Urban wetland ecosystems are easily influenced by heavy metals (HMs) because of their functional properties. In this study, absolute principal component scores-multivariate linear regression ...(APCS-MLR) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor models were applied for the source apportionment of available occurrence forms of heavy metals (AHMs) of surface sediments in a typical urban wetland of Dianchi Lake, southwest of China. The risk assessment was conducted to evaluate the potential ecological/human health risks of HMs. Results indicated that Zn, Pb, and Cr were the major pollutants affected by anthropogenic activities in sediments and their concentrations were significantly exceeding the background value. Most of the highly AHMs-polluted area was close to the river in wetland, and the concentration distribution of all AHMs were generally low in the southwest and high in the northeast. Both APCS-MLR and PMF models identified three comparable classes of potential sources, namely (1) agricultural fertilizer/insecticide, atmospheric deposition, and traffic emissions; (2) natural transitions; and (3) industrial and sewage wastes. Moreover, the comparison results implied that the PMF model was more feasible for quantifying AHMs sources in wetland sediments since it is capable to analyze one more source, namely plant maintenance and waterfowl feeding, and has higher accuracy in predicting the concentrations of AHMs. In addition, the risk assessment model revealed that all these HMs were within the acceptable ranges of ecological and carcinogenic/non-carcinogenic human health risks. Among these, ingestion was the major exposure pathway of HMs from local areas, followed by dermal exposure and oral or nasal inhalation. However, children were more easily exposed to HMs than adults by ingestion due to their hand-to-mouth behaviors. This study aims to assess the HM pollution status in a plateau urban wetland, and provides a practical case for modeling source apportionment and risk assessment of HMs in wetland sediments.
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•Available occurrence forms of heavy metals in wetland sediments were investigated.•PMF model exhibited higher accuracy and reliability than APCS-MLR model.•Ingestion was the major exposure pathway of heavy metals in the study area.•Children are more easily exposed to heavy metals than adults by ingestion.
Aqueous Zn‐ion batteries are well regarded among a next‐generation energy‐storage technology due to their low cost and high safety. However, the unstable stripping/plating process leading to severe ...dendrite growth under high current density and low temperature impede their practical application. Herein, it is demonstrated that the addition of 2‐propanol can regulate the outer solvation shell structure of Zn2+ by replacing water molecules to establish a “eutectic solvation shell”, which provides strong affinity with the Zn (101) crystalline plane and fast desolvation kinetics during the plating process, rendering homogeneous Zn deposition without dendrite formation. As a result, the Zn anode exhibits promising cycle stability over 500 h under an elevated current density of 15 mA cm−2 and high depth of discharge of 51.2%. Furthermore, remarkable electrochemical performance is achieved in a 150 mAh Zn|V2O5 pouch cell over 1000 cycles at low temperature of −20 °C. This work not only offers a new strategy to achieve excellent performance of aqueous Zn‐ion batteries under harsh conditions, but also reveals electrolyte structure designs that can be applied in related energy storage and conversion fields.
The outer solvation shell structure of Zn2+ is modified by 2‐propanol to form a eutectic solvation shell, which can promote the oriented deposition of Zn metal and great desolvation kinetics of Zn2+. Attributed to its new outer solvation structure design, fast‐charging and long‐term cycling capability of Zn‐ion batteries under extreme temperature operation condition are achieved.
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In this work, the role of excipient molecular weight in drug release by close-packed, highly drug-loaded fibrous dosage forms is investigated. Three dosage forms with 87 wt% ibuprofen ...drug, and 13 wt% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) excipient of molecular weights 10, 26, and 86 kg/mol were prepared by wet 3D-patterning and drying. Upon immersion in a dissolution fluid, the dosage form with 10 kg/mol excipient fragmented and dissolved within 10 minutes. The dosage form with 26 kg/mol excipient fragmented slower, and dissolved in 60 minutes. The dosage form with 86 kg/mol excipient, however, did not fragment at all. Instead, a thick, highly viscous mass was formed that eroded slowly, in 500 minutes. Theoretical models suggest that the dissolution fluid rapidly percolates the inter-fiber void space, and a capillary pressure develops in the pores of the fibers. The fluid then diffuses into the fiber walls, and they transition to a viscous suspension. If the molecular weight of the excipient is small (~10 kg/mol), the viscosity is low and the suspension fragments and dissolves rapidly. If the molecular weight is moderate (~30 kg/mol), the fragmentation and dissolution rates are slower. If the molecular weight is large (~100 kg/mol), a thick, highly viscous mass is formed from which drug release is very slow. Thus, by appropriate choice of the molecular weight of the excipient, a wide range of drug release rates by close-packed, highly drug-loaded fibrous dosage forms can be realized.
Practice change on transitional care Alberdi, Ander; Garin, Garbiñe
International journal of integrated care,
08/2019, Volume:
19, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Introduction: Transitional care is a weak point of integrated care. Checklits and protocols have been developed about this issue (1). Many of them consider the transition the time at patient is ...discharged from the hospital. Anyway the term can be used to describe other pathways patients have to go through. Short description of practice change implemented: We are implementing structured transitional care system based on: 1.Creation of a two-way flow control system between primary and hospital care. - Done in call center compound by liaison nurses and office administrative. - Assures the correct use of several processes: - Monitoring chronic processes (call tracking programs, following forms) - Telephone handling of the exacerbations (automatismsbased treatment changes, appointment with GP… - Direct access to the hospital - Appointment with GP at discharge. 2.Use the same forms to monitor multi-pathologic patients by all levels health providers (HP). 3.Development of transitions form, filled by issuer HP and accessible by recipient at any level. Contains: -Wills of the patients. -The objectives and the expectations generated in: -Diagnosis. -Exacerbations of chronic pathologies. -Convalescence-functional gain. -Palliative care. -Social intervention. Aim and theory of change: To reduce the vulnerability that patients suffer in the transitions between the different elements of the system. A structured system, which coordinates protocols already in use and new ones, can reduce the problems that users of health systems encounter when they change from one healthcare element to another. Targeted population and stakeholders: Multi-pathologic and high readmission risk patients. Nurse home residents. Patients at the end of live. Patient´s relatives and caregivers. Timeline: Development transition form. Development call center. Diffusion its use among different levels HP. Measure of results (on going). Highlights (innovation, Impact and outcomes): A structured transitional care system. Coordinates protocols already in use and new ones. Seeks for improve: Quality perceived by the user. Number of: Errors in medication reconciliation. Discordant messages. Agreements of wills respected. Follow-up appointments. Readmissions. Comments on sustainability. Implies: the use of programs already underway. the use of easily developed forms in an integrated EHR already implemented. Comments on transferability: Adaptable to systems with unified EHR and possibility of using forms. Conclusions (comprising key findings): We are implementing structured transitional care, The core of the protocol is: use of common forms. develop of call center. authomatic appointments with GP. We hope to reduce the vulnerability that patients suffer in the transitions Discussions: Communication tools between different levels seems to be useful to reduce errors in transitions. Our system based on the use of common forms and automatic citations can be a useful strategy whose results we are measuring. Lessons learned: Transitions are one of the processes where users feel most vulnerable. A protocol that coordinates and controls the integrated care measures that are already in operation along with the implementation of new elements (call center, transition forms, appointments of patients at risk of failure) could reduce these fears. Reference: 1- J Am Geriatr Soc. 2016 May;64(5):1104-7. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14086.
Living Crystals of Light-Activated Colloidal Surfers Palacci, Jeremie; Sacanna, Stefano; Steinberg, Asher Preska ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
02/2013, Volume:
339, Issue:
6122
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Spontaneous formation of colonies of bacteria or flocks of birds are examples of self-organization in active living matter. Here, we demonstrate a form of self-organization from nonequilibrium ...driving forces in a suspension of synthetic photoactivated colloidal particles. They lead to two-dimensional "living crystals," which form, break, explode, and re-form elsewhere. The dynamic assembly results from a competition between self-propulsion of particles and an attractive interaction induced respectively by osmotic and phoretic effects and activated by light. We measured a transition from normal to giant-number fluctuations. Our experiments are quantitatively described by simple numerical simulations. We show that the existence of the living crystals is intrinsically related to the out-of-equilibrium collisions of the self-propelled particles.
To invoke Mnemosyne (goddess of memory in Greek mythology) is to invoke her daughter muses? If so then memory is always behind the imagination. The idea of the research grew out of interest to ...understand if architecture can be recognized as a physical manifestation of memory. The work is an attempt to demonstrate how remembering is experienced through architectural forms. Literature, psychological and architectural narratives provided a necessary guidance to understand where the conjunctions between the theory and empirical studies of memory lie. After the exploration of different theories comes the time to respond to the question whether memories can be matters of architecture and if they can become principal tools of form finding. That weightless transitional forces making the unconscious to travel back in time and space, somewhere and sometime that you are not anymore. What can we do with them? To seize the forces of our mind and later to submit them to control of our reason as Andre Breton was saying in "First Manifesto of Surrealism". Images, associations and all what is remembered, let them serve as paraphernalia for creative act. The discussion proceeds with a real act of memory connected to Armenian traces of Venice, an architectural experimentation with cultural, personal and contextual memories for definition of new forms on the island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni and in Armenian College Moorat-Raphael.
In the spring of 1789, within weeks of the establishment of the new federal government based on the U.S. Constitution, the Senate and House of Representatives fell into dispute regarding how to ...address the president. Congress, the press, and individuals debated more than a dozen titles, many of which had royal associations and some of which were clearly monarchical.For Fear of an Elective Kingis Kathleen Bartoloni-Tuazon's rich account of the title controversy and its meanings.
The short, intense legislative phase and the prolonged, equally intense public phase animated and shaped the new nation's broadening political community. Rather than simply reflecting an obsession with etiquette, the question challenged Americans to find an acceptable balance between power and the people's sovereignty while assuring the country's place in the Atlantic world. Bartoloni-Tuazon argues that the resolution of the controversy in favor of the modest title of "President" established the importance of recognition of the people's views by the president and evidence of modesty in the presidency, an approach to leadership that fledged the presidency's power by not flaunting it.
How the country titled the president reflected the views of everyday people, as well as the recognition by social and political elites of the irony that authority rested with acquiescence to egalitarian principles. The controversy's outcome affirmed the republican character of the country's new president and government, even as the conflict was the opening volley in increasingly partisan struggles over executive power. As such, the dispute is as relevant today as in 1789.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can alleviate heavy metal phytotoxicity and promote plant growth, while the underlying mechanisms of AMF symbiosis with host plants under manganese (Mn) stress ...remain elusive. A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the plant growth, micro-structure, Mn accumulation, subcellular distribution, chemical forms, and physiological and biochemical response of Rhus chinensis inoculated with Funneliformis mosseae (FM) under different Mn treatments.
The results showed that compared with plants without FM, FM-associated plants exhibited higher growth status, photosynthetic pigments, and photosynthesis under Mn stress. FM-associated plants were able to maintain greater integrity in mesophyll structure, higher thickness of leaf, upper epidermis, and lower epidermis under Mn treatment, and promote leaf growth. Mn accumulation in leaves (258.67–2230.50 mg kg−1), stems (132.67–1160.00 mg kg−1), and roots (360.92–2446.04 mg kg−1) of the seedlings inoculated with FM was higher than non-inoculated ones. FM-associated plants exhibited higher osmotic regulating substances and antioxidant enzymes’ activities under Mn exposure, suggesting lower Mn toxicity in FM inoculated seedlings, despite the augment in Mn accumulation. After FM inoculation, Mn concentration (151.04–1211.32 mg kg−1) and percentage (64.41–78.55%) enhanced in the cell wall, whilst the transport of Mn to aerial plant organs decreased. Furthermore, FM symbiosis favored the conversion of Mn from high toxic forms (2.17–15.68% in FEthanol, 11.37–24.52% in Fdeionized water) to inactive forms (28.30–38.15% in FNaCl, 18.07–28.59% in FHAc, 4.41–17.99% in FHCl) with low phytotoxicity. Our study offers a theoretical basis for remediation of the FM- R. chinensis symbiotic system in Mn-contaminated environments.
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•Mn stress led to an obvious decrease in plant growth and oxidative damage in R. chinensis.•FM-associated R. chinensis exhibited superior leaf micro-structure under Mn stress than without FM.•FM can alleviate Mn stress by improving osmotic adjustment ability and antioxidative systems.•FM prompted accumulation of inactive forms of Mn in cell wall and vacuoles thereby relieving its toxicity.
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