Human exposure and mass balance distribution during procymidone application in horticultural greenhouses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of procymidone application in periurban horticultural greenhouses, especially on workers (applicators and assistants) and soil and plastic mulching, when mechanically pressurized application systems were employed. The mean Potential Dermal Exposure (PDE) was measured using the Whole Body Dosimetry technique. The PDE for the applicators was 188 mL h−1 ± 103 mL h−1, and 14.7 mL h−1 ± 6.3 mL h−1 for the assistants. In the first case, the most exposed body sections were the upper right and left (46.8 mL h−1 ± 23.4 mL h−1; 47.0 mL h−1 ± 23.5 mL h−1) and lower (20.8 mL h−1 ± 10.4 mL h−1; 17.3 mL h−1 ± 8.7 mL h−1) legs, while in the case of assistants, hands and legs were the most impacted limbs. Regarding the Margin of Safety (MOS) during the mix and load stage, two of three pesticide preparations resulted unsafe, while for the applicators, six of six spraying operations were unsafe. For the assistants, five of five operations were safe, but three of them were close to the safety limit. Procymidone distribution between drift (0.03% ± 0.07 %), applicator (0.20% ± 0.15 %), polyethylene mulching (8.5% ± 4.5 %) and soil (3.0% ± 1.1 %) was determined with respect to the total pesticide applied. Procymidone soil impact was also evaluated using Eisenia andrei behavioral tests, finding positive correlations between procymidone application and avoidance and reproduction tests.Fil: Fitó Friedrichs, Gretel Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias. Área de Química; ArgentinaFil: Berenstein, Giselle Anahí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias. Área de Química; ArgentinaFil: Nasello, María Soledad. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias. Área de Química; ArgentinaFil: Dutra Alcoba, Yohana Yisel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias. Área de Química; ArgentinaFil: Hughes, Enrique Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias. Área de Química; ArgentinaFil: Basack, Silvana Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias. Área de Química; ArgentinaFil: Montserrat, Javier Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias. Área de Química; Argentin

The P-Adaptive BIEM Version in Elastostatics

This paper introduces the p-adaptive version of the boundary element method as a natural extension of the homonymous finite element approach. After a brief introduction to adaptive techniques through their finite element formulation in elastostatics, the concepts are cast into the boundary element environment. Thus, the p-adaptive version of boundary integral methods is shown to be a generalization of already well known ideas. In order to show the power of these numerical procedures, the results of two practical analysis using both methods are presented

Platinum nanoparticle decorated vertically aligned graphene screen-printed electrodes: electrochemical characterisation and exploration towards the hydrogen evolution reaction

We present the fabrication of platinum (Pt⁰) nanoparticle (ca. 3 nm average diameter) decorated vertically aligned graphene (VG) screen-printed electrodes (Pt/VG-SPE) and explore their physicochemical characteristics and electrocatalytic activity towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic media (0.5 M H₂SO₄). The Pt/VG-SPEs exhibit remarkable HER activity with an overpotential (recorded at −10 mA cm−²) and Tafel value of 47 mV (vs. RHE) and 27 mV dec−¹. These values demonstrate the Pt/VG-SPEs as significantly more electrocatalytic than a bare/unmodified VG-SPE (789 mV (vs. RHE) and 97 mV dec−¹). The uniform coverage of Pt⁰ nanoparticles (ca. 3 nm) upon the VG-SPE support results in a low loading of Pt⁰ nanoparticles (ca. 4 µg cm−²), yet yields comparable HER activity to optimal Pt based catalysts reported in the literature, with the advantages of being comparatively cheap, highly reproducible and tailorable platforms for HER catalysis. In order to test any potential dissolution of Pt⁰ from the Pt/VG-SPE surface, which is a key consideration for any HER catalyst, we additively manufactured (AM) a bespoke electrochemical flow cell that allowed for the electrolyte to be collected at regular intervals and analysed via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The AM electrochemical cell can be rapidly tailored to a plethora of geometries making it compatible with any size/shape of electrochemical platform. This work presents a novel and highly competitive HER platform and a novel AM technique for exploring the extent of Pt⁰ nanoparticle dissolution upon the electrode surface, making it an essential study for those seeking to test the stability/catalyst discharge of their given electrochemical platforms

Supporting Spartina: Interdisciplinary perspective shows Spartina as a distinct solid genus

In 2014 a DNA-based phylogenetic study confirming the paraphyly of the grass subtribe Sporobolinae proposed the creation of a large monophyletic genus Sporobolus, including (among others) species previously included in the genera Spartina, Calamovilfa, and Sporobolus. Spartina species have contributed substantially (and continue contributing) to our knowledge in multiple disciplines, including ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, biogeography, experimental ecology, environmental management, restoration ecology, history, economics, and sociology. There is no rationale so compelling to subsume the name Spartina as a subgenus that could rival the striking, global iconic history and use of the name Spartina for over 200 years. We do not agree with the arguments underlying the proposal to change Spartina to Sporobolus. We understand the importance of taxonomy and of formalized nomenclature and hope that by opening this debate we will encourage positive feedback that will strengthen taxonomic decisions with an interdisciplinary perspective. We consider the strongly distinct, monophyletic clade Spartina should simply and efficiently be treated as the genus Spartina

Pure Membranous Lupus Nephritis: Description of a Cohort of 150 Patients and Review of the Literature

Objectives The course and long-term outcome of pure membranous lupus nephritis (MLN) are little understood. The aims of this study are to evaluate the clinical features, course, outcome and prognostic indicators in pure MLN and to determine the impact of ethnicity and the type of health insurance on the course and prognosis of pure MLN. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of 150 patients with pure MLN from Spain and the USA. Results Mean age was 34.2±12.5 and 80% were women. Sixty-eight percent of patients had nephrotic syndrome at diagnosis. The average serum creatinine was 0.98±0.78mg/dl. Six percent of patients died and 5.3% developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD). ESRD was predicted by male sex, hypertension, dyslipidemia, high basal 24h-proteinuria, high basal serum creatinine and a low basal creatinine clearance. Age, cardiac insufficiency, peripheral artheriopathy, hemodialysis and not having received mycophenolate mofetil or antimalarials for MLN predicted death. Conclusions Pure MLN frequently presents with nephrotic syndrome, high proteinuria and normal serum creatinine. Its prognosis is favourable in maintaining renal function although proteinuria usually persists over time. Baseline cardiovascular disease and not having a health insurance are related with poor prognosis

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements