Photostable and Small YVO4:Yb,Er Upconversion Nanoparticles in Water

In this work, we report a simple method of silica coating of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to obtain well-crystalline particles that remain small and not agglomerated after high-temperature post-annealing, and produce bright visible emission when pumped with near-infrared light. This enables many interesting biological applications, including high-contrast and deep tissue imaging, quantum sensing and super-resolution microscopy. These VO4-based UNCPs are an attractive alternative to fluoride-based crystals for water-based biosensing applications

Mechanical performance and feasibility analysis of green concrete prepared with local natural zeolite and waste PET plastic fibers as cement replacements

Green concrete is a sustainable composite material having natural and waste materials replacing carbon dioxide gas-producing cement, and aggregates in the concrete. Thus, it significantly contributes in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improves the economic viability of a country as well. Literature suggests that research on the development of green concrete is evolving with widely-available natural and waste materials. Considering the need for the development of green concrete, the current research is conducted. It was hypothesized that the mechanical performance of green concrete prepared by substituting cement with Natural Zeolite (NZ) and waste Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) fibers will yield stronger, cost-effective, and environmentally green concrete for the construction industry. The microstructure, morphology, and surface properties of the locally extracted NZ were characterized using X-ray Diffraction, SEM and BET, respectively. The influence of quantity, shape, orientations, and surface of NZ and PET fibers along with varying curing times, i.e., 28, 90, and 180 days were considered for experimentation. The main findings of this study are that two optimum proportions for the concrete mixtures are obtained: the first one was 10 % NZ while the other one was 2.5 % PET, and 15 % NZ, and 1.0 % PET. These optimum mixing ratios were found to enhance the compressive strength of concrete, reduce the production cost, and reuse waste PET bottles effectively, which are key points of this study. Furthermore, the workability of the fresh concrete was improved with higher proportions of PET rather than NZ. Finally, the findings of the current research highlight a pragmatic remedial solution for saving energy, turning non-decomposable waste into useful materials for green concrete, and simultaneously contributing to a cleaner environment

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P < 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)