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Exposure to organic dusts might cause an acute reaction with influenza like symptoms (toxic pneumonitis). Although it is well known that endotoxin, which is often present in organic dusts, may cause this reaction, there is no information about fungal cell wall agents as causative agents. The capacity of different fungal cell wall agents to induce an acute inflammation was evaluated in animal inhalation experiments. Guinea pigs were exposed to an aerosol of endotoxin, molds, and different fungal cell wall agents (FCWA) in a continuous flow exposure chamber, and the number of free lung cells was determined 24 h thereafter. Endotoxin caused a dose-dependent increase in the number of neutrophils and macrophages. None of the other agents tested caused a neutrophil response. The results suggest that toxic pneumonitis in environments with organic dusts is caused by the presence of inhaled endotoxin. Although no effect from FCWA was found, it is well known that this inhalation under chronic conditions will cause lung disease, particularly granulomatous pneumonitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: How and when children develop an understanding of group boundaries have implications for conflict resolution. When social divisions are not perceptually distinct, symbols become particularly important. Framed by the Social Identity Development Theory, this study was designed to assess children's categorization of symbols with conflict-related group labels., Method: In Northern Ireland, 218 children (M = 8.14, SD = 1.83, range 5-11 years old) participated in a novel task designed for this study. The sample was evenly split by child gender and community background., Results: Children sorted symbols above chance with both the hypothesized national (i.e., British/Irish) and ethno-political (i.e., Protestant/Catholic) labels, showing a stronger association for the former. Sorting was also stronger for ingroup symbols, compared to outgroup symbols, and increased with age., Conclusion: These findings reflect the potential role that a divided social world has on the development of children's understanding of conflict-related groups. The results also have implications for intergroup relations among children in divided societies., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

More than half of the incidents reported to EMSA relate to nautical events such as collision, groundings and contacts. Knowledge of accurate and high-integrity positioning is therefore not only a need for future automated shipping but a base for today's safe navigation. Examples on accidents include Ever Given in the Suez Canal and HNoMS Helge Ingstad in Norway. A Network-RTK (NRTK) service can be used as an augmentation technique to improve performance of shipborne GNSS receivers for future positioning of manned and unmanned vessels in restricted areas, such as port areas, fairways, and inland water ways. NRTK service providers generate RTK corrections based on the observations of networks of GNSS reference stations which enables the users to determine their position with centimeter accuracy in real-time using a shipborne GNSS receiver. Selection of appropriate communication channels for dissemination of NRTK corrections data is the key to a secure positioning (localization) service. In PrePare-Ships project, the modern maritime communication system VDES (VHF Data Exchange System) is proposed to distribute SWEPOS (NRTK in Sweden) correction data to shipborne positioning modules. VDES is a very reliable technique and it is compatible with most onboard functionalities. In order to minimize the impact on the overall VDES data capacity in a local area, NRTK correction data shall only occupy a single VDES slot with a net capacity of 650 bytes. Update rates may vary but are preferably at 1Hz. However, NRTK correction data size changes instantly, depending on the number of visible GNSS satellites, and the data rate can therefore sometimes reach in excess of 1000 byte/s. In this study, a smart technique is proposed to reduce size of NRTK correction data to instantly adapt with the VDES requirements by choosing a combination of specific signals, satellites or even constellations such that the data rate is not more than 650 byte/s, and at the same time it achieves optimal positioning performance with the accuracy required by the PrePare-Ships project application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionized Mg (iMg) may offer a more reliable indicator of Mg status during acute illness than total Mg (tMg) concentrations. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dysmagnesemia and their relationship using iMg and tMg. The clinical and biochemical characteristics as well as health outcomes and their association with iMg and tMg were also assessed. A prospective study including all eligible adult patients (≥18 years) who were hospitalized in the General Internal Medicine unit at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) for 3.5 months in 2023. The iMg and tMg concentrations were collected on all at the admission. In total 500 patients were included (females 49.2%) with a median age of 64.5 years (IQR: 48-77). The prevalence of hypomagnesemia and hypermagnesemia by iMg concentrations was 3.4% and 26.6%, respectively, while by tMg concentrations 13.2% and 11.0%, respectively. The agreement between both measurements was strong (r=0.665, p<0.01). An increased tMg concentration was independently associated with high dependency units' admission (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 4.34, 95%CI: 1.24-15.06, p=0.02) and cardiac arrest (aOR: 14.64, 95%CI: 3.04-70.57, p<0.01), and 6-month all-cause mortality (aOR: 11.44, 95%CI: 2.46-53.17, p<0.01). During follow-up hypermagnesemia using tMg had a higher mortality compared to other groups (hazard ratio (HR): 1.82, 95%CI: 1.11-3.01, p=0.02) while no significant findings were demonstrated using iMg concentrations. iMg and tMg concentrations had a strong correlation that might be supporting the potential use of point-of-care devices. Multivariant regression analysis showed that hypermagnesemia by tMg was associated with adverse outcomes. However, the generalizability of the study findings should be taken with caution and the difference in the associations with outcomes highlight the importance of further research to examine the complex associations and impacts of dysmagnesemia in various clinical settings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the magnesium (Mg) status of male subjects consuming moderate amounts of alcohol (n = 14) in comparison with that of a group of non-consumers of alcohol (n = 10). Plasma ionized Mg levels and total erythrocyte Mg content were determined as well as the excretion of Mg in urine before and after an oral loading test. Intake of Mg via food and water was estimated using a one-week dietary records. The results showed a significantly higher, alcohol dose-related excretion of Mg and Ca (calcium) in the urine after the oral Mg load among consumers of alcohol. Although the study is based on a small number of subjects with differences in smoking habits, it is suggested that alcohol consumption even in moderate amounts could contribute to Mg deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]