Temporal Relationship between Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure Development Analysis from a Nationwide Database.

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often co-exist and are closely intertwined, each condition worsening the other. The temporal relationships between these two disorders have not yet been fully explored. We aimed to address the outcomes of patients hospitalized with HF and AF based on the chronology of the onset of the two disorders.

Characterization of mercury binding onto a novel brominated biomass ash sorbent by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Recent laboratory and field-scale experiments demonstrated the potential for brominated industrial solid waste from biomass combustion (Br-Ash) to be an efficient, cost-effective alternative to activated carbon for capturing mercury from coal-fired power plants. To develop this attractive alternative technology to a commercially sustainable level, a better understanding of mercury capture mechanisms by Br-Ash is required. For this purpose, X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectra of Br-Ash were collected at the Hg L(III)-edge, Br K-edge and S K-edge, and analyzed to determine the local bonding environment of mercury atoms.