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Against the background of a long history of acceptance of transmigration from various parts of the world and interethnic marriages being embraced, political agendas that prevailed following the independence of Malaysia culminated in a society with increasing ethnic polarisation impacting on social cohesion and reports of aversion to interethnic marriages. This study is aimed at exploring the perspectives of people who have lived through the different socio‐political changes impacting on the social fabric. Using an exploratory cross‐sectional qualitative design, 36 participants from the three main ethnic groups, across three generations (Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and Millennials) were interviewed to explore their views on interethnic marriages in Peninsular Malaysia. Iterative questioning was adopted to enhance reliability of data, which were processed by thematic analysis. Although each of the generational groups had different lived experiences, the findings indicate commonalities identified in terms of two main themes, i.e., challenges and facilitators. The predominant perception is the challenge of religion conversion required by non‐Muslims in relationships with Muslims. The issue of ethnicity did not arise as of concern amongst the different ethnic groups from this urban sample. Of significance is the heightened ethno‐religionist consciousness with implications on social cohesion for community relations and nation building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims at evaluating the suitability of producing activated carbons (ACs) derived from wheat straw by a one-step synthesis approach, as an alternative to more conventional two steps production processes (i.e., pyrolysis and subsequent activation). The performance of the produced ACs, in one or two steps, as sustainable and selective CO 2 adsorbents for CH 4 /CO 2 separation is compared. In addition, the influence of pyrolysis conditions on the properties of the resulting two-step ACs is carefully analyzed. We show that the biochar-based precursors of ACs presenting the best textural properties were obtained under mild conditions of maximum temperature and absolute pressure during pyrolysis. The one-step ACs were fully comparable —in terms of textural properties as well as CO 2 uptake and selectivity— to those produced by the more conventional two-step synthesis process. In addition, results obtained from breakthrough curve simulations highlight that the best AC in terms of CH 4 recovery under dynamic conditions was produced by a one-step activation. Therefore, the one-step process appears to be as an attractive route for the production of engineered carbon materials, which can lead to significant cost savings in large-scale production systems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atypical cries have been identified in infants with neurological dysfunction. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to appraise existing evidence for associations between acoustic cry characteristics and neurological dysfunction in infants aged 18 months or less.Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase were searched for original, peer-reviewed studies published in English reporting cry variables in infants aged 18 months or less with or at risk of neurological dysfunction. Studies without a nonneurologically impaired control sample were excluded. Pooled effect sizes were estimated using standardized mean difference (SMD) and odds ratio (OR). I2 indicated study heterogeneity, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.Results: From March 2018 to February 2019, 28,294 studies were retrieved. Eight were meta-analyzed. Infants with or at risk of neurological dysfunction exhibited higher mean (SMD = 0.11 [95% confidence interval, 0.00 to 0.23]) and minimum (SMD = 0.93 [0.64 to 1.23]) fundamental frequency; higher odds of hyperphonation (OR = 13.17 [1.05 to 165.87]), biphonation (OR = 10.62 [1.53 to 73.59]), rise-fall-rise melodies (OR = 4.66 [1.16 to 18.66]), and flat melodies (OR = 4.47 [1.27 to 15.68]); and lower odds of fall-rise-fall melodies (OR = 0.21 [0.05 to 0.83]).Conclusions: Infants with underlying neuropathology have unique cries characterized by higher fundamental frequency, dysphonation, and atypical melodies, although study heterogeneity and imprecision of effect size estimates limited our interpretation. Assessment of acoustic cry characteristics offers the potential for noninvasive, rapid, point-of-care screening for neurologically high-risk infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Overweight and obesity are highly prevalent in this study population of DMD patients. • Detailed, longitudinal exploration on the BMI-z course shows an increase around the period of losing ambulation, which starts already before patients become wheelchair bound. • Cross sectionally corticosteroid use was associated with higher BMI-z scores and exceeding the recommended caloric intake was associated with higher BMI in non- ambulatory patients. • Although longitudinal mixed model analysis did not show significant association between BMI-z score and corticosteroid use or caloric intake, explorative analysis of the longitudinal data show that BMI-z increases before caloric intake is adjusted (often from the moment patients become wheelchair bound). Earlier intervention in caloric intake could probably help to prevent obesity. We aimed to investigate BMI-z course in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) during transition to loss of ambulation, and to explore the contribution of caloric intake and corticosteroid use. A retrospective multicenter longitudinal study was conducted. First, analyses of characteristics at first visit were carried out. Second, discontinuous change models were fitted to explore associations between BMI-z, loss of ambulation, caloric intake and corticosteroid use. 790 visits of 159 patients were collected. Cross sectional first visit analyses showed the presence of overweight and obesity was 44% in the ambulant group and 51% in the non-ambulant group. In the non-ambulatory group, exceeding the recommended caloric intake was associated with higher BMI-z scores (r 0.36, p = 0.04). Patients who were using corticosteroids had significantly higher BMI-z scores compared with patients not using corticosteroids (1.06 and 0.51 respectively, p = 0.02). Longitudinal analyses on patients ambulant at first visit showed an increase in BMI-z score during transition to the non-ambulatory phase. Caloric intake and corticosteroid use were not associated with BMI-z. Transition to the non-ambulatory phase may be crucial in the development of excessive weight gain. Early measures – starting before this time frame – may contribute to reduce development of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haemonchus contortus is a hematophagous parasite that causes damage to ruminant production worldwide. This study reported the in vitro nematicidal effect of a lectin preparation (LP) isolated from Artocarpus heterophyllus seeds on larvae and adults of H. contortus. The protein extraction was in phosphate-buffered saline followed by protein precipitation with ammonium sulfate 70% and dialysis. The dialyzed protein fraction was chromatographed to obtain isolated LP. The LP was characterized by hemagglutinating activity (HA) assays, protein dosage and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The motility index of H. contortus in the third larval stage (unsheathed L3 larvae) and adult stage was evaluated. The HA inhibition of LP by mannose and galactose as well as the electrophoretic profile indicated the presence of the lectins ArtinM and Jacalin. The motility index of H. contortus was significantly reduced (p < 0.001) during the first 8 h of LP exposure, both in larvae (lowest index 8.3% with LP at 1 mg mL−1) and female adults (lowest index 20% with LP at 500 μg mL−1; index 40% with LP at 1 mg mL−1). This research revealed that the LP has potential for being utilized in the development of natural nematicides. • The lectin preparation indicates the presence of ArtiM and Jacalin. • The lectin preparation decreased the motility of larvae of H. contortus. • The lectin preparation inhibited the motility of female adults of H. contortus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oncocytic lipoadenoma (OL) is a rare salivary gland tumor characterized by the presence of oncocytic cells and mature adipose tissue. To date, only 30 cases of OL have been reported in the English-language literature. We present 3 additional OL cases involving the parotid, including a synchronous presentation with paraganglioma of the right carotid bifurcation. Microscopically, both the OLs were composed of a mixed population of oncocytes and adipocytes in varying proportions surrounded by a thin, connective tissue fibrous capsule. Oncocytes were positive for pan-cytokeratins (CKs) AE1/AE3, epithelial membrane antigen, CK5, CK7, CK14, CK18, and CK19. Calponin, p63, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and carcinoembryonic antigen were negative. Vimentin and S-100 protein were positive only in adipose cells. Despite distinctive morphologic features, OL is often misdiagnosed, given its rarity. We hope to contribute to surgeons' and pathologists' awareness and knowledge regarding the existence of this tumor and provide adequate management through conservative surgical excision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the combinatorics behind an identity recorded in Ramanujan's lost notebook. We present an interesting result, which not only generalizes two theorems of Bressoud, but also implies a bivariate form of Ramanujan's original identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Menthol vs. tobacco e-liquid did not result in overall differences in puff patterns. • There were no significant differences in subjective experience by e-liquid flavor. • There may be limited benefit to smokers if menthol e-cigarettes remain on the market. The proposed FDA product standard to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in combustible cigarettes has the potential to significantly reduce tobacco-related health disparities. Whether a menthol e-liquid product standard would improve or hinder public health is unknown. No known research has directly examined the impact of menthol vs. tobacco flavored e-liquid use on acute e-cigarette use patterns, subjective experience, behavioral intentions, and craving and withdrawal among menthol cigarette smokers. Black (n = 47) and White (n = 4) nicotine-deprived menthol smokers with limited e-cigarette experience completed two counterbalanced in-laboratory 30-minute ad libitum vaping sessions with menthol and tobacco nicotine salt-based e-liquid in a randomized crossover pilot trial design. Questionnaires assessed reductions in craving and withdrawal and post-session subjective experience and behavioral intentions. Puff topography was measured continuously throughout each vaping session. Measures of puff topography did not differ significantly by e-liquid flavor (all p >.40). Similarly, menthol and tobacco flavored e-cigarettes were both rated positively in terms of subjective effects and behavioral intentions (all p >.10) and about 40 % of participants reported a preference for the tobacco-flavored e-liquid. Finally, participants showed comparable reductions in craving (p =.210) and withdrawal (p =.671) from pre- and post-session regardless of e-liquid flavor. Among menthol smokers in a lab-based setting, findings suggest that menthol vs tobacco e-liquid flavor has little impact on acute changes in puff patterns, subjective experience, behavioral intentions, or craving and withdrawal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symbolic data analysis data has provided several advances in regression models concerning the type of symbolic variable. Due to the advantages of using symbolic polygonal data, this paper introduces a linear regression approach for polygonal data based on the generalize linear model theory that provides a unified method to broad range of modeling problems for different types of response as asymmetric continuous and discrete. Ordinary polygonal residuals and a way for finding model inadequacies are presented. Moreover, a quality measure of fit for polygons is also proposed in this paper. Experimental evaluation results illustrate the usefulness of the proposed approach regarding synthetic and real polygonal data. • An approach based on Generalized Linear Models for symbolic polygonal data is proposed. • Polygonal residuals are defined for evaluating the adequacy of the fitted model. • The prediction quality is measured by a metric based on Euclidean distance and polygon vertices. • Synthetic and real polygonal data sets are considered in the experimental evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fluorimetric determination of formaldehyde using a nickel complex immobilized as a solid phase. • Formaldehyde analysis was able to be conducted in 05 min with a relative standard deviation estimated at 1.10 %. • Nickel waste was completely recovered implementing the principles of greener and sustainable chemistry. Formaldehyde (FA) is a highly toxic substance present in many matrices, including freshwater as well as found in natural mechanisms such as rainfall and combustion of organic matter. Consumption of water contaminated with high levels of FA can cause severe short-term or long-term health problems. Due to these health risks, procedures are necessary to determine and quantify FA in aqua sources This paper reports on a study of fluorimetric determination of FA using a nickel(2 +)-diketonate coordination compound immobilized as a solid precursor. The compound was characterized by electronic absorption, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), optical microscopy (OM), and scanner electron microscopy (SEM). The methodology was based on the reaction of the synthesized compound with an ammoniacal buffer generating a selective reagent for formaldehyde: fluoral-P. The product of the reaction generates 3,5-diacetyl-1,4-dihydrolutidine (DDL), which is responsible for the fluorescence of the system. Several parameters such as temperature, duration of heating time, and dilution effect with the best effects were studied to carry out FA determination. Under the optimum experimental conditions, a linear response ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 mg/L FA (R = 0.997 and n = 10), and a detection (3σ criterion) and quantification (10 σ criterion) limit estimated at 0.129 and 0.389 mg/L, respectively were achieved. The FA analysis was able to be conducted in 05 min with a relative standard deviation estimated at 1.10 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Amylene (C 5 H 10) limits the lifespan of stabilized chloroform (CHCl 3) as a good solvent. • Metanol (MeOH) produces similar stabilization of pure CHCl 3 when compared with C 5 H 10. • The combination of C 5 H 10 and MeOH leads to additional routes for controlling interchain interactions. The understanding of excitonic transitions associated with polymeric aggregates is fundamental, as such transitions have implications on coherence lengths, coherence numbers and inter- and intra-chain binding parameters. In this context, the investigation of efficient solvents and other ways to control polymer aggregate formation is key for their consolidation as materials for new technologies. In this manuscript, we use Poly(3-hexothiophene) (P3HT) as a probe to investigate the significance of amylene (C 5 H 10) and its association with methanol (MeOH) in both pure and C 5 H 10 -stabilized chloroform (CHCl 3)-based polymeric solutions. Using the intensity ratio between the first and second vibronic transitions of the P3HT H-aggregates formed, values for their exciton bandwidths and interchain interactions are obtained and correlated with the presence of C 5 H 10 and MeOH as agents determining the CHCl 3 quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of body composition is an essential aspect of veterinary canine care, particularly as prevalence of overweight and obesity in dogs is increasing. Few quantitative objective methods for body composition measurement are available for routine clinical use. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is widely used in human medicine and nutritional assessment and although it has shown promise in production animals it has not yet been adopted for companion animals. The present study validated bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) against the reference method of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Resistivity coefficients for use in BIS were determined: ρe = 444.8 and ρi = 1477.8 ohm.cm and used to predict fat-free mass (FFM) in a cohort of 35 mixed breed dogs. Overall, FFM was predicted to within 3.5% of reference values. At an individual level, FFM was predicted within 2 standard deviations (95% confidence) of 10%. BIS provides an objective quantitative alternative to the widely used semi-quantitative body condition scoring. In addition, BIS provides estimates of body water volumes (total, extra-and intracellular), information that can be useful in fluid management. BIS is inexpensive, and simple to perform but does require brief (<5 min) sedation of the animal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Identification of counterfeit smartphones by conjoint ATR-FTIR and PLS-DA was proposed. • Infrared spectra from authentic and counterfeit smartphone glass screens are slightly different. • Chemometric analysis was useful to show latent information. • The multivariate model showed 100% accuracy for the discrimination of samples. • The proposed methodology is fast, cost-effective, easy, and non-destructive. Smartphone is a worldwide valuable and prevalent tool. The growing illegal fake device market is a harmful activity that needs to be fought. The lack of suitable identification methods for daily routine is one of the main obstacles in the fight against counterfeiters. In this study, the association between Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) was for the first time applied to distinguish authentic and counterfeit smartphone glass screens. The sample set used to build models included the four leading brands in the Brazilian smartphone market. Principal components analysis (PCA) allowed reasonable discrimination between the two classes along the second principal component. On the other hand, the PLS-DA model showed perfect classification rates, since the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were equal to 100% for the validation set. Therefore, the combination of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and PLS-DA provided a simple, low-cost, nondestructive, direct, fast, and environmentally friendly way to detect counterfeit smartphone screens in a forensic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Male rats exhibited a decrease in body weight when subjected to a high salt diet. • Male rats fed a high salt diet had an increased preference for sucrose solution. • When fed a high salt diet, male rats displayed a more active stress-coping behavior. • Male and female rats showed elevated water intake when subjected to a high salt diet. • Female rats were less susceptible to the effects of the high salt diet. Eating diets high in salt has been associated with alterations in the immune system and the potential development of neuropsychiatric disorders. This area of research shows promise, but there is currently a limited amount of research on this topic. The present study investigated whether a high salt diet (HSD) affects anhedonia and stress-coping response behaviors in young male and female Wistar rats. In this study, male and female Wistar rats were fed an HSD (8 % NaCl w/w) from weaning to post-natal day (PND) 64. From PND 60 to 64, the rats underwent a spontaneous locomotor activity test (SLA), sucrose splash test (SST), sucrose preference test (SPT), and forced swim test (FST), followed by euthanasia at PND 65. Male and female rats consuming the HSD exhibited an increase in water intake compared to the corresponding control diet (CD) groups. Male rats had lower body weight despite having similar food intakes compared to the CD group. Male rats displayed an active stress-coping behavior in the FST, characterized by increased mobility. Additionally, HSD-fed males exhibited a greater preference for sucrose solution in the SPT. However, no effect of diet and sex were detected in the SST and the SLA, and hypothalamic levels of leptin and ghrelin receptors. On the other hand, female rats were less susceptible to the experimental conditions applied in this protocol than males. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper an overview is presented on the use of diatomaceous earth (DE) as a partial substitute for binder and fine aggregate in mortars. For this purpose, this paper was divided into two sections. In the first one, concepts related to physical, chemical and microstructural properties of DE, as well as results of previous studies about its reactivity used in different construction materials (cement, concrete, mortar, bricks, phase change materials etc.) were summarized and discussed. In the next section, the effects of using DE on the fresh, hardening and durability properties of cement and lime-based mortars were discussed. In general, the results suggest that increasing DE content may reduce mortar performance due to the high porosity of its particles. However, this deficiency was observed for DE contents higher than 20%, which, however, can be compensated for by using superplasticizer additives or by volumetric dosage instead of by weight one. This critical value of up to 20% of DE was calculated using T2 statistical on the scores of principal components analysis obtained from the results collected from publish manuscripts. Nevertheless, the results of this review research may contribute to provide information on an under-explored alternative source of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and therefore help mitigate the negative effects generated by the cement industry and assist in the production of mortars with a lower carbon footprint that can play an important role in the thermal behavior of buildings. • State of the art systematic review of diatomaceous earth (DE) for mortar production. • Statistical analysis of the mechanical properties of mortar with DE. • Understanding the effects of DE on properties of mortars. • When up to 20% DE is used, the mechanical behavior of mortars can be improved. • Paths for the development of new studies on mortars incorporating DE are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive flame spread models based on temperature dependent pyrolysis rates require numerous material properties as input parameters. These parameters are often derived by optimisation and inverse modelling using data from bench scale experiments such as the Cone Calorimeter. The estimated parameters are then transferred to flame spread simulations, where self-sustained propagation is expected. A fundamental requirement for this transfer is that the simulation model used in the optimisation is sufficiently sensitive to the input parameters that are important to flame spread. Otherwise, the estimated parameters will have an increased associated uncertainty that will be transferred to the flame spread simulation. This is investigated here using a variance-based global sensitivity analysis method, the Sobol indices. The sensitivities of a Cone Calorimeter and a horizontal flame spread simulation to 15 effective properties of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) are compared. Results show significant differences between the setups: the Cone Calorimeter is dominated by strong interaction effects between two temperature dependent specific heat values, whereas the flame spread is influenced by several parameters. Furthermore, the importance of some parameters for the Cone Calorimeter is found to be time-varying, suggesting that single-value cost functions may not be sufficient to account for all sensitive parameters during optimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric domain structures induced by electron-beam irradiation of the polar surface of SBN (Sr 0·61 Ba 0·39 Nb 2 O 6) crystals have been investigated. The domains were observed in the low-voltage SEM mode and by PFM. The effect of electron-beam irradiation at U = 25 kV and 10 kV on the growth of domains in polydomain (zero field-cooled) and monodomain (field-cooled) samples was compared. Stable electron-beam domains were formed after prolonged irradiations and in high intensity electric fields (E z > > E c). It was found that the time threshold for the formation of stable domains in monodomain samples was significantly higher than in polydomain ones. The increase in domain diameter (d) with irradiation time followed an exponential dependence in both types of samples. However, the parameters of the dependences were different. An abnormal PFM contrast was found in the domains of zero field-cooled samples after prolonged irradiation at U = 25 kV. The relationship between the size of the oval domains formed in different SBN samples and the embedded regions of space charge, as well as the distribution and magnitude of the generated electric field strength (E z) was analyzed by computer simulation. The abnormal domain contrast observed in the experiment was attributed to the calculated inversion of the E z field in the surface layer and the polydomain structure of the irradiated sample. • Domains and periodic domain structures have been produced in Sr 0·61 Ba 0·39 Nb 2 O 6 (SBN) by electron beam irradiation. • Domain growth kinetics for initial monodomain and polydomain SBN samples investigated. • Conditions for anomalous domain formation during electron beam domain engineering are revealed. • The modeling of the electric field distribution for different irradiation regimes and recording schemes is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing humanity's relationship with the ocean is identified as one of ten key challenges in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). Marine citizenship is one potential policy approach for reducing anthropogenic harms to the ocean and promoting ocean recovery, and there is a need to better understand marine citizenship motivating factors and their interactions. To contribute to a more holistic understanding, we approached this problem using an interdisciplinary, mixed methodology, which prioritised the voices and experiences of active marine citizens. An online survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine factors spanning environmental psychology (values, environmental identity) and human geography (place attachment and dependency). Our data uncovered a unique marine place attachment, or thalassophilia , which is a novel conceptualisation of the human capacity to bond with a type of place beyond human settlements or defined localities. It is the product of strong emotional responses to the sensorial experience of the ocean and shared social or cultural understanding of ocean place identifications. A key driver of deeper marine citizenship is marine place dependency, and it is positively influence by stimulation and non- conformity values, environmental identity, and thalassophilia. We map significant motivating factors to identity process theory and describe a novel marine identity concept. We propose this as an operational mechanism of marine citizenship action, potentially filling the value- and knowledge-action gaps in the context of marine environmental action. This research provides a cornerstone in marine citizenship research by analysing together in one study a multitude of variables, which cross human-ocean relationships and experiences. The identification and characterisation of thalassophilia and marine identity process theory will enable research and practice to move forwards with a clearer framework of the role of the ocean as a place in environmental action. • Identification of thalassophilia – attachment to the ocean as a type of place. • Marine identity process theory proposed as marine citizenship operational driver. • Connections between all ten Schwartz basic human values and marine citizenship. • Interdisciplinary mixed methodology for holistic insight into marine citizenship. • Supports UN Ocean Decade Challenge 10: Change humanity's relationship with the ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report the structural and electronic properties of the double nanoring using the Density Functional Theory (DFT) formalism. The double nanorings were built with atoms of Boron (B), Aluminium (Al), Gallium (Ga), Indium (In), Thallium (Tl), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Arsenic (As) or Bismuth (Bi). We calculated 19 new structures, being that these molecules showed stability for good convergence criteria. All calculated vibrational frequencies are positive for any molecule studied, indicating that all these structures are in a stable state. The calculated HOMO-LUMO gaps (HLgap) converged to values between 0.244 eV and 2.064 eV, showing promising electronic properties, except for the B 8 N 8 nanoring that reached a HLgap of 4.739 eV, qualifying it as an insulating. The optical absorptions were also obtained for the double nanorings using the Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT), and their dependence on the wavelength were analyzed, where four of these molecules absorb on the visible region (A l 8 N 8 , A l 8 P 8 , B 8 P 8 , G a 8 N 8 and G a 8 P 8). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rehydration and ensiling are methods to processing and preserving corn grains by which starch digestibility, nutrient availability, animal performance, and meat quality can be improved. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the substitution of ground corn by rehydrated ground corn silage (RGCS) in high-concentrate diets for feedlot lambs on performance, carcass traits, and meat quality. Forty Santa Inês non-castrated male lambs were used, with an initial average body weight of 21 ± 2.8 kg (mean ± standard error) and an age of approximately 4 months. Lambs were distributed in a completely randomized design, corresponding to five treatments and eight repetitions. The treatments consisted of substitute RGCS for ground corn at levels of 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 g/kg of dry matter (DM) in the concentrate. The sampling and data collection (experimental period) lasted 64 days. At the end of the experimental period, the animals were subjected to a solid fast, followed by slaughter. To evaluate meat quality, both longissimus lumborum muscle were collected. The substitution of ground corn by RGCS in high-concentrate diets did not alter (P > 0.05) the meat pH, cooking losses, tenderness, juiciness, aroma, and global acceptance of meat from feedlot lambs. However, the ground corn substitution by RGCS increased linearly lightness (P = 0.016), redness (P = 0.005), yellowness (P = 0.026), and flavor (P = 0.018) of the meat. On the other hand, the shear force was linearly reduced (P = 0.003). The ground corn substitution by RGCS had no effect (P > 0.05) on the fatty acid profile and the hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic fatty acid ratio of the lambs' meat. Therefore, considering the current results, ground corn can be completely replaced by rehydrated ground corn silage in high-concentrate diets for feedlot lambs. • Rehydrated Ground Corn Silage (RGCS) can replace 100% of the ground corn (GC) in lamb diet concentrate. • Performance and carcass traits are not affected by the GC substitution for RGCS. • The meat physicochemical traits were not affected by the substitution of GC by RGCS. • The fatty acid profile and meat quality were similar when RGCS substituted GC. • Meat sensory analysis revealed that the substitution of GC for RGCS increased its taste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Supramolecular assemblies based on cationic and anionic thiacalix[4]arene derivatives and surfactants was prepared. • Two main approaches to the creation of supramolecular assemblies based on macrocyclic compounds are presented. • Interpolyelectrolyte complexes and mixed micelles were investigated to load hydrophobic anticancer drug paclitaxel. • New strategy for the design of interpolyelectrolyte complexes by using macrocycles as building blocks for solubilization of water-insoluble drug. In this work, supramolecular assemblies based on p–tert –butylthiacalix[4]arene derivatives functionalized with charged guanidinium and phosphonate fragments in the 1,3–alternate conformation were obtained in the presence of the surfactants. Two main approaches based on the macrocyclic compounds have been presented for supramolecular assembling, i.e. (i) the use of two oppositely charged macrocyclic compounds forming interpolyelectrolyte complexes; and (ii) the use of ionogenic macrocycles and low molecular surfactants forming mixed micelles. Self-assembling properties of guanidinium and phosphonate derivatives of p–tert –butylthiacalix[4]arene and paclitaxel solubilization of interpolyelectrolyte complexes and mixed micelles were examined and compared for various compositions. The obtained supramolecular associates were further investigated to load hydrophobic anticancer drug paclitaxel that is insoluble in water and requires solubilization prior to application. It was established that mixed micelles containing thiacalix[4]arene with guanidinium fragments were more effective in solubilizing paclitaxel against interpolyelectrolyte approach. The micelles obtained in the presence of water-insoluble drug formed stable monodisperse colloidal system consisted of spherical particles (d = 192 ± 7 nm, ζ = 33 ± 4 mV for equimolar ratio of the components). The results offer a new strategy for the design of the interpolyelectrolyte complexes based on the macrocyclic building blocks for the solubilization of water-insoluble drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate fracture toughness of architected interfaces and their ability to maintain structural integrity and provide stable damage propagation conditions beyond the failure load. We propose theoretical and numerical frameworks to evaluate the fracture properties of architected interfaces sandwiched between two (face) materials. The microscopic geometries of these interfaces are chosen as 2D cells – pillar, tetrahedron, and hexagon – as well as their 3D counterparts – namely, pillar array, octet truss, and Kelvin cell. Our model, both numerical and analytical, exhibits a high level of accuracy in predicting the compliance before failure and failure loads. Novel results are obtained during the damage propagation regime, indicating fulfilment of the so-called fail-safe design. Some of the cell geometries unfold during fracture, thus increasing the failure load and ensuring stable and controlled damage propagation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hexagonal structured blue emitting ZnS:Ce3+ synthesized via solid state reaction technique. • J-O analysis shows an increase of Ω 2 and covalently bonded with Ce3+ increasing. • The high value of branching ratio, stimulated emission cross-section, optical gain parameters and quantum efficiency suggests that 0.1 Ce3+:ZnS phosphor is a good candidate for optical applications. • The color coordinates show a blue cool region with high color purity. This paper discusses the luminescence properties of novel Zn (1-x) S: x Ce3+ (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) prepared via conventional solid-state reaction method at low temperature. The XRD results revealed that all synthesized phosphors have hexagonal structure. The strain was calculated using size-strain plot (SSP) method. The FTIR study identifies the various vibrational modes present in the synthesized phosphors. The structural and luminescence characteristics of the prepared samples were enhanced by Ce3+ substitution. The optical band gap energies were found to be decreasing with Ce3+ substitution. The optimal Ce3+ content for superior blue emission is found to be x = 10 mol %. The blue emission supports the incorporation of Ce3+ ions within the ZnS lattice, which is again confirmed by Ω 2 , Judd-Ofelt intensity parameter. The high value of Ω 2 indicates the symmetry of site occupies of Ce3+ ions are lower. The obtained critical distance of energy transfer between Ce3+ ions is calculated to be 6.3095 Å, which implies that the exchange interaction mechanism is a multipolar exchange. The high efficiency, branching ratio, stimulated cross section and the optical parameters indicate that the prepared phosphor materials have efficient blue light emission for display applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript reveals the synthesis of ferric doped nickel oxide (Fe–NiO) nanoparticle via a co-precipitation method and is depicted by XRD, SEM and EDS analysis. It is utilized as modifier at bare CPE with analysis of ascorbic acid (AA). AA (vitamin-C) found in citrus fruits and vegetables, it is acts as essential nutrients involved in tissue repair, making of collagen and enzymatic constructions of certain neuro transmitters. The Fe–NiO/MCPE brings the excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards AA in existence of Paracetamol (PA) by using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The experimental parameters like pH, sweep rate and concentration studied at 0.2 M PBS solution for the investigation of AA and PA. The Fe–NiO/MCPE is used for the illustration of AA and PA, The limit of detection for both AA and PA is 4.47 μM and 1.84 μM respectively. The prepared sensor can be used for the resolve of AA in real sample investigation. [Display omitted] • The synthesis of undoped Nickel Oxide and Iron doped Nickel Oxide nanoparticle via co-precipitation method. • Novel Fe–NiO/modified carbon paste electrode based sensor was fabricated. • Excellent electrocatalytic activity towards PA and AA was accomplished. • The practical feasibility of the developed sensor was performed very well. • An excellent analytical performance of designed sensor towards detection of AA and PA in real sample analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The application of reduced-order models to an epidemiological SEIRS model. • We introduce two digital twins of a SEIRS model applied to an idealised town. • The application of highly novel BDLSTM- and GAN-based reduced-order model approaches. • These two frameworks are accurate when compared to the original SEIRS model data. • These frameworks are data-agnostic and could be generalised to other domains. The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has now spread throughout the globe infecting over 150 million people and causing the death of over 3.2 million people. Thus, there is an urgent need to study the dynamics of epidemiological models to gain a better understanding of how such diseases spread. While epidemiological models can be computationally expensive, recent advances in machine learning techniques have given rise to neural networks with the ability to learn and predict complex dynamics at reduced computational costs. Here we introduce two digital twins of a SEIRS model applied to an idealised town. The SEIRS model has been modified to take account of spatial variation and, where possible, the model parameters are based on official virus spreading data from the UK. We compare predictions from one digital twin based on a data-corrected Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory network with predictions from another digital twin based on a predictive Generative Adversarial Network. The predictions given by these two frameworks are accurate when compared to the original SEIRS model data. Additionally, these frameworks are data-agnostic and could be applied to towns, idealised or real, in the UK or in other countries. Also, more compartments could be included in the SEIRS model, in order to study more realistic epidemiological behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Long-COVID 2 months after full vaccination of a health care worker. • Headache and blurred vision 18 weeks after Gamma VOC breakthrough infection. • Gamma VOC detected 1 year after B.1.1.33 infection by whole-genome sequencing. • Continuous exposure to SARS-CoV-2, vaccine low efficacy and reinfection. • Does ongoing exposure to SARS-CoV-2 justify additional vaccine doses in HCWs? We describe a case of prolonged COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Gamma variant in a fully vaccinated healthcare worker, 387 days after an infection caused by lineage B.1.1.33. Infections were confirmed by whole-genome sequencing and corroborated by the detection of neutralizing antibodies in convalescent serum samples. Considering the permanent exposure of this healthcare worker to SARS-CoV-2, the waning immunity after the first infection, the low efficacy of the inactivated vaccine at preventing COVID-19, the immune escape of the Gamma variant (VOC), and the burden of post-COVID syndrome, this individual would have benefited from an additional dose of a heterologous vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sodium content of biogenic carbonates shows potential as a palaeoceanographic proxy for salinity and/or calcium concentration but the incorporation of Na+ into inorganic and biogenic calcite is poorly understood. Taxonomic and conspecific variations in the sensitivity of carbonate Na/Ca to seawater Na+/Ca2+ and salinity point to a biological influence on Na+ partitioning and/or covariations with other environmental parameters. One major unknown of the biological control during calcification is the rate of mineral precipitation, which has a strong control on trace-element partitioning in inorganic carbonate systems. We conducted inorganic CaCO 3 precipitation experiments where the effect of solution composition and crystal growth rate on Na+ uptake by carbonate crystals are independently assessed. Calcite crystals were precipitated at rates varying from 10−6.5 to 10−4.5 mol/m2/s, while faster growth rate than 10−4.5 mol/m2/s resulted in the coprecipitation of aragonite and vaterite. For a given crystal growth rate, calcite Na/Ca increases by 0.22% per % increase in solution (Na+)2/Ca2+ activity ratio. However, calcite Na/Ca increases up to fivefold per order of magnitude increase in crystal growth rate, suggesting crystal growth rate and precursor phases are likely dominant controls on marine carbonate Na/Ca. We use these results in the framework of the DePaolo (2011) model for trace element uptake by calcite to assess the origin of variable (Na/Ca) foraminifer sensitivities to [Ca2+] seawater and salinity. Last, maximum mineral growth rates are estimated for a range of marine carbonates based on known carbonate Na/Ca and the (Na+)2/Ca2+ activity ratio of seawater. Estimated rates vary from 10−5.6 (planktic foraminifers) to above 10−4 (sea urchins) mol/m2/s. Such high mineral growth rates imply high degrees of oversaturation with respect to calcite (10 to >100), supporting the idea that elemental partitioning and isotopic fractionation recorded in marine biogenic carbonates are controlled by kinetic rather than equilibrium exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In locations with poor public dermatology services, teledermatology emerges as a viable way to fill this need. Thus, the aim was to estimate how much could be saved with the use of teledermatology in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, from 2015 to 2018. Observational study of the analytical type with a cross-sectional design and collection of secondary data in electronic media. A total of 95,828 teledermatology test protocols from the period were evaluated. The amount that would be necessary to refer all the patients of the several regions of the state for evaluation by General Dermatology (secondary network) was estimated, as it occurred before the deployment of teledermatology, considering the cost of displacement, consultation with a specialist, cost aid and opportunity cost of patients and companions. This amount was compared with the amount effectively spent on the screening deployment via teledermatology. There was a minimum savings of $1,170,550.82 during the period, with an average cost savings of $21.94 per protocol not forwarded to the secondary network. The greater the distance and time spent to evaluate the patient by a specialist, the greater the savings. Teledermatology provides savings in public resources, reduces the number of patient referrals, and improves the dermatological assistance provided to the population of Santa Catarina. This is a relevant and efficient health technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interesting aspect of complex plasma is its ability to self-organize into a variety of structural configurations and undergo transitions between these states. A striking phenomenon is the isotropic-to-string transition observed in electrorheological complex plasma under the influence of a symmetric ion wake field. Such transitions have been investigated using the Plasma Kristall-4 (PK-4) microgravity laboratory on the International Space Station. Recent experiments and numerical simulations have shown that, under PK-4-relevant discharge conditions, the seemingly homogeneous direct current discharge column is highly inhomogeneous, with large axial electric field oscillations associated with ionization waves occurring on microsecond time scales. A multi-scale numerical model of the dust–plasma interactions is employed to investigate the role of the electric field in the charge of individual dust grains, the ion wake field and the order of string-like structures. Results are compared with those for dust strings formed in similar conditions in the PK-4 experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A prospective observational study of in utero malaria exposure and neonatal neurological functioning was conducted. • In utero malaria exposure may increase the risk of suboptimal reflexes in term-born neonates. • The impact of in utero malaria exposure on child neurodevelopment must be established. To compare neurological functioning of neonates born to mothers with and without malaria in pregnancy. Pregnant women presenting at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana were recruited into this prospective observational study. Malaria exposure was determined by clinically documented antenatal malaria infection; parasitemia in maternal, placental, or umbilical cord blood; or placental histology. Neurological functioning was assessed using the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination within 48 hours of birth. Performance was classified as "optimal" or "suboptimal" by subdomain and overall. Between November 21, 2018 and February 10, 2019, a total of 211 term-born neonates, of whom 27 (13%) were exposed to malaria in pregnancy, were included. In the reflexes subdomain, exposed neonates tended to score lower (adjusted mean difference -0.34, 95% confidence interval -0.70 to 0.03), with an increased risk (adjusted risk ratio 1.63, 95% confidence interval 1.09 to 2.44) of suboptimal performance compared with unexposed neonates. There were no significant between-group differences in scores or optimality classification for the remaining subdomains and overall. Malaria-exposed neonates had similar neurological functioning relative to unexposed neonates, with differences confined to the reflexes subdomain, suggesting potential underlying neurological immaturity or injury. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine the significance of malaria in pregnancy on long-term neurological outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burkholderia sp. Nafp2/4‐1b (=SARCC‐3049) is a plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) initially isolated from the rhizosphere of pristine grassland in South Africa, and its ability to enhance growth was previously evaluated on maize (Zea mays L.). Here, the bacterium was tested with the aim of investigating its role in improving the nodulation and growth of the forage legume lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) when it is co‐inoculated with the rhizobial symbionts of this legume in the glasshouse. When the co‐inoculation resulted in a statistically significant (P = 0·05) increase in the number of nodules and improved plant biomass compared with single inoculation, we sequenced and analysed its genome to gain a better understanding of the genetic determinants responsible for the observed PGPR traits. The Illumina HiSeq 2500‐sequenced genome resulted in 92 scaffolds, with an N50 of 322 407 bp, a total draft genome size of 7 788 045 bp and GC content of 66·2%. Analysis of the genome sequence confirmed the presence of a number of essential genes that code for various PGPR traits. The main plant beneficial genes associated with PGPR traits in Burkholderia sp. Nafp2/4‐1b include pyoverdine siderophores biosynthesis gene (PvdF); acdS that codes for 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate (ACC) deaminase; the tryptophan synthase genes involved in auxin biosynthesis (TSA1, TSB1) and the pqqABCDE operon related to phosphate solubilization. This study generated valuable information on the potential of the PGPR Burkholderia sp. strain Nafp2/4‐1b as an effective commercial inoculant, which warrants further formulation and field application studies before developing it into a low cost, environmentally safe and effective biofertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of bovine rotavirus antigen-specific passive antibody for reducing the duration of diarrhea induced by oral challenge with bovine rotavirus in a neonatal calf model. The bovine rotavirus-specific passive antibodies were produced before the study by hyperimmunization of pregnant cows during the dry period with an adjuvanted vaccine containing recombinantly-expressed rotavirus virus-like particles. Eighty-three calves were cleanly collected at birth and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups as follows: (1) control group that was colostrum deprived and fed milk replacer for first feeding, (2) group that was colostrum deprived and fed milk replacer mixed with antirotavirus antibodies for first feeding, or (3) group that was fed colostrum replacer mixed with antirotavirus antibodies and a product approved by the US Department of Agriculture containing antibodies against Escherichia coli K99 and bovine coronavirus for first feeding. One of the 3 treatments was administered within 6 h of birth to each calf, followed by oral challenge with bovine rotavirus 3 h later. Calves were observed through 7 d of age and scored according to a standardized scale for clinical signs of diarrhea, change in appetite, depression, and dehydration. Twice daily, measurements of rectal temperature and collection of feces were performed. Fecal samples were assessed for infectious agents commonly associated with diarrhea, and bovine rotavirus shedding was quantified. There were 24 of 28 (86%) calves in the control group that received no antibodies that had signs of severe diarrhea, whereas 57% of the calves that received antirotavirus in milk replacer experienced severe diarrhea, and 7% of calves that received colostrum replacer mixed with antigen-specific bovine rotavirus antibodies showed signs of severe diarrhea. Calves that received colostrum replacer mixed with antigen-specific bovine rotavirus antibodies had a mean duration of 0.9 d of diarrhea compared with 2.7 d in the control group. Calves in the group that was colostrum deprived and fed milk replacer with antirotavirus antibodies had a mean duration of diarrhea of 1.7 d. Rotavirus peak fecal shedding was 3.5 d in the group with milk replacer only, 5.5 d in the milk replacer with antibody group, and 6.5 d in calves in the colostrum replacer group. When bovine rotavirus antigen-specific antibody was fed in milk replacer to colostrum-deprived calves or in conjunction with colostrum replacer that also contained supplemental antibodies against Escherichia coli K99 and bovine coronavirus, those calves were observed to have reduced the onset, duration, and severity of diarrhea when compared with milk replacer placebo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been challenging in all aspects of the medical field with new clinical presentations constantly arising. Plastic surgeons are not immune to this and need to be aware of their implications. There has been a recent report of late periprosthetic seroma (breast implant) as a clinical manifestation of COVID-19 infection. To our knowledge, this phenomenon has not been further reported. We present a 53-year-old immunocompromised lady who developed late seroma after COVID-19 infection. She eventually required explantation of the implant and is awaiting autologous reconstruction. It is likely that we will increasingly continue to see this phenomenon of implant complications as a result of COVID-19 infection and should be watchful, especially regarding potential immunocompromised patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analyses 45 Indian cities on renewable energy (RE) for electricity supplies and consumption. • Results show that the penetration of RE in Indian cities is low. • Discusses the successful RE practices of best performing Indian cities. • Discusses the RE-Grid integration prospects and solutions in Indian context. • Presents technical, policy and regulatory recommendations for higher RE adoption. Cities influence climate change since they consume large amounts of energy leading to higher carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions and environmental degradation. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis establishes that renewable energy consumption in India can significantly offset CO 2 emissions. The application of the "Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF)" on the use of renewable energy (RE) for electricity in 45 Indian cities under smart city mission and its results are presented here. The analysis show that the penetration of RE in cities is low. Apart from electricity generation within cities, the best performing ones could successfully harness RE from outside city limits through regulatory incentives. The potential and strategies to harness more RE in cities is presented. The challenges in higher RE adoption in cities and required policy recommendations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the ecological unsustainability of using fish oil (FO) as the main source of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC‐PUFA), the investigation of alternative dietary LC‐PUFA sources is crucial for aquaculture. Tambaqui (Colossomamacropomum) is a valuable economic aquaculture resource in Brazil, capable of endogenously elongating and desaturating linoleic (LA; 18:2n‐6) and α‐linolenic (ALA; 18:3n‐3) acids to longer and physiologically vital LC‐PUFA. Yet, it is unclear how this pathway is regulated by different oil sources in tambaqui. Thus, we designed an experiment with 2 different oil diets (fish oil—FO and vegetable oil—VO) at 2 different concentrations (5% or 10%) to investigate the molecular regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis in this species. We observed no differences in survival, body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio between the treatments. Gene expression analysis shows that fads2andelovl5 are up‐regulated in liver, while fads2 and elovl2 are up‐regulated in brain of tambaqui fed with VO. The transcription factors pparβbandpparγ are also up‐regulated in the brain by VO diet, when compared to FO diet. The VO diet also contributed to the biosynthesis of LC‐PUFA in liver and specifically DHA in the brain. Overall, our approach shows that lipid metabolism‐relevant genes are regulated by different dietary lipid sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new approach to model the mean reaction rate of premixed turbulent flames when simulating accidental gas explosions with computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The combination between Bray–Moss–Libby (BML) approach and the fractal concept was evaluated. The fractal concept is used for closing the integral length scale of wrinkling in the BML formulation replacing the utilisation of empirical functions. The proposed expression accounts for the effect of local length scales of turbulence on the flame front via the fractal outer and inner cut-offs, which were taken respectively as the integral length scale of turbulence and the Gibson length scale. The initial laminar phase of flame propagation is described by a laminar combustion model and the onset of the transition from the laminar to turbulent combustion is assumed to take place at a threshold value of the turbulent Reynolds number. The approach is implemented and evaluated within an in-house developed code called STOKES (Shock Towards Kinetic Explosion Simulator) that solves the full set of Navier–Stokes equations. The equations are parameterised according to the porosity distributed resistance (PDR) method in which the porous mesh accounts for the presence of small obstacles that are responsible for turbulence generation during an explosion. Simulations are carried out for vented explosions of both methane–air and propane–air mixtures in partially obstructed chambers. Results are compared with experimental data, FLACS simulations and a typical model for the length of wrinkling which uses an empirical function instead of the fractal approach. Comparisons lead to overall good agreement, indicating that the proposed model can be used in numerical simulations of accidental explosions to support consequence modelling in the framework of risk analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The goal of trauma systems is to match patient care needs to the capabilities of the receiving centre. Severely injured patients have shown better outcomes if treated in a major trauma centre (MTC). We aimed to evaluate patient distribution in the Dutch trauma system. Furthermore, we sought to identify factors associated with the undertriage and transport of severely injured patients (Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15) to the MTC by emergency medical services (EMS).Methods: Data on all acute trauma admissions in the Netherlands (2015-2016) were extracted from the Dutch national trauma registry. An ambulance driving time model was applied to calculate MTC transport times and transport times of ISS >15 patients to the closest MTC and non-MTC. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with ISS >15 patients' EMS undertriage to an MTC.Results: Of the annual average of 78,123 acute trauma admissions, 4.9% had an ISS >15. The nonseverely injured patients were predominantly treated at non-MTCs (79.2%), and 65.4% of patients with an ISS >15 received primary MTC care. This rate varied across the eleven Dutch trauma networks (36.8%-88.4%) and was correlated with the transport times to an MTC (Pearson correlation -0.753, p=0.007). The trauma networks also differed in the rates of secondary transfers of ISS >15 patients to MTC hospitals (7.8% - 59.3%) and definitive MTC care (43.6% - 93.2%). Factors associated with EMS undertriage of ISS >15 patients to the MTC were female sex, older age, severe thoracic and abdominal injury, and longer additional EMS transport times.Conclusions: Approximately one-third of all severely injured patients in the Netherlands are not initially treated at an MTC. Special attention needs to be directed to identifying patient groups with a high risk of undertriage. Furthermore, resources to overcome longer transport times to an MTC, including the availability of ambulance and helicopter services, may improve direct MTC care and result in a decrease in the variation of the undertriage of severely injured patients to MTCs among the Dutch trauma networks. Furthermore, attention needs to be directed to improving primary triage guidelines and instituting uniform interfacility transfer agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model‐informed drug development approach was used to select ceftaroline fosamil high‐dose regimens for pediatric patients with complicated skin and soft‐tissue infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus with a ceftaroline minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 or 4 mg/L. Steady‐state ceftaroline concentrations were simulated using a population pharmacokinetics (PK) model for ceftaroline fosamil and ceftaroline including data from 304 pediatric subjects and 944 adults. Probability of target attainment (PTA) for various simulated pediatric high‐dose regimens and renal function categories were calculated based on patients achieving 35% fT>MIC (S. aureus PK/pharmacodynamic target for 2‐log10 bacterial killing). For extrapolation of efficacy, simulated exposures and PTA were compared to adults with normal renal function receiving high‐dose ceftaroline fosamil (600 mg 2‐h infusions every 8 h). For safety, predicted ceftaroline exposures were compared with observed pediatric and adult data. Predicted ceftaroline exposures for the approved pediatric high‐dose regimens (12, 10, or 8 mg/kg by 2‐h infusions every 8 h for patients aged >2 to <18 years with normal/mild, moderate, or severe renal impairment, respectively; 10 mg/kg by 2‐h infusions every 8 h for patients aged ≥2 months to <2 years with normal renal function/mild impairment) were well matched to adults with normal renal function. Median predicted maximum concentration at steady state (Cmax,ss) and area under the plasma concentration‐time curve over 24 h at steady state pediatric to adult ratios were 0.907–1.33 and 0.940–1.41, respectively. PTAs (>99% and ≥81% for MICs of 2 and 4 mg/L, respectively) matched or exceeded the adult predictions. Simulated Cmax,ss values were below the maximum observed data in other indications, including a high‐dose pediatric pneumonia trial, which reported no adverse events related to high exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key directions for the development of commercial solid oxide fuel cells fuelled by natural gases consists in the search for efficient fuel electrode materials operated under hydrocarbon-containing atmospheres. Within the present work, we synthesized and characterised novel composites based on a double-perovskite Sr 2 Ni 0.75 Mg 0.25 MoO 6–δ phase and a second phase comprised of SrMoO 4 or NiO. For these composite materials, the reduction behaviour, tolerance to carbon dioxide and catalytic activity towards the partial oxidation of hydrocarbons mixture were comprehensively studied. It is shown that the target properties of the designed composites are affected not only by the type of catalysts but also by the method of their preparation. According to the presented results, the most appropriate materials are composites containing 20 wt% SrMoO 4 or 50 wt% NiO. • Sr 2 Ni 0.75 Mg 0.25 MoO 6–δ (SNMMO) and its composites with NiO or SrMoO 4 were prepared. • The chemical stability of these composites against CO 2 were studied. • The composites were tested as catalysts in biogas partial oxidation process. • SNMMO+20 wt% SrMoO 4 and SNMMO+50 wt% NiO are good catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Motivational interviewing is an effective style of collaborative communication for the promotion of lifestyle changes in the management of Type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension. This study evaluates the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in the management of these conditions in primary health care.Study Design: This study is a double-blind parallel-group RCT performed between June 2018 and July 2019.Setting/participants: The RCT was conducted in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and included individuals with Type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension.Intervention: The participants were randomized to the test/motivational interviewing and usual care groups. The test/motivational interviewing group received the nursing consultation intervention on the basis of motivational interviewing conducted by professionals with 20 hours of training, and the usual-care group received conventional nursing consultation.Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measure was the mean difference in HbA1c. The secondary outcome measures were the mean differences in blood pressure and adherence levels.Results: After a mean follow-up of 6 months, 174 participants completed the study (usual-care group=80; test/motivational interviewing group=94). There were statistically significant differences between the groups, with improvement in the test/motivational interviewing group for systolic blood pressure (p<0.01), diastolic blood pressure (p<0.01), and total adherence score as measured by the Martín-Bayarre-Grade questionnaire (p=0.01) and its operational dimensions of treatment adherence and personal involvement (p=0.03, p=0.03). The test/motivational interviewing group showed significantly reduced HbA1c levels (0.4%) at the end of the study (p<0.01).Conclusions: In the context of primary health care, the nursing consultation based on motivational interviewing was shown to be a more effective care strategy than usual care for improving blood pressure levels and adherence levels in individuals with Type 2 diabetes and arterial hypertension. Moreover, motivational interviewing was demonstrated to be useful in reducing HbA1c levels in diabetes management.Trial Registration: This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT03729323. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida haemulonii species complex (C. haemulonii , C. haemulonii var. vulnera and Candida duobushaemulonii) is composed by emerging and multidrug-resistant (MDR) yeasts. Candidiasis, the disease caused by these species, is difficult to treat and culminates in clinical failures and patient death. It is well-known that Candida peptidases play important roles in the fungus–host interactions, and hence these enzymes are promising targets for developing new antifungal drugs. Recently, serine-type peptidases were described in clinical isolates of C. haemulonii complex with the ability to cleave relevant key host proteins. Herein, the effects of serine peptidase inhibitors (SPIs) on the cell biology of this fungal complex were evaluated. Initially, eight distinct SPIs (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride – PMSF, 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride – AEBSF, N -α-tosyl- l -lysine chloromethyl ketone hydrochloride – TLCK, N - p -tosyl- l -phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone – TPCK, simeprevir, boceprevir, danoprevir and telaprevir) were tested on the fungal growth. TPCK showed the best efficacy in controlling cell proliferation, being selected for the following experiments. This SPI induced changes in the architecture of yeast cells, as observed by scanning electron microscopy, besides injuries at the plasma membrane and reduction in the ergosterol content. TPCK also diminished the ability of yeasts to adhere to abiotic (polystyrene and glass) and biotic (murine macrophages) surfaces in a typically concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the 24 h-treatment of the mature biofilm promoted a decrease in biomass, viability and extracellular matrix. Altogether, our results highlight that SPIs may be promising new therapeutic agents in the treatment of candidiasis caused by emergent, opportunistic and MDR species forming the C. haemulonii complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analyse the evolution of 40 Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs) health-related indicators in Brazil and Ecuador from 1990 to 2019. Epidemiological study of long-term trends in 40 SDGs' health-related indicators for Brazil and Ecuador from 1990 to 2019, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Forty SDGs' health-related indicators and an index from 1990 to 2017 for Brazil and Ecuador, and their projections up to 2030 were extracted from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease website and analysed. The percent annual change (PC) between 1990 and 2019 was calculated for both countries. Both countries have made progress on child stunting (Brazil: PC = −38%; Ecuador: PC = −43%) and child wasting prevalences (Brazil: PC = −42%; Ecuador: PC = −41%), percent of vaccine coverage (Brazil: PC = +215%; Ecuador: PC = +175%), under-5 (Brazil: PC = −75%; Ecuador: PC = −60%) and neonatal mortality rates (Brazil: PC = −69%; Ecuador: PC = −51%), health worker density per 1000 population (Brazil: PC = +153%; Ecuador: PC = +175%), reduction of neglected diseases prevalences (Brazil: PC = −40%; Ecuador: PC = −58%), tuberculosis (Brazil: PC = −27%; Ecuador: PC = −55%) and malaria incidences (Brazil: PC = −97%; Ecuador: PC = −100%), water, sanitation and hygiene mortality rates (Brazil and Ecuador: PC = −89%). However, both countries did not show sufficient improvement in maternal mortality ratio to meet SDGs targets (Brazil: PC = −37%; Ecuador: PC = −40%). Worsening of indicators were found for violence, such as non-intimate partner violence for both countries (Brazil: PC = +26%; Ecuador: PC = +18%) and suicide mortality rate for Ecuador (PC = +66%), child overweight indicator for Brazil (PC = −67%), disaster mortality rates (Brazil: PC = +100%; Ecuador: PC = +325%) and alcohol consumption (Brazil: PC = +46%; Ecuador: PC = +35%). Significant improvements are necessary in both countries requiring the strengthening of health and other policies, particularly concerning the prevention and management of violence and alcohol consumption, and preparedness for dealing with environmental disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuzzy ARTMAP (FAM) is a neural network model based on the adaptive resonance theory (ART). Its main advantage relies on its capability to successfully deal with the stability-plasticity dilemma. Even though FAM models have been used in many applications with remarkable performance, such model suffers from a well-known problem, named category proliferation, which results in the creation of a large number of categories in the training step. In that case, the FAM model may present lower generalization capability for unseen data. In this work, we aim to handle the category proliferation problem by proposing a new model that modifies the vigilance criterion and the weight update rule to pursue the generation of a sparse set of categories. Our model named FAM with Area of Influence (FAM-AI) is compared to the original FAM and some proposed variants. We perform several computational experiments and verify that, in general, the proposed FAM-AI achieves higher accuracy with a lower number of categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) are invasive in the Laurentian Great Lakes and parasitically feed on valued fishes. Migration barriers and selective pesticides are used to control sea lamprey, but there is a desire to develop additional control tools such as traps with nonphysical deterrents. Sound has been used as a deterrent for other invasive species, but its potential for manipulating sea lamprey behavior in natural stream conditions remains untested. Here, behavioral responses of upstream-migrating adult sea lamprey in response to low frequency sounds of 70 or 90 Hz was tracked in a small stream (8 m wide) using passive integrated transponder (PIT) telemetry. The low frequency sounds shifted sea lamprey distribution, with up to 30% more sea lamprey detected on PIT antennas without sound compared with PIT antennas with sound playing. Future studies could continue testing low frequency sounds in larger rivers with larger speakers for use as a natural deterrent at sea lamprey barriers to push sea lamprey toward traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a patterned primary cicatricial alopecia that was first described in 1994. Once rare, the incidence of FFA has increased dramatically, representing the current most common cause of cicatricial alopecia worldwide. FFA typically begins in postmenopausal women with symmetrical, progressive recession of the frontotemporal hairline together with bilateral loss of the eyebrows. FFA has a distinctive clinical phenotype, which remains a challenge. The histology is identical to lichen planopilaris (LPP), but only a small number of patients have coincidental LPP, usually of the scalp. The vast majority of patients have no evidence of lichen planus elsewhere, and the symmetry and patterned nature of the hair loss are unusual for LPP. Familial cases of FFA are reported, and gene associations have been identified in population studies; however, the pathophysiology remains controversial. Without treatment, FFA is slowly progressive, and although many treatments have been prescribed, the response is often disappointing. We review the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical features, histology, and treatment of FFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Review of xenobiotic metabolising enzymes and transporters in cats. • Pharmacokinetic data for 30 pharmaceuticals are compared between cats and rats. • Uncertainty factors for risk assessment of chemicals in cats are derived. • Future work to further characterise xenobiotic metabolism in cats is discussed. In animal health risk assessment, hazard characterisation of feed additives has been often using the default uncertainty factor (UF) of 100 to translate a no-observed-adverse-effect level in test species (rat, mouse, dog, rabbit) to a 'safe' level of chronic exposure in farm and companion animal species. Historically, both 10-fold factors have been further divided to include chemical-specific data in both dimensions when available. For cats (Felis Sylvestris catus), an extra default UF of 5 is applied due to the species' deficiency in particularly glucuronidation and glycine conjugation. This paper aims to assess the scientific basis and validity of the UF for inter-species differences in kinetics (4.0) and the extra UF applied for cats through a comparison of kinetic parameters between rats and cats for 30 substrates of phase I and phase II metabolism. When the parent compound undergoes glucuronidation the default factor of 4.0 is exceeded, with exceptions for zidovudine and S-carprofen. Compounds that were mainly renally excreted did not exceed the 4.0-fold default. Mixed results were obtained for chemicals which are metabolised by CYP3A in rats. When chemicals were administered intravenously the 4.0-fold default was not exceeded with the exception of clomipramine, lidocaine and alfentanil. The differences seen after oral administration might be due to differences in first-pass metabolism and bioavailability. Further work is needed to further characterise phase I, phase II enzymes and transporters in cats to support the development of databases and in silico models to support hazard characterisation of chemicals particularly for feed additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproduction is a costly process that depends on the management of available resources. Here, we aimed to understand the energetic strategies of females of the fiddler crab Leptuca uruguayensis (Nobili, 1901) in a population with short reproductive seasons. For this, we developed an integrated approach to recognize the brooding time, spawning pattern modulated by female size, number of spawns per female, and content of reserves in the ovary and hepatopancreas. Based on the condition of the ovary and hepatopancreas, the reproductive season was divided into three periods. In each of these periods, it was possible to record a spawning event, which was mainly represented by large females. Most of the females had one spawn during the breeding season, and only large females had two spawns, with an interval of approximately 2 months. We propose that L. uruguayensis presents a mixed capital–income breeding strategy associated with the female size and period of the reproductive season. We conclude that large females make the greatest reproductive effort for the population because they can have two spawns, whereas medium-sized and small females make a low contribution because they are still investing energy in somatic growth to increase fecundity in the next reproductive season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]