Development of a tool for predicting HNF1B mutations in children and young adults with congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to develop a tool for predicting HNF1B mutations in children with congenital abnormalities of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT). METHODS: The clinical and laboratory data from 234 children and young adults with known HNF1B mutation status were collected and analyzed retrospectively. All subjects were randomly divided into a training (70%) and a validation set (30%). A random forest model was constructed to predict HNF1B mutations. The recursive feature elimination algorithm was used for feature selection for the model, and receiver operating characteristic curve statistics was used to verify its predictive effect. RESULTS: A total of 213 patients were analyzed, including HNF1B-positive (mut + , n = 109) and HNF1B-negative (mut - , n = 104) subjects. The majority of patients had mild chronic kidney disease. Kidney phenotype was similar between groups, but bilateral kidney anomalies were more frequent in the mut + group. Hypomagnesemia and hypermagnesuria were the most common abnormalities in mut + patients and were highly selective of HNF1B. Hypomagnesemia based on age-appropriate norms had a better discriminatory value than the age-independent cutoff of 0.7 mmol/l. Pancreatic anomalies were almost exclusively found in mut + patients. No subjects had hypokalemia; the mean serum potassium level was lower in the HNF1B cohort. The abovementioned, discriminative parameters were selected for the model, which showed a good performance (area under the curve: 0.85; sensitivity of 93.67%, specificity of 73.57%). A corresponding calculator was developed for use and validation. CONCLUSIONS: This study developed a simple tool for predicting HNF1B mutations in children and young adults with CAKUT.

More than a feeling: physiological measures of affect index the integration of effort costs and rewards during anticipatory effort evaluation.

The notion that humans avoid effortful action is one of the oldest and most persistent in psychology. Influential theories of effort propose that effort valuations are made according to a cost-benefit trade-off: we tend to invest mental effort only when the benefits outweigh the costs. While these models provide a useful conceptual framework, the affective components of effort valuation remain poorly understood. Here, we examined whether primitive components of affective response-positive and negative valence, captured via facial electromyography (fEMG)-can be used to better understand valuations of cognitive effort. Using an effortful arithmetic task, we find that fEMG activity in the corrugator supercilii-thought to index negative valence-1) tracks the anticipation and exertion of cognitive effort and 2) is attenuated in the presence of high rewards. Together, these results suggest that activity in the corrugator reflects the integration of effort costs and rewards during effortful decision-making.

Removal Performance and Mechanism of Emerging Pollutant Chloroquine Phosphate from Water by Iron and Magnesium Co-Modified Rape Straw Biochar.

Chloroquine phosphate (CQP) is effective in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); thus, its usage is rapidly increasing, which may pose a potential hazard to the environment and living organisms. However, there are limited findings on the removal of CQP in water. Herein, iron and magnesium co-modified rape straw biochar (Fe/Mg-RSB) was prepared to remove CQP from the aqueous solution. The results showed that Fe and Mg co-modification enhanced the adsorption efficiency of rape straw biochar (RSB) for CQP with the maximum adsorption capacity of 42.93 mg/g (at 308 K), which was about two times higher than that of RSB. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms analysis, as well as the physicochemical characterization analysis, demonstrated that the adsorption of CQP onto Fe/Mg-RSB was caused by the synergistic effect of pore filling, π-π interaction, hydrogen bonding, surface complexation, and electrostatic interaction. In addition, although solution pH and ionic strength affected the adsorption performance of CQP, Fe/Mg-RSB still had a high adsorption capability for CQP. Column adsorption experiments revealed that the Yoon-Nelson model better described the dynamic adsorption behavior of Fe/Mg-RSB. Furthermore, Fe/Mg-RSB had the potential for repeated use. Therefore, Fe and Mg co-modified biochar could be used for the remediation of CQP from contaminated water.

Examining the relationship of personality traits with online teaching using emotive responses and physiological signals.

In the education sector, there is a rapid increase in using online teaching and learning scenarios. Making these scenarios more effective is the main purpose of this study. Though there are a lot of factors that affect it, however, the primary focus is to find out the relationship between a teacher's personality and their liking for online teaching. To conduct the study, a framework has been proposed which is a mixed design of self-reported (emotions and personality) data and physiological responses of a teacher. In self-reported data, along with teachers, learners' perception of a teacher's personality is also considered which explores their relationship with online teaching. The final results reveal that teachers with a high level of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness personality traits are more comfortable with online teaching as compared to extraversion and neuroticism traits. To validate the self-reported data analysis, the physiological responses of teachers were recorded that ensure the authenticity of the collected data. It also ensures that the physiological responses along with emotions are also good indicators of personality recognition.

Hypomagnesemia is underestimated in children with HNF1B mutations.

BACKGROUND: Hypomagnesemia in patients with congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract or autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease is highly suggestive of HNF1B-associated disease. Intriguingly, the frequency of low serum Mg2+ (sMg) level varies and is lower in children than in adults with HNF1B mutations that could be partially due to application of inaccurate normal limit of sMg, irrespective of age and gender. We aimed to re-assess cross-sectionally and longitudinally the frequency of hypomagnesemia in HNF1B disease by using locally derived reference values of sMg. METHODS: Fourteen children with HNF1B-associated kidney disease were included. Control group comprising 110 subjects served to generate 2.5th percentiles of sMg as the lower limits of normal. RESULTS: In both controls and patients, sMg correlated with age, gender, and fractional excretion of Mg2+. In girls, sMg concentration was higher than in boys when analyzed in the entire age spectrum (p < 0.05). In HNF1B patients, mean sMg was lower than in controls as compared with respective gender- and age-specific interval (p < 0.001). Low sMg levels (< 0.7 mmol/l) were found in 21.4% of patients at diagnosis and 36.4% at last visit, which rose to 85.7% and 72.7% respectively when using the age- and gender-adjusted reference data. Similarly, in the longitudinal observation, 23% of sMg measurements were < 0.7 mmol/l versus 79.7% when applying respective references. CONCLUSIONS: Hypomagnesemia is underdiagnosed in children with HNF1B disease. sMg levels are age- and gender-dependent; thus, the use of appropriate reference data is crucial to hypomagnesemia in children.

Affective responses to coherence in high and low risk scenarios.

Presenting information in a coherent fashion has been shown to increase processing fluency, which in turn influences affective responses. The pattern of responses have been explained by two apparently competing accounts: hedonic marking (response to fluency is positive) and fluency amplification (response to fluency can be positive or negative, depending on stimuli valence). This paper proposes that these accounts are not competing explanations, but separate mechanisms, serving different purposes. Therefore, their individual contributions to overall affective responses should be observable. In three experiments, participants were presented with businesses scenarios, with riskiness (valence) and coherence (fluency) manipulated, and affective responses recorded. Results suggested that increasing the fluency of stimuli increases positive affect. If the stimulus is negative, then increasing fluency simultaneously increases negative affect. These affective responses appeared to cancel each other out (Experiment 1) when measured using self-report bipolar scales. However, separate measurement of positive and negative affect, either using unipolar scales (Experiment 2) or using facial electromyography (Experiment 3), provided evidence for co-occurring positive and negative affective responses, and therefore the co-existence of hedonic marking and fluency amplification mechanisms.

Can a community-based multidisciplinary intervention effectively restore renal function? A non-randomized clinical trial.

There is insufficient evidence in the literature to indicate whether the promotion of lifestyle changes to prevent renal dysfunction and activate regeneration is effective. We examined the effectiveness of a community-based intervention program on renal restoration using a non-randomized clinical trial design with a follow-up period of six months. The training focused on lifestyle changes, including health education and personal consultation with a multidisciplinary health team. Our study included 120 patients with fractional excretion of magnesium levels of > 2%, who were assigned to experimental or control groups. Fractional excretion of magnesium levels were significantly decreased within six months in the experimental group; however, changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate were not identified in either of the groups. These results suggest that screening of the fractional excretion of magnesium level and the "Healthy Kidney Program" had an effect in preventing chronic kidney disease or restoring kidney function.

Clinical significance of fractional magnesium excretion (FEMg) as a predictor of interstitial nephropathy and its correlation with conventional parameters.

BACKGROUND: Elevated urine Mg excretion and its correlation with histological damage in tubulo-interstitial nephropathy (TIN) were reported. Here we investigated the clinical significance of the fractional excretion of Mg (FEMg) for the prediction of TIN. METHODS: We enrolled and assessed 94 adult patients with various renal diseases diagnosed principally by renal biopsy. RESULTS: Our stratified analysis based on the value of the conventional TIN parameter N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) excretion showed that the high-NAG index group (more than median value of NAG-to-Cr ratio, n = 47) demonstrated significantly high FEMg values (p = 0.017). A univariate analysis revealed a significant correlation between the FEMg and the NAG index (R = 0.60) but not for other parameters. A multivariate regression analysis confirmed the significance of the FEMg as an effective predictor of the NAG index. The FEMg showed a significant correlation with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the patients with eGFR ≤ 30 mL/min. The correlation of FEMg with the NAG index was not observed in the primary glomerulonephritis patients but was apparent in the patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis or interstitial nephritis. CONCLUSION: Our findings may indicate that the combination of the FEMg and the NAG index can provide a specific, sensitive assessment for TIN in patients without renal insufficiency.

Theoretical and experimental study on the effect of scanning speed on FAIMS peaks.

High-Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) is a technique for ion separation and detection based on ion mobility variation under high electronic field. While compensation voltage scanning speed is a fundamental parameter in FAIMS, its impact on spectra remains unclear. In this work, a function referred to as F-EMG is introduced to describe the impact of compensation voltage scanning speed on FAIMS spectra, and the properties of the function are studied. Theoretical analysis emphasizes the impact of the scanning speed on peak height, position, and symmetry, as well as the capability of the F-EMG function to progressively approach Gaussian function at lower scanning speeds. Furthermore, the function indicates that spectra obtained in positive and negative scanning modes exhibits symmetry. An experimental validation, conducted with a custom FAIMS setup and analyzing hydrogen sulfide, ethylbenzene, toluene, styrene, benzene and ammonia, confirms the model's influence on peak features, fitting accuracy, and exhibits a closer alignment with the Gaussian function at lower scanning speeds. Additionally, the experimental data indicate that the spectra show symmetry in positive and negative scanning models. This work not only improves understanding of FAIMS spectral analysis but also introduces a robust method for enhancing data accuracy across varying scanning speeds.

Li-Site Defects Induce Formation of Li-Rich Impurity Phases: Implications for Charge Distribution and Performance of LiNi0.5- xMxMn1.5O4 Cathodes (M = Fe and Mg; x = 0.05-0.2).

An understanding of the structural properties that allow for optimal cathode performance, and their origin, is necessary for devising advanced cathode design strategies and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation cathodes. High-voltage, Fe- and Mg-substituted LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathodes offer a low-cost, cobalt-free, yet energy-dense alternative to commercial cathodes. In this work, the effect of substitution on several important structure properties is explored, including Ni/Mn ordering, charge distribution, and extrinsic defects. In the cation-disordered samples studied, a correlation is observed between increased Fe/Mg substitution, Li-site defects, and Li-rich impurity phase formation-the concentrations of which are greater for Mg-substituted samples. This is attributed to the lower formation energy of MgLi defects when compared to FeLi defects. Li-site defect-induced impurity phases consequently alter the charge distribution of the system, resulting in increased [Mn3+] with Fe/Mg substitution. In addition to impurity phases, other charge compensators are also investigated to explain the origin of Mn3+ (extrinsic defects, [Ni3+], oxygen vacancies and intrinsic off-stoichiometry), although their effects are found to be negligible.

Influence of iron and magnesium on kinetic and mechanism of biohydrogen production from high-strength wastewater.

In this study, iron/iron-magnesium (Fe/Fe-Mg) additives were prepared through the impregnation of granular activated carbon (GAC) with iron and iron-magnesium (GFM) to enhance biohydrogen production. The microscope observation and chemical analysis revealed that the GAC matrixes were well infused with Fe/Fe-Mg, while the X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the species of metal formed on the GAC as Fe3+ and MgH2. The synergistic effect of Fe and Mg in GFM allowed it for a shorter delay time and higher hydrogen production rate than other additives, indicating their possible use in stimulating the fast release of hydrogen in anaerobic digestion. The co-metabolites analysis revealed that additives ensured biohydrogen production through the different pathways. The plausible mechanisms were through hydrogenases ensured by Fe3+ and hydrolysis by MgH2. GFM gave the best organic matter and nutrient removal efficiency to outperform other additives, suggesting its ability for biohydrogen synthesis and simultaneous wastewater treatment.

Layered double hydroxides, an effective nanomaterial to remove phosphorus from wastewater: Performance, mechanism, factors and reusability.

Systematic understanding of phosphorus adsorption performance, mechanism, factors and reusability of layered double hydroxides (LDH) remains limited. Thus, iron (Fe), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg)-based LDH (FeCa-LDH and FeMg-LDH), were synthesized with a co-precipitation method to improve phosphorus removal efficiency during the wastewater treatment process. Both FeCa-LDH and FeMg-LDH showed a considerable ability to remove phosphorus in wastewater. When the phosphorus concentration was 10 mg/L, the removal efficiency reached 99 % (FeCa-LDH: 1 min) and 82 % (FeMg-LDH: 10 min), respectively. The phosphorus removal mechanism was observed to be electrostatic adsorption, coordination reaction and anionic exchange, which was more evident at pH = 10 for FeCa-LDH. Co-occurrence anions that affected phosphorus removal efficiency, were observed in the following order: HCO3- > CO32- ≈ NO3- > SO42-. After five adsorption-desorption cycles, phosphorus removal efficiency was still up to 85 % (FeCa-LDH) and 42 % (FeMg-LDH), respectively. Together, the present findings suggest that LDHs were high-performance, strongly-stable and reusable phosphorus adsorbents.

Characterization of Magnetic Biochar Modified Using the One-Step and Electrochemical Methods and Its Impact on Phosphate Adsorption.

The properties and phosphate adsorption capability of the one-step method and electrochemical method in modifying peanut shell biochar have been determined. The one-step method deposits MgO and Fe3O4 onto biochar through chemical impregnation and regularly affects the functional groups and magnetic separation of biochar, thereby enhancing its ability to adsorb phosphate. In contrast, the electrochemical method is not favorable for modifying functional groups of biochar but can promote phosphate adsorption because of the formation of MgFe2O4 and Fe3O4 using electrolysis. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics data suggest that adsorption is monolayer onto a homogeneous surface and phosphate adsorption could be controlled by chemical processes. Biochar with the addition of both Fe2+ and Mg2+ shows better phosphate adsorption capability than those with barely any Fe2+ additions. It was concluded that the one-step method is a better modification method than the electrochemical method for enhancing the phosphate adsorption capability of biochars.

Spatio-temporal deep forest for emotion recognition based on facial electromyography signals.

Emotion recognition is a key component of human-computer interaction technology, for which facial electromyogram (fEMG) is an important physiological modality. Recently, deep-learning-based emotion recognition using fEMG signals has drawn increased attention. However, the ability of effective feature extraction and the demand of large-scale training data are two dominant factors that restrict the performance of emotion recognition. In this paper, a novel spatio-temporal deep forest (STDF) model is proposed to classify three categories of discrete emotions (neutral, sadness, and fear) using multi-channel fEMG signals. The feature extraction module fully extracts effective spatio-temporal features of fEMG signals using a combination of 2D frame sequences and multi-grained scanning. Meanwhile, a cascade forest-based classifier is designed to provide optimal structures for different scales of training data via automatically adjusting the number of cascade layers. The proposed model and five comparison methods were evaluated on our in-house fEMG dataset that included three discrete emotions and three channels of fEMG electrodes with a total of twenty-seven subjects. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed STDF model achieves the best recognition performance with an average accuracy of 97.41%. Besides, our proposed STDF model can reduced the scale of training data to 50% while the average accuracy of emotion recognition is only reduced by about 5%. Our proposed model offers an effective solution for practical applications of fEMG-based emotion recognition.

Metastable FeMg particles for controlling degradation rate, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of Poly(l-lactic) acid (PLLA) for orthopedic applications.

Poly(l-lactic) acid (PLLA) is commonly used in bioabsorbable medical implants, but it suffers from slow degradation rate and rapid decline in mechanical properties for orthopedic applications. To address this drawback, recent research has explored the use of Mg as a filler for PLLA, resulting in composites with improved degradation rate and cytocompatibility compared to neat PLLA. In this study, FeMg powder particles were proposed as fillers for PLLA to investigate the potential of PLLA/FeMg composites for bioabsorbable implants. Cylinder specimens of PLLA, PLLA/Fe, PLLA/Mg and PLLA/FeMg were prepared using solvent casting followed by thermo-molding. The microstructure, thermal behavior, in vitro degradation behavior in simulated body fluid, mechanical properties and cytocompatibility of these composites were examined. The results indicate that the presence of FeMg particles prevents the deterioration of the composite mechanical properties, at least up to 14 days. Once a certain amount of degradation of the composite is reached, the degradation is faster than that of PLLA. Direct cytotoxicity assays revealed that pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells successfully adhered to and proliferated on the PLLA/FeMg surface. The inclusion of a low percentage of Mg into the Fe lattice not only accelerated the degradation rate of Fe but also improved its cytocompatibility. The enhanced degradation rate, mechanical properties, and osteoconductive properties of this composite make it a promising option for temporary orthopedic biomedical devices.

Men's Self-Reported and Psychophysiological Affective Responses to Sexual Violence and Their Associations with Rape Myths, Personality, and Sexual Traits: A Preliminary Study.

Objective: Despite alarming evidence on sexual violence against women, little is known about men's emotional responses to rape and how these may be involved in sexual violence dynamics. Accordingly, our aim was to capture how rape scenarios are emotionally appraised. Methods: The current study evaluated men's (N = 30) self-reported and psychophysiological emotional responses (facial EMG, electrodermal activity) to a rape scene, and contrasted it with their responses to stimuli depicting nonsexual violence and nonviolent male-female interactions. The associations between men's emotional responses and their endorsement of rape myths, personality, and sexual traits were also examined. Results: Findings revealed that the rape scene resulted in higher negative affect, both subjectively and indexed by increased facial EMG (corrugator activity), than the other two stimuli. Additionally, personality traits of neuroticism, lower agreeableness, lower consciousness, psychopathic tendencies, as well as lower sexual inhibition proneness, were all associated with higher subjective sexual arousal toward rape. Conclusions: Findings add to the literature on the putative emotional processes underpinning the appraisal of sexual violence against women.

Comparison of Magnesium Status Using 24-h Urine Magnesium Content and Magnesium Fraction Excretion in PCOS with Non-PCOS Control Women: a Cross-sectional Study.

Magnesium (Mg) is the second most frequent intracellular cation, having an important role in normal enzyme function and insulin secretion. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age and often associated with insulin resistance. Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been conducted to compare mean serum Mg levels between PCOS and control groups. Both studies detected unexplained heterogeneity among input studies and the two conclusions contradict each other, while approximately 1% of total body Mg is present in extracellular fluid (ECF) and serum Mg level does not represent Mg status well. For the first time, we investigated magnesium renal fraction excretion (FEMg) and compared mean values between PCOS and non-PCOS control women. This study is a cross-sectional analysis conducted at an academic medical center. Forty-four women were included in the PCOS group based on the Rotterdam criteria and 50 non-PCOS women were included in the control group. Statistical analysis of the relationship between 24-h urinary Mg content and FEMg, and also physical and metabolic variables, was performed. Main outcome measurements are 24-h urinary Mg content and FEMg. Mean values of 24-h urinary Mg content and FEMg did not significantly differ between PCOS and control groups (P = 0.22 and P = 0.24, respectively). Also, serum Mg levels and Ca/Mg ratio were similar between the groups (P = 0.17 and P = 0.26, respectively). Our data suggested Mg status in the PCOS group was similar to the non-PCOS control group and both were not magnesium deficient. For further investigation, we recommend using FEMg for evaluating Mg status rather than serum Mg levels. Considering collection of background diet is helpful and desired for future studies.

Fibroblast growth factor 23 is independently associated with renal magnesium handling in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Disturbances in magnesium homeostasis are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and are associated with increased mortality. The kidney is a key organ in maintaining normal serum magnesium concentrations. To this end, fractional excretion of magnesium (FEMg) increases as renal function declines. Despite recent progress, the hormonal regulation of renal magnesium handling is incompletely understood. Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 (FGF23) is a phosphaturic hormone that has been linked to renal magnesium handling. However, it has not yet been reported whether FGF23 is associated with renal magnesium handling in CKD patients. Methods: The associations between plasma FGF23 levels, plasma and urine magnesium concentrations and FEMg was investigated in a cross-sectional cohort of 198 non-dialysis CKD patients undergoing renal biopsy. Results: FGF23 was significantly correlated with FEMg (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.37, p<0.001) and urinary magnesium (-0.14, p=0.04), but not with plasma magnesium. The association between FGF23 and FEMg remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders, including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), parathyroid hormone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Conclusions: We report that plasma FGF23 is independently associated with measures of renal magnesium handling in a cohort of non-dialysis CKD patients. A potential causal relationship should be investigated in future studies.

Simultaneous stabilization of Sb and As co-contaminated soil by FeMg modified biochar.

Currently, metalloid co-contamination, such as antimony and arsenic in soil, poses a serious threat to ecological stability and human health. Stabilization, a low-cost, effective, environmentally mild remediation strategy, shows enormous potential for mitigating environmental concerns. In this study, a novel FeMg modified porous biochar with different Fe/Mg proportions was prepared using the co-precipitation method to investigate the stabilizing efficiency in aqueous solutions and real soils. The optimal removal performance for Sb(V) and As(V) was the 1/3 mol ratio of Fe/Mg (3FMKBC), in which the maximum adsorption capacities of Sb(V) and As(V) were 296.9 and 195.4 mg/g, respectively. Detailed morphological and BET analyses suggested that BC effectively reduced Fe and Mg oxide agglomeration and endowed more interfacial active sites. Meanwhile, detailed adsorption behavior and surface analysis of 3FMKBC indicated that electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds, surface hydroxyl complexation, and ligand exchange induced by ≡C-O-Fe/Mg-OH dominated the stabilization process. Moreover, according to a 40-day incubation study in soil, 3FMKBC (1 wt. ml) decreased the available Sb (28.5% and 23.0%) and As (83.1% and 31.1%) extracted by toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and 0.1 M Na2HPO4, respectively. The above results indicated that 3FMKBC was an optimal amendment for limiting the migration and bioavailability of Sb and As. In addition, the sequential extraction and soil properties confirmed that 3FMKBC could realize the redistribution of resolved Sb and As between the soil solution and solid particles effectively, thereby converting the bioavailable/labile fraction of Sb and As to a more stabilized fraction. All results demonstrated that 3FMKBC could be a prospective material for Sb and As co-contamination stabilization.

Effect of Fe-Doping on Thermal Expansion and Stability of Bismuth Magnesium Tantalate Pyrochlorere.

A continuous series of solid solutions (Bi1.5Mg0.75-xFexTa1.5O7±Δ (x = 0-0.75)) with the pyrochlore structure were synthesized with the solid-phase method. It was shown that iron, like magnesium, is concentrated in the structure in the octahedral position of tantalum. Doping with iron atoms led to an increase in the upper limit of the thermal stability interval of magnesium-containing pyrochlore from 1050 °C (x = 0) up to a temperature of 1140 °C (x = 1). The unit cell constant a and thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) increase uniformly slightly from 10.5018 Å up to 10.5761 Å and from 3.6 up to 9.3 × 10-6 °C-1 in the temperature range 30-1100 °C. The effect of iron(III) ions on the thermal stability and thermal expansion of solid solutions was revealed. It has been established that the thermal stability of iron-containing solid solutions correlates with the unit cell parameter, and the lower the parameter, the more stable the compound. The TEC value, on the contrary, is inversely proportional to the cell constant.