The Solution Precursor Plasma Spraying Process for Making Zirconia Based Electrolytes

Ceramic layers, such as yttria-stabilized zirconia or scandia-stabilized zirconia, used for functional layers of solid oxide fuel cells, i.e. the gas tight oxygen ion conductive electrolyte or as ceramic component in the porous cermet anode, were obtained by the Solution Precursor Plasma Spray (SPPS) process. The influence of different solvent types on microstructure was analyzed by comparison of coatings sprayed with water-based solution to ethanol-based one. Use of solvent with low surface tension and low boiling point enhances splat formation, coating micro-structure and crystalline structure. Parameter adjustment to receive coatings from nitrate solutions with ethanol as solvent was carried out. Results of Raman spectroscopy indicate that an intermediate of both nitrates (zirconyl and scandium nitrate hydrate) was deposited

Ab initio GW electron-electron interaction effects in Quantum Transport

We present an ab initio approach to electronic transport in nanoscale systems which includes electronic correlations through the GW approximation. With respect to Landauer approaches based on density-functional theory (DFT), we introduce a physical quasiparticle electronic-structure into a non-equilibrium Green's function theory framework. We use an equilibrium non-selfconsistent $G^0W^0$ self-energy considering both full non-hermiticity and dynamical effects. The method is applied to a real system, a gold mono-atomic chain. With respect to DFT results, the conductance profile is modified and reduced by to the introduction of diffusion and loss-of-coherence effects. The linear response conductance characteristic appear to be in agreement with experimental results.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, refused by PR

Long-term solar activity influences on South American rivers

River streamflows are excellent climatic indicators since they integrate precipitation over large areas. Here we follow up on our previous study of the influence of solar activity on the flow of the Parana River, in South America. We find that the unusual minimum of solar activity in recent years have a correlation on very low levels in the Parana's flow, and we report historical evidence of low water levels during the Little Ice Age. We also study data for the streamflow of three other rivers (Colorado, San Juan and Atuel), and snow levels in the Andes. We obtained that, after eliminating the secular trends and smoothing out the solar cycle, there is a strong positive correlation between the residuals of both the Sunspot Number and the streamflows, as we obtained for the Parana. Both results put together imply that higher solar activity corresponds to larger precipitation, both in summer and in wintertime, not only in the large basin of the Parana, but also in the Andean region north of the limit with Patagonia.Comment: Accepted to publication by Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physic

Efficacy of a text messaging (SMS) based smoking cessation intervention for adolescents and young adults: Study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial

Background Particularly in groups of adolescents with lower educational level the smoking prevalence is still high and constitutes a serious public health problem. There is limited evidence of effective smoking cessation interventions in this group. Individualised text messaging (SMS) based interventions are promising to support smoking cessation and could be provided to adolescents irrespective of their motivation to quit. The aim of the current paper is to outline the study protocol of a trial testing the efficacy of an SMS based intervention for smoking cessation in apprentices. Methods/Design A two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial will be conducted to test the efficacy of an SMS intervention for smoking cessation in adolescents and young adults compared to an assessment only control group. A total of 910 daily or occasional (≥ 4 cigarettes in the preceding month and ≥ 1 cigarette in the preceding week) smoking apprentices will be proactively recruited in vocational school classes and, using school class as a randomisation unit, randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 455) receiving the SMS based intervention or an assessment only control group (n = 455). Individualised text messages taking into account demographic data and the individuals' smoking behaviours will be sent to the participants of the intervention group over a period of 3 months. Participants will receive two text messages promoting smoking cessation per week. Program participants who intend to quit smoking have the opportunity to use a more intensive SMS program to prepare for their quit day and to prevent a subsequent relapse. The primary outcome measure will be the proportion of participants with 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence assessed at 6-months follow-up. The research assistants conducting the baseline and the follow-up assessments will be blinded regarding group assignment. Discussion It is expected that the program offers an effective and inexpensive way to promote smoking cessation among adolescents and young adults including those with lower educational level and independent of their motivation to quit

Automatic Unsupervised Clustering of Videos of the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Procedure

The in vitro fertilization procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection can be used to help fertilize an egg by injecting a single sperm cell directly into the cytoplasm of the egg. In order to evaluate, refine and improve the method in the fertility clinic, the procedure is usually observed at the clinic. Alternatively, a video of the procedure can be examined and labeled in a time-consuming process. To reduce the time required for the assessment, we propose an unsupervised method that automatically clusters video frames of the intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure. Deep features are extracted from the video frames and form the basis for a clustering method. The method provides meaningful clusters representing different stages of the intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure. The clusters can lead to more efficient examinations and possible new insights that can improve clinical practice. Further on, it may also contribute to improved clinical outcomes due to increased understanding about the technical aspects and better results of the procedure. Despite promising results, the proposed method can be further improved by increasing the amount of data and exploring other types of features

X‐ray microtomography and phylogenomics provide insights into the morphology and evolution of an enigmatic mesozoic insect larva

Fossils sometimes show unusual morphological features absent in living organisms, making it difficult to reconstruct both their affinity and their function. We describe here a new lacewing larva, Ankyloleon caudatus gen. et sp.n. (Neuroptera) from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar, characterized by an abdomen unique among insects, with ‘tail-like’ terminal segments bearing a ventral pair of vesicles. Phase-contrast X-ray microtomography reveals that these structures were dense and equipped with a median duct, suggesting that they were likely pygopods used for locomotion, holding the position through adhesive secretions. Our phylogenetic analyses, combining genomic and morphological data from both living and fossil lacewings, proved critical to placing Ankyloleon gen.n. on the lacewing tree of life as an early representative of the antlion clade, Myrmeleontiformia. These results corroborate the view that derived myrmeleontiform lacewings ‘experimented’ with unusual combinations of features and specializations during their evolutionary history, some of which are now lost

In Vitro and Ectopic In Vivo Studies toward the Utilization of Rapidly Isolated Human Nasal Chondrocytes for Single-Stage Arthroscopic Cartilage Regeneration Therapy

Nasal chondrocytes (NCs) have a higher and more reproducible chondrogenic capacity than articular chondrocytes, and the engineered cartilage tissue they generate in vitro has been demonstrated to be safe in clinical applications. Here, we aimed at determining the feasibility for a single-stage application of NCs for cartilage regeneration under minimally invasive settings. In particular, we assessed whether NCs isolated using a short collagenase digestion protocol retain their potential to proliferate and chondro-differentiate within an injectable, swiftly cross-linked and matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP)-degradable polyethylene glycol (PEG) gel enriched with human platelet lysate (hPL). NC-hPL-PEG gels were additionally tested for their capacity to generate cartilage tissue in vivo and to integrate into cartilage/bone compartments of human osteochondral plugs upon ectopic subcutaneous implantation into nude mice. NCs isolated with a rapid protocol and embedded in PEG gels with hPL at low cell density were capable of efficiently proliferating and of generating tissue rich in glycosaminoglycans and collagen II. NC-hPL-PEG gels developed into hyaline-like cartilage tissues upon ectopic in vivo implantation and integrated with surrounding native cartilage and bone tissues. The delivery of NCs in PEG gels containing hPL is a feasible strategy for cartilage repair and now requires further validation in orthotopic in vivo models. Keywords: cartilage regeneration; autologous chondrocyte implantation; nasal chondrocytes; single-stage; arthroscopy; tissue engineering; polyethylene glycol; hydrogel; platelet lysat

A New Approach to Light Scattering from Nanotextured Interfaces for Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells

We investigate the influence of refractive index contrast on the light scattering properties of nanotextured interfaces, which serve as front contact for p-i-n thin-film silicon solar cells. We here focus on ZnO surfaces with randomly oriented pyramidal features, known for their excellent light trapping performance. Transparent replicas, with a different refractive index, but practically identical morphology compared to their ZnO masters, were fabricated via nanoimprinting. Within the theoretical framework we recently proposed, we show how the angular and spectral dependence of light scattered by nanostructures with identical morphology but different refractive index may be related to each other allowing direct comparison of their light trapping potential within the device

Interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICIs) and external quality assurance schemes (EQUASs) for flame retardant analysis in biological matrices: Results from the HBM4EU project

The European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) is coordinating and advancing human biomonitoring (HBM). For this purpose, a network of laboratories delivering reliable analytical data on human exposure is fundamental. The analytical comparability and accuracy of laboratories analysing flame retardants (FRs) in serum and urine were investigated by a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) scheme comprising interlaboratory comparison investigations (ICIs) and external quality assurance schemes (EQUASs). This paper presents the evaluation process and discusses the results of four ICI/EQUAS rounds performed from 2018 to 2020 for the determination of ten halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) represented by three congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (BDE-47, BDE-153 and BDE-209), two isomers of hexabromocyclododecane (α-HBCD and γ-HBCD), two dechloranes (anti-DP and syn-DP), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE), and 2,4,6-tribromophenol (2,4,6-TBP) in serum, and four metabolites of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) in urine, at two concentration levels. The number of satisfactory results reported by laboratories increased during the four rounds. In the case of HFRs, the scope of the participating laboratories varied substantially (from two to ten) and in most cases did not cover the entire target spectrum of chemicals. The highest participation rate was reached for BDE-47 and BDE-153. The majority of participants achieved more than 70% satisfactory results for these two compounds over all rounds. For other HFRs, the percentage of successful laboratories varied from 44 to 100%. The evaluation of TBBPA, DBDPE, and 2,4,6-TBP was not possible because the number of participating laboratories was too small. Only seven laboratories participated in the ICI/EQUAS scheme for OPFR metabolites and five of them were successful for at least two biomarkers. Nevertheless, the evaluation of laboratory performance using Z-scores in the first three rounds required an alternative approach compared to HFRs because of the small number of participants and the high variability of experts' results. The obtained results within the ICI/EQUAS programme showed a significant core network of comparable European laboratories for HBM of BDE-47, BDE-153, BDE-209, α-HBCD, γ-HBCD, anti-DP, and syn-DP. On the other hand, the data revealed a critically low analytical capacity in Europe for HBM of TBBPA, DBDPE, and 2,4,6-TBP as well as for the OPFR biomarkers.We gratefully acknowledge funding by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 733032.S