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Involving clients in therapeutic decisions is a crucial component of effective and ethical behavior‐analytic practice. However, discrepancies between client preference for treatment options and treatment effectiveness are possible in the course of treatment. The purpose of this paper is to advance the discussion of discrepancies between client preference for treatment options and treatment effectiveness by (a) reviewing relevant considerations for adapted strategies to involve clients with limited prerequisite skills in therapeutic decisions, (b) presenting clinical data that exemplifies discrepancies between client preference for treatment options and treatment effectiveness, (c) describing nuanced considerations for navigating discrepancies, and (d) providing suggestions for future research on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission in livestock, community, and healthcare settings poses a significant public health concern both locally and globally. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence, molecular detection, and antibiogram of the MRSA strain in fresh beef, contact surfaces, and butchers' knives from the four major abattoirs (Karu, Gwagwalada, Deidei, and Kubwa) located in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect 400 swab samples from butchers' knives (132), fresh beef (136), and contact surfaces (132). Presumptive colonies on mannitol salt agar were subjected to culture, isolation, and biotyping. The antibiogram was carried out via a Kirby-Bauer disk containing eight antibiotics. MRSA was phenotypically confirmed by oxacillin-resistant screening agar base (ORSAB) and genotypically by PCR to detect the presence of the mecA gene. Out of the 400 samples, 47.24% of fresh beef, 37% of contact surfaces, and 64.33% of butchers' knife swabs were Staphylococcus aureus positive. Thirty-two Staphylococcus aureus-positive isolates were confirmed to be MRSA, 50% fresh beef, 28.12% contact surfaces, and 21.87% butcher's knife swabs. MRSA isolates displayed multidrug-resistant traits, with a high resistance of 90.62% against cloxacillin, and a highest susceptibility of 100% to co-trimaxole. The antibiogram showed MRSA strains to be multidrug resistant. Molecular characterisation of the MRSA detected the presence of the mecA gene at a band size of 163 bp in all isolates. Strict hygiene of butchers, and working equipment in meat processing and marketing should be of top priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Sodium–glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-I) could modulate atherosclerotic plaque progression, via down-regulation of inflammatory burden, and lead to reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). T2DM patients with multivessel non-obstructive coronary stenosis (Mv-NOCS) have over-inflammation and over-lipids’ plaque accumulation. This could reduce fibrous cap thickness (FCT), favoring plaque rupture and MACEs. Despite this, there is not conclusive data about the effects of SGLT2-I on atherosclerotic plaque phenotype and MACEs in Mv-NOCS patients with T2DM. Thus, in the current study, we evaluated SGLT2-I effects on Mv-NOCS patients with T2DM in terms of FCT increase, reduction of systemic and coronary plaque inflammation, and MACEs at 1 year of follow-up. Methods In a multi-center study, we evaluated 369 T2DM patients with Mv-NOCS divided in 258 (69.9%) patients that did not receive the SGLT2-I therapy (Non-SGLT2-I users), and 111 (30.1%) patients that were treated with SGLT2-I therapy (SGLT2-I users) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) evaluation. As the primary study endpoint, we evaluated the effects of SGLT2-I on FCT changes at 1 year of follow-up. As secondary endpoints, we evaluated at baseline and at 12 months follow-up the inflammatory systemic and plaque burden and rate of MACEs, and predictors of MACE through multivariable analysis. Results At 6 and 12 months of follow-up, SGLT2-I users vs. Non-SGLT2-I users showed lower body mass index (BMI), glycemia, glycated hemoglobin, B-type natriuretic peptide, and inflammatory cells/molecules values (p

Background: Sodium–glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-I) could modulate atherosclerotic plaque progression, via down-regulation of inflammatory burden, and lead to reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). T2DM patients with multivessel non-obstructive coronary stenosis (Mv-NOCS) have over-inflammation and over-lipids' plaque accumulation. This could reduce fibrous cap thickness (FCT), favoring plaque rupture and MACEs. Despite this, there is not conclusive data about the effects of SGLT2-I on atherosclerotic plaque phenotype and MACEs in Mv-NOCS patients with T2DM. Thus, in the current study, we evaluated SGLT2-I effects on Mv-NOCS patients with T2DM in terms of FCT increase, reduction of systemic and coronary plaque inflammation, and MACEs at 1 year of follow-up. Methods: In a multi-center study, we evaluated 369 T2DM patients with Mv-NOCS divided in 258 (69.9%) patients that did not receive the SGLT2-I therapy (Non-SGLT2-I users), and 111 (30.1%) patients that were treated with SGLT2-I therapy (SGLT2-I users) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) evaluation. As the primary study endpoint, we evaluated the effects of SGLT2-I on FCT changes at 1 year of follow-up. As secondary endpoints, we evaluated at baseline and at 12 months follow-up the inflammatory systemic and plaque burden and rate of MACEs, and predictors of MACE through multivariable analysis. Results: At 6 and 12 months of follow-up, SGLT2-I users vs. Non-SGLT2-I users showed lower body mass index (BMI), glycemia, glycated hemoglobin, B-type natriuretic peptide, and inflammatory cells/molecules values (p < 0.05). SGLT2-I users vs. Non-SGLT2-I users, as evaluated by OCT, evidenced the highest values of minimum FCT, and lowest values of lipid arc degree and macrophage grade (p < 0.05). At the follow-up end, SGLT2-I users vs. Non-SGLT2-I users had a lower rate of MACEs [n 12 (10.8%) vs. n 57 (22.1%); p < 0.05]. Finally, Hb1Ac values (1.930, [CI 95%: 1.149–2.176]), macrophage grade (1.188, [CI 95%: 1.073–1.315]), and SGLT2-I therapy (0.342, [CI 95%: 0.180–0.651]) were independent predictors of MACEs at 1 year of follow-up. Conclusions: SGLT2-I therapy may reduce about 65% the risk to have MACEs at 1 year of follow-up, via ameliorative effects on glucose homeostasis, and by the reduction of systemic inflammatory burden, and local effects on the atherosclerotic plaque inflammation, lipids' deposit, and FCT in Mv-NOCS patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior is a well‐established treatment for problem behavior in which the functional reinforcer is delivered after the occurrence of a replacement behavior and withheld after the occurrence of problem behavior. However, sometimes problem behavior continues to occur under these conditions, raising a question as to why problem behavior might maintain when its reinforcer is withheld. This study examined the possibility that problem behavior could be maintained indirectly in a precurrent relation. A functional analysis was conducted to identify a response‐response relation between self‐injurious behavior (SIB) and an alternative response. The results suggest that SIB was maintained by its relation with the alternative response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locating the genetic variation of important livestock and poultry economic traits is essential for genetic improvement in breeding programs. Identifying the candidate genes for the productive ability of Huaxi cattle was one crucial element for practical breeding. Based on the genotype and phenotype data of 1,478 individuals and the RNA-seq data of 120 individuals contained in 1,478 individuals, we implemented genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS), and Fisher's combined test (FCT) to identify the candidate genes for the carcass trait, the weight of longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM). The results indicated that GWAS, TWAS, and FCT identified seven candidate genes for LDM altogether: PENK was located by GWAS and FCT, PPAT was located by TWAS and FCT, and XKR4, MTMR3, FGFRL1, DHRS4, and LAP3 were only located by one of the methods. After functional analysis of these candidate genes and referring to the reported studies, we found that they were mainly functional in the progress of the development of the body and the growth of muscle cells. Combining advanced breeding techniques such as gene editing with our study will significantly accelerate the genetic improvement for the future breeding of Huaxi cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by an intra-erythrocytic protozoan of the genus Babesia. The genus contains a large number of species capable of infecting a variety of mammalian hosts, including humans. Misdiagnosis of the infection is a major setback in disease management, monitoring, and control. Therefore, timely and precise identification of infecting Babesia species is critical. This study aimed at detecting and characterizing the Babesia species infecting dogs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. Blood samples were collected from apparently healthy dogs (n=480), thin smears were prepared, Giemsa-stained, and examined under a microscope. DNA was extracted from positive blood samples (n=15), and PCR amplification of the 18S rRNA gene was performed using generic primers. PCR products were purified, electrophoresed on 1.5% agarose gels and thereafter, sequenced bidirectionally. The prevalence of Babesia species in thin smear was 3.1%. The prevalence in the six Area Councils was 5.0%, 3.75%, 2.5%, 2.5%, 2.5% and 2.5% for Gwagwalada, Municipal, Bwari, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji respectively. The prevalence in relation to age was 3.87% in dogs >1year old and 1.76% in dogs ≤ 1 year old. Prevalence by breed, was 4.38% in exotic dogs, 3.23% in local and 2.35% in crossbred. The prevalence in relation to sex was 3.96% in males and 2.37% in females. The BLAST search was carried out in the NCBI database, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using nucleotide sequences in GenBank. Electrophoresed PCR products revealed a band size of about 612bp. Blast in NCBI demonstrated 100% similarity with Babesia canis vogeli nucleotide sequences. This study reaffirmed the molecular identification of B. c. vogeli in apparently healthy dogs in Nigeria and it may be of clinical importance to veterinary clinicians in the management and control of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional communication training (FCT) is an evidence-based intervention that has been widely used and implemented to reduce problem behavior and teach replacement behavior in a variety of settings. Specific procedures have been researched and documented to ensure correct implementation. Functional communication training can be broken into three steps: (a) identifying the function of the problem behavior through a functional behavior assessment (FBA); (b) selecting an appropriate replacement communicative response; and (c) building new skills acquisition through teaching and rehearsal while using reinforcements and extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian Leukosis virus (ALV) is known to cause oncogenic diseases in chickens world over. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of ALV among indigenous chickens in Karmo and Gwagwa, two suburban communities in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. A total of 180 indigenous chickens were tested for ALV p27 antigen using an Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique (Ringbio, Beijing China). The overall prevalence of ALV was 47.2 %, ALV was found to be higher among chickens in Karmo than in Gwagwa 54.1% vs.45.15, but this was not statistically different (Chi: 0.3917, P=0.531). This study envisages the establishment of an effective control strategy in our study area, because of known deleterious economic impact of ALV on chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a functional communication training procedure with delay to reinforcement to increase communication and decrease elopement of a 14‐year‐old boy with Dravet syndrome. The initial functional analysis showed that elopement was maintained by access to tangibles and avoidance of requests. The experimental design used was multiple probes across settings experimental design. The results indicated that the communication level increased, and elopement decreased during sessions conducted in the rehabilitation center and the home environment. Implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, Streptococcus pyogenes poses a continuous burden on human health, causing both self-limiting and life-threatening diseases. Therefore, studying the profile of virulence genes and their combinations is essential to monitor the epidemiology and pathogenic potential of this important species. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze related genetic features of clinical strains collected in Italy in 2012 in order to obtain a valid picture of their virulence profile that could be compared to similar studies made in other countries approximately in the same period. We conducted emm typing and fibronectin-collagen-T antigen (FCT) region typing in 122 Streptococcus pyogenes strains. Furthermore, several additional virulence genes were screened by polymerase chain reaction. We found correlations between emm types and FCT region profiles. emm1 strains were mainly associated with FCT2 and FCT6, while emm89 and emm12 strains were associated with FCT4. FCT5 was mainly represented in emm4, emm6, and emm75 strains. Significantly, we defined subtypes for each FCT type based on the differences in single and double loci compared to the reference scheme used for the classification of the FCT region. In addition, new FCT-region variants with differences in multiple loci were also recorded. Cluster analysis based on virulence gene profiling showed a non-random distribution within each emm type. This study added new data to existing studies conducted worldwide and revealed new variability scores in circulating Streptococcus pyogenes strains and new assortments in well-established virulence gene signatures.

Summary: We examined the effects of cognitive load on the strategy selection in the forced choice test (FCT) when used to detect hidden crime knowledge. Examinees (N = 120) with and without concealed knowledge from a mock crime were subjected to an FCT either under standard circumstances or cognitive load. Cognitive load was implemented through time pressure. The FCT distinguished examinees with concealed knowledge from those without better than chance in both conditions, but the counterstrategies did not differ between conditions. Further investigation revealed that time pressure did affect examinees' ability to follow their intended counterstrategy to produce randomized test patterns, which constitutes an effective counterstrategy in the FCT. Hence, time pressure lowered the success rate of effective counterstrategies, but not their incident rates. Further disambiguation of various cognitive load manipulations and their effects on strategy selection and execution is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coping skills, such as diaphragmatic breathing, are commonly recommended to help individuals work through challenging situations. We evaluated diaphragmatic breathing as treatment for aggression of three individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or Angelman syndrome. Functional analysis results demonstrated that each participant engaged in aggression maintained by social‐negative reinforcement. Diaphragmatic breathing treatment without extinction was conducted in a work context and involved prompting diaphragmatic breathing contingent on precursors to aggression; treatment was effective in reducing the rate of aggression for one of three participants. For the two other participants, other reinforcement‐based interventions (differential reinforcement of other behavior or functional communication training with extinction) were necessary to decrease aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, Streptococcus pyogenes poses a continuous burden on human health, causing both self-limiting and life-threatening diseases. Therefore, studying the profile of virulence genes and their combinations is essential to monitor the epidemiology and pathogenic potential of this important species. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze related genetic features of clinical strains collected in Italy in 2012 in order to obtain a valid picture of their virulence profile that could be compared to similar studies made in other countries approximately in the same period. We conducted emm typing and fibronectin-collagen-T antigen (FCT) region typing in 122 Streptococcus pyogenes strains. Furthermore, several additional virulence genes were screened by polymerase chain reaction. We found correlations between emm types and FCT region profiles. emm1 strains were mainly associated with FCT2 and FCT6, while emm89 and emm12 strains were associated with FCT4. FCT5 was mainly represented in emm4, emm6, and emm75 strains. Significantly, we defined subtypes for each FCT type based on the differences in single and double loci compared to the reference scheme used for the classification of the FCT region. In addition, new FCT-region variants with differences in multiple loci were also recorded. Cluster analysis based on virulence gene profiling showed a non-random distribution within each emm type. This study added new data to existing studies conducted worldwide and revealed new variability scores in circulating Streptococcus pyogenes strains and new assortments in well-established virulence gene signatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) and ossifying fibroma (OF) are fibro-osseous lesions (FOLs) having several overlaps that may make final diagnosis difficult by hematoxylin and eosin (H/E) alone. This study seeks to detect any association between Azan and Toluidine blue staining as compared with osteocalcin in FD and OF diagnosis. Forty formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) blocks of FD and OF were prepared for Azan, Toluidine blue and osteocalcin staining. Brown staining of calcified structures was considered as positive for osteocalcin. Scoring for Azan and Toluidine blue was evaluated based on intensity and localization. Level of agreement of original and revised diagnosis was determined. Six (40%) of 15 FD were corroborated by osteocalcin. Eight cases initially diagnosed as OF were revised to FD. There were 25 OF according to H/E, and 17 (68%) were validated by osteocalcin. Measure of agreement between histology and immunohistochemistry was 0.081; p =.608. Eleven (42.3%) OF expressed strong toluidine blue staining of the intervening fibrous connective tissue stroma while only 2 (14.2%) FD showed similar staining, this difference was statistically significant [p =.001]. Histomorphometric analysis with Toluidine blue may reduce diagnostic errors of OF and FD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Flux-Corrected Transport (FCT) algorithm is applied to the unsteady and steady-state particle transport equation. The proposed FCT method employs the following: (1) a low-order, positivity-preserving scheme, based on the application of M-matrix properties, (2) a high-order scheme based on the entropy viscosity method introduced by Guermond [1] , and (3) local, discrete solution bounds derived from the integral transport equation. The resulting scheme is second-order accurate in space, enforces an entropy inequality, mitigates the formation of spurious oscillations, and guarantees the absence of negativities. Space discretization is achieved using continuous finite elements. Time discretizations for unsteady problems include theta schemes such as explicit and implicit Euler, and strong-stability preserving Runge–Kutta (SSPRK) methods. The developed FCT scheme is shown to be robust with explicit time discretizations but may require damping in the nonlinear iterations for steady-state and implicit time discretizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical micro/nanostructured tubular TiO 2 were prepared by impregnation-calcination method with FCT (the fluff of the chinar tree) as biological template and titanium tetrachloride as precursor. The resultant samples possess curly tubular structure and the exterior outline of the samples look like fried dough twist. Moreover, the wall of the tube is assembled with spherical-likely nanoparticles. Apparently in the process of preparation, the FCT played pivotal roles as substrate and inducer for assembling the curly tubular structure of micro/nanostructured TiO 2 . Furthermore, the micro/nanostructured TiO 2 have abundant pore structures and large surface area, which are beneficial to the improvement of photocatalytic activity. Under UV light irradiation, the as-prepared TiO 2 exhibits nearly 100% photocatalytic decolorization rate in 30 min and 90% TOC (total organic carbon) degradation rate in 60 min for dye methyl orange (MO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FePt nanoparticles with the chemically ordered fct crystal structure have been widely studied because of the unique magnetic properties and the electrocatalytic activity for Oxygen Reduction Reactions (ORR). In this study, reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) supported FePt nanoparticles are successfully synthesized by a facile and completely green chemical approach. The structural, morphological, physicochemical and magnetic properties of the synthesized materials are systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements. It is shown that the FePt nanoparticles with the fct crystal structure uniformly growth on the surface of the r-GO and remain isolated even after high temperature thermal treatment. Furthermore, the nanocomposite materials reveal strong ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Rett syndrome often experience severe communication impairments. This study examined the efficacy of parent-implemented communication assessment and intervention with remote coaching via telehealth on the acquisition of early communication skills of three young children with ASD (2) and Rett syndrome (1). Efficacy of the intervention was evaluated using single-case experimental designs. First, functional assessment was used to identify idiosyncratic/potentially communicative responses and contexts for each child. Next, parents implemented functional communication training (FCT). All of the children acquired the targeted communication responses. The findings support the efficacy of telehealth as a service delivery model to coach parents on intervention strategies for their children's early communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional foods of indigenous people in Nigeria are known for their cultural symbolism and agricultural biodiversity which contributes to their daily healthy and rich diet. In the early 90s, rapid development of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was noted and the resettlement of indigenes to other parts of the region was reported. These changes have facilitated the modification of indigenous diets, as indigenous groups rapidly embraced modern foods and also adopted the food culture of migrant ethnic groups. This has led to a gradual erosion of indigenous diets and traditional food systems in the FCT. This study explored the impact of development on traditional food systems and determined indigenes perception of the modification to their food culture as a result of the development of their land within the FCT. Field survey was carried out in four indigenous communities in the FCT (30 indigenes from each of the four areas) using structured questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews. Person Chi Square analysis of indigenes socio-economic characteristics revealed significant relationships between gender of indigenes and farm size, Age and farm size, Educational level and farm/herd size. Qualitative analysis of FGDs revealed indigenes opinion on the socio-cultural changes in behaviour and food systems as a result of development. The study also identified indigenous youths as being most influenced by development especially through education, white collar jobs and social interactions with migrant ethnic groups in the FCT. The study recommended that indigenes should be provided with more secure land tenure and "back-to-farm" initiatives should be put in place by the Nigerian government to encourage indigenous youth to engaged more in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handling with science nowadays is no longer limited to methods, techniques, materials and theoretical frameworks. Scientists seem to be pretty aware that their scientific outcomes must be available for the general public and entities, not only for personal motivations, but also to progress in professional terms. Hence, rankings, articles' views and downloads, citations and indexations, grants and funded projects are brought into a "new shaped scientific language" (Martins, 2012). Following the premise to contribute for the debate about the visibility of science, this research seeks to answer two questions: 1) what is exactly "inform" and "communicate" about science, from a theoretical point of view? In this sense, it is proposed a new paradigm of "information science", dealing only with content publication, and "communication science", as an interactive strategy to enhance the proximity among researchers and the general public (Wolton, 2009; Carvalho & Cabecinhas, 2004); 2) observing these two concepts, what kind of content is published by research centres in Portugal, in websites and social media, in terms of scientific outputs and events, clipping from the media and interaction with institutional repositories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present a new implicit numerical scheme for reaction–diffusion–advection equations on an evolving in time hypersurface Γ ( t ) . The partial differential equations are solved on a stationary quadrilateral, resp., hexahedral mesh. The zero level set of the time dependent indicator function ϕ ( t ) implicitly describes the position of Γ ( t ) . The dominating convective-like terms, which are due to the presence of chemotaxis, transport of the cell density and surface evolution may lead to the non-positiveness of a given numerical scheme and in such a way cause appearance of negative values and give rise of nonphysical oscillations in the numerical solution. The proposed finite element method is constructed to avoid this problem: implicit treatment of corresponding discrete terms in combination with the algebraic flux correction (AFC) techniques make it possible to obtain a sufficiently accurate solution for reaction–diffusion–advection PDEs on evolving surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locating the genetic variation of important livestock and poultry economic traits is essential for genetic improvement in breeding programs. Identifying the candidate genes for the productive ability of Huaxi cattle was one crucial element for practical breeding. Based on the genotype and phenotype data of 1,478 individuals and the RNA-seq data of 120 individuals contained in 1,478 individuals, we implemented genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS), and Fisher's combined test (FCT) to identify the candidate genes for the carcass trait, the weight of longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM). The results indicated that GWAS, TWAS, and FCT identified seven candidate genes for LDM altogether: PENK was located by GWAS and FCT, PPAT was located by TWAS and FCT, and XKR4 , MTMR3 , FGFRL1 , DHRS4 , and LAP3 were only located by one of the methods. After functional analysis of these candidate genes and referring to the reported studies, we found that they were mainly functional in the progress of the development of the body and the growth of muscle cells. Combining advanced breeding techniques such as gene editing with our study will significantly accelerate the genetic improvement for the future breeding of Huaxi cattle., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Liang, An, Deng, Du, Li, Cao, Du, Xu, Zhang, Gao, Cao, Zhao, Li and Gao.)

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The present study investigated the efficacy and safety of fixed dose combination (FDC) of arterolane maleate 37.5 mg and piperaquine phosphate (PQP) 187.5 mg dispersible tablets in paediatric patients aged 6 months to 12 years. Methods: Male and female patients aged 6 months to 12 years who were confirmed cases of P. falciparum monoinfection with fever or documented history of fever in the previous 24 h were included. The patients were administered FDC of arterolane maleate and PQP as single daily doses for three consecutive days based on their age. The primary efficacy outcome was proportion of patients with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-corrected adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) on day 28. Safety was analysed based on adverse events (AE), laboratory abnormalities and abnormalities on electrocardiograph. Results: A total of 141 eligible paediatric patients received FDC of arterolane maleate and PQP in a 42-day follow-up study. All the enrolled patients (141) were included in intention to treat (ITT) and safety analyses, and 126 patients were considered in per protocol (PP) population. The PCR-corrected ACPR on day 28 was achieved in all patients (100 %; 95 % CI 97.11-100) included in PP population. The median parasite clearance time (PCT) and fever clearance time (FCT) were 24 h (95 % CI 18.0-24.0) and 10 h (95 % CI 4.0-18.0), respectively. The most frequently reported clinical AE was vomiting. Majority of the AEs were mild to moderate in severity and resolved without sequelae. No patient was discontinued for any QTc (corrected QT interval) prolongation. No deaths or serious AEs were reported during the study. Conclusion: The findings from this study showed that FDC of arterolane maleate and PQP effectively cures P. falciparum malaria and attains acceptable level of cure by day 28 in paediatric patients. The efficacy and safety results observed in children warrants further studies on FDC of arterolane maleate and PQP dispersible tablets. Trial Registration: Clinical Trial Registry India: CTRI/2009/091/000531 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of antibiotics in poultry can result in residues in eggs. The joint FAO/WHO committee recommended banning the use of chloramphenicol (CAP) in food animals due to its public health hazards of aplastic anaemia, leukaemia, allergy, antibacterial resistance and carcinogenicity. This paper determines the prevalence of CAP residues in chicken eggs and assesses the usage and awareness of its ban amongst poultry farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey of registered poultry farmers in FCT was conducted using questionnaires to determine CAP administration in poultry and awareness of its ban. Pooled egg samples were collected from each poultry farm surveyed and from randomly sampled government-owned markets in FCT. Source of eggs by state were identified by the marketer at the time of collection. Samples were analysed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique for the presence of CAP, and prevalence was determined. Of 288 total pooled samples collected, 257 (89.2%) were from the markets and 31 (10.8%) were from poultry farms. A total of 20 (7%) pooled egg samples tested CAP-positive; market eggs originated from 15 (41%) states of the country. Of the market eggs, 16 (6.2%) pooled samples tested positive. Of eggs from poultry farms, four (12.9%) tested positive. Mean CAP concentrations in the positive samples ranged from 0.49 to 1.17 µg kg−1(parts per billion). CAP use amongst poultry farmers in FCT was 75.5%; awareness of the CAP ban was 26.3%. Though 66% of veterinarians were unaware of a CAP ban, they were more likely to be aware than other poultry farmers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.4). Farm managers who use CAP were more likely to be aware of CAP ban than the farm managers not using CAP (OR = 5.5;p = 0.04). Establishing a drug residue surveillance and control program and enforcement of CAP legislation/regulation is needful to educate and prohibit the widespread CAP use amongst Nigerian poultry farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The novel ADER-DT time discretization is applied to two-dimensional transport in a quadrature-free, WENO- and FCT-limited, Finite-Volume context. Emphasis is placed on (1) the serial and parallel computational properties of ADER-DT and this framework and (2) the flexibility of ADER-DT and this framework in efficiently balancing accuracy with other constraints important to transport applications. This study demonstrates a range of choices for the user when approaching their specific application while maintaining good parallel properties. In this method, genuine multi-dimensionality, single-step and single-stage time stepping, strict positivity, and a flexible range of limiting are all achieved with only one parallel synchronization and data exchange per time step. In terms of parallel data transfers per simulated time interval, this improves upon multi-stage time stepping and post-hoc filtering techniques such as hyperdiffusion. This method is evaluated with standard transport test cases over a range of limiting options to demonstrate quantitatively and qualitatively what a user should expect when employing this method in their application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the vulnerability of cereals yield to climate change using an integrated and multi-scale quantitative approach. The objectives of this study include determining the level of climate variability, assessment of cereals yield sensitivity index, determining climate exposure index, determining adaptive capacity of farmers, assessment of the post adaptation vulnerability of cereals yield to climate change. Socioeconomic data were obtained through administration of questionnaires. Thirty years data of temperature and rainfall as well as fifteen years data of annual cereals yield were used. Mean and standard deviation, standardized coefficient of skewness (Z1) and kurtosis (Z2), simple linear regression and time series statistics analysis were used in this study for the analysis of data. Finding depicts that the exposure index of rainfall is low but high for temperature. Cereals sensitivity index/degree of crop yield failure is more from 2000 - 2010 and significant difference was observed in sensitivity index for all the cereals. Adaptive capacity of farmers to climate change is high in Bwari and AMAC but low in Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali. Post adaptation vulnerability of maize, rice and millet yield to rainfall and temperature is low in AMAC and Bwari but high in Gwagwalada, Kwali, Abaji and Kuje. Post adaptation vulnerability of sorghum in relation to rainfall is low in all the area councils in the FCT except Abaji. In relation to temperature, vulnerability of sorghum is high in Abaji and Kuje but low in AMAC, Gwagwalada, Kwali and Bwari. It was recommended that there is need to place climate change within the top priority of developmental context, and provision and infrastructure as well as reliable agricultural extension service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas dynamic codes are computational tools applied to the analysis of air management in internal combustion engines. The governing equations in one-dimensional elements are approached assuming compressible unsteady non-homentropic flow and are commonly solved applying finite difference numerical methods. These techniques can also be applied to the calculation of flow transport in complex systems such as wall-flow monoliths. These elements are characterized by alternatively plugged channels with porous walls. It filters the particulates when the flow goes through the wall from the inlet to the outlet channels. Therefore, this process couples the solution of every pair of inlet and outlet channels. In this study, the adaptation of the two-step Lax and Wendroff method and the space-time Conservation Element and Solution Element method is performed to be applied in the solution of flow transport in wall-flow monolith channels. The influence on the prediction ability is analysed by a shock-tube test and experimental data obtained under impulsive flow conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The rising population and increasing urban infrastructures of Abuja have led to increased pressure on the urban environment. Two decades after putting the city of Abuja to use, there is yet no information on the air quality status of the city. Hence, this study was conducted in order to assess the mass concentration and elemental characterization of airborne particulate matter in Abuja, north-central Nigeria. Sampling of PM2.5: aerodynamic diameter &#x2264;2.5 &#x03bc;m and PM10: aerodynamic diameter &#x2264;10 &#x03bc;m were carried out in five urban sites within the city from April, 2009 to May, 2010. "Gent" stacked filter unit sampler equipped with a double stage filters in series was employed for sample collection. Charged helium (4He+) Particle Induced X-ray Emission technique of 2500 keV particle energy and Genie 2000 software were used for spectra acquisition while elemental characterization was achieved using Gupixwin software in order to determine the concentration of eighteen elements (Si, S, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Ba, Ta and Pb). Mass concentrations range between 7&#x2013;86 &#x03bc;g m&#x2212;3 and 22&#x2013;343 &#x03bc;g m&#x2212;3 for PM2.5 and PM10 respectively. Crustal elements (Si, Ca, and Fe) were found to be predominant in PM10 than in PM2.5 fraction with very high values. Positive correlation r &gt; 0.90 and r &gt; 0.53 to 0.90 exist between metals (V, Co, Ni, Cd, Zn and Pb). PM2.5/PM10 mass ratios were well within the range specified by WHO for developing urban scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present an implicit finite element method for a class of chemotaxis models, where a new linearized ux-corrected transport (FCT) algorithm is modified in such a way as to keep the density of on-surface living cells nonnegative. Level set techniques are adopted for an implicit description of the surface and for the numerical treatment of the corresponding system of partial differential equations. The presented scheme is able to deliver a robust and accurate solution for a large class of chemotaxis-driven models. The numerical behavior of the proposed scheme is tested on the blow-up model on a sphere and an ellipsoid and on the pattern-forming dynamics model of Escherichia coli on a sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We develop a fast, efficient and accurate optimization-based algorithm for the high-order conservative and local-bound preserving remap (constrained interpolation) of a scalar conserved quantity between two close meshes with the same connectivity. The new formulation is as robust and accurate as the flux-variable flux-target optimization-based remap (FVFT-OBR) [1,2] yet has the computational efficiency of an explicit remapper. The coupled system of linear inequality constraints, resulting from the flux form of remap, is the main efficiency bottleneck in FVFT-OBR. While advection-based remappers use the flux form to directly enforce mass conservation, the optimization setting allows us to treat mass conservation as one of the constraints. To take advantage of this fact, we consider an alternative mass-variable mass-target (MVMT-OBR) formulation in which the optimization variables are the net mass updates per cell and a single linear constraint enforces the conservation of mass. In so doing we change the structure of the OBR problem from a global linear-inequality constrained QP to a singly linearly constrained QP with simple bounds. Using the structure of the MVMT-OBR problem, and the fact that in remap the old and new grids are close, we are able to develop a simple, efficient and easily parallelizable optimization algorithm for the primal MVMT-OBR QP. Numerical studies on a variety of affine and non-affine grids confirm that MVMT-OBR is as accurate and robust as FVFT-OBR, but has the same computational cost as the explicit, state-of-the-art FCR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Corrugated cardboard (CC) is analyzed to select the optimal design of packing construction, corrugated thickness, wave type and height. For the experiment, five (BE- and BC-type) layers of different grammage and composition of CC were used. In performing FCT and ECT tests, constant speed compression was chosen. The obtained results allowed to determine the maximum compression force F1, F2, above which plastic deformation starts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article examines ways in which participants achieve face in Iranian dissertation defences, while doing interactional work in their roles as candidate, examiner or supervisor. Following Arundale, we adopt the notion of face as an interactional and relational phenomenon which is conjointly co-constituted by participants as they conjointly co-constitute meanings and actions in talk-in-interaction. This dynamic conceptualization of face requires an approach grounded in Conversational Analysis. The data for analysis is taken from two PhD defence sessions conducted at Iranian universities. Selected segments of talk from the Question and Answer sessions during these dissertation defences were analyzed to investigate how participants achieve face. The data analysis shows that interpreting and doing relational work are not only influenced by the participants’ culture but also by the institutional nature of the talk itself. When covert rules are flouted, the reaction from co-participants and the audience demonstrates disapproval of inappropriate behaviour. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We develop and study the high-order conservative and monotone optimization-based remap (OBR) of a scalar conserved quantity (mass) between two close meshes with the same connectivity. The key idea is to phrase remap as a global inequality-constrained optimization problem for mass fluxes between neighboring cells. The objective is to minimize the discrepancy between these fluxes and the given high-order target mass fluxes, subject to constraints that enforce physically motivated bounds on the associated primitive variable (density). In so doing, we separate accuracy considerations, handled by the objective functional, from the enforcement of physical bounds, handled by the constraints. The resulting OBR formulation is applicable to general, unstructured, heterogeneous grids. Under some weak requirements on grid proximity, but not on the cell types, we prove that the OBR algorithm is linearity preserving in one, two and three dimensions. The paper also examines connections between the OBR and the recently proposed flux-corrected remap (FCR), Liska et al. . We show that the FCR solution coincides with the solution of a modified version of OBR (M-OBR), which has the same objective but a simpler set of box constraints derived by using a “worst-case” scenario. Because M-OBR (FCR) has a smaller feasible set, preservation of linearity may be lost and accuracy may suffer for some grid configurations. Our numerical studies confirm this, and show that OBR delivers significant increases in robustness and accuracy. Preliminary efficiency studies of OBR reveal that it is only a factor of 2.1 slower than FCR, but admits 1.5 times larger time steps. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new optimization-based synchronized flux-corrected conservative interpolation (remapping) of mass and momentum for arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian hydro methods is described. Fluxes of conserved variables – mass and momentum – are limited in a synchronous way to preserve local bounds of primitive variables – density and velocity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent research has suggested that variables related to specific mand topographies targeted during functional communication training (FCT) can affect treatment outcomes. These include effort, novelty of mands, previous relationships with problem behavior, and preference. However, there is little extant research on procedures for identifying which mand topographies to incorporate into FCT. In the current study, a mand topography assessment was conducted following functional analyses to identify the proficiency with which individuals used several different mand topographies. Two mand topographies (high and low proficiency) were then compared during FCT-based treatments. FCT was more effective when the mand topography identified as high proficiency was incorporated into FCT as compared to FCT that included the lower proficiency response. The results are discussed in terms of the need for individualized assessment procedures for selecting mand topographies that are targeted during FCT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Functional analyses of problem behavior for 4 young boys with developmental delays showed that problem behaviors were maintained by both negative and positive reinforcement. Functional communication training was conducted with one set of training stimuli in which the child's mother presented a work task in the family living room. Pretreatment probes were conducted with up to 10 sets of generalization stimuli that varied across tasks, settings, and people. Post treatment probes were conducted across the same generalization stimulus sets. Results for four dependent variables (problem behavior, task completion, manding, and social interactions) indicated that (a) problem behavior occurred across some but not all generalization stimulus sets during pretreatment; (b) following training, reductions of 90% or greater were observed within the context of the training stimuli; (c) reductions in problem behavior were observed for 70% of the post treatment generalization stimulus sets, but the reductions were not as large (M = 61%) as those observed with the training stimuli; and (d) the most consistent change observed during post treatment probes of generalization stimulus sets was increased task completion. Parents of all participants completed a behavior rating form and reported reductions in problem behavior across activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]