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In this work, the sol-gel and dc reactive magnetron sputtering techniques were used to prepare nickel ferrite nanoparticles (NiFe2O4 NPs). In the sol-gel method, citric acid was used as a fuel to decompose metal complexes at a low temperature. The nanoparticle size of NiFe2O4 structures prepared by the dc reactive magnetron sputtering was smaller (∼31 nm) than those prepared by the sol-gel method (∼47 nm). The effects of the structural characteristics on the magnetic behavior of these nanoparticles were introduced by the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements performed at room temperature. It was found that the nanoparticles synthesized by the sol-gel process exhibit ferromagnetic properties with a saturation magnetization 30.02 emu/g, while those synthesized by dc reactive magnetron sputtering exhibit superparamagnetic properties with a saturation magnetization of 27.05 emu/g. This difference is attributed to the quantum size effect resulted from the decrease in nanoparticle size.

Nanostructured photocatalysts commonly offered opportunities to solve issues scrutinized with the environmental challenges caused by steep population growth and rapid urbanization. This photocatalyst is a controllable characteristic, which can provide humans with a clean and sustainable ecosystem. Over the last decades, one of the current thriving research focuses on visible-light-driven CeO

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a highly contagious disease of cattle caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides. It is characterized by anorexia, fever, dyspnea, polypnea, cough, and nasal discharges. Gross lesions in the lung such as marbling, sequestra, thickening of interlobular septa, and consolidation are evident. Serological tests including complement fixation test and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and molecular tests such as polymerase chain reactions are used for diagnostic purposes. In this study, lung samples of suspected large ruminants (cattle n=560, buffalo n=293) were collected from abattoirs of three districts of Punjab namely Lahore, Kasur and Jhang. PCR was performed with specific primers, targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA gene to detect the positive cases. The results indicated that 49 samples (8.75%) of cattle were positive, with maximum prevalence was observed in Jhang with 16 positive samples (10.06%), but CBPP was not detected in any buffalo sample. High prevalence of disease was seen in cattle of more than seven years of age, in female cattle, and in cross-bred cattle. Age and gender were found significantly associated (P0.05) with the prevalence of the disease. Gene sequencing of identified 5 isolates of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides had more than 99% similarities with the strains isolated from China, Italy, Australia and Tanzania and were categorized into a monophyletic group but strain isolated from Portugal had more than 55% variable regions, hence clustered separately. This study confirms the presence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in the country which can be a threat to the livestock export market and warrants the implementation of control measures to mitigate the economic losses associated with the disease.

The present study was designed for molecular detection of Trypanosoma brucei through PCR, by using kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) maxicircle primers, on seasonal basis and to demonstrate the effect of this parasite on complete blood count and selected parameters of serum biochemistry in camels from Southern Punjab (Pakistan). A total of 291 camel blood samples (61 male, 230 females) were collected from Dera Ghazi Khan District in Pakistan during March 2012 till February 2013 for Trypanosoma brucei detection by blood smear screening, micro hemato centrifugation and Polymerase chain reaction techniques. Twenty eight out of 291 blood samples (9.62%) produced a 164 bp DNA fragment specific for T. brucei. Only 6 blood samples (2.06%) were found parasite positive by microscopic examination and 13 (4.46%) were positive for microhematocrit centrifugation technique. Seasonal PCR based prevalence of trypanosomiasis was 6.9%, 13.7%, 9.7% and 8.1% during spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons respectively. T. brucei prevalence was not restricted to a particular age group or and gender of the studied animals (P0.05). A significant increase in WBC (P = 0.001), neutrophils (P = 0.004), ALT (P = 0.028) and decreased RBC (P0.000), hemoglobin (P0.000) and packed cell volume (P0.000) were detected in parasite positive as compared to the parasite negative blood samples. In conclusion, PCR is a more reliable and sensitive technique than conventional microscopic blood screening and microhematocrit centrifugation for the detection of T. brucei in camel blood. We recommend the use of PCR for the effective prophylactic detection of T. brucei in livestock in order to reduce economic losses.

Background\ud \ud Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly utilized for treatment of coronary disease involving the unprotected left main stem (ULMS). However, no studies to date have examined the outcomes of such interventions when complicated by coronary perforation (CP).\ud Methods\ud \ud Using the British Cardiovascular Intervention society (BCIS) database, data were analyzed on all ULMS‐PCI procedures complicated by CP in England and Wales between 2007 and 2014. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of ULMS CP and to evaluate the association between this complication and outcomes.\ud Results\ud \ud During 10,373 ULMS‐PCI procedures, CP occurred more frequently than in non‐ULMS‐PCI (0.9 vs. 0.4%, p

Pharmaceutical wastewater is a frequent kind of wastewater with high quantities of organic pollutants, although little research has been done in the area. Pharmaceutical wastewaters containing antibiotics and high salinity may impair traditional biological treatment, resulting in the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes. The potential for advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to break down hazardous substances instead of present techniques that essentially transfer contaminants from wastewater to sludge, a membrane filter, or an adsorbent has attracted interest. Among a variety of AOPs, electrochemical systems are a feasible choice for treating pharmaceutical wastewater. Many electrochemical approaches exist now to remediate rivers polluted by refractory organic contaminants, like pharmaceutical micro-pollutants, which have become a severe environmental problem. The first part of this investigation provides the bibliometric analysis of the title search from 1970 to 2021 for keywords such as wastewater and electrochemical. We have provided information on relations between keywords, countries, and journals based on three fields plot, inter-country co-authorship network analysis, and co-occurrence network visualization. The second part introduces electrochemical water treatment approaches customized to these very distinct discarded flows, containing how processes, electrode materials, and operating conditions influence the results (with selective highlighting cathode reduction and anodic oxidation). This section looks at how electrochemistry may be utilized with typical treatment approaches to improve the integrated system's overall efficiency. We discuss how electrochemical cells might be beneficial and what compromises to consider when putting them into practice. We wrap up our analysis with a discussion of known technical obstacles and suggestions for further research.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is the most harmful pollutant in the air, causing environmental issues and adversely affecting humans and the vegetation and then raises global warming indirectly. CO oxidation is one of the most effective methods of reducing CO by converting it into carbon dioxide (CO2) using a suitable catalytic system, due to its simplicity and great value for pollution control. The CO oxidation reaction has been widely studied in various applications, including proton-exchange membrane fuel cell technology and catalytic converters. CO oxidation has also been of great academic interest over the last few decades as a model reaction. Many review studies have been produced on catalysts development for CO oxidation, emphasizing noble metal catalysts, the configuration of catalysts, process parameter influence, and the deactivation of catalysts. Nevertheless, there is still some gap in a state of the art knowledge devoted exclusively to synergistic interactions between catalytic activity and physicochemical properties. In an effort to fill this gap, this analysis updates and clarifies innovations for various latest developed catalytic CO oxidation systems with contemporary evaluation and the synergistic relationship between oxygen vacancies, strong metal-support interaction, particle size, metal dispersion, chemical composition acidity/basicity, reducibility, porosity, and surface area. This review study is useful for environmentalists, scientists, and experts working on mitigating the harmful effects of CO on both academic and commercial levels in the research and development sectors.

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, decreased volumes of stroke admissions and mechanical thrombectomy were reported. The study’s objective was to examine whether subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions demonstrated similar declines.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective, observational study across 6 continents, 37 countries and 140 comprehensive stroke centres. Patients with the diagnosis of SAH, aneurysmal SAH, ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions and COVID-19 were identified by prospective aneurysm databases or by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes. The 3-month cumulative volume, monthly volumes for SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling procedures were compared for the period before (1 year and immediately before) and during the pandemic, defined as 1 March–31 May 2020. The prior 1-year control period (1 March–31 May 2019) was obtained to account for seasonal variation.FindingsThere was a significant decline in SAH hospitalisations, with 2044 admissions in the 3 months immediately before and 1585 admissions during the pandemic, representing a relative decline of 22.5% (95% CI −24.3% to −20.7%, pInterpretationThere was a relative decrease in the volume of SAH hospitalisations, aneurysmal SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm embolisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings in SAH are consistent with a decrease in other emergencies, such as stroke and myocardial infarction.

9 pags., 7 figs., The conventional approach to perform two-qubit gate operations in trapped ions relies on exciting the ions on motional sidebands with laser light, which is an inherently slow process. One way to implement a fast entangling-gate protocol requires a suitable pulsed laser to increase the gate speed by orders of magnitude. However, the realization of such a fast entangling-gate operation presents a big technical challenge, as such the required laser source is not available off the shelf. For this, we engineer an ultrafast entangling-gate source based on a frequency comb. The source generates bursts of several hundred mode-locked pulses with pulse energy approximately 800 pJ at 5-GHz repetition rate at 393.3 nm and complies with all requirements for implementing a fast two-qubit gate operation. Using a single, chirped ultraviolet pulse, we demonstrate a rapid adiabatic passage in a Ca+ ion. To verify the applicability and projected performance of the laser system for inducing entangling gates we run simulations based on our source parameters. The gate time can be faster than a trap period with an error approaching 10-4., We acknowledge support from Project PGC2018- 094792-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER,UE), CSIC Research Platform PTI-001, and CAM/FEDER Project No. S2018/ TCS-4342 (QUITEMAD-CM). Additionally, we acknowledge funding by the Institut für Quanteninformation GmbH.

Internet of Things (IoT) is going to be the next big technological revolution of mankind by connecting everything on the earth via the Internet. Mobile healthcare or remote healthcare is an important application of IoT, which provides a new platform to people for getting benefit regarding healthcare-related problems. In these applications, various sensing devices connect with the patient’s body and generate an enormous amount of heterogeneous data over time. Due to the variety of data, extraction of knowledge from these data is not straight forward just like the conventional data mining process. In this research, we have proposed a Deep Convolution Neural Network (DCNN)-based classification method for performing data mining over heterogeneous data by taking an unstructured sensor dataset from the arrhythmia database of physionet. In the proposed method, the CNN feature extraction layer converts the ECG signals into numeric form by calculating its features without any human intervention. Similarly, categorical data are converted based on their respective categories. Finally, all the converted data together were added to the CNN classification part and arrhythmia disease is predicted with an accuracy of more than 98%. The simulation result shows that our proposed CNN-based architecture outperforms other handcrafted feature extraction techniques in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.

Aims OUTSTEP-HF compared the effect of sacubitril/valsartan vs. enalapril on 6-min walk test (6MWT) distance, non-sedentary daytime physical activity and heart failure (HF) symptoms in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods and results Ambulatory patients (n = 621) with stable symptomatic HFrEF were randomised 1:1 to sacubitril/valsartan (n = 310) or enalapril (n = 311). Changes in physical activity and mean daily non-sedentary daytime activity from baseline to Week 12 were measured using 6MWT and a wrist-worn accelerometer device, respectively. After 12 weeks, 6MWT improved by 35.09 m with sacubitril/valsartan [97.5% confidence interval (CI) 27.85, 42.32] and by 26.11 m with enalapril (97.5% CI 18.78, 33.43); however, there was no significant difference between groups [least squares means treatment difference: 8.98 m (97.5% CI -1.31, 19.27); P = 0.0503]. Mean daily non-sedentary daytime activity decreased by 27 min with sacubitril/valsartan and by 21 min with enalapril [least squares means treatment difference: -6 min (97.5% CI -25.7, 13.4), P = 0.4769] after 12 weeks. 6MWT improved by >= 30 m in 51% of patients in the sacubitril/valsartan group vs. 44% of patients treated with enalapril (odds ratio 1.251, 95% CI 0.895, 1.748). At Week 4, non-sedentary daytime activity increased by >= 10% in 58% of patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan vs. 64% with enalapril; 58% of patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan reported improved HF symptoms as assessed by patient global assessment vs. 43% with enalapril. However, these differences did not persist at Week 12. Conclusion After 12 weeks of treatment, there was no significant benefit of sacubitril/valsartan on either 6MWT or daytime physical activity measured by actigraphy compared with enalapril. Funding Agencies|Novartis Pharma AG

Aims To compare baseline characteristics of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) initiated on sacubitril/valsartan compared with patients continued on conventional heart failure (HF)-treatment in a European out-patient setting. Methods and results Between July 2016 and July 2019, ARIADNE enrolled 8787 outpatients aged ≥18 years with HFrEF from 17 European countries. Choice of therapy was solely at the investigators’ discretion. In total, 4173 patients were on conventional HF-treatment (non-S/V group), while 4614 patients were on sacubitril/valsartan either at enrolment or started sacubitril/valsartan within 1 month of enrolment (S/V group). Of these, 2108 patients started sacubitril/valsartan treatment ±1 month around enrolment [restricted S/V (rS/V) group]. The average age of the patients was 68 years. Patients on S/V were more likely to have New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV symptoms (50.3%, 44.6%, 32.1% in rS/V, S/V, and non-S/V, respectively) and had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; 32.3%, 32.7%, and 35.4% in rS/V, S/V, and non-S/V, respectively; P Conclusion In this large multinational HFrEF registry, patients receiving sacubitril/valsartan tended to be younger with lower LVEF and higher NYHA class. Fewer than half of the patients received triple HF therapy.

Highlights • When comparing stroke admissions from March 1st-May 10th in 2019 and 2020 at a single comprehensive stroke center in Middle East, there was a 41.9% increase in stroke admissions in 2020. A higher rate of large vessel occlusion (LVO) and significant delay in initiation of mechanical thrombectomy after hospital arrival was observed in 2020. • Among all COVID-19 admissions in 2020, 5.24% patients suffered stroke including 3.21% with ischemic and 2% with hemorrhagic stroke. • Patients with COVID-19 and ischemic stroke were significantly younger, predominantly male, had fewer vascular risk factors, had more severe clinical presentation, and higher rate of LVO ccompared to ischemic stroke patients without COVID-19 • For hemorrhagic stroke, COVID-19 patients did not differ from non-COVID-19 patients., Objective: To compare ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients with COVID-19 to non-COVID-19 controls, and to describe changes in stroke admission patterns during the pandemic. Methods:This is a single center, retrospective, observational study. All consecutive patients admitted with primary diagnosis of ischemic/ hemorrhagic stroke between March1st -May10th 2020 were included and compared with the same time period in 2019. Results: There was a 41.9% increase in stroke admissions in 2020 (148 vs 210,P = .001). When comparing all ischemic strokes, higher rate of large vessel occlusion (LVO) (18.3% vs 33.8%,P = .008) and significant delay in initiation of mechanical thrombectomy after hospital arrival (67.75 vs 104.30 minutes,P = .001) was observed in 2020. When comparing all hemorrhagic strokes, there were no differences between the two years. Among 591 COVID-19 admissions, 31 (5.24%) patients with stroke including 19 with ischemic (3.21%) and 12 with hemorrhagic stroke (2.03%) were identified. Patients with COVID-19 and ischemic stroke were significantly younger (58.74 vs 48.11 years,P = .002), predominantly male (68.18% vs 94.74%,P = .016), had lesser vascular risk factors, had more severe clinical presentation (NIHSS 7.01 vs 17.05,P

The combination of renewable energy sources and prosumer-based smart grid is a sustainable solution to cater to the problem of energy demand management. A pressing need is to develop an efficient Energy Management Model (EMM) that integrates renewable energy sources with smart grids. However, the variable scenarios and constraints make this a complex problem. Machine Learning (ML) methods can often model complex and non-linear data better than the statistical models. Therefore, developing an ML algorithm for the EMM is a suitable option as it reduces the complexity of the EMM by developing a single trained model to predict the performance parameters of EMM for multiple scenarios. However, understanding latent correlations and developing trust in highly complex ML models for designing EMM within the stochastic prosumer-based smart grid is still a challenging task. Therefore, this paper integrates ML and Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) in the EMM. At the first stage, an optimization model for Prosumer Energy Surplus (PES), Prosumer Energy Cost (PEC), and Grid Revenue (GR) is formulated to calculate base performance parameters (PES, PEC, and GR) for the training of the ML-based GPR model. In the second stage, stochasticity of renewable energy sources, load, and energy price, same as provided by the Genetic Algorithm (GA) based optimization model for PES, PEC, and GR, and base performance parameters act as input covariates to produce a GPR model that predicts PES, PEC, and GR. Seasonal variations of PES, PEC, and GR are incorporated to remove hitches from seasonal dynamics of prosumers energy generation and prosumers energy consumption. The proposed adaptive Service Level Agreement (SLA) between energy prosumers and the grid benefits both these entities. The results of the proposed model are rigorously compared with conventional optimization (GA and PSO) based EMM to prove the validity of the proposed model.

Introduction Excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) is a recognized adjunctive therapy utilized in the percutaneous management of complex coronary lesions. Studies examining its safety and utility have been limited by small sample sizes. Our study examines the determinants and outcomes of ELCA. Methods Using the British Cardiac Intervention Society database, data were analyzed on all PCI procedures in the UK between 2006-2016. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine baseline, procedural and outcome associations with ELCA. Results We identified 1,471 (0.21%) ELCA cases out of 686,358 PCI procedures. Baseline covariates associated with ELCA use were age, BMI, number of lesions, CTO or restenosis attempted and history of prior MI, CABG or PCI. Procedural co-variates associated with ELCA were the use of glycoprotein inhibitors, intravascular imaging, rotational atherectomy, cutting balloons, microcatheters and intra-aortic balloon pumps. Adjusted rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiac/cerebrovascular events (MACCE) or its individual components (death, peri-procedural MI, stroke and major bleed) were not significantly altered by the use of ELCA. However, there were higher odds of dissection (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.17-1.98), perforation (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.44-3.30), slow flow (OR: 1.67, 95% CI 1.18-2.36), reintervention (OR: 2.12, 95% CI 1.14-3.93) and arterial complications (OR: 1.63, 95% CI 1.21-2.21). Conclusions ELCA use during complex PCI is associated with higher risk baseline and procedural characteristics. Although increased rates of acute procedural complications were observed, ELCA does not increase likelihood of in-hospital MACCE or its individual components.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious virus causing severe infection in infants and the elderly. Various approaches are being used to develop an effective RSV vaccine. The RSV fusion (F) subunit, particularly the cleaved trimeric pre-fusion F, is one of the most promising vaccine candidates under development. The pre-fusion conformation elicits the majority of neutralizing antibodies during natural infection. However, this pre-fusion conformation is metastable and prone to conversion to a post-fusion conformation, thus hindering the potential of this construct as a vaccine antigen. The Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) designed a structurally stabilized pre-fusion F glycoprotein, DS-Cav1, that showed high immunogenicity and induced a neutralizing response in animal studies. To advance this candidate to clinical manufacturing, a production process that maintained product quality (i.e. a cleaved trimer with pre-fusion conformation) and delivered high protein expression levels was required. This report describes the development of the vaccine candidate including vector design and cell culture process development to meet these challenges. Co-transfection of individual plasmids to express DS-Cav1 and furin (for DS-Cav1 cleavage and activation) demonstrated a superior protein product expression and pre-fusion conformation compared to co-expression with a double gene vector. A top clone was selected based on these measurements. Protein expression levels were further increased by seeding density optimization and a biphasic hypothermia temperature downshift. The combined efforts led to a high-yield fed-batch production of approximately 1,500 mg/L (or up to 15,000 doses per liter) at harvest. The process was scaled up and demonstrated to be reproducible at 50 L-scale for toxicity and Phase I clinical trial use. Preliminary phase I data indicate the pre-fusion antigen has a promising efficacy (Crank et al., 2019).

The mechanisms and phenotype of ischemic stroke associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain uncertain. A retrospective study was conducted in patients with COVID-19 presenting with ischemic stroke from March 1 to May 25, 2020, and cases with large-vessel occlusion were identified. To provide baseline institutional stroke data within and outside the COVID-19 pandemic, all consecutive ischemic stroke and TIA admissions (COVID and non-COVID) to the hospital during a 10-week period from March 1 to May 10, 2020, were collected and compared with data from the same time period in 2019. Among 20 patients with COVID-19 and acute ischemic stroke, 15 (75%) had large-vessel occlusion. These patients were young (mean age, 46.5 years), male (93%), without major burden of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and had a severe stroke presentation. Large-vessel occlusions were observed in multiple vessels (40%), uncommonly affected vessels, and atypical locations with a large thrombus burden. Systemic thrombosis separate from large-vessel occlusion was not uncommon (26%). At short-term follow-up, stroke etiology remained undetermined in 46% of patients and functional outcome was poor. The above findings raise the possibility of stroke related to mechanisms induced by the COVID-19 infection itself, including a hypercoagulable state and/or endothelial damage. In addition, they document the severe presentation and poor outcomes of large-vessel occlusion in COVID-19 ischemic stroke.

The present research was carried out to explore the spider fauna of Buner valley with taxonomic study from February 2018 to January 2019. For this purpose samples were collected, four times at each month from 4 tehsils: Daggar, Gagra, Mandan and Totalai. Two methods were used, hand picking and sweep net for collection of samples. During day and night, three habitats, arid area, agriculture land and building area were search for collection. A total of 534 samples of spider were collected from four sampling sites, in which 379 were belonging to family Araniedae. After confirmation, the identified species were belonging to 8 genera (Neoscona, Argiope, Cyclosa, Araneus, Cyrtophora, Larinia, Erivoxia and Poltys) and 19 species. 18 of them were identified to specie level while a single specie to its generic level. The genus Neoscona was the dominant genus 26.31% having 5 species while the genus Argiope 21.05% is the second dominant having 4 species followed by Cyclosa 15.78% having 3 species followed by Cyrtophora and Araneus 10.52% having two species both. The Poltys and Larinia 5.26% are the rarest genera represent single-single specie both. Statistical analysis show that specie richness (D) = 5.77, Simpson index (1-D) = 0.87, Shannon index (H) = 2.33. Diversity of spiders was evenly distributed and calculated Evenness value was H/InS = 0.5408. There is also few atypical species and Fisher alpha estimate high value (Fisher α) = 4.42. Chao-1 estimated we have reported 22 species. Resumo A presente pesquisa foi realizada para explorar a fauna de aranhas do vale Buner, em um estudo taxonômico realizado de fevereiro de 2018 a janeiro de 2019. Para esse fim, foram coletadas amostras, quatro vezes por mês, a partir de 4 subdistritos: Daggar, Gagra, Mandan e Totalai. Foram utilizados dois métodos, coleta manual e rede de varredura, para a obtenção das amostras. Durante o dia e a noite, foram pesquisados três habitats: área árida, área agrícola e área de construção. Foram coletadas 534 amostras de aranha em quatro locais de amostragem, sendo que 379 pertenciam à família Araneidae. Após a confirmação, as espécies identificadas pertenciam a 8 gêneros (Neoscona, Argiope, Cyclosa, Araneus, Cyrtophora, Larinia, Erivoxia e Poltys) e a 19 espécies (18 delas foram identificados em seu nível de espécie, enquanto uma única foi identificada em seu nível genérico). O gênero Neoscona foi dominante (26,31%), com 5 espécies, seguido pelos gêneros Argiope (21,05%), com 4 espécies, Cyclosa (15,78%), com 3 espécies, e Cyrtophora e Araneus (10,52%), com 2 espécies. Poltys e Larinia (5,26%) são os gêneros mais raros, representando a mesma espécie. A análise estatística mostrou que a riqueza de espécies (D) foi de 5,77, o índice de Simpson (1-D) foi de 0,87 e o índice de Shannon (H) foi de 2,33. A diversidade de aranhas foi distribuída uniformemente, e o valor calculado da uniformidade foi H / InS = 0,5408. Também existem poucas espécies atípicas, e o alfa de Fisher (Fisher α) estimou o valor de 4,42. Já Chao-1 estimou 22 espécies.

Background: Intra-aortic balloon pump as bridge-to-transplant (BTT) has been used successfully in patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. However, the waitlist mortality in this population is high and predictors of waitlist mortality in this population are not known. We sought to identify predictors for waitlist mortality in patients listed with intra-aortic balloon pump and risk factors for 1-year mortality after heart transplant in this population. Methods: We identified patients listed for heart transplantation with intra-aortic balloon pump in the United Network for Organ Sharing data set from 1994 to 2015. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify predictors of waitlist mortality and 1-year post-transplant mortality. Results: From 1945 patients listed with intra-aortic balloon pump, 67.5% (N = 1313) were alive at 1 year and waitlist mortality was 32.5% (N = 632). We found that higher pulmonary vascular resistance, need for inotropes, and need for mechanical ventilation were associated with higher waitlist mortality. Mechanical ventilation and dialysis prior to transplantation were important predictors of 1-year post-transplant mortality. Conclusion: Predictors of mortality such as high pulmonary vascular resistance, dialysis dependence, inotrope, and ventilator dependence in patients listed with intra-aortic balloon pump can help us identify those patients that are at high risk of dying prior to a heart transplantation.

In PARADIGM-HF, sacubitril/valsartan demonstrated superiority to enalapril in reducing mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Several patient-centred outcomes like improved physical activity and quality of life have been emphasised as important treatment goals in HF management. OUTSTEP-HF has been designed to evaluate the effect of sacubitril/valsartan compared with enalapril on non-sedentary daytime physical activity in patients with HFrEF.OUTSTEP-HF is a randomised, actively controlled, double-blind, double-dummy study that plans to enrol 600 ambulatory patients with symptomatic HFrEF in 19 European countries. Patients will be randomised 1:1 to receive sacubitril/valsartan 97/103 mg bid or enalapril 10 mg bid. The primary objective of the study is to assess changes from baseline (Week 0) to Week 12 in exercise capacity measured by the 6-min walk test and in daily non-sedentary daytime activity. Physical activity and objective sleep parameters will be measured by accelerometry using a wrist-worn device, worn continuously from screening (Week -2) until the end of study (Week 12). As a co-primary outcome, changes from baseline in sub-maximal exercise capacity will be assessed by the 6-min walk test. Patient- and physician-reported questionnaires will be used to assess quality of life, changes in signs and symptoms of HF and sleep parameters.OUTSTEP-HF will be the largest randomised trial in HF to date to use non-invasive accelerometry to assess whether treatment with sacubitril/valsartan improves patients' daily physical activity and exercise capacity compared with enalapril.

Allelopathy has become a paramount tool for controlling weeds in crop plants without deteriorating the environment. Allelopathic effects of sorghum aqueous extracts and sorghum powder on a single cross maize (Zea mays L.) hybrid “HC-8080” and a summer weed, jungle rice (Echinochloa colona L.) were assessed in the research laboratory of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan. The treatments included: T1: control (untreated check), T2: sorghum aqueous extract at a rate of 5 mL kg-1 soil, T3: sorghum aqueous extract at a rate of 10 mL kg-1 soil, T4: sorghum aqueous extract at a rate of 15 mL kg-1 soil, T5: sorghum powder at a rate of 5 g kg-1 soil, T6: sorghum powder at a rate of 10 g kg-1 soil and T7: sorghum powder at a rate of 15 g kg-1 soil. The results unveiled that sorghum aqueous extract at a rate of 15 mL kg-1 soil was the most deleterious treatment which reduced the germination percentage (GP) in maize and E. colona by 23.57% and 47.03%, germination index (GI) by 22.30% and 42.14%, root length by 32.25% and 62.54% and shoot length by 23.22% and 62.76%, respectively over control. Similarly, 15 g kg-1 soil sorghum powder reduced the same parameters respectively by 18.85% and 41.09%, 15% and 33.53%, 9.3% and 54.69% and 15.88% and 45.34% in maize and E. colona, respectively and stood better than other powder treatments. Therefore it is concluded that sorghum extracts and powder can both be used to control weeds efficiently but their deleterious effect on the corresponding crop should also be an important consideration., RESUMO: A alelopatia tornou-se uma ferramenta primordial para o controle de plantas daninhas em plantas cultivadas sem deteriorar o meio ambiente. Os efeitos alelopáticos de extratos aquosos de sorgo e sorgo em pó em um único híbrido de milho (Zea mays L.), híbrido HC-8080, e um arbusto de verão (Echinochloa colona L.) foram avaliados no laboratório de pesquisa da Agronomia, Faculdade de Agricultura, Universidade Gomal, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Paquistão. Os tratamentos foram: T1: controle (testemunha não tratada); T2: extrato aquoso de sorgo com taxa de 5 mL kg-1 de solo; T3: extrato aquoso de sorgo com taxa de 10 mL kg-1 solo; T4: extrato aquoso de sorgo a com taxa de 15 mL kg-1 de solo; T5: sorgo em pó a com taxa de 5 g kg-1 de solo; T6: sorgo em pó a com taxa de 10 g kg-1 de solo; e T7: sorgo em pó a com taxa de 15 g kg-1 de solo. Os resultados revelaram que o extrato aquoso de sorgo com 15 mL kg-1 de solo foi o tratamento mais deletério, tendo reduzido a porcentagem de germinação (GP) em milho e E. colona em 23,57% e 47,03%, o índice de germinação (GI) em 22,30 % e 42,14%, o comprimento de raiz em 32,25% e 62,54% e o comprimento de parte aérea em 23,22% e 62,76%, respectivamente, em relação ao controle. Da mesma forma, 15 g kg-1 de sorgo em pó reduziram os mesmos parâmetros, em 18,85% e 41,09%, 15% e 33,53%, 9,3% e 54,69% e 15,88% e 45,34% em milho e E. colona, respectivamente, em relação aos outros tratamentos em pó. Portanto, conclui-se que extratos de sorgo em pó podem ser usados para controlar plantas daninhas eficientemente, porém seu efeito deletério na cultura correspondente também deve ser uma consideração importante.

In order to examine application of various herbicides for controlling weeds in wheat crop, a field trial was conducted at the Agronomic Research Area, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) during the year 2015-2016. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split-plot arrangements having three replications. The main plot was comprised application time of herbicides while the use of herbicides was assigned to sub-plots. The data revealed that most of the weed parameters, physiological traits and agronomic attributes of crop plants were significantly affected by weed management practices including the use of herbicides at different time intervals over the weedy check. Hand weeding technique excelled all other weed management practices in almost all the parameters studied. This technique was found to be the most effective treatment against all prevailing weeds and obtained the highest grain yield of wheat under climatic conditions of Dera Ismail Khan.

Traditional fossil fuels emissions (mainly COx, SOx, and NOx) have adverse effects on human health and the atmosphere. As part of the clean use of fossil fuels, substitute natural gas (SNG) appears to be one of the most promising alternatives to coal and petroleum for its high combustion heat and low CO2 emissions. SNG can be produced using the catalytic methanation of carbon monoxide (CO). Still, the lack of a competitive and robust catalytic system is a significant challenge in CO methanation technology marketing. To emphasize enhanced catalytic CO methanation, this work offers a vital understanding of the extrinsic and intrinsic interactions between catalytic gears (active metals, support materials, and promoters). A contemporary evaluation has been made of the latest developments in CO methanation catalytic systems and the optimum synergistic relationship of active metals, support materials, and promoters. The influence of various active metals, supporting materials, promoters, synthesis methods, and reaction mechanisms studies were specifically compared and clarified to design effective CO methanation catalysts. This study can serve as a critical reference, contributing to the development of well-designed and appropriate catalysts for future applications and favorable dissemination performance in the various academic and industrial sectors.

Internet of Things (IoT) gives a new dimension in the area of smart farming and agriculture domain. With the use of fog computing and WiFi-based long distance network in IoT, it is possible to connect the agriculture and farming bases situated in rural areas efficiently. To focus on the specific requirements, we propose a scalable network architecture for monitoring and controlling agriculture and farms in rural areas. Compared to the existing IoT-based agriculture and farming solutions, the proposed solution reduces network latency up to a certain extent. In this, a cross-layer-based channel access and routing solution for sensing and actuating is proposed. We analyze the network structure based on coverage range, throughput, and latency.

Antistatic coatings based on latexes of core/shell composites were prepared from poly(styrene-co-butyl acrylate-co-acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PSBAA) core and polypyrrole (PPy) shell. PSBAA was prepared by semicontinuous seeded emulsion polymerization in a typical process to that implemented in the industrial scale. The copolymer-emulsified particles were surface-modified by in situ polymerization of 2 and 10 wt% pyrrole to PSBAA solid to yield PSBAA/2PPy and PSBAA/10PPy composites, respectively. The purpose of this modification is to enhance the electrical properties of PSBAA particles, thus preventing the buildup of static electricity on their coatings. The composites were characterized by FTIR, DSC, TGA, XRD, DLS, TEM, SEM, and EDX. The mechanical, antistatic, and dielectric properties of the coatings were determined. The volume resistivity of PSBAA/2PPy and PSBAA/10PPy composites was 2.60 × 109 and 1.2 × 107 Ω.cm, respectively, that is, proper to act as antistatic coatings. AC conductivity (σac) measurements showed that the modification of PSBAA transferred it from insulator material with σac 1.83 × 10−10 S/cm to semiconducting material PSBAA/10PPy with σac 8.33 × 10−8. The increase in dielectric constant from 0.73 in PSBAA to 149.90 in PSBAA/10PPy indicates that the prepared composites represent promising candidates to be used as energy storage materials in electronic devices.

Preventive maintenance is one of the main concerns in modern industry, in which early failure detection increases the lifecycle of machines. In this paper, electrical signature analysis is employed to indicate the development or existence of faults within the proposed system and this is achieved by embedding a real-time frequency analysis of the motor current. The term in the title electrical signature analysis basically refers to the motor current or voltage attributes are being used as a transducers to detect the changes in their spectrum in both the conditions; healthy and unhealthy. The algorithm used for analyzing the signals in frequency domain is done using Fast Fourier transform. In this work, we have focused on failure of bearing part of single phase induction motor and developed hardware for monitoring conditions (i.e. health of the motor) in run time. Because of the simplicity of this technique the mechanism of fault diagnosis is employed using an FPGA approach that offers re-configurability. This work can be very useful in industrial setup where there are 100 motors working together for some production lines. The findings show promising results which could lead to better reliability performance of the induction motor and lower maintenance costs.

Background Intrasaccular flow disruption has emerged as a useful modality for treatment of wide-necked saccular aneurysm at vessel bifurcations. The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device is one such device that has been evaluated in several series with excellent safety and good midterm efficacy. Bailout techniques to retrieve or reposition a dislocated WEB device are sparse and associated with significant risks. We describe a case of a dislocated WEB device that was repositioned with a microcatheter alone. Methods We describe a case of a WEB device that inadvertently detached in the parent vessel and the technique we used to reposition it. A number of bailout techniques are discussed with pros and cons associated with each maneuver. Results An unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm was treated by endovascular embolization with a WEB device. The WEB was deployed within the aneurysm without incident. However, the device failed to detach. While attempting to resheath the device, it extruded out of the aneurysm and then inadvertently detached in the MCA. After many options were considered, a microcatheter alone was used to push the device back into the aneurysm. Conclusion Caution should be exercised, especially when detaching the WEB device. Microcatheter repositioning by pushing the dislocated device may be attempted, especially if part of the device is within the aneurysm. This is the first description of the described microcatheter repositioning rescue maneuver.

Nanostructured photocatalysts commonly offered opportunities to solve issues scrutinized with the environmental challenges caused by steep population growth and rapid urbanization. This photocatalyst is a controllable characteristic, which can provide humans with a clean and sustainable ecosystem. Over the last decades, one of the current thriving research focuses on visible-light-driven CeO2-based photocatalysts due to their superior characteristics, including unique fluorite-type structure, rigid framework, and facile reducing oxidizing properties of cerium's tetravalent (Ce4+) and trivalent (Ce3+) valence states. Notwithstanding, owing to its inherent wide energy gap, the solar energy utilization efficiency is low, which limits its application in wastewater treatment. Numerous modifications of CeO2 have been employed to enhance photodegradation performances, such as metals and non-metals doping, adding support materials, and coupling with another semiconductor. Besides, all these doping will form a different heterojunction and show a different way of electron-hole migration. Compared to conventional heterojunction, advanced heterojunction types such as p-n heterojunction, Z-scheme, Schottky junction, and surface plasmon resonance effect exhibit superior performance for degradation owing to their excellent charge carrier separation, and the reaction occurs at a relatively higher redox potential. This review attends to providing deep insights on heterojunction mechanisms and the latest progress on photodegradation of various contaminants in wastewater using CeO2-based photocatalysts. Hence, making the CeO2 photocatalyst more foresee and promising to further development and research.

Side chain toluene methylation reaction (SCTM) is a reliable reaction to produce styrene and ethylbenzene from toluene. Nevertheless, due to the lack of efficient catalyst caused by less Lewis acid sites and mesoporosity properties, the challenges in this SCTM reaction are still ongoing. Hence, this work is accomplished to gain a better understanding in designing a robust catalyst for side chain toluene methylation. Herein, this work emphasizes the uniqueness of top-notch metal-free fibrous silica zeolite X (FZX) by microemulsion method. This FZX showed superior catalytic activity towards side chain methylation with 15.9% yield of styrene and ethylbenzene, which was 16-fold higher compared to the commercial zeolite X (CZX) catalyst. This was achieved by the excellent properties of dendrimeric silica fibers of FZX possessing high concentration of basic sites and Lewis acid sites as well as high mesoporosity, as proved by the FTIR-Pyrrole, FTR-Pyridine and nitrogen physisorption analyses respectively. The presence of intermediates was confirmed by in-situ FTIR toluene-methanol. 27Al MAS NMR analysis proved that the presence of excessive extraframework alumina (EFAl) species could act as additional Lewis acid sites in FZX to enhance toluene adsorption on the FZX catalyst, thus improving the toluene conversion and desired styrene and ethylbenzene products. Silica MCM41 exhibited lower yield of styrene and ethylbenzene by the fact imbalance of acid base property of catalyst. The kinetic study proved that the side chain toluene methylation occurred via dissimilar dual site mechanism of Langmuir-Hinshelwood. This rationally designed metal-free FZX demonstrates its high potential in polymer and/or petrochemical as well as other industrial applications.

In this work, Fe3O4@C yolk-shell carbon architecture were fabricated in one pot sol-gel process and further examined as adsorbents for the removal of sulfamethazine. To understand yolk-shell structure on the adsorption properties of sulfamethazine, another adsorbent without hollow cavity, i.e., Fe3O4@SiO2@C carbon material, was also prepared for comparison. The adsorption results showed the yolk-shell carbon materials complied with the pseudo-second order kinetics model. Based on the Langmuir model the yolk shell material possess a Qmax of 312 mg g−1, which is higher than that of core-shell materials (236 mg g−1). Due to the magnetic property, the yolk-shell carbon materials can be retrieved facilely from the aqueous media by an external magnet and 89.1% of recovery can be achieved over five adsorption desorption cycles. Possessing high surface area, a well-defined interface of the material and central cavity the as-prepared material has proved to be a potentially eminent adsorbent for the broad scale removal of sulfamethazine from industrial processes.