6sterreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft / Synthetisch hergestellte Nanomaterialien in Konsumprodukten und deren Verbleib am Ende ihrer Nutzungsphase

Seit geraumer Zeit finden k\ufcnstlich hergestellte und oberfl\ue4chenmodifizierte Nanomaterialien in diversen Alltagsprodukten Anwendung. F\ufcr die gegenst\ue4ndliche Materialflussanalyse wurden 6 Nanokonsumprodukte ausgew\ue4hlt, die am \uf6sterreichischen Markt erh\ue4ltlich sind und vorwiegend metallische Nanomaterialien enthalten (d. h.: Nano-SiO2, -TiO2, -Ag oder CdSe-Quantenpunkte). Ein Produktbeispiel enthielt Kohlenstoffnanor\uf6hrchen (kurz CNTs). F\ufcr die Materialflussanalysen mussten die Nanomaterial-Inputmengen auf Produktebene abgesch\ue4tzt werden. Anhand von Produktinformationen sowie wissenschaftlichen Publikationen wurden erste Hochrechnungen des \uf6sterreichweiten Verbrauchs durchgef\ufchrt. Beim Produktbeispiel \u201eTV-Ger\ue4te mit Quantenpunkt-Displays\u201c war die Datengrundlage so d\ufcrftig, dass keine Mengenabsch\ue4tzung m\uf6glich war. Dieses Szenario ist aber Beispiel daf\ufcr, dass bei vielen Produktkategorien mangelnde bis keine Produktinformationen vorliegen und f\ufcr diese daher derzeit keine quantitative Absch\ue4tzung des Verbleibs von Nanomaterialien in Abfallstr\uf6men m\uf6glich ist. Die ersten Mengenabsch\ue4tzungen zeigen, dass Nano-TiO2 bereits im Tonnenma fstab in Sonnencremen eingesetzt wird (in 6sterreich ca. 5,4 bis 40,8 t/a). Nano-SiO2 in Autoversiegelungen, Nano-Ag in Wandfarben oder Putzlappen sowie CNTs in Tennisschl\ue4gern werden hingegen eher im unteren einstelligen Kilogrammma fstab eingesetzt. Anhand der Materialflussanalysen l\ue4sst sich absch\ue4tzen, dass sich metallische/metalloxidische Nanomaterialien mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit im Zuge der Abfallbehandlung in Sekund\ue4rabf\ue4llen, wie Verbrennungsr\ufcckst\ue4nden, anreichern, welche wiederum gr\uf6 ftenteils deponiert werden. Kohlenstoffbasierte Nanomaterialien wie CNTs werden mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit w\ue4hrend der Abfallverbrennung vollst\ue4ndig oxidiert. Ihre Elimination kann aber nur dann gew\ue4hrleistet werden, wenn w\ue4hrend der Verbrennung eine entsprechend lange Verweildauer bei hohen Temperaturen sichergestellt ist. Die Unsicherheiten bzw. gro fen Schwankungsbreiten der hochgerechneten Nanomaterialfl\ufcsse verdeutlichen, dass es noch gro fe Wissens- und Informationsl\ufccken gibt und vor allem entsprechender Forschungsbedarf hinsichtlich des genauen Umweltverhaltens von Nanoprodukten \u2013 insbesondere \ufcber das Verhalten und potenzielle Freisetzungspfade in der Entsorgungsphase \u2013 besteht.For some time now, engineered and surface-modified nanomaterials have been used in various everyday products. For the material flow analyses presented in the following paper, six nano-based consumer products were selected that are available on the Austrian market and primarily contain metallic nanomaterials (nano-SiO2, -TiO2, -Ag or CdSe quantum dots); one sample product contained carbon nanotubes (CNTs). For the purpose of the material flow analyses, it was necessary to estimate the amounts of nanomaterial input at the product level. On the basis of available product information and academic publications, initial estimates of consumption in Austria were prepared. In the case of the sample product \u201ctelevisions with quantum dot displays,\u201d there was too little data available to do so. However, this scenario offers valuable proof of the fact that little to no product information is available for many product categories, making it impossible to quantitatively estimate the amount of nanomaterials in waste streams. The initial estimates show that tons of nano-TiO2 are already used in sun creams (ca. 5.4 to 40.8 t/year in Austria). In contrast, only several kilograms each of nano-SiO2 (in automotive paint sealants), nano-Ag (in indoor paints and washcloths), and CNTs (in tennis rackets) are used each year. Based on the material flow analyses it can be assumed that, in the course of waste treatment, metallic/metal oxide nanomaterials very likely enrich in secondary waste like combustion residues, which in turn predominantly end up in landfills. Carbon-based nanomaterials like CNTs are most likely completely oxidized in the course of incineration. However, their elimination can only be ensured if they are subjected to high temperatures for a sufficiently long time. The uncertainties/substantial variances in the projected nanomaterial flows clearly show that there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge and available information, and that research regarding the exact environmental fate of nano-products \u2013 especially into their behavior and potential emission pathways in the disposal phase \u2013 is urgently needed

Towards constraints on the SUSY seesaw from flavour-dependent leptogenesis

We systematically investigate constraints on the parameters of the supersymmetric type-I seesaw mechanism from the requirement of successful thermal leptogenesis in the presence of upper bounds on the reheat temperature $T_\mathrm{RH}$ of the early Universe. To this end, we solve the flavour-dependent Boltzmann equations in the MSSM, extended to include reheating. With conservative bounds on $T_\mathrm{RH}$, leading to mildly constrained scenarios for thermal leptogenesis, compatibility with observation can be obtained for extensive new regions of the parameter space, due to flavour-dependent effects. On the other hand, focusing on (normal) hierarchical light and heavy neutrinos, the hypothesis that there is no CP violation associated with the right-handed neutrino sector, and that leptogenesis exclusively arises from the CP-violating phases of the $U_\text{MNS}$ matrix, is only marginally consistent. Taking into account stricter bounds on $T_\mathrm{RH}$ further suggests that (additional) sources of CP violation must arise from the right-handed neutrino sector, further implying stronger constraints for the right-handed neutrino parameters.Comment: 42 pages, 12 figures; final version published in JCAP; numerical results for the efficiency factor can be downloaded from http://www.newphysics.eu/leptogenesis

Conceptual Design and Structural Optimization of NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft

Simultaneously achieving the fuel consumption and noise reduction goals set forth by NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project requires innovative and unconventional aircraft concepts. In response, advanced hybrid wing body (HWB) aircraft concepts have been proposed and analyzed as a means of meeting these objectives. For the current study, several HWB concepts were analyzed using the Hybrid wing body Conceptual Design and structural optimization (HCDstruct) analysis code. HCDstruct is a medium-fidelity finite element based conceptual design and structural optimization tool developed to fill the critical analysis gap existing between lower order structural sizing approaches and detailed, often finite element based sizing methods for HWB aircraft concepts. Whereas prior versions of the tool used a half-model approach in building the representative finite element model, a full wing-tip-to-wing-tip modeling capability was recently added to HCDstruct, which alleviated the symmetry constraints at the model centerline in place of a free-flying model and allowed for more realistic center body, aft body, and wing loading and trim response. The latest version of HCDstruct was applied to two ERA reference cases, including the Boeing Open Rotor Engine Integration On an HWB (OREIO) concept and the Boeing ERA-0009H1 concept, and results agreed favorably with detailed Boeing design data and related Flight Optimization System (FLOPS) analyses. Following these benchmark cases, HCDstruct was used to size NASA's ERA HWB concepts and to perform a related scaling study

Heterogeneity in genetic admixture across different regions of Argentina

The population of Argentina is the result of the intermixing between several groups, including Indigenous American, European and African populations. Despite the commonly held idea that the population of Argentina is of mostly European origin, multiple studies have shown that this process of admixture had an impact in the entire Argentine population. In the present study we characterized the distribution of Indigenous American, European and African ancestry among individuals from different regions of Argentina and evaluated the level of discrepancy between self-reported grandparental origin and genetic ancestry estimates. A set of 99 autosomal ancestry informative markers (AIMs) was genotyped in a sample of 441 Argentine individuals to estimate genetic ancestry. We used non-parametric tests to evaluate statistical significance. The average ancestry for the Argentine sample overall was 65% European (95%CI: 63-68%), 31% Indigenous American (28-33%) and 4% African (3-4%). We observed statistically significant differences in European ancestry across Argentine regions [Buenos Aires province (BA) 76%, 95%CI: 73-79%; Northeast (NEA) 54%, 95%CI: 49-58%; Northwest (NWA) 33%, 95%CI: 21-41%; South 54%, 95%CI: 49-59%; p<0.0001] as well as between the capital and immediate suburbs of Buenos Aires city compared to more distant suburbs [80% (95%CI: 75-86%) versus 68% (95%CI: 58-77%), p = 0.01]. European ancestry among individuals that declared all grandparents born in Europe was 91% (95%CI: 88-94%) compared to 54% (95%CI: 51-57%) among those with no European grandparents (p<0.001). Our results demonstrate the range of variation in genetic ancestry among Argentine individuals from different regions in the country, highlighting the importance of taking this variation into account in genetic association and admixture mapping studies in this population

Regulatory challenges and risk assessment of graphene-enabled products: insights for safe commercialisation in Europe

The development of graphene-enabled products in a variety of industrial sectors like medical devices, textiles, aerospace, or food contact materials has raised significant regulatory challenges with regards to risk assessment. The work performed under the Graphene Flagship Work Package SH11 termed SafeGraph, aimed to identify challenges while implementing regulation as well as to develop a regulatory roadmap addressing these issues. This study explores and discusses the regulatory gaps and safety assessment challenges associated with graphene-enabled products and based on regulatory requirements with a particular focus on risk assessment, exposure concerns, and potential environmental impacts. Through case studies involving skin sensors, drinking water filters, wearable electronics, and de-icing systems for aircrafts, we identified critical safety and compliance issues across various sectors. The work used four Graphene Flagship case studies as showcases to address the above markets (CHEMsens, GRAPHIL, WEARgraph and GICE). These case studies underscore the need for updated regulatory guidelines tailored to graphene’s unique properties. This study provides insights into current challenges of assessing risks and proposes steps to ensure safe and sustainable commercialisation of graphene-based products, advocating for harmonised regulatory frameworks

Improving the public house in Britain, 1920-40: Sir Sydney Nevile and 'social work'

The ‘improved public house’ movement in the inter-war years was a central part of the shift towards retailing by the brewing industry. An important part of the reform movement was the alliance between certain brewers, notably Whitbread, and ‘social workers’, particularly those associated with the University settlement movement in London. Using the papers of Sydney Nevile, the importance of a particular social milieu is outlined, calling into question attempts to align the movement to improve public houses with transatlantic Progressivism. Rather, this alliance drew upon longstanding English traditions of public service and religious affiliation amongst a fraction of the gentry

Presentations of children to emergency departments across Europe and the COVID-19 pandemic: A multinational observational study

BACKGROUND: During the initial phase of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reduced numbers of acutely ill or injured children presented to emergency departments (EDs). Concerns were raised about the potential for delayed and more severe presentations and an increase in diagnoses such as diabetic ketoacidosis and mental health issues. This multinational observational study aimed to study the number of children presenting to EDs across Europe during the early COVID-19 pandemic and factors influencing this and to investigate changes in severity of illness and diagnoses. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Routine health data were extracted retrospectively from electronic patient records of children aged 18 years and under, presenting to 38 EDs in 16 European countries for the period January 2018 to May 2020, using predefined and standardized data domains. Observed and predicted numbers of ED attendances were calculated for the period February 2020 to May 2020. Poisson models and incidence rate ratios (IRRs), using predicted counts for each site as offset to adjust for case-mix differences, were used to compare age groups, diagnoses, and outcomes. Reductions in pediatric ED attendances, hospital admissions, and high triage urgencies were seen in all participating sites. ED attendances were relatively higher in countries with lower SARS-CoV-2 prevalence (IRR 2.26, 95% CI 1.90 to 2.70, p < 0.001) and in children aged <12 months (12 to <24 months IRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.89; 2 to <5 years IRR 0.80, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.82; 5 to <12 years IRR 0.68, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.70; 12 to 18 years IRR 0.72, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.74; versus age <12 months as reference group, p < 0.001). The lowering of pediatric intensive care admissions was not as great as that of general admissions (IRR 1.30, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.45, p < 0.001). Lower triage urgencies were reduced more than higher triage urgencies (urgent triage IRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.12; emergent and very urgent triage IRR 1.53, 95% CI 1.49 to 1.57; versus nonurgent triage category, p < 0.001). Reductions were highest and sustained throughout the study period for children with communicable infectious diseases. The main limitation was the retrospective nature of the study, using routine clinical data from a wide range of European hospitals and health systems. CONCLUSIONS: Reductions in ED attendances were seen across Europe during the first COVID-19 lockdown period. More severely ill children continued to attend hospital more frequently compared to those with minor injuries and illnesses, although absolute numbers fell. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN91495258 https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN91495258

Thrombectomy Outcomes With General vs Nongeneral Anesthesia: A Pooled Patient-Level Analysis From the EXTEND-IA Trials and SELECT Study

Background and Objectives The effect of anesthesia choice on endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) outcomes is unclear. Collateral status on perfusion imaging may help identify the optimal anesthesia choice. Methods In a pooled patient-level analysis of EXTEND-IA, EXTEND-IA TNK, EXTEND-IA TNK part II, and SELECT, EVT functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score distribution) were compared between general anesthesia (GA) vs non-GA in a propensity-matched sample. Furthermore, we evaluated the association of collateral flow on perfusion imaging, assessed by hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) – Tmax \u3e 10 seconds/Tmax \u3e 6 seconds (good collaterals – HIR \u3c 0.4, poor collaterals – HIR ≥ 0.4) on the association between anesthesia type and EVT outcomes. Results Of 725 treated with EVT, 299 (41%) received GA and 426 (59%) non-GA. The baseline characteristics differed in presentation National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (median [interquartile range] GA: 18 [13–22], non-GA: 16 [11–20], p \u3c 0.001) and ischemic core volume (GA: 15.0 mL [3.2–38.0] vs non-GA: 9.0 mL [0.0–31.0], p \u3c 0.001). In addition, GA was associated with longer last known well to arterial access (203 minutes [157–267] vs 186 minutes [138–252], p = 0.002), but similar procedural time (35.5 minutes [23–59] vs 34 minutes [22–54], p = 0.51). Of 182 matched pairs using propensity scores, baseline characteristics were similar. In the propensity score–matched pairs, GA was independently associated with worse functional outcomes (adjusted common odds ratio [adj. cOR]: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.44–0.93, p = 0.021) and higher neurologic worsening (GA: 14.9% vs non-GA: 8.9%, aOR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.02–4.33, p = 0.045). Patients with poor collaterals had worse functional outcomes with GA (adj. cOR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.29–0.76, p = 0.002), whereas no difference was observed in those with good collaterals (adj. cOR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.50–1.74, p = 0.82), pinteraction: 0.07. No difference was observed in infarct growth overall and in patients with good collaterals, whereas patients with poor collaterals demonstrated larger infarct growth with GA with a significant interaction between collaterals and anesthesia type on infarct growth rate (pinteraction: 0.020). Discussion GA was associated with worse functional outcomes after EVT, particularly in patients with poor collaterals in a propensity score–matched analysis from a pooled patient-level cohort from 3 randomized trials and 1 prospective cohort study. The confounding by indication may persist despite the doubly robust nature of the analysis. These findings have implications for randomized trials of GA vs non-GA and may be of utility for clinicians when making anesthesia type choice. Classification of Evidence This study provides Class III evidence that use of GA is associated with worse functional outcome in patients undergoing EVT. Trial Registration Information EXTEND-IA: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01492725); EXTEND-IA TNK: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02388061); EXTEND-IA TNK part II: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03340493); and SELECT: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02446587)