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We elucidate grapevine evolution and domestication histories with 3525 cultivated and wild accessions worldwide. In the Pleistocene, harsh climate drove the separation of wild grape ecotypes caused by continuous habitat fragmentation. Then, domestication occurred concurrently about 11,000 years ago in Western Asia and the Caucasus to yield table and wine grapevines. The Western Asia domesticates dispersed into Europe with early farmers, introgressed with ancient wild western ecotypes, and subsequently diversified along human migration trails into muscat and unique western wine grape ancestries by the late Neolithic. Analyses of domestication traits also reveal new insights into selection for berry palatability, hermaphroditism, muscat flavor, and berry skin color. These data demonstrate the role of the grapevines in the early inception of agriculture across Eurasia.

E-waste is rising globally. This is a follow up to our study reporting metals/polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's)/polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in female e-waste recyclers. Here we report polybrominated, polychlorinated dioxins/furans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in these same workers.Female Vietnamese recyclers and non-recyclers recruited; blood samples collected. Polybrominated, polychlorinated dioxins/furans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls levels compared in recyclers, non-recyclers, and National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES).Recyclersnon-recyclers: 12378-PBDD, 2378-TBDF, 12378-PCDF, 123478-HxCDF, 123678-HxCDF, 1234678-HpCDF, PCB-126. Non-recyclersNHANES: 123478-HxCDF, 123678-HxCDF, 234678- HxCDF, PCB-126, PCB-169. NHANESnon-recyclers: 12378-PCDD, 123478-HxCDD, 123678-HxCDD, 123789-HxCDD, 1234678-HpCDD, 123789-HxCDF, 1234678-HpCDF, 1234789-HpCDF, OCDF, PCB-81, PCB-114, PCB-156, PCB-157, PCB-167, PCB-189. RecyclersNHANES: S: 2378-TeCDF, 12378-PCDF, 23478-PCDF, 123478-HxCDF, 123678- HxCDF, 234678-HxCDF, PCB-126. NHANESrecyclers: 12378-PCDD, 123478-HxCDD, 123678-HxCDD, 123789-HxCDD, 1234678-HpCDD, OCDD, 123789-HxCDF, 1234678-HpCDF, 1234789-HpCDF, OCDF, PCB- 81, PCB-114, PCB-156, PCB-157, PCB-189.12378 PCDD, 2378-TCDD, PCB 126 makeup most total dioxin equivalences (TEQs) in AQ5 these workers, indicating increased exposure; remediation indicated.

Future generations of power converters must be miniaturized to power future electronic devices that are getting smaller and smarter. Monolithic integration is an ideal approach toward compact, efficient, and low-cost converters. This letter addresses two technology gaps in packaging technology and integrated inductor technology using the so-called power interposer technology (PIT). We implemented a step-down power converter to demonstrate PIT. The converter uses two GaN FETs, capacitors, and a gate driver stacked on a 0.28-mm-thick silicon die that hosts a 3D substrate-embedded toroidal microinductor. The converter switches 22 MHz in zero-voltage-switching mode achieving a peak efficiency of 83% at the full load of 1 W. PIT has shown unique technology advantages for future generations of integrated power converters, including high power density, low profile, superior thermal performance, scalability, and heterogeneous integration. Furthermore, PIT holds great commercial potential for high-power-density integrated power converters.

In the early nineteenth century, most of the commercial natural history collectors in southern Africa were Germans. They were imperfectly integrated into the (white) social fabric of the region and are now rendered marginal in popular conceptions of the British Empire. For too long, historians have overemphasized Susanne Zantop’s analytical approach in Colonial Fantasies to discuss German imperial desire in the pre-nation-state period without thoroughly investigating cases representative of German complicity in imperialism prior to their period of formal colonialism. While they were not first and foremost interested in subverting British control in the Cape, this thesis will show how these Germans certainly embraced the role of the colonizer through their commercial mentality. The pursuit of specimens encouraged ambition and risk-taking: the collector’s search was inherently tied to networks that encouraged increasing physical and intellectual control over African peoples, and which facilitated an uninhibited extraction of flora, fauna, and human remains from colonial environments. Due to their familial and professional ties to the German states, these collectors sold their specimens throughout central Europe, giving Germans-speaking botanists privileged access to these collectors and their herbaria, rather than British botanists in the imperial center, to begin the process of classifying and determining the unique flora of southern Africa. Challenging many of the traditional spatial understandings which govern interpretations of a “homogenous” British Empire, this thesis extends this argument by visualizing German cities as crucial nodes of imperial knowledge production beyond the Empire’s well-established boundaries. Thus, it contributes to revisionist assessments of the ways in which global exploration and empire were part of a common European project.

A series of imidazodiazepines has been developed that possess reduced sedative liabilities but retain efficacy in anticonvulsant screening models. The latest of these compounds, (5-(8-ethynyl-6-(pyridin-2-yl)-4H-benzo[f]imidazole[1,5-α][1,4]diazepin-3-yl) oxazole known as KRM-II-81) is currently awaiting advancement into the clinic. A deuterated structural analog (D5-KRM-II-81) was made as a potential backup compound and studied here in comparison to KRM-II-81. In the present study, both compounds significantly prevented seizures in mice induced by 6 Hz (44 mA) electrical stimulation without significantly altering motoric function on a rotarod after intraperitoneal administration. Both compounds also significantly prevented clonic seizures, tonic seizures, and lethality induced by pentylenetetrazol in mice when given orally. D5-KRM-II-81 had a slightly longer duration of action against clonic and tonic seizures than KRM-II-81. Oral administration of 100 mg/kg of either KRM-II-81 or D5-KRM-II-81 was significantly less disruptive of sensorimotor function in mice than diazepam (5 mg/kg, p.o.). The present report documents that D5-KRM-II-81 represents another in this series of imidazodiazepines with anticonvulsant activity at doses that do not impair sensorimotor function.

Synthesis of a coconut oil-based biopolyol via sequential glycerolysis and amidation; and its subsequent use as a sole polyol for rigid poly(urethane-urea) hybrid foam production.

Illustrated children’s books have long been effective tools used to communicate complex socio-cultural concepts, experiences, and visual narratives. In an increasingly visually mediated world, early intervention and understanding around inclusive learning styles, diversity, and equity are an important widespread focus for the twenty-first century. This paper synthesizes the effective relationship between typography, layout, illustration, and movables as accessible devices in the production of books for children with dyslexia. Integrating a user-centered design approach to movables and visual communication, a case study of practice-based research highlights the importance of accessible consideration. It explores the ability of the designer to synthesize the experience, information, resources, and sensibilities of dyslexia in image and text. Movable books allow children to remain engaged and utilises different areas of the brain. Children with Dyslexia require that multisensory experience, and the design process and consideration of visual accessibility improves equitable access to learning. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Agriculture has since become a major source of livelihood for Nigerians. It also accounts for over 85% of the total food consumed within her borders. The sector has maintained improved productivity and profitability via a concerted effort to address critical issues such as an unorganized regulatory system, lack of food safety data, no standards in agricultural produce, non-adaptation to precision farming, and non-harmony via inventory trace supports. This study proposes blockchain-based trace-support in a continued effort to ensure food quality, consumer safety, and trading of food assets. It uses the radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor to register and track livestocks, farms/farmers, and abattoir processes as well as provisions a databank to trace livestock data. Results show the model adequately perform about 1,101 transactions per seconds with a response time of 0.21 s for queries and 0.28 s for https pages respectively for 2,500 users. Also, it yields a slightly longer time of 0.32 s for queries and 0.38 s for https pages respectively with an increased 5,000 users via the world-state as stored in the blockchain’s hyper-fabric ledger. Overall, the framework can directly query and retrieve data without it traversing the whole ledger. This, in turn, improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the traceability system.

Brain edema; Intracranial hemorrhage; Serum biomarker Edema cerebral; Hemorragia intracraneal; Biomarcador sérico Edema cerebral; Hemorràgia intracranial; Biomarcador sèric Background: Early identification of patients developing symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and symptomatic brain edema after acute ischemic stroke is essential for clinical decision-making. Astroglial protein S-100B is a marker of blood-brain barrier disruption, which plays an important role in the formation of intracranial hemorrhage and brain edema. In this study, we assessed the prognostic value of serum S-100B for the development of these complications. Methods: Serum S-100B levels were measured within 24 h from symptom onset in 1749 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients from the prospective, observational, multicenter BIOSIGNAL cohort study (mean age 72.0 years, 58.3% male). To determine symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage or symptomatic brain edema, follow-up neuroimaging was performed in all patients receiving reperfusion therapy or experiencing clinical worsening with an NIHSS increase of ⩾4. Results: Forty six patients (2.6%) developed symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and 90 patients (5.2%) developed symptomatic brain edema. After adjustment for established risk factors, log10S-100B levels remained independently associated with both symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (OR 3.41, 95% CI 1.7–6.9, p = 0.001) and symptomatic brain edema (OR 4.08, 95% CI 2.3–7.1, p

To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected structural abnormalities in patients with symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis (OA), patients with persistent midfoot pain, and asymptomatic controls, and to explore the association between MRI features, pain, and foot-related disability.One hundred seven adults consisting of 50 patients with symptomatic and radiographically confirmed midfoot OA, 22 adults with persistent midfoot pain but absence of radiographic OA, and 35 asymptomatic adults underwent 3T MRI of the midfoot and clinical assessment. MRIs were read for the presence and severity of abnormalities (bone marrow lesions [BMLs], subchondral cysts, osteophytes, joint space narrowing [JSN], effusion-synovitis, tenosynovitis, and enthesopathy) using the Foot Osteoarthritis MRI Score. Pain and foot-related disability were assessed with the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index.The severity sum score of BMLs in the midfoot was greater in patients with midfoot pain and no signs of OA on radiography compared to controls (P = 0.007), with a pattern of involvement in the cuneiform-metatarsal joints similar to that in patients with midfoot OA. In univariable models, BMLs (ρ = 0.307), JSN (ρ = 0.423), and subchondral cysts (ρ = 0.302) were positively associated with pain (P 0.01). In multivariable models, MRI abnormalities were not associated with pain and disability when adjusted for covariates.In individuals with persistent midfoot pain but no signs of OA on radiography, MRI findings suggested an underrecognized prevalence of OA, particularly in the second and third cuneiform-metatarsal joints, where BML patterns were consistent with previously recognized sites of elevated mechanical loading. Joint abnormalities were not strongly associated with pain or foot-related disability.

Background: Widely used psychotropic medications for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may change the volumes of subcortical brain structures, and differently in children vs. adults. We measured subcortical volumes cross-sectionally in patients finely stratified for age taking various common classes of OCD drugs. Methods: The ENIGMA-OCD consortium sample (1081 medicated/1159 unmedicated OCD patients and 2057 healthy controls aged 6–65) was divided into six successive 6–10-year age-groups. Individual structural MRIs were parcellated automatically using FreeSurfer into 8 regions-of-interest (ROIs). ROI volumes were compared between unmedicated and medicated patients and controls, and between patients taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), tricyclics (TCs), antipsychotics (APs), or benzodiazepines (BZs) and unmedicated patients. Results: Compared to unmedicated patients, volumes of accumbens, caudate, and/or putamen were lower in children aged 6–13 and adults aged 50–65 with OCD taking SRIs (Cohen's d = −0.24 to −0.74). Volumes of putamen, pallidum (d = 0.18–0.40), and ventricles (d = 0.31–0.66) were greater in patients aged 20–29 receiving APs. Hippocampal volumes were smaller in patients aged 20 and older taking TCs and/or BZs (d = −0.27 to −1.31). Conclusions: Results suggest that TCs and BZs could potentially aggravate hippocampal atrophy of normal aging in older adults with OCD, whereas SRIs may reduce striatal volumes in young children and older adults. Similar to patients with psychotic disorders, OCD patients aged 20–29 may experience subcortical nuclear and ventricular hypertrophy in relation to APs. Although cross-sectional, present results suggest that commonly prescribed agents exert macroscopic effects on subcortical nuclei of unknown relation to therapeutic response.

Climate change is a long-term threat to polar bears. However, sea-ice loss is hypothesized to provide transient benefits in high latitudes, where thick multiyear ice historically limited biological productivity and seal abundance. We used joint live-recapture and dead-recovery mark-recapture models to analyze data for one of the most northerly polar bear subpopulations, Kane Basin. The data consisted of 277 initial live captures and genetic identifications (1992-1997 = 150, 2012-2014 = 127), 89 recaptures or re-identifications (1992-1997 = 53, 2012-2014 = 36), and 24 harvest returns of research-marked bears during 1992-2014. We estimated mean annual abundance of 357 bears (95% CI: 221-493) for 2013-2014. This suggests a likely increase relative to our estimate of 224 (95% CI: 145-303) bears in the mid-1990s and relative to a previously published estimate of 164 (95% CI: 94-234) bears in the mid-1990s that used some of the same data. This is also supported by an apparent increase in the density of bears in eastern Kane Basin during 2012-2014. Estimates of total survival for females ≥3 yr old (mean ± SE: 0.95 ± 0.04) and their dependent offspring were similar to previous estimates from the 1990s, and estimates of unharvested survival for females ≥3 yr (0.96 ± 0.04) appear sufficient for positive population growth. Estimates of total survival were lower for males ≥3 yr (0.87 ± 0.06). We documented a reduction in mortality associated with subsistence harvest, likely attributable to implementation of a harvest quota by Greenland in 2006. Our findings, together with evidence for increased range sizes, improved body condition for all sex and age classes, and stable reproductive metrics, show that this small high-Arctic polar bear subpopulation remains productive and healthy. These benefits are likely temporary given predictions for continued climate change.

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was first identified in 1902 by a British pediatrician, Sir George Still, as an abnormal defect in children’s moral control that caused poor control of their behavior despite their average and/or above intellectual capacity. It was not until the late 20th century when the American Psychiatric Association formally recognized ADHD as a mental disorder, whose hallmarks are excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Also known as the triad of impairments in ADHD, these symptoms are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inappropriate. Only recently, Hallowell and Ratey (2021) introduced the concept of Variable Attention Stimulus Trait (VAST) in their book ADHD 2.0 to describe the condition. They argued that VAST/ADHD is unrelated to intelligence and has nothing to do with the deficit of attention. VAST/ADHD describes about how each brain/mind is uniquely wired affecting the way one deals with stimulation and attention. In this paper, the authors have chosen to explore two of the traits on the VAST/ADHD spectrum - (i) attentional control/sustained attention, and (ii) emotional regulation/impulse control - to illustrate the condition of ADHD as a variability of attention rather than a deficit of attention.

Introduction: Kaposi's sarcoma is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and remains to this day the most common cancer in people living with HIV. This study aimed to obtain epidemiological data on Kaposi's sarcoma diagnosed at the cytopathological anatomy laboratory in the Republic of Congo. Material and Methods: Authors collected all cases of Kaposi's Sarcoma over a 22 years period from 2000 to 2021. Data was collected from hospital registers, medical records and reports of pathological examination results. Results: A total of 37 cases were enrolled in the study, with the annually incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma around 2 cases/year. The age of patients at diagnosis ranged from 13 to 80 years old, with the average age of 31.5 years. Male to female ratio was 3.1 and females were older than males. The majority of the lesions were in the lower limbs, 13 (35%) and nodular KS accounted the most observed elementary lesions of all cases (59%). Conclusion: Although it occurs frequently in PLHIV, KS is less common in the Republic of Congo and remains an unrecognized condition among the Congolese population. Key words: Kaposi's sarcoma, Epidemiology, Republic of Congo

The impact of heterogeneous uptake of HO2 on aerosol surfaces on radical concentrations and the O3 production regime in Beijing in summertime was investigated. The uptake coefficient of HO2 onto aerosol surfaces, γHO2, was calculated for the AIRPRO campaign in Beijing, in summer 2017, as a function of measured aerosol soluble copper concentration, [Cu2+]eff, aerosol liquid water content, [ALWC], and particulate matter concentration, [PM]. An average γHO2 across the entire campaign of 0.070±0.035 was calculated, with values ranging from 0.002 to 0.15, and found to be significantly lower than the value of γHO2=0.2, commonly used in modelling studies. Using the calculated γHO2 values for the summer AIRPRO campaign, OH, HO2 and RO2 radical concentrations were modelled using a box model incorporating the Master Chemical Mechanism (v3.3.1), with and without the addition of γHO2, and compared to the measured radical concentrations. The rate of destruction analysis showed the dominant HO2 loss pathway to be HO2 + NO for all NO concentrations across the summer Beijing campaign, with HO2 uptake contributing % to the total loss of HO2 on average. This result for Beijing summertime would suggest that under most conditions encountered, HO2 uptake onto aerosol surfaces is not important to consider when investigating increasing O3 production with decreasing [PM] across the North China Plain. At low [NO], however, i.e. ppb, which was often encountered in the afternoons, up to 29 % of modelled HO2 loss was due to HO2 uptake on aerosols when calculated γHO2 was included, even with the much lower γHO2 values compared to γHO2= 0.2, a result which agrees with the aerosol-inhibited O3 regime recently proposed by Ivatt et al. (2022). As such it can be concluded that in cleaner environments, away from polluted urban centres where HO2 loss chemistry is not dominated by NO but where aerosol surface area is high still, changes in PM concentration and hence aerosol surface area could still have a significant effect on both overall HO2 concentration and the O3 production regime. Using modelled radical concentrations, the absolute O3 sensitivity to NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) showed that, on average across the summer AIRPRO campaign, the O3 production regime remained VOC-limited, with the exception of a few days in the afternoon when the NO mixing ratio dropped low enough for the O3 regime to shift towards being NOx-limited. The O3 sensitivity to VOCs, the dominant regime during the summer AIRPRO campaign, was observed to decrease and shift towards a NOx-sensitive regime both when NO mixing ratio decreased and with the addition of aerosol uptake. This suggests that if [NOx] continues to decrease in the future, ozone reduction policies focussing solely on NOx reductions may not be as efficient as expected if [PM] and, hence, HO2 uptake to aerosol surfaces continue to decrease. The addition of aerosol uptake into the model, for both the γHO2 calculated from measured data and when using a fixed value of γHO2=0.2, did not have a significant effect on the overall O3 production regime across the campaign. While not important for this campaign, aerosol uptake could be important for areas of lower NO concentration that are already in a NOx-sensitive regime.

The directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) can be used to produce nanoscale patterns without the cost and process complexity of state-of-the-art optical lithography. Thus, DSA may be useful in a wide variety of semiconductor applications such as fin field-effect transistors and biosensors. To create technologically useful patterns with aligned BCP domains, conventional DSA mechanisms often rely on topographically complex structures or high-resolution chemical patterns to direct the self-assembly, that are difficult to fabricate. In comparison, a newly discovered mechanism for DSA, termed boundary-directed epitaxy (BDE), utilizes chemical contrast at the boundaries between a substrate and relatively wide chemical stripe. Here, we demonstrate the use of BDE to template the fabrication of sub-10 nm features for the first time. BDE is used in conjunction with selective infiltration to create ultranarrow line-space arrays of alumina. These results demonstrate a proof-of-concept for BDE as a method for ultrahigh-resolution feature formation.

Quantum entanglement is a key resource in currently developed quantum technologies. Sharing this fragile property between superconducting microwave circuits and optical or atomic systems would enable new functionalities, but this has been hindered by an energy scale mismatch of >10 4 and the resulting mutually imposed loss and noise. In this work, we created and verified entanglement between microwave and optical fields in a millikelvin environment. Using an optically pulsed superconducting electro-optical device, we show entanglement between propagating microwave and optical fields in the continuous variable domain. This achievement not only paves the way for entanglement between superconducting circuits and telecom wavelength light, but also has wide-ranging implications for hybrid quantum networks in the context of modularization, scaling, sensing, and cross-platform verification.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a promising material for next-generation electronics due to its unique optoelectronic and electronic properties. While the synthesis of h-BN on metallic substrates has been studied extensively, h-BN synthesis on CMOS-compatible substrates like Ge has not. Here, we report the growth of h-BN on Ge(001) from borazine via high-vacuum chemical vapor deposition. We find that the sublimation of Ge under high vacuum inhibits h-BN growth. To overcome this challenge, we place two Ge substrates face-to-face and achieve the growth of aligned h-BN islands and monolayer h-BN films.

Napjainkban egyre több helyen találkozhatunk a biometrikus azonosítás különböző módjaival, hiszen jelen van az okostelefonokban, illetve számos vállalkozás is alkalmazza, felismerve annak előnyeit. Jelen tanulmány azt hivatott felmérni, hogy a felhasználók körében a biometrikus azonosításról milyen vélemények alakultak ki, illetve miként vélekednek ezekről a módszerekről. A kutatás jelentősége abban rejlik, hogy 2006-ban és 2014-ben szintén az Óbudai Egyetem keretein belül már lezajlott két hasonló céllal megfogalmazott kutatás, amelyet a jelen kutatás során igyekeztünk folytatni, valamint tovább vinni. A második rész a megkérdezettek biometrikus azonosításhoz való viszonyát és a rendszerek elfogadottságát mutatja be. Az eredmények alapján elmondható, hogy a biometrikus azonosítás kapcsán a felhasználók ismeretei bővítésre szorulnak, mivel még mindig sokan csak használják ezeket a technológiákat a hozzá tartozó tudásanyag és tudatosság nélkül.

Introducing cavity flameholders into a solid-fuel ramjet fuel grain demonstrated increased fuel loading with sustained combustion in previously unfavorable geometries. Volumetric fuel loading improvements of up to 26% were demonstrated to sustain combustion. Regression patterns of cavity fuel grains are presented and show that the effect of implementing a cavity flameholder is to change the location of maximum regression and the reattachment point. The addition of a cavity flameholder does not appear to have a significant effect on combustion efficiency. However, it is noteworthy that longer cavities increased the chamber pressure above what was observed for a center-perforated fuel grains as a result of the increased mass addition and higher equivalence ratio associated with the higher regression rate. Large-eddy simulation computations were performed using a fourth-order discontinuous Galerkin finite element solver with a novel flamelet and progress variable formulation. The predictions agree well with the experiments and point to the increased heat transfer for longer cavities as the main flameholder mechanism. The larger heat feedback is supported by the formation of a stronger recirculation region, which leads to increased coherent fluctuations due to the transition between local and global instabilities.

Our study examines the development of unemployment data from three strong Asian economies, China, Korea, and Japan. The focus is on the impact of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, as well as an overview of the possible solutions to combat the impact of similar future crises on the labour market, in the hope of mitigating future economic dislocations. Following an overview of the region's economy and the pandemic, we use stochastic modelling of unemployment data of ten years prior to the pandemic, to estimate counterfactual future data without the pandemic. We then compare this estimate with real data during the pandemic. We did this in order to explore ideas and new solutions that could possibly be applied in Hungary, which is presently burdened by a very significant labour shortage.

There are several pathophysiological outcomes associated with substance abuse including metabolic disbalance, neurodegeneration, and disordered redox. Drug use in pregnant women is a topic of great concern due to developmental harm which may occur during gestation and the associated complications in the neonate after delivery. We sought to determine what the trajectory of drug use is like in children aged 0–4 years and mothers of neonates. Urine drug screen (UDS) results were obtained of our target demographic during 1998–2011 and 2012–2019 from LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport (LSUHSC-S). Statistical analysis was performed using R software. We observed an increase in cannabinoid-positive UDS results in both Caucasian (CC) and African American (AA) groups between 1998–2011 and 2012–2019 periods. Cocaine-positive UDS results decreased in both cohorts. CC children had higher UDS positive results for opiates, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines, while AA children had a higher percentage for illicit drugs such as cannabinoids and cocaine. Neonate’s mothers had similar UDS trends to that in children during 2012–2019. Overall, while percentage of positive UDS results for both AA and CC 0–4 year old children started to decline for opiate, benzodiazepine, and cocaine during 2012–2019, cannabinoid- and amphetamine (CC)-positive UDS steadily increased. These results suggest a shift in the type of drug use by mothers from opiates, benzodiazepines, and cocaine to cannabinoids and/or amphetamines. We also observed that 18-year-old females who tested positive for opiates, benzodiazepine, or cocaine had higher than average chances of testing positive for cannabinoids later in life.

For phase transformations within polycrystalline materials, the connection between crystal orientations of parent grains and those of child grains is usually expressed in terms of (theoretical or measured) orientation relationships. This paper introduces a new approach to various problems associated with orientation relationships: (i) estimation, (ii) whether or not a single orientation relationship fits the data adequately, (iii) whether or not a set of children comes from a common parent, (iv) reconstruction of a parent or of grain boundaries. The approach is an extension to the crystallographic context of the well-established embedding approach to directional statistics. It is inherently statistical, producing precise probabilistic statements. Explicit coordinate systems are not used and arbitrary thresholds are avoided. Publisher PDF

von Willebrand factor (VWF) is the protective carrier of procoagulant factor VIII (FVIII) in the shear forces of the circulation, prolonging its half-life and delivering it to the developing thrombus. Using force spectroscopy, VWF-FVIII complex formation is characterized by catch-bond behavior in which force first decelerates then accelerates bond dissociation. Patients with mutations in VWF at the FVIII binding site phenocopies hemophilia A and the most common mutations are of cysteine residues involving multiple disulfide bonds. From differential cysteine alkylation and mass spectrometry experiments, 13 VWF disulfide bonds at the FVIII binding site were found to exist in formed and unformed states, and binding of FVIII results in partial formation of 12 of the VWF bonds. Force spectroscopy studies indicate that the VWF-FVIII bond stiffens in response to force and this feature of the interaction is ablated when VWF disulfide bonds are prevented from forming, resulting in slip-only bond behavior. Exposure of VWF to pathological fluid shear forces ex vivo and in vivo causes partial cleavage of all 13 disulfide bonds, further supporting their malleable nature. These findings demonstrate that FVIII binding to VWF involves dynamic changes in the covalent states of several VWF disulfides that are required for productive interaction in physiological shear forces.

Abnormal erythrocyte adhesion owing to polymerization of sickle hemoglobin is central to the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease (SCD). Mature erythrocytes constitute >80% of all erythrocytes in SCD; however, the relative contributions of erythrocytes to acute and chronic vasculopathy in SCD are not well understood. Here, we showed that bending stress exerted on the erythrocyte plasma membrane by polymerization of sickle hemoglobin under hypoxia, enhances sulfatide-mediated abnormal mature erythrocyte adhesion. We hypothesized that sphingomyelinase (SMase) activity, which is upregulated by accumulated bending energy, leads to elevated membrane sulfatide availability, and thus, hypoxic mature erythrocyte adhesion. We found that mature erythrocyte adhesion to laminin in controlled microfluidic experiments is significantly greater under hypoxia than under normoxia (1856 ± 481 vs 78 ± 23, mean ± SEM), whereas sickle reticulocyte (early erythrocyte) adhesion, high to begin with, does not change (1281 ± 299 vs 1258 ± 328, mean ± SEM). We showed that greater mean accumulated bending energy of adhered mature erythrocytes was associated with higher acid SMase activity and increased mature erythrocyte adhesion (P = .022, for acid SMase activity and P = .002 for the increase in mature erythrocyte adhesion with hypoxia, N = 5). In addition, hypoxia results in sulfatide exposure of the erythrocyte membrane, and an increase in SMase, whereas anti-sulfatide inhibits enhanced adhesion of erythrocytes. These results suggest that the lipid components of the plasma membrane contribute to SCD complications. Therefore, sulfatide and the components of its upregulation pathway, particularly SMase, should be further explored as potential therapeutic targets for inhibiting sickle erythrocyte adhesion.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), a large class of chemicals that includes high production volume substances, have been used for decades as antimicrobials, preservatives, and antistatic agents and for other functions in cleaning, disinfecting, personal care products, and durable consumer goods. QAC use has accelerated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the banning of 19 antimicrobials from several personal care products by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016. Studies conducted before and after the onset of the pandemic indicate increased human exposure to QACs. Environmental releases of these chemicals have also increased. Emerging information on adverse environmental and human health impacts of QACs is motivating a reconsideration of the risks and benefits across the life cycle of their production, use, and disposal. This work presents a critical review of the literature and scientific perspective developed by a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional team of authors from academia, governmental, and nonprofit organizations. The review evaluates currently available information on the ecological and human health profile of QACs and identifies multiple areas of potential concern. Adverse ecological effects include acute and chronic toxicity to susceptible aquatic organisms, with concentrations of some QACs approaching levels of concern. Suspected or known adverse health outcomes include dermal and respiratory effects, developmental and reproductive toxicity, disruption of metabolic function such as lipid homeostasis, and impairment of mitochondrial function. QACs' role in antimicrobial resistance has also been demonstrated. In the US regulatory system, how a QAC is managed depends on how it is used, for example in pesticides or personal care products. This can result in the same QACs receiving different degrees of scrutiny depending on the use and the agency regulating it. Further, the US Environmental Protection Agency's current method of grouping QACs based on structure, first proposed in 1988, is insufficient to address the wide range of QAC chemistries, potential toxicities, and exposure scenarios. Consequently, exposures to common mixtures of QACs and from multiple sources remain largely unassessed. Some restrictions on the use of QACs have been implemented in the US and elsewhere, primarily focused on personal care products. Assessing the risks posed by QACs is hampered by their vast structural diversity and a lack of quantitative data on exposure and toxicity for the majority of these compounds. This review identifies important data gaps and provides research and policy recommendations for preserving the utility of QAC chemistries while also seeking to limit adverse environmental and human health effects.

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an invasive aquatic weed with large biomass production is of socio-economic and environmental concern in fresh water bodies such as the Lake Victoria in East Africa. Efforts towards its control and removal can be complemented by biogas production for use as energy source. The co-digestion of water hyacinth (WH) with ruminal slaughterhouse waste (RSW) has the potential to improve biogas production from WH through collation of processes parameters such as the C/N and C/P ratios, potassium concentration and buffering capacity. Knowledge of optimum proportion of the RSW as the minor substrate is of both process and operational importance. Moreover, efficient operation of the process requires an understanding of the relationship between the biogas production and the process parameters. Kinetic models can be useful tools for describing the biogas production process in batch reactors. While the first order kinetics models assume that the rate of biogas production is proportional to the concentration of the remaining substrates, other models such as the modified Gompertz and the Logistic models incorporate the lag phase, a key feature of the anaerobic digestion process. This study aimed to establish the optimum proportion of RSW in co-digestion with WH under mesophilic conditions, and apply kinetics models to describe the biogas production. The study conducted batch co-digestion of WH with 0, 10, 20 and 30% RSW proportions at mesophilic temperature of 32ºC. Co-digestion of WH with 30% RSW proportion improved biogas yield by 113% from 19.15 to 40.85 CH4 ml/(gVS) at 50 days of co-digestion. It also exhibited the most stable daily biogas production and the largest biogas yield. The biomethanation data were fitted with the first order kinetics, modified Gompertz and the Logistic models. Biogas production for co-digestion of WH with 30% RSW proportion was best described by the modified Gompertz model with a biogas yield potential, Mo, of 43.2 ml (gVS)-1d-1; maximum biogas production rate, Rm, of 1.50 ml (gVS)-1d-1; and duration of lag, λ, of 3.89 d.

Aim: This analysis was carried out to identify factors associated with asthma and allergies in prehospital emergency medical services staff in Germany over a 12-month period. Methods: Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Results: In total, 2313 prehospital emergency medical services staff from Germany were included into the analysis. Women had the highest prevalence of asthma (12.28%) and allergies (40.61%). Asthma was significantly associated with gender, with lower odds for male (AOR 0.60; 95% CI [0.45-0.81]) than female practitioners. Allergies were significantly associated with: gender (male: AOR: 0.57; 95% CI (0.47-0.70)); smoking status (smokers: AOR: 0.79 (95% CI (0.62-0.99)); and role (trainees: AOR 1.37; 95% CI (1.06-1.78)). Conclusion: There is a high 12-month prevalence of asthma and allergies in certain groups of prehospital emergency practitioners in Germany and this is associated with several factors.