Policies on children and schools during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Western Europe.

During the pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), mitigation policies for children have been a topic of considerable uncertainty and debate. Although some children have co-morbidities which increase their risk for severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and complications such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome and long COVID, most children only get mild COVID-19. On the other hand, consistent evidence shows that mass mitigation measures had enormous adverse impacts on children.

Towards a sustainable transformation of municipal wastewater treatment plants into biofactories using advanced NH-N recovery technologies: A review.

Ammonia (NH), as a prevalent pollutant in municipal wastewater discharges, can impair aquatic life and have a negatively impact on the environment. Proper wastewater treatment and management practices are essential to protect ecosystems and keep human populations healthy. Therefore, using highly effective NH-N recovery technologies at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is widely acknowledged as a necessity.

Efficacy of Vehicle Scanning Methods in Estimating the Mode Shapes of Bridges Seated on Elastic Supports.

This study systematically assesses the efficacy of the vehicle scanning methods (VSM) in accurately estimating the mode shapes of bridges seated on elastic supports. Three state-of-the-art VSM methods are employed to obtain the mode shapes of bridges using the vehicle data during its travel. Two of the evaluated methods use a signal decomposition technique to extract the modal components of the bridge from the contact point of the response while the third one relies on the segmentation of the measured signals along the bridge deck and applying an operational modal analysis tool to each segmented signal to estimate the mode shapes.

Advanced Hybrid System for Ammonium Valorization as Liquid Fertilizer from Treated Urban Wastewaters: Validation of Natural Zeolites Pretreatment and Liquid-Liquid Membrane Contactors at Pilot Plant Scale.

This study evaluates a hybrid system combining zeolites as a sorption stage and a hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) for ammonia (NH) recovery from treated urban wastewater. Ion exchange with zeolites was selected as an advanced pretreatment and concentration step before the HFMC. The system was tested with wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent (mainstream, 50 mg N-NH/L) and anaerobic digestion centrates (sidestream, 600-800 mg N-NH/L) from another WWTP.

Environmental and economic evaluation of implementing membrane technologies and struvite crystallisation to recover nutrients from anaerobic digestion supernatant.

The present study investigates the environmental and economic feasibility of implementing membrane technologies and struvite crystallisation (SC) for nutrient recovery from the anaerobic digestion supernatant. To this end, one scenario combining partial-nitritation/Anammox and SC was compared with three scenarios combining membrane technologies and SC. The combination of ultrafiltration, SC and liquid-liquid membrane contactor (LLMC) was the less environmentally impactful scenario.

Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic evaluation of the value chain in nutrient recovery from wastewater treatment plants for agricultural application.

The recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus is important to promote circular economy in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, the life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) of a novel pilot-scale plant aimed at recovering ammonium nitrate and struvite for subsequent application in agriculture was conducted. The nutrient recovery scheme was implemented in the sludge line of the WWTP and included (i) struvite crystallisation and (ii) ion-exchange process combined with gas permeable membrane contactor.

The Components' Roles in Thermal Stability and Flammability of Cork Powder.

In this study, an analysis of the influence of extractives, suberin and lignocellulosic components on the pyrolysis decomposition and fire reaction mechanisms of a cork oak powder from L. is presented. The summative chemical composition of cork powder was determined.

A Beta Version of an Application Based on Computer Vision for the Assessment of Knee Valgus Angle: A Validity and Reliability Study.

Background: In handball, the kinematics of the frontal plane seem to be one of the most important factors for the development of lower limb injuries. The knee valgus angle is a fundamental axis for injury prevention and is usually measured with 2D systems such as Kinovea software (Version 0.9.

A Novel Device for Assessment and Treatment of Upper Cervical Spine: Test-Retest Reliability Study.

Introduction: Neck pain is one of the most frequent reasons for consultation in primary care. Clinicians evaluate different variables, including movement and cervical strength, to determine the prognosis of patients. Usually, the tools employed for this purpose are expensive and bulky, or more than one is needed.

Surveillance of Daughter Micronodule Formation Is a Key Factor for Vaccine Evaluation Using Experimental Infection Models of Tuberculosis in Macaques.

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major worldwide health problem and models using non-human primates (NHP) provide the most relevant approach for vaccine testing. In this study, we analysed CT images collected from cynomolgus and rhesus macaques following exposure to ultra-low dose (Mtb) aerosols, and monitored them for 16 weeks to evaluate the impact of prior intradermal or inhaled BCG vaccination on the progression of lung disease. All lesions found (2553) were classified according to their size and we subclassified small micronodules (<4.

Layer-Wise Relevance Analysis for Motif Recognition in the Activation Pathway of the 2- GPCR Receptor.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell membrane proteins of relevance as therapeutic targets, and are associated to the development of treatments for illnesses such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, or even cancer. Therefore, comprehending the underlying mechanisms of the receptor functional properties is of particular interest in pharmacoproteomics and in disease therapy at large. Their interaction with ligands elicits multiple molecular rearrangements all along their structure, inducing activation pathways that distinctly influence the cell response.

Impact of Sidestream Pre-Treatment on Ammonia Recovery by Membrane Contactors: Experimental and Economic Evaluation.

Membrane contactor is a promising technology for ammonia recovery from the anaerobic digestion centrate. However, high suspended solids and dissolved organic matter concentrations can reduce the effectiveness of the technology. In this study, coagulation-flocculation (C/F) and aeration pre-treatments were evaluated to reduce chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, suspended solids and alkalinity before the ammonia recovery stage using a membrane contactor.

Electrodialysis with Bipolar Membranes for the Generation of NaOH and HCl Solutions from Brines: An Inter-Laboratory Evaluation of Thin and Ultrathin Non-Woven Cloth-Based Ion-Exchange Membranes.

The SEArcularMINE project aims to recover critical raw materials (CRMs) from brines from saltworks, thus facing a CRM shortage within Europe. To promote a fully circular scheme, the project valorises concentrated brines using electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) to generate the required amounts of reactants (i.e.

Provenance and Dynamic Consents for the Management of Medical Data.

Medical data describe patient health information, both in healthy and disease conditions. In any case, health institutions need to ask for patient consent in order to provide their services. Patients usually give consent on a one-time basis, for a specific usage.

Recovery of phenolic compounds from wine lees using green processing: Identifying target molecules and assessing membrane ultrafiltration performance.

Winery wastes are rich in polyphenols with high added value to be used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food products. This work aims at recovering and purifying the polyphenolic fraction occurring in the malolactic fermentation lees generated during the production of Albariño wines. Phenolic acids, flavonoids, and related compounds were recovered from this oenological waste by green liquid extraction using water as the solvent.

Potential of Salvinia biloba Raddi for removing atrazine and carbendazim from aquatic environments.

In this exploratory study, naturally occurring Salvinia biloba Raddi specimens were assessed for atrazine and carbendazim polluted water remediation. Experiments were carried out over 21 days in glass vessels containing deionized water artificially contaminated with 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg L of atrazine or carbendazim. Atrazine had a pronounced detrimental impact on S.

Technical Development of the CeCi Social Robot.

This research presents the technical considerations for implementing the CeCi (Computer Electronic Communication Interface) social robot. In this case, this robot responds to the need to achieve technological development in an emerging country with the aim of social impact and social interaction. There are two problems with the social robots currently on the market, which are the main focus of this research.

Recovery of Lithium Carbonate from Dilute Li-Rich Brine via Homogenous and Heterogeneous Precipitation.

An extensive experimental campaign on Li recovery from relatively dilute LiCl solutions (i.e., Li ∼ 4000 ppm) is presented to identify the best operating conditions for a LiCO crystallization unit.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children in Western Countries? Decreasing Incidence as the Pandemic Progresses?: An Observational Multicenter International Cross-sectional Study.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 variations as well as immune protection after previous infections and/or vaccination may have altered the incidence of multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). We aimed to report an international time-series analysis of the incidence of MIS-C to determine if there was a shift in the regions or countries included into the study.

Methods: This is a multicenter, international, cross-sectional study.

Assessing wastewater-based epidemiology for the prediction of SARS-CoV-2 incidence in Catalonia.

While wastewater-based epidemiology has proven a useful tool for epidemiological surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic, few quantitative models comparing virus concentrations in wastewater samples and cumulative incidence have been established. In this work, a simple mathematical model relating virus concentration and cumulative incidence for full contagion waves was developed. The model was then used for short-term forecasting and compared to a local linear model.

Removal of nitrate and pesticides from groundwater by nano zero-valent iron injection pulses under biostimulation and bioaugmentation scenarios in continuous-flow packed soil columns.

This study evaluates the NO removal from groundwater through Heterotrophic Denitrification (HDN) (promoted by the addition of acetate and/or an inoculum rich in denitrifiers) and Abiotic Chemical Nitrate Reduction (ACNR) (promoted by pulse injection of zerovalent iron nanoparticles (nZVI)). HDN and ACNR were applied, separately or combined, in packed soil column experiments to complement the scarce research on pulse-injected nZVI in continuous-flow systems mimicking a Well-based Denitrification Barrier. Together with NO, the removal of two common pesticides (dieldrin and lindane) was evaluated.

A Systematic Study of Restorative Crown-Materials Combinations for Dental Implants: Characterization of Mechanical Properties under Dynamic Loads.

This study aimed to find the optimum mechanical characteristics of the restorative materials for the manufacture of implant crowns subjected to impact loading when different combinations of materials are used for the inner and outer crown. Several combinations of external-internal crown restorative materials were analyzed. The dynamic stresses at eight different zones of a dental implant subjected to an impact load and the influence of several mechanical properties, such as the Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, density, and initial velocity, were analyzed and compared.

Long-Term Comparison between Waste Paper Fly Ash and Traditional Binder as Hydraulic Road Binder Exposed to Sulfate Concentrations.

Sulfate attack is one of the drawbacks of cementitious materials for stabilized soils. In the current study, a durability comparison of stabilized soil with cement (Type IV) and waste paper fly ash (WPFA) was conducted. First, the treated soil's unconfined compressive strength (UCS) was tested.

Recovery of Natural Polyphenols from Spinach and Orange By-Products by Pressure-Driven Membrane Processes.

Spinach and orange by-products are well recognized for their health benefits due to the presence of natural polyphenols with antioxidant activity. Therefore, the demand to produce functional products containing polyphenols recovered from vegetables and fruits has increased in the last decade. This work aims to use the integrated membrane process for the recovery of polyphenols from spinach and orange wastes, implemented on a laboratory scale.

Ammonia Valorization by Liquid-Liquid Membrane Contactors for Liquid Fertilizers Production: Experimental Conditions Evaluation.

Liquid-liquid membrane contactors (LLMCs) were studied as a sustainable technology for ammonia recovery from wastewater. Ammonia can be valorized by LLMCs as a potential nutrient and produce liquid fertilizers. Thus, this work aims for the study of different experimental LLMC conditions to produce ammonium salts by an acid stripping stream.