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The aim of this study was to examine the incubation characteristics of hatching eggs from one of the widely distributed hybrid combinations of classic broilers globally and to trace the dynamics of their changes depending on the age of the parental flock. The study covered a 12-year period - between 2011 to 2023. The share of quality chicks hatched ranged from 76.8% to 91.6%, with average values of 84.1-84.3%, while the share of culled chickens was within the normal range (0.4 to 1.7%). The proportion of culled eggs during candling on the 7th day varied between 4.3% and 14.7%, with average values of 7.64-8.24%. With the increase in the age of the parental flock, there was a stable tendency to increase the share of culled eggs at the first test egg cull, particularly due to the increase of the share of infertile eggs. The age of the parental flock determined more than 38% of the manifestation of the egg fertility trait and about 45% of that of quality chicks. Its influence on total embryonic mortality was significantly weaker (R2= 0.1456). The study of the relationship between the traits "share of quality chicks" and "share of infertile eggs" showed that in the examined dataset, the correlation between them was moderate, negative (r= -0.472±0.100 at P<0.001), with a linear character (L= 0.046±0.062). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow-release oxidation is important for effectively and selectively treating aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants like phenol in water. This research work focuses on persulfate candles formation for slow-relaese oxidation of phenol in water. To control the persulfate release rate polystyrene coating was applied to the beads. Four predetermined PAHs to ferrous molar ratios accompanied with persulfate candles were applied for the oxidation process. In the presence of ferrous activator the degradation of phenol was achieved. The increasing concentration of ferrous with constant persulfate and phenol concentration the higher degradation can be achieved up to certain Ph:Fe+2 ratio. The crossing the optimum ratio the inhibition starts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enhancement of carbon-supported components is a crucial factor in augmenting the interplay between carbon-supported and metal-active components in the utilization of catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). Here, we propose a strategy for designing a catalyst by modifying candle soot (CS) and loading nickel onto ordered carbon soot. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the Ni nanoparticles content on the electrocatalytic performance of Ni–CS, ultimately leading to the identification of a maximum composition. The presence of an excessive quantity of nickel particles leads to a decrease in the number of active sites within the material, resulting in sluggishness of the electron transfer pathway. The electrocatalyst composed of nickel and carbon support, with a nickel content of 20 wt%, has demonstrated a noteworthy current activity of 18.43 mA/cm2, which is three times that of the electrocatalyst with a higher nickel content of 25 wt%. For example, the 20 wt% Ni–CS electrocatalytic activity was found to be good, and it was approximately four times higher than that of 20 wt% Ni–CB (nickel–carbon black). Moreover, the chronoamperometry (CA) test demonstrated a reduction in current activity of merely 65.80% for a 20 wt% Ni–CS electrocatalyst, indicating electrochemical stability. In addition, this demonstrates the great potential of candle soot with Ni nanoparticles to be used as a catalyst in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that the width–luminosity relation used to standardize normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) breaks down in underluminous, 1991bg-like SNe Ia. This breakdown may be due to the choice of parameter used as a stand-in for the width of the SN Ia light curve. Using the colour stretch parameter s BV instead of older parameters resolves this issue. Here, I assemble a sample of 14 nearby 1991bg-like SNe Ia from the literature, all of which have independent host-galaxy distance moduli and little to no reddening. I use Gaussian process regression to fit the light curves of these SNe in U / u, B, V, g, R / r, I / i , and H , and measure their peak absolute magnitudes. I find statistically significant (>5σ confidence level in the optical and >4σ in the near-infrared) correlations between the peak absolute magnitudes of the 1991bg-like SNe Ia and their s BV values in the range 0.2 < s BV < 0.6. These correlations are broadly consistent with fits to s BV < 0.7 SNe Ia with preliminary B - and V -band peak absolute magnitudes from the Carnegie Supernova Project and significantly inconsistent with similar fits to normal and transitional SNe Ia (with 0.7 < s BV < 1.1). The underluminous width–luminosity relation shown here needs to be properly calibrated with a homogeneous sample of 1991bg-like SNe Ia, after which it could be used as a rung on a new cosmological distance ladder. With surface-brightness fluctuations (or another non-Cepheid method) used to calibrate distances to nearby 1991bg-like SNe Ia, such a ladder could produce an independent measurement of the Hubble–Lemaître constant, H 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic coating is widely used due to its waterproof and self-cleaning properties. Carbon soot (CS) nanoparticles are naturally superhydrophobic and non-toxic which are superior to other superhydrophobic coating. However, the weak binding force of the CS nanoparticle layers hinders their practical application. In this study, micro-nanostructured PET-CS superhydrophobic coatings were prepared by a simple method. The obtained coatings presented durable superhydrophobicity and underwater stability, which are superior to PDMS-CS coatings and CS layers. The coating surfaces demonstrated superhydrophobicity under a water pressure of 13.72 kPa for up to 16 days. The surface could withstand water flush for more than 15 min. The coatings also demonstrated good mechanical stability and maintained superhydrophobicity after an abrasion length of 8 m. The stable long-lasting underwater superhydrophobic surface is of great importance for marine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flourishing market in literary-scented candles offers olfactory bookish experiences has received little attention from scholars. Whilst the literature on bookishness has not considered candles, they provide a useful perspective from which to consider our relationship to books. Bookish candles transcend the purely olfactory, as their use is often in photographs alongside books, as part of bookish social media culture. I consider how bookish candles, scented and otherwise, through four dynamics: attentiveness to the materiality of books, direct evocation of literary aspects with textual support, expansion beyond the text, and more creative and abstract responses. I draw on notions of affective bibliography, as well as ideas of diegetic and non-diegetic sound from film studies, and argue for a wider bibliography drawing on transmedia approaches to understand this aspect of print culture. I explore the YA phenomenon of Heartstopper through a consideration of candles inspired by Heartstopper sold on Etsy, and made and shared by users on TikTok as examples of bibliographic practices and bibliographical, which not only tell us about what books mean to their owners, but also add an olfactory dimension to our understanding of bookish objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-icing/de-icing is of fundamental importance in practical applications such as power transmission, wind turbines, and aerofoils. Despite recent efforts in developing engineering surfaces to delay ice accumulation or reduce ice adhesion, it remains challenging to design robust photothermal icephobic surfaces in a durable, low-cost, easy-fabrication manner. Here, we report an intelligent candle soot-based photothermal surface (PDMS/CS60@PDMS/Al) that can utilize sunlight illumination to achieve the multi-abilities of anti-icing, de-icing, and self-cleaning. Our method lies in the construction of hierarchical micro/nanostructures by depositing photothermal candle soot nanoparticles, which endow the surface with superior superhydrophobicity and excellent photothermal performance. The underlying mechanism is exploited by establishing the heat transfer model between the droplets and the cooled surface. We believe that the smart PDMS/CS60@PDMS/Al developed in this work could provide a feasible strategy to design intelligent engineering surfaces for enhanced anti-icing/de-icing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soot particle emissions from steady flames have been extensively studied; however, less attention has been given to oscillating flames. This study aims to characterize the emission of soot particles from oscillatory flames generated by burning two bundles of candles (four candles per bundle) and compare them with a steady flame case. When two oscillating flames interact at varying separation distances, they exhibit two oscillatory modes and one steady mode, namely, in-phase (IP) oscillating flame, oscillation suppression (OS) flame, and anti-phase (AP) oscillating flame. Time-resolved flame images were captured using a digital camera, revealing that the OS mode represents steady flames, while the IP and AP modes represent symmetric and asymmetric oscillating flames, respectively. The flame height and the area were measured for both steady and oscillatory flames. The mean flame height remained nearly constant across all flame modes, whereas the mean flame area exhibited significant variations among each flame mode. Additionally, the diameter of soot particles was measured using the dynamic light scattering technique. The results indicate that steady flames produced the smallest soot particles (78 nm) compared to their counterparts in oscillatory flames. Furthermore, within the oscillatory flames, the symmetrically oscillating IP mode generated larger-sized soot particles (129 nm) compared to the asymmetrically oscillating AP mode (102 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Background There is insufficient knowledge about the systemic health effects of exposure to fine (PM2.5) and ultrafine particles emitted from typical indoor sources, including cooking and candlelight burning. We examined whether short-term exposure to emissions from cooking and burning candles cause inflammatory changes in young individuals with mild asthma. Thirty-six non-smoking asthmatics participated in a randomized controlled double-blind crossover study attending three exposure sessions (mean PM2.5 µg/m3 ; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ng/m3): (a) air mixed with emissions from cooking (96.1; 1.1), (b) air mixed with emissions from candles (89.8; 10), and (c) clean filtered air (5.8; 1.0). Emissions were generated in an adjacent chamber and let into a full-scale exposure chamber where participants were exposed for five hours. Several biomarkers were assessed in relation to airway and systemic inflammatory changes; the primary outcomes of interest were surfactant Protein-A (SP-A) and albumin in droplets in exhaled air – novel biomarkers for changes in the surfactant composition of small airways. Secondary outcomes included cytokines in nasal lavage, cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP), epithelial progenitor cells (EPCs), genotoxicity, gene expression related to DNA-repair, oxidative stress, and inflammation, as well as metabolites in blood. Samples were collected before exposure start, right after exposure and the next morning. Results SP-A in droplets in exhaled air showed stable concentrations following candle exposure, while concentrations decreased following cooking and clean air exposure. Albumin in droplets in exhaled air increased following exposure to cooking and candles compared to clean air exposure, although not significant. Oxidatively damaged DNA and concentrations of some lipids and lipoproteins in the blood increased significantly following exposure to cooking. We found no or weak associations between cooking and candle exposure and systemic inflammation biomarkers including cytokines, CRP, and EPCs. Conclusions Cooking and candle emissions induced effects on some of the examined health-related biomarkers, while no effect was observed in others; Oxidatively damaged DNA and concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins were increased in blood after exposure to cooking, while both cooking and candle emissions slightly affected the small airways including the primary outcomes SP-A and albumin. We found only weak associations between the exposures and systemic inflammatory biomarkers. Together, the results show the existence of mild inflammation following cooking and candle exposure.

We developed a facile and widely applicable approach to fabricate multifunctional coatings by grafting functional polymer brushes on the silica-stabilized candle soot, which exhibited excellent near-infrared-activated biocidal ability and desired bioactivities such as antifouling property and controllable bioadhesion. [Display omitted] • A facile method is developed for fabrication of a multifunctional coating based on candle soot (CS). • The coating exhibits excellent near-infrared-activated biocidal ability due to the inherent photothermal property of CS. • The coating shows desired biofunctions originated from the grafted polymers, which are enhanced by the nanoscale structure of CS. Functional coatings with desired bioactivities are required for various biomedical applications. Candle soot (CS) composed of carbon nanoparticles has attracted significant attention as a versatile component of functional coatings because of its unique physical and structural characteristics. However, the application of CS-based coatings in the biomedical field is still limited due to the lack of modification methods that can endow them with specific biofunctionality. Herein, a facile and widely applicable approach to fabricate multifunctional CS-based coatings is developed by grafting functional polymer brushes on the silica-stabilized CS. The resulting coatings not only exhibited excellent near-infrared-activated biocidal ability (the killing efficiency was over 99.99 %) due to the inherent photothermal property of CS but also showed desired biofunctions (such as antifouling property or controllable bioadhesion; the repelling efficiency and bacterial release ratio were nearly 90 %) originated from the grafted polymers. Moreover, these biofunctions were enhanced by the nanoscale structure of CS. Because the deposition of CS is a simple substrate-independent process while the grafting of polymer brushes via surface-initiated polymerization is applicable to a wide range of vinyl monomers, the proposed approach can be potentially used for the fabrication of multifunctional coatings and would extend the applications of CS in the biomedical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) method is a standard candle based on the intrinsic luminosities of carbon stars in the near-infrared. We directly constrain the impact of metallicity, age, and reddening on the JAGB method. We assess how the mode, skew, and spread of the JAGB star LF change throughout diverse stellar environments in M31's NE disk from 13 < d < 18 kpc using data from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT). As expected, the mode is found to be fainter in higher-reddening regions. To cross-check this result, we also measure a fiducial J -band ground-based JAGB distance using data from the UKIRT/WFCam in M31's outermost disk (18 < d < 40 kpc) where internal reddening is minimal. We find that this J -band distance modulus agrees well with the F110W distance moduli measured in the lowest-reddening regions of the PHAT data, demonstrating the JAGB method is most accurate if measured in the low-reddening outer disks of galaxies. On the other hand, the mode of the JAGB star LF appears empirically to show no dependence on age or metallicity within the range −0.18 < [M/H] < −0.26 dex. In conclusion, the JAGB method proves to be a robust standard candle capable of calibrating the luminosities of Type Ia supernovae and therefore providing a high-accuracy, high-precision measurement of the Hubble constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poem "Knowing" from the journal "Families, Systems & Health: The Journal of Collaborative Family HealthCare" explores the fears and struggles faced by individuals dealing with trauma, addiction, and abuse. The author reflects on the challenges of understanding and supporting those who are silently suffering, emphasizing the importance of compassion, empathy, and patience in providing care. The poem acknowledges the strength and courage of individuals facing these difficulties, highlighting the need for awareness and support in addressing mental health issues. [Extracted from the article]

Taixu 太虛 (1890–1947), a prominent figure in modern Chinese Buddhism, produced a voluminous collection of poetry abounding with diverse classical Chinese images. Notably, the "lamp and candle" (dengzhu 燈燭) holds great significance, reflecting Taixu's personal affinity with this imagery and an intimate connection to classical Chinese poetry. Acting as a potent Buddhist metaphor, it encapsulates multifaceted sentiments while also intertwining with other evocative images, such as the boat, the moon, and falling leaves. Symbolizing Taixu's unwavering spirit, it represents his profound dedication to his craft. This article explores Taixu's literary achievements as a poet by focusing on his adept utilization of "lamp and candle" imagery, complementing the study of his multifaceted and intricate identities. This detailed examination offers novel insights into Chinese literature and Buddhist studies, highlighting the interplay between spiritual practice and artistic expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning (ML) continues to grow in importance across nearly all domains in modeling to learn from data. Often a tradeoff exists between a model's ability to minimize bias and variance. In this article, we utilize ensemble learning to combine linear, nonlinear, and tree‐/rule‐based ML methods to cope with the bias‐variance tradeoff and result in more accurate models. We use the datasets collected for two parallel cancer deep learning CANDLE benchmarks, NT3 and P1B2, to build performance and power models based on hardware performance counters using single‐object and multiple‐objects ensemble learning to identify the most important counters for improvement on the Cray XC40 Theta at Argonne National Laboratory. Based on the insights from these models, we improve the performance and energy of P1B2 and NT3 by optimizing the deep learning environments TensorFlow, Keras, Horovod, and Python under the huge page size of 8 MB. Experimental results show that ensemble learning not only produces more accurate models but also provides more robust performance counter ranking. We achieve up to 61.15% performance improvement and up to 62.58% energy saving for P1B2 and up to 55.81% performance improvement and up to 52.60% energy saving for NT3 on up to 24,576 cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is insufficient knowledge about the systemic health effects of exposure to fine (PM2.5) and ultrafine particles emitted from typical indoor sources, including cooking and candlelight burning. We examined whether short-term exposure to emissions from cooking and burning candles cause inflammatory changes in young individuals with mild asthma. Thirty-six non-smoking asthmatics participated in a randomized controlled double-blind crossover study attending three exposure sessions (mean PM2.5 µg/m3; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ng/m3): (a) air mixed with emissions from cooking (96.1; 1.1), (b) air mixed with emissions from candles (89.8; 10), and (c) clean filtered air (5.8; 1.0). Emissions were generated in an adjacent chamber and let into a full-scale exposure chamber where participants were exposed for five hours. Several biomarkers were assessed in relation to airway and systemic inflammatory changes; the primary outcomes of interest were surfactant Protein-A (SP-A) and albumin in droplets in exhaled air – novel biomarkers for changes in the surfactant composition of small airways. Secondary outcomes included cytokines in nasal lavage, cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP), epithelial progenitor cells (EPCs), genotoxicity, gene expression related to DNA-repair, oxidative stress, and inflammation, as well as metabolites in blood. Samples were collected before exposure start, right after exposure and the next morning. Results: SP-A in droplets in exhaled air showed stable concentrations following candle exposure, while concentrations decreased following cooking and clean air exposure. Albumin in droplets in exhaled air increased following exposure to cooking and candles compared to clean air exposure, although not significant. Oxidatively damaged DNA and concentrations of some lipids and lipoproteins in the blood increased significantly following exposure to cooking. We found no or weak associations between cooking and candle exposure and systemic inflammation biomarkers including cytokines, CRP, and EPCs. Conclusions: Cooking and candle emissions induced effects on some of the examined health-related biomarkers, while no effect was observed in others; Oxidatively damaged DNA and concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins were increased in blood after exposure to cooking, while both cooking and candle emissions slightly affected the small airways including the primary outcomes SP-A and albumin. We found only weak associations between the exposures and systemic inflammatory biomarkers. Together, the results show the existence of mild inflammation following cooking and candle exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the Λ cold dark matter model, which relies on the existence of cold dark matter and a cosmological constant Λ, best describes the universe. However, we lack information in the high-redshift (z) region between Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia; up to z = 2.26) and the cosmic microwave background (z = 1100), an interval crucial to test cosmological models and their possible evolution. We have defined a sample of 983 quasars up to z = 7.54 with a reduced intrinsic dispersion δ = 0.007, which determines the matter density parameter Ω M with the same precision of SNe Ia. Although previous analysis have used quasars as cosmological tools, this is the first time that high-redshift sources, in this case quasars, as standalone cosmological probes yield such tight constraints on Ω M . Our results show the importance of correcting cosmological relationships for selection biases and redshift evolution and how the choice of a golden sample reduces considerably the intrinsic scatter. This proves the reliability of quasars as standard cosmological candles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions between a couple of flames often lead to their synchronisation. Flame–flame interaction has recently been linked with thermoacoustic instability in combustors. However, synchronisation caused by the interaction of coupled flames is still not fully understood. Furthermore, the interacting flame oscillators in practical situations often have a slight dissimilarity between them. Here, we systematically study the effects of such dissimilarity on the flame–flame interaction with a simple system consisting of two candle flame oscillators (CFO). The interaction is studied with CFOs having similar and dissimilar amplitudes of oscillations. The distance between the CFOs is parametrically varied. The results indicate that the synchronisation phenomena caused by flame–flame interaction have a complex dependence on the distance between the oscillators. Further, we find the flame–flame interaction to be significantly affected by the dissimilarity of the interacting oscillators. In-phase (IP) synchronisation occurs when the interacting oscillators are separated by a low distance and the oscillators have similar or moderately dissimilar amplitudes of oscillations. On the other hand, for large disparities in the amplitudes of oscillations, lag synchronisation (LS) is observed at a low distance between the CFOs. If the interacting oscillators have similar amplitudes of oscillations, the amplitude death (AD) regime persists throughout the operating range except at a low distance between the CFOs. In contrast, if the interacting oscillators have dissimilar amplitudes of oscillations, different rich dynamical states such as lag synchronisation and partial amplitude death are encountered in addition to amplitude death as the distance between the oscillators is varied. This study might be useful to understand synchronisation due to flame–flame interaction in modern multi-burner turbulent combustors where the constituent burners often have inherent dissimilarities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the uses of animal fat from domesticated livestock (cattle, swine, and sheep) in three separate, albeit closely related situations: as a substance harvestable from within the animal body, as a commodity reconfigured from its original form, and as a tool for scientific understanding in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Using the concept of affordances, as initially described in the 1970s by James Jerome Gibson, and subsequentially amended by anthropologists, philosophers, and sociologists, as well as material culture or design historians, 1 trace animal fat across multiple stages of time and processing to show that while certain affordances remained constant throughout the period under consideration, material references to its origin within the animal body receded and ultimately disappeared. 1 explore the different forms of use and expectations that occurred in relation to animal fats within the cultural environments of the slaughterhouse, tallow chandlery, and soap-manufacturing facility. I conclude with the fundamental shift in ways of understanding animal fat that beginning in the late eighteenth century, transformed a substance once highly specific and linked directly to a particular animal's body into something that was subject to chemical analysis and ultimately synthetization. This paper is part of a special issue entitled "Making Animal Materials in Time," edited by Laurence Douny and Lisa Onaga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are photoreceptors located in the ganglion cell layer. They project to brain regions involved in predominately non-image-forming functions including entrainment of circadian rhythms, control of the pupil light reflex, and modulation of mood and behavior. In addition to possessing intrinsic photosensitivity via the photopigment melanopsin, these cells receive inputs originating in rods and cones. While most research in the last two decades has focused on the downstream influence of ipRGC signaling, recent studies have shown that ipRGCs also act retrogradely within the retina itself as intraretinal signaling neurons. In this article, we review studies examining intraretinal and, in addition, intraocular signaling pathways of ipRGCs. Through these pathways, ipRGCs regulate inner and outer retinal circuitry through both chemical and electrical synapses, modulate the outputs of ganglion cells (both ipRGCs and non-ipRGCs), and influence arrangement of the correct retinal circuitry and vasculature during development. These data suggest that ipRGC function plays a significant role in the processing of image-forming vision at its earliest stage, positioning these photoreceptors to exert a vital role in perceptual vision. This research will have important implications for lighting design to optimize the best chromatic lighting environments for humans, both in adults and potentially even during fetal and postnatal development. Further studies into these unique ipRGC signaling pathways could also lead to a better understanding of the development of ocular dysfunctions such as myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, flexible resistive strain sensors attract growing attention owing to their various applications in the fields of electronic skin, human health detection, body motion, etc. Unfortunately, to date, the fabrication of a high-sensitivity soft sensor under a wide-range strain through a simple and cost-competitive approach is still a challenge. In this work, a facile polymer-surface-swelling-adhesion approach was developed to fabricate bilayer candle soot/poly (styrene-b-ethylene-butylene-b-styrene) elastic strain sensors, which obtained a high sensitivity performance at a wide range of strain. When the surface density of candle soot was 0.42 mg/cm2, the gauge factor (GF) values of the sensor were 113, 77, and 177 for various strain ranges of 0%–9%, 9%–60%, and 60%–100%, respectively. The sensor could detect tiny strains such as 0.1% and demonstrated a sensing time of 265 ms at 10% strain. Moreover, after 1000 cyclic loading-unloading at 30% strain, the relative resistance variations remain stable. The sensing mechanism was explained by the tunnel effect for low and medium strain ranges and contact resistance change for the high strain range. As a further step, respiration with a surgical mask, body motion, and road roughness were successfully monitored by using the sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to investigate how Romen Basu, in his novel, Candles and Roses, exposes the widespread scepticism over the incongruous components in Eastern and Western values. Basu handles this delicately and draws attention to the treasures of Indian spiritual history even if he has no intention of confronting the West. Through the encounter between Monique and Pramila in the novel, he brings the West and the East together. Samir, Pramila, and Monique are characters created by Basu that combine elements of Indian and Western society. While proud of her French heritage, Monique does not advocate for the supremacy of her culture, contrary to what Samir and Pramila are perceived to be doing. She seeks inner strength and calm, and she believes that the qualities of the East can assist her in achieving both. Instead of mourning the loss of specific ideals in one culture, she wants to gain from these two. Pramila is unable to comprehend Samir’s request to extend his contract in France for an additional two years. She is aware of his relationship with Monique, but she is unaware of his infatuation with the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years, we built a Hubble diagram of quasars up to redshift z∼7$$ z\sim 7 $$, based on the nonlinear relation between quasars' x‐ray and UV luminosities. Such a Hubble diagram shows a >4σ$$ >4\sigma $$ deviation from the standard flat Λ$$ \Lambda $$CDM model at z>1.5$$ z>1.5 $$. Given the important consequences of this result, it is fundamental to rule out any systematic effect in the selection of the sample and/or in the flux measurements, and to investigate possible redshift dependences of the relation, that would invalidate the use of quasars as standard candles. Here we review all the observational results supporting our method: the match of the Hubble diagram of quasars with that of supernovae in the common redshift range, the constant slope of the relation at all redshifts, the redshift non‐evolution of the spectral properties of our sources both in the x‐rays and in the UV. An independent test of our results requires the observation of other standard candles at high redshift. In particular, we expect that future observations of supernovas at z>2$$ z>2 $$ will confirm the deviation from the concordance model found with the Hubble diagram of quasars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of baricitinib (Janus kinase-1/2 inhibitor), in adult and pediatric Japanese patients with Nakajo-Nishimura syndrome/chronic atypical neutrophilic dermatosis with lipodystrophy and elevated temperature (NNS/CANDLE), stimulator of interferon genes-associated vasculopathy with onset during infancy (SAVI), or Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS). Methods: A Phase 2/3, multicenter, open-label study (NCT04517253) was conducted across 52 weeks. Primary efficacy endpoint assessed the change in mean daily diary score (DDS) from baseline to the end of primary treatment period. Other efficacy endpoints included change in mean DDS to the end of maintenance period, daily corticosteroid use, Physician's Global Assessment of Disease Activity (PGA) scores, and daily symptom-specific score (DSSS) from baseline to primary and maintenance treatment periods. All treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) that occurred postdosing were recorded. Results: Overall, 9 patients (5 with NNS, 3 with SAVI, and 1 with AGS) were enrolled; 55.6% were females, mean age was 26 years, and mean corticosteroid use/weight was 0.2 mg/kg. At the end of primary treatment period, mean DDS decreased from baseline in patients with NNS/CANDLE (0.22) and SAVI (0.21) and increased in the patient with AGS (0.07). At the end of maintenance treatment period, mean DDS decreased from baseline in patients with NNS/CANDLE (0.18) and SAVI (0.27) and increased in the patient with AGS (0.04). Mean percent corticosteroid use decreased by 18.4% in 3 out of 5 patients with NNS/CANDLE and 62.9% in 1 out of 3 patients with SAVI. Mean PGA score decreased from baseline in patients with NNS/CANDLE (1.60), SAVI (1.33), and AGS (1.0), and mean DSSS improved from baseline. All patients reported ≥ 1 TEAE. Frequently reported AEs included BK polyomavirus detection (3; 33.3%), increased blood creatine phosphokinase (2; 22.2%), anemia (2; 22.2%), and upper respiratory tract infection (2; 22.2%). Three (33.3%) patients reported serious adverse events, 1 of which was related to study drug. One patient with SAVI died due to intracranial hemorrhage, which was not related to study drug. Conclusion: Baricitinib may offer a potential therapeutic option for patients with NNS/CANDLE, SAVI, and AGS, with a positive benefit/risk profile in a vulnerable patient population with multiple comorbidities. Trial registration: NLM clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04517253. Registered 18 August 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Anal dilation with Hegar dilator is recommended as part of the post-operative management following surgical correction of anorectal malformation (ARM) in children to prevent strictures. Parents usually continue dilation at home with a personal set of dilators. However, in low-resource settings, many parents cannot afford the Hegar dilator. Devices that have been improvised as dilators include appropriately sized candles, spigot from Foley catheter, rounded ball pen ends and mothers' fingers. We aimed to report our preliminary experience with the use of candle as an improvised anal dilator following surgeries for ARM in our practice. Materials and Methods: A review of records of children who had surgery for ARMs and commenced on candle dilation between February 2018 and July 2019 at our centre was done. Relevant demographic information, type of anomaly, duration of dilation, availability of health insurance coverage, complications and parents' acceptance of improvised dilator (evaluated during scheduled follow up visits) were retrieved. The data were analysed using SPPSS version 21 (Chicago, Illinois). Results: Nineteen patients underwent anal dilation with improvised candles during the period. Rectobulbar and rectovestibular fistulas were most frequent anomaly in boys and girls, respectively. The median age at surgery was 6 months. The median duration of dilation (completed in 9 patients) was 7 months. Candle dilation was well tolerated, and all parents were comfortable using the device. Conclusion: The candle as an improvised anal dilator following anorectal surgeries in children is a useful alternative to the conventional dilator. It is more affordable and gives satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emperor Leo VI the Wise made speeches on various occasions, and the surviving texts have attracted numerous philological and historical studies. However, delivering a speech was never merely a monologue, especially in the court milieu where life was highly ritualized. It combined text-reading and multiple ceremonies and thus became a theatrical performance. In this 'theatre', the emperor's elegant appearance, the audience reaction to the orator's words following a set of conventions, and the venue decorated with torches, candles, and many other objects all played an indispensable role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wash trading is considered a highly inopportune and illegal behavior in regulated markets. Instead, it is practiced in unregulated markets, such as cryptocurrency or NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) markets. Regarding the latter, in the past many researchers have been interested in this phenomenon from an "ex-ante" perspective, aiming to identify and classify wash trading activities before or at the exact time they happen. In this paper, we want to investigate the phenomenon of wash trading in the NFT market from a completely different perspective, namely "ex-post". Our ultimate goal is to analyze wash trading activities in the past to understand whether the game is worth the candle, i.e., whether these illicit activities actually lead to a significant profit for their perpetrators. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper in the literature that attempts to answer this question in a "structured" way. The efforts to answer this question have enabled us to make some additional contributions to the literature in this research area. They are: (i) a framework to support future "ex-post" analyses of the NFT wash trading phenomenon; (ii) a new dataset on wash trading transactions involving NFTs that can support further future investigations of this phenomenon; (iii) a set of insights of the NFT wash trading phenomenon extracted at the end of an experimental campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work concerns the activities of the European project BLAZE that aims to integrate a pilot-scale gasifier unit with a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). The objective is to identify the optimal operating conditions for a gasifier and hot gas cleaning and conditioning unit to produce H2-rich syngas with contaminants levels within the limits for the safe operation of the SOFC (750 mg/Nm3 and 75 mg/Nm3 for toluene and naphthalene, respectively). Experimental tests were carried out on a bench-scale gasification plant with a catalytic filter candle placed in the freeboard, to study the influence of temperature (1032 up to 1137 K), bed materials (olivine or olivine/dolomite 80/20%), and a nickel-based catalyst. The tests with a ceramic filter candle filled with catalyst and the mixture of olivine and dolomite in the bed gave the best results in terms of gas composition and gas yield, but the tar content was still higher than the limits for the SOFC. To increase the residence time of the gas in the catalytic bed a new metallic filter candle was tested. This candle, with almost the same external volume, allowed doubling the amount of catalyst used. Under these conditions, the content of toluene and naphthalene was reduced below 150 and 50 mg/Nm3, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]