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Researchers propose the phosphors emit many colors SrMg2La2W2O12:Tb3+, Sm3+, Tm3+ (SMLLW:RE3+) (RE3+=Tb3+, Sm3+, Tm3+) synthesized using the solid-status reacting technique as promising downward-transformation luminous substances for diodes emit white illumination and screens in the current study. The structural and binding data given by X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy suggest the corresponding orthorhombic configuration and vibrational powers, respectively. The stimulation and radiation bands of color of SMLLW:RE3+ phosphor show that such phosphors may be successfully stimulated via ultraviolet (UV) illumination and generate green, orange-red, and blue (stands for G, O-R, B) illumination, in turn. For different doses of the triggers Tb3+, Sm3+, and Tm3+ within the SMLW phosphor base, luminescence, decomposition periods, Commission Internationale De L'eclairage (CIE) color coordination, along with correlated hue heats (Tcct) are specified. When a triple-doped SMLW phosphor is activated using a ligand-to-metal charge transition (LMCT), it produces G, O-R, B hues at the same time and can be adjustable to white light, according to the results. An effective power transfer among rare-earth ions was found and investigated using decay curve analysis. According to the findings, SMLW:RE3+ (RE=Tb, Sm, Tm) are suitable options to use for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and screens creation.

The traditional solid-state technique was used to create LaBSiO5 phosphors doped with Ce3+ and Tb3+ at 1,100 °C. These phosphors' phase purity and luminous characteristics are looked at. Under ultraviolet (UV) light stimulation, LaBSiO5: Tb3+ phosphors emit bright green light, whereas LaBSiO5 samples incorporated with Ce3+ emit blue-violet light. With UV ray stimulation, LaBSiO5 samples incorporated with Ce3+ as well as Tb3+ emit blue-violet as well as green illumination. The 5d-4f shift for Ce3+ is responsible for the blue-violet radiation, while the 5D4→7F5 transition of Tb3+ is responsible for the green radiation. The mechanism for power conversion between Ce3+ and Tb3+ was examined since there is a spectral overlap among the stimulation line for Tb3+ and the emitting line for Ce3+.

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants are used more and more popularly because they are more effective than vitamin K antagonists. Dabigatran is the only non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant with an antidote, idarucizumab, in Vietnam. The rate of ischemic stroke while using Dabigatran annually is very rare, only 1.75%. We present the first clinical case in Vietnam using Dabigatran with acute ischemic stroke; patient is a 58 years old female, with history of atrial fibrillation, pacemaker, hypertension, old ischemic stroke, using Dabigatran 150mg, 2 tablets/day. The patient was admitted to the Bach Mai Hospital because of weakness on the right side of the body at the 3rd hour, NIHSS of 10 points, CT scans confirmed acute ischemic stroke due to occlusion of the left M3 segment, the last dose of dabigatran was taken 6 hours prior. The patient was given 2 jars of idarucizumab 2.5g, then rt-PA at a dose of 0.6 mg/kg. The patient improved, the NIHSS score was 3 points, and there was no bleeding in the control CT scan. The patient was discharged after 4 days of treatment, with an mRS score of 1.

In this study, biochar derived from Jackfruit peel (JA) via the pyrolysis at 500 °C for 2 h was used as an adsorbent to remove Methylene Blue (MB) from aqueous solution. Effects of pH, contact time, and initial MB concentration were investigated. Isotherm models, such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips, and Dubinin-Radushkevich, were applied to estimate the adsorption in nature. The results indicated that the Sips and Freundlich models gave the best fit with experimental datas. The maximum adsorption capacity of MB calculated from Langmuir was 39.87 mg/g at 306K, pH = 11, and time = 60 min. The E value evaluated from Dubinin-Radushkevich smaller than 8 kJ/mol indicated that the MB adsorption of JA followed a physical process.

Matchings in a market may have varying degrees of compromise from efficiency, fairness, and or stability. A distance function allows to quantify such concepts or the (dis)similarity between any two matchings. There are a few attempts to propose such functions; however, these are tailored for specific applications and ignore the individual preferences completely. In this paper, we construct a normative framework to quantify the difference between outcomes of market mechanisms in matching markets, while endogenizing the preferences of the individuals into the distance concept. Several conditions are introduced to capture natural and appealing behavior of such functions. We find a class of distance functions called scaled Borda distances, which is the only class of distance functions that satisfies these conditions simultaneously.

Colorectal carcinosarcoma is an exceedingly rare subtype of colorectal cancer that displays the histological and molecular features of both mesenchymal and epithelial tumors. Due to its rarity, there are no guidelines regarding the systemic treatment of this disease. This report describes a case of a 76-year-old woman with colorectal carcinosarcoma with extensive metastatic burden treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel. After four cycles of chemotherapy, the patient had an excellent clinical and radiographical response to treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report addressing the use of carboplatin and paclitaxel in this disease. We reviewed seven published case reports of metastatic colorectal carcinosarcoma where various systemic treatments were offered. Remarkably, there are no previously published reports where even a partial response was noted, which underscores the aggressiveness of this disease. While further studies are required to validate our experience and assess long-term outcomes, this case suggests an alternative treatment regimen for metastatic colorectal carcinosarcoma.

This study indicates the analysis of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) plates using a four-node quadrilateral element related to the C0-type of Reddy’s third-order shear deformation theory (C0 HSDT) and cell-based smoothed strains (CS) strategy. Reddy’s theory is surely taking the advantages and desirable properties of the third-order shear deformation theory. Besides, FG-CNTRC plates with advanced material properties are changed from the bottom to top surface with four kinds of carbon nanotube (CNTs). Numerical results and comparison with other reference solutions suggest that the benefits of the present element are accuracy and efficiency in analysis of FG-CNTRC plates.

The neuromodulation effect after ventricular arrhythmia (VA) ablation is unclear. The study aimed to investigate skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) changes in patients receiving catheter ablations for idiopathic VA.Of 43 patients with drug-refractory symptomatic VA receiving ablation, SKNA was continuously recorded for 10 min during resting from electrocardiogram lead I configuration and bipolar electrodes on the right arm 1 day before and 1 day after ablation.Twenty-two patients with acute procedure success and no recurrence during follow-ups were classified as sustained success group (group 1). Other 21 patients were classified as failed ablation group (group 2). Baseline SKNA showed no significant difference between the two groups. Post-ablation SKNA in group 2 was significantly higher than in group 1. In patients with ablation involved right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), the post-ablation SKNA was also significantly higher in group 2. In contrast, there was no difference in post-ablation SKNA between groups in patients receiving non-RVOT ablation.The neuromodulation response after RVOT ablation may correspond to the sympathetic nerve distribution at RVOT. Augmentation of sympathetic activity after VA ablation indicates an unsuccessful VA suppression, especially in patients receiving ablation of RVOT VA.

In crisis management decision-making, decision-makers have to combine (limited) situational information with their own experience. Whereas traditional, analog training of decision-making situations in crisis management costs considerable time and effort, digital serious games can be used as more accessible training environments to offer additional training moments. Another advantage is that digital games offer new didactic opportunities, such as inducing specific reflection from the trainees. This study examines the effect of self-reflection through social comparison on information usage and information literacy of players of a digital serious game for crisis management decision-making training. In an experiment, data was collected from 73 participants, 47 were eligible for further analysis, split over two conditions. Participants played two gameplay scenarios in fixed order. Participants in the experimental condition, between the two scenarios, saw a dashboard displaying their own as well as previous players’ in-game behavior up to that point. Participants in the control condition received no intervention between playing the two scenarios. Overall, participants in the experimental condition used significantly more information from more different sources, and compared to the control condition they kept taking significantly more time to decide in the second scenario. No significant between-condition differences regarding information literacy were found. Results indicate that in-game behavior can be (positively) influenced by letting players self-reflect on their own in-game behavior through social comparison. Results also suggest that the dashboard should display more specific information of players’ in-game behavior, providing guidance on what to improve, rather than simply offering a broad overview.

This study sought to develop and evaluate an online module based on inquiry learning with digital laboratories, which was intended to address students’ misconceptions in a science domain. In a quasi-experimental design, 171 first-year students in a higher education introductory physics course on circular motion were as their existing groups assigned to an experimental (n = 100) or a control (n = 71) condition. The experimental condition was developed by arranging online inquiry activities that would encourage students to probe five identified misconceptions. The control condition required students to engage in online inquiry following the traditional syllabus outline. Students in both conditions used the same type of digital laboratory setup. The participants learned about the topic of circular motion and their knowledge was assessed. Results of the knowledge test revealed that the experimental condition geared towards addressing students’ misconceptions facilitated conceptual change more than the control condition.

Introduction: Candida spp. are responsible for infections ranging from local to systemic, and resistance to antifungal first-line therapy is increasing in non-albicans Candida species. We aimed to determine the etiology of candidiasis and the antifungal resistance of Candida spp. isolated in Hue hospitals, Central-Vietnam. Methods: Species identification was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry supported by fungal internal-transcribed-spacer amplification and sequencing. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentrations of azoles, caspofungin, and amphotericin B against C. tropicalis were determined by broth microdilution. Polymorphism of erg11 gene associated with fluconazole resistance was carried out by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used for typing selected C. albicans isolates. Results: Overall, 196 Candida isolates were detected, mostly C. albicans (48%), followed by C. tropicalis (16%), C. parapsilosis (11%), C. glabrata (9%), C. orthopsilosis (6%) and to a lesser extent another eight species. High rates of resistance to fluconazole and voriconazole (18.8%) were observed in C. tropicalis with five isolates co-resistant to both agents. Y132F and S154F missense mutations in the ERG11 protein were associated with fluconazole-resistance in C. tropicalis (67.7%). Resistance to caspofungin was found in one isolate of C. albicans. MLST identified a polyclonal population of C. albicans with multiple diploid sequence types, and with few lineages showing potential nosocomial spread. Conclusions: Resistance to triazole agents should be considered in C. tropicalis infections in the studied hospitals, and surveillance measures taken to avoid Candida diffusion.

El síndrome de nevos azules cauchosos (BRBNS, por sus siglas en inglés) o síndrome de Bean se caracteriza por la presencia de malformaciones venosas de bajo flujo en la piel y en el tubo digestivo. Es una entidad rara de causa desconocida, con casos espontáneos y otros con presentación autosómica dominante. Las lesiones pueden estar presentes al nacimiento o en la infancia, mientras que en otros casos son evidentes a lo largo de la vida por su aumento de tamaño y número.

The aim of this study was to determine the best level of inclusion of natural (marigold flower extract) and synthetic (canthaxanthin) pigments in the diet of light laying hens from 75 to 85 weeks old in terms of effects on performance, egg quality, and economic viability of production. A total of 288 laying hens were used in a completely randomized design, with a 4 x 4 factorial arrangement, with four levels of marigold flower extract (2.10; 2.40; 2.70; 3.00 ppm) and four of canthaxanthin (0. 40; 0.70; 1.00; 1.30 ppm), with three replications and six hens per experimental unit. The feed conversion by mass of eggs, egg mass, and egg laying rate showed linear improvement with the inclusion of canthaxanthin. The yolk index showed a quadratic effect with the inclusion of marigold and canthaxanthin, presenting a better estimate with diets containing 2.60 ppm/kg of marigold feed and 0.95 ppm/kg of canthaxanthin feed. The percentage of yolk and the Haugh unit increased linearly with the rising levels of marigold, whereas the percentage of albumen decreased linearly. In the evaluation of the YolkFan DSM® and the redness/yellowness, chroma (a*) presented a quadratic effect for the inclusion of marigold (2.73 and 2.80 ppm/kg of feed) and linear increase with canthaxanthin. It was concluded that the best yolk index was with 2.60 ppm/kg marigold flower extract and 0.95 ppm/kg canthaxanthin in the diet of light laying hens from 75 to 85 weeks old.

Implementing distributed systems is hard; choreographic programming aims to make it easier. In this paper, we present the design of a new choreographic programming language that supports isolated transactions among overlapping sets of processes. The first idea is to track for every variable which processes are permitted to use it. The second idea is to use model checking to prove isolation., Comment: In Proceedings PLACES 2023, arXiv:2304.05439

With the development of Taiwan's economy, the management function of the pastry baking industry has evolved from a one-stop production model in the traditional baking era to a quantitative production model in a modern chain store centralized factory. The purpose of this study was to observe the development of management functions among seven production team leaders in different companies in the pastry baking industry. Based on the research theme, a semi-structured interview method was used to collect data from the respondents in order to understand the development of management functions of the grassroots team leaders in the bakery industry. It was found that the ability to work with others was most important to enhance the management function. Based on the results of this study, recommendations are made for human resources departments, production department heads and production team leaders in the bakery industry, as well as for future research on the development of management functions. Keywords: Function, Functional Development, Development of production team leader management functions.

Neste trabalho é analisado o Sistema Nacional de Inspeção e Vigilância Sanitária - SNIVS, por meio do conjunto de normas que o constitui, assim como, de sua operacionalização enquanto instrumentos de regulação das atividades de produção, distribuição e consumo de alimentos de origem agrícola e pecuária no Brasil. O objetivo desta pesquisa é compreender o funcionamento do Sistema Nacional de Inspeção e de Vigilância Sanitária–SNIVS, suas vinculações institucionais e sua atuação na agricultura familiar e empresarial no Brasil, no contexto da discussão da concentração fundiária. O método utilizado foi à análise documental. Nos resultados da pesquisa identificam-se dois períodos distintos que caracterizam a atuação dos órgãos e entidades que compõem o SNIVS: num primeiro momento, suas atuações são favoráveis a Agricultura Empresarial, num segundo momento, as ações daqueles órgãos e entidades favorecem aos interesses da Agricultura Familiar. A pesquisa mostrou também que o SNIVS está operando um cuidadoso processo de harmonização institucional e operacional de acordo com os tratados bilaterais de comércio firmados com a Organização Mundial do Comércio – OMC e com a Organização Mundial da Saúde – OMS.

Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) is the second most common histological breast cancer subtype, but ILC-specific trials are lacking. Translational research revealed an immune-related ILC subset, and in mouse ILC models, synergy between immune checkpoint blockade and platinum was observed. In the phase II GELATO trial (NCT03147040), patients with metastatic ILC were treated with weekly carboplatin (area under the curve 1.5 mg ml–1 min–1) as immune induction for 12 weeks and atezolizumab (PD-L1 blockade; triweekly) from the third week until progression. Four of 23 evaluable patients had a partial response (17%), and 2 had stable disease, resulting in a clinical benefit rate of 26%. From these six patients, four had triple-negative ILC (TN-ILC). We observed higher CD8+ T cell infiltration, immune checkpoint expression and exhausted T cells after treatment. With this GELATO trial, we show that ILC-specific clinical trials are feasible and demonstrate promising antitumor activity of atezolizumab with carboplatin, particularly for TN-ILC, and provide insights for the design of highly needed ILC-specific trials.

Introduction The majority of head and neck cancer referrals are received through primary care. A proportion of cancer referrals are received through secondary care specialties. Local delivery plan (LDP) targets in Scotland for cancer investigation are set at 31 days for diagnosis and 62 days to start treatment. The aim was to audit referrals made through non-primary care pathways compared with the standard primary care pathways against LDP targets. Methods New head and neck cancer patients between 1 January 2014 and 1 January 2019 were included. Pathway points were recorded between referral to outpatient clinic, time to multidisciplinary team discussion (MDT) and finally MDT to treatment. Results 1,276 new patient referrals were received over a 5-year period. Of these, 136 (10%) were referred via non-primary care pathways. The mean time for urgent suspicion of cancer (USoC) referrals to start treatment was 77 days (15 days over target) and for outpatient secondary care referrals was 102 days (40 days over target) (pConclusion Patients with head and neck cancer referred from other outpatient specialties face delays commencing cancer treatment and are also associated with a greater likelihood of being treated with palliative intent.

Porcine mucin 4 (MUC4) is a candidate gene for controlling the adhesion of the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) F4 receptor. Polymorphisms of the MUC4 gene have been used as markers to identify the susceptibility of neonatal diarrhea in piglets for breeding selection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of MUC4 g.243A>G polymorphisms on the production traits of Landrace and Yorkshire pigs in Vietnam. A total of 1,057 Landrace and 1,361 Yorkshire piglets were used to estimate the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the polymorphisms. Body weights at birth, at weaning, at initial fattening (IBW), and at the end of fattening period (FBW), backfat thickness (BFT), and depth of the longissimus dorsi muscle (DLD) were measured and lean meat percentage was estimated. Frequency of the susceptibility allele A to ETEC was higher than the resistance allele G for both breeds based on genotyping piglet tails collected at birth. The AA, AG, and GG genotypes were present in Yorkshire while GG was not found in Landrace. The production traits were not affected (P >0.05) by MUC4 polymorphisms except BFT and DLD (P

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, including canagliflozin, reduce the risk of cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in patients with and without type 2 diabetes, albeit with a large inter-individual variation. The underlying mechanisms for this variation in response might be attributed to differences in SGLT2 occupancy, resulting from individual variation in plasma and tissue drug exposure and receptor availability. We performed a feasibility study for the use of [ 18 F]Canagliflozin positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to determine the association between clinical canagliflozin doses and SGLT2 occupancy in patients with type 2 diabetes. We obtained two 90-min dynamic PET scans with diagnostic intravenous [ 18 F]Canagliflozin administration and a full kinetic analysis in seven patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients received 50, 100 or 300mg oral canagliflozin (n=2:4:1) 2.5 hours before the second scan. Canagliflozin pharmacokinetics and urinary glucose excretion were measured. The apparent SGLT2 occupancy was derived from the difference between the apparent volume of distribution of [ 18 F]Canagliflozin in the baseline and post-drug PET scans. Individual canagliflozin area under the curve from oral dosing until 24-hours (AUC P0-24h ) varied largely (range 1715-25747 μg/L*h, mean 10580 μg/L*h) and increased dose dependently with mean values of 4543, 6525 and 20012 μg/L*h for 50, 100 and 300mg respectively (P=0.046). SGLT2 occupancy ranged between 65 and 87%, but did not correlate with canagliflozin dose, plasma exposure or urinary glucose excretion. We report the feasibility of [ 18 F]Canagliflozin PET imaging to determine canagliflozin kidney disposition and SGLT2 occupancy. This suggests the potential of [ 18 F]Canagliflozin as a tool to visualize and quantify clinically SGLT2 tissue binding.

Swines raised in intensive systems are highly susceptible to claw lesions. Moderate to severe lesions trigger an inflammatory response, causing pain and impairing reproductive and economic performance. Foot lesions in sows can cause considerable losses owing to reduced fertility and herd longevity. Proper diagnosis is an important step in correcting this problem; however, the seriousness of the impact of these lesions on swine herds remains unclear to most farm owners. Health monitoring has become an essential tool for veterinarians because it enables the detection of disease incidence and severity. In this study, we assessed claw lesions in sows reared under an intensive system to ascertain the prevalence and severity of lesions in Brazilian herds. The hind limb claws of 2,660 sows from 30 farms were examined for the following lesions: heel overgrowth and erosion (HOE), heel-sole cracks, white line lesions (WL), horizontal and vertical cracks in the toe wall, overgrown toes, and overgrown or missing dew claws. Claws were classified as normal (score = 0), mild (score = 1), moderate (score = 2), or severe (score = 3). At least one type of lesion was observed in 99.1% of the sows, whereas 29.7% displayed severe lesions. HOE was the most common lesion (89.9% of sows) and severe WL was observed in 16.8% of the sows. Lesions increased in prevalence and severity with parity, except for WL In young females, lesions on the volar surface were more common than those on cracked walls or overgrown toes, which should be considered when selecting gilts for breeding. A high prevalence of claw lesions was observed in Brazilian sows. Monitoring of these lesions is fast and simple. Regular monitoring provides information on claw health in a herd over time, allowing us to take measures to control and treat claw lesions, avoiding worsening of the problem, early culling of animals, and the associated productive and economic losses.

Introduction. Surgical excisions of upper and lower extremity malignancies are increasing annually, due in part to the rising incidence of sarcomas. The purpose of this study is to compare readmissions, reoperation rate, and complications following surgical excision of soft/connective tissue vs bone malignancies of the upper and lower extremities. Methods. The Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) was queried from 2016-2017 to conduct a retrospective analysis of 16,435 patients diagnosed with malignant neoplasms of the long bone (ULLB, n = 1,433) and soft tissue (ULST, n = 2,049) of the upper limb and malignant neoplasms of the long bone (LLLB, n = 5,422) and soft tissue (LLST, n = 7,531) of the lower limb. Patients who underwent surgical excision of their neoplasms were included. Binomial multivariate logistic regression was used to compare complications, nonelective readmission rates, and reoperation rates between the two groups at 30 and 90 days. Results. Average age of the ULST group was 61.88, with 36% female. Average age of the ULLB group was 44.97, with 41.90% female. Average age of the LLST group was 60.96, with 46.90% female. Average age of the LLLB group was 43.09, with 42.60% female. The ULST group had lower odds of readmission within 30 days p = 0.263 , which became significant within 90 days of surgery p = 0.045 . The LLST group had significantly higher odds of infection, reoperation within 30 to 90 days of the index surgery compared to the LLLB group p < 0.0001 . The LLST group had significantly lower odds of readmission within 30 p = 0.04 and 90 days p = 0.015 of the index surgery. Conclusion. Patients in the ULST group had significantly lower odds of 90-day readmission compared to the ULLB group. There were also significantly lower odds of 30- and 90-day readmission in the LLST group compared to the LLLB group. However, the LLST group had significantly higher odds of infection and reoperation within 30 and 90 days compared to the LLLB group.

In the Netherlands, the generic work-first support seems unable to mitigate the scarring effects of prior unemployment on ethnic minorities’ careers. This study compares the impact of vulnerable ethnic minorities participating in an alternative employer-based employment programme with a control group entitled to work-first support on employment up to ten years later. We look at how both labour market interventions with different time horizon strategies may close the employment gap with the regular labour force. Results indicate that programme participants from (non-)western groups achieve higher levels of (competitive) employment than the control group, but the programme’s impact is negligible for the most established ethnic groups. The improved short-term wage match can partially explain the additional programme effect when considering the different time horizon strategies. Our results call for more employer-based programmes providing vulnerable ethnic minorities with the desired skills for better employment prospects, e.g. skill-shortage jobs.

STUDY QUESTION Do obstetric outcomes and placental findings in pregnancies conceived with IVF vary according to embryo quality? SUMMARY ANSWER Pregnancies following the transfer of lower-quality embryos were associated with a higher rate of low-lying placentas and several adverse placental lesions. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY A few studies have shown reduced pregnancy and live births rates with poor-quality embryo transfer, yet with comparable obstetric outcomes. None of these studies included placental analysis. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A retrospective cohort study of 641 deliveries of IVF attained pregnancies between 2009 and 2017 was carried out. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Live singleton births after IVF with a single blastocyst transfer at a university-affiliated tertiary hospital were included. Excluded were cycles of oocyte recipients and IVM. We compared pregnancies following the transfer of a poor-quality blastocyst (poor-quality group) or a good-quality blastocyst (controls, good-quality group). During the study period, all placentas from complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies were sent to pathology. Primary outcomes were placental findings, including anatomic, inflammatory, vascular malperfusion, and villous maturation lesions, categorized according to the Amsterdam Placental Workshop Group Consensus. Secondary outcomes included obstetric and perinatal outcomes, adjusted for diminished ovarian reserve, fresh versus frozen transfer, and neonatal gender (as indicated by univariable analysis). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 132 deliveries in the poor-quality group were compared to 509 controls. A diagnosis of diminished ovarian reserve was more common in the poor-quality group than in the control group (14.3% versus 5.5%, respectively, P LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study is limited by its retrospective design and the utilization of two grading systems during the study period. In addition, the sample size was limited to detect differences in outcomes of rarer occurrences. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The placental lesions demonstrated in our study imply an altered immunological response to the implantation of poor-quality embryos. Yet, these findings were not associated with additional adverse obstetric outcomes and merit reaffirmation in a larger cohort. Overall, the clinical findings of our study are reassuring to clinicians and patients for whom the transfer of a poor-quality embryo is necessary. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No external funding was obtained for this study. The authors declare no conflict of interest, TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

Low-temperature hydrothermal growth has emerged as a popular method for the fabrication of ZnO nanorods (NRs), increasing the functionality and utility of ZnO-based devices. In this work, we study the influence of growth time, temperature and seed layer on the dimensions and angular distribution of ZnO NRs. High-quality NRs with a crisscrossed 60° angular distribution have been grown with a 20–60 nm diameter and 600 nm length. We show that, within the ideal range of growth parameters, the growth time and temperature have no controllable influence on NR diameter and length, while the deposition method and size of the pre-growth deposited ZnO seeds affects diameter and NR angular alignment. We demonstrate advantages of using crisscross-aligned NRs over planar ZnO for the enhancement of ZnO excitonic emission by optical coupling with gold nanoparticles. These results can be readily adapted for applications that involve surface coating-mediated enhancement of both light emission and injection. Graphical abstract

The costs of caring for offspring are predicted to lead to an evolutionary conflict between parents, where each parent benefits if the other provides most of the care. However, in many biparental species, breeding partners remain together for multiple breeding attempts and their respective future reproductive fitness prospects are therefore intertwined. Since an increase in current care by a long-term partner reduces that partner's future investment and longevity, individuals do not automatically only benefit when their partner provides care. We tested whether selection will favour individuals that reduce the burden of care falling on long-term partners, thus decreasing evolutionary conflict over parental care. Using a seminatural, captive colony of black-headed gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, we show that benefits of long-term partner retention can indeed reduce sexual conflict. Long-term partners had less intense courtships and were more behaviourally compatible, and individuals in long-term pairs spared each other's resources by increasing their own parental investment compared to those with new partners. Lastly, we demonstrate that high partner compatibility in newly formed pairs can select for commitment to the pair bond. Our results highlight that compatibility benefits of long-term partnerships can increase selection for mate retention and increase parental investment.

Understanding the consequences of heat exposure on mitochondrial function is crucial as mitochondria lie at the core of metabolic processes, also affecting population dynamics. In adults, mitochondrial metabolism varies with temperature but can also depend on thermal conditions experienced during development. We exposed zebra finches to two alternative heat treatments during early development: “constant”, maintained birds at ambient 35 °C from parental pair formation to fledglings’ independence, while “periodic” heated broods at 40 °C, 6 h daily at nestling stage. Two years later, we acclimated birds from both experiments at 25 °C for 21 days, before exposing them to artificial heat (40 °C, 5 h daily for 10 days). After both conditions, we measured red blood cells’ mitochondrial metabolism using a high-resolution respirometer. We found significantly decreased mitochondrial metabolism for Routine, Oxidative Phosphorylation (OxPhos) and Electron Transport System maximum capacity (ETS) after the heat treatments. In addition, the birds exposed to “constant” heat in early life showed lower oxygen consumption at the Proton Leak (Leak) stage after the heat treatment as adults. Females showed higher mitochondrial respiration for Routine, ETS and Leak independent of the treatments, while this pattern was reversed for OxPhos coupling efficiency (OxCE). Our results show that short-term acclimation involved reduced mitochondrial respiration, and that the reaction of adult birds to heat depends on the intensity, pattern and duration of temperature conditions experienced at early-life stages. Our study provides insight into the complexity underlying variation in mitochondrial metabolism and raises questions on the adaptive value of long-lasting physiological adjustments triggered by the early-life thermal environment.