A DFT study of the photochemical dimerization of methyl 3-(2-furyl)acrylate is reported. The photochemical reaction gave a mixture of two dimers with high regioselectivity and good stereoselectivity. Calculations showed that benzophenone was able to act as a photosensitizer of the reaction. This compound populated the first excited triplet state of the substrate. The frontier orbitals interaction between LSOMO of the triplet state and HOMO of the ground state accounted for the observed high regioselectivity. Furthermore, the energy of all the possible triplet biradicals has been calculated, showing that the precursor of the main product was the triplet biradical with the lowest energy. The coupling of the atomic coefficients on the radical centres in the biradical intermediates allowed to justify the observed products. The same behavior was observed in the case of the photochemical dimerization of an urocanate ester and in the dimerization of liquid methyl cinnamate. The dimerization of conjugated double bonds is one of most ancient known photochemical reactions, as Ciamician published his results on the solid phase photodimerization of cinnamic acid, stilbene, and coumarin in 1902 .,15.E-Z itrans-diesters 5 and 7 was obtained , cyclohexane (3.2%), butanol (9.8%), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (4.9%), an 8:2 mixture of the obtained  16]. On. Ontransrization , while, n dimers  18,19].,19.transDimers of cinnamic acid and its derivatives were found in several plants and showed some interesting biological properties ,28,29,30Some years ago we reported that the irradiation of a solution of furylacrylate esters in the presence of benzophenone gave the corresponding dimers with high regioselectivity and good stereoselectivity ,32.Some years later, we showed that allyl urocanate under the same conditions gave the corresponding dimer with high regio- and stereoselectivity . We atteGaussian09 has been used for the discussions about the computed geometries . All the8) in acetonitrile in the presence of benzophenone as sensitizer furnished a mixture of two compounds 9 and 10 in 61% and 27%, respectively (The irradiation of methyl 3-(2-furyl)acrylate  inThe reaction showed a high regioselectivity and a good stereoselectivity (only two stereoisomers were obtained when eleven ones were possible). To explain the observed regio- and stereoselectivity we performed DFT and TD-DFT calculations at B3LYP/6-31G+ and B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory using Gaussian09 .8 showed that the S1 state had an energy of 93.30 kcal·mol−1, corresponding to a n→π* transition at 306 nm  between the HOMO-1 to the LUMO  level, the observed products in the reactions were the more stable cyclobutane derivatives that can be obtained starting from the 11 and 12, aug-cc-pVDZ basis set gave results in agreement with those reported above . In this case the most stable dimer was that corresponding to entry 2 of trans-anti dimer. It has to be noted that, in this case, the most stable cis dimer was not that at the entry 1 of the We performed also some calculations by using a different basis set (aug-cc-pVDZ). This basis set is larger than 6-31G+, allowing, in theory, to obtain more accurate results; however, it has to be noted some results appeared where aug-cc-pVDZ basis set was not able to give satisfactory results . Anyway,8 and the HOMO of the same molecule in the ground state. The relative stability between the biradical intermediates accounts for the observed stereoselectivity while the use of different basis sets does not allow us to assert that the effective products obtained in the reaction depend on the relative stability of cyclobutane derivatives (see below). To confirm this behaviour we tested this methodology with another reaction. Some years ago we reported the photochemical dimerization of the ester of urocanic acid  cycloaddition reactions .,15.5 andobtained . The int7 and 18 .trans biradical intermediate 17 was more stable than the cis one 18 by 10.83 kcal·mol−1, in agreement with the observed products. Furthermore, considering the subsequent coupling of the biradicals, the atomic coefficents at the radical carbon atoms in the HSOMO and in the LSOMO of 17 allowed the formation of a cyclobutane where a trans-anti-trans relationship is present between the substituents. On the other hand, the atomic coefficents at the radical carbon atoms in the HSOMO and in the LSOMO of 18 allowed the formation of a cyclobutane where a cis-anti-cis relationship is present.The In this paper we have shown that regio- and stereochemical behaviour of heteroarylacrylates dimerization in solution can be understood by using simple calculation procedures. The reaction is a sensitized reaction from the excited triplet state and the regiochemistry is controlled by the frontier orbitals superposition of the two reagents. The coupling allows the formation of the most stable biradical intermediate, thus inducing a control in the possible stereochemical behavior. Furthermore, the coupling of the two radical carbon atoms explained the observed stereochemistry.


A partial hepatectomy in the setting of opisthorchiasis did not affect the number of parasites in the ecological niche (liver) or the production of eggs by the helminth. With the deterioration of the vegetation state, parasite clumps of opisthorchii increase egg production under the conditions of distress.Clinical and experimental studies have shown that opisthorchii tend to evade tumour growth foci to colonize more distant areas of the liver. When modelling tumours with various carcinogens in the setting of superinvasive opisthorchiasis, the intensity of invasion is reduced both before the formation of neoplasms (>120 days) and after the development of tumours of various histogeneses  (>240 days). Egg production was observed to increase with the decrease in the number of parasites in the liver. The smallest changes in the infestation intensity indicators and egg production were observed in the experimental stomach tumours ( Human opisthorchiasis is a parasitic disease discovered by Professor K.N. Vinogradov in 1891 in the city of Tomsk (Eastern Siberia), the causative agent of the disease—the trematode Opisthorchis felineus, Rivolta, 1884. The literature describes the changes in the internal organs with this helminthiasis , 3; pathO. felineus vegetation were found in the liver in superinvasion (n = 88), liver cancer (n = 42), pancreas (n = 18), and gastrointestinal stomach tumours (GIST) (n = 29) in the setting of SO. In this study, tumours were simulated by chemical carcinogens: N-DMNA, N-DENA, N-MNNG, NDMM, NDOP, and DMBA . Repeated infestations occurred on days 16, 32, 60, 120, and 240 after the primary infection. Methodological aspects of tumour modeling in the setting of SO were published previously [According to the data from postmortem examinations, loci of eviously .n = 48) was performed by removing a liver lobe, which accounted for 17.3-17.7% of the organ weight. The opisthorchiasis and SO model was developed in mature Syrian hamsters (n = 280) weighing 98.0-110.0 g. The larvae of opisthorchii were prepared by means of artificial gastric juice (pepsin+hydrochloric acid+water) according to the method of Glazkov [O. felineus metacercariae, was introduced into the stomach; repeated infestations were performed 16 and 32 days after the primary infection. The animals were etherized . The reproductive activity of opisthorchii was determined by the native smear, Fülleborn, and Thalemann methods. The infestation intensity was determined via incomplete helminthological dissection of animals according to K.I. Skryabin.Partial hepatectomy in Syrian hamsters ).Animal experiments were carried out in accordance with the principles set forth in the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes , with the rules of laboratory practice of the Russian Federation, and with Order No. 724 of 1984 of the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, “Rules for carrying out work with experimental animals,” after obtaining permission from the ethical committee of the FSBEIHE Tyumen State Medical University of the Russian Ministry of Health.p < 0.05.Statistical analyses of the actual data were carried out using the licensed software SPSS Statistics (USA) and Microsoft Excel by MS Office 2016 for Windows; single-factor ANOVA was used. The differences were statistically significant at O. felineus during a single infection showed that after 21 days, opisthorchii of different degrees of maturity were simultaneously detected in the liver and pancreas, and in faeces, helminth eggs with a low reproductive potential were detected (2.0 ± 0.7 eggs per parasite). The most pronounced rise of all of the indicators was observed on days 30-40 after infestation . The highest indices were observed on days 48-56 after the start of the experiment (egg production by 1 parasite was 76.0 ± 11.4).A study of the dynamics of the infestation intensity and the reproduction of the population and individuals of Statistical analysis of the results in the setting of SO showed a significant increase in mature opisthorchii after 48 days, with a maximum reproductive potential (54.5 eggs); as the duration of superinfestation increased, the intensity of the mature opisthorchii increased as well (88.2) but did not double  until the end of the experiment (320 days). The parasite quantities in hamsters with SO are shown in A pathoanatomical examination of the liver of animals that died from cholangiocarcinoma (CCR) and other histological forms of tumours Figures  and 2 shParasites were not found in the ductal system adjacent to the tumour. Clumps of opisthorchii were found in areas remote from tumour nodes . ObservaParasites in tumour-free segments were closely attached to the lining of the duct, occupying the surface along the entire length of the helminth, i.e., they occupied a position that facilitated contact with the largest area of the mucous membrane of the ducts.Simulation of tumours in the setting of SO revealed the development of neoplasms in 38.4-76.9% of all cases, and the multiplicity factor varied: 1.46 in the liver Figures –7, 1.32 In the experiments for partial hepatectomy in the setting of SO, by day 48, the number of parasites in the liver was 46.3 ± 3.17, the number of eggs in 1 g of faeces was 2673 ± 94, and the egg production index of 1 opisthorchis was 55.7 ± 8.2. The morphological examination showed a uniform distribution of helminths throughout the organ, but the most populated ducts were noted in areas adjacent to the liver stump, where multiple newly formed ducts and vessels were formed.The development of tumour processes in the human liver makes opisthorchii move away from the sites of neoplasm localization. The main areas where opisthorchii are found are large ducts and cholangiectases, where helminths create more compact populations, which indicates an insufficient nutraceutical supply.Model tumours with SO induce a similar effect: initiators (carcinogens) provide a partial anthelmintic effect—a decrease in the intensity of infestation preceding the formation of neoplasms; the further population-level depression might be due to a lack of nutrition for parasites and the disruption of homeostasis.A decrease in the infestation intensity regardless of the cause  stimulates egg production of the remaining helminths, which is a trend of species preservation. Negative effects on helminths or their death results in an increase in egg production by surviving individuals, which indicates the intraspecies social relations of opisthorchii.


The naked-eye three-dimensional (3D) display technology without wearing equipment is an inevitable future development trend. In this paper, the design and fabrication of a flexible naked-eye 3D display film element based on a microstructure have been proposed to achieve a high-resolution 3D display effect. The film element consists of two sets of key microstructures, namely, a microimage array (MIA) and microlens array (MLA). By establishing the basic structural model, the matching relationship between the two groups of microstructures has been studied. Based on 3D graphics software, a 3D object information acquisition model has been proposed to achieve a high-resolution MIA from different viewpoints, recording without crosstalk. In addition, lithography technology has been used to realize the fabrications of the MLA and MIA. Based on nanoimprint technology, a complete integration technology on a flexible film substrate has been formed. Finally, a flexible 3D display film element has been fabricated, which has a light weight and can be curled. With the development of science and technology, people are hoping to truly restore three-dimensional 3D) information of the object space. As a result, 3D display technology has emerged with the times and has become a research hotspot in the field of image displays ,3,4,5,6.D informaAs Wheatstone invented the first stereoscopic picture viewer in 1838, the technology of 3D displays has been developed for nearly 200 years . In thisResearch groups have developed a variety of naked-eye 3D display technologies, including the grating 3D display technology of binocular parallax, holographic technology, and integrated imaging technology. Grating 3D display technology uses the principle of binocular parallax to produce a 3D sensation ,13. ThisBy using the interference principle, holographic technology interferes the light wave reflected by the object with the reference light wave, and records it in the form of interference fringes to form a hologram . When thThe computer-generated hologram, which combines digital computing with modern optics, encoding the complex amplitude of the object light wave from a computer to computer-generated hologram (CGH), has unique advantages and good flexibility . HoweverIntegrated imaging technology is also composed of two basic processes: Recording and reproduction. Unlike holographic technology, the recording and reproduction process do not require the participation of coherent light, which reduces the difficulty of the whole system. This technology was first proposed by Lippmann, a famous French physicist and Nobel Laureate in physics, in 1908 . The micThe recording and reconstruction of 3D objects are formed through the interaction of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of microimages. A camera array can be used to record the MIA. This method requires a large number of expensive and complex camera equipment, and the mechanical error between camera equipment will also affect the final imaging effect ,22. The In this paper, based on the integrated imaging technology, a flexible naked-eye 3D display film element based on microstructures has been designed and fabricated, which can achieve the 3D imaging effect with a resolution higher than the human eye resolution limit of 300 ppi, and has the advantages of curling and light weight. The main arrangement of this paper is as follows: The second part describes the structure design and imaging principle of the 3D display film element. The third part presents the structural design of the MLA and acquisition of the MIA. The fourth part describes the preparation and integration of the microstructure, and the final part presents the summary of the whole paper.The structure of the flexible naked-eye 3D display film element consists of three parts, namely, an MLA, MIA, and flexible substrate material, as shown in D) of the microlens is the same as the size (T) of the microimage unit, and the distance (d) between the MLA and MIA is the effective focal length (f) of the microlens. A single microlens can image the corresponding microimage independently, and several sub-images are fused to form a 3D effect. According to the theory of Gauss optics, when the distance between the MLA and MIA is the focal length of the microlens, the image distance is infinite, which means that light from any angle on the MIA is refracted by the MLA and then emitted as parallel light. Therefore, the number of pixels of the reconstructed 3D image is determined by the number of MLAs (n × n). Finally, the imaging resolution (Re) of the element can be calculated according to Equation (1), where L is the size of the MIA. L can be obtained by multiplying the array number (n × n) of microimages by the size of the microimage unit (T). The viewing angle of the film element (Z) is determined by Equation (3), where IP is the pixel size of the microimage.The aperture ( element c can be D) of the microlens is 80 μm; (3) the curvature radius of the microlens is 47.5 μm; (4) the focal length (f) of the microlens is 85 μm; (5) the sag height of the microlens is 22 μm; (6) the array number of the microlens is 250 × 250. Then, the imaging resolution is calculated as 317 ppi, which is higher than the human-eye resolution limit. The viewing angle (θ) is about 50°. At this time, the focal length of the microlens is very short, so the distance between the MLA and MIA is 85 μm. Thus, the whole element will reach the thin-film level.Due to the MLA being the key imaging element, the reasonable design of the parameters of the MLA, such as the aperture, focal length, and array number, is related to the integration of the whole element and the quality of the 3D image. For a miniaturized 3D film element, when the microlens is designed with a large aperture or a small number of MIAs, the resolution of images from all perspectives of the 3D image will be very low, which makes the viewing effect worse. In order to meet the requirement of the human eye resolution of 300 ppi, the structural parameters of the microlens are designed as follows: (1) the material of the microlens is a photosensitive adhesive (NOA61), and the refractive index is 1.56 in the visible light band; (2) the aperture  was 2 μm. Therefore, the 3D depth range could be calculated as 6.8 mm.Based on 3ds MAX software , a 3D scene was established, as shown in In the process of MIA acquisition, the camera captured images of the 3D scene from different perspectives, as shown in Furthermore, 250 × 250 microimages captured by the camera were encoded and fused according to the arrangement of the MLA. The MIA was generated by computer processing, as shown in There are two key microstructures in the 3D display element, which are the MLA and MIA. The MLA was prepared by photolithography and the hot melting method, and the preparation results are shown in Subsequently, integration of the two key microstructures needs to be carried out. During the integration, the MLA and MIA need to be aligned one by one to realize 3D image reconstruction. In the experiment, nano-imprinting alignment technology was used to achieve alignment integration of the two microstructures, as shown in First, the imprinting mold with the structural information of the MLA should be prepared. The imprinting mold is composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The free energy of the interface of the PDMS mold is low and has chemical inertness. Therefore, the mold is easy to be separated when the mold is used to carry out the integration. During the mold preparation, PDMS stroma and curing agent were poured into a clean beaker at a volume ratio of 10:1, continuously stirring with a glass rod. A large number of bubbles were generated in the PDMS prepolymer until the bubbles disappeared gradually. In addition, the PDMS prepolymer was poured on the prepared MLA, as shown in Secondly, the structural information of the MLA should be imprinted on the surface of the MIA by using the imprinting mold to realize the integration of the MLA and MIA. The process flow was as follows: First, the photosensitive adhesive (NOA61) was dropped on the prepared MIA, as shown in In this paper, we propose to design and fabricate a 3D display film element based on microfabrication. The imaging resolution is higher than that of the human eye at 300 ppi. At the same time, the element has the characteristics of miniaturization and light weight, which can be applied to product packaging, handicrafts, anti-counterfeiting, and other industries. Using the 3D display effect to replace the original two-dimensional image display has a certain market application prospect, and also lays the technical foundation for wearable display equipment.


The method is based on collecting the suspected drug samples with cotton swabs, followed by the extraction of the target compounds by ultrasound assisted extraction. The extracts are then separated and processed by IT-SPME-nanoLC. The proposed approach has been applied to the detection of traces of cannabis in different kind of items . Sample amounts as low as 0.08 mg have been collected and analysed for THC. The selectivity and effect of the storage conditions on the levels of THC have also been evaluated. The percentages of THC in the samples typically ranged from 0.6% to 2.8%, which means that amounts of this compound as low as 1–2 µg were adequately detected and quantified. For the first time, the reliability of IT-SPME-nanoLC for the analysis of complex matrices such as cannabis plant extracts has been demonstrated.Because of its inherent qualities, in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) coupled on-line to nanoliquid chromatography (nanoLC) can be a very powerful tool to address the new challenges of analytical laboratories such as the analysis of traces of complex samples. This is the case of the detection of contact traces of drugs, especially cannabis. The main difficulties encountered in the analysis of traces of cannabis plants on surfaces are the low amount of sample available , the complexity of the matrix, and the low percentages of cannabinoic compounds in the samples. In this work, a procedure is described for the detection of residues of cannabis on different surfaces based on the responses obtained by IT-SPME coupled to nanoLC with UV diode array detection (DAD) for the cannabinoids Δ The detection and characterization of contact traces of some substances, such as illicit drugs or explosives, is a challenging task that needs to be addressed in some investigations. For example, the presence of drug traces on clothes, packaging, skin, or vehicle interiors may be due to simple contact with the bulk drug during its production, transport, or consumption and may persist for relatively long periods of time. Thus, positive identification and characterization of drugs in these kinds of samples may play a significant role in criminal investigations, particularly in those related to drug trafficking ,2,3. TheN-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) in a variety of fabrics [Some spectroscopic techniques have been proposed for the direct detection of residues of drugs on different items. For example, the detection of traces of cocaine on dealers’ clothes and cars has been reported using ion mobility spectrometry ; Raman s fabrics ,6,7. The fabrics ,9,10,11.The miniaturization of the chromatographic systems (capillary LC and nanoLC) is one of the options available to improve the sensitivity of chromatographic analysis . The sen9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN) were the target analytes selected; for quantitative purposes, THC was the only compound used because it was the predominant cannabinoid in plants. The IT-SPME and chromatographic conditions were previously optimized using extracts obtained from cannabis plants. The proposed approach has been successfully used for the detection of residues of cannabis plants (<1 mg). The selectivity towards other plants  and the effects of storage conditions and item type have been studied.In the present work, we describe a new method for the detection and quantification of contact traces of cannabis in different kinds of surfaces using in-valve IT-SPME coupled on-line to nanoLC. The method is based on the employment of cotton swabs for collecting the suspected sample, the extraction of the cannabinoids by treating the cotton swabs in an ultrasonic bath, and the direct processing of the extracts by IT-SPEM-nanoLC. Cotton swabs were selected for sampling, as it is the methodology commonly used to collect residues of drugs from surfaces ,9,10,11.r = 13.3 min), CBN (tr = 15.1 min), and THC (tr = 16.2 min) from the rest of the components extracted from the plants, as most of them were expected to elute at shorter retention times [Conditions used to effect IT-SPME of the target cannabinoids were selected according to the results obtained in our previous works. A polydimethylsiloxane-based coated capillary (TRB5) was used because this phase provided satisfactory results in the extraction of compounds of similar polarity ; the samon times ,18,19. The quantitative performance of IT-SPME-nanoLC was studied by processing aqueous solutions of the analytes. The results obtained are listed in The analytical performance of the proposed conditions was considered satisfactory and, therefore, applied to evaluate the presence and concentrations of THC, CBD, and CBN in the extracts obtained from cannabis plants. v/v)). Extractions were performed in an ultrasonic bath for 15 min as proposed in [Four cannabis samples (M1–M4) were used throughout the study. These samples were analysed in order to estimate the content in cannabinoids for subsequent comparison with the results of the studies with residues. Samples were roughly homogenized manually, and portions of 10 mg were subjected to extraction with 3 mL of a mixture of methanol and chloroform . It was observed that the peak of THC increased after drying at 50 °C, most probably due to the loss of humidity. In all the samples assayed, the peaks corresponding to the other two cannabinoids, CBD and CBN, were much lower than that of THC, and in some of the samples, the concentration of CBN was below its LOQ see . ConsequThe percentages of THC in the plants were estimated from the peak areas measured for this compound in the collected extracts and the calibration equation of As observed in this table, the percentages of THC found for samples exposed to ambient conditions were <1%. The values obtained for three independent assays for one of the samples (M1) were 0.4%, 0.4%, and 0.8%. This variability  can be explained by the heterogeneity of the sample. It has to be noted that all samples were processed as they were expected to be consumed by users, that is, without being homogenized with lab equipment such as mortars or mills. The consecutive analysis of three aliquots of the same extract led to peak areas of THC with a relative standard deviation of 4%.In samples dried at 50 °C, the percentages of THC slightly increased (up to 4.8%) most probably due to the loss of humidity. These values are about the same order as those reported by other authors ,18,19. AIn order to develop a protocol for the analysis of contact traces of cannabis, different studies were carried out using plastic as a model surface, more specifically, polyethylene bags (6 × 4 cm). The bags were previously put into contact with cannabis by placing about 1.0 g of plant inside them and pressing it. Then, the bags were emptied by shaking them repeatedly, so that most parts of the plants were removed . Next, the inner surface of the bag was wiped with a cotton swab in order to collect possible residues of the plant. The amount of residue collected was calculated by the difference of mass of the swabs before and after the wiping step. As an illustrative example, Next, the cotton tips of the swabs were introduced into 2-mL glass vials, and after adding 1 mL of the extracting solvent (the cotton tip of the swab was completely soaked), the vials were introduced into an ultrasonic bath for 15 min. Finally, the liquid phase was removed and filtered for further processing. v/v). As explained above, the high sensitivity attainable by IT-SPME-nanoLC allowed the detection and quantification of the main cannabinoids in only 10 mg of plants, making the dilution of the collected extracts necessary. However, in the analysis of traces of cannabinoids, much lower amounts of samples are expected to be available. Therefore, dilution factors as low as possible should be applied. In an attempt to eliminate intermediate dilutions and since water-rich media are necessary for IT-SPME, water and different water–methanol mixtures were tested for the extraction of THC from the residues of cannabis collected on the swabs. The results were compared with those obtained by using methanol and chloroform  is suitable for IT-SPME with a PDMS-based coating, such as that used in the present study [octanol/water = 6.97) [No THC was detected in the chromatograms obtained when using water for extraction. According to previous works, a water-methanol mixture  . Much bev/v). This figure also shows the good concordance between the UV spectra recorded for the peaks of the suspected analytes and those obtained for standard solutions of the analytes. Therefore, the presence of cannabis in the collected trace sample could be properly confirmed. As an example, The proposed procedure was applied to detect residues of cannabis on other surfaces, namely, aluminum foil (7 × 10 cm), office paper (5 × 5 cm), a piece of cotton cloth (2 × 2 cm), and skin (hand). In the assays with the office paper, a piece of cloth and hand small particles of cannabis were visually detected after the removal of the drug; no traces were detected by naked eye on the aluminum, which was the less porous material see .Possible residues of cannabis were collected with swabs, and the swabs were treated with 1 mL of methanol as described above. For comparison purposes, a piece of the cotton fabric (2 × 2 cm) was also directly immersed in 2 mL of methanol, and the extract was treated the same as the solutions obtained for the swabs. The amounts of samples collected were of about the same order as those collected in the assays with plastic bags, but the amount of cannabis that remained bound to the piece of cloth was much higher (4.10 mg). The three cannabinoids could be detected and identified, although the concentration of CBN in some of the samples was below its LOQ. Examples of the chromatograms obtained are given in The percentage of THC in the collected residues was established from the peak areas of the chromatograms obtained. The dilution factor was selected according to the amount of residue collected with the swabs; dilution factors of 1:20–1:100 were adequate in most of the samples to adjust the concentrations of THC to the linear concentration interval . HoweverThe results obtained in quantitative assays are summarized in n = 3). The reproducibility was also tested for the consecutive injection of aliquots of the same extract. The RSD values obtained were ≤18% for bags, 4% for aluminum foil . The RSD obtained was 17%. The interday precision was calculated from the analysis of residues of the sample M1 on three different days, resulting in RSD 27%  and tobacco see a. A mixtThe chromatograms obtained for all the herbal infusions and tobacco tested were free of peaks in the region where CND, CBN, and THC eluted. Examples of the chromatograms obtained are depicted in In view of these results, it was concluded that the proposed approach was suitable for the differentiation of residues of cannabis from noncannabinoid plants. The analysis of cannabis has been undertaken from different perspectives such as the characterization of the varieties of plants or the quantification of the active components ,18,19, t2, but lower amounts could be detected. As an example, considering the instrumental detection limit (2 ng/mL), a percentage of THC of 1% in the sample, and a dilution factor 1:20, the method could detect THC in residues of cannabis of only 4 µg.In the present study, we have illustrated the potential of IT-SPME coupled to nanoLC for the detection and characterization of contact traces of complex materials, such as cannabis plants. For the first time, it has been demonstrated that IT-SPME-nanoLC can be used for the analysis of extracts obtained for such samples with adequate selectivity. The system stability was also suitable; more than 100 extracts were analysed by the proposed method with the same capillary without observing deterioration in its retention properties or in the system background pressure. The proposed approach uses green extraction techniques, such as ultrasound assisted extraction, and only 1 mL of methanol per sample is necessary. It has been applied to the detection and quantification of amounts 1–2 µg of THC from areas typically lower than 50 cmThroughout our study, we observed that most parts of the residues were collected with swabs. However, in more porous surfaces, incomplete removal of the sample could occur, and thus, the amount of residue collected would be affected by parameters such as pressure or time of sampling. In such cases, the proposed procedure could not be applied to estimate the mass of residue, although the positive identification of cannabis would be still possible. If required for a more complete characterization of the sample, the proposed approach could be applied to the quantification of CBD and CBN by processing the undiluted extracts.Because of the low amount of sample necessary, the protocol can be considered minimally invasive. Moreover, as only 10 µL of diluted extracts is necessary, most part of the original extract can be stored and used in further studies, if required. The concordance of the percentages of THC found in the study with plants  and withIn summary, this work illustrates the potential utility of new integrated techniques such as IT-SPME coupled on-line to nanoLC for contact trace analysis of complex samples .9-trans-tetrahidrocannabinol, cannabidiol, and cannabinol (solutions in methanol) were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich . Acetonitrile, chloroform, and methanol were of HPLC grade .All reagents were of analytical grade. Standards of ΔIntermediate stock standard solutions of the analytes (1 mg/mL) were prepared by diluting the commercial standards with acetonitrile and kept at −20 °C until use. Working solutions were prepared by diluting the stock solutions with ultrapure water.Chromatographic analyses were performed using an Agilent 1260 Infinity nanoLC chromatograph equipped with a quaternary nanopump, a six-port microscale manual injector , and a UV-Vis diode array detector with an 80-nL nanoflow cell . The detector was coupled to a data system  for data acquisition and treatment. The analytical signal was recorded between 190 and 400 nm and monitored at 210 nm. A Zorbax 300SB C18  column (Agilent) was used for separation.The mobile phase was a mixture of water and acetonitrile in gradient elution mode. The percentage of acetonitrile in the mobile phase was linearly increased from 55% at 0–5 min to 75% at 10 min, which was then kept constant until 12 min; finally, the acetonitrile percentage was linearly decreased to reach a percentage of 55% at 15 min and remained constant until the end of the run. The flow rate was 0.5 µL/min. Solvents were filtered through 0.22-µm nylon membranes before use .For the IT-SPME a segment of a TBR-5 column , 15 cm length, 0.320 mm id, and 3 µm coating thickness , was used. For connecting the extractive capillary to the valve, a 2.5-cm sleeve of 1/6 i.n. polyether ether ketone (PEEK) tubing (1/6 i.n. PEEK nuts and ferrules (Teknokroma)) was used.The volume of sample loaded into the IT-SPME device was 10 μL.Four cannabis samples (M1–M4) collected from different plants within two to three months before the study were used. The samples, intended for self-consumption, were voluntarily donated by users who were previously informed of the aim of the study. The samples were stored in plastic bags in the dark until use.v/v) was added. The vials were closed with a screw cap and placed into an ultrasonic bath  for 15 min. Next, a portion of about 1 mL of the extraction solvent was removed and filtered through 0.22-µm nylon membranes (Teknokroma). Unless otherwise stated, the extracts were properly diluted with ultrapure water and processed by IT-SPEM-nanoLC. Each sample was assayed in duplicate.For the extraction of cannabinoids, accurately weighted portions of the samples (10 mg) were placed in 10-mL glass vials, and then 3 mL of a mixture of methanol and chloroform  in an ultrasonic bath for 15 min. The extracts were properly filtered and diluted with ultrapure water and then processed by IT-SPEM-nanoLC. Unless otherwise stated, each extract was processed in duplicate.The presence of traces of cannabis on the surface of different types of materials was evaluated: plastic (polyethylene), cellulose office paper, aluminum foam, cotton cloth, and hand skin. For this purpose, the items were put into contact with portions of cannabis of about 1 g by exerting pressure with hands, and then the plant was removed by shaking the item repeatedly. Next, the surface of the item was wiped with dry swabs for 20–30 s in different directions in order to collect possible traces of cannabis; the surface areas wiped were of about 20–50 cmCotton swabs purchased from local supermarkets were used for collecting the samples.For the selectivity studies, three different herbal infusions—lime-orange (HI1), pennyroyal (HI2), and valerian (HI3)—were used. These products were purchased from local supermarkets.


Falls and fractures are extremely frequent in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Therefore, a fall and fracture prevention program was started in nearly 1000 LTCFs in Bavaria/Germany between 2007 and 2010. The components of the program were exercise classes, the documentation of falls, environmental adaptations, medication reviews, the recommendation to use hip protectors and education of staff. The present study aimed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation process of the program regarding results of the implementation phase and the follow-up of 3–9 years after start of implementation.Data from numerous sources were used, including data from published studies, statistical data, health insurance claims data and unpublished data from an online questionnaire. To incorporate different aspects, time periods and results, the RE-AIM framework was applied.The program was adopted by 942 of the 1150 eligible LTCFs and reached about 62,000 residents. During the implementation phase exercise classes and recommendation about environmental adaptations were offered in nearly all LTCFs. 13.5% of the residents participated in exercise classes. Hip protectors were available for 9.2% of all residents. In the first implementation wave, femoral fracture rate was significantly reduced by 18% in the first year. At follow-up nearly 90% of all LTCFs still offered exercise classes, which were attended by about 11% of residents. However, only 10% of the exercise classes completely fulfilled the requirements of an effective strength and balance training. Individual advice about environmental adaptations was provided in 74.3% of the LTCFs and nearly all LTCFs claimed to offer hip protectors to their residents. A long-term effect of the program on femoral fractures could not be detected.The program did not affect the femoral fracture rate in the long run. Possible reasons could be a high turn-over of the staff, a reduced fidelity of training components or a shift in daily priorities among the staff. Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are settings with a particularly high risk for falls. In this setting, the fall rate is reported to be about 2 falls per resident-year , which iBF2P2 was embedded in daily routine and implemented in a complex setting. To evaluate the public health significance of such an intervention a comprehensive approach which uses different methods and addresses different dimensions at different time periods is needed , 10. SevThe multifactorial BF2P2 aimed to reduce the fall and fracture risk in residents of LTCFs. The components of the program were progressive exercise classes of strength and balance training with weight cuffs, documentation of falls, environmental adaptations, medication reviews and prescription of Vitamin D, recommendation to use hip protectors, education of staff and educational material. Furthermore, a website was provided to present information about fall prevention and a newsletter was sent regularly to the participating LTCFs during the implementation phase . FurtherTo implement the BF2P2, change agents and exercise instructors were educated and trained in a one-day session . The heaThe implementation of BF2P2 was coordinated by a statutory health insurance company, the AOK, which covers about 40% of all residents living in LTCFs in Bavaria. The program was implemented successively in four annually time-lagged implementation waves, starting in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively.To comprehensively evaluate BF2P2, data from published analyses, data from the federal statistical office, and new and so far not yet published data were used. Data sources are briefly described below for each of the RE-AIM dimensions and also presented in Tables The evaluation of the implementation phase used data from the first and second implementation wave (2007 and 2008). Routine data of the years 2005 through 2013 were used for analysis of the long-term effectiveness of BF2P2 on femoral fractures. Additional follow-up evaluations collected data in 2015 (online-questionnaire) and 2016 (observation of exercise classes). Since the LTCFs started with the program in four annually time-lagged implementation waves and the follow-up evaluations took place at different calendar years, the follow-up period differed between different scientific questions and different LTCFs and ranged from 3 to 9 years.To present the different aspects and results from the start of the BF2P2 until its long-term evaluation in a structured way, the RE-AIM framework was applied . This frThe dimension ‘Adoption’ describes the proportion of LTCFs which participated in BF2P2 and was calculated by dividing the number of participating LTCFs by the number of eligible LTCFs with 35 or more beds. The number of participating LTCFs was obtained from the health insurance company AOK, the number of eligible LTCFs from the federal statistical office .The dimension ‘Reach’ describes the proportion of residents who benefited from the BF2P2. Since BF2P2 aimed to influence the whole setting of the LTCF by its multifactorial approach, all residents of the participating LTCFs were supposed to benefit in one way or another. Therefore, reach was calculated by dividing the number of residents of participating LTCFs by the number of residents of eligible LTCFs with 35 or more beds. The number of residents was estimated using data from the federal statistical office .In our study the dimension ‘Implementation’ is operationalized by the availability of the following components of the program in the participating LTCFs during the implementation phase: Fall and fracture prevention classes, hip protectors, environmental adaptations and medication. Furthermore, costs of the BF2P2 were assessed.In 2008, telephone interviews were conducted with change agents (in most cases care managers) from 69 randomly selected participating LTCFs. They were asked about the availability of fall and fracture prevention classes, the acquisition of hip protectors, and if recommendations about environmental adaptations were routinely offered to their residents. This and additional information was used to calculate the incremental costs of the program during the first 18 months of the implementation . At the The dimension Effectiveness was determined by analyzing the effect of the BF2P2 on incident femoral fractures (ICD-10: S72) during the first intervention year . Femoral fracture rates were compared between 13,653 residents from 256 LTCFs which started with BF2P2 during wave 1 (intervention-LTCFs), and 31,668 residents from 893 remaining LTCFs which started during later waves (control-LTCFs). Since LTCFs were not randomized, the selection of LTCFs may have influenced the outcome. Therefore, femoral fracture rates were also calculated for the years before the start of the intervention  and compared between intervention-LTCFs and control-LTCFs. The femoral fracture-related costs and intervention costs were measured from a payer perspective . Claims The dimension ‘Maintenance’ is defined as the availability and quality of components of the BF2P2 in the participating LTCFs during follow-up and the Long-term effect of BF2P2 on incident femoral fractures in all implementation waves. The dimension was evaluated during follow-up in three different ways: First, by assessing the availability of fall prevention measures in the long run, second, by analyzing the fidelity of exercise components in the fall and fracture prevention classes according to the initial protocol, and third, by evaluating the long-term effect of the program on incident femoral fractures (ICD-10: S72).N = 167). Data from the online-questionnaire have not been published so far.The availability of fall prevention measures was assessed by an online-questionnaire which was sent to the facility managers or care managers of all participating LTCFs in October 2015. As BF2P2 was implemented time-lagged, this time point was 3 to 9 years after implementation for wave 1 to 4, respectively. The questionnaire asked if the initially educated change agents and exercise instructors were still working in the LTCF, if fall and fracture prevention classes were currently available, if hip protectors were currently made available by the LTCFs, if individual advice about environmental adaptations was routinely provided, and if nurses still discussed the residents’ medication with the general practitioner (GPs). The response rate to the online questionnaire was 17.7%  from 2005 through 2013, health insurance claims data of 85,148 residents from 802 nursing homes were used. LTCFs of all four implementation waves were incorporated in a comprehensive unbalanced panel data set. For each of the implementation waves, 2 years prior to implementation of BF2P2 were used as baseline and the following 4 years were investigated. The likelihood of a femoral fracture was estimated for every intervention year relatively to the baseline years before BF2P2 started. Fracture rates were standardized to sex, age, and the degree of dependence (care level) .Of all 1633 Bavarian LTCFs, 1150 LTCFs met the inclusion criterion of having at least 35 beds. Between 2007 and 2010, 942 of the 1150 eligible LTCFs implemented the LTCFs program, which corresponds to a participation rate of more than 80%  residents out of more than 75,000 eligible residents in Bavaria Table .One of the core components of the program were exercise classes for strength and balance training. Nearly all of the participating LTCFs offered such classes (97.6%). During the implementation period 13.5% of the residents (range 3.4 to 47.8% per LTCF) participated in exercise classes.Hip protectors were made available for 9.2% of all residents. The availability of hip protectors varied considerably between LTCFs. In 25% of the LTCFs hip protectors were not present at all, whilst in other LTCFs more than 25% of the residents owned hip protectors. However, only 63% of the residents who owned hip protectors actually used them in the 4 weeks prior to the data collection.Recommendations about environmental adaptations were routinely offered in nearly all LTCFs.The implementation of the complete program caused additional costs of 6248 EUR  per LTCF within the first 18 months  was 7481 EUR per year free of femoral fracture. The net benefit turns into a positive value if the willingness-to-pay (WTP) amount reaches around 7500 EUR, which reflects the point estimate of the adjusted cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) Table .During follow-up less than 20% of the initially educated change agents, who were supposed to serve as multipliers in the facilities, were still available. 55.5% of the current exercise instructors had received a specific education regarding the contents of the exercise program during the implementation phase Table .Table 4MNearly 90% of the LTCFs still offered exercise classes and about 11% of the residents from all participating LTCFs which offered exercise classes attended exercise classes at the follow-up assessment. Most of the exercise instructors (62.5%) had a qualification in nursing (registered nurse or nursing assistance), a smaller proportion (37.5%) in physiotherapy or occupational therapy. Components of strength training were a frequent part of the training Table .At the follow-up assessment nearly all LTCFs claimed to offer hip protectors to their residents. The percentage of residents for whom hip protectors were made available by the LTCFs was nearly 20% Table . This isIndividual advice about environmental adaptations was provided in 74.3% of the LTCFs (Table In more than two thirds of the LTCFs (70.9%) nurses discussed the residents’ medication frequently with the GP. However, the prescription of Vitamin D was part of the discussion within the ward round only in a few LTCFs Table .As described above, the femoral fracture rate was significantly reduced in the first intervention year of the first wave. For the same wave, a reduction was also observed in the second and partly in the third year. In the fourth year, which was the first year after the funded implementation phase ended, a reduction of femoral fractures was no longer observable. In contrast, the intervention was not associated with a significant reduction of femoral fractures in any year of the waves 2, 3 and 4. Therefore, only a transient reduction of femoral fractures in only the first implementation wave was observed whilst a long-term effect of BF2P2 in terms of reducing femoral fractures could not be detected  used them regularly during the implementation phase. At the time of the follow-up evaluation, most of the LTCFs were able to offer their residents hip protectors from an own pool. This underlines that fall and fracture prevention is still on the facilities’ agenda. Unfortunately, the currently available hip protectors in the LTCFs of our study did not have a significant effect on the femoral fracture rate. This contributes to the discussion about the effectiveness of hip protectors in daily routine of long-term care , 29. PosFourth, discussion about the appropriateness of drugs with the GPs was stated to be performed in 70% of the LTCFs at follow-up but we question that it was actually done in 70% of the individuals. On the one hand nurses may feel uncomfortable to discuss a resident’s medication with GPs , 31, on Fifth, since the publication of the new standard in fall prevention in 2006 seven additional standards dealing with other topics like nutrition- or pain management and had also to be implemented into daily routine in the LTCFs. This may have lowered priority of fall prevention in long-term care. Furthermore, the promotion of physical activity is also a priority in long-term care , 34. PhyThe BF2P2 may have had beneficial effects like an increase of social contacts, quality of life or physical function and physical activity. These effects were not measured in the BF2P2 but well known from other fall prevention trials , 36. NevA strength of the current evaluation is our comprehensive approach which analyzed process and outcome variables, included different methods and time periods and used a standardized framework  for the A weakness of our evaluation is that the availability of some of the program components such as fall and fracture prevention classes or hip protectors were assessed by different instruments during implementation phase and follow-up. This limits the comparability of the results. Furthermore, only 17.7% of the LTCFs completed the online questionnaire at follow-up which could have biased our results. The conditions in LTCFs differ from country to country and from healthcare system to healthcare system. This limits the generalizability of our results.In conclusion, the BF2P2 did not affect the femoral fracture rate in the long run. However, we observed a transient reduction of femoral fractures in the first implementation wave. This suggests that the dissemination of an evidence-based program into routine care is principally able to reduce femoral fractures. We identified different reasons which may have limited the effectiveness of the program like a high turn-over of staff, a reduced fidelity of training components or a shift in daily priorities among the staff. Fracture prevention in long-term care remains a challenge. A higher investment to guarantee a sustainable change of the implemented measures and processes in LTCFs or the introduction of completely new measures could be perspectives for the future.


Children’s health is an integral indicator of the general well-being of the society and at the same time is an indicator of all social and environmental problems . High stProtection of children’s health and ensuring the conditions for children comprehensive development are defined in Ukraine as a nationwide priority. One of the most important criteria for assessing health situation is the incidence rate (first discovered diseases) and prevalence rate  . The indThe study of the morbidity patterns of preschool-age children was conducted on the basis of pre-school educational institutions of the city of Lviv and Lviv region in 2017. Overall, 1672 children of preschool-age participated in the study.Taking into consideration the decrease in the number of children , the incidence rate and prevalence rate remain high .During the study of pre-school educational institutions in Lviv and Lviv region, we studied the number of missed days due to a disease during the year. We have found out that in 2016, out of the total number of children, 16722843 cases of a disease were recorded. The structure of the general morbidity pattern is formed by the following diseases: ARVI, 71.6%, bronchitis, 16.3%, tracheitis, 1.7%, pneumonia, 0.9%, otitis, 0.5%, influenza, 1.5%, angina, 0.4%, tonsillitis, 0.5%, conjunctivitis, 0.4%, chicken pox, 1.8%, stomatitis, 0.3%, other diseases, 4.1%.The resistance of the organism to adverse factors is assessed by the number and duration of the diseases that the child suffered in the previous year. We have found out the number of missed days due to illness and the number of cases of illnesses throughout the year among children of preschool age (3–6 yr of age) .The largest quantity of missed days due to illness was noted in children of younger preschool age (3–4 yr of age), and the smallest number - in children of the senior preschool age (5–6 yr of age).Having analyzed the received information, we should emphasize the following: there were 1.5 cases of disease per one child of the senior preschool-age and there were 13 d missed because of disease by one child of this age category; among children of the medium preschool age there were 1.7 cases of disease per one child, and there were 15 d missed because of disease per year; concerning junior-schoolers, there were 1.9 cases of disease and 18 missed days per child.Apart from analysis of the number of missed days and the number of cases due to the disease, the general morbidity of the studied group of children was determined. In children of junior preschool age the general morbidity was 1700 cases per 1000 children of the corresponding age, among children of middle preschool-age -1798, in senior pre-school-age children -1500 cases. The obtained indicators of the general morbidity essentially correspond to the average indicators for Ukraine.


When the Mg content was 6%, the comprehensive mechanical properties were best. The horizontal tensile strength, yield strength and elongation were 310 MPa, 225 MPa and 17%, respectively. The vertical tensile strength, yield strength and elongation were 300 MPa, 215 MPa and 15%, respectively. The fracture morphology was a ductile fracture.In this study, an Al–Mg alloy was fabricated by wire arc additive manufacture (WAAM), and the effect of Mg content on the microstructure and properties of Al–Mg alloy deposits was investigated. The effects on the deposition surface oxidation, geometry, burn out rate of Mg, pores, microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms were investigated. The results show that, when the Mg content increased, the surface oxidation degree increased; a “wave”-shaped deposition layer occurred when the Mg content reached 8%. When the Mg content was more than 6%, the burning loss rate of the Mg element increased significantly. With the increase of Mg content, the number of pores first decreased and then increased, and the size first decreased and then increased. When the Mg content reached 7% or above, obvious crystallization hot cracks appeared in the deposit bodies. When the Mg content increased, the precipitated phase (FeMn)Al Wire arc additive manufacture (WAAM) is an additive manufacturing technology which is based on the discrete additive forming principle to form 3D physical parts suitable for the rapid manufacturing of medium and large-scale parts with medium complexity ,2,3. TheAt present, the research into WAAM Al–Mg alloys is not in-depth and is limited to traditional brands. Jiang  studied In this paper, Al–Mg alloy deposits with different Mg contents were prepared by the WAAM method, and the surface oxidation degree, geometric morphology, burning loss of Mg elements, pores, microstructure, mechanical properties and tensile fracture mechanism of Al–Mg alloy deposits were studied, laying a foundation for the further study of WAAM Al–Mg alloys.The Al–Mg alloy welding wire used in this paper was provided by North East Industrial Materials & Metallurgy Co., Ltd.  and had a diameter of 1.2 mm. In this experiment, four kinds of welding wires with different Mg contents were prepared, and the target mass percentages of Mg content were 5%, 6%, 7% and 8%, with corresponding numbers of 1#, 2#, 3# and 4#, respectively. The Mg content mentioned in this paper was the target mass percentage of wire, and the measured chemical compositions of wires are shown in 3, with the balance consisting of H2O. The etching time is 20 s. A metallographic microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy spectrum (EDS) were used to observe the microstructure and analyze its composition. The width of the deposition body was measured by the Vernier caliper. Three parallel samples were taken and the average values of the measurement results were obtained.The sampling location of the deposition body and the specification of tensile samples are shown in It can be seen that the deposition bodies all show different degrees of Mg burning loss. When the Mg content increased from 5% to 6%, the burning rate of Mg increased slightly. When the content of Mg was more than 6%, the burning rate of Mg increased significantly. This is because Mg is more active, and its activity is proportional to its concentration.tion (3) :(3)Ph>Po2O3 due to the oxidation and burning loss of Mg, which easily absorbs water in the air. This can be easily seen in From the above analysis, it can be seen that increasing the Mg content will reduce the nucleation probability of bubbles and hinder the growth of bubbles, which is why the number and size of bubbles decrease when the Mg content increases from 5% to 6%. However, when the Mg content continues to increase, the number and size of pores increase, which is related to the origin of pores. Hydrogen is the main reason for the existence of pores in the WAAM aluminum alloy. Water in the arc column atmosphere and water absorbed by the wire and substrate are important sources of hydrogen. Mg has high activity and is easy to oxidize. When the content of Mg is increased, the following two sources of hydrogen will be increased: first, the oxide film on the surface of the wire thickens and increases the water absorption; second, during the processing of WAAM, the deposition body surface forms AlCracks are clearly visible in 6 phase and β(Mg2Al3) phase, respectively. The (FeMn)Al6 phase is insoluble, hard and brittle, and is a thick sheet segregation polymer. The β(Mg2Al3) phase is face-centered cubic and brittle at room temperature, meaning that the more of this phase the alloy has, the less plastic it is. Al–Mg alloy is a solid solution strengthening alloy [2Al3) phase. 2Al3) phase is precipitated more. In addition, with the increase of solid solution of Mg element in the α(Al), the Mn solid solution decreases, thus increasing the precipitation of the (FeMn)Al6 phase. The precipitation of these two phases results in the coarsening of deposition and the growth of grain.ng alloy . Parts oAs shown in 2Al3) and (FeMn)Al6 phase segregated and aggregated in the layer. The nonuniformity of the layered structure is detrimental to the vertical mechanical properties. The second reason for this difference is the generation of thermal cracking. It can be seen from Comparing the horizontal and vertical mechanical properties of A comprehensive data analysis shows that when the Mg content is 5–6%, the mechanical properties are better. When the Mg content is 6%, the comprehensive mechanical performance is the best, the horizontal tensile strength, yield strength and elongation are 310 MPa, 225 MPa and 17% respectively, and the vertical tensile strength, yield strength and elongation are 300 MPa, 215 MPa and 15%, respectively. The mechanical property data are consistent with the trend of the microstructure.(1)The content of Mg affects the surface oxidation degree and geometric size of WAAM Al–Mg alloy deposits. The surface oxidation degree increased with the increase of Mg content. When the Mg content reached 8%, a “wave”-shaped deposition layer appeared.(2)The effect of Mg content on the mechanical properties of the WAAM Al–Mg alloy is significant. The mechanical properties were excellent when the Mg content was controlled at 5–6%. When the Mg content is 6%, the comprehensive mechanical properties were optimized, with the horizontal tensile strength, yield strength and elongation being 310 MPa, 225 MPa and 17% respectively, and the vertical tensile strength, yield strength and elongation being 300 MPa, 215 MPa and 15%, respectively.(3)6 and β(Mg2Al3) increased, and the grain size increased, and larger columnar crystals appeared in the layer when the Mg content was 8%.The effect of Mg contents on the properties of WAAM Al–Mg alloy deposits is mainly attributed to three points: first, with the increase of Mg content, the number of pores first decreases, then increases, and the size first decreases, then increases. When the Mg content is 6%, the number of pores is the least and the size is the smallest. Secondly, when the Mg content reaches 7% or above, a serious shrinkage will appear due to the poor fluidity of the molten pool, which will lead to crystallization heat cracking. Third, with the increase of Mg content, the precipitated phase (FeMn)AlIn this paper, the influence of Mg content on WAAM Al–Mg alloy deposits was systematically described, and the optimal Mg content range was obtained, which is of guiding significance for the development of WAAM Al–Mg alloys. The WAAM technology’s technological characteristics determine that the composition of an alloy fabricated by WAAM is special. In future studies, other alloy elements of Al–Mg alloys will be further investigated to finally obtain the composition range of Al–Mg alloys suitable for the WAAM process, in order to promote the engineering application of WAAM Al–Mg alloys.


The use of cultivars adapted to the climate and soil conditions associated with adequate irrigation supply maximizes lettuce agronomic performance. The aim of this work was to evaluate the agronomic performance of four lettuce cultivars submitted to five different drip irrigation depths under a protected environment in Viçosa-MG, Brazil. A randomized block design was applied in a split plot scheme with four replications, and several agronomic characteristics were evaluated by analysis of variance, Tukey range tests, regression and principal component analysis. A higher chlorophyll concentration in the Raider Plus cultivar promoted the production of more leaves, leading to a higher phytomass. The Luara cultivar presented a higher number of commercial leaves per plant than the other cultivars, regardless of the irrigation depth, reflected in a larger diameter and volume of the aerial part of the plants. The Raider Plus and Luara cultivars presented better root development than that of the other cultivars, reducing the effect of plant water stress even under lower irrigation depth conditions. Although higher water productivity (WP) was observed for the lowest irrigation depth (50% of ETc), important variables reached the maximum values at depths higher than 100% water replenishment. Therefore, Raider Plus and Luara cultivars with an irrigation depth of 110% of crop evapotranspiration provided better commercial lettuce quality and are recommended for lettuce cultivation in the research region and under conditions similar to those of the present study. Lactuca sativa L.) of the Asteraceae family is one of the most popular and consumed vegetables in the world 24] for erding to  and 25]S and KL m|)2]0.49 and by the direct stove method to ensure soil moisture at field capacity. Irrigation depths were differentiated for 7 days after seedling transplantation (acclimatization period of the seedlings to the soil).Over five days prior to beginning climate irrigation management, soil water content was monitored at a depth of 0–0.20 m using tensiometers based on the soil water retention curve θ = 0.1813 + / and relative humidity (RH).Meteorological data  were obt-2 in the first cycle, from 1.4 to 8.6 MJ m-2 in the second, and from 2.0 to 7.7 MJ m-2 in the third  in the first cycle, 1.5 mm day-1 (from 1.0 to 1.8 mm day-1) in the second cycle, and 1.3 mm day-1 (from 1.0 to 1.7 mm day-1) in the third cycle. The ET0 that occurred during each cycle was used to determine the irrigation depth of 100% ETc applied in the treatments  was required, maintaining the soil with moisture near the field capacity and with little water requirement to reach the total storage at each irrigation period .Leaves:relative content of chlorophylls (SPAD index) A (Chl-A) and B (Chl-B) and total chlorophyll (Chl-T) were expressed as indirect in vivo measurements with a portable chlorophyll meter SPAD-502  in SPAD values  were expressed as the number of marketable leaves per plant; the number of noncommercial leaves  were expressed as the number of damaged or unlabeled leaves per plant; leaf length and width  were measured as the greatest length and width of the more developed leaves; the leaf area index  was measured by the leaf discs method, using 30 discs of 2.0 cm in diameter (3.14 cm2) per plant taken from the basal, median and apical portions of three leaves, avoiding the sampling of the central vein, similar to [fresh leaf mass  was expressed as the mass of all leaves per plant; the dry leaf mass (DLM g) was expressed as the mass of all leaves per plant, dried in a forced ventilation oven at 65°C until reaching constant mass.orophyll ) from inmilar to ; the freRoots:the fresh root mass  and dry root mass  per plant were obtained as outlined above for the fresh and dry leaf masses; the root length  was obtained for the longest root per plant, measured with a ruler; the root volume  per plant was measured by the displacement volume of water inside a graduated cylinder.Stems:the fresh stem mass  was determined as the fresh shoot mass without leaves; the stem length  was determined using a ruler; the stem average diameter  was expressed as the average of three measurements  using a pachymeter; the stem volume  was measured by the displacement volume of water inside a graduated cylinder.Aerial Part:the aerial part height  was measured as the distance from the soil surface to the top of the shoot, measured just before harvest; the aerial part diameter  was obtained by taking two measurements of the diameter of each plant with a ruler, one in the horizontal plane and one in the perpendicular direction; the aerial part volume  was measured by the displacement volume of water inside a graduated cylinder of known dimensions; the aerial part total mass  was expressed as the sum of the commercial and noncommercial masses per plant; the aerial part commercial mass  was measured as the mass of the marketable aerial part; the mass of the aerial part loss at harvest  per plant was determined by subtracting the commercial mass from the total aerial part mass; the crop yield  was an estimation of the ratio between the production of the useful plot (based on APCM) and the area occupied by it, extrapolating to an area of 1 m2; the water productivity  (water use efficiency by area) was expressed as the ratio between Y (kg m-2) and the amount of water applied (mm) per treatment.The obtained data were subjected to analysis of variance at 5% and 1% probability by the F test. When significant at 5%, the effects of depth were subjected to regression analysis, and the effects of cultivars were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. For regression analysis, the linear, quadratic, cubic, square root, potential, exponential, hyperbolic, logarithmic, cubic root, log-log, Ln-Ln and Exp(x) models were tested. The best model was obtained considering the significance of the F test for the regression equation, up to a 5% probability, the coefficient of determination (R2), and the representativeness of biological behavior by the equation. The curve inflection points were obtained by the first-order partial derivative of the respective regression equations. Data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA). We used GENES and SISVAR software for statistical analysis.The coefficients of variation (CV%) from the analysis of variance Tables , 4 and 52, Y2, WP2, WP3, APD2, NCL2, FLm2, LAI2, FSm2, SMD2, and SV2) and for cycle 3 (WP3). A significant effect for lettuce cultivars, as a variation factor, was observed in almost all evaluated characteristics for the three crop cycles. Irrigation depth had a significant effect on APTMT2, WP1, APH1, APH2, DLm2 and SL2.Tables The existence of a linear relationship between the number of leaves and the air temperature, accumulated through the degrees per day (GD) thermal summation, has confirmed that temperature is the main factor controlling the rate of leaf emission . HoweverThe Raider Plus cultivar better adapt to environments with a lower incidence of light, similar to the protected environment used in this study, since it presented a higher percentage of chlorophylls A and B and total chlorophyll  than thaGrana within the chloroplasts. This effect is considered an efficient adaptive process of the acclimatization of plants to environments with low light intensity [The quality and freshness of commercially sold vegetables can be monitored by measuring the chlorophyll content . Accordintensity .This behavior benefited the development of the Raider Plus cultivar, intensifying the green coloration and increasing its visual quality, which promotes greater attractiveness and commercialization in relation to the other cultivars.The Luara cultivar also showed high values of chlorophyll , but itsBetter photosynthetic characteristics, for both the Raider Plus and Luara cultivars, promoted better root contribution , with a higher volume of explored soil (RV), reducing water stress of the plant even under smaller applied irrigation depths (50% and 75% of ETc) . The optAlthough the Vanda cultivar had higher values of some of the characteristics, such as LAI, LL, FRM, DRM, RL, RV and APD Tables , 4 and 5As described previously, the plant physiological factors of the Raider Plus and Luara cultivars were better than those of the Vanda and Imperial Roxa cultivars. The plant physiological factors were influenced in a directly proportional way in production (APTM and APCM), as well as in Y. The Raider Plus and Luara cultivars, with larger numbers of leaves (NCL and NNCL), smaller stems  and higher volumes (higher APV), presented higher APTM and APCM values, which are directly proportional to Y.-2), followed by the Luara (2.8 kg m-2), Vanda (2.7 kg m-2) and the Imperial Roxa (1.5 kg m-2) cultivars.Although the Raider Plus cultivar presented high crop loss indexes (MLH), APTM was enough to confer higher APCM and higher Y for this crop. The highest yield average of the three cycles was observed for the Raider Plus cultivar (3.0 kg m-2) presented by [The highest values of Y observed in the present study for the Raider Plus, Luara and Vanda cultivars were similar to the maximum value (3.6 kg mented by  for convIP).An approximate average value of water replacement depth equal to 110% ETc provides water conditions for the lettuce crop to express its greatest potential in important variables (APTM and DLM), with PA near to the average .IP) obtained by deriving the respective equations, are shown in Interactions between the studied cultivars, as a function of the irrigation depth and referring to the maximum point of the curve inflection point  was observed for the lowest irrigation depth used (50% of ETc), similar to , importaNote that the optimal aerial part characteristics, which directly influence Y, were obtained by irrigation depths higher than 100% water replenishment. Possibly, the global efficiency of the system did not achieve 100% efficiency in water absorption because of losses by percolation, redistribution of water in the soil and areas with a water deficit . AnotherThe principal component analysis (PCA) is represented in Comparatively, the closer that a treatment is plotted to a given characteristic, the more suitable this treatment will be to obtain higher values of that characteristic.Treatments involving the Raider Plus cultivar , regardless of the irrigation depth, were concentrated on the right of the central axis . This beUnlike the Raider Plus and Luara cultivars, the Vanda and Imperial Roxa cultivars concentrated their treatments on the negative side of the CP1 axis , in the The angle between the direction of any two vectors  indicateThe Raider Plus and Luara cultivars can be recommended for the cultivation of lettuce in protected environments, with blue plastic covering, in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais State and in regions with similar conditions.Lettuce irrigation should be performed with a depth to restore 110% of the crop evapotranspiration to the region under conditions similar to those of the current study.Future research comparing the same cultivars and irrigation depths in protected environments with different coverings is encouraged by the authors and may provide different conclusions than that of the current research.S1 Fig(TIF)Click here for additional data file.S1 Table(TIF)Click here for additional data file.


The aim of this work is to investigate the mechanical performances and corrosion resistance of open-cell aluminium foams with an electroplated nickel coating. The influence of two different electrolytic solutions on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance was studied: The Watts solution (nickel sulphate-based solution) and a nickel sulphamate solution (widely adopted). Scanning electron microscopy and stereoscopic analysis allowed for the estimation of the coating uniformity and adhesion to the substrate. In order to assess the improvement of performances, compression and corrosion tests were performed on coated and uncoated foams. In addition, annealing was investigated in relation to different operational parameters, related both to electro-deposition  and to annealing (treatment temperature). From the results, the yield stress and the corrosion resistance improved. Moreover, the annealing at increasing temperature was found to reduce the yield stress, but Ni-coated foams showed higher values of stress for all the considered treatment temperatures. Metal foams are porous materials characterized by a complex 3D structure, which confers to them interesting properties in terms of light weight, mechanical, thermal and acoustic performances. In particular, metal foams are widely adopted because of their higher specific strength and stiffness, as compared to monolithic equivalents. The characteristics of these porous materials make them suitable for several industrial applications ,2, from The interest in copper deposition is also due to the fact that coppering can be used as the base for further deposition of other materials, such as nickel .Recent studies showed that the electro-deposition of nickel determined an improvement in mechanical properties of open cell aluminium foams ,14. GeneIn the scientific literature, few studies focus on nickel coated foams, the complexity of covering the inner zone of cellular structures with this material  and theiModels were also developed to estimate the improvement in mechanical properties due to the metallic coating ,24. TheyThe aim of this work is to study the influence of two different electrolytic solutions on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of an aluminium foam electro-deposited with nickel: The Watts solution  and a n2 in size and 30 mm in height, were obtained from the same commercial panel of open cell foam . It was made of 6101 T6 aluminium alloy and the number of pores per inches (PPI) was 10. This foam is fabricated by the replication of polymeric pattern [Parallelepiped samples, 20 × 20 mm4·6H2O: 225 g/L; NiCl2·6H2O: 30 g/L; H3BO3: 30 g/L), as adopted in [2SO3)2·4H2O: 300 g/L; NiCl2·6H2O: 30 g/L; H3BO3: 30 g/L), generally adopted for the deposition of functional coatings or for electroforming [Aluminium foam substrates were coated via electro-deposition. An electrolytic cell at 25 °C was used. Two different electrolytic solutions were studied: the Watts solution   was set at 1, 1.5 and 2 A; deposition time ranged from 10 to 120 min. Such current values were chosen on the basis of previous works [The main issue with electro deposition of foams is with the penetration of the Ni ions into the cellular structure, which is a very complex 3D structure, and; therefore, the obtaining of a very uniform thickness of Ni on all the brackets of foams. In order to overcome this issue, a magnetic agitator, working at 3 rpm, was used to keep in agitation the bath during the deposition. The consumable anode was composed by four Ni plates, 40 × 40 × 3 mmus works ,13 and oA characterization procedure was defined in this work with the aim to identify the effect of the parameters, adopted during deposition or annealing, on the resulting foams. In particular, the thickness and the adhesion of the coating were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy  and stereoscopic microscope . Both the external face and the interior of the foam were analysed.In the mechanical characterization tests, the compression of the foams was performed by a universal testing machine ; the crosshead speed was 10 mm/min and the three zones of the stress-strain curves  were analysed . Three rThe effect of annealing on mechanical properties was also investigated. Annealing for 30 min at various temperatures, from 150 °C up to 450 °C, was performed in a convection oven, both on coated and uncoated foams for comparison. The comparison was in terms of yield stress, evaluated by performing compression tests in the aforementioned conditions. Microstructural analysis of samples, after annealing tests, was performed to verify the possible occurrence of defects.In addition, corrosion tests were performed on the samples to evaluate the protection offered by the Ni coating on the aluminium foam. In order to study the corrosion behaviour, the “VoltaLab” potentiostat  was adopted to produce the Tafel curves of the annealed samples. The auxiliary electrode, used for the test, was made in platinum, whereas the reference one was a saturated calomel electrode (SCE), according to the schematic of P%), calculated as the variation of the sample mass before and after electro-deposition, was chosen as the principal parameter for evaluating the standard of the deposition process. It is a mass ratio and can be expressed as a function of the molar mass of nickel P%= MP% and the operational parameters of the electro-deposition process. In particular, P% is directly proportional to current and time and inversely proportional to sample mass. Attention must be paid to the value assumed by ρ, that is not constant and has to be calculated for each sample. Thus, each sample was weighted before and after electro-deposition, the volume was estimated and then the density was calculated.Equation (4) shows the relationship that exists between P% as a function of the variable term of Equation (4) is reported; the slope of the linear trend (the first fraction of Equation (4)) assumed the value 1.8 × 10−3 A min/kg regardless of the electrolyte, which was in good agreement to the calculated value. Thus, Equation (4) accurately predicts the amount of deposited Ni. It is worth noting that the equation can be adopted in the case of an open cell foam, for both Ni sulphate and Ni sulphamate solutions.In 3. Significant differences between the two adopted solutions (Ni sulphate/sulphamate) were not observed. The density increase was about 20 kg/m3 for the lower deposition time (10 min), and about 230 kg/m3 for the higher time (120 min). The density of the foam is strictly related to its mechanical properties, the more the foam is dense the more it is resistant . The uniformity and the thickness of the electroplated coating were assessed by SEM and stereoscopic analysis. The same considerations can be drawn regardless of the electrolyte. For this reason, the focus was mainly on the electro-deposition at 1.5 A, corresponding to the higher final density, with no defects; the resulting samples were considered for the subsequent mechanical and corrosion tests. In In order to assess if the solution could have an influence on the adhesion between the coating and the substrate, SEM analysis of the foams (electroplated at 1.5 A and 60 min) were performed. In In addition, the Energy Dispersive Spectrometer analysis  of the foam after Ni electro-deposition at 1.5 A and 60 min with the nickel sulphate-based solution was performed, as reported in In order to characterize the mechanical performance of the coated foams, compression tests were performed. Significant differences in terms of mechanical behaviour under compression load were not observed using different electrolytes, as suggested by the comparison of stress-strain curves in From the above, the coatings obtained by using the sulphamate solution showed a greater predisposition to formation of surface defects, at the same time this electrolyte conferred to the foam mechanical properties similar to the ones obtainable by sulphate solution. Thus, further considerations were done referring to the electro-deposition by the sulphate solution. In the following, the compression tests after annealing are reported. In The results are summarized in In addition, SEM analysis was performed to establish the maximum temperature that did not cause defects. It was found that the annealing treatment at 300 °C determined porosity inside the aluminium  performance.(1)Both the external face and the interior of the foams were correctly coated by adopting a DC of 1.5 A, which prevented the formation of hydrogen bubbles over the external surface of the foams;(2)The sulphamate solution  showed a higher predisposition to the formation of hydrogen gas and; therefore, of surface defects on the foam;(3)The optimal duration of deposition was 60 min; which allowed for a homogenous and satisfactory covering of samples to be obtained with the considered shape and dimensions;(4)The amounts of nickel deposited on the specimens was almost the same for the two solutions;(5)Mechanical properties of coated foams were similar, regardless of the electrolyte;(6)The coating improved the yield, whereas the stiffness was found to be unaffected by the deposition of Ni;(7)The yield stress was reduced after annealing at increasing temperature, but Ni-coated foams showed higher values of stress for all the considered temperatures;(8)The Ni coating allowed a higher corrosion current, even at high temperatures.The present work investigated the mechanical performances and corrosion resistance of open-cell aluminium foams with an electroplated nickel coating. Two different electrolytic solutions were indagated to obtain the coatings: The Watts solution (nickel sulphate-based solution) and a nickel sulphamate solution (widely adopted). Scanning electron microscopy and stereoscopic analysis was used to estimate the coating uniformity and adhesion to the substrate. The evaluation of properties of the resulting foams was based on compression and corrosion tests. Based on the experimental results, within the checked values, the following conclusions can be drawn:


Objective: Early B-cell factor 1 (EBF1) is a transcription factor that is expressed in early B-cells, adipocytes, and olfactory neurons, and is essential for the maturation of early B lymphocytes. The present study analyzes the influence of EBF1 gene polymorphism and its interaction with smoking and drinking on the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: In the present study, 243 CAD cases were enrolled as the CAD group and 215 non-CAD patients as the control group by case–control study. We analyzed their genotypes of the rs987401919, rs36071027, and rs1056065671 loci of the EBF1 gene by Sanger sequencing and detected their content of HDL-C, LDL-C, and TG. Results: The C allele at the rs987401919 and rs36071027 loci of EBF1 was found to be the risk factor for CAD . The interaction between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the rs987401919 and rs36071027 loci and smoking and drinking were distinctly associated with the incidence of CAD (P<0.05). The content of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), HDL-C, LDL-C, and TG was distinctly changed after gene mutation at the rs987401919 and rs36071027 loci (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results of the present study show that the mutation (CT+TT) at the rs987401919 and rs36071027 loci of EBF1 and its interaction with smoking and drinking are risk factors for CAD, and that the mechanism may be related to the changes in blood pressure and blood lipid content. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cardiovascular disease, and its risk factors mainly include immune diseases, chronic inflammation, genetic polymorphisms, environmental factors etc. The interaction between these factors often lead to the formation of coronary atherosclerosis and CAD . A serieEBF1 can regulate inflammation and insulin signaling pathways in adipocytes  and the statistical analysis was by χ2 test. Genotype frequencies in both groups were tested by the χ2 test for Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to analyze the association between genotypes and their interaction with smoking, drinking, and CAD. Factors such as age, sex, BMI, smoking, hypertension, and other factors were corrected by multivariate logistic regression analysis; P<0.05 (two-tailed) means the difference was statistically significant.In the present study, SPSS 20  was used for statistical analysis. The continuous variable is expressed as (± s) and the statistical analysis is student’s P>0.05). The smoking, drinking, hypertension, LDL-C, and TG of patients in the CAD group were distinctly higher than those in the control group and the level of HDL-C were markedly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). In the present study, there were 77 cases (31.69%) with single-vessel lesions, 82 cases (33.74%) with double-vessel lesions, and 84 cases (34.57%) with triple-vessel lesions in CAD patients.The clinical baseline data of the CAD group and the control group are shown in EBF1 in the CAD group and the control group is shown in P>0.05). The frequency of mutant genotype (CT+TT) of the rs987401919 loci in the CAD group was distinctly higher than that of the control group . The gene frequency of mutant genotype (CT+TT) of the rs36071027 loci in the CAD group was distinctly higher than that of the control group . There was no significant difference in the frequency of (GA+AA) at the rs1056065671 locus between the CAD group, and the control group . The risk of CAD was distinctly increased after mutation of the C allele to the T allele at the rs987401919 locus . The risk of CAD was distinctly increased after the rs36071027 C allele mutated to the T allele . The risk of CAD did not change distinctly after the G allele mutated to the A allele at the rs1056065671 locus .The distribution of the genotype of the rs987401919, rs36071027, and rs1056065671 loci of P=0.003), while the risk of CAD in nonsmokers with the CT+TT genotype was not increased .The effect of the interaction between genotypes of EBF1 SNP genotypes and smoking on the risk of CAD is shown in P=0.001), whereas the risk of CAD in nonsmoking subjects with the CC genotype and the CT+TT genotype did not distinctly increase .The risk of CAD increased in smoking subjects with the CT+TT genotype at the rs36071027 locus , but the risk of CAD in nonsmoking GA+AA genotypes and smoking subjects with the GA+AA genotype was not increased .Smoking subjects with the rs1056065671 GG genotype had a higher risk of CAD . However, the risk of CAD was not distinctly increased in alcohol drinkers with the CC genotype or in nondrinkers with the CT+TT genotype . The risk of CAD in drinking subjects with the CT+TT genotype at the rs36071027 locus was distinctly increased . However, there was no significant change in the risk of CAD among CC-genotype alcohol drinkers and CT+TT–genotype nondrinkers . The risk of CAD was distinctly higher in drinking subjects with the rs1056065671 GG genotype and GA+AA genotype , but the risk of CAD in nondrinkers with the GA+AA genotype was not distinctly elevated .The effect of the interaction between genotypes of EBF1 gene and blood pressure and blood lipid content is shown in (P<0.05). The LDL-C and TG content of subjects with the rs36071027 mutation (CT+TT) were distinctly higher than those of wild-type (CC) subjects. SBP, DBP, and HDL-C content were distinctly lower than those of wild-type subjects (P<0.05). There was no difference in the level of SBP, DBP, HDL-C, LDL-C, and TG at the rs1056065671 locus between mutation (GA+AA) subjects and wild-type (GG) subjects (P >0.05).The relationship between each SNP’s loci genotype of the EBF1 plays an important role in the development, differentiation, and expression of the human olfactory nerve and is required for the development of B lymphocytes [EBF1 knockout mice increased distinctly [EBF1 plays an important role in the differentiation of the adipocyte lines [EBF1 in mice, the mice were found to have symptoms such as abnormal fat metabolism, hypoglycemia, and other symptoms [EBF1 is a single-stranded nucleoprotein consisting of 591 amino acids, and is a member of the EBF family of nuclear transcription factors . Studiesphocytes . The expstinctly . In addite lines . SimilarEBF1 resulted in an increase of carotid intima–media thickness, and that carotid intima–media thickness is correlated with CAD severity [EBF1 was distinctly increased. The rs987401919, rs36071027, and rs1056065671 loci of the EBF1 were included in the study and the interaction between the three SNP loci genetic polymorphisms and smoking and alcohol consumption on the risk of CAD was analyzed. The rs987401919 and rs1056065671 loci are located in the downstream regulatory region. Mutations in these loci may affect the expression of EBF1, while the rs36071027 locus has been shown to be a risk factor for CAD [The GWAS study of CAD found that 9p21 in the Iceland and Caucasus groups is susceptible to CAD . GWAS reseverity . Li et aseverity  showed t for CAD .The results of present study showed that the frequency of the mutant gene (CT+TT) at the rs987401919 locus in the CAD patient group was distinctly higher than in the control group, and the gene frequency of the rs36071027 locus mutant genotype (CT+TT) was distinctly higher than in the control group. There was no significant difference in the frequency of the rs1056065671 locus between the CAD group and the control group (GA+AA). Further analysis showed that the risk of CAD increased distinctly after rs987401919 and rs36071027 mutation, whereas there was no significant change in the CAD risk after the mutation of G to A at rs1056065671. This shows that the rs987401919 and rs36071027 SNPs distinctly correlate with CAD, which is consistent with the results of the study by Li et al. .EBF1 with smoking and drinking on the risk of CAD is still rarely reported. The results of present study show that the risk of CAD in smokers with rs987401919 and rs36071027 mutations (CT+TT) was distinctly increased. At the same time, although the rs1056065671 locus GG genotype was not a risk factor for CAD, the risk of CAD was distinctly increased in this genotype in smoking subjects. Similarly, the risk of CAD was distinctly increased in drinkers with the (CT+TT) mutation at the rs987401919 and rs36071027 loci. However, the risk of CAD increased distinctly in subjects with the GG genotype and the GA+AA genotype at the rs1056065671 locus, and the risk of CAD in GA+AA subjects did not increase distinctly, indicating that the interaction between rs1056065671 and alcohol has no significant impact on the risk of CAD.Smoking and drinking are risk factors for CAD and have been confirmed in many studies ,20, but EBF1, and thus affect the blood lipid content. Because the rs987401919 site is located at the 3′UTR and rs36071027 is located in the intron region, the authors speculate that these two SNPs sites alter EBF1 protein expression rather than structure and function.We also discussed the relationship between EBF1 gene polymorphism and blood pressure and blood lipids. The results showed that the content of LDL-C and TG in the rs987401919 and rs36071027 loci mutant (CT+TT) subjects increased distinctly, whereas SBP, DBP, and HDL-C decreased, indicating that mutations at the rs987401919 and rs36071027 loci may affect the expression of The present study included only Chinese Han population, which excludes the genetic diversity of different races. The results of present study provide some evidence to support the impact of the interaction between EBF1 gene polymorphism and environmental factors on the risk of CAD. However, due to the sample size limitation, the mutant homozygotes are rare in this study. Therefore, the present study combined the mutant heterozygotes with the wild-types to reduce the effect of a too-small sample size on the objectivity of the analysis results.The results of our study show that the (CT+TT) mutation at the rs987401919 and rs36071027 loci of EBF1 and its interaction with smoking and drinking are risk factors for CAD. The mechanism may be that the EBF1 gene polymorphisms affect the expression of EBF1 protein, thereby affecting the body’s blood pressure and blood lipid content, but the specific mechanism still needs further study.