Using unsupervised learning to classify inlet water for more stable design of water reuse in industrial parks.

The water reuse facilities of industrial parks face the challenge of managing a growing variety of wastewater sources as their inlet water. Typically, this clustering outcome is designed by engineers with extensive expertise. This paper presents an innovative application of unsupervised learning methods to classify inlet water in Chinese water reuse stations, aiming to reduce reliance on engineer experience. The concept of 'water quality distance' was incorporated into three unsupervised learning clustering algorithms (K-means, DBSCAN, and AGNES), which were validated through six case studies. Of the six cases, three were employed to illustrate the feasibility of the unsupervised learning clustering algorithm. The results indicated that the clustering algorithm exhibited greater stability and excellence compared to both artificial clustering and ChatGPT-based clustering. The remaining three cases were utilized to showcase the reliability of the three clustering algorithms. The findings revealed that the AGNES algorithm demonstrated superior potential application ability. The average purity in six cases of K-means, DBSCAN, and AGNES were 0.947, 0.852, and 0.955, respectively.

Developing a Compost Quality Index (CQI) Based on the Electrochemical Quantification of Cd (HA) Reactivity.

The present work demonstrates the use of Cd2+ as a reactivity probe of the fulvic acids (FAs), humic acids (HAs) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) compost extracts. Significant differences were observed between the extracts, with the HA extract showing the highest reactivity. Comparing the different composts, the largest reactivity variation was again observed for HA then FA and finally DOM extracts. The Cd2+ binding extent was used to calculate the quality of composts and compared with a reference of uncomposted organic fertiliser (FLW), leading to the definition of an operational scale of compost quality. The parameter equivalent mass of fertiliser (mEF) was used for this scale sorted the seven composts from 0.353 to 1.09 kg FLW, for compost of sewage sludge (CSS) and vermicompost of domestic waste (CVDW), respectively. The significance of this parameter was verified through a correlation analysis between binding extent and the effect of compost application on lettuce crop growth in a field trial. The results demonstrate the potentiality of FA and HA extracts as markers of compost bioactivity and the use of Cd2+ as a reactivity probe.

Electroanalytical Trace Metal Cations Quantification and Speciation in Freshwaters: Historical Overview, Critical Review of the Last Five Years and Road Map for Developing Dynamic Speciation Field Measurements.

An historical overview covering the field of electroanalytical metal cations speciation in freshwaters is presented here, detailing both the notable experimental and theoretical developments. Then, a critical review of the progress in the last five years is given, underlining in particular the improvements in electrochemical setups and methodologies dedicated to field surveys. Given these recent achievements, a road map to carry out on-site dynamic metal speciation measurements is then proposed, and the key future developments are discussed. This review shows that electroanalytical stripping techniques provide a unique framework for quantitatively assessing metals at trace levels while offering access to both thermodynamic and dynamic features of metal complexation with natural colloidal and particulate ligands.

Ace and aro lesbian art and theory with Agnes Martin and Yayoi Kusama.

This article draws on the field of asexuality studies and the growing work of aromanticism studies to think about whether and how we can theorize lesbian studies from asexual (ace) and aromantic (aro) perspectives. Aces experience "the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity" (Asexual Visibility and Education Network) and aros experience little or no romantic attraction to others. While lesbian studies has countless examples of "asexual resonances," or lesbian theorizations that focus on intimacy between women in ways that do not centralize sex and sometimes do not centralize romance-such as those of Boston Marriages and intimate friendships, women identified women, single lesbian figures and spinsters, and lesbian kinship networks that are erotic if not sexual or romantic in nature-little work thus far has explored lesbian identities using the frameworks of asexuality and even more so of aromanticism. This piece explores ace and aro lesbianism by focusing on two artists: abstract expressionist Canadian-American painter Agnes Martin (1912-2004) and pop art multi-media Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (b.1929). Martin has been regarded as lesbian and Kusama as a sexually repressed heterosexual, with neither artist widely understood nor celebrated for the ace and aro elements of their identities, despite evidence suggesting that both artists might be ace and aro. Opening up understandings of lesbianism beyond the sexual and romantic, I argue, allows for a dynamic positioning of lesbianism as a relational quality that can be extended to countless artists, figures, literary texts, and films.

Description of new types of sphaeractinomyxon actinospores (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) from marine tubificid oligochaetes, with a discussion on the validity of the tetraspora and the endocapsa as actinospore collective group names.

Ten new types of sphaeractinomyxon actinospores are morphologically and molecularly described from the coelomic cavity of two marine oligochaete hosts, Limnodriloides agnes (Hrabe, 1967) and Tubificoides pseudogaster (Dahl, 1960), from Aveiro estuary, Portugal. The smallest sphaeractinomyxon type measured 17 µm (length) × 19 µm (width) × 19 µm (apical diameter), whereas the largest type measured 61 µm × 76 µm × 80 µm. While considering the 10 types of sphaeractinomyxon, it was found that the number of spores developing inside pansporocysts varied between 1, 2, 4, and 8. The total prevalence of infection was of 19 % for the two host species, with a maximum recorded for spring and summer (25-26 %). While considering each type of sphaeractinomyxon individually, it was found that the prevalence values ranged between 0.3 and 1.7 %. All described sphaeractinomyxons were most similar to Myxobolus species. The validity of the tetraspora and endocapsa collective group names is discussed.

Sir William Osler's fatal trip to Scotland: "Mrs M" and the University Grants Committee.

On 23 September 1919, Sir William Osler, after a telephone call from his friend Dyson Perrins, went to Glasgow where he saw a 40-year-old woman, Bethia Fulton Martin, in consultation with three local physicians. Osler called it "one of those remarkable Erythema cases (all sorts of skin lesions and three months on and off consolidation of both lower lobes)." Mrs Martin died 114 days later; her death certificate listed "angioneurotic oedema with chronic nephritis" and "tuberculous enlargement of the mediastinal lymph nodes." Osler died 18 days before Mrs Martin of complications from a respiratory infection acquired on his way home from Scotland. We discuss factors that possibly prompted Osler to go to Scotland, including his role with the newly formed University Grants Committee, and the differential diagnosis of the case, which is mainly between systemic lupus erythematosus and Henoch-Schönlein purpura.

Investigating the Binding Heterogeneity of Trace Metal Cations With SiO2 Nanoparticles Using Full Wave Analysis of Stripping Chronopotentiometry at Scanned Deposition Potential.

Silica oxides nano- and microparticles, as well as silica-based materials, are very abundant in nature and industrial processes. Trace metal cation binding with these bulk materials is generally not considered significant in speciation studies in environmental systems. Nonetheless, this might change for nanoparticulate systems as observed in a previous study of Pb(II) with a very small SiO2 particle (7.5 nm diameter). Besides, metal binding by those nanoparticles is surprisingly characterized by a heterogeneity that increases with the decrease of metal-to-particle ratio. Therefore, it is interesting to extend this study to investigate different trace metals and the influence of the nanoparticle size on the cation binding heterogeneity. Consequently, the Cd(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) binding by two different sized SiO2 nanoparticles (Ludox LS30 and TM40) in aqueous dispersion was studied for a range of pH and ionic strength conditions, using the combination of the electroanalytical techniques Scanned Stripping ChronoPotentiometry and Absence of Gradients and Nernstian Equilibrium Stripping. The coupling of these techniques provides the free metal concentration in the bulk (AGNES) and information of the free and complex concentration at the electrode surface for each Stripping Chronopotentiometry at Scanned deposition Potential (SSCP). A recent mathematical treatment allows the reconstruction of a portion of the metal to ligand binding isotherm with the included heterogeneity information using the full SSCP wave analysis. In this work, we observed that the Zn(II) binding is homogeneous, Cd(II) is slightly heterogeneous, and Pb(II) is moderately heterogeneous, whereas the results obtained with the 7.5 nm diameter nanoparticle are slightly more heterogeneous than those obtained with the one of 17 nm. These findings suggest that the Zn(II) binding is electrostatic in nature, and for both Cd(II) and Pb(II), there should be a significant chemical binding contribution.

Towards improving the electroanalytical speciation analysis of indium.

The geochemical fate of indium in natural waters is still poorly understood, while recent studies have pointed out a growing input of this trivalent element in the environment as a result of its utilisation in the manufacturing of high-technology products. Reliable and easy-handling analytical tools for indium speciation analysis are, then, required. In this work, we report the possibility of measuring the total and free indium concentrations in solution using two complementary electroanalytical techniques, SCP (Stripping chronopotentiometry) and AGNES (Absence of Gradients and Nernstian Equilibrium Stripping) implemented with the TMF/RDE (Thin Mercury Film/Rotating Disk Electrode). Nanomolar limits of detection, i.e. 0.5 nM for SCP and 0.1 nM for AGNES, were obtained for both techniques in the experimental conditions used in this work and can be further improved enduring longer experiment times. We also verified that AGNES was able (i) to provide robust speciation data with the known In-oxalate systems and (ii) to elaborate indium binding isotherms in presence of humic acids extending over 4 decades of free indium concentrations. The development of electroanalytical techniques for indium speciation opens up new routes for using indium as a potential tracer for biogeochemical processes of trivalent elements in aquifers, e.g. metal binding to colloidal phases, adsorption onto (bio)surfaces, etc.

"A cozinha é o coração da casa": conversando sobre gênero e sexualidade com a equipe de uma unidade de saúde / "The kitchen is the heart of the house": talking about gender and sexuality with a health team

O presente texto é fruto de investigação científica realizada em pós-graduação na área da saúde pública, cujo objetivo foi analisar como os temas de gênero e de sexualidade aparecem nas narrativas dos trabalhadores de uma unidade de saúde que atuam com saúde da família e da comunidade. A metodologia, fundamentalmente qualitativa, procurou acionar reflexões a partir de notícias e de imagens deixadas nas mesas da cozinha da unidade de saúde, onde ocorreram "encontros do cotidiano". O estudo revelou que essas temáticas se conectam com diferentes dimensões da vida dos sujeitos ­ entre elas a dimensão afetiva, responsável por mobilizar narrativas moralizadoras e conservadoras próprias do espaço do cotidiano a respeito do tema de gênero e de sexualidade. A intenção da pesquisa foi também demonstrar que o espaço do cotidiano é potente para a realização de metodologias de educação mais conectadas ao conhecimento popular e, por isso, mais transformadoras de comportamentos preconceituosos e conservadores

This text is the result of postgraduate scientific research in the field of public health, whose objective was to analyze how the themes of gender and sexuality appear in the narratives of workers in a health unit who work with family and community health. The methodology, fundamentally qualitative, sought to trigger reflections based on news and images left on the kitchen tables of the health unit, where "everyday meetings" took place. The study revealed that these themes are connected with different dimensions of the subjects' lives ­ among them the affective dimension, responsible for mobilizing moralizing and conser-vative narratives typical of the everyday space regarding the theme of gender and sexuality. The intention of the research was also to demonstrate that the daily space is powerful for the realization of educational methodologies more connected to popular knowledge, and, therefore, more transforming of prejudiced and conservative behaviors

Absence of Gradients and Nernstian Equilibrium Stripping (AGNES) for the determination of [Zn(2+)] in estuarine waters.

Zinc (Zn) has been classified as a "Specific Pollutant" under Annex VIII of the EU Water Framework Directive by two thirds of the EU member states. As a result, the UK Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) for Transitional and Coastal (TrAC) Waters has been reduced from 612 nM to 121 nM total dissolved Zn. It is widely accepted that the free metal ion ([Zn(2+)]) is the most bioavailable fraction, but there are few techniques available to determine its concentration in these waters. In this work, Absence of Gradients and Nernstian Equilibrium Stripping (AGNES) has been applied, for the first time, to determine [Zn(2+)] in estuarine waters. The AGNES method had a mean RSD of ±18%, a (deposition time dependent) limit of detection of 0.73 nM and a [Zn(2+)] recovery of 112 ± 19% from a certified reference material (BCR-505; Estuarine Water). AGNES results for 13 estuarine samples (salinity 0.1-31.9) compared well (P = 0.02) with Competitive Ligand Exchange Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (CLE-AdCSV) except for one sample. AGNES requires minimal sample manipulation, is unaffected by adsorption of interfering species at the electrode surface and allows direct determination of free zinc ion concentrations. Therefore AGNES results can be used in conjunction with ecotoxicological studies and speciation modelling to set and test compliance with water quality standards.

AGNES at vibrated gold microwire electrode for the direct quantification of free copper concentrations.

The free metal ion concentration and the dynamic features of the metal species are recognized as key to predict metal bioavailability and toxicity to aquatic organisms. Quantification of the former is, however, still challenging. In this paper, it is shown for the first time that the concentration of free copper (Cu(2+)) can be quantified by applying AGNES (Absence of Gradients and Nernstian equilibrium stripping) at a solid gold electrode. It was found that: i) the amount of deposited Cu follows a Nernstian relationship with the applied deposition potential, and ii) the stripping signal is linearly related with the free metal ion concentration. The performance of AGNES at the vibrating gold microwire electrode (VGME) was assessed for two labile systems: Cu-malonic acid and Cu-iminodiacetic acid at ionic strength 0.01 M and a range of pH values from 4.0 to 6.0. The free Cu concentrations and conditional stability constants obtained by AGNES were in good agreement with stripping scanned voltammetry and thermodynamic theoretical predictions obtained by Visual MinteQ. This work highlights the suitability of gold electrodes for the quantification of free metal ion concentrations by AGNES. It also strongly suggests that other solid electrodes may be well appropriate for such task. This new application of AGNES is a first step towards a range of applications for a number of metals in speciation, toxicological and environmental studies for the direct determination of the key parameter that is the free metal ion concentration.

Towards field trace metal speciation using electroanalytical techniques and tangential ultrafiltration.

In this work we propose a trace metal speciation methodology to determine the total, free and ultrafiltered (<1 KDa) metal fractions using electrochemical methods (SCP and AGNES) and tangential ultrafiltration (UF) experiments that can easily be carried out on-site. We tested our methodology spiking Cadmium ions into two natural waters samples from Itapanhau and Sorocabinha rivers in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The limits of detection (LOD) was 1.6×10(-9) M for the total Cd(2+) determination performed by Stripping Chronopotentiometry (SCP) in the source and acidified ultrafiltered solution and 1.9×10(-9) M for the free Cd(2+) determination using Absence of gradients and Nernstian equilibrium stripping (AGNES), using a thin mercury film electrode. The total metal determination was performed by SCP in acidified samples and the results compared with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS). The SCP results were adequate with a 96% of recovery from the known metal spike for the 12 samples tested. For the Itapanhau sample the free metal determined by AGNES and the ultrafiltered fraction are identical, while for the Sorocabinha the free metal in the source is significantly smaller than the ultrafiltered fraction, indicating that this sample must be rich in metal complexes with small inorganic ligands that are able to permeate the 1kDa membrane. The proposed metal speciation methodology validated in the laboratory combining UF and SCP/AGNES is able to be used in on-site experiments providing valid information regarding the total and free metal concentrations and additionally some insight on the role of small inorganic ligands to the metal complexation.

Effect of choline and methionine protected on intake, Lipid Mobilization, Production and composition of milk in Holstein Cows / Efecto de colina y metionina protegidas sobre el consumo, la movilización lipídica, producción y composición de la Leche en Vacas Holstein / Efeito da colina e metionina protegida sobre o consumo, lipid mobilização, produção e composição do leite de vacas da raça Holandesa

To evaluate the effect of choline and methionine protected in rumen on plasma concentrations of triglyceride (TG), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAS), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB); the dry matter intake; production and milk composition, 24 Holstein cows were selected. They were randomly assigned to four treatments: T0: 0.0 g/day of Choline + 0.0 g/day of Methionine, T1: 0.0 g/day of Choline + 15 g/day of Methionine, T2: 15 g/day of Choline + 15 g/day of methionine and T3: 30 g/day Choline + 15 g/day Methionine. The day 270 of pregnancy, calving and days 10 and 20 postpartum, were determined plasma concentrations of TG, NEFAS and BHB; day 270 of gestation, 10 and 20 postpartum was estimated the dry matter intake of forage (DMIf) and total dry matter intake (DMIt). The milk production was recorded on days 5, 10, 15 and 20 pospartum and its fat and protein content was determined. The data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED model of SAS for a completely randomized design with repeated measures. Concentrations TG, NEFAS and BHB were significantly higher on day 10 prepartum, calving and 20 days postpartum, respectively (p<0.0001). The BHB was significantly higher in the treatments containing choline and methionine (T2 and T3) (p=0.0157). The DMIt, milk production and protein percentage were affected by the sampling periods (p<0.0001).

Para evaluar el efecto de Colina y Metionina protegidas en rumen sobre las concentraciones plasmáticas de triglicéridos (TG), ácidos grasos no esterificados (AGNES), β-hidroxibutirato (BHB); sobre el consumo de materia seca; la producción y composición de la leche, se seleccionaron 24 vacas Holstein. Estas fueron asignadas aleatoriamente a cuatro tratamientos: T0: 0, g/día de Colina + 0,0 g/día de Metionina, T1: 0,0 g/día de Colina + 15 g/ día de Metionina, T2: 15 g/día de Colina + 15 g/día de Metionina y T3: 30 g/día de Colina + 15 g/día de Metionina. El día 270 de gestación, al parto y los días 10 y 20 posparto, se determinaron las concentraciones plasmáticas de TG, AGNES y BHB; los días 270 de gestación, 10 y 20 posparto se estimó del consumo de materia seca del forraje (CMSf) y el consumo de materia seca total (CMSt). La producción de leche se registró el día 5, 10, 15 y 20 después del parto para determinar el contenido de grasa y proteína. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados bajo un diseño completamente al azar en un arreglo de medidas repetidas en el tiempo. Las concentraciones de TG, AGNES y BHB fueron significativamente mayores el día 10 preparto, día del parto y 20 posparto, respectivamente (p<0,0001). El BHB fue significativamente más alto en los tratamientos que contenían la combinación Colina y Metionina (T2 y T3) (p=0,0157). El CMSt, la producción de leche y su porcentaje de proteína se afectaron con los periodos de muestreo (p<0,0001).

Para avaliar o efeito de colina e metionina nele rúmen protegidas sobre concentrações sanguíneas de β-hidroxibutirato (BHB) em triglicéridos (TG) plasmáticos e ácidos gordos livres (AGNES) o consumo de matéria; produção e composição do leite, foram selecionadas 24 vacas da raça Holandesa. Eles foram divididos aleatoriamente em quatro tratamentos: T0: 0,0 g / dia de Colina + 0,0 g / dia de metionina, T1: 0,0 g / dia de Colina + 15 g / dia de metionina, T2: 15 g / dia de Colina + 15 g / dia Metionina e T3: 30 g / dia Colina + 15 g / dia de metionina. O dia 270 de gestação, o parto eo pós-parto 10 e 20, os níveis plasmáticos de TG, e AGNES BHB foram determinados; 270 dias de gestação, 10 e 20 pós-parto foi estimado o consumo de matéria seca de forragem (CSPS) e consumo de matéria seca total (CMST). A produção de leite foi registada nos dias 5, 10, 15 e 20 pós-párto, para determinar a gordura e proteína. Os dados obtidos foram analisados sob um delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado em uma matriz de medidas repetidas ao longo do tempo. Os níveis de TG, e Agnes BHB foram significativamente maiores no dia 10 pré-parto, parto e pós-parto de 20 dias, respectivamente (p <0,0001). A BHB foi significativamente mais elevada nos tratamentos de combinação contendo colina e metionina (T2 e T3) (p = 0,0157). A percentagem CMST, produção de leite e proteína foram afetadas pelas épocas de amostragem (p <0,0001).

AGnES: supporting general practitioners with qualified medical practice personnel: model project evaluation regarding quality and acceptance.

BACKGROUND: The German AGnES (community-based, e-health-assisted systemic support for primary care) project allows general practitioners (GPs) to delegate certain elements of medical care, including house calls, to qualified AGnES employees and thereby provide primary care to a larger number of patients. AGnES projects of various types have been carried out in a number of German federal states from 2005 onward. In this article, an evaluation of the AGnES projects to date is presented. METHODS: Patient data (age, sex, diagnoses, level of care, mobility, etc.) and each of the specific activities carried out in the AGnES framework were documented with standardized computer-based instruments. The GPs, AGnES employees, and patients also underwent standardized interviews. The acceptance of the AGnES project, competence of the AGnES employees, and quality of medical care within the projects were evaluated. The participating GPs themselves assessed the quality of medical care. RESULTS: By July 8, 2008, 8386 house calls on a total of 1486 patients had been made within the framework of the AGnES projects. The evaluation revealed a high degree of acceptance of the project among the participating GPs, AGnES employees, and patients. The GPs considered the quality of medical care within the AGnES project to be good for the vast majority of patients. CONCLUSION: Structural redundancy is avoided by directly placing the AGnES employees in the general practitioners' practices. Based on the results of the AGnES projects, the law in Germany has now been amended to enable implementation of the AGnES project in the regular health care system from January 2009 onward. The next steps to be taken are the establishment of adequate reimbursement within the catalog of the statutory health insurance scheme and a detailed definition of the required qualifications.

St. Agnes Hospital of the City of Baltimore v. Riddick.

KIE: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires an obstetrics-gynecology residency program to provide full training in high-risk obstetrics and gynecological surgery. St. Agnes Hospital adheres to the ethical and moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, and therefore refuses to provide training in sterilization, abortion, and artificial contraception. When ACGME denied the hospital accreditation, the hospital sued, alleging a violation of the right to free exercise of religion. The U.S. District Court found that, under the "Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Facilities," the hospital was permitted to perform the full range of required procedures, provided these procedures were not aimed at preventing procreation or terminating pregnancy. Further, even had the hospital demonstrated a burden on its free exercise right, the state's compelling interest in satisfactory physician education outweighed the hospital's interests, because granting the hospital an institutional exemption would sacrifice the integrity of the accreditation system.^ieng