic) nature of the strong interactions between Au and ZnCr2O4.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a highly promising catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) to realize large-scale artificial photosynthesis. The metallic 1T′-MoS2 phase, which is stabilized ...via the adsorption or intercalation of small molecules or cations such as Li, shows exceptionally high HER activity, comparable to that of noble metals, but the effect of cation adsorption on HER performance has not yet been resolved. Here we investigate in detail the effect of Li adsorption and intercalation on the proton reduction properties of MoS2. By combining spectroscopy methods (infrared of adsorbed NO, 7Li solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray photoemission and absorption) with catalytic activity measurements and theoretical modeling, we infer that the enhanced HER performance of Li x MoS2 is predominantly due to the catalytic promotion of edge sites by Li.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare congenital anomaly with a mortality of ∼27%. The Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Study Group (CDHSG) developed a simple postnatal clinical prediction ...rule to predict mortality in newborns with CDH. Our aim for this study is to externally validate the CDHSG rule in the European population and to improve its prediction of mortality by adding prenatal variables.
We performed a European multicenter retrospective cohort study and included all newborns diagnosed with unilateral CDH who were born between 2008 and 2015. Newborns born from November 2011 onward were included for the external validation of the rule (
= 343). To improve the prediction rule, we included all patients born between 2008 and 2015 (
= 620) with prenatally diagnosed CDH and collected pre- and postnatal variables. We build a logistic regression model and performed bootstrap resampling and computed calibration plots.
With our validation data set, the CDHSG rule had an area under the curve of 79.0%, revealing a fair predictive performance. For the new prediction rule, prenatal herniation of the liver was added, and absent 5-minute Apgar score was taken out. The new prediction rule revealed good calibration, and with an area under the curve of 84.6%, it had good discriminative abilities.
In this study, we externally validated the CDHSG rule for the European population, which revealed fair predictive performance. The modified rule, with prenatal liver herniation as an additional variable, appears to further improve the model's ability to predict mortality in a population of patients with prenatally diagnosed CDH.
High-Velocity Erosion of Sand Heijmeijer, Oliver A; Nobel, Arno J; Keetels, Geert ...
Journal of hydraulic engineering (New York, N.Y.),
5/2022, Volume:
148, Issue:
5
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
AbstractDredging is the relocation of soil. Before the soil can be transported, it has to be loosened. This can be done hydraulically (jetting) or mechanically (cutting). Often, water jets are used ...to erode the soil layer. Over time, pickup functions have been derived to predict the amount of erosion corresponding to the flow conditions. However, existing pickup functions are inaccurate at high flow velocities. During the current study, erosion experiments have been done at high flow velocities (up to 4.7 m/s) corresponding to a bed shear stress of up to 60 Pa and a Shields parameter (θ) of up to 30. The results of these experiments were compared with a number of well-known data sets and pickup functions.
IMPORTANCE: 5α-Reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, reduce serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations by 50%. The association of 5-ARIs with ...detection of prostate cancer in a PSA-screened population remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that prediagnostic 5-ARI use is associated with a delayed diagnosis, more advanced disease at diagnosis, and higher risk of prostate cancer–specific mortality and all-cause mortality than use of other or no PSA-decreasing drugs. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based cohort study linked the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure with the National Death Index to obtain patient records for 80 875 men with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage I-IV prostate cancer diagnosed from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2015. Patients were followed up until death or December 31, 2017. Data analysis was performed from March 2018 to May 2018. EXPOSURES: Prediagnostic 5-ARI use. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was prostate cancer–specific mortality (PCSM). Secondary outcomes included time from first elevated PSA (defined as PSA≥4 ng/mL) to diagnostic prostate biopsy, cancer grade and stage at time of diagnosis, and all-cause mortality (ACM). Prostate-specific antigen levels for 5-ARI users were adjusted by doubling the value, consistent with previous clinical trials. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range IQR) age at diagnosis was 66 (61-72) years; median IQR follow-up was 5.90 (3.50-8.80) years. Median time from first adjusted elevated PSA to diagnosis was significantly greater for 5-ARI users than 5-ARI nonusers (3.60 95% CI, 1.79-6.09 years vs 1.40 95% CI, 0.38-3.27 years; P < .001) among patients with known prostate biopsy date. Median adjusted PSA at time of biopsy was significantly higher for 5-ARI users than 5-ARI non-users (13.5 ng/mL vs 6.4 ng/mL; P < .001). Patients treated with 5-ARI were more likely to have Gleason grade 8 or higher (25.2% vs 17.0%; P < .001), clinical stage T3 or higher (4.7% vs 2.9%; P < .001), node-positive (3.0% vs 1.7%; P < .001), and metastatic (6.7% vs 2.9%; P < .001) disease than 5-ARI nonusers. In a multivariable regression, patients who took 5-ARI had higher prostate cancer–specific (subdistribution hazard ratio SHR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.27-1.52; P < .001) and all-cause (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-1.15; P < .001) mortality. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Results of this study demonstrate that prediagnostic use of 5-ARIs was associated with delayed diagnosis and worse cancer-specific outcomes in men with prostate cancer. These data highlight a continued need to raise awareness of 5-ARI-induced PSA suppression, establish clear guidelines for early prostate cancer detection, and motivate systems-based practices to facilitate optimal care for men who use 5-ARIs.
To assess the longitudinal development of intelligence and its relation to school performance in a nationwide cohort of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) survivors and evaluate ...predictors of outcome at 8 years of age.
Repeated measurements assessed intelligence of neonatal ECMO survivors at 2, 5, and 8 years (n = 178) with the use of validated, standardized instruments. Selective attention (n = 148) and type of education were evaluated in the 8-year-olds.
Intelligence remained stable and average across development (mean ± SD IQ: at 2 years, 102 ± 18; at 5 years, 100 ± 17; and at 8 years, 99 ± 17 P = .15). Children attending regular education without the need for help (n = 101; mean z score: -1.50 ± 1.93) performed significantly better on the selective attention task compared with those children who needed extra help (n = 65; mean z score: -2.54 ± 3.18) or those attending special education (n = 13; mean z score: -4.14 ± 3.63) (P = .03). However, only children attending special education had below-average intelligence (mean IQ: 76 ± 15), compared with average intelligence for those attending regular education, both with help (mean IQ: 95 ± 15) and without help (mean IQ: 105 ± 16). Compared with children with other diagnoses, children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) scored significantly lower on both IQ (CDH, mean IQ: 93 ± 20; meconium aspiration syndrome, mean IQ: 100 ± 15; other diagnoses, mean IQ: 100 ± 19 P = .04) and selective attention (CDH, mean z score: -3.48 ± 3.46; meconium aspiration syndrome, mean z score: -1.60 ± 2.13; other diagnoses, mean z score: -1.65 ± 2.39 P = .002).
For the majority of neonatal ECMO survivors, intelligence testing alone did not identify those at risk for academic problems. We propose internationally standardized follow-up protocols that focus on long-term, problem-oriented neuropsychological assessment.
To report a multicenter experience treating anal canal cancer patients with concurrent chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).
From October 2000 to June 2006, 53 patients were ...treated with concurrent chemotherapy and IMRT for anal squamous cell carcinoma at three tertiary-care academic medical centers. Sixty-two percent were T1-2, and 67% were N0; eight patients were HIV positive. Forty-eight patients received fluorouracil (FU)/mitomycin, one received FU/cisplatin, and four received FU alone. All patients underwent computed tomography-based treatment planning with pelvic regions and inguinal nodes receiving a median of 45 Gy. Primary sites and involved nodes were boosted to a median dose of 51.5 Gy. All acute toxicity was scored according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0. All late toxicity was scored using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria.
Median follow-up was 14.5 months (range, 5.2 to 102.8 months). Acute grade 3+ toxicity included 15.1% GI and 37.7% dermatologic toxicity; all acute grade 4 toxicities were hematologic; and acute grade 4 leukopenia and neutropenia occurred in 30.2% and 34.0% of patients, respectively. Treatment breaks occurred in 41.5% of patients, lasting a median of 4 days. Forty-nine patients (92.5%) had a complete response, one patient had a partial response, and three had stable disease. All HIV-positive patients achieved a complete response. Eighteen-month colostomy-free survival, overall survival, freedom from local failure, and freedom from distant failure were 83.7%, 93.4%, 83.9%, and 92.9%, respectively.
Preliminary outcomes suggest that concurrent chemotherapy and IMRT for anal canal cancers is effective and tolerated favorably compared with historical standards.
Background
Population‐based studies demonstrate that Black men in the United States have an increased risk of death from prostate cancer. Determinants of racial disparities are multifactorial, ...including socioeconomic and biologic factors.
Methods
The authors conducted a pooled analysis of patients derived from 152 centers within the Veterans Health Administration. The cohort included men who had nonmetastatic prostate diagnosed between 2001 and 2015 and received definitive radiation therapy. The primary endpoint was prostate cancer‐specific mortality (PCSM). Secondary endpoints included all‐cause mortality (ACM) and the time from a prostate‐specific antigen level ≥4 ng/mL to biopsy and radiation therapy. A Cox regression model was performed to adjust for differences between clinical parameters.
Results
Among the 31,131 patients included in the cohort, 9584 (30.8%) were Black. The 10‐year cumulative incidence of death from prostate cancer was lower in Black men compared with White men (4.0% vs 4.8%; P = .004). In a competing risk model, Black race was associated with a decreased risk of PCSM (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.69‐0.92; P = .002). Similarly, the 10‐year cumulative incidence of death from any cause was lower in Black men (27.6% vs 31.8%; P < .001). In multivariable analysis, Black men had a 10% decreased risk of ACM (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.85‐0.95; P < .001).
Conclusions
The current results indicate relatively lower PCSM and ACM among Black men who were included in a large Veterans Health Administration cohort and received radiation therapy as primary treatment for nonmetastatic prostate cancer. There is an ongoing need to continue to understand and mitigate the factors associated with disparities in health care outcomes.
In this pooled analysis from multiple Veterans Health Administration medical centers, an association is observed between race and both prostate cancer‐specific and all‐cause mortality in men who receive curative‐intent radiation therapy. However, when care is delivered in a system with improved access, mortality decreases among Black men with prostate cancer who receive radiation therapy.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Uninformed buyers may pay more when purchasing complex assets, such as houses. This paper compares local house buyers who are later foreclosed with those not foreclosed for various buyer-types, ...namely, owner-occupier households, investor-companies, second-home buyers, and small-scale investors. Data from one of the foreclosure epicenters, Orange County, Florida, reveal that subsequent foreclosures are associated with higher prices for comparable housing at the time of purchase. The premium paid by buyers between 2000 and 2007 who experience foreclosure after 2007 is larger closer to the 2007 market peak, approaching 3 percent. We find considerable heterogeneity across buyer-types. In particular, foreclosed second-home buyers and small-scale investors systematically pay more, while investor-companies and owner-occupiers do not. The pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that the premium paid by foreclosed households reflects poor information or limited financial acumen.
•This paper compares buyers who are later foreclosed with those not foreclosed.•Buyer include investor-companies, owner-occupiers, second-home buyers, and small-scale investors.•Data cover one of the foreclosure epicenters, Orange County, Florida.•We find that buyers who experience foreclosure after 2007 pay more for comparable housing.•We find considerable heterogeneity across buyer-types.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The aim was to reflect on the unexpected finding of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate (PPHN) and pulmonary hypertension in infants born within the Dutch STRIDER trial, its definition ...and possible pathophysiological mechanisms. The trial randomly assigned pregnant women with severe early-onset fetal growth restriction to sildenafil 25 mg three times a day versus placebo. Sildenafil use did not reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity, but did result in a higher rate of neonatal pulmonary hypertension (PH). The current paper reflects on the used definition, prevalence, and possible pathophysiology of the data on pulmonary hypertension. Twenty infants were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (12% of 163 live born infants). Of these, 16 infants had PPHN shortly after birth, and four had pulmonary hypertension associated with sepsis or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Four infants with PPHN in the early neonatal period subsequently developed pulmonary hypertension associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in later life. Infants with pulmonary hypertension were at lower gestational age at delivery, had a lower birth weight and a higher rate of neonatal co-morbidity. The infants in the sildenafil group showed a significant increase in pulmonary hypertension compared to the placebo group (relative risk 3.67; 95% confidence interval 1.28 to 10.51,
P
= 0.02).
Conclusion:
Pulmonary hypertension occurred more frequent among infants of mothers allocated to antenatal sildenafil compared with placebo. A possible pathophysiological mechanism could be a “rebound” vasoconstriction after cessation of sildenafil. Additional studies and data are necessary to understand the mechanism of action.
What is Known:
• In the Dutch STRIDER trial, persistent pulmonary hypertension in the neonate (PPHN) was more frequent among infants after antenatal sildenafil exposure versus placebo.
What is New:
• The current analysis focuses on the distinction between PPHN and pulmonary hypertension associated with sepsis or bronchopulmonary dysplasia and on timing of diagnosis and aims to identify the infants at risk for developing pulmonary hypertension.
• The diagnosis pulmonary hypertension is complex, especially in infants born after severe early-onset fetal growth restriction. The research field could benefit from an unambiguous consensus definition and standardized screening in infants at risk is proposed.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, VSZLJ, ZAGLJ