The Voice of The Motherland: Exploring the Development of Russian Music Before Mikhail Glinka

When learning about early western classical music history, the first countries often discussed include England, Germany, France, and Italy beginning around the time of Gregorian chant. It is not until approximately the early Romantic Era that we begin to learn about Russian composers such as Mikhail Glinka, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, or those of the “Mighty Handful” including most notably Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Alexander Borodin. The emergence of Russian music into the western classical world is often taken for granted and seldom asked how or why it happened. In this study, I will compare the development of Russian music alongside the development of Western European music, primarily focusing on the differences of development in the church chants of both regions, the catalyst that sparked the exchange of music between Russia and the rest of Western Europe, and the lasting effects of Russian church music on notable Russian composers. Thus I propose an early, cohesive history of Russian music from its early development to its eventual breakthrough as a unique Russian style of Western music

Acceptability of Active Case Finding with a Seed-and-Recruit Model to Improve Tuberculosis Case Detection and Linkage to Treatment in Cambodia: A Qualitative Study

Background With support of the national tuberculosis (TB) program, KHANA (a local non-governmental organization in Cambodia) has implemented an innovative approach using a seed-and-recruit model to actively find TB cases in the community. The model engaged community members including TB survivors as seed and newly diagnosed people with TB as recruiters to recruit presumptive TB cases in their social network in a snowball approach for screening and linkage to treatment. This study aimed to explore the acceptability of the active case finding with the seed-and-recruit model in detecting new TB cases and determine the characteristics of successful seeds. Methods This qualitative study was conducted in four provinces (Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Chhnang, Siem Reap, and Takeo) in Cambodia in 2017. Fifty-six in-depth interviews and ten focus group discussions (with a total of 64 participants) were conducted with selected beneficiaries and key stakeholders at different levels to gain insights into the acceptability, strengths, and challenges in implementing the model and the characteristics of successful seeds. Transcripts were coded and content analyses were performed. Results The seed-and-recruit active case finding model was generally well-received by the study participants. They saw the benefits of engaging TB survivors and utilizing their social network to find new TB cases in the community. The social embeddedness of the model within the local community was one of the major strengths. The success of the model also hinges on the integration with existing health facilities. Having an extensive social network, being motivated, and having good knowledge about TB were important characteristics of successful seeds. Study participants reported challenges in motivating the presumptive TB cases for screening, logistic capacities, and high workload during the implementation. However, there was a general consensus that the model ought to be expanded. Conclusions These findings indicate that the seed-and-recruit model is well-accepted by the beneficiaries and key stakeholders. Further studies are needed to more comprehensively evaluate the impacts and cost-effectiveness of the model for future expansion in Cambodia as well as in other resource-limited settings

Community-based model for the delivery of antiretroviral therapy in Cambodia: a quasi-experimental study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Multi-month dispensing (MMD) is the mainstay mechanism for clinically stable people living with HIV in Cambodia to refill antiretroviral therapy (ART) every 3-6 months. However, less frequent ART dispensing through the community-based ART delivery (CAD) model could further reduce the clients' and health facilities' burden. While community-based services have been recognized as an integral component of HIV response in Cambodia, their role and effectiveness in ART delivery have yet to be systematically assessed. This study aims to evaluate the CAD model's effectiveness on the continuum of care and treatment outcomes for stable people living with HIV in Cambodia. METHODS: We will conduct this quasi-experimental study in 20 ART clinics across the capital city and nine provinces between May 2021 and April 2023. Study sites were purposively selected based on the availability of implementing partners, the number of people living with HIV each clinic serves, and the accessibility of the clinics. In the intervention arm, approximately 2000 stable people living with HIV will receive ART and services from the CAD model. Another 2000 stable people living with HIV in the control arm will receive MMD-a standard care model for stable people living with HIV. The primary outcomes will be retention in care, viral load suppression, and adherence to ART. The secondary endpoints will include health providers' work burden, the model's cost-effectiveness, quality of life, mental health, social support, stigma, and discrimination. We will compare the outcome indicators within each arm at baseline, midline, and endline using descriptive and inferential statistics. We will evaluate the differences between the intervention and control arms using the difference-in-differences method. We will perform economic evaluations to determine if the intervention is cost-effective. DISCUSSION: This study will build the evidence base for future implementation and scale-up of CAD model in Cambodia and other similar settings. Furthermore, it will strengthen engagements with community stakeholders and further improve community mobilization, a vital pillar of the Cambodian HIV response. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04766710 . Registered 23 February 2021, Version 1

Culture of human mesenchymal stem cells on microcarriers in a 5 l stirred-tank bioreactor

This article was published in the journal, Biotechnology Letters [© Springer Science+Business Media] and the definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10529-013-1211-9For the first time, fully functional human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been cultured at the litre-scale on microcarriers in a stirred-tank 5 l bioreactor, (2.5 l working volume) and were harvested via a potentially scalable detachment protocol that allowed for the successful detachment of hMSCs from the cell-microcarrier suspension. Over 12 days, the dissolved O2 concentration was >45 % of saturation and the pH between 7.2 and 6.7 giving a maximum cell density in the 5 l bioreactor of 1.7 × 105 cells/ml; this represents >sixfold expansion of the hMSCs, equivalent to that achievable from 65 fully-confluent T-175 flasks. During this time, the average specific O2 uptake of the cells in the 5 l bioreactor was 8.1 fmol/cell h and, in all cases, the 5 l bioreactors outperformed the equivalent 100 ml spinner-flasks run in parallel with respect to cell yields and growth rates. In addition, yield coefficients, specific growth rates and doubling times were calculated for all systems. Neither the upstream nor downstream bioprocessing unit operations had a discernible effect on cell quality with the harvested cells retaining their immunophenotypic markers, key morphological features and differentiation capacity

THERMOELECTRIC BEHAVIOR IN LEAD SELENIDE NANOCRYSTAL FILMS

Thermoelectric power generation could be crucial in a sustainable energy future through waste heat energy recycling. Typical nanoengineering of thermoelectric materials requires energy intensive and expensive methods of device fabrication. We employ a facile solution processed device fabrication method that can easily be scaled up for manufacturing while maintaining its cost effectiveness. In this work, we establish and qualify a thermopower measurement system for thin film and bulk devices. To qualify the measurement system, we show that trends in the signs and magnitudes of the Seebeck coefficients of known silicon standards are correct. We also show that PbSe nanocrystal thin film devices exhibit a large Seebeck coefficient (~1500-2000 μV/K) prior to alumina infilling and a reduced Seebeck coefficient (~800-1200 μV/K) post alumina infilling. With this measurement tool, we are able to view differences in thermopower before and after atomic layer deposition treatment within an oxygen-free atmosphere

THERMOELECTRIC BEHAVIOR IN LEAD SELENIDE NANOCRYSTAL FILMS

Thermoelectric power generation could be crucial in a sustainable energy future through waste heat energy recycling. Typical nanoengineering of thermoelectric materials requires energy intensive and expensive methods of device fabrication. We employ a facile solution processed device fabrication method that can easily be scaled up for manufacturing while maintaining its cost effectiveness. In this work, we establish and qualify a thermopower measurement system for thin film and bulk devices. To qualify the measurement system, we show that trends in the signs and magnitudes of the Seebeck coefficients of known silicon standards are correct. We also show that PbSe nanocrystal thin film devices exhibit a large Seebeck coefficient (~1500-2000 μV/K) prior to alumina infilling and a reduced Seebeck coefficient (~800-1200 μV/K) post alumina infilling. With this measurement tool, we are able to view differences in thermopower before and after atomic layer deposition treatment within an oxygen-free atmosphere

Advanced Catalyst Design for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

With increasing global energy demand and energy-related carbon emissions, the transportation sector (accounting for over 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States) must be pushed towards total decarbonization. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are a promising energy conversion technology towards the zero-emission goals in transportation applications. However, the high prices and short life cycles of the electrocatalytic materials hinder the widespread commercialization of PEMFCs. Specifically, the design of the cathode catalyst materials (driving the sluggish cathodic oxygen reduction reaction) is instrumental in the success of PEMFCs. Current industry standards utilize a high platinum content catalyst (in nanoparticle form) supported on carbon blacks. The understanding and development of the ideal catalyst layer is three-fold: (1) the nanoparticle-ionomer interface, (2) the nanoparticle-support interface, and (3) the ionomer-support interface. The first portion of my work outlines the ideal cathodic catalyst layer based on a review of recent works which encompasses all three interfacial interactions. The second portion of my work addresses the solid-state integration challenges (i.e., the nanoparticle-ionomer interactions) for the advanced structured Pt-based nanomaterials. The final portion of my work addresses the next generation design parameters of carbon-based supports with a focus on nanoparticle-support interactions

Elucidating electrochemical nitrate and nitrite reduction over atomically-dispersed transition metal sites.

Electrocatalytic reduction of waste nitrates (NO3-) enables the synthesis of ammonia (NH3) in a carbon neutral and decentralized manner. Atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts demonstrate a high catalytic activity and uniquely favor mono-nitrogen products. However, the reaction fundamentals remain largely underexplored. Herein, we report a set of 14; 3d-, 4d-, 5d- and f-block M-N-C catalysts. The selectivity and activity of NO3- reduction to NH3 in neutral media, with a specific focus on deciphering the role of the NO2- intermediate in the reaction cascade, reveals strong correlations (R=0.9) between the NO2- reduction activity and NO3- reduction selectivity for NH3. Moreover, theoretical computations reveal the associative/dissociative adsorption pathways for NO2- evolution, over the normal M-N4 sites and their oxo-form (O-M-N4) for oxyphilic metals. This work provides a platform for designing multi-element NO3RR cascades with single-atom sites or their hybridization with extended catalytic surfaces

Elucidating electrochemical nitrate and nitrite reduction over atomically-dispersed transition metal sites

Electrocatalytic reduction of waste nitrates (NO3-) enables the synthesis of ammonia (NH3) in a carbon neutral and decentralized manner. Atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts with varying metal centers uniquely favor mono-nitrogen products (e.g., NH3), as well as provide synergistic supports for nanoparticle catalysts. But the reaction fundamentals remain largely underexplored. Herein, we report a set of 3d-, 4d-, 5d- and f-block atomically dispersed M-N-C catalysts with a well-defined M-Nx coordination. The selectivity and activity of NO3- reduction to NH3 in neutral media were thoroughly studied, with a specific focus on deciphering the role of the NO2- intermediate in the reaction cascade, wherein strong correlations (R=0.9) were found between the NO2- reduction activity and NO3- reduction selectivity for NH3. Moreover, theoretical computations identified the associative/dissociative adsorption pathways for NO2- evolution, over the normal M-N4 sites and their oxo-form (O-M-N4) for certain oxyphilic metals. The free energies for the reductive adsorption of nitrate [∗ + NO3− → ∗NO2 ], correlated strongly with experimental NH3 selectivity. This work provides a platform for designing multi element NO3RR cascades with single-atom sites or their hybridization with extended catalytic surfaces

Elucidating electrochemical nitrate and nitrite reduction over atomically-dispersed transition metal sites

Abstract Electrocatalytic reduction of waste nitrates (NO3 −) enables the synthesis of ammonia (NH3) in a carbon neutral and decentralized manner. Atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts demonstrate a high catalytic activity and uniquely favor mono-nitrogen products. However, the reaction fundamentals remain largely underexplored. Herein, we report a set of 14; 3d-, 4d-, 5d- and f-block M-N-C catalysts. The selectivity and activity of NO3 − reduction to NH3 in neutral media, with a specific focus on deciphering the role of the NO2 − intermediate in the reaction cascade, reveals strong correlations (R=0.9) between the NO2 − reduction activity and NO3 − reduction selectivity for NH3. Moreover, theoretical computations reveal the associative/dissociative adsorption pathways for NO2 − evolution, over the normal M-N4 sites and their oxo-form (O-M-N4) for oxyphilic metals. This work provides a platform for designing multi-element NO3RR cascades with single-atom sites or their hybridization with extended catalytic surfaces