Mobilisation of Cd, Mn, and Zn in floodplains by action of plants and its consequences for spreading historical contamination and fluvial geochemistry.

Cadmium, Mn, and Zn are mobilised by plants commonly growing in floodplains, most notably willows (Salix) and alder (Alnus). These plants accumulate unwanted elements (Cd) or excessive element concentrations (Mn, Zn) in their foliage, thus introducing them into the food web and enriching them in floodplain surface by litterfall. In floodplain of the Litavka River in Czechia, contaminated by historical mining activities, up to 100 mg kg Cd and up to several thousand mg kg Mn and Zn are present in willow leaves in autumn, probably close maxima for sustainable plant growth.

Dominance hierarchy in a nutshell: why, how, dangers and solutions.

Life in societies has evolved as a response of organisms to environmental conditions. Dominance hierarchy forms an inner structure of a society which allows society members to stay together without repeated fighting. Access to resources is provided by hierarchical status.

Constructed wetlands for the treatment of household organic micropollutants with contrasting degradation behaviour: Partially-saturated systems as a performance all-rounder.

The degradability of specific organic micropollutants in constructed wetlands (CWs) may differ depending on the prevalence of oxic or anoxic conditions. These conditions are governed, among other factors, by the water saturation level in the system. This study investigated the removal of three environmentally-relevant organic micropollutants: bisphenol-group plasticizer bisphenol S (BPS), household-use insecticide fipronil (FPN) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen (KTP) in the model CWs set up in an outdoor column system.

Computer Simulation of Composite Materials Behavior under Pressing.

Composite materials have a wide range of functional properties, which is ensured by using various technological methods of obtaining both the matrix or fillers and the composition as a whole. A special place belongs to the composition formation technology, which ensures the necessary structure and properties of the composite. In this work, a computer simulation was carried out to identify the main dependencies of the behavior of composite materials in the process of the main technological operations of their production: pressing and subsequent sintering.

Increased macrophage M2/M1 ratio is associated with intracranial aneurysm rupture.

Purpose: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture results in one of the most severe forms of stroke, with severe neurological sequelae. Inflammation appears to drive aneurysm formation and progression with macrophages playing a key role in this process. However, less is known about their involvement in aneurysm rupture.

The Functionalization of a Honeycomb Polystyrene Pattern by Excimer Treatment in Liquid.

In this article, we present a unique combination of techniques focusing on the immobilization of noble metal nanoparticles into a honeycomb polystyrene pattern prepared with the improved phase-separation technique. The procedure consists of two main steps: the preparation of the honeycomb pattern (HCP) on a perfluoroethylenepropylene substrate (FEP), followed by an immobilization procedure realized by the honeycomb pattern's exposure to an excimer laser in a noble metal nanoparticle solution. The surface physico-chemical properties, mainly the surface morphology and chemistry, are characterized in detail in the study.

Effect of Infill Density in FDM 3D Printing on Low-Cycle Stress of Bamboo-Filled PLA-Based Material.

In this paper, the fatigue behavior of polylactic acid (PLA) material with bamboo filler printed by 3D additive printing using fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology at different infill densities and print nozzle diameters is investigated. The mechanical test results are supported by the findings from SEM image analysis. The fatigue behavior was tested at four consecutive 250 cycles at loads ranging from 5 to 20, 30, 40, and 50% based on the limits found in the static tensile test.

Generalized Energy-Conserving Dissipative Particle Dynamics with Mass Transfer. Part 2: Applications and Demonstrations.

We present the second part of a two-part paper series intended to address a gap in computational capability for coarse-grain particle modeling and simulation, namely, the simulation of phenomena in which diffusion via mass transfer is a contributing mechanism. In part 1, we presented a formulation of a dissipative particle dynamics method to simulate interparticle mass transfer, termed generalized energy-conserving dissipative particle dynamics with mass transfer (GenDPDE-M). In the GenDPDE-M method, the mass of each mesoparticle remains constant following the interparticle mass exchange.

Cauda equina neuroendocrine tumors show biological features distinct from other paragangliomas and visceral neuroendocrine tumors.

Cauda equina neuroendocrine tumors (CENETs) are neoplasms of uncertain histogenesis with overlapping features between those of paragangliomas (PGs) and visceral neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). We have explored their biological relationship to both subsets of neuroendocrine neoplasms. The clinical and radiological features of a cohort of 23 CENETs were analyzed.

Generalized Energy-Conserving Dissipative Particle Dynamics with Mass Transfer. Part 1: Theoretical Foundation and Algorithm.

An extension of the generalized energy-conserving dissipative particle dynamics method (GenDPDE) that allows mass transfer between mesoparticles via a diffusion process is presented. By considering the concept of the mesoparticles as , the complexity and flexibility of the GenDPDE framework were enhanced to allow for interparticle mass transfer under isoenergetic conditions, notated here as GenDPDE-M. In the formulation, diffusion is described via the theory of mesoscale irreversible processes based on linear relationships between the fluxes and thermodynamic forces, where their fluctuations are described by Langevin-like equations.

Smart Modulators Based on Electric Field-Triggering of Surface Plasmon-Polariton for Active Plasmonics.

Design and properties of a plasmonic modulator in situ tunable by electric field are presented. Our design comprises the creation of periodic surface pattern on the surface of an elastic polymer supported by a piezo-substrate by excimer laser irradiation and subsequent selective coverage by silver by tilted angle vacuum evaporation. The structure creation was confirmed by AFM and FIB-SEM techniques.

Hybrid Nanofillers Creating the Stable PVDF Nanocomposite Films and Their Effect on the Friction and Mechanical Properties.

The solvent casting method was used for five types of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) nanocomposite film preparation. The effect of nanofillers in PVDF nanocomposite films on the structural, phase, and friction and mechanical properties was examined and compared with that of the natural PVDF film. The surface topography of PVDF nanocomposite films was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and correlative imaging (CPEM, combinate AFM and SEM).

Magnetic resonance tractography of the brachial plexus: step-by-step.

Background: Magnetic resonance (MR) tractography of the brachial plexus (BP) is challenging due to different factors such as motion artifacts, pulsation artifacts, signal-to-noise ratio, spatial resolution; eddy currents induced geometric distortions, sequence parameters and choice of used coils. Notably challenging is the separation of the peripheral nerve bundles and skeletal muscles as both structures have similar fractional anisotropy values. We proposed an algorithm for robust visualization and assessment of BP root bundles using the segmentation of the spinal cord (SSC, C4-T1) as seed points for the initial starting area for the fibre tracking algorithm.

The root-associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal assemblages of exotic alien plants are simplified in invaded distribution ranges, but dominant species are retained: A trans-continental perspective.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide crucial support for the establishment of plants in novel environments. We hypothesized that the OTU/genus richness and diversity of soil- and root-associated AMF associated with alien plant species in their exotic ranges are lower than those in their native ranges. We examined the root-associated and soil-dwelling AMF of 11 invasive plant species in their native and exotic ranges in the United States and Europe by DNA sequencing of the ITS2 locus.

Carbon Transformation Induced by High Energy Excimer Treatment.

The main aim of this study was to describe the treatment of carbon sheet with a high-energy excimer laser. The excimer modification changed the surface chemistry and morphology of carbon. The appearance of specific carbon forms and modifications have been detected due to exposure to laser beam fluencies up to 8 J cm.

Unveiling the nanotoxicological aspects of Se nanomaterials differing in size and morphology.

Although the general concept of nanotechnology relies on exploitation of size-dependent properties of nanoscaled materials, the relation between the size/morphology of nanoparticles with their biological activity remains not well understood. Therefore, we aimed at investigating the biological activity of Se nanoparticles, one of the most promising candidates of nanomaterials for biomedicine, possessing the same crystal structure, but differing in morphology (nanorods spherical particles) and aspect ratios (AR, 11.5 22.

Modeling of Polymer Composite Materials Chaotically Reinforced with Spherical and Cylindrical Inclusions.

The technical and economic efficiency of new PCMs depends on the ability to predict their performance. The problem of predicting the properties of PCMs can be solved by computer simulation by the finite element method. In this work, an experimental determination of the physical and mechanical properties of PTFE PCMs depending on the concentration of fibrous and dispersed filler was carried out.

The Effect of Early Applied Robot-Assisted Physiotherapy on Functional Independence Measure Score in Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients.

Robot-assisted training has been widely used in rehabilitation programs, but no significant clinical evidence about its use in productive working-age cardiac patients was demonstrated. Thus, we hypothesized that early applied robot-assisted physiotherapy might provide additional treatment benefits in the rehabilitation of post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. A total of 92 (50 men, 42 women) hospitalized post-MI patients with the age of 60.

Modeling and Optimization of Properties of the Environmentally Clean Molds Based on Oligofurfuryloxysiloxanes for the Production the Metal Castings.

This article is devoted to modeling, researching and optimizing the main properties of an environmentally clean polymer composition based on oligofurfuryloxysiloxanes (OFOS), which can be used to produce casting molds and cores in the production of castings from ferrous and nonferrous metals. Polymer compositions were examined for strength, survivability, gas permeability, moisture, crumbliness, fire resistance, knockout, and stickability. It has been established that the increase in the strength of the polymer composition over time obeys an exponential law.

Reconstructing atmospheric Hg levels near the oldest chemical factory in central Europe using a tree ring archive.

The Chemical Factory in Marktredwitz (CFM) is known as the oldest chemical factory in Germany (1778-1985), and from the beginning of the 20 century focused primarily on the production of mercury (Hg) compounds. Due to extensive pollution, together with employee health issues, the CFM was shut in 1985 by a government order and remediation works proceeded from 1986 to 1993. In this study, tree ring archives of European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.

Ciprofloxacin-Loaded Poly(-isopropylacrylamide--acrylamide)/Polycaprolactone Nanofibers as Dual Thermo- and pH-Responsive Antibacterial Materials.

Nanofibers are an attractive option in drug release, especially as antibacterial materials. However, there is no universal antibacterial material and little attention has been devoted to bacteria-nanofiber attachment. Poly(-isopropylacrylamide--acrylamide) is particularly interesting due to its dual thermo- and pH-responsive nature.

Microstructural modifications induced in Si-implanted yttria-stabilised zirconia: a combined RBS-C, XRD and Raman investigation.

The structural differences in (100)-, (110)- and (111)-oriented cubic yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) single crystals after implantation with 2 MeV Si ions at the fluences of 5 × 10, 1 × 10 and 5 × 10 cm were studied using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in the channelling mode (RBS-C), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The RBS-C results show that the damage accumulation in the 〈110〉 direction exhibits a lower level of disorder (<0.3) than the other orientations (<0.

Identifying barriers for nature-based solutions in flood risk management: An interdisciplinary overview using expert community approach.

The major event that hit Europe in summer 2021 reminds society that floods are recurrent and among the costliest and deadliest natural hazards. The long-term flood risk management (FRM) efforts preferring sole technical measures to prevent and mitigate floods have shown to be not sufficiently effective and sensitive to the environment. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) mark a recent paradigm shift of FRM towards solutions that use nature-derived features, processes and management options to improve water retention and mitigate floods.

Adaptive Synthesis of Functional Amphiphilic Dendrons as a Novel Approach to Artificial Supramolecular Objects.

Supramolecular structures, such as micelles, liposomes, polymerosomes or dendrimerosomes, are widely studied and used as drug delivery systems. The behavior of amphiphilic building blocks strongly depends on their spatial distribution and shape of polar and nonpolar component. This report is focused on the development of new versatile synthetic protocols for amphiphilic carbosilane dendrons (amp-CS-DDNs) capable of self-assembly to regular micelles and other supramolecular objects.