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We present a theory and accompanying importance sampling method for computing rate constants in spatially inhomogeneous systems. Using the relationship between rate constants and path space partition functions, we illustrate that the relative change in the rate of a rare event through space is isomorphic to the calculation of a free energy difference, albeit in a trajectory ensemble. Like equilibrium free energies, relative rate constants can be estimated by importance sampling. An extension to transition path sampling is proposed that combines biased path ensembles and weighted histogram analysis to accomplish this estimate. We show that rate constants can also be decomposed into different contributions, including relative changes in stability, barrier height, and flux. This decomposition provides a means of interpretation and insight into rare processes in complex environments. We verify these ideas with a simple model of diffusion with spatially varying diffusivity and illustrate their utility in a model of ion pair dissociation near an electrochemical interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative orientation and alignment of colliding molecules plays a key role in determining the rates of chemical processes. Here, we examine in detail a prototypical example: rotational quenching of HD in cold collisions with H2. We show that the rotational quenching rate from j = 2 → 0, in the v = 1 vibrational level, can be maximized by aligning the HD along the collision axis and can be minimized by aligning the HD at the so called magic angle. This follows from quite general helicity considerations and suggests that quenching rates for other similar systems can also be controlled in this manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasiclassical trajectories are used to compute nonthermal rate constants, k*, for abstraction reactions involving highly-excited methane CH4* and the radicals H, O, OH, and O2. Several temperatures and internal energies of methane, Evib, are considered, and significant nonthermal rate enhancements for large Evib are found. Specifically, when CH4* is internally excited close to its dissociation threshold (Evib ≈ D0 = 104 kcal/mol), its reactivity with H, O, and OH is shown to be collision-rate-limited and to approach that of comparably-sized radicals, such as CH3, with k* > 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Rate constants this large are more typically associated with barrierless reactions, and at 1000 K, this represents a nonthermal rate enhancement, k*/k, of more than two orders of magnitude relative to thermal rate constants k. We show that large nonthermal rate constants persist even after significant internal cooling, with k*/k > 10 down to Evib ≈ D0/4. The competition between collisional cooling and nonthermal reactivity is studied using a simple model, and nonthermal reactions are shown to account for up to 35%–50% of the fate of the products of H + CH3 = CH4* under conditions of practical relevance to combustion. Finally, the accuracy of an effective temperature model for estimating k* from k is quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasiclassical trajectories are used to compute nonthermal rate constants, k*, for abstraction reactions involving highly-excited methane CH4* and the radicals H, O, OH, and O2. Several temperatures and internal energies of methane, Evib, are considered, and significant nonthermal rate enhancements for large Evib are found. Specifically, when CH4* is internally excited close to its dissociation threshold (Evib ≈ D0 = 104 kcal/mol), its reactivity with H, O, and OH is shown to be collision-rate-limited and to approach that of comparably-sized radicals, such as CH3, with k* > 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Rate constants this large are more typically associated with barrierless reactions, and at 1000 K, this represents a nonthermal rate enhancement, k*/k, of more than two orders of magnitude relative to thermal rate constants k. We show that large nonthermal rate constants persist even after significant internal cooling, with k*/k > 10 down to Evib ≈ D0/4. The competition between collisional cooling and nonthermal reactivity is studied using a simple model, and nonthermal reactions are shown to account for up to 35%–50% of the fate of the products of H + CH3 = CH4* under conditions of practical relevance to combustion. Finally, the accuracy of an effective temperature model for estimating k* from k is quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-facilitated, front-propagated softening of glassy materials is now a well-known phenomenon, which is common to stable vapor deposited glasses. As we demonstrate in our recent communication, this softening pathway is not unique to vapor-deposited vitreous phases and can be observed in ordinary melt-cooled glasses in the limit of high heating rates [Cubeta et al., J. Chem. Phys. 147(7), 071101 (2017)]. Expanding on this preliminary report, we use our thin-wire, quasi-adiabatic fast scanning calorimetry technique to investigate softening kinetics of micrometer scale, viscous liquid methylbenzene, and 2-propanol films, which are fully equilibrated at distinct temperatures near the compounds' standard glass hardening transition ranges. Heating of each sample with rates in excess of 105 K·s−1 results in softening kinetics that are well approximated by an Arrhenius temperature function. Remarkably, the apparent activation energy barriers to non-equilibrium, front-propagated softening matches the barriers to near-equilibrium self-diffusivity at the samples' initial temperatures. Furthermore, our analysis also shows an exceptionally strong correlation between the high temperature softening rate and the self-diffusion coefficients at low initial temperatures. Finally, our front softening velocities are also strongly dependent on the samples' initial states, much more so than previously observed. Based on these results, we propose an extended Wilson-Frenkel model of non-equilibrium phase transformations as a general theoretical framework to describe front propagated softening in glassy materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance has emerged as one of the foremost public health troubles of the 21st century. This has ended in a public health disaster of the global situation, which threatens the exercise of present-day remedy. There is an urgent requirement for a cost-effective strategy to reduce antimicrobial resistance. Infectious disease control researchers most often analyze and predict antimicrobial resistance rate data that includes zeros or ones. Commonly used time-series analysis such as autoregressive moving average model is inappropriate for such data and may arrive at biased results.ObjectiveThis study aims to propose a time-series model for continuous rates or proportions when the interval of series includes zeros or ones and compares the model with existing models.DataThe Escherichia coli, isolated from blood cultures showing variable susceptibility results to different antimicrobial agents, has been obtained from a clinical microbiology laboratory of a tertiary care hospital, Udupi district, Karnataka, during the years between 2011 and 2019.MethodologyWe proposed a Degenerate Beta Autoregressive model which is a mixture of continuous and discrete distributions with probability mass at zero or one. The proposed model includes autoregressive terms along with explanatory variables. The estimation is done using maximum likelihood with a non-linear optimization algorithm. An R shiny app has been provided for the same.ResultsThe proposed Degenerate Beta Autoregressive model performed well compared to the existing autoregressive moving average models. The forecasted antimicrobial resistance rate has been obtained for the next 6 months.ConclusionThe findings of this article could be beneficial to the infectious disease researchers to use an appropriate time-series model to forecast the resistance rate for the future and to have better or advance public health policies to control the rise in resistance rate.

Fringescale sardinella is one of the largest fishery resources and has the highest economic value in the Savu Sea. The increasing demand for this fish makes it one of the main fishing targets, which allows overfishing to occur. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the population dynamics of sardinella fringescale through growth and mortality, recruitment and exploitation rate of fringescale sardinella in Rote Island in the Savu Sea. A total of 1095 fish sampled from Rote Island were assessed and showed the total length (TL) range from 90 mm to 157 mm. Further, the data were analyzed using FISAT II software with the following results: the length-weight relationship was W= 0.0004L2.2523, while the negative allometric growth pattern and growth equation was Lt = 165.26 (1 - exp1,500 (t + 0.0585)). The age of S. fimbriata consisted of 1-2 cohorts. Recruitment of S. fimbriata in Rote Island occurred throughout the year with the highest peaks in May and August. The size of the first caught fish (Lc) was 96.98 mm TL. The total mortality rate (Z) was 2.41 yr-1, natural mortality (M) was 1.45 yr-1 and fishing mortality (F) was 0.97 yr-1. The exploitation rate of S. fimbriata is estimated at 0.40 yr-1; this implies that the stock does not exceed the optimum exploitation rate (E = 0.5) or that overfishing has not occurred in the Savu Sea. Nevertheless, this study's results are sufficiently robust to anticipate that the unprecedented overexploitation of S. fimbriata in Rote Island has nearly occurred. Therefore, regular monitoring and surveillance of surface gillnet fishing gear are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the article was to present the methodology of determining hourly rates of employees in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) as an element of organisational resilience and building competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach: The proposal of the methodology was developed on the basis of a case study of a specialised engineering company in the construction industry. Findings: A methodology proposal for calculating the hourly rates in a service company was developed and presented. Ultimately, it leads to the determination of the hourly rates including indirect costs and overheads, as well as the cost of direct wages, taking into account the effective working time. Practical implications: Since service companies are based on the intellectual capital, the parameter that determines the potential to acquire work from the market are the hourly rates of its employees consisting of the markups for total costs including labor efficiency. The proper determination of the hourly rates influences the generation of net sales revenue, followed by trade receivables and positive net cash flow. The ability to calculate the hourly rates supports also the process of cost optimisation, which can improve profitability. Cost reduction supports company's competitive advantage in acquiring work, which again can generate an increase in net sales revenue. There is a kind of feedback loop resulting from the methodical calculation of the hourly rates and conscious management of the variables that affect it. At the same time, this improves the organisational resilience in overcoming financial difficulties primarily in the long term, which was also observed in the example of the analysed company. Originality/value: Despite the growing role of service companies in the economy, there are no known methodologies or guidelines for calculating the hourly rate in service companies, especially knowledge-intensive business services. The literature focuses on calculating the unit cost of production or the calculation of coverage margins primarily for manufacturing companies. Moreover, these methods are based on far-reaching simplifications such as the assumption of a standardised single-assortment production. The proposal of this methodology therefore fills a research gap in the field of determining the hourly rates in service companies, especially knowledge-intensive ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To explore the intervention of compound Kushen injection combined with gefitinib on hypercoagulable state in patients with advanced non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Ninety patients with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma who were biochemical reported as hypercoagulable state in Center Hospital of Liaoyang from Jun. 2018 to May 2021 were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group, with 45 cases in each group. Patients in the two groups were treated with gefitinib, the observation group was given compound Kushen injection for 2 weeks (14 d) as a course, and both groups were treated with 4 courses. Coagulation changes [plasma prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen ( FIB)], coagulation metabolite changes [ D-dimer, fibrin degradation product ( FDP ), platelet count (PLT), platelet pressure product (PCT) and platelet aggregation rate (PAg)], hemodynamic indicators (erythrocyte aggregation indicator, hematocrit, capillary plasma viscosity, whole blood viscosity low shearing and whole blood viscosity high shearing) before and after treatment in two groups were observed, the incidence of adverse drug reactions was recorded. RESULTS: After treatment, the PT, APTT and FIB levels in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, while the TT in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group, and there were significant differences in the levels of APTT, TT between the two groups (P<0. 05);the levels of D-dimer, FDP, PLT, PCT and PAg in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, and there were significant differences in the levels of D-dimer, FDP and PAg between the two groups (P<0. 05);the hemodynamic indicators (erythrocyte aggregation indicator, hematocrit, capillary plasma viscosity, whole blood viscosity low shearing and whole blood viscosity high shearing) of the observation group were significantly lower than the control group, the differences were statistically significant (P<0. 05). The incidence of adverse drug reactions in the observation group was 11. 1% ( 5 / 45), significantly lower than 31. 1% ( 14 / 45) in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P< 0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma in hypercoagulable state, the combination of compound Kushen injection and gefitinib has significant therapeutic effect, and can improve the hypercoagulability of patients with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on proliferation and apoptosis of laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells through Bcl-2-associated X protein ( Bax ) / B cell lymphoma-2 ( Bcl-2) / cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3 (Caspase-3). METHODS: Laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells were treated with CGA culture medium of 0, 250, 500, 750 and 1 000 μmol / L for 24 and 48 h respectively to find out the most suitable concentration and treatment time of CGA. Laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells were divided into the control group (normally cultured laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells), CGA low concentration group ( 750 μmol / L CGA medium), CGA high concentration group ( 1 000 μmol / L CGA medium ), and CGA high concentration + pathway inhibitor group (1 000 μmol / L CGA medium+50 μmol / L Bax / Bcl-2/ Caspase-3 pathway inhibitor Bax inhibitor peptide V5). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method was used to determine the proliferation inhibition rate of laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells in each group, flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate of laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells in each group, Western blotting was used to determine the expression of proliferation related protein (ki-67), apoptosis related protein (p53) and Bax / Bcl-2/ Caspase-3 signaling pathway related proteins in laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the proliferation inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, p53, Bax and Caspase-3 protein expression levels of laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells in CGA low and high concentration group were significantly higher, and the ki-67 and Bcl-2 protein expression levels were significantly lower, with statistically significant differences (P< 0. 05); and the proliferation inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, p53, Bax and Caspase-3 protein expression levels of laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells in CGA high concentration group were higher than those in CGA low concentration group, the of ki-67 and Bcl-2 protein expression levels were lower than those in CGA low concentration group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0. 05). Compared with the CGA high concentration group, the proliferation inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, p53, Bax and Caspase-3 protein expression levels of laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells in the CGA high concentration+pathway inhibitor group were significantly lower, and the ki-67 and Bcl-2 protein expression levels were significantly higher, with statistically significant differences ( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: CGA can significantly inhibit the proliferation of laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells and promote the apoptosis, which may be related to the activation of Bax / Bcl-2/ Caspase-3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to describe and compare the transplant outcomes of kidney transplant patients who received either mycophenolate mofetil or enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium with the concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors. Methods: This was a 9-year retrospective observational study conducted between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2019 at Ibni Sina Hospital, Nephrology Department, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine. Results: Among 349 kidney transplant patients, 290 were eligible for the study aged [median (interquartile range)] 41 (33-50) years in the mycophenolate mofetil group and 41 (31-50) years in the enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium group. More than half of them were male (54% in mycophenolate mofetil vs. 60% in enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium groups) and the majority received a living transplant (79% in both). There was no statistically significant difference in transplant outcomes including protein/creatinine ratio [(median (interquartile range)): 150 (2-308) vs. 153 (58-397), P = .742], creatinine doubling (8% vs. 10%, P = .589), change in medications (46% vs. 48%, P = .775), delayed graft function (8% vs. 14%, P = .153), biopsy-proven acute rejection (14% vs. 18%, P = .327), graft loss (7% vs. 10%, P = .351), and overall mortality (4% vs. 6%, P = .337) among the patient groups who received either mycophenolate mofetil or enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium, respectively. Conclusion: The transplant outcomes including graft survival, biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft loss, or delayed graft function of the kidney transplant patients who received mycophenolate mofetil or enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium with proton pump inhibitors were similar. Therefore, proton pump inhibitors and mycophenolate mofetil or enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium can be prescribed together safely with appropriate follow-up intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioactive peptides are generated during milk fermentation or enzymatic hydrolysis. Lactobacillus (L) helveticus is commonly used to produce some types of fermented milk products. Fermented milk derived bioactive peptides are known to be beneficial in human health. Anti-hypertensive peptides play a dual role in the regulation of hypertension through the production of the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II and its inactivation of the vasodilator bradykinin. MALDI MS/MS, nano-LC/MS/MS and RP-HPLC were used to isolate peptides showing angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition (ACE-I) from 12% fermented skim milk using a combination of L. helveticus and Flavourzyme®. The fermentation procedure facilitated the identification of 133 anti-hypertensive peptides and 75% short chain amino acids, and the three with the highest ACE-I activity reduced blood pressure in a rat model of hypertension. The freeze- dried extract was supplemented in rodent chow. In this study 14-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats were fed for 10 weeks with the identified peptides added to chow and compared to controls supplemented with skim milk powder. Blood pressure (BP) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) from 6 to 10 weeks of FS groups (120/65 mmHg) compared with the NFS control groups, where the BP increased significantly (220/150 mmHg) (p < 0.05). The F6 fraction provided bioactive peptides with stronger antihypertensive properties than other fractions. Skim milk fermented by L. helveticus and Flavourzyme® generates several bioactive peptides which have a blood pressure lowering effect in hypertensive disease.

IntroductionOvarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is a life-threatening iatrogenic complication of In vitro fertilisation (IVF). This study aimed to quantify rates of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission and assess whether trends have changed between 1996-2020 commensurate with the introduction of safer IVF practices.MethodsData regarding Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission across England, Wales and Northern Ireland was gathered retrospectively from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) database. 38,957 female patients aged between 18-55 years were admitted to ICU for OHSS or related conditions between 1996-2020. The primary outcome was the rate of OHSS requiring ICU admission expressed as a proportion of the number of fresh IVF cycles conducted in that year according to Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) records. Baseline characteristics (for example, age, ethnicity, BMI), biochemical parameters (such as renal function, serum electrolytes), length of ICU stay and duration and need for organ support, were also compared between ICU patients with ‘confirmed OHSS’ and those ‘without OHSS’.ResultsThere were 238 cases of ‘confirmed OHSS’ requiring ICU admission recorded between 1996-2020. Rates of OHSS requiring ICU admission declined over the study period (P=0.006); the annual rate of severe OHSS requiring intensive care admission halved when comparing those occurring between 1996-2007 and 2008-2020 (OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.37-0.45; P

Glutamine supplementation has been reported to affect blood pressure (BP). However, its role in the progression of hypertension induced by high salt diet (HSD) has not been elucidated. Male normotensive Wistar rats were exposed to high salt diet and treated with different doses of glutamine supplementation. Rats aged 6 weeks were assigned to five groups: (1) Normal-salt diet (0.3% NaCl, NSD); (2) High-salt diet (8% NaCl, HSD); (3) High-salt + low-dose diet (8% NaCl, 0.5 g of L-glutamine/kg body weight, HSLGD); (4) High-salt + middle-dose diet (8% NaCl, 1.5 g of L-glutamine/kg body weight, HSMGD); and (5) High-salt + high-dose diet (8% NaCl, 2.5 g of L-glutamine/kg body weight, HSHGD). After supplementing different doses of glutamine to male Wistar 6-week-old rats fed with HSD for 7 weeks, we found no difference in body weight among groups. Importantly, we showed that dietary L-glutamine supplementation could prevent the development of hypertension in a dose-dependent manner [dramatically lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP) and slightly reducing diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of hypertensive rats, while the differences of DBP between groups did not reach statistical significance]. Our data further elucidated that dietary glutamine supplementation mildly alleviated the degree of left ventricular hypertrophy, including interventricular septal thickness (IVST) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) in hypertensive rats. Together, our results offer evidence that the dietary uptake of glutamine may be associated with attenuating the development of high salt-induced hypertension and slightly alleviating the degree of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive rats. Therefore, glutamine supplementation may act as a prospective dietary intervention for the treatment of hypertension.

Summary: The study analyzes whether the COVID-19 pandemic affects annual hip fractures (HF) rates and weekly emergency department (ED) consultations and hospitalizations due to trauma in older people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, HF rates and ED consultation and hospitalization rates due to trauma decreased. Purpose: To describe the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on annual HF rates and weekly ED consultation and hospitalization rates due to trauma in Chile in 2020, compared to 2016–2019. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted based on data from Chile's Department of Statistics and Health Information. Annual HF admissions, weekly ED consultations and hospitalizations due to trauma were described for the years 2016–2020, grouping the years 2016–2019 to compare them with 2020. Rates were calculated per 100.000 inhabitants. Results: From 2016 to 2020, a total of 35.050 patients aged ≥ 65 years were hospitalized in Chile with a diagnosis of HF, with the lowest number of admissions in 2020 (6.423). During 2020, annual HF rate was 273.6/100.000, representing a decrease of 18.5% compared to the average annual HF rate of 2016–2019 (335.7/100.000). In 2020, the weekly consultation rate due to trauma in older adults decreased by 20.8% and the weekly hospitalization rate due to trauma in older adults decreased by 18.5%. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, osteoporotic HF rates decreased, along with ED consultation and hospitalization rates due to trauma in older adults. This could be a result of mobility restrictions and a significant increase in the proportion of self-reliant older adults in the Chilean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we will see how an eleven-year-old girl discusses and presents her solution to a problem involving fractions and rates. The readers will be able to watch a video of the girl's presentation of a middle school problem. An analysis of the solution and the presentation is discussed in the context of current mathematics education research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the characteristics of offenders found not guilty on the grounds of mental illness (NGMI) in New South Wales and rates of NGMI and other homicide verdicts. Method: Demographic, legal and clinical data after referral to the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal following an NGMI verdict for homicide matched with results from the National Homicide Monitoring Program. Results: Between 1993 and 2016, a total of 2159 homicide offenders were dealt with by the NSW courts, including 169 (7.8%) who were found NGMI. Over this period, the rate of non-NGMI homicide convictions fell from 1.83 per 100,000 per annum to 0.65 per 100,000 per annum (Kendall's tau = −0.79, p ⩽ 0.001) while the rate of NGMI homicide fluctuated, with an average annual rate of about 0.1 per 100,000 per annum (Kendall's tau = 0.17, p = 0.23). There was no association between the annual rates of NGMI and non-NGMI homicides (Pearson r = −0.3, p = 0.16) but falling rate of non-NGMI homicide meant that the proportion of NGMI offences doubled from 5.5% in the first 12 years to 11% in the second 12 years. Nearly all (88.7%) of those found NGMI had a schizophrenia-related psychosis. However, there were high rates of psychiatric comorbidity including substance use disorder (60.7%) and a history of a prior head injury (41.1%). Most (83.4%) of the NGMI offenders had previous contact with mental health services, but only half of these had received treatment with antipsychotic medication. Conclusion: The fall in conviction for homicide offences in the last 24 years has not been matched by a reduction in NGMI homicide verdicts. More assertive treatment of emerging psychosis and comorbid substance use disorders, and improved continuity of care of chronic psychosis might prevent some homicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dialysis patients are at risk of malnutrition and frailty. In our study, we aimed to reveal how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the frailty and malnutrition status in dialysis patients. Methods: Patients without COVID-19 who received regular dialysis treatment in our center were included in our study. On March 1, 2020, and June 1, 2020, frailty test, subjective global evaluation, and mini nutrition evaluation were performed. Results: A total of 137 patients were included in the study. Patients were evaluated on the March and June 2020 Fragile scale. In the frailty assessment, a significant increase in pre-frailty and frailty was found (P = .007). Significant changes were found between concomitantly measured levels of vitamin D, low-density lipoprotein, albumin, and total protein (P = .000, P = .016, P = .013, and P = .008),respectively. The patients were divided into 2 groups as under 65 years old and over 65 years old. There was a significant increase in frailty and frailty risk in frailty assessment of patients over 65 years of age (P = .031). There were no significant changes in short mini-feeding assessments and laboratory parameters. There were no significant changes in frailty assessments of patients under 65 years of age. In the subjective global assessment, there was a significant increase in mild to moderate malnutrition and severe malnutrition (P = .008). Significant changes were found between concurrently measured levels of vitamin D, low-density lipoprotein, albumin, and total protein (P = .000, P = .039, P = .029, and P = .004), respectively. Conclusion: It was concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic may increase the risk of frailty, especially in dialysis patients over 65 years of age, and may deteriorate the nutritional status in patients under 65. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) as affected by nitrogen application levels and timing were studied. The experimental design was a three-replication randomized complete block design (RCBD). The first factor was nitrogen levels (122, 240, 288 and 336 kg N/ha) and the second factor was nitrogen timing (50% of N at sowing and 50% of N before the first irrigation; T1, 50% of N at sowing and 50% of N before the second irrigation; T2 and 50% of N before the first irrigation and 50% of N before the second irrigation; T3). Results indicated that plant height, ear length, kernel weight, number of grains/rows, number of grains/ear and grain yields all increased significantly as nitrogen levels increased and the level of 336 kg N/ha significantly exhibiting the highest values in both seasons. In terms of nitrogen application time, maize yield parameters such as plant height, ear length, kernel weight/ear, number of grains/rows, number of grains/ear and grain yield were significantly affected by nitrogen timing, with the highest values obtained at T3 while the lowest values obtained at T1 in both seasons. The interaction had a significant impact on plant height and grain yield/ha, with the tallest plants, the highest yields and its components observed at 336 kg N/ha, with 50% of N applied during the first irrigation and 50% of N applied during the second. Furthermore, under the study conditions, NUE decreased dramatically as nitrogen levels increased and increased significantly as nitrogen application time changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and wastewater treatment and delivery are the most capital‐intensive of all utility services. The literature indicates that historically underpriced water and wastewater rates have exhibited steadily high growth in the past 15 years, while the consumer price index (CPI) of water and sewage maintenance has outpaced the general CPI by an increasingly wide margin. This article employs a chained analysis method to examine water and wastewater rates for a group of utilities across US Census regions between 2000 and 2014. Results demonstrate that water and wastewater prices for this sample group have consistently increased and have surpassed CPI growth since 2006. Current and upcoming challenges facing water and wastewater utilities suggest that rate increases are likely to continue in the foreseeable future.

Background: Prior studies characterizing worsening heart failure events (WHFE) have been limited in using structured healthcare data from hospitalizations, and with little exploration of sociodemographic variation. The current study examined the impact of incorporating unstructured data to identify WHFE, describing age-, sex-, race and ethnicity-, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)-specific rates., Methods: Adult members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) with a HF diagnosis between 2014-2018 were followed through 2019 to identify hospitalized WHFE. The main outcome was hospitalizations with a principal or secondary HF discharge diagnosis meeting rule-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) criteria for WHFE. In comparison, we examined hospitalizations with a principal discharge diagnosis of HF. Age-, sex-, and race and ethnicity-adjusted rates per 100 person-years (PY) were calculated among age, sex, race and ethnicity (non-Hispanic (NH) Asian/Pacific Islander [API], Hispanic, NH Black, NH White) and LVEF subgroups., Results: Among 44,863 adults with HF, 10,560 (23.5%) had an NLP-defined, hospitalized WHFE. Adjusted rates (per 100 PY) of WHFE using NLP were higher compared to rates based only on HF principal discharge diagnosis codes (12.7 and 9.3, respectively), and this followed similar patterns among subgroups, with the highest rates among adults ≥75 years (16.3 and 11.2), men (13.2 and 9.7), and NH Black (16.9 and 14.3) and Hispanic adults (15.3 and 11.4), and adults with reduced LVEF (16.2 and 14.0). Using NLP disproportionately increased the perceived burden of WHFE among API and adults with mid-range and preserved LVEF., Conclusion: Rule-based NLP improved the capture of hospitalized WHFE above principal discharge diagnosis codes alone. Applying standardized consensus definitions to EHR data may improve understanding of the burden of WHFE and promote optimal care overall and in specific sociodemographic groups., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can improve pain, quality of life, and functional outcomes. Although uncommon, postoperative complications are extremely consequential and thus must be carefully tracked and communicated to patients to assist their decision-making before surgery. Identification of the risk factors for complications and readmissions after TKA, taking into account common causes, temporal trends, and risk variables that can be changed or left unmodified, will benefit this process., Aim: To assess readmission rates, early complications and their causes after TKA at 30 days and 90 days post-surgery., Methods: This was a prospective and retrospective study of 633 patients who underwent TKA at our hospital between January 1, 2017, and February 28, 2022. Of the 633 patients, 28 were not contactable, leaving 609 who met the inclusion criteria. Both inpatient and outpatient hospital records were retrieved, and observations were noted in the data collection forms., Results: Following TKA, the 30-day and 90-day readmission rates were determined to be 1.1% ( n = 7) and 1.8% ( n = 11), respectively. The unplanned visit rate at 30 days following TKA was 2.6% ( n = 16) and at 90 days was 4.6% ( n = 28). At 90 days, the unplanned readmission rate was 1.4% ( n = 9). Reasons for readmissions included medical (27.2%, n = 3) and surgical (72.7%, n = 8). Unplanned readmissions and visits within 90 days of follow-up did not substantially differ by age group ( P = 0.922), body mass index (BMI) ( P = 0.633), unilateral vs bilateral TKA ( P = 0.696), or patient comorbidity status (30-day P = 0.171 and 90-day P = 0.813). Reoperation rates after TKA were 0.66% ( n = 4) at 30 days and 1.15% ( n = 8) at 90 days. The average length of stay was 6.53 days., Conclusion: In this study, there was a low readmission rate following TKA. There was no significant correlation between readmission rate and patient factors such as age, BMI, and co-morbidity status., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Tushar Jethi has not been compensated for his speaking engagements. Tushar Jethi has not gotten any money for research from any institutions. Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana employs Tushar Jethi. There are no stocks or shares that Tushar Jethi owns in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana. There are no patents owned by Tushar Jethi., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a revolutionary procedure for severe aortic stenosis. The coexistence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and TAVR introduces a challenge that significantly impacts patient outcomes., Aim: To define readmission rates, predictors, and causes after TAVR procedure in CKD stage 1-4 patients., Methods: We used the national readmission database 2018 and 2020 to look into readmission rates, causes and predictors after TAVR procedure in patients with CKD stage 1-4., Results: Out of 24758 who underwent TAVR and had CKD, 7892 (32.4%) patients were readmitted within 90 days, and had higher adjusted odds of being females (adjusted odds ratio: 1.17, 95%CI: 1.02-1.31, P = 0.02) with longer length of hospital stay > 6 days, and more comorbidities including but not limited to diabetes mellitus, anemia, and congestive heart failure (CHF)., Conclusion: Most common causes of readmission included CHF (18.0%), sepsis, and complete atrioventricular block. Controlling readmission predictors with very close follow-up is warranted to prevent such high rate of readmission., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: We have no financial relationships to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rates and age patterns of suicide differ between nations and population groups. The accuracy of data provided by national statistics offices has been questioned. This paper (1) compares recent high quality data regarding suicide rates in larger countries, and (2) explores differences between countries in proportions of male deaths coded as “undetermined”. Data were obtained from the WHO Mortality Database regarding deaths in ten larger nations in 2015, coded (using ICD-10) as due to suicide, Event of Undetermined Intent (EUI), ill-defined or unknown cause (R99), or accidental poisoning or drowning. Numbers in 5-year age groups were recorded and rates calculated using population figures. Male suicide rates per 100,000 in the ten nations were found to vary between 8.40 (Mexico) and 37.52 (Korea). Most Western nations had bimodal male age patterns, US and Japan trimodal, and Korea’s was upward-sloping. Male EUI rates varied: those in Mexico and Japan progressively increased across the age-range. The UK’s male R99 cross-age rate was nearly zero; the other 9 countries had high rates, largely with exponential rises in late life. England & Wales publish combined suicide and EUI rates as their “official” suicide figures. Other countries, too, have been shown to code many suicides as “undetermined deaths”. Partly this could be because of lack of resources to adequately investigate deaths. Accuracy of data would be improved by increased use of verbal autopsies. Comparisons of male age patterns of suicide, examining associations between period effects and sociocultural differences, could help identify reversible causative factors.

Productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) as affected by nitrogen application levels and timing were studied. The experimental design was a three-replication randomized complete block design (RCBD). The first factor was nitrogen levels (122, 240, 288 and 336 kg N/ha) and the second factor was nitrogen timing (50% of N at sowing and 50% of N before the first irrigation; T1, 50% of N at sowing and 50% of N before the second irrigation; T2 and 50% of N before the first irrigation and 50% of N before the second irrigation; T3). Results indicated that plant height, ear length, kernel weight, number of grains/rows, number of grains/ear and grain yields all increased significantly as nitrogen levels increased and the level of 336 kg N/ha significantly exhibiting the highest values in both seasons. In terms of nitrogen application time, maize yield parameters such as plant height, ear length, kernel weight/ear, number of grains/rows, number of grains/ear and grain yield were significantly affected by nitrogen timing, with the highest values obtained at T3 while the lowest values obtained at T1 in both seasons. The interaction had a significant impact on plant height and grain yield/ha, with the tallest plants, the highest yields and its components observed at 336 kg N/ha, with 50% of N applied during the first irrigation and 50% of N applied during the second. Furthermore, under the study conditions, NUE decreased dramatically as nitrogen levels increased and increased significantly as nitrogen application time changed.

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the effects of walnut green husk extract on proliferation, apoptosis and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) / mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway of breast cancer MCF-7 cells. METHODS: Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to screen the proper concentration of walnut husk extract interfering with breast cancer MCF-7 cells. The breast cancer MCF-7 cells were divided into the blank control group, positive control group, walnut husk husk extract low concentration group, walnut green husk extract high concentration group, walnut green husk extract high concentration + EGFR agonist (NSC228155) group. CCK-8 and colony formation experiment were used to detect cell proliferation in each group. TUNEL method and flow cytometry were used to detect cell apoptosis in each group. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of proliferation, apoptosis and EGFR/ MAPK signaling pathway related proteins of cells in each group. RESULTS: When the concentration of walnut green husk extract was ≥20 μg/ mL, the cell proliferation rate decreased significantly, 20 μg/ mL and 40 μg/ mL were selected as the walnut green husk extract low and high concentration treatment, respectively. Compared with the blank control group, the cell proliferation rate, the number of cell colonies, the expression levels of CyclinD1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein, the ratio of phosphorylated-EGFR (p-EGFR) / EGFR, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) / extracellular signal-regulated kinase ( ERK ), phosphorylated-p38 MAPK ( p-p38 MAPK ) / p38 MAPK and phosphorylated c-Jun amino-terminal protein kinase (p-JNK) / c-Jun amino-terminal protein kinase (JNK) protein in the positive control group, the walnut green husk extract low concentration group and high concentration group decreased significantly, and the rate of TUNEL positive cells, the apoptosis rate, the expression level of Bcl-2 related X protein (Bax) increased significantly, with statistically significant differences (P<0. 05). Compared with the walnut green husk extract low concentration group, the cell proliferation rate, the number of cell colonies, the expression levels of CyclinD1, PCNA and Bcl-2 protein, the ratio of p-EGFR/ EGFR, p-ERK/ ERK, p-p38 MAPK/ p38 MAPK and p-JNK/ JNK protein in the walnut green husk extract high concentration group decreased, and the rate of TUNEL positive cells, the apoptosis rate, the expression level of Bax protein increased, with statistically significant differences (P<0. 05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators between the walnut green husk extract high concentration group and the positive control group (P >0. 05). Compared with the walnut green husk extract high concentration group, the cell proliferation rate, the number of cell colonies, the expression levels of CyclinD1, PCNA and Bcl-2 protein, the ratio of p-EGFR/ EGFR, p-ERK/ ERK, p-p38 MAPK/ p38 MAPK and p-JNK/ JNK protein in the walnut green husk extract high concentration + NSC228155 group increased, and the rate of TUNEL positive cells, the apoptosis rate, the expression level of Bax protein decreased, with statistically significant differences (P<0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: Walnut green husk extract may inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer MCF-7 cells and induce the apoptosis by inhibiting the EGFR/ MAPK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Safety data reported from the large-scale clinical trials of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine are extremely limited in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. The vaccination campaign in this specific population could be difficult due to uncertainty about the adverse events following vaccination. We aimed to assessed the COVID-19 vaccination rate, factors associated with unvaccinated status, and the adverse events following vaccination in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Methods: This is a retrospective study from Ruijin Hospial (Shanghai, China) on an ongoing prospective cohort designed for long-term survival analysis of decompensated cirrhotic patients who recovered from decompensating events or acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) between 2016 and 2018. We assessed the COVID-19 vaccination rate, the number of doses, type of vaccine, safety data, patient-reported reasons for remaining unvaccinated, factors associated with unvaccinated status, and the adverse events of COVID-19 vaccine. Binary logistic regression was used for identifying factors associated with unvaccinated status. Results: A total of 229 patients with decompensated cirrhosis without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection participated (mean age, 56 ± 12.2 years, 75% male, 65% viral-related cirrhosis). Mode of decompensation were grade II‒III ascites (82.5%), gastroesophageal varices bleeding (7.9%), hepatic encephalopathy (7.9%). Eighty-five participants (37.1%) received at least one dose of vaccination (1 dose: n = 1, 2 doses: n = 65, 3 doses: n = 19) while 62.9% remained unvaccinated. Patient-reported reasons for remaining unvaccinated were mainly fear of adverse events (37.5%) and lack of positive advice from healthcare providers (52.1%). The experience of hepatic encephalopathy (OR = 5.61, 95% CI: 1.24–25.4) or ACLF (OR = 3.13, 95% CI: 1.12–8.69) and post-liver transplantation status (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.06–5.76) were risk factors of remaining unvaccinated independent of residential areas. The safety analysis demonstrated that 75.3% had no adverse events, 23.6% had non-severe reactions (20% injection-site pain, 1.2% fatigue, 2.4% rash) and 1.2% had a severe event (development of acute decompensation requiring hospitalization). Conclusions: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis in eastern China are largely remained at unvaccinated status, particularly those with previous episodes of ACLF or hepatic encephalopathy and liver transplantation recipients. Vaccination against COVID-19 in this population is safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic and government research regarding the affordability of household drinking water and sewer utility (water utility) costs have resulted in the development of several methodologies that have been tested at various geographic levels. A New Jersey study on potential household affordability stresses from water utility costs at or below the Census tract‐level estimates that approximately one‐fifth of all New Jersey households could face affordability stresses, assuming that they directly pay all water utility costs. The methodology is adapted from the Affordability Ratio method of Teodoro. The results show the potential for use of county‐level household essential expenditure estimates in areas with high‐density populations. They also show the value of the methodology as a basis for policy discussions regarding the severity and geographic distribution of affordability stresses, as the analysis clearly indicates that significant affordability stresses exist in many suburban municipalities and rural town centers, not just historic urban cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of whether domestic prices respond to either official exchange rate or parallel exchange rate movement is a key research issue especially in an oil-dependent developing country like Nigeria with rising fiscal pressures and a vibrant parallel market. Also from the monetary authority perspective, it is imperative to know if prices respond symmetrically and/or asymmetrically to both official and parallel exchange rates movement. Consequently, this study examines the response of domestic prices to both official and parallel exchange rates movement for the period 1995Q1-2019Q1 with the Shin et al. (In: Horrace WC, Sickles RC (eds) Festchrift in Honour of Peter Schmidt. Springer, New York, pp 281–414, 2014) nonlinear ARDL approach. The results provide support for prices responding symmetrically to parallel rates than the official rate especially in periods of large exchange rate premium. However, prices only respond differently to depreciation and appreciation of the official exchange rate in Nigeria. Consequently, the government needs to ensure some levels of fiscal austerity and possible exchange rate unification when the premium gets large if the intention is to insulate domestic prices from fiscal pressures. Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria needs to take cognizance of possible asymmetric relationship in their decisions to ensure price stability so as not to distort monetary policy effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on the Covid-19 vaccine supply chain to illustrate the structural inequalities characterising Global Value Chains. We show how the highly unequal vaccine distribution between the Global North and the Global South is shaped by the concentration of high-added value activities of vaccine development and production in the Global North and their nationalistic economic policies. These policies are short-sighted, as they fail to take account of the health risks that low vaccination rates in the Global South entail, not only for the North, but for the whole world. Using the metaphor of pawns moving in a chess game, we advance two possible scenarios. In the first, regional suppliers from low- and middle-income Global South countries will remain unimportant actors in the global vaccine supply chain, leaving inequalities intact. In the second, these suppliers will upgrade their activities in the vaccine supply chain, supported by public policies fostering industrial infrastructure, systems reforms and technological standardisation, leading to a more polycentric supply chain configuration. The persisting concentration of the governance of Global Value Chains in the Global North, we argue, will not only exacerbate current inequalities, but also likely lead to worldwide health, economic and social vulnerabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial communities often face external perturbations that can induce lasting changes in their composition and functions. Our understanding of how multispecies communities respond to perturbations such as antibiotics is limited, with susceptibility assays performed on individual, isolated species our primary guide in predicting community transitions. Here, we studied how bacterial growth dynamics can overcome differences in antibiotic susceptibility in determining community resilience: the recovery of the original community state following antibiotic exposure. We used an experimental community containing Corynebacterium ammoniagenes and Lactobacillus plantarum that displays two alternative stable states as a result of mutual inhibition. Although C. ammoniagenes was more susceptible to chloramphenicol in monocultures, we found that chloramphenicol exposure nonetheless led to a transition from the L. plantarumdominated to the C. ammoniagenes-dominated community state. Combining theory and experiments, we demonstrated that growth rate differences between the two species made the L. plantarum-dominated community less resilient to several antibiotics with different mechanisms of action. Taking advantage of an observed cooperativity--a dependence on population abundance--in the growth of C. ammoniagenes, we next analyzed in silico scenarios that could compromise the high resilience of the C. ammoniagenes-dominated state. The model predicted that lowering the dispersal rate, through interacting with the growth at low population densities, could make the C. ammoniagenes state fragile against virtually any kind of antibiotic, a prediction that we confirmed experimentally. Our results highlight that species susceptibility to antibiotics is often uninformative of community resilience, as growth dynamics in the wake of antibiotic exposure can play a dominant role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the effects of ropivacaine on the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and the Ras homolog gene family member A(RhoA) / Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinase 1(ROCK1) signaling pathway in glioma U251 cells. METHODS: Glioma U251 cells were divided into negative control group, positive control group, and ropivacaine low, medium and high dose groups. The negative control group was cultured normally without treatment, the positive control group was given 10 μg / L of cis-platinum, the ropivacaine low, medium and high dose groups were respectively given 25 mg / L, 50 mg / L and 100 mg / L of ropivacaine. After 48 h of culture, the cell proliferation rate, apoptosis rate, cell invasion number and migration distance were detected by tetramethylthiazole blue method, flow cytometry, Transwell and scratch method, the expression of RhoA, ROCK1 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) protein were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the negative control group, the proliferation rate was decreased, the invasion number decreased, the migration distance was shortened, the expression of RhoA, ROCK1 and MMP-2 protein decreased, the apoptosis rate increased in the positive control and each dose group of ropivacain, with statistically significant differences(P<0. 05), and the ropivacaine was dose-dependent. Compared with the positive control group, the proliferation rate and the cell invasion number increased, the migration distance was prolonged, the expression of RhoA, ROCK1 and MMP-2 proteins increased, the apoptosis rate decreased in each dose group of ropivacaine, with statistically significant differences(P<0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: Ropivacaine can inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of glioma U251 cells, promote the apoptosis of glioma U251 cells, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of RhoA/ ROCK1 pathway expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the effects of apatinib on tumor inhibition rate and tumor cell apoptosis in breast cancer mouse model by regulating extracellular regulated kinase ( ERK) 1 / 2 pathway. METHODS: Human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 cells were inoculated in the right chest wall of nude mice, which were randomly divided into control group, low-dose group[10 mg / (kg·d) of Apatinib] and high-dose group[30 mg / ( kg·d) of Apatinib] after successful modeling, with 12 mice in each group. After intragastric administration once a day for 21 days, the tumor growth curves of three groups were plotted and the tumor inhibition rates were compared. After the last administration, the mice were executed and the tumor tissues were collected, the expression of ERK1 / 2 pathwayrelated proteins [ERK1 / 2, phosphorylated ERK1 / 2(p-ERK1 / 2)] in the tumor tissues was detected by Western blot. The effects of apatinib on MCF-7 cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: After processing with different concentrations of apatinib, the differences in apoptosis rate and the proportion of MCF-7 cells distributed in G0 -G1 phase were statistically significant ( P < 0. 05), among which the apoptosis rate and the proportion of MCF-7 cells distributed in G0 -G1 phase were significantly higher in the group given 20 μmol / L of apatinib than in the other low concentration groups, with statistically significant differences (P<0. 05). The tumor volumes of mice in the high-dose and low-dose groups were significantly lower than that of the control group at the 6th to 21st day of administration, with statistically significant differences (P<0. 05), of which the tumor volumes of mice in the highdose group were the smallest. The mean tumor weights of the high-dose group and low-dose group on the 22nd day were respectively (0. 343±0. 089) g and (0. 658±0. 145) g, which were significantly lower than that of the control group[(1. 163±0. 231) g], with statistically significant differences(P<0. 05). The tumor inhibition rates of the highdose group and low-dose group were respectively 64. 46% and 34. 07%, and there was a dose dependence. The expression levels of ERK1 / 2 and p-ERK1 / 2 in mice in the high-dose group and low-dose group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with statistically significant difference (P<0. 05), of which the expression levels of ERK1 / 2 and p-ERK1 / 2 in mice in the high-dose group were the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: Apatinib can effectively inhibit the ERK1 / 2 signaling pathway in breast cancer cell, induce apoptosis and proliferation of tumor cells, and thus inhibit the growth of tumors in breast cancer mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the effects of renal artery embolization combined with Adrenal hydrazone tablets on coagulation function and renal function in patients with acute renal hemorrhage. METHODS: A total of 61 patients with acute renal hemorrhage admitted into the Ninth People’ s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from Sept. 2019 to Sept. 2021 were selected and divided into the single treatment group ( n = 30) and the combined treatment group (n = 31) via random number table. The single treatment group was treated with renal artery embolization, while the combined treatment group received renal artery embolization combined with Adrenal hydrazone tablets. The renal function of two groups was compared. Plasma prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thrombin time ( APTT) and fibrinogen ( FIB) levels were determined by immunoturbidimetry, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin ( IL)-1 and IL-22 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The treatment effects and incidence of complications were observed. RESULTS: After treatment, the levels of hematocrit and hemoglobin in the combined treatment group were higher than those in the single treatment group, and the heart rate was lower than that in the single treatment group, with statistically significant differences (P<0. 05). After treatment, the levels of serum creatinine, 24 h urine protein and blood urea nitrogen in the combined treatment group were lower than those in the single treatment group, the differences were statistically significant (P< 0. 05). After treatment, PT and APTT in the combined treatment group were longer than those in the single treatment group, and the levels of FIB, TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-22 were lower than those in the single treatment group, the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0. 05 ). The total effective rate in the combined treatment group was 96. 77% (30 / 31), higher than 76. 67% (23 / 30) in the single treatment group; the incidence of complications in the combined treatment group was 3. 23% (1 / 31), lower than 20. 00% (6 / 30) in the single treatment group, the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: Renal arterial embolization combined with Adrenal hydrazone tablets in the treatment of acute renal hemorrhage can improve the renal function and the coagulation function, effectively regulate the inflammatory reaction, with remarkable therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pneumococcal and influenza vaccination rates are still far below the desired levels in dialysis patients. We aimed to determine the pneumococcal and influenza vaccination information, rates, and knowledge levels of dialysis patients. Methods: The study is a descriptive cross-sectional study in which 307 dialysis patients between 2020 and 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics of all patients and vaccination information were obtained from the faceto-face questionnaire and hospital medical records. Results: Of the participants, 52.4% were males, and the mean age was 56 ± 15.45 years. The pneumococcal vaccination rate was 37.1%, and the influenza vaccination rate was 58.6%. Of 114 patients who had received a pneumococcal vaccine, 91.2% had received a single dose of the vaccine. While the type of vaccine could not be determined in 86.8% of the patients in this group, the rate of vaccination with the 2 types of the pneumococcal vaccine was only 8.8%. Annual vaccination was given to all those who were vaccinated against influenza. In the whole group, the rate of those who had never heard of the pneumococcal vaccine was 24.4%, while this rate was 6.5% for the influenza vaccine. The patients had a very low level of knowledge of both vaccines (41% and 53.7%, respectively). Conclusion: Pneumococcal and influenza vaccination rate of dialysis patients was low. İnfluenza vaccination had been performed in compliance with the recommended scheme, but the doses of the pneumococcal vaccine were incomplete. Although the level of patient knowledge was low for both vaccines, patients were more aware of the influenza vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper covers the research into the productivity of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) grain for its widest use: nutrition, fodder for animals, and as a bioenergy crop, depending on the rates of mineral fertilisation. The purpose of the experiment was to analyse the effect of the fertiliser rates on the productivity of sorghum grain, its biofuel output, and energy received from it. The following methods were used: the field method, to investigate biological and ecological features of growth and development of the crop productivity and quality; the laboratory method, to determine the correlation between the crop and the environment (plant and soil analysis); the generalised method, to identify common properties and features. The application of fertilisers improved the quality of sorghum grain considerably: protein and fat content increased from 9.7% to 12.4% and from 3.37% to 3.62%, respectively; with higher fertiliser rates, starch content increased from 67.1% to 70.1% for cultivar 'Dniprovskyi 39' and from 65.8% to 68.8% for cultivar 'Vinets'. Compared with the control treatment (without fertilisers) and under the effect fertiliser rates, grain yield capacity and above-ground mass increased. In the case of 'Dniprovskyi 39', at fertiliser rates N90P90K90, N120P120K120 and estimated rate of N50P40K70, grain yield capacity increased reliably, compared with the control treatment, and it amounted to 7.1, 7.9, and 7.3 tha-1; grain yield capacity of 'Vinets' was 7.2, 7.8 and 7.0 tha-1, respectively. Biomass yield capacity of 'Dniprovskyi 39' and 'Vinets' increased reliably only at the highest and estimated fertiliser rates. When 'Dniprovskyi 39' was grown, the highest total energy output was equal to 181.0 and 187.8 GJ ha-1; this indicator was 169.8 and 178.3 GJ ha-1 for 'Vinets'. This was due to the estimated and maximal fertiliser rates. More than 80% of this energy is concentrated in solid biofuel and only 20% in bio-ethanol. The decrease in fertiliser rates led to a lower energy output of 1 ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the impact of the underwriters' syndicate size (SS) and its structure on underpricing (UP), oversubscription rate, liquidity and volatility. The authors use a database of 185 initial public offers (IPOs) issued in India during the period 2012–2019. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have used ordinary least squares regression and stepwise regression on cross-sectional data to construct the regression model for the dependent variables under consideration, namely, UP, subscription rate (SUB), listing day volatility and listing day liquidity. Findings: The authors find that larger syndicates reduce UP. The authors also find strong evidence of a larger subscription rate for IPOs managed by larger syndicates, suggesting that larger syndicates generate more information in the market. Looking into the composition of investment banks in the syndicate, the authors find that syndicates comprising more lead managers and comanagers attract a higher subscription from potential investors. More book running lead managers and nonmanaging syndicate members help increase liquidity and reduce the volatility of IPO stocks on listing day. Additionally, the authors find that larger firms with reputed lead managers establish larger syndicates while venture-affiliated IPO firms prefer a smaller syndicate. Practical implications: The findings would interest issuing firms, investors, intermediaries and policymakers engaged in formulating syndicates for better management of IPOs. Originality/value: The study extends the present literature on IPO syndicates, particularly in the Indian context as an emerging economy. The study extended the present understanding of SS and composition, creating value for the issuers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]