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Oral venous varicosities (OV) are a common condition, increasing its incidence with age. They are also mentioned in association with several medical conditions, but the evidence is scarce and inconsistent. The aim was to describe OV clinical features and to analyze the association with medical conditions. An observational, cross-sectional study was carried out in the Oral Medicine Department from 2012 to 2016. Oral cavity was examined by calibrated professionals double blind (kappa >0.60) in a standard dental chair. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to assess variables. The final sample was 672 individuals. OV were found in 46 %, (62 % = female and 38 % = male) and they were asymmetric (96.8 %, p < 0.0001). Age showed a statistically significant difference between OV and Control (p < 0.0001). Also, there was significant difference in mean age regarding extension (p <.0001, years): G1 (only sublingual OV) = 48.61; G2 (sublingual OV plus one site) = 63.56 and G3 (sublingual OV + 2 or more sites) = 75.13 (95 % CI: ±1.9763). The most frequent medical conditions were: lower limb varices (n = 162), tobacco consumption (n = 98), family history of varices (n = 81), hypertension (n = 50), Type 2 diabetes (n = 25). OV of advanced grades (G2 & G3) were more common in association to lower limb varices, heart failure, diabetes, arterial and portal hypertension. OV occurrence rises with age, and its presence could be a sign of certain medical conditions. Our study offers an insight into OV supporting the research of its potential use in primary health population screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the main causes of terrain instability in the urban area of the Tijuana city, Mexico, and describes its main conditioning and triggering factors. We present the case of a fault that occurred in the access road of an industrial park and the study carried out to investigate its causes, which included two stages: in the first, the main pathologies in the fault zone were identified, a terrain geotechnical characterization was made, and hypotheses were analyzed about the probable mechanism of the failure; and in the second, the analysis of the terrain stability and deformability was carried out by means of computer simulations that allowed to evaluate the influence of different conditioning and triggering factors of the event. The analysis of the causes of the terrain instability and the study of the presented case, allowed to issue conclusions on the natural and anthropic factors that most influence the occurrence of faults, and to give recommendations related to the design and construction of roads in urban areas. • The main causes of terrain instability in the urban area of Tijuana are analyzed. • The main conditioning and triggering factors of instability are described. • The case study of a fault occurred in the access road to a industrial park is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients (pts) with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) often have an inadequate response to topical therapies. Long-term use of systemic immunosuppressants is not recommended due to safety concerns. To report the dupilumab safety profile in pts with moderate-to-severe AD from an open-label extension (OLE) study (NCT01949311) to 204 weeks (wks). Adults with moderate-to-severe AD from any dupilumab parent study (phase 1–3) were enrolled into the long-term, multicenter OLE study (duration up to 5 years in certain countries). In the OLE, pts were treated with 300 mg dupilumab weekly (qw). In 2019, pts transitioned to the approved 300 mg every 2 weeks (q2w) dose. Concomitant treatments for AD were permitted. LIBERTY AD CHRONOS (NCT02260986) 52-wk safety results for adults with moderate-to-severe AD receiving dupilumab 300 mg qw plus TCS were provided as a comparison. Data shown are for the overall study population (n = 2677). In all, 2207 pts completed treatment up to Wk 52, 1,065 up to Wk 100, 557 up to Wk 148, 362 up to Wk 172 and 352 up to Wk 204. 240 pts had treatment duration > 204 wks. Most withdrawals during the OLE study period were due to dupilumab approval and commercialization in the country in which the patient had enrolled (810 [59.5%]); 114 (8.4%) patients withdrew due to adverse events (AEs) and 58 (4.3%) withdrew due to lack of efficacy. Exposure-adjusted incidence rates of treatment-emergent AEs (TEAEs) were lower in this OLE vs. the 300 mg qw + TCS arm of the 1-year CHRONOS trial (167.5 vs. 322.4 number of patients/100 patient–years). In this OLE, 9.8%, ≥ 1 severe TEAEs; 1.2%, ≥ 1 serious TEAE related to study drug; with 3.7% ≥ 1 TEAEs resulting in permanent drug discontinuation. The most common TEAEs were nasopharyngitis (28.9%) and conjunctivitis (20.0%, including conjunctivitis, conjunctivitis allergic/bacterial/viral, and atopic keratoconjunctivitis). Among pts with conjunctivitis TEAEs, 95% were mild/moderate; 87% of conjunctivitis events were recovered/resolved. The OLE long-term study data in adults with moderate-to-severe AD extends the previously reported safety profile of dupilumab to 4 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) often have an inadequate response to topical therapies. We present long-term efficacy of dupilumab up to 4 years in adults with moderate-to-severe AD from an open-label extension (OLE) study (LIBERTY AD OLE, NCT01949311). Adults (≥ 18 years) with moderate-to-severe AD from any dupilumab parent study (phase 1–3) were enrolled into the long-term, multicenter, OLE with an initial duration of 3 years (extended up to 5 years in certain countries). Initially, patients received 300 mg dupilumab weekly; in 2019, patients transitioned to dupilumab 300 mg every 2 weeks (approved dose). Concomitant treatments for AD, including topical corticosteroid and topical calcineurin inhibitors, were permitted. Data shown are for the overall study population. Of 2677 patients enrolled in the OLE, 2207 completed treatment up to week 52, 1065 up to week 100, 557 up to week 148, 362 up to week 172, and 352 up to week 204. 240 patients had treatment duration > 204 weeks. Most withdrawals (810 [59.5%]) during the OLE study period were due to dupilumab approval and commercialization in the patients' country of enrolment; 114 (8.4%) withdrew due to adverse events (AEs) and 58 (4.3%) due to lack of efficacy. At week 204, 91% of patients achieved a 75% reduction in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) from parent study baseline (PSBL), 76% of patients achieved a 90% reduction in EASI from PSBL, and 70.8% of patients achieved a ≥ 4-point reduction in the Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale score from PSBL. A total of 2273 (84.9%) patients reported treatment-emergent AEs, and 99 (3.7%) patients discontinued treatment permanently due to reported AEs. Dupilumab had an acceptable safety profile. Long-term dupilumab treatment showed sustained efficacy with durable and progressive improvements in AD signs and symptoms in adults with moderate-to-severe AD up to 204 weeks. Dupilumab was generally well tolerated with an acceptable safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Physics-based models of power electronic devices are the most accurate for circuit simulation purposes. However, many parameters of such models are related to device physics and structure and are not directly available for the user. The IGBT is still the most used power semiconductor device for applications at medium power and frequency ranges, due to its good compromise between on-state loss, switching loss, and ease of control. This paper presents a procedure for extracting the most important parameters of the IGBT, with physical background and electrical measurements. The goal is to develop a deeply understanding of the device-structure and to simulate correctly both steady-state and transient period with any circuit simulation software without the IGBT model provided by the manufacturer. The method consists of seven test setups and seven algorithms for extracting 13 physical and structural parameters needed in most physics-based IGBT models; by using only one Reconfigurable Special Test Circuit in order to achieve the different test setups conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) was prepared by two different methods, solid-state reaction and precipitation. Then, samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, N2 adsorption and thermogravimetric analysis. Thermal analyses showed that Na2SiO3 has the capacity to absorb small quantities of CO2 between room temperature and 130°C. Modeling the surface reaction and sodium diffusion, the activation energies for these two processes were estimated to be 17,482J/mol and 23,968J/mol, respectively. Finally, the effect of the particle size, on the CO2 sorption, was found to be very important. The quantities of CO2 absorbed increased three times, when the particle size decreased and consequently the surface area increased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Eutrophication and climate change scenarios engender the need to develop good predictive models for harmful cyanobacterial blooms (CyanoHABs). Nevertheless, modeling cyanobacterial biomass is a challenging task due to strongly skewed distributions that include many absences as well as extreme values (dense blooms). Most modeling approaches alter the natural distribution of the data by splitting them into zeros (absences) and positive values, assuming that different processes underlie these two components. Our objectives were (1) to develop a probabilistic model relating cyanobacterial biovolume to environmental variables in the Río de la Plata Estuary (35°S, 56°W, n = 205 observations) considering all biovolume values (zeros and positive biomass) as part of the same process; and (2) to use the model to predict cyanobacterial biovolume under different risk level scenarios using water temperature and conductivity as explanatory variables. We developed a compound Poisson-Gamma (CPG) regression model, an approach that has not previously been used for modeling phytoplankton biovolume, within a Bayesian hierarchical framework. Posterior predictive checks showed that the fitted model had a good overall fit to the observed cyanobacterial biovolume and to more specific features of the data, such as the proportion of samples crossing three threshold risk levels (0.2, 1 and 2 mm³ L−1) at different water temperatures and conductivities. The CPG model highlights the strong control of cyanobacterial biovolume by nonlinear and interactive effects of water temperature and conductivity. The highest probability of crossing the three biovolume levels occurred at 22.2 °C and at the lowest observed conductivity (∼0.1 mS cm−1). Cross-validation of the fitted model using out-of-sample observations (n = 72) showed the model's potential to be used in situ , as it enabled prediction of cyanobacterial biomass based on two readily measured variables (temperature and conductivity), making it an interesting tool for early alert systems and management strategies. Furthermore, this novel application demonstrates the potential of the Bayesian CPG approach for predicting cyanobacterial dynamics in response to environmental change. Image 1 • Cyanobacterial biovolume was modeled using a Bayesian compound Poisson-Gamma approach. • The model uses two readily measured predictors: water temperature and conductivity. • Cyanobacterial biovolume in out-of-sample observations was well predicted. • Conductivity and temperature had an interactive effect on cyanobacterial biovolume. • The model has a great potential for water management in coastal ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the composition of land cover within a watershed plays a large role in regulating stream water quality. However, there remains significant uncertainty regarding the effect of spatial configuration of different types of land cover on water quality. Using periphytic algae (diatoms) as indicators of stream trophic state, we investigated the relationship between landscape configuration and water quality in a large number of watersheds (590) at varying catchment scales in Eastern Canada. Variation partitioning analysis showed that landscape configuration explained 48% of the variation in water quality. However, since the physiographic setting constrains most agricultural activities, most of the variation was attributed to the shared influence of surficial deposits, land cover and landscape configuration (34%). The results from regression models showed that the geomorphological setting of watersheds (surficial deposits and slopes) and the proportion of different land cover types (mainly forests, wetlands, crops and urban areas) have a major impact on stream water quality. Nevertheless, a few configuration metrics emerged as important factors. Landscape diversity appeared to have a negative impact on water quality, whereas forest and wetland edge densities had a positive impact. Moreover, the influence of these lanscape metrics seems to occur at certain thresholds. In areas of intensive farming, streams with a forest area that covers at least 47% of the watershed have a better water quality. Below this threshold, eutrophic and meso-eutrophic conditions are more frequent in streams and rivers. The shape and location of forested patches were also found to be relevant. Woodlands and wetlands with an edge density higher than 36 m/ha and located along streams and gullies have a positive impact on water quality. For the same proportion of forest, complex patches will be more efficient filters than large regular patches. Forest edge density seems to control the extent of the interface with the agricultural sources and thus promotes the “sink” effect of forests on nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cerro Prieto field of northern Mexico is the largest water-dominated geothermal field under commercial production at the present time. In 2000 more than 115 million tons of fluids were extracted, but only about 20% was injected back into the reservoirs. This deficit has contributed to a drop in pressures resulting in localized boiling, influx of cooler groundwater and other reservoir processes. The influence of geologic features, especially faults, on these processes and on the response of different parts of the field to production is described. The study illustrates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to gain an understanding of the behavior of geothermal systems under production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Cerro Prieto IV (CP IV) reservoir, located in the northeastern part of the Cerro Prieto (Mexico) geothermal field, was studied in order to define its pre-exploitation conditions and initial (2000–2005) response to exploitation. Bottomhole thermodynamic conditions were estimated by modeling heat and fluid flows using the WELLSIM program and well production data. Produced fluid chemical and isotopic data were also analyzed to investigate characteristic patterns of behavior over time, which were then compared against simulation results to obtain a conceptual model of the CP IV reservoir. According to the proposed model, two zones in the reservoir – separated by Fault H and producing fluids of different characteristics – were identified under pre-exploitation conditions. Wells in the area to the east-southeast (south block) produce very high-enthalpy fluids (≥2000kJ/kg), with very low chloride (≤7000mg/kg) and high CO2 (>6‰ molar) and δD (<−94‰). In contrast, wells toward the west-northwest (north block) show moderate-enthalpy fluids (1400–1800kJ/kg), with high chloride (∼12,000mg/kg) and relatively low CO2 (<6‰ molar) and δD (<−94‰). Dilution caused by cooler water entry, boiling due to steam gain, both occurring in the north block, and steam condensation in the south block were identified as the three main reservoir processes associated with exploitation. Also, it was found that the dynamics of the CP IV reservoir is controlled by the Fault H system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]