Ozonation of cornstarch at pH 13 was performed using a semi-batch reactor to analyse the influence of a continuous ozone-oxygen gas flow (40 NL/h) at different ozone concentrations (0-42.30 g/Nm3) and temperatures (20-60ºC). A pseudofirst-order kinetic model was proposed to elucidate the reaction mechanisms associated with ozone at high pH conditions. The radical concentration remains constant and proportional to the ozone continuous dose, being a non-limiting factor independent of temperature (activation energy 14.2-14.5 KJ/mol). The oxidation kinetic of starch was studied monitoring the Chemical Oxygen Demand, finding a reduction in ozone concentration when both temperature and time increased (activation energy 8.1 KJ/mol). Therefore, the model proposed for the starch ozonation at high alkaline solutions provides a better understanding of the oxidation processes of common product additives such as starch, also making it possible to determine the environmental impact of such solutions by Chemical Oxygen Demand measurement.

Little attention has been given to the bubble temperature problem of a pure component in academic field. A robust methodology for solving the pure saturation temperature (vapor temperature) is proposed by using cubic equations of state. The methodology is based on a Newton-Raphson iterative technique for solving phase equilibrium criteria, coupled with initialization procedures. This methodology is free of numerical pitfalls from the critical point to very low reduced pressure. The fact that the given pressure is equal to the pressure at the inflection point of the initial temperature isotherm yields an automatic initialization of the calculations inside a region of convergence where the EOS can always predict vapor temperatures. In addition, the initialization method can also be used to calculate vapor pressures. Examples for vdW, RK, SRK and PR EOS show that the methodology can give perfect predictions for saturation properties even at very low reduced pressure and temperature.

The production of hydrocarbons for the synthesis of readily available energy and multifunctional materials is of great importance in modern society. Zeolites have proven to be a boon for the targeted regulation of specific hydrocarbon as shape-selective catalyst in converting carbon resources. Yet our mechanistic understanding and quantitative description of shape-selectivity of zeolite catalysis remains rather limited, which restricts the upgrade of zeolite catalysts. Herein, we proposed quantitative principle of shape-selectivity for zeolite catalysis using methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) as model. Combining with molecular simulations and infrared imaging, we unveil the competition of thermodynamic stability, preferential diffusion and favored secondary reactions between different hydrocarbons within zeolite framework are the essence of zeolite shape-selective catalysis. Notably, we provide methodology to in silico search for the optimal combination of framework topology and acidity properties of zeolites with operating conditions that potentially outperform commercial MTH catalysts to achieve high selectivity of desired hydrocarbon products.

The equilibrium CO2 solubility of 2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol (DMAEE) was investigated at the temperature range of 298.15-323.15 K with the CO2 partial pressure from 5.0 to 60 kPa. A novel modified Kent-Eisenberg model was proposed to predict the CO2 solubility of DMAEE with the absolute average deviation (ADD) of 3.0% in this work, and this model provides more accurate prediction than the reported Kent-Eisenberg, Austgen, Hu-Chakma, and Li-Shen model. Then four reported tertiary amines were used to validate the universality of the proposed model and the obtained results indicate that the developed model can be applied to the mentioned amines with an acceptable AADs (4.80, 5.47, 8.56, and 3.65 %). In addition, the heat of CO2 absorption and the dissociation constant (pKa) also were systematically evaluated and compared with other reported amines, all obtained results indicates that the DMAEE has a potential to be an alternative absorbent for post-combustion CO2 capture.

According to the explicit propositions by Clausius, in the original publications in the 1850’s, the temperatures of the “reservoirs” are irrelevant for the “second fundamental equation” of the “mechanical theory of heat” to hold true. It is shown that entropy being history independent, i.e., “path independent”, “state function”, is contradictory to “reversibility”, i.e., contradictory to the “second fundamental equation” of the “mechanical theory of heat” holding true for “reversible” phenomena, only. This result is corroborated by experimental evidence. This result only removes the unnecessary restriction posed by “reversibility”, causes no adverse practical consequences, and offers the possibility to unify and simplify continuum entropy modeling. For example, the result removes the dilemma due to “reversibility” from engineering calculations for real physical phenomena, none of which are “reversible”.

1. The western honey bee, Apis mellifera, lives worldwide in approximately 94 million managed hives but also wild throughout much of its native and introduced range. Despite the global importance of A. mellifera as a crop pollinator, wild colonies have received comparatively little attention in the scientific literature and basic information regarding their density and abundance is scattered. 2. Here we review 29 studies that quantified wild colony density directly and analyse a larger dataset including an additional 7 studies that quantified density indirectly using genetic markers. 3. Densities varied from 0.1 to 24.2/km2 at 38 locations worldwide and were 24 times lower in Europe (0.35/km2) than Africa (8.4/km2) on average. Survey area varied from 1.2 to 924km2 and was negatively correlated with density. Survey areas were largest in Europe (average of 70.4km2) and were partly responsible for the low densities reported in this region. 4. After controlling for survey area in a GLM, mean annual temperature and net primary productivity became important predictors of density. This model was used to estimate wild colony numbers at a regional scale, which varied from approximately 135 million in Latin America to 8 million in Europe and 250 million worldwide. 5. Overall, wild colonies were estimated to outnumber managed hives in all regions except Europe and were estimated to be over twice as numerous worldwide. This is a significant result given that A. mellifera is often viewed as a domesticated species that primarily lives under human management.

Actinopterygian fishes display considerable diversity of parental behaviors and forms of parenting. In order to understand the evolutionary history in the ray-finned fishes, both characters were mapped, using parsimony ancestral state reconstruction upon an existing supertree. According to the data, in this subclass, parental care and parenting traits evolved from ancestors devoid of parental care or parenting. The transition from the ancestral state to substrate guarding, and that from the ancestral state to uniparental male care were the most observed ones, whereas the remaining transitions recorded low scores. Concerning the evolution of parental care, the data supported the evolution of mouthbrooding from substrate guarding, whilst external egg carrying arose from both substrate guarding and the ancestral state, which suggested the lack of a unique evolutionary pattern. Regarding the evolution of caregiver sex, the data did not support the stepping-stone model since the complete predicted sequence was not observed. In addition, the evolution of carer sex showed higher diversity of transitions among states than recorded in the evolution of parental care, suggesting the absence of a unique evolutionary pattern fitting the entire subclass.

Allopreening occurs in many species of birds and is known for providing hygienic and social benefits. While this behavior has been studied between conspecifics, its occurrence among different species remains mysterious. Outside of captivity environment, only a few records of interspecific allopreening exist. In this study, we report the first documented record of a Spot-necked Babbler (Stachyris strialata) allopreening a Nonggang Babbler (Stachyris nonggangensis) in a non-captive environment in southern China. We provide three hypotheses (social dominance, cleaning mutualism, and hybridization) to explain the occurrence of this understudied behavior. We suggest that interspecific allopreening may not be as rare as we assumed if we are in the correct place to study it. This study contributes to our understanding of not only the potential mechanism(s) for interspecific allopreening but also the behavioral ecology of the vulnerable Nonggang Babbler.

Desertification is a problem in regions with arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid climates and is characterized by the degradation of natural resources. The influence of vegetation cover and rainfall intensity on the dynamics of water infiltration, surface runoff and soil loss was measured in situ in a Desertification Zone in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Twenty-four plots were evaluated in two areas, each with the same type of soil that is predominant in the region: 1) Luvisol with dense vegetation cover (LD) and 2) Luvisol with sparse vegetation cover (LS). Rainfall of 60 and 100 mm h -1 was simulated with a rainfall simulator. Soil hydraulic conductivity, soil water retention curves and soil carbon and nitrogen stocks were also determined. Water infiltration was greater in the LD (53 mm h -1) compared to the LS (15 mm h -1), while the runoff rates were 27 mm h -1 for the LD and 61 mm h -1 for the LS. Rainfall intensity significantly influenced when runoff started and the runoff rate, accelerating soil loss. Vegetation cover significantly influenced the total soil carbon and nitrogen stocks, as well as the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil. This is the first study in the semi-arid desertification region of Brazil that used simulated rainfall to assess the effects rain intensity on soil properties. The results of this study can be used as a reference for calibrating erosion models in areas undergoing a desertification process

High Density Pace-Mapping for Scar-related Ventricular Tachycardia AblationTravis D. Richardson MD and William G. Stevenson MD.1 Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USARunning Title: High Density Pace MappingCorresponding Author:Travis D. Richardson, MDDivision of Cardiovascular MedicineVanderbilt University Medical Center1211 Medical Center DrNashville, TN 37232USAEmail: travis.d.richardson@vumc.orgWord Count: 2,225Conflicts of Interest :Dr. Stevenson has received speaking Honoria from: Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbott, Johnson and Johnson, and Biotronik; he is co-holder of a patent for irrigated needle ablation that is consigned to Brigham and Women’s Hospital.Dr. Richardson has received research funding from Medtronic Inc, Abbott Inc and served as a consultant for Philips Inc and Johnson and Johnson.This work did not receive any funding.Despite advances in medical and interventional therapies, ventricular tachycardia (VT) due to reentrant activity within complex regions of myocardial scar remains a common late complication of myocardial infarction.1 While implantable defibrillators (ICD) may prevent sudden death, ICD shocks are painful and impact quality of life2. Catheter ablation reduces the likelihood of ICD therapies and it’s role early in the course of disease is expanding3–5. However, several factors limit the success and safety of catheter ablation procedures. Scar-related reentry circuits can be large with a critical isthmus shared by multiple loops. Ablation of the isthmus is associated with a low risk of recurrence of that VT6,7. The critical isthmus can be identified during VT by detailed activation mapping and entrainment. However, prolonged mapping during VT is often not feasible or desired. Patients undergoing VT ablation often have severe systolic heart failure as well as other comorbid conditions. VT is often not hemodynamically tolerated and even when tolerated, prolonged time in VT may lead to decompensation. Strategies to limit initiation and mapping of VT may improve procedural safety8. Methods to guide ablation based on characterization of the sinus rhythm substrate alone have generally shown good results9. A number of approaches have been applied, including ablation over the entire low voltage area (scar homogenization)10. While this is often successful, areas of scar can be quite extensive, and undoubtedly this technique leads to ablation of more areas than absolutely necessary for success. This approach is also more effective if epicardial ablation is routinely included, which has the potential to increase procedural risk. A strategy to focus on the critical regions, particularly when a clinically relevant VT is known, remains a reasonable first step in the procedure. A variety of electrogram markers of critical regions have been described including late potentials, potentials that display variable coupling to surrounding tissue during programmed stimulation11 , and areas of slow conduction identified by high density mapping 12,13. While these are likely to increase the specificity of ablation targets compared to electrogram voltage alone, they are also seen at bystander areas14.Pace-mapping during sinus rhythm is useful to help identify the general location of focal arrhythmia sources,15 and can also be used in scar related reentry.16,17 At the reentry circuit exit region the paced QRS morphology often resembles the VT QRS, and this will also occur at sites proximal to the exit provided that the stimulated wavefront follows the reentry path to the exit. A stimulus – QRS > 40 ms is also consistent with slow conduction away from the pacing site, that can be a marker for reentry substrate17.In this issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology,Guenancia et al. review their technique of using high density pace mapping to guide VT ablation18. Their method takes advantage of software available in electroanatomic mapping systems that assigns a measure of correlation between two different QRS morphologies; in this case the VT and the paced QRS morphology.19 A pacing correlation map is generated by pacing multiple sites within the ventricle and color coding the algorithmically derived score for display at each point on the anatomic map. Sites near the exit from the reentry circuit isthmus, typically along the border of a scar, will display good correlation with induced VT. As one moves along the isthmus deeper into the low voltage scar the S-QRS prolongs due to the conduction time between the pacing site and the exit region. If the isthmus is anatomically defined, such that it is present during VT and sinus rhythm, the QRS morphology remains similar to the VT as long as the paced wavefront follows the isthmus out to the exit. Moving to the entrance or adjacent sites outside the isthmus can produce an abrupt transition to a markedly different paced QRS because the wavefront can propagate away without following the path of the isthmus.20 Thus, the pace-map correlation maps can outline the location of a reentry circuit isthmus during sinus rhythm, as they illustrate.Their method can also help identify cases in which the critical isthmus is not located on the surface being mapped. When the VT circuit is epicardial or intramural, the earliest endocardial activation may appear focal. Similarly, the pace-map correlation maps may reveal a concentric or focal pattern of matching, potentially allowing recognition of this situation without the need for activation mapping during VT.We agree with the fundamental principles described, and feel this technique can be a helpful substrate mapping approach. There are several caveats. Evaluation to clarify its specificity and sensitivity is limited. The authors report that in their unpublished experience an abrupt transition is seen in the majority of post-infarct cases, they have also published a series of 10 post-infarct patients undergoing VT ablation during which the pacing correlation maps visually matched VT activation maps.21This technique is likely to be effective in cases where the VT isthmus is confined to the ventricular surface being mapped. Pacing can capture deep to the endocardium depending on current strength.22 Whether this technique can detect intramural isthmuses and whether deep tissue that can be captured with pacing can also be ablated from the pacing site is not clear.It is important to point out that very good correlations with VT can be observed pacing in an outer loop immediately adjacent to the exit where one would not anticipate RF ablation delivery would be effective. If a focal pattern is seen on both the endocardial and epicardial surfaces very little can be inferred about the VT circuit; the site with better correlation would be expected to be closer to the exit. In this setting entrainment during a brief episode of induced VT with assessment of the post-pacing interval can potentially clarify the proximity to the reentry circuit.During VT, areas of functional conduction block may be present that are absent during sinus rhythm. Functional block can also occur remote from the reentry isthmus and alter activation wavefronts during VT changing the QRS morphology. Theoretically it is then possible to have poor correlation between the VT and paced QRS at its exit. In animal models of post-infarction VT exit regions have been shown to harbor very slow areas of conduction which could be prone to altering total ventricular activation during VT.23.We would caution against generalizing these techniques to patients with dilated cardiomyopathies where confluent regions of low voltage scar are absent. Diffuse interstitial fibrosis may play a greater role in some of these VT circuit and anatomically fixed isthmus sites are less likely to be present.Further study is needed before utilizing this technique when anatomical structures within the ventricle are involved in the VT circuit. Structures such as the moderator band may by definition have multiple exits and varied QRS morphologies24, and papillary muscles may display large areas of similar paced morphology25, potentially distorting pacing correlation maps.This technique is unlikely to correctly characterize VT circuits that involve a portion of the cardiac conduction system as occurs in some scar-related VTs and in bundle-branch reentry.26 These circuits may demonstrate a focal pattern at the left or right ventricular apical septum on pacing correlation maps due to the long, insulated nature of the reentrant circuit itself, and ablation at the exit site is very unlikely to be effective.This strategy of high density pace mapping adds to the available substrate mapping methods for guiding VT ablation while limiting VT induction. This strategy does not rely on electrogram interpretation, making it of particular interest in regions of very low voltage. Indeed, when utilizing larger recording electrodes, such as an ablation catheter, pacing will often reveal the presence of excitable tissue where a local electrogram is not always apparent. In post-infarct ventricular tachycardia circuits with a well-defined scar and a short anatomically bounded isthmus, pacing correlation maps are likely to be revealing. More study is warranted to further assess this method in relation to other substrate mapping methods, in complex substrate with intramural components, and in other disease substrates. It is useful to have multiple tools in the tool box. More studies are needed to further define which tools work best for which substrate.References:1. Stevenson WG: Ventricular Tachycardia After Myocardial Infarction: From Arrhythmia Surgery to Catheter Ablation. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 1995; 6:942–950.2. Moss AJ, Schuger C, Beck CA, et al.: Reduction in inappropriate therapy and mortality through ICD programming. N Engl J Med 2012; 367:2275–2283.3. Sapp JL, Wells GA, Parkash R, et al.: Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation versus Escalation of Antiarrhythmic Drugs. N Engl J Med 2016; 375:111–121.4. Cronin EM, Bogun FM, Maury P, et al.: 2019 HRS/EHRA/APHRS/LAHRS expert consensus statement on catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias: Executive summary. Heart Rhythm 2020; 17:e155–e205.5. Della Bella P, Baratto F, Vergara P, et al.: Does Timing of Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation Affect Prognosis in Patients With an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator? Results From the Multicenter Randomized PARTITA Trial. Circulation 2022; .6. Hadjis A, Frontera A, Limite LR, et al.: Complete Electroanatomic Imaging of the Diastolic Pathway Is Associated With Improved Freedom From Ventricular Tachycardia Recurrence. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2020; 13:e008651.7. Tokuda M, Kojodjojo P, Tung S, et al.: Characteristics of Clinical and Induced Ventricular Tachycardia Throughout Multiple Ablation Procedures. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2016; 27:88–94.8. Yu R, Ma S, Tung R, et al.: Catheter ablation of scar-based ventricular tachycardia: Relationship of procedure duration to outcomes and hospital mortality. Heart Rhythm 2015; 12:86–94.9. Irie T, Yu R, Bradfield JS, et al.: Relationship between sinus rhythm late activation zones and critical sites for scar-related ventricular tachycardia: systematic analysis of isochronal late activation mapping. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2015; 8:390–399.10. Di Biase L, Santangeli P, Burkhardt DJ, et al.: Endo-Epicardial Homogenization of the Scar Versus Limited Substrate Ablation for the Treatment of Electrical Storms in Patients With Ischemic Cardiomyopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol 2012; 60:132–141.11. de Riva M, Naruse Y, Ebert M, et al.: Targeting the Hidden Substrate Unmasked by Right Ventricular Extrastimulation Improves Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation Outcome After Myocardial Infarction. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2018; 4:316–327.12. Anter E, Neuzil P, Reddy VY, et al.: Ablation of Reentry-Vulnerable Zones Determined by Left Ventricular Activation From Multiple Directions: A Novel Approach for Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation: A Multicenter Study (PHYSIO-VT). Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2020; 13:e008625.13. Tung R: Substrate Mapping in Ventricular Arrhythmias. Card Electrophysiol Clin 2019; 11:657–663.14. Nayyar S, Wilson L, Ganesan AN, et al.: High-density mapping of ventricular scar: a comparison of ventricular tachycardia (VT) supporting channels with channels that do not support VT. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2014; 7:90–98.15. Bennett R, Campbell T, Kotake Y, et al.: Catheter ablation of idiopathic outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias with low intraprocedural burden guided by pace mapping. Heart Rhythm O2 2021; 2:355–364.16. Brunckhorst CB, Delacretaz E, Soejima K, Maisel WH, Friedman PL, Stevenson WG: Identification of the ventricular tachycardia isthmus after infarction by pace mapping. Circulation 2004; 110:652–659.17. Stevenson WG, Sager PT, Natterson PD, Saxon LA, Middlekauff HR, Wiener I: Relation of pace mapping QRS configuration and conduction delay to ventricular tachycardia reentry circuits in human infarct scars. J Am Coll Cardiol 1995; 26:481–488.18. Guenancia C, Supple GE, Sellal J-M, et al.: How to use pace mapping for ventricular tachycardia ablation in post-infarct patients. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol .19. de Chillou C, Sellal J-M, Magnin-Poull I: Pace Mapping to Localize the Critical Isthmus of Ventricular Tachycardia. Card Electrophysiol Clin 2017; 9:71–80.20. Hanaki Y, Komatsu Y, Nogami A, et al.: Combined endo- and epicardial pace-mapping to localize ventricular tachycardia isthmus in ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Eur Eur Pacing Arrhythm Card Electrophysiol J Work Groups Card Pacing Arrhythm Card Cell Electrophysiol Eur Soc Cardiol 2022; 24:587–597.21. de Chillou C, Groben L, Magnin-Poull I, et al.: Localizing the critical isthmus of postinfarct ventricular tachycardia: the value of pace-mapping during sinus rhythm. Heart Rhythm 2014; 11:175–181.22. Itoh T, Yamada T: Excellent Pace Maps Recorded from Two Remote Sites Inside and Outside the Scar in a Patient with Ischemic VT: What Is the Mechanism? Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2017; 40:72–74.23. Anter E, Tschabrunn CM, Buxton AE, Josephson ME: High-Resolution Mapping of Postinfarction Reentrant Ventricular Tachycardia: Electrophysiological Characterization of the Circuit. Circulation 2016; 134:314–327.24. Jiang C-X, Long D-Y, Li M-M, et al.: Evidence of 2 conduction exits of the moderator band: Findings from activation and pace mapping study. Heart Rhythm 2020; 17:1856–1863.25. Itoh T, Yamada T: Usefulness of pace mapping in catheter ablation of left ventricular papillary muscle ventricular arrhythmias with a preferential conduction. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2018; 29:889–899.26. Bogun F, Good E, Reich S, et al.: Role of Purkinje fibers in post-infarction ventricular tachycardia. J Am Coll Cardiol 2006; 48:2500–2507.

Purinergic receptors are the ones that use nucleotides as their agonists or antagonists. They have crucial role in platelets. Their physiological role as well as pharmacological target for antiplatelet drugs are well established and they have immense applications in clinical practice. But today the same purinergic receptors over platelets were identified elsewhere and they have been implicated in various health conditions. So, this review focuses to explain the non-thrombotic uses of platelet purinergic receptors

Background and purpose The translation of new injectable anaesthetic drugs from rodent to humans remains slow, despite the realisation that reliance on the volatile agents is unsustainable from an environmental perspective. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of rat sex and strain on the PK and PD of the anaesthetic neurosteroid alfaxalone. Experimental approach Forty rats had cannulas inserted under isoflurane anaesthesia for drug administration and sampling. Carotid artery blood samples were collected for blood gas analysis, haematology, biochemistry, and plasma concentrations of alfaxalone. Plasma samples were assayed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Compartmental non-linear mixed effects methods (NLME) models were applied to two rat populations to determine whether body weight, sex and strain influenced PK parameters Key Results There were significant differences between the sexes for plasma clearance, half-life and mean residence time in Lewis rats and mean arterial blood pressure was significantly lower in the female rats at 120 minutes. An initial NLME PK population model was used to design an adjusted alfaxalone infusion for SD females matching plasma concentrations in males and minimising cardiopulmonary depression but maintaining an appropriate hypnotic effect. A final NLME population model showed that alfaxalone clearance was dependent on both bodyweight and sex whereas volume of distribution was influenced by strain. Conclusion and implications NLME PK models offer the advantage of having a single model that describes a population and therefore shares data interpretation between animals unlike the standard deterministic PK approach. This approach can be used to propose bespoke dosing regimens for optimal use of alphaxalone.

Abstract Background: Currently, the most common surgical modalities used for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis resection are microdebrider, CO2 laser, and KTP laser. However, complication rates vary among different surgical modalities and have been controversial in different studies. Objective of review: This study systematically reviews the available studies which reported intraoperative and postoperative complications, aiming to compare the safety of microdebrider, CO2 laser, and KTP laser. Type of review: Meta-analysis. Search strategy: Seven electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE[Ovid], Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) were searched from inception through April 28th,2022. Randomized controlled, prospective or retrospective observational studies that recorded the complications of three different surgical modalities for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis resection were included in the meta-analysis. Evaluation method: Outcomes of interest were intraoperative and postoperative complications, and complication rate was calculated to evaluate the safety of surgical methods. Results: Twenty different studies was included in quantitative synthesis. Only one study compared outcomes of those three kinds of treatment modalities simultaneously, two studies compared microdebrider and CO2 laser, and the remaining studies focused on only one of three treatments. The weighted average complication rate for microdebrider was 0.03(95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00-0.21), n = 6, for CO2 laser treatment was 0.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09-0.25), n = 14，and for KTP laser treatment was 0.04 (95% CI 0.00-0.14), n =4. Conclusion：The limited evidence demonstrated that CO2 lasers in the surgical treatment of RRP may lead to more surgical complications, and microdebrider and KTP lasers may be safer. However, the heterogeneous data limits any strong comparison of outcomes of different treatment of laryngeal papillomas. Future randomised controlled trials that directly compare the safety of different surgical modalities are needed.

The objective of this study is to report the complete genome sequence of a field African swine fever virus (ASFV) causing a fatal outbreak in domestic pigs in the Mekong delta, namely ASF/VN/CanTho-OM/2021 (GenBank accession number: ON402789). The complete genome sequencing detected an 18-bp nucleotide deletion in the EP402R gene (encoding for serotype-specific proteins CD2v) of ASF/VN/CanTho-OM/2021 which is determined to belong to the genotype 2 and serotype 8. This mutation pattern was confirmed as unique in the GenBank; thus, ASF/VN/CanTho-OM/2021 can be considered as a novel variant with potential change of sero-characteristics within the genotype 2. Additional unique mutation of 78-bp nucleotide insertion was also observed in the B475L gene. Besides, four copies of tandem repeats sequences were found in the intergenic gene (IGR) located between I73R and I329L that is previously assigned as the IGR III variant. This study is the first to report the complete genome of ASFV in the Mekong delta and highlights the necessity for strengthening of molecular surveillance in order to provide further knowledge on evolution and incursion of ASFV in the Mekong delta and Vietnam.

Due to its stochastic nature, wind energy imposes unprecedented challenges on the power grid, and a properly scheduled reserve is essential to accommodate wind power’s intermittency and volatility. Many power reserve scheduling studies have considered the uncertainties of the renewable energy integration but few address how different wind speed forecast techniques influence the scheduling of reserves in the congested transmission networks. In this paper, three forecasting techniques: artificial neural network, autoregressive integrated moving average, and probability distribution function-based model are adopted to forecast one day of wind speed at Taylor, TX in 2012. To evaluate the impacts of the forecast techniques on power reserve scheduling, a stochastic reserve optimization model was developed to ensure the delivery of reserve in the event of transmission congestion and ramping constraints. A modified RTS-96 test system was employed and the results claim that different forecast models significantly affect the amount of scheduled up and down reserves in a stochastic reserve optimization problem. The level of operating reserve that is induced by wind is not constant during all hours of the day. Dynamic up and down reserves will be needed with a large scale of wind farm integration.

Aim: Augmentation of antipsychotic treatment with antidepressants represents a common and beneficial treatment strategy in patients suffering from schizophrenia. Combining clozapine and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) sertraline represents a clinically important strategy, but there is limited knowledge about mutual pharmacokinetic interactions. In the present study, we assessed the impact of clozapine on sertraline plasma concentrations. Methods: Based on a therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) database, sertraline plasma concentrations were compared between two groups: patients receiving a combined treatment with sertraline and clozapine (SERTCLZ; N=15) and a matched control group receiving sertraline but no clozapine (SERT; N=17). Group differences with respect to raw and dose-adjusted plasma concentrations were assessed using non-parametric tests. Results: No significant differences were found between the groups regarding daily dosage of sertraline, age, weight, sex distribution, and caffeine or nicotine consumption (all p-values >0.05). Co-medication with clozapine was associated with 67% lower median sertraline plasma concentrations (16 vs. 48 ng/mL; p=0.022) and 28% lower median dose-adjusted plasma concentrations (C/D; 0.21 vs. 0.29 (ng/mL) / (mg/day); p=0.049) as compared to the control group. Conclusion: When applying a combined treatment with clozapine and sertraline, clinicians should consider therapeutic drug monitoring to confirm therapeutically effective plasma concentrations of sertraline.

The auxiliary array optimization is the key to performance of interference cancellation, especially for the wide operating frequency of radio communication and unknown direction of interference. The blind area rule is established and the minimum blind area model is proposed for auxiliary array optimization. After deriving and simplifying the analytical solutions of weights and signal-to-interference-noise ratio after cancellation, the proposed rule inherits communicable index of radio and requirements of anti-jamming, greatly reducing complexity. The proposed algorithm focuses on minimizing blind area after cancellation in view of this rule. Hence, it leads to a remarkable improvement of optimization efficiency with different direction of arrival of interference and wide-band operating frequency. Experiments based on communication radio demonstrate that the minimum blind area model is much efficient and promising for auxiliary array optimization of anti-interference.

Background: Anaphylaxis following influenza vaccination is a rare but serious problem. The underlying immune responses are not well understood. This study elucidated the IgE and IgG antibody responses in healthy children and adolescents following inactivated influenza vaccines (IIVs). Methods: The efficacy and safety of quadrivalent IIV (QIV) and trivalent IIV (TIV) were compared in healthy subjects aged 0-18 years. Serum IIV-specific IgE, IgG and IgG4 levels (sIgE, sIgG, sIgG4) were measured with ImmunoCAP. Hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) assay was performed for each influenza virus subtype. Sera from earlier patients who developed anaphylaxis to different IIVs were similarly tested. Results: A total of 393 subjects were enrolled: 96 were 6 months -2 years old, 100 were 3-5 years old, 100 were 6-12 years old, and 97 were 13-18 years old. No anaphylaxis was observed. Generally, QIV and TIV induced similar antibody responses. IIV-sIgE levels rose significantly after vaccination in the 6m-2y and 3-5y groups, did not change in the 6-12y group, and decreased in the 13-18y group. In contrast, the IIV-sIgG4/sIgE ratio increased significantly after vaccination in all age groups. Sensitized subjects had significantly higher HI titers and IIV-sIgG levels in the youngest age group and higher IIV-sIgG4 levels in all age groups compared with the non-sensitized. The IIV-sIgG4/sIgE ratio in 5 patients with anaphylaxis was significantly lower than in age-matched healthy subjects. Conclusion: IIVs induce IgE sensitization in healthy children, but also robust IgG4 responses that may protect them from anaphylaxis.

Schwannomas are benign tumors which rarely arise in the soft tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. We present a case of a gastrointestinal schwannoma in a 50-years-old female with lower gastrointestinal bleeding. A colonoscopy described a 4cm ulcerated polypoid mass in the descending colon. The histopathological diagnosis was a schwannoma.

Cost-effective use of limited conservation resources requires understanding which data can most contribute to alleviating biodiversity declines. Interventions might reasonably prioritise life-cycle transitions with the greatest influence on population dynamics, yet some contributing vital rates are particularly challenging to document; such pragmatic decision-making risks suboptimal management if less is known about influential rates. We aimed to explore whether study effort aligns with demographic impact on population growth rate, λ. We parameterised a matrix population model using meta-analysis of vital rates for the common eider (Somateria mollissima), an increasingly threatened yet comparatively data-rich species of seaduck. Female common eiders exhibit intermittent breeding, with some established breeders skipping one or more years between breeding attempts. We accounted for this behaviour by building breeding propensity (= 0.72) into our model with a discrete and reversible ‘non-breeder’ stage (to which surviving adults transition with a probability of 0.28). The transitions between breeding and non-breeding states had twice the influence on λ than fertility (summed matrix-element elasticities of 24% and 11%, respectively), whereas almost 15 times as many studies document components of fertility than breeding propensity (n = 103 and n = 7, respectively). Through comparative re-analyses, we find similar results for two amphibian species, further supporting our finding that study effort does not always occur in proportion to relative influence on λ. Our workflow could form part of the toolkit informing future investment of finite resources, to avoid repeated disconnects between data needs and availability thwarting evidence-driven conservation.

Lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH) is characterized by clinically profuse and watery vaginal discharge. In pregnancy with LEGH, with watery fluid leakage persisting throughout pregnancy, it is often difficult to visually diagnose PROM. Adding to this difficulty, auxiliary diagnostic tests might also show positive results, complicating treatment and management.

The Synchronicity of Situs Inversus totalis (SIT) and infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) is a rare phenomenon. We have reported a case of this concurrency in a 3-day-old newborn with classic symptoms.

Endovascular embolization techniques are the preferred treatment modality for the management of direct Carotid Cavernous Fistulas (CCFs).We report two cases of patients treated with SOV approach and retrograde embolization with Precipitating hydrophobic injectable liquid (PHIL) and coils.

Adaptation enables natural populations to survive in a changing environment. Understanding the mechanics of adaptation is therefore crucial for learning about the evolution and ecology of natural populations, and for better conservation and management of natural resources such as fish stocks. In this review we focus on the impact of random sweepstakes on selection in highly fecund populations. In random sweepstakes the distribution of individual recruitment success is highly skewed, resulting in a huge variance in the number of offspring contributed by the individuals present in any given generation. We also describe selective sweepstakes which are well approximated by recurrent selective sweeps of strongly beneficial allelic types arising by mutation. We demonstrate that both types of sweepstakes reproduction may facilitate rapid adaptation. Finally, we review an important case study in which a model of recurrent selective sweeps is shown to essentially explain population genomic data of the highly fecund Atlantic cod, with broad implications for studying the evolution and ecology of highly fecund populations across domains of life.