Dynamic Wetting of Photo-Responsive Arylazopyrazole Monolayers is Controlled by the Molecular Kinetics of the Monolayer

Smart surfaces that can change their wetting behavior on demand are interesting for applications such as self-cleaning surfaces or lab-on-a-chip devices. In order to functionalize aluminum oxide surfaces, we have synthesized arylazopyrazole phosphonic acids (butyl-AAP-C18PA) that represent a new class of photoswitchable molecules for these oxide surfaces. Butyl-AAP-C18PA monolayers were deposited on alpha-Al2O3(0001) and show reversible E/Z photo-switching with UV (Z) and green (E) light that can trigger contact angle changes of up to ~10°. We monitored these changes on the macroscopic level by recording the dynamic contact angle while the monolayer was switched in situ from the E to the Z state. On the molecular level, time-resolved vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy provided information on the kinetic changes within the AAP monolayer and the relevant characteristic time scales for E to Z switching and vice versa. In addition, vibrational SFG at different relative humidity indicates that the thermal stability of the Z configuration is largely influenced by the presence of water and that water can stabilize the Z state and, thus, hinder the AAP monolayer to switch into the E state when it is immersed in H2O. Having established the characteristic times for switching on the molecular scale from SFG spectroscopy, we additional measure the dynamic contact angle. Further, we reveal the time scales of the coupled substrate and droplet dynamics which we have extracted individually. For that, we report on a relaxation model, that can be solved analytically and which is verified via comparison with simulations of a Lennard Jones system and a comparison with experimental data. Indeed, our modelling of these coupled relaxation processes allows us to predict the non-trivial variation of the time-dependence of the contact angle when changing the size of the droplet. The observed slowing-down for E to Z switching upon the presence of the droplet is rationalized in terms of specific interactions of water with the exposed AAP moieties.

Working at home and outside: Working conditions and non-working hours

In the presence of anti-epidemic restrictions, telework has become widespread around the world. This trend has provoked numerous debates on how efficient and convenient work from home is compared to that performed on special premises. However, work from home is not the only non-standard form of work activity. This study explores different types of workplace — locations and premises where workers perform their duties. Empirical analysis exploits microdata from “The time use survey” conducted by the Russian Statistical Agency in 2019. The survey identifies six types of work: on standard premises (offices or shop-floors), telework, homebased work, work performed in special facility (like kiosks, pavilions, gas filling stations, garages, etc.), in open air facilities (like construction sites or agricultural fields), or transportation/delivery services. These types of workplace differ in terms of employment and working conditions, work safety and commuting time, potentially contributing to social stratification. Thus, heterogeneity in “workplaces” contributes to social stratification, affects distribution of economic benefits and health risks and can be an additional measure of labor market inequality.

Working at home and outside: Working conditions and non-working hours

In the presence of anti-epidemic restrictions, telework has become widespread around the world. This trend has provoked numerous debates on how efficient and convenient work from home is compared to that performed on special premises. However, work from home is not the only non-standard form of work activity. This study explores different types of workplace — locations and premises where workers perform their duties. Empirical analysis exploits microdata from “The time use survey” conducted by the Russian Statistical Agency in 2019. The survey identifies six types of work: on standard premises (offices or shop-floors), telework, homebased work, work performed in special facility (like kiosks, pavilions, gas filling stations, garages, etc.), in open air facilities (like construction sites or agricultural fields), or transportation/delivery services. These types of workplace differ in terms of employment and working conditions, work safety and commuting time, potentially contributing to social stratification. Thus, heterogeneity in “workplaces” contributes to social stratification, affects distribution of economic benefits and health risks and can be an additional measure of labor market inequality.

The Efficiency Analysis of Large Banks Using the Bootstrap and Fuzzy DEA: A Case of an Emerging Market

In this study, banks’ business performance efficiency was analysed using data envelopment analysis (DEA), with expense categories as inputs and income categories as outputs. By incorporating a bootstrap method and a fuzzy data approach into a DEA model, additional insights and sensitivity analysis of the results were obtained. This study shows how fuzzy and bootstrap DEA can be used for investigating real market problems with uncertain data in an uncertain sample. The empirical analysis was based on the period of 2009–2018 for a sample of seven of Croatia’s largest private banks. The aim of the study was also to interpret the DEA results with regards to the specific market, legal, and macroeconomic conditions, caused by the changes introduced in the last decade. The results, and the changes in the inputs and outputs over time, revealed that the market processes occurring in the observed period had a significant impact on banks’ business performance, but led to a more efficient banking system. Two banks were found to be dominant over the others regardless of the changes in the sample and data fuzziness. DEA results were additionally compared to the most important financial indicators and accounting ratios, as an alternative or additional measure of banks’ efficiency and profitability.

Online learning, classroom quality, and student motivation: Perspectives from students, teachers, parents, and program staff

The purpose of this concurrent mixed-methods study was to assess the quality of online learning with a focus on student motivation in the context of a talent development program. Data were collected from 221 Indian students from fifth to tenth grades for three academic years during their participation in 14 online and 10 in-person courses. Students, teachers, and parents responded to a measure of classroom quality assessing five constructs—appeal, meaningfulness, academic self-efficacy, challenge, and choice. In addition, 41 online sessions were observed by program staff using an additional measure of instructional quality. Participants rated online learning to be highly supportive of learning motivation. No significant differences were observed in student motivation by program format, gender, or program level. Qualitative analysis revealed specific affordances and challenges in supporting student motivation in online learning. Implications in the context of out-of-school programs for students with intellectual gifts and talents are discussed.

Plasma Metabolome Normalization in Rheumatoid Arthritis Following Initiation of Methotrexate and the Identification of Metabolic Biomarkers of Efficacy

Methotrexate (MTX) efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is variable and unpredictable, resulting in a need to identify biomarkers to guide drug therapy. This study evaluates changes in the plasma metabolome associated with response to MTX in RA with the goal of understanding the metabolic basis for MTX efficacy towards the identification of potential metabolic biomarkers of MTX response. Plasma samples were collected from healthy control subjects (n = 20), and RA patients initiating MTX therapy (n = 20, 15 mg/week) before and after 16 weeks of treatment. The samples were analyzed by a semi-targeted metabolomic analysis, and then analyzed by univariate and multivariate methods, as well as an enrichment analysis. An MTX response was defined as a clinically significant reduction in the disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS-28) of greater than 1.2; achievement of clinical remission, defined as a DAS-28 < 2.6, was also utilized as an additional measure of response. In this study, RA is associated with an altered plasma metabolome that is normalized following initiation of MTX therapy. Metabolite classes found to be altered in RA and corrected by MTX therapy were diverse and included triglycerides (p = 1.1 × 10−16), fatty acids (p = 8.0 × 10−12), and ceramides (p = 9.8 × 10−13). Stratification based on responses to MTX identified various metabolites differentially impacted in responders and non-responders including glucosylceramides (GlcCer), phosphatidylcholines (PC), sphingomyelins (SM), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), choline, inosine, hypoxanthine, guanosine, nicotinamide, and itaconic acid (p < 0.05). In conclusion, RA is associated with significant alterations to the plasma metabolome displaying at least partial normalization following 16 weeks of MTX therapy. Changes in multiple metabolites were found to be associated with MTX efficacy, including metabolites involved in fatty acid/lipid, nucleotide, and energy metabolism.

Challenges and Lessons Learnt on Waste Management and Disposal from Mauritania Deepwater Abandonment and Decommissioning Campaign

Abandonment and decommissioning activities of oil and gas assets had been on the increasing trend. As an activity of minimal to no economic value return, the investment into Abandonment and Decommissioning (A&D) should be properly strategized to ensure all objectives are met safely within available time and resources. This paper will discuss Operator's strategy in planning and handling waste from A&D activities of fifteen (15) deepwater subsea wells in Mauritania, West Africa. The approach of this A&D project at a remote location was done in two separate campaign instead of a single campaign based on technical and commercial evaluations performed by Operator. Subsea structures, Christmas trees, tubulars and others are expected to be retrieved and disposed according to local and international standard. In general, Operator are expecting two (2) type of waste which are non-hazardous waste and hazardous waste due to hydrocarbon or naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) contamination. Due to the limitation of capable hazardous waste handling and disposal in country, Operator decided to export waste to identified facilities outside of country at the end of the project via sea-freight. Operator appointed one contractor to provide a full-service related to the waste management and disposal that covers field services and onshore services that includes radiological monitoring to identify NORM waste, labelling, packaging at offshore, onshore storage, transportation and logistics that include Trans-Frontier Shipment (TFS). The strategy of appointing one contractor for full service of waste management and disposal has promoted a single – point accountability to the contractor and this has enabled the objective been delivered effectively. COVID-19 pandemic posed a great challenge on cross-border logistic planning due to additional measure been imposed by receiving country. Furthermore, the new development of United Kingdom exiting European Union (BREXIT) also posed some level of uncertainty to the contractor to obtain relevant approvals for waste export. To reduce the amount of waste to be export, Operator continuously looking for and successfully found a local recycling facility that able to handle the non-hazardous waste while meeting local regulation, Operator's and industrial standard. All outlined strategy was proven to be effective for waste management in remote location, uncertainty on cross-border waste export challenge, as well as capitalizing on the limited local resources available.

Analysis and comparison of passive and climate-unadapted design in terms of resources, energy demands and thermal comfort by means of building simulation and life cycle assessment

The aim of passive design is to respond to the external climate using primarily structural means to achieve a comfortable indoor climate. The use of building technology is an additional measure. This paper compares the demand for resources, primary energy, and thermal and air-hygienic comfort of passive and climate-unadapted designs to determine the most energy-efficient and sustainable design. It also analyses whether user comfort suffers from reduced use of technical building equipment. For this purpose, a representative passive building model is compared with a climate-unadapted one. Comfort, primary and embodied energy are determined and compared by way of a simulation and life cycle assessment. The passive design presents a lower primary energy demand than the climate-unadapted one, even when embodied energy is taken into account. While the requirements of air-hygienic comfort are fulfilled equally in both types of buildings, the passive design displays better thermal comfort. This indicates that energy can be saved by employing a passive design.

Venous access for parenteral nutrition: what has changed over the past 12 years?

The article provides an overview of the significant changes in clinical practice that have occurred since the publication of the European Association for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines on providing vascular access for parenteral nutrition (PN), regarding the choice of vascular access, prevention and treatment of the most common important complications of long-term venous access - catheter-associated bloodstream infection and obstruction of the internal lumen of the catheters. The preferred vascular access for PN for medium- to long-term PN - a tunneled central venous catheter (TCVC), PICC catheter, or a fully implantable port system (PIPS) - is now largely determined by the underlying disease, near-term prognosis and patient comfort, and with short-term PN in a hospital largely depends on the capabilities of a particular medical institution. Strict adherence to modern standard measures for infection control and care of venous access and infusion lines, hand hygiene, appropriate training of medical personnel, patients and their caregivers are currently the most reliable and effective method of preventing CAIC. Taurolidine catheter lock is used as an additional measure. In most cases, the occlusion of the inner canal of the catheter can be eliminated by the drug method, however, its effectiveness directly depends on the correspondence of the chosen drug to the cause of the occlusion. In general, the changes that have occurred in recent years have significantly reduced the incidence and risk of PN complications associated with vascular access.

Dilema Etik di Rumah Sakit saat Keterbatasan Sumber Daya dalam Pandemi COVID-19

Abstract—COVID-19 has induced a global health problem with the impact to different aspects of human life. If numbers of patients are increasing beyond the healthcare capacity, the constraint of resources will stimulate ethical dilemma. In hospitals, the availability of drug, hospital beds, trained health professionals, and personal protective equipment are not enough to response patients’ needs. To face this condition, health professionals and hospitals need ethical guidance to allocate resources. This article aims to discuss the guides that are available in the international literature and to recommend Advanced Care Planning as an additional measure to manage the scarcity or resources. The communal culture or Indonesia may contribute to the ethical challenges through the ‘in-group’ and ‘out-group’ phenomenon. Keywords: COVID-19, resource allocation, ethical dilemma Abstrak—Pandemi COVID-19 telah menyebabkan masalah kesehatan global yang berdampak ke berbagai aspek kehidupan manusia. Jika angka penderita melebihi kapasitas sistem layanan kesehatan, terjadi keterbatasan sumber daya yang akan menimbulkan dilema etik. Di rumah sakit, ketersediaan obat, tempat tidur, tenaga kesehatan terlatih, alat pelindung diri tidak cukup untuk merespons kebutuhan pasien. Untuk menghadapi kondisi ini, tenaga kesehatan dan rumah sakit membutuhkan panduan etika untuk mengalokasikan sumber daya. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk mendiskusikan panduan-panduan yang ada di internasional serta mengusulkan Advanced Care Planning sebagai pendekatan tambahan dalam mengelola keterbatasan sumber daya. Budaya komunal di Indonesia dapat menambah tantangan etika di Indonesia melalui fenomena ‘dalam’ dan ‘luar’ kelompok. Kata kunci: COVID-19, alokasi sumber daya, dilema etik