New pillared clay-based adsorbents have been prepared by incorporating a nonionic surfactant of general formula C12–14H25–29O(CH2CH2O)5H (commercial name, Tergitol 15S-5), during the synthesis of the aluminum hydroxide pillaring reagent. Different loadings of surfactant have been examined. The presence of the surfactant enhanced the adsorption capacity of the clay toward 3-monochlorophenol from aqueous solution. On the basis of adsorption results for a series of clays with increasing surfactant loadings, the best adsorbent was obtained at a surfactant loading of 255 mg/g of clay. At this loading, the surfactant occupies the micropores, as well as the mesopores and the external surfaces of the pillared clay. Analysis of the adsorption isotherms for 3-monochlorophenol, 3,5-dichlorophenol, 3,4,5-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol at different pH shows that the most energetic adsorption sites are the surfactant-occupied micropores between pillars. Additional binding of chlorinated phenols occurs at surfactant sites on external surfaces and mesopores. Upon calcination at 500°C, the clay is converted to a conventional alumina-pillared clay with a basal spacing near 16 Å. This calcined product can be reused as an adsorbent for chlorinated phenols by readsorbing fresh surfactant. The recycled adsorbent exhibits performance properties comparable to the original adsorbent. These results demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing a surfactant-modified pillared clay as a recyclable adsorbent and combustion catalyst for environmental pollutants.

Novel promising modified clays adsorbents were synthesized by intercalating hydroxy-Al polymer associated with poly(ethyleneoxide) in the interlayer of montmorillonite. Two different PEOs of low molecular weight (600) and high molecular weight (100,000) were used. In both cases, the resulting materials are hydrolytically stable and display a slightly better crystallinity than the materials prepared in the absence of PEO. Thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy indicate changes in the PEO molecular conformation after intercalation revealing interactions between the polycations and the organic molecules. The chain length of the polymer has a strong influence on the surface area of the pillared materials obtained after calcination at 500°C. The use of the high molecular weight polymer leads to products with a higher specific surface area (about 400 m2/g) whereas the lower molecular weight compound does not modify significantly the surface areas. This behavior can be explained by the different nature of the species intercalated in the interlayer. PEO(600) leads to isolated organometallic species whereas PEO(100,000) seems to lead to a network of complexed polycations linked by ethylene oxide units. In the case of the PEO(100,000), high amounts of polymer in the pillaring solution provoke a partial dissolution of the octahedral layer of the clay.

The main cause of mortality in great apes in zoological settings is cardiovascular disease (CVD), affecting all four taxa: chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), bonobo (Pan paniscus), gorilla (Gorilla spp.) and orangutan (Pongo spp.). Myocardial fibrosis, the most typical histological characterisation of CVD in great apes, is non-specific, making it challenging to understand the aetiopathogenesis. A multifactorial origin of disease is assumed whereby many potential causative factors are directly or indirectly related to the diet, which in wild-living great apes mainly consists of high-fibre, low-carbohydrate and very low-sodium components. Diets of great apes housed in zoological settings are often different compared with the situation in the wild. Moreover, low circulating vitamin D levels have recently been recognised in great apes housed in more northern regions. Evaluation of current supplementation guidelines shows that, despite implementation of different dietary strategies, animals stay vitamin D insufficient. Therefore, recent hypotheses designate vitamin D deficiency as a potential underlying factor in the pathogenesis of myocardial fibrosis. The aim of this literature review is to: (i) examine important differences in nutritional factors between zoological and wild great ape populations; (ii) explain the potential detrimental effects of the highlighted dietary discrepancies on cardiovascular function in great apes; and (iii) elucidate specific nutrition-related pathophysiological mechanisms that may underlie the development of myocardial fibrosis. This information may contribute to understanding the aetiopathogenesis of myocardial fibrosis in great apes and pave the way for future clinical studies and a more preventive approach to great ape CVD management.

Massive stars are predominantly found in binaries and higher order multiples. While the period and eccentricity distributions of OB stars are now well established across different metallicity regimes, the determination of mass-ratios has been mostly limited to double-lined spectroscopic binaries. As a consequence, the mass-ratio distribution remains subject to significant uncertainties. Open questions include the shape and extent of the companion mass-function towards its low-mass end and the nature of undetected companions in single-lined spectroscopic binaries. In this contribution, we present the results of a large and systematic analysis of a sample of over 80 single-lined O-type spectroscopic binaries (SB1s) in the Milky Way and in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We report on the developed methodology, the constraints obtained on the nature of SB1 companions, the distribution of O star mass-ratios at LMC metallicity and the occurrence of quiescent OB+black hole binaries.

Hot, massive stars are known to host unstable, radiation-driven outflowing winds, giving rise to dense clumps of material which severely affect the diagnostic techniques used to derive wind properties of massive stars. Most of the current diagnostic models account for wind inhomogeneities by assuming a one-component medium consisting of optically thin clumps, and maintaining a smooth velocity-field. However, this neglects important light-leakage effects through porous channels in-between the clumps. These light-leakage effects have recently been incorporated in the stellar atmosphere modelling code FASTWIND, and here we will present quantitative mass-loss results from a combined Ultraviolet-Optical wind analysis of O-supergiants in the Galaxy. Using a genetic-algorithm fitting-approach, we systematically investigate the impact the wind physics has on derived stellar and wind parameters, and how this depends on metallicity and spectral type. We compare our findings with earlier results (which do not take into account such light-leakage effects), to standard mass-loss rates usually included in evolution model studies of massive stars, and with theoretical predictions of clumping properties. We will also present the first systematic empirical constraints on the new wind parameters, associated with light-leakage, and compare these with theoretical predictions.

Especially in the upper Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, where stellar physics is least understood, obtaining model independent masses is of great value. Spectroscopic binaries that are also resolved astrometrically are an excellent alternative to eclipsing double-lined spectroscopic binaries where dynamical masses can be measured. 9 Sgr is such a massive binary. However, its characterization is troubled by conflicting conclusions from the spectroscopic analysis on the one hand and the interferometric one on the other hand. In this work, we attempt to resolve this tension by applying a novel approach to spectral disentangling of the spectroscopic data to constrain better the mass of 9 Sgr.

In 2020, HR 6819 was reported to be a triple system containing the closest black hole to Earth. However, these results were contested, with an alternative explanation of a post-interaction binary suggested. Using new integral field spectroscopic and interferometric data, we have been able to determine the true nature of this exotic source.

Obesity rates among children are rapidly rising internationally and have been linked to noncommunicable diseases in adulthood. Individual preventive strategies have not effectively reduced global obesity rates, leading to a gap in clinical services regarding the development of early perinatal interventions. The objective of this scoping review is to explore the relationship between maternal BMI and breastfeeding behaviors on child growth trajectories to determine their relevance in developing interventions aimed at preventing childhood obesity.

The scoping review was guided and informed by the Arksey and O’Malley (2005) framework. A systematic search was performed in four databases. Studies included in the final review were collated and sorted into relevant themes. A systematic search yielded a total of 5831 records (MEDLINE: 1242, EMBASE: 2629, CINAHL: 820, PubMed: 1140). Results without duplicates (n = 4190) were screened based on relevancy of which 197 relevant-full-text articles were retrieved and assessed for eligibility resulting in 14 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and charted for the studies and six themes were identified: (1) healthy behaviors, lifestyle, and social economic status; (2) parental anthropometrics and perinatal weight status; (3) genetics, epigenetics, and fetal programming; (4) early infant feeding; (5) infant growth trajectories; and (6) targeted prevention and interventions. Early life risk factors for child obesity are multifactorial and potentially modifiable. Several at-risk groups were identified who would benefit from early preventative interventions targeting the importance of healthy weight gain, exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months, and healthy lifestyle behaviors.

It is widely believed that there is strong association between physiological stress and an individual's social status in their social hierarchy. This has been claimed for all humans cross-culturally, as well as in non-human animals living in social groups. However, the relationship between stress and social status has not been explored in any egalitarian hunter–gatherer society; it is also under investigated in exclusively female social groups. Most of human evolutionary history was spent in small, mobile foraging bands of hunter–gatherers with little economic differentiation – egalitarian societies. We analysed women's hair cortisol concentration along with two domains of women's social status (foraging reputation and popularity) in an egalitarian hunter–gatherer society, the Hadza. We hypothesized that higher social status would be associated with lower physiological indicators of stress in these women. Surprisingly, we did not find any association between either foraging reputation or popularity and hair cortisol concentration. The results of our study suggest that social status is not a consistent or powerful predictor of physiological stress levels in women in an egalitarian social structure. This challenges the notion that social status has the same basic physiological implications across all demographics and in all human societies.

Allele A1 of the TaqI A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the dopamine D2 receptor gene has been found to be associated with substance abuse and alcoholism. The personality trait of Novelty Seeking (NS) is also associated with substance abuse and dependence. We hypothesised, on the basis of involvement of dopaminergic mechanisms in substance abuse, that the presence of allele A1 of the dopamine D2 receptor gene may represent a genetic predisposition for the NS personality trait. We investigated, therefore, whether the allele A1 of the TaqI A RFLP of the dopamine D2 receptor gene is associated with the NS dimension of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) in healthy Caucasian subjects with no history of alcohol or substance abuse or dependence. We genotyped 204 subjects aged 18 to 30 years. There was no association between any of the alleles of the D2 receptor genes and any of the TPQ scores (NS, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence). We conclude that allele A1 of the TaqI A RFLP of the dopamine D2 receptor is not associated with NS personality trait in healthy Caucasian subjects.