Spirometra is a genus of zoonotic cestodes with an ambiguous species-level taxonomic history. Previously, Spirometra mansonoides was considered the only species present in North America. However, recent molecular data revealed the presence of at least three distinct species in the USA: Spirometra sp. 2 and 3, and Spirometra mansoni. This study aimed to elucidate the diversity and potential host associations of Spirometra species among companion animals in the USA. Samples (N = 302) were examined from at least 13 host species, including mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Sample types included eggs isolated from faeces (n = 222), adult specimens (n = 71) and plerocercoids (n = 9) from 18 different states and 2 territories across the USA. Extracted genomic DNA was subjected to PCR targeting a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Generated sequences (n = 136) were included in a phylogenetic analysis. Spirometra mansoni was detected in domestic cats (n = 76), dogs (n = 12), a White’s tree frog (n = 1), a Cuban knight anole (n = 1), a green iguana (n = 1) and a serval (n = 1) across 15 states and Puerto Rico. Spirometra sp. 2 was found only in dogs (n = 3) from Florida and Spirometra sp. 3 was found only in cats (n = 41) from 17 states. All plerocercoid samples were consistent with S. mansoni. The results confirm that at least three distinct Spirometra species are present and established in companion animals, such as dogs and cats, and likely are using various native and exotic species as paratenic hosts within the USA.

Seed retention, and ultimately seed shatter, are extremely important for the efficacy of harvest weed seed control (HWSC) and are likely influenced by various agroecological and environmental factors. Field studies investigated seed-shattering phenology of 22 weed species across three soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]-producing regions in the United States. We further evaluated the potential drivers of seed shatter in terms of weather conditions, growing degree days, and plant biomass. Based on the results, weather conditions had no consistent impact on weed seed shatter. However, there was a positive correlation between individual weed plant biomass and delayed weed seed–shattering rates during harvest. This work demonstrates that HWSC can potentially reduce weed seedbank inputs of plants that have escaped early-season management practices and retained seed through harvest. However, smaller individuals of plants within the same population that shatter seed before harvest pose a risk of escaping early-season management and HWSC.

Substantial progress has been made in the standardization of nomenclature for paediatric and congenital cardiac care. In 1936, Maude Abbott published her Atlas of Congenital Cardiac Disease, which was the first formal attempt to classify congenital heart disease. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) is now utilized worldwide and has most recently become the paediatric and congenital cardiac component of the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The most recent publication of the IPCCC was in 2017. This manuscript provides an updated 2021 version of the IPCCC.

The International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease (ISNPCHD), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), developed the paediatric and congenital cardiac nomenclature that is now within the eleventh version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). This unification of IPCCC and ICD-11 is the IPCCC ICD-11 Nomenclature and is the first time that the clinical nomenclature for paediatric and congenital cardiac care and the administrative nomenclature for paediatric and congenital cardiac care are harmonized. The resultant congenital cardiac component of ICD-11 was increased from 29 congenital cardiac codes in ICD-9 and 73 congenital cardiac codes in ICD-10 to 318 codes submitted by ISNPCHD through 2018 for incorporation into ICD-11. After these 318 terms were incorporated into ICD-11 in 2018, the WHO ICD-11 team added an additional 49 terms, some of which are acceptable legacy terms from ICD-10, while others provide greater granularity than the ISNPCHD thought was originally acceptable. Thus, the total number of paediatric and congenital cardiac terms in ICD-11 is 367. In this manuscript, we describe and review the terminology, hierarchy, and definitions of the IPCCC ICD-11 Nomenclature. This article, therefore, presents a global system of nomenclature for paediatric and congenital cardiac care that unifies clinical and administrative nomenclature.

The members of ISNPCHD realize that the nomenclature published in this manuscript will continue to evolve. The version of the IPCCC that was published in 2017 has evolved and changed, and it is now replaced by this 2021 version. In the future, ISNPCHD will again publish updated versions of IPCCC, as IPCCC continues to evolve.

Potential effectiveness of harvest weed seed control (HWSC) systems depends upon seed shatter of the target weed species at crop maturity, enabling its collection and processing at crop harvest. However, seed retention likely is influenced by agroecological and environmental factors. In 2016 and 2017, we assessed seed-shatter phenology in 13 economically important broadleaf weed species in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] from crop physiological maturity to 4 wk after physiological maturity at multiple sites spread across 14 states in the southern, northern, and mid-Atlantic United States. Greater proportions of seeds were retained by weeds in southern latitudes and shatter rate increased at northern latitudes. Amaranthus spp. seed shatter was low (0% to 2%), whereas shatter varied widely in common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) (2% to 90%) over the weeks following soybean physiological maturity. Overall, the broadleaf species studied shattered less than 10% of their seeds by soybean harvest. Our results suggest that some of the broadleaf species with greater seed retention rates in the weeks following soybean physiological maturity may be good candidates for HWSC.

Seed shatter is an important weediness trait on which the efficacy of harvest weed seed control (HWSC) depends. The level of seed shatter in a species is likely influenced by agroecological and environmental factors. In 2016 and 2017, we assessed seed shatter of eight economically important grass weed species in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] from crop physiological maturity to 4 wk after maturity at multiple sites spread across 11 states in the southern, northern, and mid-Atlantic United States. From soybean maturity to 4 wk after maturity, cumulative percent seed shatter was lowest in the southern U.S. regions and increased moving north through the states. At soybean maturity, the percent of seed shatter ranged from 1% to 70%. That range had shifted to 5% to 100% (mean: 42%) by 25 d after soybean maturity. There were considerable differences in seed-shatter onset and rate of progression between sites and years in some species that could impact their susceptibility to HWSC. Our results suggest that many summer annual grass species are likely not ideal candidates for HWSC, although HWSC could substantially reduce their seed output during certain years.

In the last years, perovskite solar cells have attracted great interest in photovoltaic (PV) research due to their possibility to become a highly efficient and low-cost alternative to silicon solar cells. Cells based on the widely used Pb-containing perovskites have reached power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of more than 20 %. One of the major hurdles for the rapid commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics is the lack of deposition tools and processes for large areas. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an appealing technique because it is scalable and furthermore features superior process control and reproducibility in depositing high-purity films. In this work, we present a novel showerhead-based CVD tool to fabricate perovskite films by simultaneous delivery of precursors from the gas phase. We highlight the control of the perovskite film composition and properties by adjusting the individual precursor deposition rates. Providing the optimal supply of precursors results in stoichiometric perovskite films without any detectable residues.

Titanomaghemite occurs in a relatively fresh doleritic intrusion in an area of Precambrian gneiss in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It hosts exsolution lamellae of ilmenite and contains more than 90% of the iron in the ferric form. It is more resistant to weathering than the ilmenite and is inherited virtually unaltered by the resulting soils. Titanomaghemite, extracted as grains from a weathered rind of the rock, has lattice parameter a 0 = 0.8348(3) nm and has a canted spin structure due to substitution of non-magnetic ions on tetrahedral and octahedral sites of the spinel structure. The average canting angle is 32 ± 3° and canting occurs predominantly on the octahedral iron sublattice. Its formula, based on microprobe analysis and Mössbauer spectroscopy may be expressed as:

where [] and {} denote ions on tetrahedral and octahedral sites, respectively. The spontaneous magnetization of the mineral is 36(3) J/T/kg.

Deep azure-blue beryl is reported from veins in Upper Devonian conglomerate from southeast Ireland. Microprobe analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy and loss on ignition suggest an unusual chemistry with an exceptionally high degree of substitution of Fe and Mg for Al, and extreme amounts of Na and water held within channel sites in the structure. The calculated structural formula is:

Refractive indices (1.603 and 1.595) and the cell edge, a, (9.292 Å) are also unusually high. Colourless beryl from the same locality, some of which forms cores to blue beryl prisms, has less octahedral substitution and a lower Fe/Mg ratio. The origin of the beryl is tentatively linked to contemporaneous volcanic activity.

Pb-based organometal halide perovskite solar cells have passed the threshold of 20 % power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, the main issues hampering commercialization are toxic Pb contained in these cells and their instability in ambient air. Therefore, great attention is devoted to replace Pb by Sn or Bi, which are less harmful and - in the case of Bi - also expected to yield enhanced stability. In literature, the most efficient hybrid organic-inorganic methylammonium bismuth iodide (MBI) perovskite solar cells reach PCE up to 0.2 %. In this work, we present spin-coated MBI perovskite solar cells and highlight the impact of the concentration of the perovskite solution on the layer morphology and photovoltaic (PV) characteristics. The solar cells exhibit open-circuit voltages of 0.73 V, which is the highest value published for this type of solar cell. The PCE increases from 0.004 % directly after processing to 0.17 % after 48 h of storage in air. 300 h after exposure to air, the cells still yield 56 % of their peak PCE and 84 % of their maximum open-circuit voltage.

Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Roma VF’) and four weeds were grown in various combinations in field plots in 1973 and 1974. Season-long interference by jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.), tall morningglory [Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth], and common cocklebur (Xanthium pensylvanicum Wallr.) at densities of 11, 43, and 86/m2 reduced tomato yields in 1973. In 1974, tomato yields were reduced by these three broadleaf weeds at densities of 2.7, 5.4, 8.1, and 11/m2. Season-long interference by large crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.] reduced tomato yield at densities of 55, 215, and 430/m2 in 1973 and 11, 22, 33, and 55/m2 in 1974. The fresh weight of tomato shoots decreased with all weed densities in both years. Total weed shoot weight increased with density and individual weed weights decreased with increasing densities. Tomato fruit quality, as measured by soluble solids, acidity, and color, was not influenced by the various weeds and densities.

We have investigated organic light emitting diode (OLED) backside contacting for the enhancement of luminance uniformity as a superior alternative to gridlines. In this approach, the low-conductivity OLED anode is supported by a high-conductivity auxiliary electrode and vertically contacted through via holes. Electrical simulations of large-area OLEDs have predicted that this method allows comparable luminance uniformity while sacrificing significantly less active area compared to the common gridline approach.

The method for fabricating backside contacts is comprised of five steps: (1) Thin-film encapsulation of the OLED, (2) Patterning of the OLED surface with lithography (resist mask defining via hole positions), (3) Via hole formation to the bottom anode by a plasma etching process, (4) Organic residues removal and sidewall insulation. (5) Contacting of the anode with a high-conductivity auxiliary electrode.

Backside-contacted OLEDs processed by organic vapor phase deposition show high luminance uniformity. Scanning electron microscopy pictures and electrical breakthrough measurements confirm efficient sidewall insulation.

Recently, organometal halide perovskite solar cells have passed the threshold of 20 % power conversion efficiency (PCE). While such PCE values of perovskite solar cells are already competitive to those of other photovoltaic technologies, processing of large-area devices is still a challenge. Most of the devices reported in literature are prepared by small-scale solution-based processing techniques (e.g. spin-coating). Perovskite solar cells processed by vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE), which show uniform layers and achieve higher PCE and better reproducibility, have also been presented. Regarding the co-evaporation of the perovskite constituents, this technology suffers from large differences in the thermodynamic characteristics of the two species. While the organic components evaporate instantaneously at room temperature at pressures in the range of 10−6 hPa, significantly higher temperatures are needed for reasonable deposition rates of the metal halide compound. In addition, hybrid vapor phase deposition techniques have been developed employing a carrier gas to deposit the organic compound on the previously solution-processed metal halide compound. Generally, vapor phase processes have proven to be a desirable choice for industrial large-area production. In this work, we present a setup for the direct chemical vapor phase deposition (CVD) of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) employing nitrogen as carrier gas. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements are carried out to investigate the crystal quality and structural properties of the resulting perovskite. By optimizing the deposition parameters, we have produced perovskite films with a deposition rate of 30 nm/h which are comparable to those fabricated by solution processing. Furthermore, the developed CVD process can be easily scaled up to higher deposition rates and larger substrates sizes, thus rendering this technique a promising candidate for manufacturing large-area devices. Moreover, CVD of perovskite solar cells can overcome most of the limitations of liquid processing, e.g. the need for appropriate and orthogonal solvents.