Amine-Based MOF for Precious Metal Remediation.

Due to the continuous growth rate of the electronic industry, hi-tech companies depend on mining and extracting precious metals to meet the public demand. The high turnover of modern devices generates an alarming amount of electronic waste (e-waste), which contains more precious metals than mined ores and therefore needs efficient recovery procedures. A highly stable homopiperazine-derived Cd-MOF, poly-[Cd(H2L)]·9H2O, with a protonated amine ligand core, exists as a twofold interpenetrated 3D framework with 1D channels into which the N+-H bond is directed. The geometry of these channels appears to be suitable to host square planar metalate complexes. Under acidic conditions, [MCl4]x- anions containing Au, Cu, Ni, and Pt, representing common components of e-waste under extraction conditions, were tested for capture and recovery. Cd-MOF exhibits remarkable selectivity and uptake performance toward Au with an adsorbent capacity of 25 mg g-1ads and shows a marked selectivity for Au over Cu in competitive experiments. The adsorption mechanism of Au appears to be predominantly physical adsorption at the surface of the material.

Finding MeVO: Identifying Intracranial Medium-Vessel Occlusions at CT Angiography.

The development of methods to detect and treat intracranial large-vessel occlusions (LVOs) has revolutionized the management of acute ischemic stroke. CT angiography (CTA) of the head and neck is effective in depicting LVOs and widely used in the evaluation of patients who have had a stroke. Ongoing efforts are now focused on the potential to detect and treat intracranial medium-vessel occlusions (MeVOs), which by definition are smaller than LVOs and thus more difficult to detect with CTA. The authors review common and variant anatomies of medium-sized cerebral arteries and the appearance of a variety of MeVOs on CT angiograms. Possible pitfalls in MeVO detection include rare anatomic variants, calcified thrombi, and stump occlusions. Current recommendations for performing CTA and ancillary methods that might aid in MeVO detection are discussed. Understanding the relevant anatomy and the variety of appearances of MeVOs aids radiologists in identifying these occlusions, particularly in the setting of urgent stroke. ©RSNA, 2024 See the invited commentary by Ospel and Nguyen in this issue.

Comparative Analysis of Calcium and Hydroxyl Ion Release from Pulp Dressing Materials in Pulpotomized Premolars.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the time-dependent release of calcium (Ca⁺⁺) and hydroxyl (OH⁻) ions from 3 different pulp dressing materials used to cap root canal orifices in pulpotomized premolars. MATERIAL AND METHODS Freshly extracted (n=40) premolars were subjected to standardized pulpotomy procedure and finally restored in 5 groups using resin-modified glass ionmmer liner (RMGI) and bonded resin composite directly against the pulp chamber's floor (Control, G2) and over 3 different orifices' capping materials - Dycal (G3), Endo Sequence root repair material (ESRRM, G4), and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Angelus (G5). Another 10 sound premolars served as the Reference group (G1). The restored teeth were incubated at 37±1°C in sealed containers filled with deionized water to assess Ca⁺⁺ and OH⁻ ions release after 24 h and at 1, 4, and 8 weeks. Two-way ANOVA and Tukey's comparisons at alpha=0.05 were used to statistically analyze the collected data. RESULTS Two-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in Ca⁺⁺ ions between test groups at different testing time intervals (P<0.05). Despite the constant (Tukey's, P<0.05) pH levels (OH⁻ release), Group 5 specimens exhibited higher Ca⁺⁺ ion release in comparison to Groups 4 and 3 at different testing timepoints (Tukey's, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Although all the assessed pulp dressing materials had equivalent and stable pH levels, ESRRM and MTA-Angelus had the highest Ca⁺⁺ ion release at the assessment intervals.

Differences in colorectal cancer awareness between screening eligible vs. ineligible Palestinians: a national cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare colorectal cancer (CRC) awareness between screening-eligible and ineligible individuals in Palestine. METHODS: Convenience sampling was utilized to recruit Palestinian adults from diverse settings, including hospitals, primary healthcare centers and public spaces across 11 governorates. The evaluation of CRC awareness in terms of signs/symptoms, risk factors and causation myths was conducted using Arabic-translated, modified versions of the validated instruments, the Bowel Cancer Awareness Measure and the Cancer Awareness Measure-Mythical Causes Scale. RESULTS: The final analysis included 2698 participants, with 2158 (80.9%) eligible for CRC screening and 540 (19.1%) ineligible for it. The most recognized CRC sign/symptom was 'lump in the abdomen' in both screening-eligible (n = 386, 71.5%) and ineligible (n = 1582, 73.3%) groups. 'Lack of physical activity' was the most recognized risk factor in both groups (eligible: n = 451, 83.5%; ineligible: n = 1766, 81.8%). The most reported causation myth in both groups was 'having a physical trauma' (eligible: n = 340, 63.0%; ineligible: n = 1353, 62.7%). In the screening-eligible group, only 210 participants (38.9%) demonstrated high awareness of CRC signs/symptoms, 213 participants (39.4%) showed high awareness of CRC risk factors and only 46 participants (8.5%) displayed high awareness of CRC causation myths. There were no significant associations between being eligible for screening colonoscopy and the awareness levels of CRC signs/symptoms, risk factors and causation myths. CONCLUSION: Overall, awareness levels of CRC signs/symptoms, risk factors and causation myths were notably low among screening-eligible participants. There were no differences in awareness levels between individuals eligible for colonoscopy and those who were not.

Superficial Temple Lymphatic Malformation Appeared 13 Years after Initial Presentation With Orbital Lymphatic Malformation.

A 26-year-old male with a history of orbital lymphangioma and compressive optic neuropathy presented with recurrent proptosis in the OS. After examination and imaging, a left orbital lymphatic malformation and a new subcutaneous temporal-parietal vasculo-lymphatic malformation were diagnosed. The patient underwent a bleomycin injection for the orbital malformation and an excisional biopsy for the temporal lesion, leading to symptom resolution. Recurrence of lymphatic malformations and hemorrhage typically occurs at the same site, here we report a patient with the appearance of a new site lesion with orbital recurrence.

Measurement of the J/ψ Polarization with Respect to the Event Plane in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC.

We study the polarization of inclusive J/ψ produced in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV at the LHC in the dimuon channel, via the measurement of the angular distribution of its decay products. We perform the study in the rapidity region 2.5

First Measurement of Antideuteron Number Fluctuations at Energies Available at the Large Hadron Collider.

The first measurement of event-by-event antideuteron number fluctuations in high energy heavy-ion collisions is presented. The measurements are carried out at midrapidity (|η|<0.8) as a function of collision centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV using the ALICE detector. A significant negative correlation between the produced antiprotons and antideuterons is observed in all collision centralities. The results are compared with a state-of-the-art coalescence calculation. While it describes the ratio of higher order cumulants of the antideuteron multiplicity distribution, it fails to describe quantitatively the magnitude of the correlation between antiproton and antideuteron production. On the other hand, thermal-statistical model calculations describe all the measured observables within uncertainties only for correlation volumes that are different with respect to those describing proton yields and a similar measurement of net-proton number fluctuations.

Measurements of Groomed-Jet Substructure of Charm Jets Tagged by D

Understanding the role of parton mass and Casimir color factors in the quantum chromodynamics parton shower represents an important step in characterizing the emission properties of heavy quarks. Recent experimental advances in jet substructure techniques have provided the opportunity to isolate and characterize gluon emissions from heavy quarks. In this Letter, the first direct experimental constraint on the charm-quark splitting function is presented, obtained via the measurement of the groomed shared momentum fraction of the first splitting in charm jets, tagged by a reconstructed D^{0} meson. The measurement is made in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV, in the low jet transverse-momentum interval of 15≤p_{T}^{jet ch}<30 GeV/c where the emission properties are sensitive to parton mass effects. In addition, the opening angle of the first perturbative emission of the charm quark, as well as the number of perturbative emissions it undergoes, is reported. Comparisons to measurements of an inclusive-jet sample show a steeper splitting function for charm quarks compared with gluons and light quarks. Charm quarks also undergo fewer perturbative emissions in the parton shower, with a reduced probability of large-angle emissions.

Measurement of the Lifetime and Λ Separation Energy of _{Λ}

The most precise measurements to date of the _{Λ}^{3}H lifetime τ and Λ separation energy B_{Λ} are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The _{Λ}^{3}H is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (_{Λ}^{3}H→^{3}He+π^{-} and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11(stat)±6(syst)] ps and B_{Λ}=[102±63(stat)±67(syst)] keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and confirm that the _{Λ}^{3}H structure is consistent with a weakly bound system.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed in Liver Cirrhosis; Less May Be More.

INTRODUCTION: Administration of antibiotics in patients with cirrhosis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding has been shown to improve outcomes. Little is known regarding optimum duration of prophylactic antibiotics. Seven days of antibiotics are generally recommended but very few studies have compared antibiotic duration to clinical outcomes in current available scientific literature. The goal of our study was to study the effect of shorter antibiotic duration on patient outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with cirrhosis presenting with upper GI bleeding at our institute from 2010 to 2018. Patients were divided into three cohorts based on duration of antibiotic administration for prophylaxis: 1-3 days of antibiotics, 4-6 days of antibiotics and 7 days or more of antibiotics. Rates of infection diagnosis within 30 days, rebleeding, and mortality were compared between the three groups with Chi square, Fisher Exact and Kruskall-Wallace tests. Multivariable analysis was conducted to evaluate independent risk factors for infection. RESULTS: Medical charts of 980 patients with cirrhosis and upper GI bleeding during the study period were reviewed. A total of 303 with upper gastrointestinal bleeding were included in the final sample, of these 243 patients received antibiotics for prophylaxis and were included for analysis. Seventy-seven patients received antibiotic therapy for 3 days or less, 69 patients for 4-6 days, and 97 patients longer than 6 days. The three groups were well matched in demographic and clinical variables. Twenty-seven patients developed infections within 30 days of bleeding. MELD-Na score at presentation and presence of ascites were associated with infection within 30 days. Rates of infection were not statistically different between the three antibiotic groups (p = 0.78). In the thirty days following the GI bleed, pneumonia was the most diagnosed infection (eleven patients) followed by urinary tract infections (eight patients). Four patients developed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and three were diagnosed with bacteremia. There was no difference in time to infection (Kruskall Wallace test p = 0.75), early re-bleeding (p = 0.81), late re-bleeding (p = 0.37) and in-hospital mortality (p = 0.94) in the three groups. Six patients in the cohort developed C. Difficile infection; no patient in the short antibiotic group developed C. Difficile infection. CONCLUSION: Short course of antibiotics for prophylaxis (3 days) appears safe and adequate for prophylaxis in patients with cirrhosis with upper gastrointestinal bleeding if there is no active infection.

A panel of qPCR assays to detect and quantify soybean soil-borne pathogens.

Fusarium oxysporum,F. graminearum,F. acuminatum,F. equiseti,F. proliferatum,F. solani, and Rhizoctonia solani are soil-borne fungal pathogens that cause substantial yield loss in a widespread list of crops worldwide. The objective of this study was to develop a panel of TaqMan assays for the detection and quantification of these six widespread soil-borne fungal species using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The primers and probes were designed based on the intergenic spacer ribosomal RNA and translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (tef1). These assays, although not multiplexed, can be performed simultaneously as they have similar reaction conditions, allowing more efficiency when targeting multiple pathogens in a sample. The assays presented high efficiency (94.3%-108.9%) and sensitivity, with a limit of detection of 0.05 picograms (50 femtograms) of target DNA. Results from an assay targeting 19 non-target and closely related species confirmed the specificity of the developed assays. The assays were also evaluated to detect the target species in different matrices, such as soil and plant material. This panel of qPCR assays is an additional tool that can be used by plant pathologists, microbiologists, plant breeders, diagnostic clinics, and other researchers interested in these fungal species.

Measurement of Prompt D

The p_{T}-differential production cross sections of prompt D^{0}, Λ_{c}^{+}, and Σ_{c}^{0,++}(2455) charmed hadrons are measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV. This is the first measurement of Σ_{c}^{0,++} production in hadronic collisions. Assuming the same production yield for the three Σ_{c}^{0,+,++} isospin states, the baryon-to-meson cross section ratios Σ_{c}^{0,+,++}/D^{0} and Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} are calculated in the transverse momentum (p_{T}) intervals 2

Hypertriton Production in p-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.

The study of nuclei and antinuclei production has proven to be a powerful tool to investigate the formation mechanism of loosely bound states in high-energy hadronic collisions. The first measurement of the production of _{Λ}^{3}H in p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV is presented in this Letter. Its production yield measured in the rapidity interval -1

Polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] Hyperons along the Beam Direction in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=5.02 TeV.

The polarization of the Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam (z) direction, P_{z}, has been measured in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV recorded with ALICE at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The main contribution to P_{z} comes from elliptic flow-induced vorticity and can be characterized by the second Fourier sine coefficient P_{z,s2}=⟨P_{z}sin(2φ-2Ψ_{2})⟩, where φ is the hyperon azimuthal emission angle and Ψ_{2} is the elliptic flow plane angle. We report the measurement of P_{z,s2} for different collision centralities and in the 30%-50% centrality interval as a function of the hyperon transverse momentum and rapidity. The P_{z,s2} is positive similarly as measured by the STAR Collaboration in Au-Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV, with somewhat smaller amplitude in the semicentral collisions. This is the first experimental evidence of a nonzero hyperon P_{z} in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. The comparison of the measured P_{z,s2} with the hydrodynamic model calculations shows sensitivity to the competing contributions from thermal and the recently found shear-induced vorticity, as well as to whether the polarization is acquired at the quark-gluon plasma or the hadronic phase.

Measurement of the Groomed Jet Radius and Momentum Splitting Fraction in pp and Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.

This article presents groomed jet substructure measurements in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector. The soft drop grooming algorithm provides access to the hard parton splittings inside a jet by removing soft wide-angle radiation. We report the groomed jet momentum splitting fraction, z_{g}, and the (scaled) groomed jet radius, θ_{g}. Charged-particle jets are reconstructed at midrapidity using the anti-k_{T} algorithm with resolution parameters R=0.2 and R=0.4. In heavy-ion collisions, the large underlying event poses a challenge for the reconstruction of groomed jet observables, since fluctuations in the background can cause groomed parton splittings to be misidentified. By using strong grooming conditions to reduce this background, we report these observables fully corrected for detector effects and background fluctuations for the first time. A narrowing of the θ_{g} distribution in Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions is seen, which provides direct evidence of the modification of the angular structure of jets in the quark-gluon plasma. No significant modification of the z_{g} distribution in Pb-Pb collisions compared to pp collisions is observed. These results are compared with a variety of theoretical models of jet quenching, and provide constraints on jet energy-loss mechanisms and coherence effects in the quark-gluon plasma.

The Influence of AA29504 on GABAA Receptor Ligand Binding Properties and Its Implications on Subtype Selectivity.

The unique pharmacological properties of δ-containing γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (δ-GABAARs) make them an attractive target for selective and persistent modulation of neuronal excitability. However, the availability of selective modulators targeting δ-GABAARs remains limited. AA29504 ([2-amino-4-(2,4,6-trimethylbenzylamino)-phenyl]-carbamic acid ethyl ester), an analog of K+ channel opener retigabine, acts as an agonist and a positive allosteric modulator (Ago-PAM) of δ-GABAARs. Based on electrophysiological studies using recombinant receptors, AA29504 was found to be a more potent and effective agonist in δ-GABAARs than in γ2-GABAARs. In comparison, AA29504 positively modulated the activity of recombinant δ-GABAARs more effectively than γ2-GABAARs, with no significant differences in potency. The impact of AA29504's efficacy- and potency-associated GABAAR subtype selectivity on radioligand binding properties remain unexplored. Using [3H]4'-ethynyl-4-n-propylbicycloorthobenzoate ([3H]EBOB) binding assay, we found no difference in the modulatory potency of AA29504 on GABA- and THIP (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol)-induced responses between native forebrain GABAARs of wild type and δ knock-out mice. In recombinant receptors expressed in HEK293 cells, AA29504 showed higher efficacy on δ- than γ2-GABAARs in the GABA-independent displacement of [3H]EBOB binding. Interestingly, AA29504 showed a concentration-dependent stimulation of [3H]muscimol binding to γ2-GABAARs, which was absent in δ-GABAARs. This was explained by AA29504 shifting the low-affinity γ2-GABAAR towards a higher affinity desensitized state, thereby rising new sites capable of binding GABAAR agonists with low nanomolar affinity. Hence, the potential of AA29504 to act as a desensitization-modifying allosteric modulator of γ2-GABAARs deserves further investigation for its promising influence on shaping efficacy, duration and plasticity of GABAAR synaptic responses.

Ecology and diversity of culturable fungal species associated with soybean seedling diseases in the Midwestern United States.

AIMS: To isolate and characterize fungi associated with diseased soybean seedlings in Midwestern soybean production fields and to determine the influence of environmental and edaphic factors on their incidence. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seedlings were collected from fields with seedling disease history in 2012 and 2013 for fungal isolation. Environmental and edaphic data associated with each field was collected. 3036 fungal isolates were obtained and assigned to 76 species. The most abundant genera recovered were Fusarium (73%) and Trichoderma (11.2%). Other genera included Mortierella, Clonostachys, Rhizoctonia, Alternaria, Mucor, Phoma, Macrophomina and Phomopsis. Most recovered species are known soybean pathogens. However, non-pathogenic organisms were also isolated. Crop history, soil density, water source, precipitation and temperature were the main factors influencing the abundance of fungal species. CONCLUSION: Key fungal species associated with soybean seedling diseases occurring in several US production regions were characterized. This work also identified major environment and edaphic factors affecting the abundance and occurrence of these species. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The identification and characterization of the main pathogens associated with seedling diseases across major soybean-producing areas could help manage those pathogens, and devise more effective and sustainable practices to reduce the damage they cause.

Elliptic Flow of Electrons from Beauty-Hadron Decays in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.

The elliptic flow of electrons from beauty hadron decays at midrapidity (|y|<0.8) is measured in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The azimuthal distribution of the particles produced in the collisions can be parametrized with a Fourier expansion, in which the second harmonic coefficient represents the elliptic flow, v_{2}. The v_{2} coefficient of electrons from beauty hadron decays is measured for the first time in the transverse momentum (p_{T}) range 1.3-6 GeV/c in the centrality class 30%-50%. The measurement of electrons from beauty-hadron decays exploits their larger mean proper decay length cτ≈500 µm compared to that of charm hadrons and most of the other background sources. The v_{2} of electrons from beauty hadron decays at midrapidity is found to be positive with a significance of 3.75 σ. The results provide insights into the degree of thermalization of beauty quarks in the medium. A model assuming full thermalization of beauty quarks is strongly disfavored by the measurement at high p_{T}, but is in agreement with the results at low p_{T}. Transport models including substantial interactions of beauty quarks with an expanding strongly interacting medium describe the measurement within uncertainties.

Soft-Dielectron Excess in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.

A measurement of dielectron production in proton-proton (pp) collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV, recorded with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC, is presented in this Letter. The data set was recorded with a reduced magnetic solenoid field. This enables the investigation of a kinematic domain at low dielectron (ee) invariant mass m_{ee} and pair transverse momentum p_{T,ee} that was previously inaccessible at the LHC. The cross section for dielectron production is studied as a function of m_{ee}, p_{T,ee}, and event multiplicity dN_{ch}/dη. The expected dielectron rate from hadron decays, called hadronic cocktail, utilizes a parametrization of the measured η/π^{0} ratio in pp and proton-nucleus collisions, assuming that this ratio shows no strong dependence on collision energy at low transverse momentum. Comparison of the measured dielectron yield to the hadronic cocktail at 0.15

Measurement of the Cross Sections of Ξ_{c}

The p_{T}-differential cross sections of prompt charm-strange baryons Ξ_{c}^{0} and Ξ_{c}^{+} were measured at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The Ξ_{c}^{0} baryon was reconstructed via both the semileptonic decay (Ξ^{-}e^{+}ν_{e}) and the hadronic decay (Ξ^{-}π^{+}) channels. The Ξ_{c}^{+} baryon was reconstructed via the hadronic decay (Ξ^{-}π^{+}π^{+}) channel. The branching-fraction ratio BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}e^{+}ν_{e})/BR(Ξ_{c}^{0}→Ξ^{-}π^{+})=1.38±0.14(stat)±0.22(syst) was measured with a total uncertainty reduced by a factor of about 3 with respect to the current world average reported by the Particle Data Group. The transverse momentum (p_{T}) dependence of the Ξ_{c}^{0}- and Ξ_{c}^{+}-baryon production relative to the D^{0} meson and to the Σ_{c}^{0,+,++}- and Λ_{c}^{+}-baryon production are reported. The baryon-to-meson ratio increases toward low p_{T} up to a value of approximately 0.3. The measurements are compared with various models that take different hadronization mechanisms into consideration. The results provide stringent constraints to these theoretical calculations and additional evidence that different processes are involved in charm hadronization in electron-positron (e^{+}e^{-}) and hadronic collisions.