Electrothermal mineralization of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances for soil remediation.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent and bioaccumulative pollutants that can easily accumulate in soil, posing a threat to environment and human health. Current PFAS degradation processes often suffer from low efficiency, high energy and water consumption, or lack of generality. Here, we develop a rapid electrothermal mineralization (REM) process to remediate PFAS-contaminated soil.

Geometric morphometric anatomy of the lacrimal punctum in normal population: Punctum update (PUP) study - Paper 5.

Background: To investigate the geometric morphological differences of the lacrimal punctum by analyzing its shape in relation to age and sex in a normal population.

Methods: 960 high-magnification slit-lamp images were obtained from 320 puncta of normal asymptomatic Indian individuals across eight decades of life. Using advanced geometric morphometric techniques, including Elliptic Fourier Analysis and Principal Component Analysis, the intricate details of the lacrimal punctum's shape in a diverse population sample were categorized by age and sex.

Balance and imbalance in biogeochemical cycles reflect the operation of closed, exchange, and open sets.

Biogeochemical reactions modulate the chemical composition of the oceans and atmosphere, providing feedbacks that sustain planetary habitability over geological time. Here, we mathematically evaluate a suite of biogeochemical processes to identify combinations of reactions that stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide by balancing fluxes of chemical species among the ocean, atmosphere, and geosphere. Unlike prior modeling efforts, this approach does not prescribe functional relationships between the rates of biogeochemical processes and environmental conditions.

High-temperature electrothermal remediation of multi-pollutants in soil.

Soil contamination is an environmental issue due to increasing anthropogenic activities. Existing processes for soil remediation suffer from long treatment time and lack generality because of different sources, occurrences, and properties of pollutants. Here, we report a high-temperature electrothermal process for rapid, water-free remediation of multiple pollutants in soil.

High rates of rock organic carbon oxidation sustained as Andean sediment transits the Amazon foreland-floodplain.

The oxidation of organic carbon contained within sedimentary rocks ("petrogenic" carbon, or hereafter OC) emits nearly as much CO as is released by volcanism, thereby playing a key role in the long-term global C budget. High erosion rates in mountains have been shown to increase OC oxidation. However, these settings also export unweathered material that may continue to react in downstream floodplains.

Overperception of moral outrage in online social networks inflates beliefs about intergroup hostility.

As individuals and political leaders increasingly interact in online social networks, it is important to understand the dynamics of emotion perception online. Here, we propose that social media users overperceive levels of moral outrage felt by individuals and groups, inflating beliefs about intergroup hostility. Using a Twitter field survey, we measured authors' moral outrage in real time and compared authors' reports to observers' judgements of the authors' moral outrage.

Neogene burial of organic carbon in the global ocean.

Organic carbon buried in marine sediment serves as a net sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and a source of oxygen. The rate of organic carbon burial through geologic history is conventionally established by using the mass balance between inorganic and organic carbon, each with distinct carbon isotopic values (δC). This method is complicated by large uncertainties, however, and has not been tested with organic carbon accumulation data.

Race and ethnic minority, local pollution, and COVID-19 deaths in Texas.

The costs of COVID-19 are extensive, and, like the fallout of most health and environmental crises in the US, there is growing evidence that these costs weigh disproportionately on communities of color. We investigated whether county-level racial composition and fine particulate pollution (PM) are indicators for COVID-19 incidence and death rates in the state of Texas. Using county-level data, we ran linear regressions of percent minority as well as historic 2000-2016 PM levels against COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita.

Nonsurvival Distributions in Pediatric Burn Patients: A Comparative Study of Two National Databases.

A contemporary, age-specific model for the distribution of burn mortality in children has not been developed for over a decade. Using data from TriNetX, a global federated health research network, and the American Burn Association's Nation Burn Repository (NBR), we investigated nonsurvival distributions for pediatric burns in the United States. Pediatric burn patients aged 0 to 20 between 2010 and 2020 were identified in TriNetX from 41 Healthcare Organizations using ICD-10 codes (T.

Detection of Infection and Sepsis in Burns.

Infection is the most frequent complication after severe burns and has a propensity to progress into sepsis then septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Improving outcomes in acute burn care depends on early detection of infection to allow prompt interventions. Diagnosis of sepsis in severe burns is uniquely challenging because otherwise-typical clinical signs are masked by the hypermetabolic state and systemic inflammation induced by the burn itself.

Mindfulness Meditation Activates Altruism.

Clinical evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety, depression, and stress, and improves emotion regulation due to modulation of activity in neural substrates linked to the regulation of emotions and social preferences. However, less was known about whether mindfulness meditation might alter pro-social behavior. Here we examined whether mindfulness meditation activates human altruism, a component of social cooperation.

The kinetics of siderophore-mediated olivine dissolution.

Silicate minerals represent an important reservoir of nutrients at Earth's surface and a source of alkalinity that modulates long-term geochemical cycles. Due to the slow kinetics of primary silicate mineral dissolution and the potential for nutrient immobilization by secondary mineral precipitation, the bioavailability of many silicate-bound nutrients may be limited by the ability of micro-organisms to actively scavenge these nutrients via redox alteration and/or organic ligand production. In this study, we use targeted laboratory experiments with olivine and the siderophore deferoxamine B to explore how microbial ligands affect nutrient (Fe) release and the overall rate of mineral dissolution.

Glacial weathering, sulfide oxidation, and global carbon cycle feedbacks.

Connections between glaciation, chemical weathering, and the global carbon cycle could steer the evolution of global climate over geologic time, but even the directionality of feedbacks in this system remain to be resolved. Here, we assemble a compilation of hydrochemical data from glacierized catchments, use this data to evaluate the dominant chemical reactions associated with glacial weathering, and explore the implications for long-term geochemical cycles. Weathering yields from catchments in our compilation are higher than the global average, which results, in part, from higher runoff in glaciated catchments.

Wavefront-Guided Versus Wavefront-Optimized Photorefractive Keratectomy: Visual and Military Task Performance.

Purpose: To compare visual performance, marksmanship performance, and threshold target identification following wavefront-guided (WFG) versus wavefront-optimized (WFO) photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

Methods: In this prospective, randomized clinical trial, active duty U.S.

Wavefront-optimized surface retreatments of refractive error following previous laser refractive surgery: a retrospective study.

Background: Retreatments are sometimes necessary to correct residual or induced refractive errors following refractive surgery. Many different combinations of primary treatment methods and retreatment techniques have been studied, however, few studies have investigated wavefront-optimized (WFO) technology for retreatment following primary refractive surgery. This study aimed to report the outcomes of WFO photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) retreatments of refractive error following previous laser refractive surgery with PRK, laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), or laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK).

Wavefront-guided versus wavefront-optimized photorefractive keratectomy: Clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Purpose: To compare visual outcomes following Visx Star S4 Customvue wavefront-guided and Allegretto Wave Eye-Q 400 Hz wavefront-optimized photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

Setting: Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program and Research Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Design: Prospective randomized clinical trial.

Sulphide oxidation and carbonate dissolution as a source of CO2 over geological timescales.

The observed stability of Earth's climate over millions of years is thought to depend on the rate of carbon dioxide (CO2) release from the solid Earth being balanced by the rate of CO2 consumption by silicate weathering. During the Cenozoic era, spanning approximately the past 66 million years, the concurrent increases in the marine isotopic ratios of strontium, osmium and lithium suggest that extensive uplift of mountain ranges may have stimulated CO2 consumption by silicate weathering, but reconstructions of sea-floor spreading do not indicate a corresponding increase in CO2 inputs from volcanic degassing. The resulting imbalance would have depleted the atmosphere of all CO2 within a few million years.

Refractive surgery policy and its effect on visual acuity qualification rates for the 2004 and 2011 Army ROTC flight applicant pools.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to ascertain the effect of recent U.S. Army Aviation corneal refractive surgery (CRS) policy changes on the size of flight school applicant pools by comparing statistics from the 2004 and 2011 Warrior Forge Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps training camps.

Pediatric PRK (PhotoRefractive Keratectomy) with Mitomycin C (MCC) for Persistent Anisometropic Amblyopia. A Case Report.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with Mitomycin C (MMC) for the treatment of severe pediatric anisometropia and amblyopia resistant to more conservative treatment modalities.

Methods: A 3 year-old-child, who at 18 months old underwent unilateral diode laser treatment for threshold ROP, developed 11 diopters of anisometropic myopia and secondary dense amblyopia of the Right Eye. Only after all conservative treatment options failed was he treated with PRK and MMC.

Systemic absorption of mitomycin-C when used in refractive surgery.

Purpose: To determine whether corneal topical application of mitomycin-C (MMC) results in measurable plasma levels of systemic absorption.

Setting: Madigan Army Medical Center, Refractive Surgery Center, Fort Lewis, Washington, and Micro-Constants Laboratory, San Diego, California, USA.

Design: Case-control study.

Virtual reality simulation in acquiring and differentiating basic ophthalmic microsurgical skills.

Objective: A virtual reality (VR) surgical simulator (EyeSi ophthalmosurgical simulator: VRMagic, Mannheim, Germany) was evaluated as a part-task training platform for differentiating and developing basic ophthalmic microsurgical skills.

Methods: Surgical novice performance (residents, interns, and nonmicrosurgical ophthalmic staff) was compared with surgical expert performance (practicing ophthalmic microsurgeons) on a basic navigational microdexterity module provided with the EyeSi simulator.

Results: Expert surgeons showed a greater initial facility with all microsurgical tasks.

Effect of lidocaine gel on povidone-iodine antisepsis and microbial survival.

Purpose: To determine whether the use of lidocaine gel prior to povidone-iodine antisepsis is associated with increased microbial survival.

Setting: Ophthalmology Department, Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, Washington, USA.

Methods: A standardized suspension of Staphylococcus epidermidis was used to inoculate 5 blood agar plates that served as a control.

Long-term graft survival in patients with Down syndrome after penetrating keratoplasty.

Purpose: To determine graft survival and long-term visual outcome after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) for keratoconus in patients with Down syndrome.

Methods: The records of all patients with Down syndrome who received PK by the same provider were reviewed. A retrospective analysis was performed to determine long-term graft survival, incidence of graft failure, and complication rate.

Infectious keratitis after photorefractive keratectomy in the United States army and navy.

Purpose: To review the incidence, culture results, clinical course, management, and visual outcomes of infectious keratitis after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) at 6 Army and Navy refractive surgery centers.

Design: Retrospective study.

Participants: Twelve thousand six hundred sixty-eight Navy and Army sailors and service members.

Topical tacrolimus treatment of atopic eyelid disease.

Purpose: To describe the effects of topical tacrolimus treatment of severe atopic eyelid disease.

Design: Interventional consecutive case series.

Methods: A description of clinical findings and therapeutic response for five consecutive adult patients (mean age, 56.