Small pneumoconiotic opacities in coal miners are usually described as rounded, regular, and upper zone predominant. We aim to characterize chest radiographic patterns in New Mexico coal miners in comparison with other miners. Of the 330 chest radiographs reviewed, small pneumoconiotic opacities in New Mexico miners were almost always irregularly shaped, and lower lung zone predominant, consistent with diffuse dust-related pulmonary fibrosis. There was no significant difference in patterns of opacities between miners with exposure to coal mine dust exclusively, mixed coal and noncoal mine dust, and no coal dust. Our findings indicate that New Mexico coal miners demonstrate a different pattern of small pneumoconiotic opacities than the classic nodular pneumoconiosis described in the literature, predominantly from Appalachian miners. This may indicate differences in racial/ethnic characteristics or in the silica/silicate content of dust between the Appalachian and Mountain West regions.Sexual assault and case attrition at the arrest stage are serious problems in the United States. Focal concerns have increasingly been used to explain police decision making in sexual assault cases. Because of the popularity of the focal concerns perspective and potential to inform evidence-based training, a systematic review and meta-analysis are needed to condense the literature. In this study, we assess the overall strength of the relationship between focal concerns variables and police decisions to arrest in cases of sexual assault. Our assessment of the effects of focal concerns variables on arrest decision making in sexual assault cases followed the systematic review protocols provided by the Campbell Collaboration of Systematic Reviews. Specifically, we used the Campbell Collaboration recommendations to search empirical literature and used meta-analysis to evaluate the size, direction, and strength of the impact of focal concerns variables on arrest decisions. Our search strategy detected 14 eligible studies and 79 effect sizes. The meta-analysis found several robust and statistically significant correlates of arrest. In fact, each focal concerns concept produced at least one robust arrest correlate. Overall, focal concerns offers a strong approach for explaining police decisions in sexual assault cases. Although practical concerns and resource constraints produced the strongest arrest correlates, results show the importance of additional case characteristics in officers’ decision to arrest.

Urolithiasis patients often require frequent urinary tract imaging, leading to high radiation exposure. CT Kidney-Ureter-Bladder (CT-KUB) is the gold standard in urolithiasis detection, however it is thought to harbour significant radiation load. Urologists have therefore utilised abdominal radiographs (XR-KUB) as an alternative, though with markedly lower sensitivity and specificity. We present the first contemporary UK study comparing the effective doses of XR-KUBs with low dose CT-KUBs.

Fifty-three patients were retrospectively identified in a single centre who underwent both a XR-KUB and a CT-KUB in 2018. Effective-Dose was measured by converting the recorded ‘Dose Area/Length Product’ via the International Commission on Radiological Protection formula.

The average effective dose of XR-KUBs and low dose CT-KUBs were 5.10 mSv and 5.31 mSv respectively. Thirty-four percent (18/53) of patients had a XR-KUBs with a higher effective dose than their low dose CT-KUB. Patients with higher Weight, BMI and AP diameter had higher effective doses for both their XR and low dose CT-KUBs. All patients in our study weighing over 92 kg or with a BMI greater than 32 had a XR-KUBs with a higher effective dose than their low dose CT-KUB.

This data supports moving away from XR-KUBs for the investigation of urolithiasis, particularly in patients with a high BMI.

This data supports moving away from XR-KUBs for the investigation of urolithiasis, particularly in patients with a high BMI.In this study, we have applied Fe(III)-bi-carboxylic acid solutions containing citrate and oxalate ligands to degrade 3-méthylphénol (3MP) in aqueous solutions both under UV and sunlight. Under irradiation at 365 nm, the photodegradation of 3MP is markedly better in the presence of the Fe(III)Ox complex than in the Fe(III)Cit complex this fact is explained by an excess of H2O2 and Fe(II) generated by Fe(III)Ox photolysis creating the Fenton process. We mixtures were realized by varying the composition of the Fe(III)Cit and Fe(III)Ox in order to see the additives of the degradation efficiency of the pollutant. The results show that the addition of Fe(III)Ox to the Fe(III)Cit system evidently augmented the photodegradation rate at pH = 5.5. The Fe(III)Ox/Fe(III)Cit ratio is optimized at [Fe(III)Ox] (0.15/0.15)/[Fe(III)Cit] (0.15/0.6). Synergistic effect in the Fe(III)Ox/Fe(III)Cit binary system was confirmed. The addition of tertiobutanol (T-buOH) noticeably inhibited the photodegradation, indicating the involvement of •OH in the process. To verify the feasibility of photochemical processes in the environment, tests on the photodegradation of 3MP were performed under natural irradiation. selleck kinase inhibitor The degradation was improved under excitation by sunlight in the presence of Fe(III)-bi-carboxylic acid solutions containing citrate and oxalate ligands. These results are very encouraging for the application of this system for the treatment of organic pollutants in aqueous solution.This study evaluated the performance of a plug-flow reactor (PFR) for high-rate anaerobic co-digestion of complex agro-industrial wastes and used cooking oil or animal fat. The PFR was successfully operated up to an organic loading rate (OLR) of 21 g L-1 d-1, yielding biogas at 0.35 L g-1 chemical oxygen demand (COD) influent. During the study period, supernatant COD at the PFR effluent remained between 4 and 7 g L-1, with negligible volatile fatty acids’ concentrations ( less then 500 mg L-1) and no presence of foaming incidents. The biomass concentration inside the PFR, expressed as total suspended solids, remained between 30 and 60 g L-1. Moreover, the above-mentioned anaerobic digestion technology has been currently scaled-up at 50 m3 PFR, while a full-scale facility of 240 kW-el is under construction in the region of north-eastern Greece.