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A current issue in electrical engineering is the enhancement of the quality of solder joints. This is mainly associated with the ongoing electrification of transportation as well as the miniaturization of (power) electronics. For the reliability of solder joints, intermetallic phases in the microstructure of the solder are of great importance. The formation of the intermetallic phases in the Cu-Sn solder system was investigated for different annealing temperatures between 472 K and 623 K using pure Cu as well as Cu-1at.%Ni and Cu-3at.%Ni substrate materials. These are relevant for lead frame materials in electronic components. The Cu and Cu-Ni alloys were in contact to galvanic plated Sn. This work is focused on the unexpected formation of the hexagonal ζ-(Cu,Ni)10Sn3 phase at annealing temperatures of 523–623 K, which is far below the eutectoid decomposition temperature of binary ζ-Cu10Sn3 of about 855 K. By using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction the presence of the ζ phase was confirmed and its structural properties were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Herpesviral saimiri-(HVS) mediated expression of bovine growth hormone was one of the first applications of an episomal viral vector for gene therapy. Meanwhile, the long-term persistence of HVS vectors has been confirmed in a broad spectrum of infectable target cells in vitro and in vivo. Regulated gene expression is useful for many applications of gene therapy. Therefore, we inserted the Mifepristone-antiprogestin-inducible expression system (GeneSwitch™) into HVS viral vectors to regulate the combined expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 and IL-1RA. Constitutive CMV-promoter/enhancer-driven and Mifepristone-inducible cytokine expression was compared in the viral context in transduced primary human fibroblasts and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like cells (RASF). Long-term persistence of vector genomes was shown for both construct types. Constitutive expression was efficient and more rapid in onset than in the inducible system, in which the selective induction of interleukin expression along with low background levels was obtained by Mifepristone concentrations that were more than 1000-fold below those required for endogenous Progesterone antagonism. Furthermore, transgene expression corresponded to vector doses. Global patterns of cytokine secretion were not significantly changed due to viral transduction, indicating a rather inert behavior of the viral vector itself. In an attempt to emulate the inflammatory cytokine-enriched environment in rheumatoid arthritic joints, the function of the vectors could be demonstrated in vitro by the successful blockade of IL-1ß-stimulated matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 expression from RASF cells. Evaluation of this system in future studies, in suitable long-term SCID models of RA or in non-human primate models, will exploit the possible in vivo benefits of nontransforming HVS vectors in gene therapy.Gene Therapy (2005) 12, 395-406. doi:10.1038/sj.gt.3302424 Published online 13 January 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to synthesize posaconazole as a nanosponge device to evaluate its antifungal potential, specifically for the treatment of cutaneous candidiasis caused by the Candida albicans fungus. Methods: Posaconazole inhibits fungi by acting on their cell membrane through its antifungal action. Posaconazole nanosponges made using a solvent preparation technique. The polymer methyl-β-cyclodextrin was utilized to make the nanosponge. Particle size, entrapment effectiveness, drug content, and scanning electron microscopy were assessed for nanosponge formulations. Carbopol 934, preservatives, and a few more pH adjacent ingredients are used in the gel production process. Evaluation tests for spreadability, viscosity, gelling strength, pH, and in vitro diffusion of gels loaded with nanosponges. Results: The F4 formulation’s entrapment efficiency was determined to be 562.7 ± 0.036 nm with 99.24 ± 0.016% of Entrapment efficiency. Viscosity 47879 ± 0.546 cps, Spreadability 13.09 ± 0.065 g.cm/s, pH 6.54 ± 0.004, and gelling strength 112 sec.% are all displayed in the optimized batch of nanosponge loaded gel. The improved batch’s drug diffusion was determined to be 95.58 ± 0.079% for a full day. Studies on skin irritation and stability testing of the improved formulation were performed. The formulation may offer prolonged release and enhanced drug bioavailability, boosting the medication's therapeutic efficacy, according to the high entrapment efficiency and suitable particle size. Conclusion: The formulation’s excellent entrapment efficiency and adequate particle size imply prolonged drug release and increased bioavailability, improving therapeutic effectiveness. As a result, the study provides a strong basis for the creation of topical antifungal medications that work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new pest of tomato, the South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), was found in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan in 2021. We examined the genetic variation in the DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene in 1039 individuals belonging to 39 countries including Japan. In the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree and haplotype network, 19 haplotypes were detected in the world. Of those haplotypes, only one haplotype (Ta1) was detected from all 39 countries including neighboring countries and Japan. These results and some other information suggest that this species migrated from neighboring countries to Japan. Furthermore, we developed a Multiplex PCR using species-specific primers to discriminate T. absoluta from other gelechiid moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). We could successfully identify the first instar larvae, fourth instar larvae, pupae, and adults of both species based on the differences in the length of amplicon bands. In addition, we were able to identify adults of both species collected from various prefectures. These results indicated that the Multiplex PCR developed in this study is useful to identify all developmental stages of both species collected in the fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge to community wellbeing and mental health. However, quantifiable information on the extent of mental health problems and associated factors due to the pandemic is still lacking in low-income countries. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress and their association with risk and resilience factors among residents of Jimma town in Southwestern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2021 and November 2021. Data were collected from 1196 adult Jimma town residents selected through multi-stage sampling. The following scales were used for the cross-sectional assessment of depressions, anxiety and stress and their associations: depression, anxiety, and stress-21(DASS-21), World Health Organization (WHO) wellbeing, University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA), Childhood trauma questionnaire, and brief resilience scales. A pre-tested, interviewer-completed questionnaire was used for data collection. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Odds ratios consistent with 95% CI were used to report the presence of an association between risk and resilience factors and the outcome variable at a P-value < 0.05. Overall, 963 (80.53%) respondents had divergent DASS-21 score findings. Specifically, 27.68%, 31.52% and 21.32% experienced depression, anxiety, and stress respectively. Higher DASS-21 scores were associated with the presence of one or more COVID-19 risk factors for anyone close to the participants (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.03–2.27), feelings of stress/burden (β = 1.09, 95% CI 1.07–1.12), positive coping (β = 1.044, 95% CI 1.01–1.07), loneliness (β = 1.063, 95% CI 1.04–1.08), and childhood trauma (β = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.04). In contrast, lower DASS-21 scores were associated with beliefs about the necessity of solidarity-based behavior (β = 0.94, 95% CI 0.90–0.98), resilience (β = 0.92, 95% CI 0.87–0.97) and wellbeing (β = 0.90, 95% CI 0.87–0.94). In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in the study community were prevalent, and associated with numerous risk and resilience factors. Although causality cannot be inferred, these findings underscore the importance of strengthening mental health services and may guide COVID-19 prevention and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with severe craniocerebral trauma (sCCT) display metabolic and endocrine changes. The question is raised whether hormonal patterns give cues to the prognosis of outcome or not. In 21 patients the function of the adrenocortical, gonadal, thyroid and human growth hormone (hGH)-insulin system was assessed. LH, FSH, TSH, prolactin and hGH were stimulated. 3 groups of patients were formed. Group I: patients in acute phase with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) more than 6 (group Ia) and less than 6 (group Ib). Group II: patients in transition to traumatic apallic syndrome (TAS). Group III: patients with full-blown or resolving TAS. The values of group Ia comprised low T3, T4 and testosterone, elevated insulin, normal hGH. Group Ib had hypothyroid T3 and T4 and an attenuated response of LH, TSH, prolactin and hGH to stimulation. Group III: there was seen an endocrine normalisation with elevated T4 and TBG and an altered response of hGH and prolactin to stimulation. Endocrine abnormalities were not helpful in predicting which course, either to better or to worse, a given patient would follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexing, extracting and mobile carrier properties of the tetra(phosphine oxide)-calix[4]arene 1 and the hybrid diamide-di(phosphine oxide)-calix[4]arene 2 were studied. Both ligands give 1 : 1 complexes with alkali cations in THF as shown by the picrate method. 1H NMR experiments were run to follow encapsulation of sodium and potassium cations. The corresponding spectra indicate C2-symmetrical structure. The observed extraction orders of the alkali picrates were as follows K+>Rb+>Li+>Cs+>Na+ for 1 and Li+>Na+>K+>Rb++ for 2. Transport kinetics was analysed by means of a model which assumes pure diffusion and which allows the evaluation of mass transfer coefficients in all systems. These coefficients and their influences on the transport rate are discussed in terms of size of the transporting species in the liquid membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen uptake (VO2) and carbon dioxide elimination (VCO2) can be measured with an indirect calorimeter, this method is well established in routine monitoring of ICU patients to evaluate metabolic state as a reflection of stress. In various experimental studies it was demonstrated that anaesthetics can influence whole-body metabolism. The purpose of this study was to examine whether indirect calorimetry can be used intraoperatively during routine anaesthesia and whether presumable changes in metabolism can be detected immediately. Abdominal aortic cross-clamping changes circulation, nutritional supply of the lower extremities and thus VO2 and VCO2. We therefore used this operation for our study. METHOD. Eleven patients, mean age 64 years, undergoing reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation, were studied. After premedication with piritramid and atropine, total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) was performed with fentanyl and midazolam after an induction with thiopental. Patients were ventilated with a Servo-Ventilator 900 D and a constant FiO2 of 0.5, without N2O. Routine monitoring consisted of ECG, pulsoximetry, CVP and continuous AP. VO2 and VCO2 were measured with a Deltatrac (Datex), and data were registered every minute. For statistical evaluation we used a Wilcoxon-Ranksum test for matched pairs, p < 0.05 was considered significant. Data from specific time (5 min after intubation, 5 min before clamping; 5, 10 and 15 min after clamping, before declamping and 5 and 10 min after declamping and at the end of surgery) were calculated. In addition to absolute values, we compared the measured VO2 and VCO2 to baseline (5 min before clamping = MP2). RESULTS. Mean operating time was 139 min +/- 37; aortic cross-clamping time for the first extremity was 38 min and 55 min for the second. As expected, there was a significant decrease in VO2 (90% of baseline) and VCO2 (75% of baseline) during aortic cross-clamping. After declamping VO2 again rose to 110% of baseline, or to 103% for the second limb. VCO2 increased to only 90% and 82%, respectively. At the end of surgery VO2 reached baseline, whereas VCO2 remains at 83%. The respiratory quotient VCO2: VO2 was markedly reduced from 0.95 +/- 0.156 to 0.73 +/- 0.06 during surgery. The Deltatrac showed every change in VO2 without delay; changes in VCO2 seem to occur somewhat retarded. DISCUSSION. Aortic cross-clamping leads to a marked decrease in VO2 and VCO2 reflecting the temporary reduction in whole-body metabolism. Declamping results in a compensatory rise, especially in VO2. VCO2 seems to increase less after declamping, perhaps due to the CO2 pool of the organism or to a change in metabolism from carbohydrate to mainly fat oxidation. The results of this study demonstrate that indirect calorimetry can easily be performed during anaesthesia and surgery. Preconditions are a non-rebreathing system without airleak, constant FiO2 < 0.6 and no use of nitrous oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial Parks (IPs) in Africa, especially Ethiopia's Hawassa Industrial Park (HIP), are seen as vital for boosting exports, creating jobs, and enhancing skills. However, the global pandemic's disruptions to production and employment prompt a reevaluation of this view. Drawing upon extensive ethnographic research conducted at Ethiopia's flagship state-owned IP, the HIP, we delve into the multidimensional crises faced by the country's industry during the pandemic. We identify various methods employed by the Ethiopian government to persuade workers into accepting disproportionately low wages, with the aim of retaining foreign investors and stabilizing the national economy. Our analysis reveals the reinforcement of precarious livelihoods among HIP workers, characterized by heightened vulnerability and job insecurity due to the pandemic-induced disruptions. Contrary to the state's depiction of HIP as an emblem of industrial progress, workers at HIP champion narratives and strategies to assert their rights and improve working conditions. This research underscores the importance of reimagining Africa's industrialization strategy, emphasizing the well-being of its labor force in a post-pandemic world. Article Highlights: The study findings showed that IP workers experienced increased vulnerability and job insecurity due to disruptions caused by the pandemic. In the study, we strongly argue that contrary to the state's depiction of the IPs as an emblem of its developmentalist orientation, workers at HIP struggle for their rights and improved working conditions. The finding underscores the rise of vulnerable livelihoods, a changing landscape of challenges, and the quest for new perspectives on Africa's future progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition and morphology of the cathode catalyst layer (CCL) have a significant impact on the performance and stability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Understanding the primary degradation mechanism of the CCL and its influencing factors is crucial for optimizing PEMFC performance and durability. Within this work, we present comprehensive in-situ characterization data focused on cathode catalyst degradation. The dataset consists of 36 unique durability tests with over 4000 testing hours, including variations in the cathode ionomer to carbon ratio, platinum on carbon ratio, ionomer equivalent weight, and carbon support type. The applied accelerated stress tests were conducted with different upper potential limits and relative humidities. Characterization techniques including IV-curves, limiting current measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry were employed to analyse changes in performance, charge and mass transfer, and electrochemically active surface area of the catalyst. The aim of the dataset is to improve the understanding of catalyst degradation by allowing comparisons across material variations and provide practical information for other researchers in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines whether mobile money adoption contributes to women's economic empowerment, and considers the mediating effect of financial management behavior. Cross-sectional data analysis is conducted utilizing a sample of women in seven countries across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. We also investigate whether these effects vary between rural and urban areas. Three measures of mobile money adoption are considered to reflect the process of engaging in mobile money services. We find supportive evidence for the impact of mobile money adoption on women's economic empowerment and the influencing mechanism of financial management behavior for the whole sample and the rural sub-sample. Moreover, the results are consistent for three alternative measures of mobile money adoption. Our findings suggest that mobile money can be harnessed to promote women's economic empowerment; however, the impact appears to be greater if women are equipped with proper financial management skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A structure composed of various Cu–Ni–Sn IMCs would develop from severe Joule heat and excessive elemental diffusion under high-density current in the solder joints of flexible printed circuit (FPC). Herein, we firstly observed the evolution of a Cu6Sn5 + Cu3Sn/(Ni,Cu)3Sn4 hybrid structure in a µ-Cu/NiAu/Sn/Cu solder joint for full intermetallic compounds (IMCs) interconnect of flexible electronics under isothermal aging condition by in-situ TEM. The joint was divided into two regions, the IMC type on the right region remained unchanged with dwell time prolonging, while the ratio of Cu3Sn on the left region at various dwell times fitted the JMAK model when the kinetic parameter n picked 1.5, indicating that grain boundary diffusion was the predominant mechanism for transporting Cu atoms. The nucleation and growth of Cu3Sn grains were finished in the Cu6Sn5 layer. The nucleation of a Cu3Sn grain with a spherical cap shape was firstly captured by HRTEM, and Cu3Sn grains underwent a transformation from columnar to equiaxed when the dwell time was increased, making the morphology of Cu3Sn grains in a µ-Cu/NiAu/Sn/Cu solder joint significantly different from the situation in larger solder joints. This study is expected to provide an in-depth study of the microstructural evolution of micro Cu/NiAu/Sn/Cu solder joints under aging condition and thereby expand their application in the microelectronic industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure is a critical factor governing the functionality of ceramic materials. Meanwhile, microstructural analysis of electron microscopy images of polycrystalline ceramics, which are geometrically complex and composed of countless crystal grains with porosity and secondary phases, has generally been performed manually by human experts. Objective pixel-based analysis (semantic segmentation) with high accuracy is a simple but critical step for quantifying microstructures. In this study, we apply neural network-based semantic segmentation to secondary electron images of polycrystalline ceramics obtained by three-dimensional (3D) imaging. The deep-learning-based models (e.g., fully convolutional network and U-Net) by employing a dataset based on a 3D scanning electron microscopy with a focused ion beam is found to be able to recognize defect structures characteristic of polycrystalline materials in some cases due to artifacts in electron microscopy imaging. Owing to the training images with improved depth accuracy, the accuracy evaluation function, intersection over union (IoU) values, reaches 94.6% for U-Net. These IoU values are among the highest for complex ceramics, where the 3D spatial distribution of phases is difficult to locate from a 2D image. Moreover, we employ the learned model to successfully reconstruct a 3D microstructure consisting of giga-scale voxel data in a few minutes. The resolution of a single voxel is 20 nm, which is higher than that obtained using a typical X-ray computed tomography. These results suggest that deep learning with datasets that learn depth information is essential in 3D microstructural quantifying polycrystalline ceramic materials. Additionally, developing improved segmentation models and datasets will pave the way for data assimilation into operando analysis and numerical simulations of in situ microstructures obtained experimentally and for application to process informatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal combustion engine inefficiencies and waste heat emissions raise environmental concerns, as they waste fuel energy in the form of heat, increasing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, waste heat contributes to the urban heat island effect. Waste heat recovery is a vital solution, capturing and repurposing heat to reduce fuel use, emissions, and costs while promoting sustainability, innovation, and economic growth. Polygenerative waste heat recovery maximizes energy efficiency by generating multiple forms of energy from a single source, enhancing overall sustainability. The proposed Trinitor model is a polygenerative system encompassing power generation, product drying, space cooling/heating, and oxygen production. Power generation utilizes exhaust heat stored in a phase change material (PCM) to generate electricity through a Hot Air Turbine. The PCM also stores heat from the PVT thermal collector and supports produce drying. In the space cooling/heating process, the temperature contrast resulting from the hot air generated by the turbine and the cooled air from the Cooling chamber is harnessed by the Seebeck principle within the TEG, converting heat energy into electricity, and it is possible to create temperature variations using the Peltier Effect by supplying electricity. Oxygen production involves dehumidifying air, separating oxygen from hydrogen using an electrolyzer and storing oxygen for civilian use. A component review identifies SiC wall flow-diesel particulate filters (DPF), a paraffin-based Latent Heat Storage System, and electric-assisted turbo compounding as cost-effective for energy production. Produce drying relies on hot air or infrared drying, a revolving wicks humidifier, and a cooling coil dehumidifier. Space cooling/heating needs a water-type PV/T collector, MPPT charge controller, lithium-ion batteries, and ceramic TEGs. A PEM electrolyzer with appropriate components (bipolar plates, electrodes, catalyst, membrane, and gasket) enhances oxygen production efficiency. Based on existing literature, the trinitor has the potential to attain an overall efficiency ranging from 40.12–54.81%. Thus, a combination of low-efficiency processes results in a highly efficient waste heat recovery Trinitor system, with further improvements possible through identified components' integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FIB-SEM tomography is a powerful technique that integrates a focused ion beam (FIB) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to capture high-resolution imaging data of nanostructures. This approach involves collecting in-plane SEM images and using FIB to remove material layers for imaging subsequent planes, thereby producing image stacks. However, these image stacks in FIB-SEM tomography are subject to the shine-through effect, which makes structures visible from the posterior regions of the current plane. This artifact introduces an ambiguity between image intensity and structures in the current plane, making conventional segmentation methods such as thresholding or the k-means algorithm insufficient. In this study, we propose a multimodal machine learning approach that combines intensity information obtained at different electron beam accelerating voltages to improve the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of nanostructures. By treating the increased shine-through effect at higher accelerating voltages as a form of additional information, the proposed method significantly improves segmentation accuracy and leads to more precise 3D reconstructions for real FIB tomography data. Highlights: FIB-SEM tomography can be used to acquire high-resolution image stacks of nanostructures. Machine learning reduces artifacts and ambiguities introduced in FIB-SEM tomography because of the shine-through effect. Our approach treats the shine-through effect as a valuable additional information for precise reconstruction. Using multi-voltage images, our multimodal ML approach improves 3D reconstruction accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumbo-sacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) are frequent congenital variances of the spine and are associated with increased spinal degeneration. Nevertheless, there is a lack of data whether bony alterations associated with LSTV result in reduced segmental restoration of lordosis when performing ALIF. 58 patients with monosegmental stand-alone ALIF in the spinal segment between the 24th and 25th vertebra (L5/S1)/(L5/L6) where included. Of these, 17 patients had LSTV and were matched to a control population by age and sex. Pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, sagittal vertical axis, lumbar lordosis, segmental lordosis, disc height and depth were compared. LSTV-patients had a significantly reduced segmental lordosis L4/5 (p = 0.028) and L5/S1/(L5/L6) (p = 0.041) preoperatively. ALIF resulted in a significant increase in segmental lordosis L5/S1 (p < 0.001). Postoperatively, the preoperatively reduced segmental lordosis was no longer significantly different in segments L4/5 (p = 0.349) and L5/S1/(L5/6) (p = 0.576). ALIF is associated with a significant increase in segmental lordosis in the treated segment even in patients with LSTV. Therefore, ALIF is a sufficient intervention for restoring the segmental lordosis in these patients as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding digital financial services (DFS) such as mobile money has become a key policy intervention for many developing and emerging countries as they seek to fast-track financial and economic inclusion. To date, adults in these markets have had more mobile money accounts than traditional bank accounts. Numerous studies have used binary approaches to understand the factors explaining DFS adoption. However, there is a dearth of studies, that investigate the time to DFS adoption and factors that predict time to adoption. To close this gap, this study used a time-to-event analysis approach to estimate the time to DFS adoption and investigate the factors that explain the variation in time to adoption. Using a sample of 1800 survey respondents from Zimbabwe, the study found that it took 4.4 and 8.5 years, respectively, for urban and rural residents to adopt DFS. Overall, the findings show that individuals who are significantly more likely to adopt DFS faster are those residing in urban areas, near mobile money agents, banked, with high levels of education and financial literacy, middle-aged, belonging to social groups, and self-employed. In addition, an expansionary macroeconomic environment was associated with greater DFS adoption intensities. The findings also show that gender and income level do not predict the time to DFS adoption in the studied market. This study provides policy and practitioner recommendations for possible actions to accelerate the adoption of DFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The next years will see the completion of the radioactive ion beam facility SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) and the upgrade of the accelerators complex at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL) opening up new possibilities in the fields of nuclear structure, nuclear dynamics, nuclear astrophysics, and applications. The nuclear physics community has organised a workshop to discuss the new physics opportunities that will be possible in the near future by employing state-of-the-art detection systems. A detailed discussion of the outcome from the workshop is presented in this report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the incidence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) in Lenke 5C adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and evaluate the relationship between postoperative outcomes and LSTV when the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV) is fixed at L3. Methods: The study included 61 patients with Lenke 5C AIS who underwent fusion surgery of L3 as the LIV who were followed-up for a minimum of 5 years. Patients were divided into two groups: LSTV + and LSTV-. Demographic, surgical, and radiographic data, including L4 tilt and thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) Cobb angle, were obtained and analyzed. Results: LSTV was observed in 15 patients (24.5%). The L4 tilt was not significantly different between the two groups preoperatively (P = 0.54); however, it was significantly greater in the LSTV group postoperatively (2 weeks: LSTV + = 11.7 ± 3.1, LSTV − = 8.8 ± 3.2, P = 0.013; 2 years: LSTV + = 11.5 ± 3.5, LSTV − = 7.9 ± 4.1, P = 0.006; 5 years: LSTV + = 9.8 ± 3.1, LSTV − = 7.3 ± 4.5, P= 0.042). The postoperative TL/L curve was greater in the LSTV + group, with significant differences at 2 weeks and 2 years postoperatively (preoperative: LSTV + = 53.5 ± 11.2, LSTV − = 51.7 ± 10.3,P = 0.675; 2 weeks: LSTV + = 16.1 ± 5.0, LSTV- = 12.2 ± 6.6, P = 0.027; 2 years: LSTV + = 21.7 ± 5.9, LSTV − = 17.6 ± 5.9, P = 0.035; 5 years: LSTV + = 18.7 ± 5.8, LSTV − = 17.0 ± 6.1, P = 0.205). Conclusion: The prevalence of LSTV in Lenke 5C AIS patients was 24.5%. Lenke 5C AIS patients with LSTV with the LIV at L3 had a significantly greater postoperative L4 tilt than those without LSTV and retained the TL/L curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, it was investigated the growth kinetics, grain orientation, and mechanical properties of the Cu20Sn6 phase aged from full Cu3Sn joints at the aging temperatures of 600, 620, and 640 °C. The results showed that the growth mechanism of the Cu20Sn6 phase was dominated by bulk diffusion. Furthermore, the activation energy of Q and the growth rate constant of k0 were respectively 45.25 kJ/mol and 3.6 × 104 µm2/min for the Cu20Sn6 phase. Besides, although the preferred orientation of the Cu20Sn6 was not very obvious, it was [0001] direction in parallel to the diffusion direction. And, in ND, the [010]Cu3Sn was parallel to the [01–11]Cu20Sn6 and [11–21]Cu20Sn6. Based on the nanoindentation results, the average hardness of Cu3Sn and Cu20Sn6 phase was approximately 7.12 ± 0.12 GPa and 8.69 ± 0.47 GPa, while the corresponding Young’s moduli were 143.80 ± 4.51 GPa and 166.43 ± 7.32 GPa. Consequently, the Cu20Sn6 phase had a better performance on hardness and Young’s moduli than Cu3Sn. Last but not least, the shearing strength for the soldering joints increased from 35.71 to 60.77 MPa with increasing aging time. The fracture mechanism of Cu3Sn was an intergranular fracture, while it was a cleavage fracture for Cu20Sn6. Furthermore, the fracture mechanism presented a mixed fracture of intergranular and transgranular fracture when the joints consisted of Cu3Sn and Cu20Sn6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease with various clinical symptoms due to a deficiency of an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase A. The likelihood of nephropathy increases with age and the severity of the mutation in Fabry patients. Fabry disease is difficult to diagnose. The exact incidence and prevalence of Fabry disease are unknown due to its atypical or oligosymptomatic forms. Design, setting, participants, and measurements: GLA gene mutations were examined in patients over the age of 18 who were followed up on with a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease and who had or did not receive renal replacement therapy from October 2017 to December 2019. Results: A total of 18 sites in 8 locations around Turkey volunteered to participate in the study, including people aged 18 and older with stages 1–5 of chronic kidney disease (CKD) or getting renal replacement therapy. 1904 patients were screened in total. In 13 cases, a D313Y pseudo mutation in the GLA gene was discovered. GLA gene mutations were found and pathologically assessed in four of the tested cases. Conclusions: The range of clinical symptoms of Fabry disease, as well as the frequent delays in diagnosis, result in treatment being too late. We believe that screening chronic renal patients at high risk for Fabry disease is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present works assesses the knowledge concerning the crystal structures of phases in the Cu–Sn system having their high relevance due to their occurrence in bronze alloys and soldered systems. The crystal structures of the terminal solid solution phases α-Cu and β-Sn and of the stable main intermediate phases β, γ, ε-Cu3Sn, δ-Cu41Sn11, ζ-Cu10Sn3, η-Cu6Sn5 and η′-Cu6Sn5 and some metastable phases appear to be well established in the literature, but details can be intriguing. This paper attempts to review apparently or truly contradictory structure models derived from experimental diffraction data for the different phases, revealing limiting knowledge in some cases. These results are also analyzed regarding the results of first-principles calculations making use of various model structures. The review is also used to highlight exemplarily problems, which can be experienced upon widespread, "routine" means of phase identification, in particular x-ray diffraction (on polycrystalline specimens) and electron backscatter diffraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are growing expectations in Australia and internationally that school educators will engage with and use research to improve their practice. In order to support educators to respond to such expectations, there is a need to be able to accurately assess the levels of educators' research engagement. At present, however, few psychometrically sound instruments are available. Drawing on two studies of Australian educators (n = 1,311) and utilising Rasch analysis, supported by confirmatory factor analysis, this paper reports on the development of a brief eight-item scale that demonstrates validity and reliability and evidenced unidimensionality in the second study. The scale is intended as a quick, easy-to-use tool for educators to gain insights into their beliefs about the value of engaging with research, their actions around using research, and their confidence in finding, interpreting, and judging the quality of relevant research. Notwithstanding the need for further testing, this paper argues that the scale has the potential to be applicable to other educational contexts and to contribute to future research into educators' research engagement and its assessment. The scale can also provide school and education system leaders, as well as evaluators and researchers, with data regarding educators' research engagement over time, allowing for research use supports and resources to be better targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Manuelle Medizin is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The increasing growth of forced displacement worldwide has brought more attention to measuring poverty among refugee populations. However, refugee data remain scarce, particularly regarding income or consumption. We offer a first attempt to measure poverty among refugees using cross-survey imputation and administrative and survey data collected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Employing a small number of predictors currently available in the UNHCR registration system, the proposed methodology offers out-of-sample predicted poverty rates that are not statistically different from actual poverty rates. These estimates are robust to different poverty lines, perform well according to targeting indicators, and are more accurate than those based on asset indexes or proxy means tests. They can also be obtained with relatively small samples. We additionally show that it is feasible to provide poverty estimates for one geographical region based on existing data from another similar region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Two facultatively anaerobic, chemoorganoheterotrophic bacterial strains, designated JR1/69-2-13T and JR1/69-3-13T, were isolated from nitrate- and radionuclide-contaminated groundwater (Ozyorsk town, South Urals, Russia). Both strains were found to be motile, Gram-stain negative rod-shaped neutrophilic, psychrotolerant bacteria that grow within the temperature range from 5–10 to 33 °C at 0–3 (0–5)% NaCl (w/v). The major cellular fatty acids were identified as C16:0, C16:1ω7c, C18:1ω7c and C17:0 cyclo. The major polar lipids were found to consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and unidentified aminophospholipids. The genomic G + C content of strains JR1/69-2-13T and JR1/69-3-13T was determined to be 57.2 and 57.9%, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains showed high similarity between each other (98.6%) and to members of the genera Pusillimonas (96.8–98.4%) and Candidimonas (97.1–98.0%). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values among genomes of the new isolates and Pusillimonas and Candidimonas genomes were below 84.5 and 28.8%, respectively, i.e., below the thresholds for species delineation. Based on the phylogenomic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characterisation, we propose assignment of strains JR1/69-3-13T (= VKM B-3223T = KCTC 62615T) and JR1/69-2-13T (= VKM B-3222T = KCTC 62614T) to a new genus Pollutimonas as the type strains of two new species, Pollutimonas subterranea gen. nov., sp. nov. and Pollutimonas nitritireducens sp. nov., respectively. As a result of the taxonomic revision of the genus Pusillimonas, three novel genera, Allopusillimonas, Neopusillimonas, and Mesopusillimonas are also proposed; and Candidimonas bauzanensis is reclassified as Pollutimonas bauzanensis comb. nov. Genome analysis of the new isolates suggested molecular mechanisms of their adaptation to an environment highly polluted with nitrate and radionuclides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid neutron capture or ‘r process’ of nucleosynthesis is believed to be responsible for the production of approximately half the natural abundance of heavy elements found on the periodic table above iron (with proton number Z = 26 ) and all of the heavy elements above bismuth ( Z = 83 ). In the course of creating the actinides and potentially superheavies, the r process must necessarily synthesize superheavy nuclei (those with extreme proton numbers, neutron numbers or both) far from isotopes accessible in the laboratory. Many questions about this process remain unanswered, such as ‘where in nature may this process occur?’ and ‘what are the heaviest species created by this process?’ In this review, we survey at a high level the nuclear properties relevant for the heaviest elements thought to be created in the r process. We provide a synopsis of the production and destruction mechanisms of these heavy species, in particular the actinides and superheavies, and discuss these heavy elements in relation to the astrophysical r process. We review the observational evidence of actinides found in the Solar system and in metal-poor stars and comment on the prospective of observing heavy-element production in explosive astrophysical events. Finally, we discuss the possibility that future observations and laboratory experiments will provide new information in understanding the production of the heaviest elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global COVID-19 pandemic causes hundreds of thousands of deaths and has created a catastrophic economic and health crisis around the World. Transportation, manufacturing industries, business and people's movement came to almost a halt and sharp oil and gas prices reduction were observed. The impact of the pandemic for sub-Saharan countries like Ethiopia, which was already struggling with many economic and social welfare problems, is more evident than in other wealthy nations around the World. In Ethiopia, the general energy access rate is 44% and in healthcare facilities is only about 10%. Therefore, the response for the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging, since activities such as information sharing, communication with health centers, diagnosis and medical treatment require electricity access. This paper aims to assess the impact of the pandemic on energy access plans during and post-pandemic. The paper analyzed, the status of the current COVID-19 outbreak in Ethiopia, the energy access situation in health facilities, and the impacts of COVID-19 on energy access during and post-pandemic periods. Data related to the universal energy access plan of Ethiopia, the impact of energy access on healthcare services and the impact of the pandemic were reviewed for the assessment. The analysis indicates that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopian healthcare facilities and on the overall universal energy access plan is immense and to minimize the global impact short and long-term policy responses are identified and urgently recommended. Furthermore, powering healthcare facilities with microgrids composed of solar panels and battery storage systems could be one cost-effective and sustainable solution for the speedy and effective response of the pandemic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Differences in neonatal pharmacokinetics are known to cause systemic accumulation of levobupivacaine with adverse effects during epidural analgesia. Therefore, it is not recommended to surpass 48 hours of administration in neonates. Free and total levobupivacaine levels are considered as predictors of toxicity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the LEVON pilot study was to detect the accumulation of levobupivacaine during epidural analgesia exceeding 48 hours in neonates. METHODS: Ten neonates received a loading dose of levobupivacaine (1.25 mg/kg) followed by a continuous infusion (0.2 mg/kg/hour) epidurally. Free and total levobupivacaine concentrations were measured 0.5, 1, 6, 12, 36, 72 and 144 hours after the start of infusion. Cumulative doses of levobupivacaine, pain scores and clinical signs of toxicity were used for assessing efficacy and safety. RESULTS: The median concentrations of total levobupivacaine were 586.0, 563.0, 837.5, 957.0, 1930.0, 708.5 and 357.5 ng/ml. The median concentrations of free levobupivacaine were 4.0, 3.6, 5.5, 3.6, 5.5, 0.8 and 0.0 ng/ml. Three patients reached concerning concentrations of total levobupivacaine. Levels of free levobupivacaine remained low. No signs of toxicity were observed. CONCLUSION: Caudal epidural analgesia with levobupivacaine lasting longer than 48 hours appears to be safe providing that free levobupivacaine levels are below the presumed threshold for toxicity (Tab. 1, Fig. 1, Ref. 29). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of the genus Limenitis (Nymphalidae) (L. camilla, L. helmanni, L. sydyi) have split ranges in the Palearctic. Their disjunction was dated either to the Pleistocene or to the Subboreal time of the Holocene. This genus also exhibits an amphiberingean disjunction, L. populi vs four Nearctic species. To evaluate the disjunction time in Eurasia, we analysed a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene and a major part of the histone H1 gene. The former was sequenced in 51 specimens of three species with Palearctic disjunctions. We detected a diverged nuclear copy of the COI gene in L. camilla. The histone H1 gene was sequenced in 64 specimens of 8 species. In five species, intra-species and intra-individual nucleotide substitutions and variation in the number of intra-genic repeats were observed and studied by cloning of individual gene copies, with individuals found with more than two variants. With 30–80 copies of histone H1 gene in Limenitis genomes, as estimated by real time PCR, this was interpreted as cis-heterogeneity across the histone gene cluster. No fixed differences between the western and eastern range parts were found in L. helmanni, L. camilla and L. sydyi, although in the former more alleles of both sequences were found in the eastern part. This suggests the range disjunctions to be too recent to be dated by molecular means and they may only be estimated to have taken place not more than 77–100 tya. This fits their provisional dating by Dubatolov and Kosterin (Entomologica Fennica 11(3), 141-161, 2000) to the Subboreal time of the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) is a congenital anomaly of the lumbosacral junction. Its prevalence is variable in the literature such as its association with low back pain. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of LSTV in a southern European population, and its correlation with low back pain. Methods: A retrospective review of 639 thoraco-abdomino-pelvic consecutive CT-scans between January 2019 and November 2020 was performed. The presence of LSTV was classified into type II, III, IV based on Castellvi's classification. To investigate the association with low back pain, Oswestry Low Back Disability Questionnaire (ODI) and the EuroQol-5D-3L questionnaire was applied. Results: The prevalence of LSTV was 24.9% (142 of 571). 37,3% were type IIb, 31,0% were type IIa, 13,4% were type IIIa, 9.9% were type IIIb and 8.5% were type IV. Individuals with LSTV were more likely to report low back pain and have a higher ODI score (OR:0.392, 95% CI:0.192–0.802, p = 0.010), (OR: 1050, 95% CI: 1029–1072, p < 0.01). Castellvi's type IV showed a significantly higher ODI when compared to type II (OR:1059, 95% CI:1019–1100, p = 0,04). There was no statistical difference in the EuroQol-5D-3L score between two groups (OR:1085, 95% CI: 0.459–2.560, p = 0.852). Conclusion: This population-based study adds to the literature the prevalence of LSTV in a southern European population. LSTV was associated with low back pain. However, this difference did not translate into a loss of quality life. Type IV was associated with higher functional disability when compared with type II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) was imported to the USA to control aquaculture pond snails. This species has escaped captivity and occurs in parts of the Mississippi River, several tributaries, and floodplain lakes, which is concerning due to potential competition with native fishes and predation on native mussels, many of which are imperiled. However, Black Carp captures have primarily been incidental by commercial fishers, and evidence of reproduction in the wild is limited. The objectives of this study were to assess relative abundance of aquaculture-origin and wild Black Carp using ploidy and otolith stable isotope analysis, identify spatial extent of natural reproduction using otolith microchemistry, assess age distributions of wild and aquaculture-source Black Carp to infer years in which natural reproduction occurred and timing of aquaculture escapement or introductions, and estimate size and age at maturation to assess whether recruitment to adulthood has occurred. Results revealed that Black Carp are established in parts of the Mississippi River basin based on findings that: (1) non-captive Black Carp primarily consist of fertile, naturally-reproduced fish, (2) reproduction has occurred in several rivers, (3) multiple year classes of wild fish are present, and (4) wild fish have recruited to adulthood. Multiple introductions or escapements of aquaculture-source fish into the wild, including both fertile and functionally sterile individuals, were also inferred. Individual growth appears to be rapid, although considerable variation was observed among fish. Additional study is suggested to refine understanding of where and when Black Carp reproduction is occurring in the Mississippi River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Depressaria (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae) mostly comprises specialist herbivores with varying capacity for detoxification of defensive phytochemistry. Depressaria depressana, a Eurasian moth recently introduced into North America, is a family-level specialist of the Apiaceae, whose hosts include more than a dozen species in multiple tribes; Depressaria radiella is a super-specialist of Eurasian origin that feeds exclusively on species in the genera Pastinaca and Heracleum throughout its native and introduced range. In eastern North America, it feeds upon Pastinaca sativa, an invasive European species, and Heracleum maximum, a native species. We determined whether differences in furanocoumarin metabolism exist between D. depressana and two isolated populations of D. radiella, feeding exclusively on either P. sativa or H. maximum. We also compared gravimetric estimates of feeding efficiency to assess D. depressana larval performance on different diets. Both populations of D. radiella metabolized furanocoumarins at a greater rate than D. depressana. Although there was no difference in rates of metabolism of linear furanocoumarins in the two populations of D. radiella, individuals collected from H. maximum metabolized angular furanocoumarins more rapidly. The gravimetric assessments of feeding efficiencies revealed that D. depressana exhibited highest efficiencies consuming Daucus carota; moreover, this species survived to pupation consuming fruits of Zizia aurea, an apiaceous species native to North America. Our preliminary phylogenetic analysis, building on an earlier morphological analysis, incorporates mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 data from the BOLD database and revealed that the presence or absence of furanocoumarins is not a strong predictor of species-level evolution in Depressaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are inherently multiscale and multiphysics systems. Coarse-grained models, which represent electrode components as overlapping continua, allow one to approximate battery macroscopic response in a computationally efficient manner. Electrode effective transport coefficients in these models are often estimated using the Bruggeman relationship. Yet, its limitations to accurately incorporate the effect of complex particle morphologies have been amply recognized. Alternative approaches, which include detailed topological information of the pore-structure, are based on direct numerical simulations of transport at the pore-scale on reconstructed or synthetically generated images of electrodes. High fidelity simulations have also been employed to train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to estimate effective battery properties directly from images of porous electrodes. However, the training cost can be significant due to the associated computational cost of pore-scale simulations conducted over large domains. This imposes limitations either on the size of the training set and/or on the type of topologies that can be accommodated. Here, we marry CNN methods with homogenization theory to take advantage of effective medium formulations and limit the computational cost associated with individual pore-scale simulations. The framework is based on training the CNN on closure problem solutions over computer-generated unit cells with varying topological properties to encompass arbitrary particle shapes. The results demonstrate that the CNN is significantly more accurate than the Bruggeman relation over a broad range of electrode porosities, while the computational costs associated with training are kept in check. A noise sensitivity analysis is performed to assess the CNN's robustness. Finally, the CNN is applied to real 2D and 3D images and is shown to accurately predict effective properties of real battery electrodes. Article Highlights: Electrode transport properties depend strongly on specific microstructure morphology. We propose a homogenization-informed CNN to predict transport properties from microstructural images, while keeping training costs in check. The framework is based on training the CNN on homogenization closure problem solutions and allows to expand the training set to pore structure with highly varying topological characteristics. The CNN is more accurate than empirical correlations and is computationally efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand how the digitalization of higher education influences the inter-relationship between students, teachers, and their broader contexts, research must account for the social, cultural, political, and embodied aspects of teaching and learning in digital environments. Digital ethnography is a research method that can generate rich contextual knowledge of online experiences. However, how this methodology translates to higher education is less clear. In order to explore the opportunities that digital ethnography can provide in higher education research, this paper presents a methodological review of previous research, and discusses the implications for future practice. Through a systematic search of five research databases, we found 20 papers that report using digital ethnographies to explore teaching and learning in higher education. The review synthesizes and discusses how data collection, rigour, and ethics are handled in this body of research, with a focus on the specific methodological challenges that emerge when doing digital ethnographic research in a higher education setting. The review also identifies opportunities for improvement—especially related to participant observation from the student perspective, researcher reflexivity in relation to the dual teacher-researcher role, and increased diversity of data types. This leads us to conclude that higher education research, tasked with understanding an explosion of new digital practices, could benefit from a more rigorous and expanded use of digital ethnography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a significant multifaceted threat to the global community. Ethiopia, as a Sub-Saharan African country, is suffering from chronic food insecurity, and the emergence of such a pandemic will exacerbate the situation. As a result, this study investigated the spatial variation of non-resilience to food insecurity, its relationship with COVID-19, and household coping strategies to become resilient in the long run among households in the East Gojjam Zone of Northwest Ethiopia. From September 22 to December 24, 2020, an agro-ecological-based cross-sectional study of 3532 households was conducted to assess the spatial distribution and associated factors of non-resilience to household food insecurity. The enumeration areas (EAs) and households were chosen using a multistage sampling technique. Data were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire and checklist using an Android device loaded with an Open Data Kit (ODK) template. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the specific factors associated with household non-resilience to food insecurity. A thematic analysis was conducted to investigate the opportunities and challenges of resilience for household food insecurity. Nearly two-thirds (62.5%) of the households were farmers, 67.9% lived in rural areas, and nearly three-quarters (73.8%) earned less than or equal to ETB 2100 per month. Males headed more than four-fifths of the households (81.7%). We found that nearly two-thirds of the households (60.02%), 95% CI 58.40, 61.64) were food insecure. After bivariate logistic regression, we found that households who were divorced (AOR = 2.54 (1.65, 3.87)), daily laborers (AOR = 2.37 (1.15, 4.87)), government employees (AOR = 2.06 (1.05, 4.05)), residents of highland and hot areas (AOR = 11.5 (5.37, 16.77)) and lowland areas (AOR = 1.35 (1.02, 3.15)) were frustrated by COVID-19 (AOR = 1.23 (1.02, 1.50)) and price inflation (1.89 (AOR = 1.42, 2.56))) were at higher odds of being non-resilient to household food insecurity at a 95% confidence level. Geospatial hot spot analysis revealed that Kurar kebele (the lowest government administrative unit) in Dejen District and Debre Markos town were the red-hotspot areas of household non-resilience to food insecurity. Less than a quarter of the households attempted to cope with food insecurity by adjusting their food consumption, while more than 60% of the households chose none of the coping strategies tested. According to the thematic analysis, the degree of poverty (lack of asset ownership), the COVID-19 pandemic, farm decreased variety, and low crop productivity were identified as challenges to coping with the hardship of resilience to food insecurity. During the COVID-19 pandemic and public emergency, the proportion of households that were unprepared for food insecurity reached its peak. It was recognized that a segment of the population with low economic capacity was more vulnerable to food insecurity and less resilient. Tough developmental gains will be undermined in this case. As a result, each responsible body and stakeholder should develop and implement solid corrective plans for the local context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding what factors predict whether an urban migrant will end up in a deprived neighbourhood or not could help prevent the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. This study leveraged pseudonymized mobile money interactions combined with cell phone data to shed light on urban migration patterns and deprivation in Tanzania. Call detail records were used to identify individuals who migrated to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city. A street survey of the city's subwards was used to determine which individuals moved to more deprived areas. t-tests showed that people who settled in poorer neighbourhoods had less money coming into their mobile money account after they moved, but not before. A machine learning approach was then utilized to predict which migrants will move to poorer areas of the city, making them arguably more vulnerable to poverty, unemployment and exploitation. Features indicating the strength and location of people's social connections in Dar es Salaam before they moved ('pull factors') were found to be most predictive, more so than traditional 'push factors' such as proxies for poverty in the migrant's source region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tephritid fruit flies attacking cucurbits are major agricultural pests that cause severe damage to their host plants, and are listed as quarantine pests in many countries. The classical morphological identification of Tephritid species is an arduous task due to presence of cryptic species complexes, as in those attacking cucurbits, and due to the reduced number of species-specific larval morphological characters. A quick and reliable species differentiation method is required to identify and prevent the establishment of invasive species in new territories. For this purpose, in this study, we developed a PCR–RFLP methodology to differentiate between three cucurbits Tephritid fruit fly species, namely Dacus frontalis, Dacus ciliatus and Bactrocera cucurbitae, which are hard to differentiate by morphological characters. The PCR–RFLP method is based on the mitochondrial COI gene barcoding region, which was successfully amplified in specimens from the three species. Sequence analysis revealed that the restriction enzyme RsaI clearly separated -among the three target species either at the larval or adult stage. Hence, this method can be used to improve decision-making procedures at quarantine checkpoints, especially when only immature stages are present in each quarantined commodity, avoiding time-consuming rearing until adult emergence for morphological identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated many low- and middle-income countries, causing widespread food insecurity and a sharp decline in living standards1. In response to this crisis, governments and humanitarian organizations worldwide have distributed social assistance to more than 1.5 billion people2. Targeting is a central challenge in administering these programmes: it remains a difficult task to rapidly identify those with the greatest need given available data3,4. Here we show that data from mobile phone networks can improve the targeting of humanitarian assistance. Our approach uses traditional survey data to train machine-learning algorithms to recognize patterns of poverty in mobile phone data; the trained algorithms can then prioritize aid to the poorest mobile subscribers. We evaluate this approach by studying a flagship emergency cash transfer program in Togo, which used these algorithms to disburse millions of US dollars worth of COVID-19 relief aid. Our analysis compares outcomes—including exclusion errors, total social welfare and measures of fairness—under different targeting regimes. Relative to the geographic targeting options considered by the Government of Togo, the machine-learning approach reduces errors of exclusion by 4–21%. Relative to methods requiring a comprehensive social registry (a hypothetical exercise; no such registry exists in Togo), the machine-learning approach increases exclusion errors by 9–35%. These results highlight the potential for new data sources to complement traditional methods for targeting humanitarian assistance, particularly in crisis settings in which traditional data are missing or out of date.Machine-learning algorithms can take advantage of survey and mobile phone data to help to identify people most in need of aid, complementing traditional methods for targeting humanitarian assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries' genetic resources and biological variation are extremely valuable. Biodiversity and genetic resources, particularly for endemic species, should be protected. DNA barcoding studies are a useful for identifying unknown taxa and protecting a country's biodiversity. DNA barcodes are small segments of DNA that are taxonomically informative and can be used to for species identification. DNA barcodes have been used to associate life phases, determine cryptic species, and prohibit illegal commerce, among other things. Astragalus argaeus and A. stenosemioides are endemic plant species to Turkey's Mt. Erciyes. To distinguish these two endemic Astagalus, we used two DNA barcodes in the matK region. The current study used A. argaeus, A. stenosemioides, and 23 GenBank sequences of other relative in the genus Astragalus, including one from a closely related species, to infer phylogenetic relationships and DNA barcodes for two endemic plants. The matK gene region could clearly identify A. argaeus and A. stenosemioides from closely related taxa, according to the phylogenetic study. Taxonomic and biodiversity research, as well as molecular ecology and population genetics investigations, will benefit from DNA barcoding surveys to unambiguously differentiate between these two species. Also, by separating the matK DNA gene area, which is one of the molecular features, it is feasible to detect the species, and A. argaeus and A. stenosemioides were successfully barcoded for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nanocomposite membranes consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and graphene oxide (GO) are prepared via solution casting method and the membranes are subsequently sulfonated by chlorosulfonic acid. A series of physicochemical properties such as, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are carried out to investigate the thermal and structural properties of the prepared sulfonated PVDF GO (SPG) nanocomposite membranes. The preliminary studies including ion exchange capacity (IEC), water and methanol absorption are conducted for evaluating the feasibility of the SPG membranes to perform as a proton exchange membrane (PEM). The results are quite encouraging and acceptable for further investigations on membrane performance evaluation. The proton conductivity of the membrane has been remarkably improved after the sulfonation and found to be 0.075 S cm−1 at 25 °C which can be ascribed to the hydrophilic nature of incorporated graphene oxide nanoparticles as well as sulfonic groups attached to the PVDF chains which forms a suitable proton conduction channel and favors easy proton migration. Further, the blocking effect of GO provides an advantage for the methanol permeation rate thereby creating a torturous path and giving the methanol permeability value as 1.62 × 10–6 cm2s−1 which is 76.62% less than Nafion 117 membrane. Finally, the higher selectivity of the SPG membranes makes them more competitive than Nafion 117 membranes to employ as a PEM for DMFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: To assess the association between 4, 5, or 6 lumbar spine vertebrae and the presence of lumbar spinal pathologies. Methods: We reviewed all MRI reports and images performed between August 1st, 2018 and July 31st, 2019. Lumbar spine pathologies such as disc herniation, lytic spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis were recorded. The reviewer studied the T2 sagittal screening of the entire spine and counted down manually from C2 to T12 on the assumption that there are seven cervical and twelve dorsal vertebrae. We then recorded whether there were four, five, or six lumbar vertebrae. Results: Our work incorporated a total of 1985 patients for whom T2-weighted entire spine sagittal MR images were obtainable. The study cohort's average age was 52.2 ± 15.9 years, comprising 944 males and 1041 females. One hundred and thirty-three patients (6.7%) had 4 lumbar-type vertebrae; 1799 (90.6%) had 5 lumbar-type vertebrae; and 53 (2.7%) had 6 lumbar-type vertebrae. There was a statistically significant difference between the rates of 6 lumbar-type vertebrae in males versus females (p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference with more spinal stenosis patients in the 6 lumbar-type vertebrae compared to the 4 or 5 lumbar-type vertebrae groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study shows that spinal stenosis is significantly more common in patients with 6 lumbar-type vertebrae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]