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ABSTRACTThe mortality rate of Nipah virus (NiV) can vary in different regions, and its pattern across timelines has yet to be assessed. The primary objective is to perform a comparative analysis of mortality rates across different timelines and countries. Articles reporting NiV mortality from inception to November 2023 were analyzed in PubMed, Ovid Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. A meta-analysis utilizing random-effects models determined the mortality rate secondary to NiV complications. The initial search strategy yielded 1213 records, of which 36 articles met the inclusion criteria, comprising 2736 NiV patients. The Global mortality rate of the Nipah virus in the 2014–2023 decade was 80.1% (CI: 68.7–88.1%), indicating a significant 24% increase compared to the preceding decade (2004–2013) with a mortality rate of 54.1% (CI: 35.5–71.6%). Among the countries analyzed for overall mortality from 1994–2023, India experienced the highest mortality rate at 82.7% (CI: 74.6–88.6%), followed by Bangladesh at 62.1% (CI: 45.6–76.2%), Philippines at 52.9% (CI: 30–74.5%), Malaysia at 28.9% (CI: 21.4–37.9%), and Singapore at 21% (CI: 8–45%). Subgroup analysis revealed that India consistently had the highest mortality rate for the past two decades (91.7% and 89.3%). The primary complication leading to mortality was encephalitis, accounting for 95% of cases. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a noteworthy surge in NiV mortality rates, particularly in the current decade (2014–2023). The escalation, with India reporting a concerning level of mortality of 89.3–91.7% in the past decades, signifies a pressing public health challenge.

Drought stress is a major limiting factor for rice production globally. The current climatic changes have further increased the incidence and duration of droughts worldwide. On the other hand, nanotechnology can revolutionize agriculture by offering novel tools and materials for various applications. Here, we synthesized fulvic acid-releasing chitosan nanoparticles (Ch-FANPs) and investigated their potential for promoting rice growth under extended drought conditions. In a hydroponic screening experiment, 0.1 mM Ch-FANPs gave the best results by supporting maximum shoot and root lengths as well as fresh and dry weights. In soil-based experiments, this concentration promoted rice growth under irrigated (control) and during a 10-day drought stress regime by supporting the maximum above and below-ground growth parameters such as root and shoot lengths, leaf area, and relative water content, compared to fulvic acid (FA) and chitosan (Ch) alone. Furthermore, Ch-FANPs mitigated drought dress by modulating stomatal movement and chlorophyll content resulting in maximum biomass. Ch-FANPs protected against drought stress by activating antioxidant defense as indicated by the lowest H2O2and MDA contents and the highest ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity and soluble protein content in Ch-FANP-treated plants. In addition, Ch-FANPs treatment also resulted in significantly higher expression of drought marker genes OsDREB1A, OsCIPK3,and OsNAC77under irrigated and drought stress conditions. These results indicate the Ch-FANPs play a key role in mitigating the adverse effects of water scarcity and can be further tailored to mitigate the effects of other stresses.

SalmonellaDublin is a strongly adapted serovar that causes enteritis and/or systemic disease with high rates of mortality in cattle and occasionally infects humans. Despite the importance of this serovar, there is a lack of studies in Brazil. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic diversity of 112 S.Dublin strains isolated from humans and animals in Brazil by CRISPR and CRISPR-MVLST and the relatedness among strains by MLST. In addition, the frequency of some important virulence genes was verified. The strains studied belonged to nine different sequence types, being all of them single- or double-locus variants of the ST10. CRISPR discriminated the strains into 69 subtypes with a similarity ≥ 84.4% and CRISPR-MVLST into 72 subtypes with a similarity ≥ 84.7%. The virulence genes ratB, lpfA, mgtC, avrA, sopB, sopE2, sifA, sseA, ssrA, csgA, fliC, and sinHwere found in all the strains studied, while spvB, spvC, sodCl, rpoS, sipA, sipD, invA, and hilAwere detected in ≥ 93.7% of the strains. In conclusion, the high similarity among the strains reinforces the clonal nature of the strains of this serovar that may have descended from a common ancestor that little differed over 33 years in Brazil. CRISPR and CRISPR-MVLST showed to be good alternatives to type S.Dublin strains. MLST suggested that S.Dublin strains from Brazil were phylogenetically related to strains from other parts of the globe. Moreover, the high frequency of virulence genes among the strains studied reinforces the capacity of S.Dublin to cause invasive diseases.

•A SalmonellaNewport with mcr-9, blaCMY-2and qnrB19genes was identified.•Distribution of mcr-9might be underestimated.•Well-adapted plasmids in different sources indicate the importance of the One Healthconcept.

Around the world, large amounts of plastic and glass waste have been collected. This work is given as a way to reduce this material. This paper aims to investigate how fired clay bricks' physical and mechanical properties are affected by plastic/glass (P/G) powder. It is used as a replacement for clay, varying the plastic/glass content 00/20, 05/15, 10/10, 15/05, and 20/00 weight %. The ratio of soil to water remains constant 0.3. The maximum temperature is presented after three fire phases. The temperatures are 300 °C for the first, 600 °C for the second, and 900 °C for the third. Results for the physical properties showed an increase in the water absorption of clay brick specimens as the plastic content increased; in addition, efflorescence was increased with plastic powder. However, the density and firing shrinkage decrease with plastic quantity. Also, the experimental results showed a decrease in water absorption and efflorescence when the glass powder was increased. While the density is higher when glass powder is 20 %. According to the findings on mechanical properties, clay brick samples with higher plastic powder content 20 % displayed a decrease in compressive strength and flexural bending strength, i. e. the mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strengths) are increased with the increased

To improve monitoring of cerebral blood flow and arterial response to clinical interventions following acute traumatic brain injury, we have created a small sensor suite that can be mounted around the diameter of a typical intracranial catheter. This instrument is driven by the need to prevent subsequent ischemic injury after a traumatic brain injury, due to elevated intracranial pressure and compromised cerebral autoregulation. To minimize effects on clinician workflow, our sensors can be integrated into catheters that are currently being used in accordance with accepted standards of care. This paper describes the use of a combination of thin piezoelectric material, a photoplethysmogram, and a long short-term memory regression network to track cerebral blood flow fluctuations. The results show a correlation (R2 = 0.76) between beat-to-beat waveform features collected using our sensor suite and reference blood flow measurements by ultrasound imaging. This method we introduce may help give medical professionals timely data on patients’ cerebral hemodynamic status and how well patients responded to clinical interventions.

Salmonella1,4, [5],12:i:- is one of the most prevalent serovars associated with gastroenteritis in several countries, including Brazil. However, few studies have analyzed the virulence potential of this variant in this country. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize S.1,4, [5],12:i:- strains isolated in Southeast Brazil. To this end, 113 S.1,4, [5],12:i:- strains isolated from different sources between 1983 and 2020 were analyzed. For all strains, the frequencies of 11 virulence genes were investigated using PCR and the molecular typing was performed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Furthermore, 40 strains isolated from human and non-human sources were characterized by survival under acid and oxidative stress, and virulence analysis in Galleria mellonellawas performed for 20 selected strains. All virulence genes were detected in more than 91% of the strains. The studied strains were grouped into four clusters using PFGE. Most strains were present in one cluster, named PFGE-A, with a genetic similarity of ≥ 79.5%. All 40 strains survived acid stress after 10 min and 1 h of exposure. Under oxidative stress, all 40 strains survived after 10 min, and 36 survived after 1 h of exposure. In the G. mellonellaassay, nine isolates from non-human sources and six isolates from human showed high-to-intermediate virulence profiles. In conclusion, the pathogenic potential of the strains studied was corroborated by the high frequency of all the virulence genes identified. The PFGE results suggested that most strains belonged to one main cluster that has been prevailing in the São Paulo State, Brazil. The S. 1,4, [5],12:i:- strains isolated from human and non-human sources successfully survived the unfavorable conditions in the human gastrointestinal tract. Finally, strains isolated from non-human sources showed a higher proportion of isolates with high to intermediate virulence profiles in G. mellonellathan in human isolates, suggesting a possible difference between isolates from different origins.

This pre-clinical study evaluates GROA, an investigational device and technique for occlusion of the aorta, and subsequent transition to REBOA in an attempt to prolong short term survival from lethal non-compressible abdominal hemorrhage.

Salmonellais present in the poultry production chain and is a major challenge in terms of food safety and animal health. The early Salmonelladetection is one of the main tools to control and prevent the transmission of this pathogen. Microbiological isolation and serotyping to identify and differentiate Salmonellaserovars are laborious processes, time-consuming, and expensive. Therefore, molecular diagnostic methods can be rapid and efficient alternatives to the detection of this pathogen. Thus, the aim herein was to standardize and evaluate the use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) in comparison with real-time PCR (qPCR) for detection of Salmonellaassociated with a multiplex qPCR for simultaneous identification and differentiation of S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Pullorum, and S. Gallinarum. The LAMP, qPCR, and multiplex qPCR assays were comparable in specificity. The three techniques were evaluated for specificity for 16 different serovars of Salmonellaand for 37 strains of the serovars of interest. The limit of detection and the efficiency of the LAMP, qPCR, and multiplex qPCR reactions were determined. The techniques were applied to 33 samples of chicken carcasses and compared to the results of conventional microbiology for validation. As results, LAMP was specific in the detection of different Salmonellaserovars but presented lower limit of detection ranging from 101to 104CFU/reaction. In comparison, qPCR could detect less cells (100to 102CFU/reaction), reaching equal specificity and better repeatability in the assays. The qPCR multiplexing for identification of the different serovars also showed good specificity, with the detection threshold between entre 101and 102CFU/reaction. The results obtained in the analyses on poultry carcasses suggested a correspondence between the results obtained in molecular methods and in conventional microbiology. Thus, the proposed assays are promising for the diagnosis of Salmonellain poultry carcasses, already proved to be faster and more efficient than conventional diagnostics techniques, being of great interest for poultry production, animal, and public health.

Limestone wastes have accumulated in large quantities in countries all over the world. To reduce this materials this work is presented. The goal of this paper is to study the influence of limestone powder on the physical and mechanical of fired clay bricks. It is as replacement of clay, varying the limestone content 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt %. The water / soil ratio is constant 0.3. Three stages of firing are presented to achieve the maximum temperature. The first one is 300 °C and the second one is 600 °C and the last one is 900 °C. Results for the physical properties are showed an increasing of water absorption of clay brick specimens with the limestone content increased, in addition the efflorescence is increased. However, the density and firing shrinkage are decreased with limestone quantity. For the mechanical properties, the results indicate that the clay brick specimens with higher limestone 20 %, showed a decrease in compressive strength and flexural bending strength.

Abstract: Reduction of the carbon footprint in human activities is an urgent concern, and the use of thermal insulators for preventing undesirable heat exchange and saving energy is a growing trend in industrial processes. Refractory porous ceramics offer a useful combination of high thermo-mechanical and chemical resistances of oxide-based compounds with the low thermal conductivity of porous materials. This three-part study is devoted to understanding and critically reviewing their outstanding behavior as high-temperature thermal insulators (200-2000 °C), from conventional and well-known materials to state-of-art developments. This third part highlights novel compositions, microstructures, and processes (fully developed or at the initial research stage) for high-and-ultra-high-temperature insulation, focusing on microporous refractory ceramics (µPRC).

AbstractBackground/Objective:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the ability of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers to maintain personal safety during the treatment and transport of patients potentially infected. Increased rates of COVID-19 infection in EMS providers after patient care exposure, and notably after performing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs), have been reported. With an already strained workforce seeing rising call volumes and increased risk for AGP-requiring patient presentations, development of novel devices for the protection of EMS providers is of great importance.Based on the concept of a negative pressure room, the AerosolVE BioDome is designed to encapsulate the patient and contain aerosolized infectious particles produced during AGPs, making the cabin of an EMS vehicle safer for providers. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of the tent in mitigating simulated infectious particle spread in varied EMS transport platforms during AGP utilization.Methods:Fifteen healthy volunteers were enrolled and distributed amongst three EMS vehicles: a ground ambulance, an aeromedical-configured helicopter, and an aeromedical-configured jet. Sodium chloride particles were used to simulate infectious particles and particle counts were obtained in numerous locations close to the tent and around the patient compartment. Counts near the tent were compared to ambient air with and without use of AGPs (non-rebreather mask, continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP] mask, and high-flow nasal cannula [HFNC]).Results:For all transport platforms, with the tent fan off, the particle generator alone, and with all AGPs produced particle counts inside the tent significantly higher than ambient particle counts (P <.0001). With the tent fan powered on, particle counts near the tent, where EMS providers are expected to be located, showed no significant elevation compared to baseline ambient particle counts during the use of the particle generator alone or with use of any of the AGPs across all transport platforms.Conclusion:Development of devices to improve safety for EMS providers to allow for use of all available therapies to treat patients while reducing risk of communicable respiratory disease transmission is of paramount importance. The AerosolVE BioDome demonstrated efficacy in creating a negative pressure environment and workspace around the patient and provided significant filtration of simulated respiratory droplets, thus making the confined space of transport vehicles potentially safer for EMS personnel.

There is an elevated co-occurrence of autism in trans individuals, with recent meta-analyses suggesting that 11% of trans individuals are autistic. The presence of autism in trans young people can create clinical challenges by adding complexity to the presentation, assessment and management of those presenting to gender clinics. Although many trans young people display traits of autism, how these traits relate to the nature of their gender diversity is unclear.

This work describes the utility of an investigational device known as GROA for temporary aortic occlusion which stanches non-compressible abdominal hemorrhage and improved survival in a swine model of rapidly lethal liver laceration.

Abstract:Porous refractory ceramics combine the high thermomechanical and chemical resistances of oxide-based compounds with the low thermal conductivity and specific heat of porous materials. This two-part study is devoted to understanding and critically reviewing their outstanding behavior as thermal insulators for high-temperature industrial processes (200-2000 °C). The first part (Interceram, v. 70, n. 03, 2021, p. 38-45, "The Science Behind Energy Saving") provided a compilation of updated information on thermal energy consumption per area of human activity and examples of industrial processes that occur in each temperature range. This second part presents classification criteria for insulators established according to their thermomechanical properties, installation method, microstructure, and temperature at use, analyses of some important grades of porous insulators, and the most common causes of premature failure.

AbstractBackground/Objective:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created challenges in maintaining the safety of prehospital providers caring for patients. Reports have shown increased rates of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider infection with COVID-19 after patient care exposure, especially while utilizing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs). Given the increased risk and rising call volumes for AGP-necessitating complaints, development of novel devices for the protection of EMS clinicians is of great importance.Drawn from the concept of the powered air purifying respirator (PAPR), the AerosolVE helmet creates a personal negative pressure space to contain aerosolized infectious particles produced by patients, making the cabin of an EMS vehicle safer for providers. The helmet was developed initially for use in hospitals and could be of significant use in the prehospital setting. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of the helmet in mitigating simulated infectious particle spread in varied EMS transport platforms during AGP utilization.Methods:Fifteen healthy volunteers were enrolled and distributed amongst three EMS vehicles: a ground ambulance, a medical helicopter, and a medical jet. Sodium chloride particles were used to simulate infectious particles, and particle counts were obtained in numerous locations close to the helmet and around the patient compartment. Counts near the helmet were compared to ambient air with and without use of AGPs (non-rebreather mask [NRB], continuous positive airway pressure mask [CPAP], and high-flow nasal cannula [HFNC]).Results:Without the helmet fan on, the particle generator alone and with all AGPs produced particle counts inside the helmet significantly higher than ambient particle counts. With the fan on, there was no significant difference in particle counts around the helmet compared to baseline ambient particle counts. Particle counts at the filter exit averaged less than one despite markedly higher particle counts inside the helmet.Conclusion:Given the risk to EMS providers by communicable respiratory diseases, development of devices to improve safety while still enabling use of respiratory therapies is of paramount importance. The AerosolVE helmet demonstrated efficacy in creating a negative pressure environment and provided significant filtration of simulated respiratory droplets, thus making the confined space of transport vehicles potentially safer for EMS personnel.

While treatment of acute traumatic brain injury is frequently focused on ensuring blood flow to the brain to avoid secondary injury, there are limited tools for measuring cerebral flow on a continuous basis in critical care settings. This paper describes the use of an intracranial pressure catheter having an added piezoelectric polymer sensing element to detect detailed cardiac pressure waveforms of the cerebral arteries. The augmented catheter is tested on swine test subjects undergoing vasopressor and hemorrhage-resuscitation maneuvers that manipulate intracranial pressure and cerebral blood flow. A low-order, linear hemodynamics and intracranial pressure model is developed to partially capture waveform propagation from central arterial blood pressure to the piezoelectric sensor. after minimizing model error with respect to a select number of time-varying parameters, the system is able to track changes in blood flow as measured by a reference trans-cranial Doppler ultrasound.

Salmonella entericacauses Salmonellosis, an important infection in humans and other animals. The number of multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes associated with Salmonellaspp. isolates is increasing worldwide, causing public health concern. Here, we aim to characterize the antimicrobial-resistant phenotype of 789 non-typhoidal S. entericastrains isolated from human infections in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, along 20 years (2000–2019). Among the non-susceptible isolates, 31.55, 14.06, and 13.18% were resistant to aminoglycosides, tetracycline, and β-lactams, respectively. Moreover, 68 and 11 isolates were considered MDR and Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) producers, respectively, whereas one isolate was colistin-resistant. We selected four strains to obtain a draft of the Genome Sequence; one S.Infantis (ST32), one S.Enteritidis (ST11), one S.I 4,[5],12:i:- (ST19), and one S.Typhimurium (ST313). Among them, three presented at least one of the following antimicrobial resistance genes (AMR) linked to mobile DNA: blaTEM-1B, dfrA1, tetA, sul1, floR, aac(6’)-laa, and qnrE1. This is the first description of the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene qnrE1in a clinical isolate of S.I 4,[5],12:i:-. The S.Typhimurium is a colistin-resistant isolate, but did not harbor mcrgenes, but it presented mutations within the mgrB, pmrB, and pmrCregions that might be linked to the colistin-resistant phenotype. The virulence pattern of the four isolates resembled the virulence pattern of the highly pathogenic S.Typhimurium UK-1 reference strain in assays involving the in vivo Galleria mellonellamodel. In conclusion, most isolates studied here are susceptible, but a small percentage present an MDR or ESBL-producer and pathogenic phenotype. Sequence analyses revealed plasmid-encoded AMR genes, such as β-lactam and fluoroquinolone resistance genes, indicating that these characteristics can be potentially disseminated among other bacterial strains.

Orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) modulation is a newly proposed modulation technique for providing a solution to high mobility doubly dispersive channel problems. In several recent research works, it is shown that OTFS has better performance over the existing conventional multicarrier modulations. OTFS modulate information symbols in a two-dimensional (2D) delay-Doppler domain rather than in time frequency domain, which can exploit the full channel diversity over time and frequency. This unique ability of OTFS can provide to design an advanced signal detection method. In this letter, we present a deep learning-based signal detection for OTFS systems. Since the input-output relation of OTFS is in 2D delay-Doppler domain, we propose a two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2D-CNN) based detector. We also employ data augmentation technique based on the widely used message-passing (MP) algorithm to improve learning ability of the proposed method. Simulation results show that the proposed method has an improved performance over the MP detector and achieves nearly the same performance as an optimal maximum a posteriori (MAP) detector with a very low time complexity.

Abstract: The use of thermal insulators to prevent undesirable heat exchange and save energy is a growing trend in practically all human activities. But despite an intense period of interest in such materials over the past three decades, the literature lacks systemic and structured information that combines technological and scientific aspects of their development. The first part of this study provides a compilation of updated information on the thermal energy consumption per area of human activity and examples of industrial processes that occur in each temperature range. The second part is devoted to a classification of insulators and the most common causes of premature failure, providing a roadmap for problem-solving towards future developments.

Incorporating narrow band gap oxide semiconductors and metals into zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures broadens the range of light sensitivity to include visible wavelengths. In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye was studied as a model for environmental pollution in aqueous media. This study describes the use of photodegradation catalysts, including gold (Au), ZnO, and Au–ZnO nanocomposites (prepared in ratios of 90:10 and 95:5) using the extract of Citrus medica leaves. X-ray diffraction (XRD) findings have shown that ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) have a hexagonal wurtzite structure. Field emission-scanning electron microscopy findings have depicted that ZnO NPs have diverse shapes, including spherical, quasi-spherical, hexagonal, and anisotropic, with some clumping. Au exhibits consistent spherical shapes and sizes with even distribution. Au–ZnO (90:10) shows quasi-spherical NPs with interconnected spherical Au, forming a porous and uneven surface. Au–ZnO (95:5) has spherical gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) dispersed on a textured ZnO surface, with some clustering and size variation as evident from the transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy analysis. The characterization results have demonstrated the uniform distribution of Au across the ZnO lattice. Additionally, the XRD patterns confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO. Furthermore, energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDX)-mapping verified the inclusion of zinc, oxygen, and Au in the hybrid Au–ZnO nanocomposites and their effective distribution. The topological analysis revealed a rough surface for the generated nanostructures. By comparing the results of various techniques, EDX analysis using atomic and weight ratios confirmed the presence of oxygen and Au in the nanocomposite. Additionally, the surface area analysis (BET) test has reported that the adsorption and desorption of nitrogen follow a Type III isotherm. The presence of an H3-type hysteresis loop further confirms the mesoporous nature of the composites, which reports the presence of wedge-shaped pores. The Au–ZnO (90:10) nanocomposite exhibits a higher surface roughness compared to other composites. In addition, this UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy has enumerated the band gaps of various nanomaterials using UV-visible spectroscopy. Moreover, the analysis has unveiled that combining ZnO with Au NPs (doping) improved the photocatalytic performance of ZnO. This improvement is attributed to the formation of additional energy levels within the ZnO band gap due to the presence of Au ions. Experimental investigation of the breakdown of RhB dye under visible light irradiation revealed superior photocatalytic activity for the Au–ZnO (90:10) nanocomposite compared to both Au–ZnO (95:5) and pure ZnO and Au counterparts. Multiple experiments confirmed the effective photodegradation and removal of RhB dye from the aqueous medium using the nanocatalyst under visible light irradiation. Under optimal conditions (1.0 g·L−1photocatalyst, 10 ppm RhB, and pH 10), 99% photodegradation efficiency was reached within 50 min of irradiation. Investigation of reactive species revealed that the increased effectiveness of photodegradation in Au–ZnO (90:10) stems from the presence of photogenerated holes and hydroxyl radicals. The study also analyzed the reaction kinetics and order, and the reusability of the best photocatalyst Au–ZnO (90:10)) was confirmed through five consecutive cycles, demonstrating its sustained effectiveness in photodegradation. These findings highlight the potential of Au–ZnO (90:10) nanocomposite as a promising material for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes.

Pre-service teachers should be taught how to use technology so that they are equipped to use the knowledge and skills acquired in their professional practice. However, studies have shown that pre-service teachers are not adequately prepared to teach with technology. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore pre-service teachers' perspectives on factors that impact on their readiness to teach with technology. The TPACK and UTAUT2 models are used as frameworks. This is a qualitative study in which 16 pre-service teachers were involved in two focus group discussions, and the data obtained are deductively analysed. From the findings, a number of factors enabled and hindered teacher readiness to use technology. These factors include projects and workshops on technology, resources, and teacher-educators and mentor-teachers in schools modelling the use of technology. The study highlights the importance of consistent and effective modelling on the use of technology by teacher educators and mentor teachers in the schools in order to equip pre-service teachers to effectively teach with technology during professional practice.

Supplemental digital content is available in the text.

Abstract: Colloidal silica (CS) is a promising raw material for refractory castable ceramics. It consists of stable suspensions of synthetic amorphous silica nanoparticles that behave simultaneously as liquid medium and binder for ceramic particles and as a porogenic agent and highly reactive source of silica to promote in-situ reactions. The setting mechanism of CS balances two opposite effects. Adding more CS to a suspension increases the bonding potential for gelling reactions and strengthening; on the other hand, it also introduces more water into the system, enhancing pore content. Such effects can be advantageously employed in the preparation of porous structures from aqueous suspensions and applied as high-temperature thermal insulators. The present study addresses the production of porous structures of in-situ mullite attained from aqueous suspensions of highly porous transition alumina particles bonded with colloidal silica. Different grades of CS and transition aluminas were combined to present suitable workability (flowability and gelling time) and to generate stoichiometric mullite or mullite-alumina porous structures after sintering.

•Cladosporium crousiiSHF can tolerate Pb up to 25 mM•It optimizes the bioavailability of secondary metabolites from phytohormones•It modulates oxidative stress•Inoculation Cladosporium crousiiSHF improved tomato seedling characteristics and Pb tolerance•Pb transportation and phytochelation were reduced in tomatoes after SHF inoculation

Size engineering is an emerging strategy to modulate the mechanical properties of crystalline materials. Herein, micro- and nanodimensional single crystals of the prototypical metal–organic framework (MOF) ZIF-8 are generated using solvothermal and solution methods, respectively. Atomic force microscopy-based nanoindentation technique was used to measure the Young’s modulus values of micro- and nanodimensional individual ZIF-8 crystals. We demonstrate that crystal downsizing to nanoscale dimensions results in a 40% reduction in crystal stiffness. The change is attributed to a greater contribution of surface effects to the physical properties of nanocrystalline ZIF-8. The observed change in the mechanical properties may be used to explain reported size-dependent changes in gas adsorption of ZIF-8, thought to be a result of differences in framework flexibility at the nanoscale. Our work provides an important example on how downsizing of crystalline metal–organic materials can give rise to specific and tunable physical properties.

Background:Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and secondary central nervous system lymphoma (SCNSL) each carry a poor prognosis. About 50% of patients with PCNSL will have refractory or relapsed disease correlating with dismal survival. SCNSL is associated with median overall survival (OS) of <6 months. (El-Galaly et al . Eur. J. Cancer2018) Lenalidomide and ibrutinib each have single agent activity in PCNSL and SCNSL, albeit with limited duration of response (DOR). In combination, they have synergistic activity through modulation of NF-kappa B pathway. The regimen rituximab, lenalidomide, and ibrutinib (R2I) has demonstrated complete and durable responses in a subset of patients with good tolerability. (Houllier et al . Neurology2021). We report our institutional outcomes with this regimen and its potential role as a bridge to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy.

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) is a potential technology for the fifth generation (5G) and upcoming cellular communication systems. However, one of the major challenges in this technology is the design of an efficient detector. Several methods for overcoming this challenge have been proposed in the literature, including the powerful alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM)-based detectors. The ADMM-based detectors can significantly improve the performance of several massive MIMO detectors. However, they have two main limitations: First, it is challenging to choose the penalty parameters. Second, their computational complexity is higher compared to classical linear detectors. In this work, we propose two deep neural network (DNN)-based detectors that can overcome these limitations: (1) We design a DNN architecture capable of efficiently approximating adaptive penalty parameters, resulting in improved performance. (2) We construct a sub-DNN architecture that can estimate the ADMM variable updates without technically computing them. By doing so, we introduce a detection framework with lower computational complexity and comparable performance. Numerical results show that the proposed method can achieve better performance with equal or less computational complexity than state-of-the-art detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the scarcity of data available on Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (Allo-HSCT), we share our experience. We review the barriers overcome by the patient with regards to their diagnosis, treatment, and transplant. We describe challenges encountered when considering Allo-HSCT persons with HIV and PBL. Most significant to the patient was the use of a donor with HIV resistant mutation, homozygous CCR5Δ32/Δ32. Therefore, we pursued transplant with a mismatched unrelated donor (MMUD) to meet patient's desire of a possible HIV cure. We explore the unique approaches and difficulties in treating PBL. Despite post-transplant complications, including early relapse, patient achieved complete remission (CR) by day+100 with a preserved donor graft and undetected viral loads nearing the one-year milestone.

Refractory castables play major roles in high-temperature applications and two important types are MgO-containing and colloidal silica-bonded castables. Whereas the former shows high refractoriness and resistance to slag corrosion, the latter offers straightforward mixing, curing, and drying processes. However, their association in a same system has not been synergistic. During mixing, MgO particles release Mg2+ions that trigger the gelling of colloidal silica. Therefore, small MgO additions gradually hard high-alumina colloidal silica-bonded castables; conversely, larger amounts instantly set the system, hindering homogenization and casting. Despite the challenges, there is potential for making these systems compatible towards technological application. This study successfully combined fine MgO sinter with a novel aqueous dispersion of epoxysilane-modified colloidal silica, creating self-flowing suspensions of good workability. Cured samples exhibited no signs of damage by MgO hydroxylation, sufficient strength for demolding and safer drying. Thermal treatments resulted in a dense microstructure with MgO grains surrounded by Mg2SiO4.

Background: The baculovirus Spodoptera littoralis nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpliNPV) is an entomopathogenic virus utilized as a biological control agent of the Egyptian cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis.Several studies have focused on the identification of different SpliNPV isolates from a biological and molecular point of view, but few of them conducted in-depth analyses of the genomic composition of these isolates. Results: Identification of a novel isolate of SpliNPV, termed Tun2, which was purified from infected S. littoralislarvae from Tunisia was reported. This isolate was propagated in vivo and its median lethal concentration (LC50) was determined to be 1.5 × 104occlusion bodies (OBs)/ml for third instar S. littoralislarvae at 7 days of post-infection. OB production in late fourth instar larvae was estimated to be at least 2.7 × 109OBs/g larval weight. The completely sequenced genome of SpliNPV-Tun2 was 137,099 bp in length and contained 132 open reading frames (ORF). It showed a 98.2% nucleotide identity to the Egyptian isolate SpliMNPV-AN1956, with some striking differences; between both genomes, insertion and deletion mutations were noticed in 9 baculovirus core genes, and also in the highly conserved polyhedringene. The homologs of ORF 106 and ORF 107 of SpliNPV-AN1956 appeared to be fused to a single ORF 106 in SpliNPV-Tun2, similar to the homologous ORF 110 in SpltNPV-G2. Conclusion: SpliNPV-Tun2 is proposed as a new variant of SpliNPV and a potential candidate for further evaluation as a biocontrol agent for S. littoralisand probably other Spodopteraspecies.

Assessment of volume status in critically ill patients poses a challenge to clinicians. Measuring changes in the inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter using ultrasound is becoming a standard tool to assess volume status. Ultrasound requires physicians with significant training and specialized expensive equipment. It would be of significant value to be able to obtain this measurement continuously without physician presence. We hypothesize that dynamic changes in limb’s bioimpedance in response to respiration could be used to predict changes in IVC. Forty-six subjects were tested a hemodialysis session. Impedance was measured viaelectrodes placed on the arm. Simultaneously, the IVC diameter was assessed by ultrasound. Subjects were asked to breathe spontaneously and perform respiratory maneuvers using a respiratory training device. Impedance (dz) was determined and compared with change in IVC diameter (dIVC; r= 0.76, p< 0.0001). There was significant relationship between dz and dIVC (p< 0.0001). Receiver-operator curves for dz at thresholds of dIVC (20% to70%) demonstrated high predictive power with areas under the curves (0.87–0.99, p< 0.0001). This evaluation suggests that real-time dynamic changes in limb impedance are capable of tracking a wide range of dynamic dIVC. This technique might be a suitable surrogate for monitoring real-time changes in dIVC to assess intravascular volume status.

The Ångström–Prescott model called M1 together with ten modified versions, all based on the sunshine duration were adjusted to estimate the daily global and monthly averaged solar irradiation for some sites in the hinterland of Alagoas State in the eastern coast of the Northeastern Brazil. The models were adjusted with meteorological data from 2007 to 2010 and their skills were analyzed using: the Mean Bias Error, Root Mean Square Error and Willmott’s Index of Agreement. The results indicate that the fitted coefficients depend on the geographical coordinates, altitude and local microclimate with 15% differences among the coefficients and estimates. The largest errors are observed in the regions with more cloudiness. Mean Bias Error and Root Mean Square Error for the daily evaluation of models M1, M9 and M11 were similar, with high values of Willmott’s Index. The daily estimates obtained with models M1 and M11 did not differ more than 5%. Models M9 and M11 showed a better performance than that of M1 on a monthly basis. Finally, models M1 and M11 yielded the best results and due to their efficiency and simplicity are recommended to estimate the daily and monthly solar irradiation where sunshine duration data are available.

Background:Recent studies describe an emerging role for percutaneous ventricular assist devices (pVADs, Impella CP®, Abiomed) as rescue therapy for refractory cardiac arrest (CA). We hypothesized that continuing mechanical chest compressions (mCPR) after initiation of pVAD would improve hemodynamics by decompressing the right ventricle and augmenting pulmonary blood flow and left ventricular filling. We performed a pilot study to test this hypothesis using a swine model of prolonged cardiac arrest.Methods:Eight Yorkshire swine, anesthetized, intubated and instrumented for hemodynamic monitoring, were subjected to untreated ventricular fibrillation for 5.75 (SD 2.90) minutes followed by mCPR for a mean of 20.00 (SD 5.0) minutes before initiation of pVAD (Table 1). After pVAD initiation mCPR was stopped (n=4) or continued (n=4). Defibrillation was attempted 4, 8 and 12 minutes after initiating pVAD circulatory support, except for the first pilot animal where it was attempted at 2 minutes. The animals that achieved return of spontaneous heartbeat (ROSHB) were maintained on pVAD support for four additional hours.Results:There was no difference in the rate of ROSHB between groups (Table 1). The pVAD + mCPR group had significantly higher pVAD flow prior to ROSHB at four- and twelve-minutes after pVAD initiation, and significantly higher end tidal CO2(PetCO2) at four- and eight-minutes after pVAD initiation, when compared with the pVAD alone group (Table 1). There was a trend toward higher carotid artery flow prior to ROSHB in the pVAD + mCPR group compared with the pVAD alone group after pVAD initiation, but the difference was not statistically significant (Table 1).Conclusion:The addition of mCPR to pVAD support during cardiac arrest may generate higher pVAD flow and cardiac output prior to ROSHB compared to pVAD alone. Further studies are needed to determine if this approach improves other hemodynamic parameters or outcomes after prolonged cardiac arrest.