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Coronary artery disease requiring surgical revascularization is prevalent in United States Veterans. We aimed to investigate preoperative predictors of 30-day mortality following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the Veteran population. The Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement (VASQIP) national database was queried for isolated CABG cases between 2008 and 2018. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. A multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess for independent predictors of the primary outcome. A P-value of0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 32,711 patients were included. The 30-day mortality rate was 1.37%. Multivariable analysis identified the following predictors of 30-day mortality: African-American race (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.09-1.96); homelessness (OR 6.49, 95% CI 3.39-12.45); female sex (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.08-4.30); preoperative myocardial infarction within 7 days (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.06-2.10) or more than 7 days before CABG (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.04-1.72); partially/fully dependent functional status (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.07-1.93); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.24-1.92); mild (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.04-2.11) and severe aortic stenosis (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.37-3.09); moderate (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.31-2.72), or severe (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.71-5.22) mitral regurgitation; cardiomegaly (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.35-2.22); NYHA Class III/IV heart failure (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.10-3.83); and urgent/emergent operation (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.08-1.87). The 30-day mortality rate in US Veterans undergoing isolated CABG between 2008 and 2018 was 1.37%. In addition to established clinical factors, African-American race and homelessness were independent demographic predictors of 30-day mortality.

Summary Accurate battery life prediction is a critical part of the business case for electric vehicles, stationary energy storage, and nascent applications such as electric aircraft. Existing methods are based on relatively small but well-designed lab datasets and controlled test conditions but incorporating field data is crucial to build a complete picture of how cells age in real-world situations. This comes with additional challenges because end-use applications have uncontrolled operating conditions, less accurate sensors, data collection and storage concerns, and infrequent access to validation checks. We explore a range of techniques for estimating lifetime from lab and field data and suggest that combining machine learning approaches with physical models is a promising method, enabling inference of battery life from noisy data, assessment of second-life condition, and extrapolation to future usage conditions. This work highlights the opportunity for insights gained from field data to reduce battery costs and improve designs.

Central composite design (CCD) was adopted to statistically model algal biomass and lutein production by the Chlorolla sorokiniana TH01 strain on four variables of light intensity, sodium acetate, N/P ratio and CO2 in the mixotrophic mode. Results revealed that the biomass and lutein response surface models had high correlation coefficients (i.e., 98.8% and 98.2%) with the actual data. Moreover, data obtained from confirmatory experiments showed that the biomass and lutein content can be respectively reached maximum of 26.97 g/L and 8.47 mg/g under different optimal conditions. However, practical production could simultaneously achieve high levels of biomass of 26.21 g/L and lutein of 5.01 mg/g under the optimal light intensity of 75 µmol/(m2·s), sodium acetate of 10 g/L, N/P of 35 and CO2 of 2%. The C. sorokiniana TH01 strain was superior to other strains in both biomass and lutein production, demonstrating highly promising for commercial production of lutein.

Carbon sequestration using microalgae can be performed from bicarbonate (a product of carbon dioxide capture) and/or carbon dioxide. To implement either process successfully, the capability of microalgal strains is the most important criteria. In this work, a thermophilic microalgal Scenedesmus acuminatus TH04 was investigated to optimize its growth and carbon fixation in bicarbonate-based and carbon dioxide-based reactor systems. Culture variables including temperature, light intensity, pH, and aeration rate, concentration of NaHCO3, Na2CO3, CO2 and triethylenetetramine (TETA) were examined. The S. acuminatus TH04 strain achieved the highest biomass production and bicarbonate fixation efficiency of 1.7 g/L and 100 %, respectively, with 4.2 g NaHCO3/L. In a single photobioreactor (PBR), the maximum biomass production and CO2 fixation efficiency of 4.7 g/L and 9.8 % were achieved under the optimal conditions of CO2 of 5% (v/v), aeration rate of 0.1 vvm, TETA of 5 mM and Na2CO3 of 50 mM. Remarkably, a sequence of ten PBRs increased CO2 fixation efficiency by S. acuminatus TH04 to 93.9 %. The S. acuminatus TH04 strain demonstrated a highly potential capability in simultaneous production of biomass and carbon fixation from HCO3− and CO2 as carbon sources.

The objectives of this study were to quantify Salmonella counts on retail raw poultry meat in Vietnam and to phenotypically characterize (serovars and antibiotic resistance) the isolates. A total of 300 chicken carcasses were collected from two cities and two provinces in Vietnam. Salmonella counts on the samples were determined according to the most-probable-number (MPN) method of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS). A total of 457 isolates were serotyped and tested for antibiotic susceptibility. Overall, 48.7% of chicken samples were Salmonella positive with a count of 2.0 log MPN per carcass. There were no significant differences (P0.05) in log MPN per carcass by the study variables (market type, storage condition, and chicken production system). There was a significant difference (P0.05) in Salmonella-positive prevalence by chicken production system. Among the 22 Salmonella serovars identified, Albany was the most frequent (34.1%), followed by Agona (15.5%) and Dabou (8.8%). Resistance to at least one antibiotic was common (i.e., 73.3%), with high resistance to tetracycline (59.1%) and ampicillin (41.6%). Resistance to three antibiotics was the most frequently found multidrug resistance profile (17.7%, n = 81); the profile that was resistant to the highest number of drugs was resistant to nine antibiotics (0.7%, n = 3). Only Salmonella Albany posed phenotypic resistance to ceftriaxone (a drug of choice to treat severe cases of salmonellosis). The data revealed that, whereas Salmonella prevalence on raw poultry was high (48.7%), counts were low, which suggests that the exposure risk to Salmonella is low. However, improper storage of raw chicken meat and cross-contamination may increase Salmonella cell counts and pose a greater risk for infection. These data may be helpful in developing risk assessment models and preventing the transmission of foodborne Salmonella from poultry to humans in Vietnam.

For the first time, the pigment composition of basidiocarps from the Chilean mushroom Cortinarius pyromyxa was studied under various aspects like phylogeny, chemistry and antibiotic activity. A molecular biological study supports the monotypic position of C. pyromyxa in subgenus Myxacium, genus Cortinarius. Four undescribed diterpenoids, named pyromyxones A-D, were isolated from fruiting bodies of C. pyromyxa. Their chemical structures were elucidated based on comprehensive one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopic analysis, ESI-HRMS measurements, as well as X-ray crystallography. In addition, the absolute configurations of pyromyxones A-D were established with the aid of JH,H, NOESY spectra and quantum chemical CD calculation. The pyromyxones A-D possess the undescribed nor-guanacastane skeleton. Tested pyromyxones A, B, and D exhibit only weak activity against gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and gram-negative Aliivibrio fischeri as well as the phytopathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea, Septoria tritici and Phytophthora infestans.

This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella on chicken carcasses collected from six regions in Vietnam. A total of 1,000 whole, dressed chicken carcasses were collected from five cities and seven provinces across the six regions in Vietnam. Of these, 900 samples were collected from wet markets and 100 from supermarkets. All samples were analyzed for the presence of Salmonella according to a method recommended by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. The overall Salmonella prevalence was 45.9%. There was no significant difference (P0.05) in Salmonella prevalence by (i) location (Ha Noi city, 51.1%; Hai Phong city, 45.6%; Da Nang and Can Tho cities, 45.5%; Bac Ninh province and Ho Chi Minh city, 44.7%; Dong Nai province, 44.6%; Ha Tinh province, 44.4%; Phu Tho province, 43.8%; Lao Cai province, 43.5%; Kien Giang province, 41.9%; and Lam Dong province, 40.9%), (ii) market type (wet market, 46.2%; supermarket samples, 43.0%), and (iii) storage temperature at retail (ambient storage, 46.4%; chilled storage, 45.1%). Hence, Salmonella presence on poultry meat in Vietnam was not associated with a specific city or province, market type, or storage temperature at retail. Strategies to reduce Salmonella levels on raw poultry in Vietnam should be undertaken to improve the safety of poultry products and reduce the incidence of human salmonellosis from poultry consumption.

One result of the discovery of homogeneous metallocene stereospecific catalysts is the ability to prepare polypropylene in a stereoblock form in which the isotactic stretches give crystallites acting as temporary crosslinks in an elastomeric network structure. The fact that these elastomers are thermoplastic and thus reprocessible increases the importance of establishing their structure–property relationships. In this report, the dependence of their physical properties on isotactic pentad content, molecular weight, and possible strain-induced crystallization are described. Thermal evaluations and mechanical tests of these materials under oscillatory strain, continuous extension and near-equilibrium uniaxial and biaxial elongation showed that they were multiphase, tough elastomeric materials. Their moduli and tensile strengths increased with increase in % isotactic pentad content and with increase in molecular weight. Equilibrium stress–strain measurements showed the occurrence of strain-induced crystallization in uniaxial, but not in biaxial, deformations.

The effect of variations in halide ratio on the local atomic environment of silver chlorobromides has been determined using EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure). The nearest-neighbor Ag-halide distances have been measured, at cryogenic temperatures, for Ag(Cl,Br) solid solutions ranging from pure AgCl to pure AgBr. Significant deviations of the EXAFS nearest-neighbor BrAg and AgCl distances from the “average” X-ray distance have been observed. The EXAFS nearest-neighbor distances are in agreement with the interatomic distance predicted by atomistic simulation studies and demonstrate the usefulness of combining theoretical and experimental methods in the study of the silver halides.

The addition of small amounts of iodide to the silver bromide is known to have a significant effect on the photographic properties of silver halides. The change in the photographic sensitivity depends on both the concentration and distribution of iodide ions. Hence, it is important to obtain detailed information on the chemical bonding and compositional distribution of iodide in silver halide alloys. The depth distribution of iodide ions was determined with the ISS (ion scattering spectrometry) technique at both the top and bottom (111) surface layers of AgBr0.97I0.03, AgBr0.94I0.06 and AgBr0.90I0.10 sheet crystals grown on a flat Vycor® (quartz) substrate. ISS data show that iodide ions are more heavily segregated at the last-solidified surface. For the first-solidified surface, there is a smaller enhancement of iodide ions within the top 100 A region relative to the rest of the near-surface region. Systematic fluorescence EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) and SEXAFS (surface EXAFS) measurements were made at 35 ± 5 K on both the Br and I absorption edges to study the local iodide distribution, bonding and structure of the top surface and bulk layers. EXAFS and SEXAFS data show that there are significant differences in the local iodide distribution and silver ion vacancy concentration between the bulk and surface layers. These differences vary with the concentration of iodide ions in the samples. For the bulk layers, there are no changes in the local iodide distribution and silver vacancy concentration as a function of iodide concentration, in contrast to the surface layers where significant differences were observed. Changes in the iodide concentration, local iodide distribution and silver vacancy concentration have negligible effects on the nearest-neighbor distances for both the surface and bulk layers. The nearest-neighbor I-Ag and I-Br distances are found to be slightly larger that the corresponding Br-Ag and Br-Br distances.

Silver halide surfaces play a central role in the photographic process and the development of an improved understanding of these surfaces at an atomic level is important to further progress in photographic science. Extensive fluorescence SEXAFS measurements, using the total reflection geometry, were made at both the Br and Ag edges for both the AgBr(111) and AgBr(100) surfaces. For the AgBr(111) case, contractions of 0.02 ± 0.01, 0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.02 ± 0.01 A, relative to the bulk, were observed for the nearest-neighbor Ag-Br distance and the next-nearest-neighbor Ag-Ag and Br-Br distances, respectively. These contractions are consistent with a surface reconstruction predicted by theoretical models. Comparison of the SEXAFS data with the simulations of several models for this reconstruction suggests that the Ag + -top alternate-row model provides the best agreement. No corresponding contractions in the Ag-Br, Br-Br, and Ag-Ag distances were observed from the AgBr(100) SEXAFS data. The observed distances in the AgBr(100) show essentially no changes from the bulk values. The lack of contraction in the nearest-neighbor distances is consistent with the “rumpling” model, which predicts no (100) surface reconstruction but rather a rumpling of the top surface ions.