Mining of primary raw materials as the critical foundation of 'sustainable' metals: a wicked problem for technology innovation clusters.

A transition to a more sustainable human-nature system is inextricably linked to raw materials production, if economic growth is to be maintained or increased by the emergence of new, energy- and metal-hungry technology innovation clusters. The dependence on mined raw materials is a wicked problem for societies vulnerable to negative ecological impacts and for global power bases wanting to secure access to an increasing array of feedstocks. We interrogate the issue of what constitutes a sustainable metal from a triple perspective: (i) the characteristics of ore deposits and the primary extractive operations that supply critical raw materials; (ii) the impediments for complex and interacting supply chains to maintain critical (and other) metals in use; and (iii) the lack of transparency in supply chains that makes it challenging for customers to avoid resources that have been produced by unsustainable and poor practices.

Detection of the benzodiazepine bromazolam by liquid chromatography with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry in postmortem toxicology casework and prevalence in Indiana (2023).

For the past 60 years, benzodiazepines such as chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, and alprazolam have been used as pharmaceutical medications for the treatment of myriad conditions including anxiety, seizures, and insomnia. In more recent years, novel benzodiazepine derivatives have emerged as illicit substances in powders and counterfeit tablets on the illicit drug market. In 2016, bromazolam, a brominated derivative of alprazolam, emerged on the illicit drug market in Europe, but the substance was not reported in the USA until 2019-2020.

Two Single-Drug Fatal Intoxications by Mitragynine.

Mitragyna speciosa, a species of plant that is native to Thailand, Malaysia and Southeast Asia, contains two major psychoactive alkaloids: mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Pharmacologically, the alkaloids exhibit biphasic effects-at low doses, stimulant effects are realized, while high doses exhibit sedative effects. For years, the plant has been used recreationally and medicinally for these effects, but its use has been implicated in and associated with intoxications and deaths.

Very-High Dynamic Range, 10,000 Frames/Second Pixel Array Detector for Electron Microscopy.

Precision and accuracy of quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) methods such as ptychography, and the mapping of electric, magnetic, and strain fields depend on the dose. Reasonable acquisition time requires high beam current and the ability to quantitatively detect both large and minute changes in signal. A new hybrid pixel array detector (PAD), the second-generation Electron Microscope Pixel Array Detector (EMPAD-G2), addresses this challenge by advancing the technology of a previous generation PAD, the EMPAD.