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Objective: Brief computer-delivered interventions (CDIs) reduce college student drinking and related problems but can be less efficacious and enduring than in-person interventions. The present study examined: (a) the utility of emailed personalized boosters after an evidence-based online CDI for alcohol (i.e., eCHECKUP TO GO), and (b) the added value of including protective behavioral strategies (PBS) in boosters containing personalized normative feedback (PNF) versus PNF alone. Method: 528 young adult (ages 18-24) college drinkers (71.6% female; 52.5% Black, 40.3% White) with a mean age of 19.9 years (SD = 1.65) were randomized to receive: CDI-only; CDI plus a PNF-only booster; or CDI plus a booster containing both PNF and PBS feedback. Booster emails were sent 2 weeks post-intervention. Online surveys completed pre-intervention and at 1 and 3 months assessed alcohol consumption, problems, descriptive normative perceptions, and PBS use. Results: The CDI led to significant reductions in alcohol consumption across all conditions, with no effect of boosters on drinking. Controlling for quantity, no reductions in problems were observed. Descriptive norms reduced significantly, with no condition differences. Only PBS use showed condition effects, such that the CDI-only and PNF-only booster groups reported reduced PBS use at 1 month, but the norms-plus-PBS booster group did not. Conclusions: The CDI was sufficient to change alcohol consumption and perceived norms without boosters, although the inclusion of boosters with PBS feedback may mitigate against PBS use reductions. Longer follow-ups may detect delayed booster benefits, or a larger dose through repeated exposure over time may be needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Abstract: The immune system involves both active and passive immunization. The antibodies are developed against the antigens during active immunization and are permanently stored. But, in the case of passive immunization, the antibodies are exposed to the same antigens in every person who is already infected. In order to enhance the immune systems i.e. innate and adaptive immune responses, herbal plants are used as an immune booster. Some of the herbal plants have been proven clinically to enhance immunity that includes Morniga oleifera (Drumstick), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi), Withania somnifera (Aswagandha), Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Allium sativum (Garlic), Curcuma longa (Turmeric), Emblica officinalis (Amla) etc. Compared to synthetic drugs, herbal drugs have fewer side effects and stimulate the immune system to defend against various foreign pathogens. Even though herbal medicines are usually considered as safe and effective therapy, it is clinically proven that if a drug is effective, it would have some side effects. But, sometimes, the antioxidant property of herbal medicines is helpful in reducing the toxicities produced by any toxic substances or any drugs. This review aims to encourage the study of various herbal constituents and their role in the treatment of different types of viral infections.

In the supermarket refrigeration industry, the natural refrigerant R744 (CO2) has been designated as a long-term solution to mitigate HFC refrigerants' global warming. In this study, booster (BB) and parallel compression (BP) configurations were assessed through a detailed and novel energetic modelling, which includes a semi-empirical "four-parameter" for reciprocating and scroll compressor models and a one-zone model for the gas cooler, and a three zones model for the condenser. Model validation showed a mean deviation of 4.23% against reference values. The COP of the BP configuration was 14% higher than BB, for ambient temperatures between 0°C and 35°C. This study presents for the first time, the simulation of transcritical systems with R744 throughout out different locations in Chile. Simulation results of fourteen Chilean cities showed that the BP system allows reducing the annual energy consumption between 4% for very cold climates and 12% for desert regions. An economic analysis revealed that only in most desert and warm climates (Arica, Antofagasta and Santiago), the differential capital expenditures of the BP system over the BB were recovered within 20 years with the operational expenditure savings. For the rest of the evaluated cities, the BB system is a more profitable solution than BP. The study aims to support the introduction of refrigeration system with R744 in Chilean supermarkets.

Recently, Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness has decreased especially against mild disease due to emergence of the Delta variant and waning protection. In this register-based study among healthcare workers in Finland, the vaccine effectiveness of two-dose mRNA vaccine series against SARS-CoV-2 infection decreased from 82% (95% CI 79-85%) 14-90 days after vaccination to 53% (43-62%) after 6 months. Similar trend was observed for other series. Waning was not observed against Covid-19 hospitalization. These results facilitate decision-making of booster doses for healthcare workers.

In light of recent managerial oversights such as those connected with the Challenger space shuttle disaster, having executives rely more on their professionals might serve to improve their organization's ethical consciousness. Although the professional record on corporate ethical behavior is by no means exemplary, the functional basis of the professions, especially the support rendered members through their professional associations and codes, is sufficient to make them potential watchdogs of corporate misconduct. The IEEE, for example, has taken steps to defend engineers who, in acting professionally to defend the public interest, are subject to arbitrary reprisals from employers. Executives, however, need to lead in encouraging professionals to follow their best instincts in supporting an ethical position within the enterprise. According to Raelin, three steps executives can take in this regard are (1) raising an ethical consciousness, (2) setting up an ethical process and structure, and (3) institutionalizing the structure. The first step involves a pronouncement from the CEO that the company is forever committed to a free and open exchange of ideas, including discretionary opinions from the professional staff. It also consists of an articulation of social and ethical goals that share the corporate agenda with economic goals. The next steps dictate how the organization goes about meeting those goals and what decision-making procedures and structures are to be adopted in carrying out such a social policy. By institutionalization, professionals and operating managers have incorporated ethical objectives into their day-to-day practice.

The gas booster station of a steel works has experienced excessive bearing failures since commissioning over two decades ago. This station was designed with redundancy, allowing for automatic switch-over between two gas booster fans. Bearing failures were observed, on average once every 15.7 days, with instances where both fans experienced simultaneous downtime. Booster failures resulted in regular station downtime, preventing Coke Oven Gas (COG) transport to an end user. This flammable by-product is used as a heat source and all unutilized volumes are flared, resulting in energy wastages. Furthermore, the absence of COG increases Natural Gas (NG) usage, procured at a cost. Traditional root cause analysis techniques failed to identify the cause of these excessive bearing failures. However, multiple in-depth data analysis studies resulted in a thermodynamic investigation, exposing liquid and solid particles within the COG to be responsible for the failures. This allowed for the design of an in-line particle collector, eliminating excessive failures. Following the particle collector installation, only two strategic bearing changes took place over the next 41 weeks, with reduced bearing vibration levels compared to before. The station experienced no failure downtime during this period, resulting in reduced COG flaring and thus improved energy utilization.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of a global pandemic that has led to more than 2.8 million deaths worldwide. Safe and effective vaccines are now available, including Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA-1273) that showed 94% efficacy in prevention of symptomatic COVID-19 disease in a phase 3 clinical study. mRNA-1273 encodes for a prefusion stabilized full length spike (S) protein of the Wuhan-Hu-1 isolate. However, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has led to concerns of viral escape from vaccine-induced immunity. Several emerging variants have shown decreased susceptibility to neutralization by vaccine induced immunity, most notably the B.1.351 variant, although the overall impact on vaccine efficacy remains to be determined. Here, we present the initial evaluation in mice of two updated COVID-19 mRNA vaccines designed to target emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants: (1) monovalent mRNA-1273.351 encodes for the S protein found in the B.1.351 lineage and (2) mRNA-1273.211 comprising a 1:1 mix of mRNA-1273 and mRNA-1273.351. Both vaccines were evaluated as a 2-dose primary series in mice; mRNA-1273.351 was also evaluated as a booster dose in animals previously vaccinated with 2-doses of mRNA-1273. The results demonstrated that a primary vaccination series of mRNA-1273.351 was effective at increasing neutralizing antibody titers against the B.1.351 lineage, while mRNA-1273.211 was most effective at providing broad cross-variant neutralization in mice. In addition, these results demonstrated a third dose of mRNA-1273.351 significantly increased both wild-type and B.1.351-specific neutralization titers. Both mRNA-1273.351 and mRNA-1273.211 are currently being evaluated in additional pre-clinical challenge models and in phase 1/2 clinical studies.

Summary Background SARS-CoV-2 has caused millions of deaths, and, since Aug 11, 2020, 20 intramuscular COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use. We aimed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an aerosolised adenovirus type-5 vector-based COVID-19 vaccine (Ad5-nCoV) in adults without COVID-19 from China. Method This was a randomised, single-centre, open-label, phase 1 trial done in Zhongnan Hospital (Wuhan, China), to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the Ad5-nCoV vaccine by aerosol inhalation in adults (≥18 years) seronegative for SARS-CoV-2. Breastfeeding or pregnant women and people with major chronic illnesses or history of allergies were excluded. Participants were enrolled and randomly assigned (1:1:1:1:1) into five groups to be vaccinated via intramuscular injection, aerosol inhalation, or both. Randomisation was stratified by sex and age (18–55 years or ≥56 years) using computer-generated randomisation sequences (block sizes of five). Only laboratory staff were masked to group assignment. The participants in the two aerosol groups received an initial high dose (2 × 1010 viral particles; HDmu group) or low dose (1 × 1010 viral particles; LDmu group) of Ad5-nCoV vaccine on day 0, followed by a booster on day 28. The mixed vaccination group received an initial intramuscular (5 × 1010 viral particles) vaccine on day 0, followed by an aerosolised booster (2 × 1010 viral particles) vaccine on day 28 (MIX group). The intramuscular groups received one dose (5 × 1010 viral particles; 1Dim group) or two doses (10 × 1010 viral particles; 2Dim group) of Ad5-nCoV on day 0. The primary safety outcome was adverse events 7 days after each vaccination, and the primary immunogenicity outcome was anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor IgG antibody and SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody geometric mean titres at day 28 after last vaccination. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04552366. Findings Between Sept 28, 2020, and Sept 30, 2020, 230 individuals were screened for inclusion, of whom 130 (56%) participants were enrolled into the trial and randomly assigned into one of the five groups (26 participants per group). Within 7 days after vaccination, adverse events occurred in 18 (69%) in the HDmu group, 19 (73%) in the LDmu group, 19 (73%) in the MIX group, 19 (73%) in the 1Dim group, and 15 (58%) in the 2Dim group. The most common adverse events reported 7 days after the first or booster vaccine were fever (62 [48%] of 130 participants), fatigue (40 [31%] participants), and headache (46 [35%] participants). More adverse events were reported in participants who received intramuscular vaccination, including participants in the MIX group (49 [63%] of 78 participants), than those who received aerosol vaccine (13 [25%] of 52 participants) after the first vaccine vaccination. No serious adverse events were noted within 56 days after the first vaccine. At days 28 after last vaccination, geometric mean titres of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody was 107 (95% CI 47–245) in the HDmu group, 105 (47–232) in the LDmu group, 396 (207–758) in the MIX group, 95 (61–147) in the 1Dim group, and 180 (113–288) in the 2Dim group. The geometric mean concentrations of receptor binding domain-binding IgG was 261 EU/mL (95% CI 121–563) in the HDmu group, 289 EU/mL (138–606) in the LDmu group, 2013 EU/mL (1180–3435) in the MIX group, 915 EU/mL (588–1423) in the 1Dim group, and 1190 EU/mL (776–1824) in the 2Dim group. Interpretation Aerosolised Ad5-nCoV is well tolerated, and two doses of aerosolised Ad5-nCoV elicited neutralising antibody responses, similar to one dose of intramuscular injection. An aerosolised booster vaccination at 28 days after first intramuscular injection induced strong IgG and neutralising antibody responses. The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of aerosol vaccination should be evaluated in future studies. Funding National Key Research and Development Programme of China and National Science and Technology Major Project. Translation For the Chinese translation of the Summary see Supplementary Material.

The typical problem that occurs when the conventional vacuum preloading (CVP) method is applied to dredged soil is that the drainage is impeded, permeability is progressively reduced, and clogging occurs in prefabricated horizontal drains (PHDs). This paper proposes a method in which air booster through PHDs under vacuum preloading to reinforce newly dredged soil, and thereby solve the clogging problem. To evaluate the proposed method, several experiments were conducted using soils with variable degrees of consolidation and the effect on clogging determined. Furthermore, the proposed method was compared to the CVP method considering several variables monitored during consolidation and after consolidation. The results indicate that the proposed method is superior to the CVP as it more effectively alleviates the clogging problem. These findings could provide design criteria for dredged soil consolidation in similar projects and for scientific research and engineering practice.

Some of the most common defects that can be generated during the production of solid propellant are voids and porosity, usually associated with the casting process, and cracks and debonding, typically initiated by the high stresses caused by the curing process. This paper presents the development of an algorithm capable of evaluating the burning surface regression of a solid rocket booster when inclusions are present within the grain. The effects produced by the cavities are evaluated both in terms of performance (i.e., comparison with the behavior of the nominal combustion surface), and in terms of safety (i.e., evaluation of the thermal protection increased exposure). The paper also documents the influence of uncertainties in the knowledge of the real dimension and position of the inclusions detected within the motor. The radiography inspection of the motor is able to detect the presence of cavities within a certain level of accuracy, and the worst combination of these uncertainties has to be determined in order to guarantee, even under such circumstances, the safe and successful firing of the motor. The methodology developed in the paper is adapted in order to identify the worst uncertainty combination, and to subsequently determine the corresponding performance deviation.

Background: Motor-vehicles crashes are a leading cause of death among children. Age- and size-appropriate restraint use can prevent crash injuries and deaths among children. Strategies to increase child restraint use should be informed by reliable estimates of restraint use practices. Objective: Compare parent/caregiver-reported and observed child restraint use estimates from the FallStyles and Estilos surveys with the National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS). Methods: Estimates of child restraint use from two online, cross-sectional surveys—FallStyles, a survey of U.S. adults, and Estilos, a survey of U.S. Hispanic adults—were compared with observed data collected in NSUBS. Parents/caregivers of children aged ≤ 12 years were asked about the child’s restraint use behaviors in FallStyles and Estilos, while restraint use was observed in NSUBS. Age-appropriate restraint use was defined as rear-facing child safety seat (CSS) use for children aged 0–4 years, forward-facing CSS use for children aged 2–7 years, booster seat use for children aged 5–12 years, and seat belt use for children aged 9–12 years. Age-appropriate restraint users are described by demographic characteristics and seat row, with weighted prevalence and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated. Results: Overall, child restraint use as reported by parents/caregivers was 90.8% (CI: 87.5–94.1) (FallStyles) and 89.4% (CI: 85.5–93.4) for observed use (NSUBS). Among Hispanic children, reported restraint use was 82.6% (CI: 73.9–91.3) (Estilos) and 84.4% (CI: 79.0–88.6) for observed use (NSUBS, Hispanic children only). For age-appropriate restraint use, estimates ranged from 74.3% (CI: 69.7–79.0) (FallStyles) to 59.7% (CI: 55.0–64.4) (NSUBS), and for Hispanic children, from 71.5% (CI: 62.1–81.0) (Estilos) to 57.2% (CI: 51.2–63.2) (NSUBS, Hispanic children only). Conclusion and Practical Application: Overall estimates of parent/caregiver-reported and observed child restraint use were similar. However, for age-appropriate restraint use, reported use was higher than observed use for most age groups.

Rocket reusability dates as long as rockets. Since the beginning of space age, the possibility to reuse the full vehicle or some stages has been a matter of engineering. But this was directly opposite to mass ratio efficiency, the key for a well-designed rocket. Since as soon as a stage has to be recovered, subsystems to provide this function and additional inert mass are needed. Even if reusable systems are only a small part of the worldwide rockets, they flew operationally since the space shuttle age. However, full reusable vehicles are not yet operational and only partially reusable launch vehicles have been flown until now. The preliminary space shuttle design consisted of two stages both liquid and reusable (booster and orbiter stages). The consolidated design retrieved the orbiter (upper stage, the cargo and propulsion bay) and the solid rocket boosters. On Russian side Energia-Buran only retrieved the upper stage with its cargo bay and the same approach was adapted for the original design of Ariane 5-Hermes. Europe investigated and developed different reusable systems, set up test facilities and flew the IXV demonstrator in 2015. More recently, the preferred strategy consists in reuse of unwinged booster stages (e.g. Falcon 9 of SpaceX) or of only the orbited spacecraft (e.g. NASA-USAF X-37). France and Europe are preparing propulsion and reusable rocket stage demonstration bricks for next generation launchers. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of some reusable space systems with emphasis on the different design strategy and skills mainly focused on European heritage. The systems are split into low and high energy with a view to technology aspects and in-flight experiments.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARYPertussis, also called whooping cough, is a common disease in adults. However, how it affects adults in some countries in the Asia-Pacific region is not well understood. In 2019, a panel of experts met to review the available information on adult cases of pertussis in Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Here, we present the outcomes of the meeting. Pertussis is increasingly reported in the Asia-Pacific region, including cases diagnosed in adults. The diagnosis may be missed in countries where awareness is still low and/or it is not tested routinely. The experts concluded that physicians should consider recommending pertussis vaccination to older adults (aged 65 or older) on an individual basis, as well as people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who appear to be at higher risk of severe pertussis. Uptake of pertussis vaccination in adults could be improved by increasing awareness of the vaccines available and vaccination infrastructure for this age-group. Some of the measures proposed were as follows: improved access to vaccination; personalized reminders when vaccines are due; and more education about pertussis in adults for doctors, nursesnurses, and patients. The experts also proposed setting up adult vaccination registries for tracking and evaluation of vaccine uptake. This expert opinion might help the healthcare community build action plans to recognise the burden of the disease and increase rates of vaccination among adults. In addition, better data on the disease burden would help to generate awareness.

BACKGROUND Incomplete excretion rates are problematic for colon capsule endoscopy (CCE). Widely available booster regimens are suboptimal. Recently published data on one day preparation CCE protocol using castor oil appeared effective. AIM To assess the impact of adding castor oil to a standard split-dose (2-d) preparation in an unselected Western patient cohort. METHODS All patients aged 18 or more referred to our unit for a CCE over a 5-mo period were prospectively recruited. Controls were retrospectively identified from our CCE database. All patients received split bowel preparation with Moviprep® [polyethylene glycol (PEG)-3350, sodium sulphate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid for oral solution; Norgine B. V, United States], a PEG-based solution used predominantly in our colonoscopy practice. Control booster regimen included Moviprep® with 750 mL of water (booster 1) on reaching the small bowel. A further dose of Moviprep® with 250 mL of water was given 3 h later and a bisacodyl suppository (Dulcolax®) 10 mg after 8 h, if the capsule was not excreted. In addition to our standard booster regimen, cases received an additional 15 mL of castor oil given at the time of booster 1. A nested case control design with 2:1 ratio (control:case) was employed. Basic demographics, completion rates, image quality, colonic transit time, diagnostic yield and polyp detection were compared between groups, using a student t or chi-square tests as appropriate. RESULTS One hundred and eighty-six CCEs [mean age 60 years (18-97), 56% females, n = 104], including 62 cases have been analysed. Indication breakdown included 96 polyp surveillance (51.6%), 42 lower gastrointestinal symptoms (22.6%), 28 due to incomplete colonoscopy (15%), 18 anaemia (9.7%) and 2 inflammatory bowel disease surveillance (1.1%). Overall, CCE completion was 77% (144/186), image quality was adequate/diagnostic in 91% (170/186), mean colonic transit time was 3.5 h (0.25-13), and the polyp detection rate was 57% (106/186). Completion rates were significantly higher with castor oil, 87% cases (54/62) vs 73% controls (90/124), P = 0.01. The number needed to treat with castor oil to result in an additional complete CCE study was 7, absolute risk reduction = 14.52%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.06- 25.97. This effect of castor oil on excretion rates was more significant in the over 60 s, P < 0.03, and in females, P < 0.025. Similarly, polyp detection rates were higher in cases 82% (51/62) vs controls 44% (55/124), P = 0.0001, odds ratio 5.8, 95%CI: 2.77-12.21. Colonic transit times were similar, 3.2 h and 3.8 h, respectively. Image quality was similar, reported as adequate/diagnostic in 90% (56/62) vs 92% (114/124). CONCLUSION In our capsule endoscopy centre, castor oil addition as a CCE booster significantly improved completion rates and polyp detection in an unselected Western cohort.

In this paper, a CO2 supermarket refrigeration system using multi-ejector and dedicated mechanical subcooling (MEJ + DMS) is proposed to solve the problem of low performance of the CO2 refrigeration system in high temperature area and evaluate the feasibility application in China. A detailed thermodynamic performance analysis is conducted with MATLAB software. Furthermore, the annual energy consumption and seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) are used as the major indicators to assess the system performance in five typical representative cities of diverse climate types in China. The results indicate that compared with the basic booster system (BASE), the system with dedicated mechanical subcooling (DMS), and that with multi-ejector (MEJ), the MEJ + DMS system permits not only reducing the operating pressure of the system but also enhancing the maximum COP by 61.76%, 19.17% and 20.21%, respectively at the ambient temperature of 40 °C. Furthermore, the annual analysis shows that the MEJ + DMS system can save energy by 29.94% and increase SEER by 42.73% in hot summer and warm winter zone. The new proposed system has the advantages of greatly promoting system performance and saving energy and is expected to replace the existing CO2 supermarket booster refrigeration systems.

Three COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved under a Biologics License Application (BLA) or authorized under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended for primary vaccination by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in the United States: the 2-dose mRNA-based Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines and the single-dose adenovirus vector-based Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine (1,2) (Box 1). In August 2021, FDA amended the EUAs for the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to allow for an additional primary dose in certain immunocompromised recipients of an initial mRNA COVID-19 vaccination series (1). During September-October 2021, FDA amended the EUAs to allow for a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose following a primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccination series in certain recipients aged ≥18 years who are at increased risk for serious complications of COVID-19 or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), as well as in recipients aged ≥18 years of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (1) (Table). For the purposes of these recommendations, an additional primary (hereafter additional) dose refers to a dose of vaccine administered to persons who likely did not mount a protective immune response after initial vaccination. A booster dose refers to a dose of vaccine administered to enhance or restore protection by the primary vaccination, which might have waned over time. Health care professionals play a critical role in COVID-19 vaccination efforts, including for primary, additional, and booster vaccination, particularly to protect patients who are at increased risk for severe illness and death.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is frequently encountered in the emergency department (ED). We assessed an antibiotic stewardship intervention tailored for the ED. The primary objective was improving overall adherence to agent choice and treatment duration. The secondary objective was a decrease in fluoroquinolone prescription.This pre-post study included patients discharged from the ED with a UTI diagnosis. The intensive intervention period lasted three months and involved dissemination of guidelines, short lectures, incorporation of order sets into electronic ED charts and weekly personal audit and feedback. The following 11-month phase was a booster period consisting of monthly text messages of the treatment protocol. Assessment of adherence to the protocol was compared between the three-month pre-intervention period and the last two months of the intensive intervention period, as well as with the last two months of the booster period.A total of 177 patients were included in the pre-intervention period, 156 in the intervention period, and 94 in the late follow-up assessing the booster period. Median age was 49 (18-94) years, 78.2% were female, 84.8% had cystitis. During the intervention period, protocol adherence with antibiotic selection and duration increased from 41% to 84% (p0.001). Adherence remained high in the late follow-up period (73.4% vs. 41%, p0.001). Fluoroquinolone use decreased from 19.1% pre-intervention, to 5% in the intervention and 7.4% in the late follow-up periods (p0.001).An antibiotic stewardship intervention in a busy ED resulted in adherence to treatment protocols, including a decrease in fluoroquinolone use. A monthly reminder preserved most of the effect for a year.

Purpose To develop an end-to-end deep learning solution for quickly reconstructing radial simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) myocardial perfusion datasets with comparable quality to the pixel tracking spatiotemporal constrained reconstruction (PT-STCR) method. Methods Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) radial SMS myocardial perfusion data were obtained from 20 subjects who were scanned at rest and/or stress with or without ECG gating using a saturation recovery radial CAIPI turboFLASH sequence. Input to the networks consisted of complex coil combined images reconstructed using the inverse Fourier transform of undersampled radial SMS k-space data. Ground truth images were reconstructed using the PT-STCR pipeline. The performance of the residual booster 3D U-Net was tested by comparing it to state-of-the-art network architectures including MoDL, CRNN-MRI, and other U-Net variants. Results Results demonstrate significant improvements in speed requiring approximately 8 seconds to reconstruct one radial SMS dataset which is approximately 200 times faster than the PT-STCR method. Images reconstructed with the residual booster 3D U-Net retain quality of ground truth PT-STCR images (0.963 SSIM/40.238 PSNR/0.147 NRMSE). The residual booster 3D U-Net has superior performance compared to existing network architectures in terms of image quality, temporal dynamics, and reconstruction time. Conclusion Residual and booster learning combined with the 3D U-Net architecture was shown to be an effective network for reconstructing high-quality images from undersampled radial SMS datasets while bypassing the reconstruction time of the PT-STCR method.

Refrigeration systems running on transcritical CO2 cycle are considered an alternative to phase-down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in response to the Kigali Amendment. Responding to the need to improve the efficiency of CO2 booster systems and to identify optimum system designs, thermodynamic models of three booster systems are proposed with the use of an internal heat exchanger (IHX). Findings from this study suggest that placing the IHX with a low-temperature fluid side at the suction line of high pressure stage compressor and high-temperature fluid side at the outlet of gas cooler represents the most optimal approach in improving the coefficient of performance (COP) of the booster system. When operating in the transcritical conditions, the COP values can be improved by 6.35% at the IHX thermal effectiveness of 0.8 and by 6.48% at the ratio of medium temperature load to low temperature load of 6. Using IHX can significantly reduce the compressor discharge pressure, which can be reduced by 0.55 MPa at the ambient temperature of 40 °C. Furthermore, by adding IHX, the annual performance factor of CO2 system can be improved significantly by 1.68% and the annual total power consumption can be decreased by 6.48% in the tropical climate. It can be concluded that that IHX can improve the COP values of a booster system when operating in the subtropical and tropical regions.

Developing safe and effective vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at a breakneck speed has been an exceptional human achievement. It remains our best hope of containing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, newer, more aggressive SARS-CoV-2 viral strains, as well as the possibility of fading immunity following vaccination, have prompted health officials to investigate the necessity for additional immunization. This has put further pressure on disregarded human life in lower-income countries that already have minimal access to COVID-19 vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended a third COVID-19 vaccine dose in immunocompromised individuals in a recent announcement. Governments and health care officials need to develop usage guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses while considering the dangers of potential waning immunity and new viral strains and prioritizing vulnerable populations everywhere, including those living in lower-income countries.

Background On July 30, 2021, the administration of a third (booster) dose of the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) was approved in Israel for persons who were 60 years of age or older and who had received a second dose of vaccine at least 5 months earlier. Data are needed regarding the effect of the booster dose on the rate of confirmed coronavirus 2019 disease (Covid-19) and the rate of severe illness. Methods We extracted data for the period from July 30 through August 31, 2021, from the Israeli Ministry of Health database regarding 1,137,804 persons who were 60 years of age or older and had been fully vaccinated (i.e., had received two doses of BNT162b2) at least 5 months earlier. In the primary analysis, we compared the rate of confirmed Covid-19 and the rate of severe illness between those who had received a booster injection at least 12 days earlier (booster group) and those who had not received a booster injection (nonbooster group). In a secondary analysis, we evaluated the rate of infection 4 to 6 days after the booster dose as compared with the rate at least 12 days after the booster. In all the analyses, we used Poisson regression after adjusting for possible confounding factors. Results At least 12 days after the booster dose, the rate of confirmed infection was lower in the booster group than in the nonbooster group by a factor of 11.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.4 to 12.3); the rate of severe illness was lower by a factor of 19.5 (95% CI, 12.9 to 29.5). In a secondary analysis, the rate of confirmed infection at least 12 days after vaccination was lower than the rate after 4 to 6 days by a factor of 5.4 (95% CI, 4.8 to 6.1). Conclusions In this study involving participants who were 60 years of age or older and had received two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine at least 5 months earlier, we found that the rates of confirmed Covid-19 and severe illness were substantially lower among those who received a booster (third) dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine.

Mekara Electric Vehicle 02 is a type of city car that converts conventional vehicles into electric vehicles at the Universitas Indonesia. The brake booster component system still uses a type of vacuum brake booster. The brake booster is a component in the brake system that reduces the force on the driver's pedal in the vehicle braking process. The vacuum brake booster requires a vacuum generated by the engine intake manifold. In an electric car, there is no vacuum in the intake manifold because the engine is changed by an electric motor. The use of a vacuum brake booster in electric cars requires an additional component of a vacuum pump. The use of a vacuum pump on a vehicle battery requires electricity consumption of 3.9 Watt hours. In this study, we aim to design a new electric brake booster mechanism as a replacement for the vacuum brake booster mechanism. We used our proposed method to design an electric brake booster component and make a prototype. The prototype was tested using a rig test simulation. The electric brake amplifier applies the magnetic force generated by the solenoid and pulls the lever bar connected to the brake master. The brake pedal that is stepped on by the driver activates the flow of electricity on the solenoid and activates a magnetic pull force so that the driver's force in pressing the brake pedal will be assisted by an electric brake booster mechanism. Electric brake boosters can reduce electricity consumption by 28.2%.

The article is aimed on the possibility of fuzzy control of an experimental device that represents the simplified model of automobile steering booster. The main part of model consists of a graphical unit illustrating the control of speed and supporting torque. Based on the structure of fuzzy controller, various counts and configurations of fuzzy sets were defined, whereby the relevant results were achieved by their application on controlled system.

While technology has traditionally impaired sleep, it also has the potential to enable and reframe sleep as a productivity and health booster.

There are varieties of traditional medicinal plants widely used for boosting of memory. These plants includeBacopa monnieri, Rhodiola rosea, Ginkgo biloba, Withania somnifera,etc. Memory boosting effect of such plants is solely attributed to their active phytoconstituents. These constituents are also referred to as smart drugs. These are capable of crossing blood brain barriers. They also enhance the cognitive performance in the brain by acting on memory to make it much alert and focused. They are having memory boosting properties to boost the coordination between the neurons and brain. In present paper, attempts were made to cover pharmacognosy, phytochemistry and clinical applications of traditional medicinal plants as memory booster.

As the world scrambles to find a cure for COVID-19, Medical research network around the world is trying to find out treatment against the novel corona virus infection. In this pandemic condition there is a need for herbal remedies to boost the innate and acquired immunity to fight against corona virus. There are other certain ways to boost the “Immune System” such as active lifestyle, healthy diet, physical exercise, relaxation and sound sleep. Home remedies can be played a vital role as immunity modulator. Ayurveda treatises have described several herbal drugs which are used as different home remedies and are assume to be effective in COVID-19 therapeutics and immunity modulator as a preventive solution. That’s why in this present study, an challenge is made to review such herbal drugs and identify its immune modulator effect against corona virus. Tulsi, Ginger, Clove, Dalchini, Turmeric, Garlic, Marich are most effective herbal drugs used as a home remedies to improve the immunity level naturally with speedy recovery in COVID-19 cases.

Recent studies concluded that the use of ammonia in SI engines is possible thanks to an ignition booster or promoter. In this paper, the improvement of premixed ammonia/air combustion for internal combustion engines is studied as a function of performance and exhaust pollutants in a Spark-Assisted Compression Ignition single-cylinder engine, which supports a higher compression ratio (CR). For the first time, pure NH3 combustion was performed over a large range of engine operating conditions. The study concludes that neat ammonia can be used over a large operating range, here driven by the intake pressure, using a classical ignition device with a CR of 14–17 at 1000 rpm. The comparison with previous data obtained in a current single-cylinder SI engine clearly shows the potential of this engine mode, even for very low loads and various engine speeds (650, 1000, 2000 rpm), in spite of an initial aerodynamic that is not optimized to enhance flame-turbulence interaction. Kinetic simulations provide some explanations about exhaust emission behaviour, especially unburnt NH3, H2, NOx and N2O.

The purpose of this article is to illustrate how research ignites big assets; from products, patents, technology, and even the creation of new companies. Using authors' experiences, it will be shown how an antenna engineering challenge was addressed and how it ended up with a new antenna technology to bring new solutions to the Internet of Things (IoT) space. The different milestones discussed in the article will also inspire and encourage young researchers to pursue R&D career paths. The paths include plenty of hard work and ups and downs but also a very rewarding experience that, in the end, enables stunning advances in technology for humanity.

As one of the initial ten sites in Ohio designated to receive and distribute the first COVID‐19 vaccines in December 2020, we initiated a self‐reported IRB‐approved research survey to describe the demographics, side‐effects, and missed work time experienced by front‐line health care workers in an urban tertiary care center and a rural regional hospital. First responders from both the urban and rural surrounding communities were also included in the initial Tier 1A vaccine distribution. The primary outcome measure was to identify the most frequently experienced side effects from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, based on type of vaccine, first or second dose, age, gender, race and occupation. The secondary outcome measure was to document the total number of work shifts missed after receiving the vaccine. Of interest to health care risk managers, the survey identified the most common side effects and resulting missed time from work broken down by type of vaccine and first or second dose. This information will be helpful for those institutions who have not yet vaccinated a majority of their work force, employees who still need their second dose, and for strategic scheduling of employees when booster doses become available later in the year.

In order to verify the ice-resistant performance of offshore booster station and its cable pipe. Taking a wind farm in Bohai as an an example, the response of offshore booster station and its cable pipe under the condition of sea ice once in 100 years is analyzed by numerical simulation. The results show that the platform and its cable pipe of the booster station have certain anti ice performance, but under extreme ice load, the vibration response of the upper part of the platform is large, so the safety operation of the facilities and cable pipes should be protected.

BACKGROUND Preparation for colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) requires a large liquid laxative volume for capsule excretion, which compromises the procedure's tolerability. AIM To assess the safety and utility of castor oil-boosted bowel preparation. METHODS This prospective cohort study including 20 patients (age range, 16-80 years; six men and 14 women) suspected of having colorectal disease was conducted at Kindai University Hospital from September 2017 to August 2019. All patients underwent CCE because of the following inclusion criteria: previous incomplete colonoscopy in other facility (n = 20), history of abdominal surgery (n = 7), or organ abnormalities such as multiple diverticulum (n = 4) and adhesion after surgery (n = 6). The exclusion criteria were as follows: Dysphagia, history of allergic reactions to the drugs used in this study (magnesium citrate, polyethylene glycol, metoclopramide, and castor oil), possibility of pregnancy, possibility of bowel obstruction or stenosis based on symptoms, or scheduled magnetic resonance imaging within 2 wk after CCE. The primary outcome was the capsule excretion rate within the battery life, as evaluated by the total large bowel observation rate, large bowel transit time, and bowel creasing level using a five-grade scale in different colorectal segments. The secondary outcomes were complications, colorectal lesion detection rates, and patients’ tolerability. RESULTS The castor oil-based regimen was implemented in 17 patients. Three patients cancelled CCE because they could tolerate castor oil, but not liquid laxatives. The capsule excretion rate within the battery life was 88% (15/17). The mean large bowel transit time was 236 min. Approximately 70% of patients had satisfactory colon cleansing levels. CCE detected colon polyps (14/17, 82%) and colonic diverticulum (4/12, 33%). The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy rates for detecting colorectal polyps (size ≥ 6 mm) were 76.9%, 75.0%, and 76.4%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy rates for detection of diverticulum were 100% each. Twelve patients (71%) rated CCE as more than “good”, confirming the new regimen’s tolerability. No serious adverse events occurred during this study. CONCLUSION The castor oil-based regimen could reduce bowel preparation dose and improve CCE tolerability.

Objective:Prolonged air leakage is a major complication of operations for bullous lung disease. This study aimed to investigate the effect of using buttressed staple lines on post-operative air leakage in patients who underwent bullous lung disease (BLD) surgery by comparing the use and non-use of buttressed staple lines.Methods:This single-institution study included patients who underwent thoracotomy because of BLD between 2007 and 2015. Patients were retrospectively reviewed for demographic variables, operation technique, buttressed staple line usage and type and postoperative air leakage duration.Results:We analysed 49 patients [44 (89%) men], with a mean age of 59 years. Of patients, 97.9% (n=48) had wedge resection, and 2.1% (n=1) had lobectomy. In 44% (n=22), a buttressed staple line was used. Autografts (bulla wall) were used as buttressed staple lines in 54.5% (n=12) and synthetic polytetrafluoroethylene grafts in 45.5% (n=10) of cases. The mean post-operative air leakage duration was 7±3 days in the buttressed staple line group and 8±6 days in cases without booster. Prolonged air leakage was seen in 3 patients (27%) in the buttressed staple line group and 11 (25%) in the no booster group. There was no difference between the presence and absence of booster and between organic and synthetic graft usage.Conclusion:We concluded that the use of buttressed staple lines (autograft or synthetic graft) did not create a statistically significant difference in post-operative air leakage duration when compared with patients without booster.

Booster doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccines induce long-term protection against invasive meningococcal disease. We evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of a booster dose of MenACYW-TT in pre-school children who were primed 3 years earlier with MenACYW-TT or MCV4-TT (Nimenrix®). In this Phase III, open-label, multi-center study (NCT03476135), children (4–5 years old), who received a primary dose of MenACYW-TT or MCV4-TT as toddlers in a previous study, received a booster dose of MenACYW-TT. Titers of antibody against meningococcal serogroups A, C, W and Y were measured by serum bactericidal assay using human (hSBA) and baby rabbit (rSBA) complement in samples collected before (D0) and 30 days after (D30) booster vaccination. Safety was assessed over the 30-day study period. Ninety-one participants received the booster dose. In both study groups, hSBA titers increased from D0 to D30; serogroup C titers [95% confidence interval] were higher in the MenACYW-TT-primed vs MCV4-TT-primed group at D0 (106 [73.2, 153] vs 11.7 [7.03, 19.4], respectively) and D30 (5894 [4325, 8031] vs 1592 [1165, 2174], respectively); rSBA results were similar. Nearly all participants achieved ≥1:8 hSBA and rSBA titers at D30, which were higher or comparable to those observed post-primary dose, suggesting rapid booster responses. At D0, all hSBA and rSBA titers were higher than those observed pre-primary dose, suggesting persistence of immunogenicity. The MenACYW-TT booster dose was well-tolerated and had similar safety outcomes across study groups. These findings suggest that MenACYW-TT elicits robust booster responses in children primed 3 years earlier with MenACYW-TT or MCV4-TT. publishedVersion

When vaccine supply is limited but population immunisation urgent, the allocation of the available doses needs to be carefully considered. One aspect of dose allocation is the time interval between the primer and the booster injections in two-dose vaccines. By stretching this interval, more individuals can be vaccinated with the first dose more quickly. Even if the level of immunity of these ‘half-vaccinated’ individuals is lower than that of those who have received both shots, delaying the second injection can be beneficial in reducing case numbers, provided a single dose is sufficiently effective. On the other hand, there has been concern that intermediate levels of immunity in partially vaccinated individuals may favour the evolution of vaccine escape mutants. In that case, a large fraction of half-vaccinated individuals would pose a risk – but only if they encounter the virus. This raises the question whether there is a conflict between reducing the burden and the risk of vaccine escape evolution or not. We develop a minimal model to assess the population-level effects of the timing of the booster dose. We set up an SIR-type model, in which more and more individuals become vaccinated with a two-dose vaccine over the course of a pandemic. As expected, there is no trade-off when vaccine escape evolves at equal probabilities in unvaccinated and half-vaccinated patients. If vaccine escape evolves more easily in half-vaccinated patients, the presence or absence of a trade-off depends on the reductions in susceptibility and transmissibility elicited by the primer dose.

This research aims to see how booster expression as rhetorical devices in several presentation transcripts provided TED.com are translated from English into Indonesian. Given that there are cultural differences in the use of booster expressions from the two countries. Therefore, the objectives of this study are threefold. 1. To find out what presenters use booster expressions as rhetoric tools in several presentations at TED.com, 2. Then look at what translators use translation techniques in translating booster expressions from English into Indonesian. This research is descriptive qualitative research. Data were taken from six presentation transcripts at TED.com and transcripts translated into Indonesian. All data will be categorized according to the rhetorical function of the booster expression. Then the researcher will see what translation techniques are used in translating the booster expression. Data validation was carried out through FGD before the analysis was carried out. The study results revealed that not all the booster expressions could be well translated. This can be seen from the considerable number of deletion techniques applied by the translators. Several assumptions became the reason for selecting this technique, specifically; the cultural differences between the source language and the target language in using booster expressions and the lack of translator competence in translating booster expressions.

Air-boosted vacuum preloading, composed of anticlogging vertical drains and an outer booster system, is a new foundation treatment method that is beneficial to accelerating soil consolidation by ap...

The high energy photon source (HEPS) is a 4th generation synchrotron light source under construction by the institute of high energy physics. The accelerator complex consists of a 500-MeV Linac, a full-energy synchrotron booster, a 6-GeV synchrotron storage ring (SR), and three e-beam transport lines for injection and extraction among accelerators. A global timing system (GTS) covers the timing needs for all accelerator, beamline, and experiment systems. The GTS is designed to coordinate the injection processes and various measurements and protections. Most systems require that the RMS jitter of the GTS signal is less than 30 ps, while the trigger jitters for the electron gun and SR injection and extraction kickers are less than 10 ps. The HEPS GTS is an event-based timing system based on MicroTCA.4 hardware architecture. The MicroTCA.4 300 series products from the micro-research Finland Oy are implemented in the HEPS GTS system. The RMS jitter, integrated from 1 Hz to 10 MHz, of the 166.6 MHz event clock is 5.489 ps. The RMS jitter of TTL outputs is less than 30 ps. This paper reports the design of the HEPS GTS, which satisfies all of the HEPS physics requirements for timing with preliminary test results shown.

Our objective was to investigate the effectiveness of booster sessions after self-management interventions as a means of maintaining self-management behaviours in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsychINFO. Two authors independently identified eligible trials and collected data. We calculated the odds ratio for the analyses of dichotomous data and standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous variables. Our search identified 14 studies with a total of 1695 patients. All studies were at high risk of bias and provided very low quality evidence. For the primary outcomes, booster sessions had no evidence of an effect on improving patient-reported outcomes on physical function (SMD -0.13, 95% CI -0.32 to -0.06; P = 0.18), pain-related disability (SMD -0.16, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.03; P = 0.11), and pain self-efficacy (SMD 0.15, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.36; P = 0.18). For the secondary outcomes, booster sessions caused a significant reduction in patient-reported pain catastrophising (SMD -0.42, 95% CI -0.64 to -0.19; P = 0.0004) and no evidence of an effect on patient-reported pain intensity, depression, coping, or treatment adherence. There is currently little evidence that booster sessions are an effective way to prolong positive treatment effects or improve symptoms of long-term musculoskeletal conditions after self-management interventions. However, the studies were few with high heterogeneity, high risk of bias, and overall low quality of evidence. Our review argues against including booster sessions routinely to self-management interventions for the purpose of behaviour maintenance.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are highly effective in preventing invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal infections in all age groups through a combination of direct and indirect protection. In many industrialised countries with established PCV programmes, the maximum benefit of the PCV programme has already been achieved, with most cases now due to non-PCV serotypes. On Jan 1, 2020, the UK changed its childhood pneumococcal immunisation programme from a two-dose infant priming schedule with the 13-valent PCV at 8 and 16 weeks after birth, to a single priming dose at 12 weeks after birth, while retaining the 12-month booster. This decision was made after reviewing the evidence from surveillance data, clinical trials, epidemiological analyses, vaccine effectiveness estimates, and modelling studies to support the reduced schedule. In this Review, we summarise the epidemiology of pneumococcal disease in the UK, the evidence supporting the decision to implement a reduced schedule, and the national and global implications of the proposed schedule.

Dengan meningkatnya pengguna internet pada era sekarang terutama pada gedung perkantoran, pusat perbelanjaan , apartmen atau gedung bertingkat lainya membuat coverage Base Transceiver System (BTS) tidak maksimal karena kontruksi beton , batu bata atau rangka baja yang bersifat meredam sinyal. Salah satu solusi untuk meningkatkan sinyal pada ruangan Indoor adalah Signal Booster.Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah melakukan analisis tentang kualitas kinerja Signal Booster pada Gedung AH lantai 1 menggunakan metode pengukuran walk test serta melakukan analisis potensi penempatan Signal Booster, walk test ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui nilai daya terima 4G sebelum dan sesudah pemasangan Signal Booster. hal ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tata letak yang terbaik untuk dipasang oleh Signal Booster. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian sebelum dipasang Signal Booster , ruangan yang memiliki RSRP terendah mempunyai nilai rata rata -100 dBm sampai -120dBm. Sedangkan detelah diberi Signal Booster memiliki nilai rata rata -60dBm sampai 80dBm. Hal ini menyatakan bahwa Signal Booster dapat memperbaiki kualitas sinyal dari ruangan Indoor

Relevance. Against the background of epidemiological well-being for diphtheria infection, the formation of the optimal structure of the population post-vaccination antitoxic immunity remains an urgent problem. Aims. The review is devoted to anti-toxic antidiphtheria immunity and the possibility to form the optimal structure of post-vaccination anti-toxic population immunity using the small booster doses of anatoxin. Results. Special attention is paid to the formation of antitoxic population immunity in a natural way during the pre-vaccination period. It is proposed to pay attention to the immunosuppressive characteristics of anatoxin and the immune response to booster its small doses. Natural decrease in the concentration indicators of post-vaccination antitoxic IgG in the blood of adults has been demonstrated. A mathematical analysis of determining the structure of post-vaccination population immunity in all age groups of the population is proposed. Conclusions. The small booster personalized doses of anatoxin in adolescents and adults will contribute to the creation of optimal population anti-diphtheria protection of these age groups of the population.

Ground treatment via the vacuum preloading technique has been extensively used in coastal belts worldwide in the field of civil engineering. However, due to the poor effect of traditional ground tr...

Adult pertussis vaccination is increasingly recommended to control pertussis in the community. However, there is little data on the duration and kinetics of immunity to pertussis boosters in adults. We compared IgG responses to vaccination with a tetanus, low-dose diphtheria, low-dose acellular pertussis (Tdap) booster at 1 week, 1 month and 1 year post-vaccination in whole-cell (wP)-primed Australian paediatric healthcare workers who had received an adult Tdap booster 5-12 years previously, to those who received their first Tdap booster. Tdap vaccination was well tolerated in both groups. Previously boosted adults had significantly higher pre-vaccination IgG concentrations for all vaccine-antigens, and more were seropositive for pertussis toxin (PT)-specific IgG (≥ 5 IU/mL) (69.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 59.5-79.5) than adults in the naïve group (45.2%; 95% CI 32.8-57.5). Tdap vaccination significantly increased IgG responses 1 month post-vaccination in both groups. This increase was more rapid in previously boosted than in naïve adults, with geometric mean fold-increases in PT-IgG at 1 week post vaccination of 3.6 (95% CI 2.9-4.3) and 2.6 (95% CI 2.2-3.2), respectively. Antibody waning between 1 month and 1 year post-vaccination was similar between groups for IgG specific to PT and filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), but was faster for IgG against pertactin (PRN) in the naïve group (GMC ratio 0.36; 95% CI 0.31-0.42) than the previously boosted group (GMC ratio 0.45; 95% CI 0.39-0.50). At baseline, all but one adult had protective IgG titres against tetanus toxin (TT) (≥ 0.1 IU/mL), and 75.6% in the previously boosted and 61.3% in the naïve group had protective IgG titres against diphtheria toxoid (DT) of ≥ 0.1 IU/mL. This study shows that pertussis immune memory is maintained up to 12 years after Tdap vaccination in wP-primed Australian adults. There was no evidence that pertussis immune responses waned faster after a booster dose. These findings support current recommendations of repeating Tdap booster vaccination in paediatric healthcare workers at least every 10 years. Clinical trials registry: ACTRN12615001262594.

There is potential to significantly reduce CO 2 emissions by increasing the efficiency and reducing the duty cycle of HVAC systems by using smart booster fans and dampers. Smart booster fans fit in the vents within a home, operating quietly on low power (2W) to augment HVAC systems and improve their performance. In this study, a prototype duct system is used to measure and evaluate the ability for smart booster fans and dampers to control airflow to different vents for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of HVAC systems. Four case studies were evaluated: an HVAC system (1) without any fans or dampers, (2) with a fan installed in one vent, but without any dampers, (3) with dampers installed at the vents, but without any fans, and (4) with both fan and dampers installed. The results from both the experimental and numerical evaluation show that the smart booster fan and dampers can significantly improve the airflow at a vent that is underperforming. For example, the airflow at the last vent in a ducting branch was increased from 17 to 37 CFM when a smart booster fan was installed at this vent. Results from the numerical analysis show that for the case of an underperforming vent during the winter season the HVAC running time may be reduced from 24 hr/day to 5.6 hr/day. Furthermore, results from the numerical analysis show the HVAC running time is further reduced to 4.5 hr/day for cases 3 and 4.

The effectiveness of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) BNT162b2 vaccine in preventing disease and reducing viral loads of breakthrough infections (BTIs) has been decreasing, concomitantly with the rise of the Delta variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, it is unclear whether the observed decreased effectiveness of the vaccine in reducing viral loads is inherent to the Delta variant or is dependent on time from immunization. By analyzing viral loads of over 16,000 infections during the current, Delta-variant-dominated pandemic wave in Israel, we found that BTIs in recently fully vaccinated individuals have lower viral loads than infections in unvaccinated individuals. However, this effect starts to decline 2 months after vaccination and ultimately vanishes 6 months or longer after vaccination. Notably, we found that the effect of BNT162b2 on reducing BTI viral loads is restored after a booster dose. These results suggest that BNT162b2 might decrease the infectiousness of BTIs even with the Delta variant, and that, although this protective effect declines with time, it can be restored, at least temporarily, with a third, booster, vaccine dose.