Search

Aims To isolate and characterise phage which could lyse P. acnes and to formulate the phage into a delivery form for potential application in topical treatment of acne infection. Methods and Results Using standard phage isolation techniques, ten phage capable of lysing P. acnes were isolated from human skin microflora. Their genomes showed high homology to previously reported P. acnes phage. These phage were formulated into cetomacrogol cream aqueous at a concentration of 2.5x108 PFU per gram, and shown to lyse underlying P. acnes cells grown as lawn cultures. These phage formulations remained active for at least 90 days when stored at four degrees Celsius in a light protected container. Conclusions P. acnes phage formulated into cetomacrogol cream aqueous will lyse surrounding and underlying P. acnes bacteria, and are effective for at least 90 days if stored appropriately. Significance and Impact of the Study There are few reports of phage formulation into semi solid preparations for application as phage therapy. The formulation method described here could potentially be applied topically to treat human acne infections. The potential exists for this model to be extended to other phage applied to treat other bacterial skin infections.

High temperature Silicon Carbide (SiC) integrated circuit (IC) processes have enabled devices that operate at >450°C for more than a year. These results have established the need for more advanced and practical packaging strategies. Off the shelf state of the art packages cannot withstand the same high temperatures as the semiconductor can for long periods of time. Packaging SiC die to survive temperatures >450°C, while also maintaining a reasonable packaging strategy that is agile, rapid, and modular, presents new challenges. Presented is a technique for packaging SiC die with a focus on additive manufacturing, modular design scaling, and rugged survivability. This packaging strategy utilizes state of the art Additive Manufacturing (AM) methods, using an nScrypt 3Dn-Tabletop printer, together with stereolithography (SLA) digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. Ultra-violet (UV) curable ceramic resins are used to create high temperature connectors. A design environment is also described, in which first time correct, interconnect layers are verified in software to reduce the risk of errors. A Ceramic Wiring Board Process Design Kit (CWBPDK) allows the design of single or multiple layers of metal, with fabricated SiC die. This interconnect is verified with standard design rule checking (DRC) and layout vs. schematic (LVS) software. Entire systems in packages can be verified using multiple SiC die. Input and output pins (I/O) are connected to these modules using metal connectors. After design, manufacturing can be performed in just a few days. A system in package for driving a stepper motor was designed and fabricated using this packaging method. The motor actuator design utilizes four separate SiC die. These die contain large JFETs designed for sourcing current in a unipolar stepper motor architecture. This module was placed in a furnace at 470°C and demonstrated functional operation for over 1000 hours. These devices were able to source an average of 30 mA in >400°C temperatures to drive the room temperature stepper motor. A high I/O count, next generation package for discrete SiC chips was also designed using this packaging system. A single large JFET component was soaked for over 100 hours at both 500°C and 800°C. Utilizing Ozark IC’s automated test design environment, several DC and transient variables were captured for both tests and will be presented.

Planktonic species may respond to climate change through their niche across three axes which include self, space and time. This study was designed to investigate the effect of increasing winter temperature on the plankton biomass, the mesocosm was constructed as a collection of 16 enclosures with a water-outlet system and natural sediment, two aquatic plant species and heating system. This research was conducted over 12 weeks (beginning on Dec. 2018) when the temperature of eight enclosures was 2±0.2 °C higher than the ambient temperature. Weekly abiotic parameters (salinity, pH, PO4, NO3, DIC) and biotic (chlorophyll-a, zooplankton and phytoplankton biomass) were reported. The obtained results showed that there were no major improvements in salinity, pH, PO4, NO3 and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Whereas, chlorophyll-a, zooplankton and phytoplankton biomass have dramatically improved. Therefore, this research has indicated that water temperature change during the winter season due to climate change could affect planktonic biomass and early spring in subtropical marshes, but this study was performed in the mesocosm experiment and it needs to be studied in large-scale natural lake ecosystems.

This contribution addresses the effect of sub-zero Celsius treatments at cryogenic temperatures on the steel microstructure. It is shown that the formation of martensite, including the socalled isothermal, i. e. time dependent or thermally activated, martensitic product, can provide an explanation to the observations in the literature that both the temperature of cryogenic treatment and the holding time at cryogenic temperatures may have an influence on the performance of steel products in service. This review traces the most important stages in the development of cryogenic treatments along the last 95 years and describes it in parallel with the description of the current state of understanding of the kinetics of martensitic transformation in steel. In the last part of the contribution, the new insight is put into context with a practical example where various types of subzero Celsius treatments are applied.

Aim: To determine the Hyaluronic acid mediated zinc nanoparticles against oral pathogens and cytotoxic potential. Introduction: Hyaluronic acid is a non sulfated glycosaminoglycan. Bacterial invasion can also be repressed by an inhibitor Interfering with receptor interaction for bacterial invasion, Hyaluronic acid is an example of inhibitor.Nanoparticles is considered as one of the most promising studies in science and technology study and Maintaining the shape, size and distribution of nanoparticles helps in its function and interaction with other molecules. Materials and Methods: 0.1 g of Hyaluronic acid was added to a flask containing 100 ml of distilled water and heated for an hour. After observing the solubility, 0.574 g of Zn was added to the mixture and then kept on a magnetic stirrer for 1 hour at 100 degree Celsius. Anti microbial activity: Agar well diffusion and Disc diffusion method is used. Then incubated for 37 degree Celsius for 48 hour. The zone of inhibition is recorded. Cytotoxic potential: Different concentrations of Hyaluronic acid mediated zinc nanoparticles are incorporated to the wells. After 24 hrs the results were analysed. Results and Discussion: Hyaluronic mediated zinc nanoparticles is proved to be effective against a wide range of foodborne and clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using several assays such as disk diffusion, agar or broth dilution.Hyaluronic acid mediated Zinc nanoparticles has high potent cytotoxic potential it had been proved with the help of brine shrimps. Conclusion: From the observed results, it has been concluded that Hyaluronic acid has a lot of medicinal values and it has antimicrobial activity and it has good cytotoxic potential.

Aim: To evaluate and compare the antimicrobial efficacy of Chitosan, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Sodium Hypochlorite and Chlorhexidine against Enterococcus faecalis at room temperature of the irrigant, at warm temperature (60o Celsius) of the irrigant and after intracanal heating (180o Celsius) of the irrigant. Materials and method: A total of 120 extracted single-rooted teeth were infected for 21 days with E. faecalis after instrumentation with Pro Taper system. Before irrigation procedure, dentinal shavings were collected in 1 ml of sterile broth and incubated. The optical density of each broth was measured using digital colorimeter and initial readings were recorded. Samples were then divided into five groups of 24 teeth in each group– Group A: Sodium hypochlorite irrigation, Group B: EDTA irrigation, Group C: Chitosan irrigation, Group D: Chlorhexidine irrigation, Group E: Saline irrigation. Each group was further divided into three subgroups – (I) Room temperature of irrigant (II) Warm temperature of irrigant (III) Intracanal heating of irrigant. After irrigation, dentinal shavings were collected and optical density recorded. The values were analysed statistically with Student’s t test and analysis of variance followed by Post-Hoc Bonferroni’s correction test; p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The post irrigation optical densities in all the groups were significantly lower than pre irrigation values. Sodium hypochlorite and Chlorhexidine demonstrated better antimicrobial efficacy followed by Chitosan and EDTA, whereas the least efficacy was shown by Saline which was the control group. Differences in optical density using different irrigants were found to be higher by intracanal heating of irrigants followed by warm irrigation and room temperature irrigation (p

Both the temperature at which defibrillation can be effectively used and how often it should be repeated in severe accidental hypothermia have not been definitely established. Current recommendations are based mainly on expert opinion and suggest withholding defibrillation after 3 shocks when the core temperature is below 30°C (86°F). However, growing evidence supports the effectiveness of defibrillation in patients with a core temperature below 30°C (86°F). We present a case of successful defibrillation of a 54-y-old, severely hypothermic patient with a core temperature of 18.2°C (64.8°F). The shock was delivered automatically by an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator shortly after the implementation of extracorporeal rewarming. The patient survived and was discharged from the hospital neurologically intact. It might be reasonable to consider defibrillation attempts in severely hypothermic patients despite current guidelines to the contrary. Increasing coronary perfusion using extracorporeal circulation may result in a better response to defibrillation.

The water temperature of the tanks of the breeding herds exerts a strong influence on the process of artificial reproduction. Its monitoring through the hour-degree, serves to assist in the moment to be made the extrusion of the oocytes. The objective was to monitor the time-degree that Colossoma macropomum females need after the second dose of the hormonal induction protocol, until the time of extrusion of their oocytes. The analysis was carried out at the Fish Fishery in the municipality of Sorriso-MT. Nine breeding women were submitted to the protocol of hormonal induction with pituitary extract of carp being administered in two doses. In the former, the dose of 0.5 mg / kg was used and the second dose was 5 mg / kg body weight, with an interval of 12 hours. From the second dose, the temperature in degrees centigrade of the water from the tanks was monitored hourly until the time of oocyte extrusion. Breeders had muscle tremors, swimming in circles, and were more agitated nine hours after the second dose. The oocytes had a yellowish-brown appearance, and some had individual features. The sum of the temperature of the water in hours-degree obtained was of 243. The temperature of the water did not present variation, maintaining itself at 27 ° C. It is concluded that an hour-degree is necessary for an extrusion of oocytes in some of the things you can find in Colossoma Macropomum of 243, agreeing with the limits proposed in the literature.

Aims: The increase of potential side effects and safety concerns of conventional medicaments and irrigants have led to the recent popularity of herbal alternatives. The present in vitro study was undertaken to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of 3% NaOCl, Metronidazole, Curcuma longa and Mimusops elengi against Enterococcus faecalis. Settings and Design: The experimental materials were prepared and allotted into four groups (Group 1-NaOCl, Group 2-Metronidazole, Group 3-Curcuma longa, Group 4-Mimusops elengi). Methods and Materials: Agar well diffusion test was done to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of various intracanal irrigants. Enterococcus faecalis was used as a test organism. The inoculums of Enterococcus faecalis was streaked on the agar plate. Using punch, wells each measuring 6mm in diameter and 4mm in depth were made and 50 micro liter of the experimental irrigant was pippeted into each well. The plates were placed in Carbon di oxide incubator at 37 degree Celsius for 48 hours and the zones of inhibition were measured. Statistical analysis used: The results were statistically analysed using one way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD Results: Highest inhibitory zone against E. faecalis was shown by 0.5% of metronidazole followed by 25% Mimusops elengi, 3% Sodium hypochlorite and the least is shown by 12.5 % Curcuma longa Conclusions: Considering the undesirable side effects of sodium hypochlorite,metronidazole and herbal irrigants; mimusops elengi and Curcuma longa could be considered as an alternative Keywords: Herbal root canal irrigants, Mimusops elengi, Curcuma longa, Metronidazole, Sodium hypochlorite, Toxicity, Root canal irrigants

Background Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common causative pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), accounting for as many as 30–50% of CAP during peak years. An early and rapid diagnostic method is key for guiding clinicians in their choice of antibiotics. Methods The recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay is a recently developed, rapid detection method that has been used for the detection of several pathogens. The assays were performed in a one-step single tube reaction at 39° Celsius within 15–30 min. In this study, we established an RAA assay for M. pneumoniae using clinical specimens for validation and commercial real-time PCR as the reference method. Results The analytical sensitivity of the RAA assay was 2.23 copies per reaction, and no cross-reactions with any of the other 15 related respiratory bacterial pathogens were observed. Compared with the commercial real-time PCR assay used when testing 311 respiratory specimens, the RAA assay obtained 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a kappa value of 1. Conclusions These results demonstrate that the proposed RAA assay will be of benefit as a faster, sensitive, and specific alternative tool for the detection of M. pneumoniae.

A degree centigrade fall or rise in body temperature of broiler chickens is sufficient to reduce performance, alter sound physiological state and divert nutritional metabolism in quest for ensuring thermal balance. Thermoregulatory mechanisms of newly hatched chicks are poorly developed, and fluctuations in brooding temperature coupled with severe environmental temperatures in the tropics could threaten the survivability, production and economic integrity of fast-growing strains of broilers. However, information on the effect of sharp fluctuations in body temperature on nutrient intake and European production index (EPI) of broilers fed dietary electrolytes is scanty and thus investigated. Using a total of 300, one-day-old unsexed broiler chicks (Arbor Acre) that were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments (T1-210, T2-240, T3270, T4-300, T5-330 and T6-360 mEq/kg electrolyte balance), data on performance characteristics and their correlations with body temperature and EPI at prestarter, starter and finisher phases were determined using standard procedures. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α = 0.05. At prestarter phase, feed intake (FI) had a strong and positive relationship with protein intake (r = 1.00; p < 0.01), EPI (r = 0.96; p < 0.01) and potassium (K) intake (r = 0.66; p < 0.01), but was negatively correlated with temperature change (r = ?0.39; p < 0.05). However, FI was not significantly correlated with body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), sodium (Na) and water intake. At starter phase, EPI was positively correlated to K intake (r = 0.38; p < 0.05), but not Na and chloride (Cl) intake. European production index of starter chicks could be enhanced by increasing the level of K intake through dietary supplementation up to 1.02%. Weight gain was adversely affected by sharp changes in temperature at finisher phase. Increase in water intake may not be a remedial tool in lowering sharp fluctuations in body temperature. However, sharp fluctuation in body temperature of broilers was reduced with DEB of 330, 270 and 240 mEq/kg at prestarter, starter and finisher phases, respectively.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of Microbiology, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi, from March 2019 to September 2019 to determine the in vitro efficacy of Daptomycin against clinical isolates of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Consecutive non-probability sampling technique was used and a total number of 270 patients' Pan Cultures having MRSA growth on Cefoxatin Disc with size less than 22 mm zone size were included in the study. Cultures were inoculated on MacConkey, Chocolate and Blood agar and then incubated for 24 hours at 37 degree Celsius. After incubation, Coagulase test, Catalase test and Gram staining technique were used for further identification. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the isolates for Daptomycin was obtained by using E strips (Oxoid UK) according to ClinicalLaboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The mean age of the patients was 46.73±12.22 years, and the study included 147 (54.44%) males and 123 (45.56%) females. Regarding the type of specimen, there were 154 (57.04%) pus specimens, 54 (20.00%) blood specimens, 27 (10.00%) fluid specimens, 18 (6.67%) urine specimens, 10 (3.70%) high vaginal swabs (HVS) specimens and 7 (2.59%) sputum specimens. Daptomycin was effective in 264 (97.78%) patients with MIC range from .015 to 1 µg/ml on E strip.

The incorporation of Mg in aragonite was experimentally investigated as a function of mineral growth rate at 5, 15 and 25 oC using the constant addition technique. Aragonite growth rate was found to be the major parameter affecting the Mg partitioning coefficient (i.e. D Mg = ( Mg Ca ) solid ( Mg Ca ) fluid ) between aragonite and fluid, whereas the effect of temperature is smaller but measurable. At similar surface normalized growth rates, DMg values decrease as temperature increases from 5 to 25 oC. The magnitude of decrease as a function of temperature is similar for all the experiments of this study where growth rate varied in the range 10-8.6 ≤ rp ≤ 10-7.1 (mol/m2/s). The combined effect of aragonite growth rate and temperature on DMg can be described by the linear equation: Log DMg = 0.583(±0.020) Log rp – 0.026(±0.001) T + 0.863(±0.153); R2 = 0.97 where T is the temperature in degrees Celsius. The increase of DMg values at decreasing temperatures in experiments conducted at similar growth rates is consistent with the increase of fluid supersaturation with respect to aragonite. Thus, it can be inferred that increased Mg incorporation at higher supersaturation is associated with the greater presence of defect sites on the growing mineral surface, similar to the incorporation of other incompatible ions in carbonate minerals. Overall, the relationship between Mg content of aragonite with the degree of saturation of the fluid with respect to this mineral phase suggests that DMg values or Mg/Ca ratio in natural aragonites can be used as a proxy for saturation degree of the formation fluid with respect to CaCO3 minerals.

Some of these microscopic invertebrates shrug off temperaturesof minus 272 Celsius, one degree warmer than absolute zero.Other species can endure powerful radiation and the vacuum of space.In 2007,...

Heat activation at a sublethal temperature is widely applied to promote Bacillus species spore germination. This treatment also has the potential to be employed in food processing to eliminate undesired bacterial spores by enhancing their germination and then inactivating the less-heat-resistant germinated spores at a milder temperature. However, incorrect heat treatment could also generate heat damage in spores and lead to more heterogeneous spore germination. Here, the heat activation and heat damage profile of Bacillus subtilis spores was determined by testing spore germination and outgrowth at both population and single-spore levels. The heat treatments used were 40 to 80°C and for 0 to 300 min. The results were as follows. (i) Heat activation at 40 to 70°C promoted l-valine- and l-asparagine-glucose-fructose-potassium (AGFK)-induced germination in a time-dependent manner. (ii) The optimal heat activation temperatures for AGFK and l-valine germination via the GerB plus GerK or GerA germinant receptors were 65°C and 50 to 65°C, respectively. (iii) Heat inactivation of dormant spores appeared at 70°C, and the heat damage of molecules essential for germination and growth began at 70 and 65°C, respectively. (iv) Heat treatment at 75°C resulted in both activation of germination and damage to the germination apparatus, and 80°C treatment caused more pronounced heat damage. (v) For the spores that should withstand adverse environmental temperatures in nature, heat activation seemed functional for a subsequent optimal germination process, while heat damage affected both germination and outgrowth. IMPORTANCE Bacterial spores are thermal-stress-resistant structures that can thus survive food preservation strategies and revive through the process of spore germination. The more heat resistant spores are, the more heterogeneous their germination upon the addition of germinants. Upon germination, spores can cause food spoilage and food intoxication. Here, we provide new information on both heat activation and inactivation regimes and their effects on the (heterogeneity of) spore germination.

Thin-film freeze-drying (TFFD) is a rapid freezing and then drying technique used to prepare inhalable dry powders from the liquid form for drug delivery to the lungs. We report the preparation of aerosolizable dry powders of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by TFFD. We first formulated IgG with lactose/leucine (60:40 w/w) or trehalose/leucine (75:25). IgG 1% (w/w) formulated with lactose/leucine (60:40 w/w) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (IgG-1-LL-PBS) and processed by TFFD was found to produce the powder with the most desirable aerosol properties. We then replaced IgG with a specific antibody, anti-programmed cell death protein (anti-PD-1 mAb), to prepare a dry powder (anti-PD1-1-LL-PBS), which performed similarly to the IgG-1-LL-PBS powder. The aerosol properties of anti-PD1-1-LL-PBS were significantly better when TFFD was used to prepare the powder as compared to conventional shelf freeze-drying (shelf FD). The dry powder had a porous structure with nanoaggregates. The dry powder had a Tg value between 39-50 °C. When stored at room temperature, the anti-PD-1 mAb in the TFFD powder was more stable than that of the same formulation stored as a liquid. The addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) K40 in the formulation was able to raise the Tg to 152 °C, which is expected to further increase the storage stability of the mAbs. The PD-1 binding activities of the anti-PD-1 mAbs before and after TFFD were not different. While protein loss, likely due to protein binding to glass or plastic vials and the TFF apparatus, was identified, we were able to minimize the loss by increasing mAb content in the powders. Lastly, we show that another mAb, anti-TNF-α, can also be converted to a dry powder with a similar composition by TFFD. We conclude that TFFD can be applied to produce stable aerosolizable dry powders of mAbs for pulmonary delivery.

Drying is an important agricultural process, particularly for crops, and shriveled products are used all over the world. The performance of drying green chili was also tested in this article, which created an alternate way of drying agricultural products. The goal of this study is to provide a solar biomass hybrid dryer with improved design, construction, and performance testing. During most hours of the trial, the temperature within the solar collector and dryer was sufficiently higher than the ambient temperature, according to the results obtained during the test period. The temperature of the ambient air at the collector intake ranged from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the air at the collector's outlet ranged from 54 to 64 degrees Celsius, while the temperature of the drying chamber ranged from 51 to 60 degrees Celsius, making it suitable for drying green chili and a variety of other agricultural products. The collector was found to be 46.54 percent efficient. The findings revealed that the alteration of the collector, which produces turbulent air flow and improves chamber wall insulation, affects drying. Based on the results of this study, the created solar biomass hybrid drier is cost-effective for small-scale crop growers in rural areas of developing countries., 8 Pages, 13 Figures

An on-chip analog waveform sampling system was demonstrated in a 65nm process focusing on extreme temperature step response measurements. Amplifier output waveforms were measured under different temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius ambient temperature to 300 degrees Celsius heater temperature. For reliability testing, the amplifiers were stressed at a 1.6x supply voltage and a 350 degrees Celsius stress temperature for 100 hours.

We recently reported that long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) distributed in Papua New Guinea (PNG) between 2013 and 2019, exhibited severely diminished efficacy to knock down and kill susceptible Anopheles mosquitoes. This coincided with a rise in malaria observed in PNG since 2015. Here we show that LLIN bioefficacy is increased by heating LLINs prior to WHO cone bioassays.Unused LLINs with low bioefficacy, delivered to PNG in 2019, were heated to 120°C for 5 minutes. Cone bioassays were performed before and at 1 h, 7 days and 30 days after heating. This led to a significant increase in 24 h mortality (17% to 61%) and 60 min knock down (31% to 72%). The effect was sustained over 30 days.Bioassays are crucial in quality assurance of LLIN products. Our findings indicate that bioassay results can easily be manipulated. This may have implications for quality assurance procedures used to assess LLINs.

The increasing disparity between the number of patients listed for transplantation and the number of suitable organs has led to the increasing use of extended criteria donors (ECDs). ECDs are at increased risk of developing ischaemia reperfusion injury and greater risk of post-transplant complications. Ischaemia reperfusion injury is a major complication of organ transplantation defined as the inflammatory changes seen following the disruption and restoration of blood flow to an organ—it is a multifactorial process with the potential to cause both local and systemic organ failure. The utilisation of machine perfusion under normothermic (37 degrees Celsius) and hypothermic (4–10 degrees Celsius) has proven to be a significant advancement in organ preservation and restoration. One of the key benefits is its ability to optimise suboptimal organs for successful transplantation. This review is focused on examining ischaemia reperfusion injury and how machine perfusion ameliorates the graft’s response to this.

SUMO is a protein modification whose conjugate levels peak during acute heat stress. Here, we found that SUMO is also critical for plant longevity when Arabidopsis experiences a prolonged non-damaging period of 28 °C. Thermo-lethality at 28 °C was seen in sumo1/2 knockdown mutants but not in any other mutant of the SUMO pathway tested. Autoimmunity due to low SUMO1/2 expression levels was not causal for this thermo-lethality. The role of SUMO in thermo-resilience was also distinct from its requirement for thermomorphogenesis—a growth response triggered by the same warm temperature, as only the latter response was also dependent on the SUMO ligase SIZ1. Thermo-resilience at 28 °C and (acquired) thermotolerance, a response that allows plants to recover and acclimate to brief extreme temperatures, both depend on the HEAT SHOCK TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR A1 (HSFA1). Acquired thermotolerance was, however, normal in the sumo1/2 knockdown mutant. Thus, SUMO-dependent thermo-resilience is potentially controlled in a different way from the protein damage pathway that underpins thermotolerance. Close inspection of shoot apices revealed that the cell patterning and tissue integrity of the shoot apex of the SUMO1/2 knockdown mutant was lost at 28 °C but not 22 °C. We thus describe a novel SUMO-dependent phenotype.

Softening–melting (SM) experiments have been carried out by using sinter basicity (CaO/SiO2) 1.74 to 2.09 and alumina content 2.90 to 3.39%. The objective of the work is to find the relation between sinter basicity and alumina on SM temperature range, so that we can improve the furnace performance. The increase in basicity of sinter from 1.74 to 2.09 at alumina 2.90 decreases softening start temperature and increases melting finish temperature. Thus, there is a rise in the SM temperature range from 192 to 245 degree Celsius (°C) which increases the gas flow resistance and reduces the permeability across the cohesive zone and deteriorating furnace performance, whereas on the other hand, with an increase in basicity from 1.74 to 2.09 at alumina 3.39, it decreases both softening start temperature and melting finish temperature. Thus, there is a decrease in the SM temperature range from 230 to 220 °C, which shows slight improvement in gas flow resistance.

Aim: we studied changes in central hemodynamics after localized cold exposure in females aged 17-20 years. Methods: We exposed the skin (hand and foot) of female to water at temperatures 24, 15 and 8 degrees Celsius. SIMONA 111 Integrated Monitoring System was used to assess indicators of preload, myocardial contractility, afterload, left ventricular function and hemodynamic status indicators Results. The hand cooling with water at a temperature of 15 and 8 degrees Celsius decreased inotropy index by 6.3 % (p = 0.012) and 8.2 % (p = 0.007), respectively. Corresponding reductions in myocardial contractility index were 2.5 % (p = 0.033) and 1.5 % (p = 0.010), in myocardial stress coefficient - by 6 % (p < 0.001) and 5.4 % (p = 0.002), respectively), and the cardiac index of the work of the left ventricle - by 7.0 % (p = 0.003) and 8.0 % (p = 0.002). Foot cooling at 24 degrees Celsius decreased myocardial contractility index by 1.5 % (p = 0.031) and myocardial stress coefficient by 7.4 % (p = 0.025)), while exposure to 15 and 8 degrees Celsius (decreased notropy index by 12.1 % (p = 0.002) and by 14.7 % (p = 0.003), myocardial contractility index by 7.6 % (p < 0.001) and 10.2 % (p

Introduction: Since 2009, the IlluminOss® System is being used as an intramedullary fracture treatment. The system is characterized by the use of blue light to polymerize liquid monomer after its infusion in a polyethylene terephthalate balloon. Very few infections of the material have been observed, which might be explained by the possible antimicrobial side-effect of the blue light used in this intramedullary fracture stabilization system. This study aimed to assess this antimicrobial (side-)effect on S. aureus.Methods: A suspension of 1.5 x 103 CFU/ml of 8325-4 S. aureus was placed into five, custom made, black delrin cylinders. The implant was placed into the cylinders and the light source was activated for 200, 400, 600, 800, or 1,000 seconds. 100 µL of the light exposed suspension was grafted on blood agar and placed in a 35 degrees Celsius incubator for 24 hours. Colonies on each agar plate were counted and compared to the control plates (no blue light exposure).Results: The control plates showed a mean of 85 ± 15 colonies per plate. A statistically significant decrease was observed after 600 seconds of exposure time; mean colony count of 63 ± 4 (p Conclusions: In this study only a temporary reduction of S. aureus was observed.If future research regarding the antimicrobial characteristics of blue light used in the IlluminOss® System is desired, it should focus on the need for oxygen and its availability and the dose and manner of applying the light.

A temperature calibration device is a tool used to measure the accuracy of a temperature-related device such as a sterilisator. This temperature calibration device is needed when the temperature in the sterilisator is not linear. In this calibration tool the sensor used is a type-k thermocouple that is inserted into the media to be measured then the temperature results will be read. This tool is designed using pre-experimental methods with the type of after only design research. In this tool is equipped with storage on the micro sd card and also conversion mode to convert temperature results from Celsius to Rheamur, Farenheit and Kelvin. Temperature results will be displayed on a 4x20 LCD and processed using Arduino UNO. This module can be used in medical equipment calibration laboratories. After testing the thesis module with a comparison device from BPFK, the biggest error is obtained at 1% at 50 ° Celsius, 100 ° Celsius and 150 ° Celsius. The smallest percentage of error is 0% at 50 ° Celsius and 150 ° Celsius. It can be concluded that the tool "Temperature Calibrator (5 Channels) Using Thermocouple Equipped with Data Storage.

Introduction: Chlorhexidine (0.2%) has been considered to be clinic effective against supragingival plaque formation. It is considered as a gold standard for chemical plaque control and can reduce plaque scores effectively at different temperature, concentration and pH. Aim: To investigate the efficacy of tempered chlorhexidine over conventional 0.2% chlorhexidine as a subgingival irrigant in reduction of periodontal parameters and bacterial count. Materials and Methods: A randomized control clinical trial as conducted at I.T.S dental college, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, India in which 20 systemically healthy patient’s sites having chronic periodontitis with pocket depth of 4-6 mm were included. Group I(test group)- ultrasonic scaling and root planning followed by tempered 0.2% chlorhexidine irrigation (maintained at 47 degree centigrade) for 20 secs at 10 sites and Group II (control group)- ultrasonic scaling root planning followed by 0.2% chlorhexidine irrigation for 20 secs at 10 sites. Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD) were recorded and plaque samples was taken for the count of colony forming units (CFU) on blood agar at baseline and after 21 days. The statistical analysis was done by indepentent t-test. Result: The results showed that CFU& PI in group I were significantly reduced when compared to group I with, p Conclusion: Tempered chlorhexidine is a better alternative as an anti-plaque subgingival irrigant and can be preferred over cold chlorhexidine at 0.2% concentration. Keywords: Anti- plaque agents, Biofilm, Chlorhexidine digluconate.

Hipertermia jest dodatkową metodą leczenia wykorzystywaną w terapii guzów litych. Wielkopolskie Centrum Onkologii wykorzystuje aparat Celsius 42+ do przeprowadzania zabiegów hipertermii lokoregionalnej. Badanie przeprowadzono na 20 pacjentkach z nowotworem szyjki macicy. Zabiegi wykonywane były 1-2 razy w tygodniu, w schemacie hipertermia – maksymalnie godzina przerwy – radioterapia, zgodnie z rekomendacjami producenta. Wydaje się, iż ocena komfortu leczenia u pacjentów onkologicznych jest niezwykle ważna, zarówno dla pacjentek, jak i dla rozwoju medycyny. W trakcie przeprowadzonego badania udało się ustalić 4 główne problemy, które pojawiły się w trakcie zabiegu hipertermii, w zależności od ilości sesji czy BMI pacjentki.

Background.Hypertension (HTN) is associated with impaired skin microcirculation. Laser Doppler flowmetry is an objective, quantitative, instrumental method that allows evaluating skin microcirculation. However, the method was not widely used clinically due to high variability of perfusion and small difference between healthy people and HTN patients and, as a consequence, low diagnostic signifcance.Objective.To provide the grounds for the approaches increasing the informative value of skin microcirculation measurement by laser Doppler flowmetry in HTN patients.Design and methods.The study involved HTN patients (n = 13, the median age was 60 (49; 63) years) and young otherwise healthy volunteers without HTN (n = 12, the median age 26 (25; 27) years). Microcirculation measurement was performed by laser Doppler flowmetry using LAKK-02 device. Registration of microcirculation on the forearm skin was carried out during the occlusionheating test. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the parameters in two groups. The diagnostic accuracy of the method for the inverse classifcation of the subjects was evaluated using ROC analysis.Results.In HTN patients, the median baseline perfusion was 3,1 (1,84; 4,31) perfusion units (PU), in healthy volunteers — 4,29 (3,66; 8,14) PU (p = 0,04). The median area under the microcirculation curve for the frst 2 minutes of heating in HTN patients was 1206,7 (813; 1449) PU × s, in healthy volunteers — 1552,3 (1310; 1624) PU × s (p = 0,035). In healthy volunteers, the heating increased the perfusion by 596 % (386%; 878%), and in HTN patients perfusion increased only by 265% (180 %; 318%) (p = 0,01). The relative increase in perfusion during postocclusion hyperemia with continued heating compared with the baseline in healthy volunteers was 651% (493 %; 999%), and in HTN patients — 302 % (182 %; 436%) (p = 0,005). Thus, when comparing the average parameters for each period in the occlusion-heating test, only basic perfusion showed signifcant differences. However, when changed from absolute to relative parameters (the increase in microcirculation in relation to the vasodilating effects), the difference was signifcant. Moreover, sensitivity achieved was 75 % and specifcity — 84,6% (the inverse classifcation of groups).Conclusions.The physiological (the local heating of the forearm skin at a rate of 2 degrees Celsius per second, a combination of vasodilating effects) and mathematical (the transition from absolute to relative values) approaches provided an increase of the informative value of the laser Doppler flowmetry, as well as its sensitivity and specifcity.

Graphical abstract, Human sperm vitrification is a novel method of sperm freezing which achieves cryopreservation due to ultra-rapid cooling rates that prevent ice-crystal formation. However, sperm vitrification protocols are still largely not standardized for routine clinical use and seldom achieve a post warm sperm survival of 25-35%. The study aim was to validate and optimize a simple method of sperm vitrification that yields a high survival rate of spermatozoa for clinical use. Semen samples from 10 normozoospermic patients were subject to a simple swim-up into pre-warmed gamete handling media. Swim-up specimens were mixed in a 1:1 ratio with 0.5 M sucrose. Swim up specimens were then directly dropped in liquid N2. After a week of storage samples where warmed at 42 degree Celsius and sperm motility and viability was estimated. The mean sperm total motility of the fresh sample after the swim up preparation was 94.3 ± 3.06 %. Upon, vitrification followed by warming the mean percentage of total motile sperm fraction recovered was 74.70 ± 5.60 %. The mean sperm progressive motility of vitrified-warmed spermatozoa was 68 ± 8.47 %. The overall mean percentage of motile sperm recovery was 70.05% of the fresh swim up sample in this study. The overall mean sperm viability as assessed using the HOST vitality test was 77.21 ± 7.52%. • This study presents a simple protocol on the 'droplet method' of sperm vitrification. • Sperm cells vitrified using our modified method show a >70% motility and viability rates compared to the routine 25% to 35% of reported survival with the original sperm vitrification/freezing methodologies. This survival is attributed to a crucial change in the warming step. • This method has the advantage of using no toxic cell permeating cryoprotectant or expensive programmable freezing devices.

Our aim was to explore if different exposure windows for sunshine or temperature are associated with increased suicidal behaviour among people starting antidepressant treatment. 307 completed and 1674 attempted suicides were included as cases in the conditional logistic regression analyses, while controlling for potential confounders, including season, as well as temperature and hours of sunshine when these variables were not the main exposure variable. Ten controls were matched to each case using risk-set sampling. The role of season, age, and sex was examined with likelihood ratio tests (LRTs) with and without the respective interaction terms and with stratified analyses. There was no overall association between temperature or sunshine with suicidal behaviour. Age was a significant effect modifier for suicide and suicide attempt for both sunshine and temperature exposure. In stratified analyses, an increase of one degree Celsius in the average daily temperature during the last 4 weeks was associated, in the unadjusted model, with a 3% increase in the rate of suicide (p = 0.023) amongst older patients (65+). In the same age group, an increase of 1 h in the average daily sunshine during the last 4 weeks was associated with an 8% increase in the rate of suicide attempt (p = 0.002), while the respective increase for the exposure period of 5–8 weeks was 7% (p = 0.007). An increase of one degree Celsius in the average daily temperature during the last 4 weeks was associated with a 3% increase in the rate of suicide attempt (p = 0.007). These associations did not retain statistical significance in the adjusted models. No associations were found in the other age groups. Our results point to a possible effect modification by age, with higher risk of suicidal behavior associated with an increase in sunshine and temperature found in the older age groups.

Defrosting apparatus for cryopreserved blood products must perform defrosting to a target temperature of +37 degrees Celsius under conditions of an optimally selected and fixed heating time, ensure and maintain the biological value of the substance used for transfusion. When the target temperature of the substance to be thawed is reached, the temperature deviation from +37 degrees Celsius should not exceed ± 0.5 degrees Celsius. However, the currently existing technical means have an accuracy of maintaining the temperature during the thermostating process of ± 1 degree Celsius. During developing technical means for rapid high-precision defrosting of cryopreserved blood products, it is necessary to determine the parameters of the system, such as type of blood product, heat carrier, heating technology, overall dimensions of the defrosting chamber, volumes of bags with blood products to be opened, and so on. The combinatorial approach allows one to determine the optimal parameters of the system, however, to date, there are no studies of modeling the thawing of cryopreserved blood products for transfusion-infusion therapy, taking into account the multivariance of the thawing system. Thus, in the development of technical means for rapid high-precision defrosting of cryopreserved blood products for transfusion-infusion therapy, the fundamental task is to develop a software solution for simulating defrosting systems. This article shows the review and comparative analysis of electronic test equipment for defrosting and heating plasma, blood and infusion solutions.

Mohammed Alisi,1 Jihad Al-Ajlouni‎,1 Mohammed Kareem Ibsais‎,2 Zeinab Obeid‎,2 Yazan Hammad‎,1 Ahmad Alelaumi,1 Munther Al-Saber,1 Odai Abuasbeh‎,1 Feras Abuhajleh‎1 1Department of Special Surgery, Division of Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; 2School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, JordanCorrespondence: Jihad Al-Ajlouni‎School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Queen Rania Al Abdullah St 266 Al Jubaiha, Amman, 11942, JordanTel +962 799060817Email jajlouni@hotmail.comBackground: Infrared thermal imaging is a non-invasive technique capable of detecting changes in temperature that could ultimately signify changes in blood supply. Flir One is a smartphone-based thermal camera, working by a downloadable application, capable of detecting the limb temperature through a non-contact method using infrared thermography technology. Using the Flir One camera, we will assess the lower limb reperfusion profile following the tourniquet release post total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods: A prospective study included 46 patients who underwent primary TKA. We used the (Flir One Gen 3) thermographic camera to capture images at ankle joint preoperatively, and at 1, 10, and 20 minutes post tourniquet release on operation side. The contralateral ankle stands as control.Results: The mean preoperative temperature (in Celsius) of ankle control side and operated side were 33.03 (SD=1.65) and 33.26 (SD=1.42), respectively. The mean ankle temperature on operation side was 19.73 (SD=2.85), 30.49 (SD=2), and 32.43 (SD=1.31) at 1, 10, and 20 minutes post tourniquet release, respectively, while the control side showed a mean temperature of 32.85 (SD=1.42), 32.84 (SD=0.91), and 33.15 (SD=0.95) at the same time intervals. There was a significant statistical difference between both ankle temperatures at 1 and 10 minutes (P=0.00 for each time). At 20 minutes, 37 ankles (80.4%) at operation side reached a temperature level similar but below the level of control side; however, the difference was not significant (P=0.692).Conclusion: Infrared thermography using the smartphone-connected camera is a simple, non-invasive, feasible, and reliable technology. It provides an objective measure to assess the perfusion status of the limbs. In TKA, the distal limb will reach full reperfusion status after approximately 20 minutes of tourniquet release.Keywords: thermography, thermal imaging, perfusion, total knee arthroplasty, temperature, infrared

Background Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), a rodent-borne disease, is a severe public health threat. Previous studies have discovered the influence of meteorological factors on HFRS incidence, while few studies have concentrated on the stratified analysis of delayed effects and interaction effects of meteorological factors on HFRS. Objective Huludao City is a representative area in north China that suffers from HFRS with primary transmission by Rattus norvegicus. This study aimed to evaluate the climate factors of lag, interaction, and stratified effects of meteorological factors on HFRS incidence in Huludao City. Methods Our researchers collected meteorological data and epidemiological data of HFRS cases in Huludao City during 2007–2018. First, a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) for a maximum lag of 16 weeks was developed to assess the respective lag effect of temperature, precipitation, and humidity on HFRS incidence. We then constructed a generalized additive model (GAM) to explore the interaction effect between temperature and the other two meteorological factors on HFRS incidence and the stratified effect of meteorological factors. Results During the study period, 2751 cases of HFRS were reported in Huludao City. The incidence of HFRS showed a seasonal trend and peak times from February to May. Using the median WAT, median WTP, and median WARH as the reference, the results of DLNM showed that extremely high temperature (97.5th percentile of WAT) had significant associations with HFRS at lag week 15 (RR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.04–2.74) and lag week 16 (RR = 2.80, 95% CI: 1.31–5.95). Under the extremely low temperature (2.5th percentile of WAT), the RRs of HFRS infection were significant at lag week 5 (RR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.01–1.67) and lag 6 weeks (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.01–1.57). The RRs of relative humidity were statistically significant at lag week 10 (RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.00–1.43) and lag week 11 (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02–1.50) under extremely high relative humidity (97.5th percentile of WARH); however, no statistically significance was observed under extremely low relative humidity (2.5th percentile of WARH). The RRs were significantly high when WAT was -10 degrees Celsius (RR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.02–1.76), -9 degrees Celsius (1.37, 95% CI: 1.04–1.79), and -8 degrees Celsius (RR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.03–1.75) at lag week 5 and more than 23 degrees Celsius after 15 weeks. Interaction and stratified analyses showed that the risk of HFRS infection reached its highest when both temperature and precipitation were at a high level. Conclusions Our study indicates that meteorological factors, including temperature and humidity, have delayed effects on the occurrence of HFRS in the study area, and the effect of temperature can be modified by humidity and precipitation. Public health professionals should pay more attention to HFRS control when the weather conditions of high temperature with more substantial precipitation and 15 weeks after the temperature is higher than 23 degrees Celsius., Author summary Climate change impacts vector-borne disease incidence by influencing vectors’ habitat and behaviors. As a rodent-borne disease, HFRS’s incidence rate fluctuates with the change of meteorological factors. In this study, we model the meteorological factors and time-series cases to explore the exposure-lag-response effect and interaction between meteorological factors on the risk of HFRS, respectively. The result showed there exist a lag effect between meteorological factors and the occurrence of HFRS and we find that a temperature higher than 23 Celsius degrees resulted in a significantly higher HFRS incidence after 15 weeks; a relative humidity higher than 93% led to a significantly higher incidence after 10 weeks. Also, a synergistic interaction between high temperature and high precipitation on HFRS risk was detected, this effect can be attributed to increased animal reproduction and food resources under this environment. This study provides a basis for in-depth evaluating the impact of meteorological factors and their interaction on HFRS.

INTRODUCCIÓN: El uso de selladores en la obturación endodóntica es fundamental para lograr un sellado tridimensional del conducto radicular. Según su composición, se presentan selladores a base de resina epóxica, como el AH Plus y de biocerámico, como Bio-C Sealer y BioRoot RCS, siendo considerados los últimos como materialesbioactivos, por su capacidad de promover una reacción biológica específica sobre el tejido receptor, por la liberación de calcio y pH alcalino OBJETIVO: Evaluar, in vitro la capacidad de diferentes selladores endodónticos para modificar el pH de la solución en la cual son inmersos, en distintos períodos de tiempo. MATERIALES Y METODOS: Se prepararon 15 probetas de sellador en un molde de plástico. Se dejaron fraguar 24 hs en estufa a 37° C y posteriormente, cada una fue inmersa en un frasco consolución fisiológica. La muestra se dividió en tres grupos (n=5) según el sellador: 1) BioRoot RCS, 2) Bio-C Sealer y 3) AHPlus. Se determinó el pH de la solución de cada grupo en diferentes períodos de tiempo: inmediato, 40 min, 24 y 48 hs, 7, 14, 21 y 30 días. Los resultados fueron analizados estadísticamente mediante Análisis de Varianza con Medidas Repetidas (ANOVA). RESULTADOS: El sellador AH Plus mantuvo constante el pH del medio durante toda la experiencia. Ambos selladores biocerámicos elevaron el pH del medio hasta llegar a ser alcalino (11,2 y 11,5) a las 24 hs, el cual se mantuvo para el grupo BioRoot RCS hasta los 30 días, con un pH promedio de 11.5. Mientras que, a partir de los 7 días, en el grupoBio-C Sealer comenzó a descender el pH del medio. La evolución del pH a lo largo del tiempo arrojó diferencias significativas entre los distintos selladores evaluados (p

Incubation is the process of keeping the fertilized eggs warm in order to allow proper development of the embryo into a chick. It is important to control the same factors of temperature, humidity, ventilation, and egg turning. Unsatisfactory results are mostly produced with the improper control of temperature and/or humidity. Improper control means that the temperature or humidity is too high or too low for a sufficient length of time that it interferes with the normal growth and development of the embryo (Okpagu& Nwosu, 2016). The common problems in incubation is the improper control of temperature that can cause damage to the development of the embryo and decrease poultry’s production. This consumes more labor and time for the owner. Moreover, it is difficult to monitor the incubator using manual monitoring that is very important in incubation. In this study, a poultry egg incubator temperature and humidity controller with SMS notification was designed, constructed and tested to evaluate its performance. The major components of this design are the microcontroller, temperature and humidity sensor and GSM module. In addition to that, a monitoring system has also been developed so that the user can have seamless accesses and easily monitor the egg incubator. Most importantly, its purpose is to create an environment where the egg incubation process occurs in a more orderly and safe manner. The incubating chamber was generally maintained throughout the incubating period at a temperature range of 37 degrees Celsius to 39 degrees Celsius and an average relative humidity of 40-50 percent must be maintained for the first 18 days. Then 65-75 percent for the final days before hatching. Therefore, the researcher concluded that the Development and Construction of Poultry Egg Incubator Temperature and Humidity Controller (PEITCH) with SMS Notification was less hassle and easy to monitor the incubator. It also provided the easiest way of controlling and monitoring using desktop application.

The influences of preservatives types (sodium benzoate and citric acid), storage temperatures (-10, 4 and 25 degrees Celsius) and container types (low-density polyethylene; LDPE and laminate nylon) on quality changes (physical, microbiological and sensory) of ready-to-eat trimmed and sliced bamboo shoot (slice shape) during storage were investigated. The ready-to-eat bamboo shoot treated with citric acid had good color and microbial stabilities than the control (without the preservatives) and the treated with sodium benzoate at 4th week of storage period. However, the weight loss percentage of the sodium benzoate treatment was lower than the citric acid treatment and the control. At 4 degrees Celsius of storage temperature, the bamboo shoot had the lowest of weight loss percentage compared to other treatments, which the qualities of bamboo shoot at 14 days of storage in this temperature showed an acceptable of weight loss, color, microbial and sensory qualities and could be stored up to 21 days before spoilage. While the storage at 25 degrees Celsius, the bamboo shoot had a shelf life for 7 days. The storage of bamboo shoot in 60 micron LDPE bag was comparable to the laminate nylon bag in term of all quality aspects.

Detection of food-borne bacterial pathogens was developed to overcome the limitations. The aim of this research was to develop Salmonella typhimurium detection by Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) using two pairs of primers. The ability of primer pairs to detect S. typhimurium is seen from cycle threshold or Ct. Artificially contaminated milk sample with 24 ng each microliter can be detected with fljB (flagellin gene) primers on Ct 12,933 and with STM4497 (hypothetical protein code) primers on Ct 13,665. The specificity test of both primers showed that melting temperature (Tm) of fljB was 80,5 degree Celsius, and STM449 was 81,6 degree Celsius. FljB and STM4497 primers gave an average detection limit respectively of 11,75 Colony Forming Unit (CFU) each milliliter and 6,8 CFU each milliliter. The time needed throughout the detection process of S. typhimurium with fljB and STM4497 primers is faster than conventional methods. Based on the results it can be concluded that primers fljB and STM449 S. typhimurium can be applied to detection and quantification of S. typhimurium in milk samples.

Large-scale radiation emergency scenarios involving protracted low dose rate radiation exposure (e.g. a hidden radioactive source in a train) necessitate the development of high throughput methods for providing rapid individual dose estimates. During the RENEB (Running the European Network of Biodosimetry) 2019 exercise, four EDTA-blood samples were exposed to an Iridium-192 source (1.36 TBq, Tech-Ops 880 Sentinal) at varying distances and geometries. This resulted in protracted doses ranging between 0.2 and 2.4 Gy using dose rates of 1.5–40 mGy/min and exposure times of 1 or 2.5 h. Blood samples were exposed in thermo bottles that maintained temperatures between 39 and 27.7 °C. After exposure, EDTA-blood samples were transferred into PAXGene tubes to preserve RNA. RNA was isolated in one laboratory and aliquots of four blinded RNA were sent to another five teams for dose estimation based on gene expression changes. Using an X-ray machine, samples for two calibration curves (first: constant dose rate of 8.3 mGy/min and 0.5–8 h varying exposure times; second: varying dose rates of 0.5–8.3 mGy/min and 4 h exposure time) were generated for distribution. Assays were run in each laboratory according to locally established protocols using either a microarray platform (one team) or quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR, five teams). The qRT-PCR measurements were highly reproducible with coefficient of variation below 15% in ≥ 75% of measurements resulting in reported dose estimates ranging between 0 and 0.5 Gy in all samples and in all laboratories. Up to twofold reductions in RNA copy numbers per degree Celsius relative to 37 °C were observed. However, when irradiating independent samples equivalent to the blinded samples but increasing the combined exposure and incubation time to 4 h at 37 °C, expected gene expression changes corresponding to the absorbed doses were observed. Clearly, time and an optimal temperature of 37 °C must be allowed for the biological response to manifest as gene expression changes prior to running the gene expression assay. In conclusion, dose reconstructions based on gene expression measurements are highly reproducible across different techniques, protocols and laboratories. Even a radiation dose of 0.25 Gy protracted over 4 h (1 mGy/min) can be identified. These results demonstrate the importance of the incubation conditions and time span between radiation exposure and measurements of gene expression changes when using this method in a field exercise or real emergency situation.

As Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread, a detailed understanding on the transmission mechanisms is of paramount importance. The disease transmits mainly through respiratory droplets and aerosol. Although models for the evaporation and trajectory of respiratory droplets have been developed, how the environment impacts the transmission of COVID-19 is still unclear. In this study, we investigate the propagation of respiratory droplets and aerosol particles generated by speech under a wide range of temperature (0 °C to 40 °C) and relative humidity (0% to 92%) conditions. We show that droplets can travel three times farther in low temperature and high humidity environment, while the amount of aerosol increases in high temperature and low humidity environment. The results also underscore the importance of proper ventilation, as droplets and aerosol spread significantly farther in airstreams. This study contributes to the understanding of the environmental impact on COVID-19 transmission.

International audience; The use of a multi-well system allowed us to measure the solubility of two anhydrous forms of olanzapine in pure solvents with different polarities in a temperature range of 20 to 60° Celsius (°C) with a small quantity of material. After that, we carried out cooling crystallization experiments in a stagnant medium with a small volume of 0.8 mL and a small quantity of material. We found that the solubility increased with the solvent polarity in the order: methanol> ethanol > acetonitrile > ethyl acetate > tetrahydrofuran > toluene. We demonstrated the effect of the solvents and the cooling rates on the crystal habit, crystal phase, and crystal size distribution.

Internet of things (IoT) in recent years became widely spread over several applications, and use different types of sensors, actuators and software tools. This paper focuses on DHT11 humidity and temperature sensor accuracy; many experiments were conducted to measure readings in different environments and on different sensors.Readings were uploaded over online server (thingSpeak), from NodeMCU ESP2566 board. Uploaded data were analyzed for different cases. Results showed that in normal conditions, the temperature variance between three sensors was below 0.3 Celsius degrees, and below 2% for humidity. But when added external source of heat and humidity for 10 minutes, the temperature variance increased to 1.4 Celsius degrees and 11% for humidity. To verify the measurements of temperature, an LM35 sensor was added to compare with DHT11 temperature readings, it was found that the readings were almost the same and difference is less than 0.8 Celsius degrees.It found that accuracy in DHT sensors is fair, especially with applications where readings change in a normal pattern. To alleviate error rate in fluctuating environments, averaging for multiple readings is required to get more accurate values.

Objectives To determine the effect of heat acclimatisation (HA) training on blood profile and resting cardiac function in elite athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Quasi-experimental. Methods Eleven athletes (10 m, 1f) with SCI (C5-T3) completed a five-day isothermic HA protocol whereby gastrointestinal temperature (Tc) was elevated to and maintained at ∼38.5 degrees Celsius (°C) via intermittent exercise for sixty minutes each day. Blood samples were collected pre- and post-HA to determine changes in plasma volume (PV). Doppler ultrasound of the left-ventricular outflow tract and 2-d speckle tracking echocardiography were performed in a subset of athletes (n = 5) to determine changes in indices of resting left-ventricular function and mechanics, respectively. Results Ten athletes were successfully able to raise and maintain Tc to 38.5 °C. There was a non-significant increase in PV with HA training (ΔPV%: 3.0 ± 5.4%, p = 0.086). Following HA, resting HR decreased (63 ± 4 pre-HA vs. 58 ± 5 bpm post-HA, p = 0.020), velocity time integral (21.4 ± 2.7 vs. 23.7 ± 3.0 cm, p = 0.045) and stroke volume increased (64.8 ± 7.6 vs. 70.2 ± 10.5 mL, p = 0.055). Conclusions Our findings suggest a short-term HA protocol in athletes with SCI is safe and may induce beneficial changes in indices of resting left-ventricular function — however results are highly individualized. Future studies on HA in athletes with SCI should focus on determining mechanisms of adaptation and performance outcomes.

BackgroundMost respiratory viruses show pronounced seasonality, but for SARS-CoV-2 this still needs to be documented.MethodsWe examined the disease progression of COVID-19 in 6,914 patients admitted to hospitals in Europe and China. In addition, we evaluated progress of disease symptoms in 37,187 individuals reporting symptoms into the COVID Symptom Study application.FindingsMeta-analysis of the mortality risk in seven European hospitals estimated odds ratios per one day increase in the admission date to be 0.981 (0.973-0.988, pInterpretationSeverity of COVID-19 in Europe decreased significantly between March and May and the seasonality of COVID-19 is the most likely explanation.