Characterization of Wastewater in School Environments for an Ecological Treatment Solution: A Case Study of Ndiebene Gandiol 1 School

The study conducted at Ndiebene Gandiol 1 school in Senegal has unveiled serious environmental and public health challenges. The wastewater analysis revealed high levels of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and fecal coliforms, signaling potential risks to the well-being of students and staff. This situation mirrors a wider issue in rural educational settings, where inadequate sanitation persists. Intensive wastewater treatment options are known for their effectiveness against high pollutant loads but are resource-intensive in both energy and cost. Conversely, extensive treatment systems, while requiring more land, provide a sustainable alternative by harnessing natural processes for pollutant removal. The research suggests a hybrid treatment approach could serve the school’s needs, balancing the robust capabilities of intensive methods with the ecological benefits of extensive systems. Such a solution would need to be tailored to the specific environmental, financial, and logistical context of the school, based on comprehensive feasibility studies and stakeholder engagement. This study’s findings underscore the urgency of addressing sanitation in schools, as it is intrinsically linked to the health and academic success of students. Quick, effective, and long-term strategies are vital to secure a healthier and more prosperous future for the youth. With proper implementation, the school can transform its sanitation facilities, setting a precedent for rural educational institutions in Senegal and similar contexts globally.

A novel Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Cu-Ni alloy with excellent combination of strength and dissolution via peak-aging treatment

Inferior absolute strength and dissolution properties are the main bottlenecks for the widespread application of dissolvable magnesium alloys in complex working environments for unconventional oil and gas resources.Here,a novel functional peak-aged Mg-9.5Gd-2.7Y-0.9Zn-0.8Cu-0.4Ni(wt.%) alloy for fracturing tools is reported,and it possesses an ultimate tensile strength of 457.6 MPa,ultimate compressive strength of 620.7 MPa and dissolution rate of ~43.7 mg·cm^(-2)·h^(-1) in 3 wt.% KCl solutions at 93℃.The excellent strength of the agedalloy is primarily attributed to the combination of grain refinement,long-period stacking ordered(LPSO) strengthening,and precipitation strengthening induced by stacking fault and β’ phase,among which the precipitation strengthening is dominant.Further investigations confirm that the corrosion is triggered from the micro-galvanic coupling between the Mg matrix and the cathodic lamellar and block LPSO phases.Strip-shaped corrosion pits along with LPSO phases are subsequently formed,significantly accelerating corrosion.The β’ precipitates can effectively improve the strength without compromising the dissolution rate because of their nanoscale size.This study provides an excellent material selection for dissolvable fracturing tools and presents a strategy by which a synergistic combination of strength and dissolution rate is achieved via peak-aging treatment.

Oncolytic virus-based hepatocellular carcinoma treatment:Current status,intravenous delivery strategies,and emerging combination therapeutic solutions

Current treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)have limited success in improving patients’quality of life and prolonging life expectancy.The clinical need for more efficient and safe therapies has contributed to the exploration of emerging strategies.Recently,there has been increased interest in oncolytic viruses(OVs)as a therapeutic modality for HCC.OVs undergo selective replication in cancerous tissues and kill tumor cells.Strikingly,pexastimogene devacirepvec(Pexa-Vec)was granted an orphan drug status in HCC by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration(FDA)in 2013.Meanwhile,dozens of OVs are being tested in HCC-directed clinical and preclinical trials.In this review,the pathogenesis and current therapies of HCC are outlined.Next,we summarize multiple OVs as single therapeutic agents for the treatment of HCC,which have demonstrated certain efficacy and lowtoxicity.Emerging carrier cell-,bioengineered cell mimetic-or nonbiological vehicle-mediated OV intravenous delivery systems in HCC therapy are described.In addition,we highlight the combination treatments between oncolytic virotherapy and other modalities.Finally,the clinical challenges and prospects of OV-based biotherapy are discussed,with the aim of continuing to develop a fascinating approach in HCC patients.

Working toward an integrated plasticity/network framework for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to inform tailored treatments

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques(NIBS),including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) and transcranial electric stim ulation(tES),are increasingly being adopted clinically for treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders,albeit with varying success.The rationale behind the use of NIBS has historically been that stim ulation techniques modulate neuronal activity in the targeted region and consequently induce plasticity which can lead to therapeutic outcomes.

Combination treatment of inflammatory bowel disease:Present status and future perspectives

The treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),especially those with severe or refractory disease,represents an important challenge for the clinical gastroenterologist.It seems to be no exaggeration to say that in these patients,not only the scientific background of the gastroenterologist is tested,but also the abundance of“gifts”that he should possess(insight,intuition,determ-ination,ability to take initiative,etc.)for the successful outcome of the treatment.In daily clinical practice,depending on the severity of the attack,IBD is treated with one or a combination of two or more pharmaceutical agents.These combin-ations include not only the first-line drugs(e.g.,mesalazine,corticosteroids,antibiotics,etc)but also second-and third-line drugs(immunosuppressants and biologic agents).It is a fact that despite the significant therapeutic advances there is still a significant percentage of patients who do not satisfactorily respond to the treatment applied.Therefore,a part of these patients are going to surgery.In recent years,several small-size clinical studies,reviews,and case reports have been published combining not only biological agents with other drugs(e.g.,immunosuppressants or corticosteroids)but also the combination of two biologi-cal agents simultaneously,especially in severe cases.In our opinion,it is at least a strange(and largely unexplained)fact that we often use combinations of drugs in a given patient although studies comparing the simultaneous administration of two or more drugs with monotherapy are very few.As mentioned above,there is a timid tendency in the literature to combine two biological agents in severe cases unresponsive to the applied treatment or patients with severe extraintestinal manifestations.The appropriate dosage,the duration of the administration,the suitable timing for checking the clinical and laboratory outcome,as well as the treatment side-effects,should be the subject of intense clinical research shortly.In this editorial,we attempt to summarize the existing data regarding the already applied combination therapies and to humbly formulate thoughts and suggestions for the future application of the combination treatment of biological agents in a well-defined category of patients.We suggest that the application of biomarkers and artificial intelligence could help in establishing new forms of treatment using the available modern drugs in patients with IBD resistant to treatment.

Circular RNAs in breast cancer diagnosis,treatment and prognosis

Breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer to become the most common malignancy worldwide.The incidence rate and mortality rate of breast cancer continue to rise,which leads to a great burden on public health.Circular RNAs(circRNAs),a new class of noncoding RNAs(ncRNAs),have been recognized as important oncogenes or suppressors in regulating cancer initiation and progression.In breast cancer,circRNAs have significant roles in tumorigenesis,recurrence and multidrug resistance that are mediated by various mechanisms.Therefore,circRNAs may serve as promising targets of therapeutic strategies for breast cancer management.This study reviews the most recent studies about the biosynthesis and characteristics of circRNAs in diagnosis,treatment and prognosis evaluation,as well as the value of circRNAs in clinical applications as biomarkers or therapeutic targets in breast cancer.Understanding the mechanisms by which circRNAs function could help transform basic research into clinical applications and facilitate the development of novel circRNA-based therapeutic strategies for breast cancer treatment.

Gut flora in multiple sclerosis:implications for pathogenesis and treatment

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disorder chara cterized by inflammation,demyelination,and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system.Although current first-line therapies can help manage symptoms and slow down disease progression,there is no cure for multiple sclerosis.The gut-brain axis refers to complex communications between the gut flo ra and the immune,nervous,and endocrine systems,which bridges the functions of the gut and the brain.Disruptions in the gut flora,termed dys biosis,can lead to systemic inflammation,leaky gut syndrome,and increased susceptibility to infections.The pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors,and gut flora may play a pivotal role in regulating immune responses related to multiple scle rosis.To develop more effective therapies for multiple scle rosis,we should further uncover the disease processes involved in multiple sclerosis and gain a better understanding of the gut-brain axis.This review provides an overview of the role of the gut flora in multiple scle rosis.

GLOBAL SOLUTIONS TO 1D COMPRESSIBLE NAVIER-STOKES/ALLEN-CAHN SYSTEM WITH DENSITY-DEPENDENT VISCOSITY AND FREE-BOUNDARY

This paper is concerned with the Navier-Stokes/Allen-Cahn system,which is used to model the dynamics of immiscible two-phase flows.We consider a 1D free boundary problem and assume that the viscosity coefficient depends on the density in the form ofη(ρ)=ρ^(α).The existence of unique global H^(2m)-solutions(m∈N)to the free boundary problem is proven for when 0<α<1/4.Furthermore,we obtain the global C^(∞)-solutions if the initial data is smooth.

Enhancing performance of inverted quantum-dot light-emitting diodes based on a solution-processed hole transport layer via ligand treatment

The performance of inverted quantum-dot light-emitting diodes(QLEDs)based on solution-processed hole transport layers(HTLs)has been limited by the solvent-induced damage to the quantum dot(QD)layer during the spin-coating of the HTL.The lack of compatibility between the HTL’s solvent and the QD layer results in an uneven surface,which negatively impacts the overall device performance.In this work,we develop a novel method to solve this problem by modifying the QD film with 1,8-diaminooctane to improve the resistance of the QD layer for the HTL’s solvent.The uniform QD layer leads the inverted red QLED device to achieve a low turn-on voltage of 1.8 V,a high maximum luminance of 105500 cd/m2,and a remarkable maximum external quantum efficiency of 13.34%.This approach releases the considerable potential of HTL materials selection and offers a promising avenue for the development of high-performance inverted QLEDs.

Epidemiological and clinical features,treatment status,and economic burden of traumatic spinal cord injury in China:a hospital-based retrospective study

Traumatic spinal cord injury is potentially catastrophic and can lead to permanent disability or even death.China has the largest population of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury.Previous studies of traumatic spinal cord injury in China have mostly been regional in scope;national-level studies have been rare.To the best of our knowledge,no national-level study of treatment status and economic burden has been performed.This retrospective study aimed to examine the epidemiological and clinical features,treatment status,and economic burden of traumatic spinal cord injury in China at the national level.We included 13,465 traumatic spinal cord injury patients who were injured between January 2013 and December 2018 and treated in 30 hospitals in 11 provinces/municipalities representing all geographical divisions of China.Patient epidemiological and clinical features,treatment status,and total and daily costs were recorded.Trends in the percentage of traumatic spinal cord injuries among all hospitalized patients and among patients hospitalized in the orthopedic department and cost of care were assessed by annual percentage change using the Joinpoint Regression Program.The percentage of traumatic spinal cord injuries among all hospitalized patients and among patients hospitalized in the orthopedic department did not significantly change overall(annual percentage change,-0.5%and 2.1%,respectively).A total of 10,053(74.7%)patients underwent surgery.Only 2.8%of patients who underwent surgery did so within 24 hours of injury.A total of 2005(14.9%)patients were treated with high-dose(≥500 mg)methylprednisolone sodium succinate/methylprednisolone(MPSS/MP);615(4.6%)received it within 8 hours.The total cost for acute traumatic spinal cord injury decreased over the study period(-4.7%),while daily cost did not significantly change(1.0%increase).Our findings indicate that public health initiatives should aim at improving hospitals’ability to complete early surgery within 24 hours,which is associated with improved sensorimotor recovery,increasing the awareness rate of clinical guidelines related to high-dose MPSS/MP to reduce the use of the treatment with insufficient evidence.

Effect of Solution-ECAP-Aging Treatment on the Microstructure and Properties of TB8 Titanium Alloy

The microstructure and mechanical properties of the TB8 titanium alloy were controlled by a secondary processing technology of solution-equal channel angular pressing(ECAP)-aging treatment,which combined strong plastic deformation with heat treatment. The effects of ECAP and heat treatment on the microstructure and properties of the titanium alloy were systematically investigated by optical microscopy(OM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), hardness tests, and tensile property analysis. The results indicate that the metallographic structure without ECAP treatment is mainly equiaxed β-phase, while that after ECAP treatment is equiaxed β-phase with grain fragmentation, slip bands, and new small grains. After 850 ℃ solutionECAP-520 ℃ aging treatment, the titanium alloy has the smallest grain size, while the directionality of tissue growth along the ECAP direction is the most apparent. Under the same solution-aging conditions, the hardness of the titanium alloy increases from 431.5 to 531.2 HV compared to that without ECAP treatment, i e, increases by 23.11%, and the tensile strength increases from 1 045.30 to 1 176.25 MPa, i e, increases by 12.5%.

The dissolution of total suspended solids and treatment strategy of tailwater in a Litopenaeus vannamei recirculating aquaculture system

In recirculating aquaculture systems(RASs),the effective treatment of aquaculture tailwater is essential to maintain the health of the RAS.This study investigated the optimal time and method for tailwater treatment during three periods of the aquaculture of the Litopenaeus vannamei:nursery(0–26 d),middle(27–57 d),and later(57–104 d).The variation of several water parameters during the dissolution of total suspended solid(TSS)in tailwater,applied with the effects of ozone on the microorganism and water quality parameters were investigated.Results showed that the TSS concentrations in tailwater decreased with time,although not significantly(P>0.05),whereas total ammonia nitrogen(TAN),nitrite(NO-2-N),and nitrate(NO_(3)^(-)-N)increased significantly(P<0.05).Therefore,TSS should be removed from the tailwater as early as possible,being most optimal within 4 h.Ozone removed 38.24%–48.95%of TSS,17.78%–90.14%of TAN,and 87.50%–98.90%of NO-2-N after 4 h of treatment.However,it resulted in the significant accumulation of NO_(3)^(-)-N.Moreover,the total number of Vibrio and bacterial counts in aquaculture tailwater was reduced completely by ozone within 4 h.Thus,these results provided technical details and data support for the effective treatment of tailwater from shrimp RAS.

Antiviral treatment standards for hepatitis B:An urgent need for expansion

The present letter to the editor is related to the review with the title“Past,present,and future of long-term treatment for hepatitis B virus.”Chronic hepatitis B(CHB)represents an important and pressing public health concern.Timely identification and effective antiviral therapy hold the potential to reduce liver-related mortality attributable to chronic infection with hepatitis B virus(HBV)substantially.However,the current global treatment rates for CHB remain conspicuously low,with the excessively stringent treatment criteria advocated by national CHB guidelines being a contributing factor to these low rates.Nevertheless,recent strides in comprehending this malady and the emergence of novel antiviral agents prompt the imperative re-evaluation of treatment standards to extend the sphere of potential beneficiaries.An impending need arises for a novel paradigm for the classification of patients with CHB,the expansion of antiviral treatment eligibility for HBV-infected individuals,and even the streamlining of the diagnostic process for CHB to amplify cost-effectiveness and augment survival prospects.

Fabrication of polyetheretherketone(PEEK)-based 3D electronics with fine resolution by a hydrophobic treatment assisted hybrid additive manufacturing method

Additive manufacturing(AM)is a free-form technology that shows great potential in the integrated creation of three-dimensional(3D)electronics.However,the fabrication of 3D conformal circuits that fulfill the requirements of high service temperature,high conductivity and high resolution remains a challenge.In this paper,a hybrid AM method combining the fused deposition modeling(FDM)and hydrophobic treatment assisted laser activation metallization(LAM)was proposed for manufacturing the polyetheretherketone(PEEK)-based 3D electronics,by which the conformal copper patterns were deposited on the 3D-printed PEEK parts,and the adhesion between them reached the 5B high level.Moreover,the 3D components could support the thermal cycling test from-55℃ to 125℃ for more than 100 cycles.Particularly,the application of a hydrophobic coating on the FDM-printed PEEK before LAM can promote an ideal catalytic selectivity on its surface,not affected by the inevitable printing borders and pores in the FDM-printed parts,then making the resolution of the electroless plated copper lines improved significantly.In consequence,Cu lines with width and spacing of only60μm and 100μm were obtained on both as-printed and after-polished PEEK substrates.Finally,the potential of this technique to fabricate 3D conformal electronics was demonstrated.

Significance of Primary Treatment Selection in the Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment in Constructed Wetlands (CWs)

This research explores strategies to enhance the efficiency of secondary treatment in Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands (CW) in Montenegro. The focus is on selecting appropriate primary treatment methods alongside three distinct substrate types to improve wastewater treatment efficacy. The study examines the combination of two primary treatments with different substrate types in constructed wetlands (CW1, CW2, and CW3). The primary treatments include the existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Podgorica, involving coarse material removal through screens, inert material separation in aerated sand traps, and sediment and suspended matter removal in primary sedimentation tanks. The Extreme Separator (ExSep) was employed to evaluate its efficacy as a primary treatment method. The research demonstrates that the efficiency of CW can be significantly enhanced by selecting suitable primary treatment methods and substrates in Podgorica’s conditions. The most promising results were achieved by combining ExSep as a primary treatment with secondary treatment in CW-3. The removal efficiencies after CW3 for COD, BOD, and TSS exceeded 89%, 93%, and 91%, respectively. The outcomes underscore the significance of primary treatment in mitigating pollutant loads before discharge into the constructed wetlands, emphasizing potential areas for further optimization in wastewater treatment practices to enhance environmental sustainability and water quality management.

Localized wave solutions and interactions of the (2+1)-dimensional Hirota-Satsuma-Ito equation

This paper studies the(2+1)-dimensional Hirota-Satsuma-Ito equation.Based on an associated Hirota bilinear form,lump-type solution,two types of interaction solutions,and breather wave solution of the(2+1)-dimensional Hirota-Satsuma-Ito equation are obtained,which are all related to the seed solution of the equation.It is interesting that the rogue wave is aroused by the interaction between one-lump soliton and a pair of resonance stripe solitons,and the fusion and fission phenomena are also found in the interaction between lump solitons and one-stripe soliton.Furthermore,the breather wave solution is also obtained by reducing the two-soliton solutions.The trajectory and period of the one-order breather wave are analyzed.The corresponding dynamical characteristics are demonstrated by the graphs.

THE LIMITING PROFILE OF SOLUTIONS FOR SEMILINEAR ELLIPTIC SYSTEMS WITH A SHRINKING SELF-FOCUSING CORE

In this paper,we consider the semilinear elliptic equation systems{△u+u=αQ_(n)(x)|u|^(α-2)|v|^(β)u in R^(N),-△v+v=βQ(x)|u|^(α)|v|^(β-2)v in R^(N),where N≥3,α,β>1,α+β<2^(*),2^(*)=2N/N-2 and Q_(n) are bounded given functions whose self-focusing cores{x∈R^(N)|Q_(n)(x)>0} shrink to a set with finitely many points as n→∞.Motivated by the work of Fang and Wang[13],we use variational methods to study the limiting profile of ground state solutions which are concentrated at one point of the set with finitely many points,and we build the localized concentrated bound state solutions for the above equation systems.

Hodgkin's lymphoma:2023 update on treatment

Hodgkin's lymphoma(HL)is a common,malignant hematological tumor of the lymph nodes and lymphatic system,accounting for 10%of all lymphomas.HL comprises 2 main subtypes:classical HL(cHL)and nodular lymphocyte predominant HL.

Role of fullerenols derivative 3HFWC in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Fullerenes:The extensive development of nanoscience that has marked this century continues to evolve,producing new materials,structures,and devices for the treatments of diverse pathologies.Fullerenes are a family of nanoparticles with great applicative promise due to their small size(approximately 1 nm in diameter),structure,and capacity to cross biological barriers.

The emerging role of exercise as a cancer treatment

Over the past few decades,exercise oncology has emerged as an important subfield within exercise science.Over that time,substantial progress has been made in understanding the role of exercise in people newly diagnosed with cancer,actively being treated for cancer,and recovering after cancer treatments.