Duration Research Articles

The interaction effects of light and noise on the acoustic parameters of underwater vocalisations of wild spotted seals (Phoca largha) in Liaodong Bay, China1

Some marine mammals can adjust acoustic parameters of their sound signals in response to changes in sunlight and ambient noise. Evidence was found in several toothed whales; however, relatively little research has focused on true seals. Spotted seals (Phoca largha) are highly vociferous during the breeding season. Four major underwater call types, drums, growls, knocks, and sweeps, have been identified in the acoustic repertoire of wild spotted seals in Liaodong Bay, China. This study investigated the potential effects of light (day and night) and noise (105–135 dB re 1 μPa, broadband 50–8,000 Hz) conditions on the centroid frequency (CF), root-mean-square bandwidth (BW), duration (DU), and received level (RL) parameters of their underwater vocalisations using a series of generalised linear models (GLMs). Results showed that there were significant interaction effects of light and noise on knock CFs and the BWs for all call types. Specifically, knock CFs decreased and BWs for all call types became narrower when noise increased at night but kept stable during daytime. No significant interactions were found in other acoustic parameters. However, the results of univariate GLM analyses showed that the spotted seals could lengthen their vocalisations at night and increase the vocalisation RLs in response to higher noise levels (the Lambard effect), regardless of call type. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that the spotted seals, a poorly studied species in Chinese waters, have some capabilities to adjust their vocalisations in response to changes in light and noise conditions. The results are helpful to understand how seals interact with their habitats and useful when developing mitigation strategies to minimise disturbance of light and noise from human activities in Liaodong Bay, China.

Effect of transition cow health and estrous expression detected by an automated activity monitoring system within 60 days in milk on reproductive performance of lactating Holstein cows

The objective of this observational study was to evaluate the association of transition cow health and estrous expression, detected by an automated activity monitoring system (Smarttag Neck, Nedap Livestock Management), with reproductive performance in lactating Holstein cows. A total of 3,750 lactating Holstein cows (1,563 primiparous cows and 2,187 multiparous cows) from a commercial dairy farm in Slovakia calving from January 2020 until July 2021 were enrolled on an ongoing basis. Activity data were recorded from d 7 until d 60 postpartum. Within this observational period, cows were classified into 3 categories: (1) no estrus event (Estrus0), (2) 1 estrus event (Estrus1), or (3) 2 or more estrus events (Estrus2+). Transition cow health was assessed by farm personnel within the first 30 d in milk (DIM) using standard operating procedures. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze continuous and categorical data. Cox proportional hazard models were used for time to event data. The overall prevalence of anestrus was 20.8%. Multiparous cows had a greater risk for anestrus compared with primiparous cows [odds ratio (OR) = 1.4]. Cows with stillbirth (OR = 1.76), retained placenta (OR = 2.19), puerperal metritis (OR = 1.48), or subclinical ketosis (OR = 1.51) had a greater risk for anestrus. In addition, cows calving in summer (OR = 0.82), autumn (OR = 0.38), or winter (OR = 0.56) had a higher incidence of anestrus than cows calving in spring. Estrous expression from d 7 until d 60 postpartum was associated with estrous duration (DU) and estrous intensity at first artificial insemination (AI). Cows in Estrus0 had the shortest DU at first postpartum AI (9.4 ± 0.18 h) compared with cows in Estrus1 (10.5 ± 0.13 h) and Estrus2+ (11.4 ± 0.12 h). Cows in Estrus2+ had a longer DU at first postpartum AI compared with cows in Estrus1. For Estrus0, Estrus1, and Estrus2+ cows, pregnancy per AI at first service was 42.5%, 50.9%, and 55.4%, respectively. Estrous expression from d 7 until d 60 postpartum was associated with time to first AI and time to pregnancy. Compared with Estrus0 cows, Estrus1 [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.43] and Estrus2+ cows (HR = 1.62) had an increased hazard of being inseminated within 100 DIM. Compared with Estrus2+, Estrus1 cows had a reduced hazard of being inseminated within 100 DIM (HR = 0.89). Compared with Estrus0 cows, Estrus1 (HR = 1.24) and Estrus2+ cows (HR = 1.46) had an increased hazard of becoming pregnant within 200 DIM. Median DIM to pregnancy were 121, 96, and 92 for Estrus0, Estrus1, and Estrus2+ cows, respectively. In conclusion, cows with transition cow disorders (i.e., stillbirth, retained placenta, puerperal metritis, or subclinical ketosis) had a greater chance for anestrus compared with healthy cows. Cows in Estrus0 had reduced estrous expression at first AI and inferior reproductive performance compared with cows that displayed estrous activity from d 7 until d 60.

Phase variations of the summer and winter seasons in the Bohai Sea during the last four decades

In most coastal oceans, the impacts of global warming on season duration and timing of seasonal transitions remain unknown. To mirror the reality of the ongoing climate change, the summer and winter seasons are redefined using the local water temperature thresholds in the Bohai Sea. Then the phase variations of these seasons are quantified using the duration and transition timing indices, including the duration (DUR), onset (ONS), and withdrawal (WIT) indices derived from the OSTIA SST dataset at a very high resolution (0.05°). During the last four decades (1982–2019), secular trends of summer indices extracted by the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method reveal that the summer DUR has an accumulated increase of about 17 days (4.5 days decade-1), which is primarily induced by the phase advance of the summer ONS by about 16 days (4.2 days decade-1). Spatial features of the duration and timing indices demonstrate that the lengthening of summer DUR and the phase advance of summer ONS have significantly enhanced in the shallow regions, due to the limited thermal inertia and the shorter period of the ocean’s memory. In contrast, the secular trend of winter DUR exhibits an accumulated shortening of about 18 days (4.8 days decade-1), which is induced by a moderately delayed winter ONS of 6 days (1.6 days decade-1) and a significantly advanced winter WIT of 12 days (3.2 days decade-1). The potential linkage between the phase variations in the oceanic seasonal cycle and those of the atmospheric forcing was investigated by analyzing both the interannual variability and the secular trend. Over the analysis period, the secular trend of an earlier summer ONS is related to a total reduction of cloud cover by 30% of its climatological mean and an increase of incoming solar radiation of 10 W m-2 month-1 in the late spring. Thus, our results highlight the influence of cloud cover in addition to wind speed on the temporal variations of season transition timing.

The Relationship between the Frequency and Duration of Physical Activity and Depression in Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Diseases.

The present study utilized data from the 2017 and 2020 Living Profiles of Older People Surveys. Data from a total of 19,907 older adults (10,042 older adults from 2017 and 9865 older adults from 2020) were included in the present study. Depression was assessed using the Korean version of the Short Form of Geriatric Depression Scale (K-SGDS) and CD included cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, thyroid syndromes, orthopedic complications, and diabetes. Participants who participated in PA ≥ 150 min/week were categorized as the high PA group, and those who participated in PA < 150 min/week were categorized as the low PA group. Furthermore, the frequency of PA (FRE) was divided into high FRE (≥5 times/week) and low FRE (<5 times/week), and duration (DUR) was divided into DUR30 (≥30 min/bout) and DUR0 (<30 min/bout). The high PA group exhibited a lower risk of depression relative to the low PA group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the risk of depression was consistently lower at DUR30 than DUR0 regardless of FRE in all CD categories and this result was maintained after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, height, weight, income, education levels, smoking status, and cognitive function. These results interestingly demonstrated that it is important for older adults to participate in a longer duration of PA to impact and prevent depression symptoms regardless of FRE.

Surface Electromyography Quantification Methods for Evaluating Muscle Activity in Dysphagia

Quantitative evaluation of stroke patients with the risk of swallowing disorder or dysphagia is required to support diagnosis and further rehabilitation planning. Fluoroscopy X-ray imaging usually is used for swallowing diagnosis, though it gives radiation exposure to patients. Therefore, quantification of muscle coordination patterns involved in swallowing based on surface electromyography (sEMG) was introduced. However, an adequate quantification of sEMG for dysphagia diagnosis still lacks standardization. In this work, potential sEMG signal features, namely the contraction duration (DUR), the time to peak of maximum contraction (TTP), and the total RMS power (TP), were further investigated to evaluate the swallowing processes in healthy subjects and post-stroke patients. The experimental scheme instructed the participant, i.e. 20 healthy subjects and 20 patients, to swallow 3 mL of water in normal swallowing mode and swallow saliva in dry swallowing mode. The proposed signal processing procedure helps to establish the feature extraction of the three features mentioned earlier. For dysphagia assessment, with the support of our proposed signal processing procedure, DUR and TTP can be used together to improve diagnosis reliability. The characteristic of both features in healthy subjects was shorter than in post-stroke patients. Also, the TP feature is useful as additional information to evaluate the role of suprahyoid (SUP) and infrahyoid (INF) muscle groups which are very important in the swallowing process. These results are promising to provide a reliable set of features in the time domain for swallowing analysis. Notably, this can also be utilized as a feature for supporting the automatic classification of dysphagia diagnosis.

The effect of injectable vitamin C and road transit duration on inflammation, muscle fatigue, and performance in pre-conditioned beef steer calves.

This study examined the effects of injectable vitamin C (VC) before transport and duration of transit on feedlot performance, inflammation, and muscle fatigue in cattle. One hundred thirty-two Angus-cross steers (393 ± 4 kg) were stratified by body weight (BW) to a 2 × 2 factorial of intramuscular injection (INJ; 20 mL/steer): VC (250 mg sodium ascorbate/mL) or saline (SAL) and road transit duration (DUR): 18 h (18-h; 1,770 km) or 8 h (8-h; 727 km). On day 0, steers were weighed and given INJ of VC or SAL immediately before transport. Upon return (day 1), BW and blood were collected before steers returned to pens equipped with GrowSafe bunks. Steers were weighed on days 0, 1, 7, 15, 30, 31, 54, and 55. Data were analyzed via ProcMixed of SAS (experimental unit = steer; 32 to 34 steers/treatment) with fixed effects of INJ, DUR, and the interaction. Blood was collected on days −5, 1, 2, 3, and 7 (n = 9 steers/treatment); blood parameters were analyzed as repeated measures with the repeated effect of day. Area under the curve (AUC) for plasma ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was calculated using R. Final BW was greater for 8 h compared to 18 h (P = 0.05) with no effect of INJ or interaction (P ≥ 0.51). Dry matter intake (DMI) from days 1 to 7 was greater for VC-8, intermediate for VC-18 and SAL-18, and least for SAL-8 (P = 0.02). Overall, DMI tended to be greatest for SAL-18, intermediate for VC-18 and VC-8, and least for SAL-8 (P = 0.08). Days 7 to 31 gain:feed (G:F) was greatest for VC-18 compared to other treatments (INJ × DUR, P = 0.05), and there was no effect of treatment on overall G:F (P ≥ 0. 19). There was no INJ or INJ × DAY (P ≥ 0.17) effect on serum lactate, haptoglobin, or non-esterified fatty acid. However, these blood parameters were greater on day 1 for 18 h compared to 8 h, and both treatments returned to near baseline by day 3 (DUR × DAY, P < 0.01). Plasma ascorbate concentrations on day 1 were greater for VC compared to SAL and returned to baseline by day 2 (INJ × DAY, P < 0.01). Plasma FRAP AUC from days −5 to 3 was greatest for VC-18, intermediate for VC-8 and SAL-8, and least for SAL-18 (INJ × DAY, P = 0.02). This suggests an antioxidant prior to long-haul transit positively influenced antioxidant capacity; however, VC did not improve overall post-transit performance. Although longer transit duration increased indicators of muscle fatigue and inflammation, post-transit performance was not appreciably different between transit durations.

Native listeners rely on rhythmic cues when deciding on the nativeness of speech.

Foreign-accented speech typically deviates segmentally and suprasegmentally from native-accented speech. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the role of amplitude envelope (ENV), segment duration (DUR), and speech rate (SR) on Italian listeners' ability to identify native-accented Italian in utterances produced by Zurich German speakers. In experiment 1, listeners judged in a two-alternative forced-choice perception task which of the two stimuli in a trial they perceived as more native-like. Stimuli in each trial only varied in ENV and DUR, which were retrieved either from a native Italian speaker [first language (L1) donor] or from a German speaker of Italian [second language (L2) donor]. Results revealed that listeners make use of both DUR and ENV to identify the more native-like stimuli, but the effect of ENV was more subtle. In experiment 2, SR differences (resulting from native and non-native segment duration differences in experiment 1) were normalized for. It was found that this drastically reduced the effect of segment durations in terms of perceived nativeness; however, the ENV effect still remained. This was not the case in a control group of listeners without competence in Italian. Though effects were subtle, the study shows that ENV cues contribute to the percept of nativeness in L2 speech.

Open Fractures - What Is the Evidence, and How Can We Improve?

Open fractures can have devastating consequences, including chronic infections and amputations, leaving patients with life-changing disabilities. Prompt and appropriate treatment can spare patients the sequelae of open fractures and the long-term economic burden these injuries often inflict. The British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma and Orthopaedics (BOAST-4) guideline outlines the acute management of patients with open fractures and is often considered the gold standard for open fracture management in the UK. In an era of evidence-based medicine, clinicians are continually mindful of the science behind current guidelines and practices. This article aims to critique the evidence underpinning the BOAST-4 guidelines and suggest improvements based on contemporary literature. Antibiotic delivery in the prehospital setting, the type and duration of antimicrobial therapy, timing for the conversion from external to internal fixation, and the differentiation between adult and paediatric open fractures were among the many pertinent topics critiqued, and evidence-based improvements suggested.

Proposing a novel comprehensive evaluation model for the coal burst liability in underground coal mines considering uncertainty factors

Coal burst is a severe hazard that can result in fatalities and damage of facilities in underground coal mines. To address this issue, a robust unascertained combination model is proposed to study the coal burst hazard based on an updated database. Four assessment indexes are used in the model, which are the dynamic failure duration (DT), elastic energy index (WET), impact energy index (KE) and uniaxial compressive strength (RC). Four membership functions, including linear (L), parabolic (P), S and Weibull (W) functions, are proposed to measure the uncertainty level of individual index. The corresponding weights are determined through information entropy (EN), analysis hierarchy process (AHP) and synthetic weights (CW). Simultaneously, the classification criteria, including unascertained cluster (UC) and credible identification principle (CIP), are analyzed. The combination algorithm, consisting of P function, CW and CIP (P-CW-CIP), is selected as the optimal classification model in function of theory analysis and to train the samples. Ultimately, the established ensemble model is further validated through test samples with 100% accuracy. The results reveal that the hybrid model has a great potential in the coal burst hazard evaluation in underground coal mines.

Clinical Prediction Score for Diagnosing Non-Diabetic Renal Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: When non-diabetic kidney disease (NDKD) is suspected, biopsy proven is used for definite diagnosis. However, there are not always easily available and may lead to cause complications. A clinical prediction score may help selecting appropriate patients for kidney biopsy. Objective: To develop a clinical prediction score for distinguishing any type of NDKD (NDKD alone or coexisting NDKD and diabetic nephropathy [DN]) and DN alone. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with atypical features of DN, who had kidney biopsy at Thammasat University Hospital between 2011 and 2019. The present study divided patients into NDKD alone, coexisting NDKD and DN, and DN alone, confirmed by pathological diagnoses. The authors developed a clinical prediction score by weighing coefficients of predictors in a multivariable logistic model. Internal validation was performed with bootstrapping. Results: The present study included 81 patients of which 28 (34%) had NDKD alone, 15 (18%) had coexisting NDKD and DN, and 38 (41%) had DN alone. Primary membranous nephropathy, primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and secondary FSGS were prevalent in any NDKD. Absence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) showed a significant association with any NDKD (adjusted OR 3.72; 95% CI 1.28 to 10.8; p=0.02). The prediction score, AUROC of 0.75 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.86), had four predictors, duration of DM of less than 10 years, eGFR of more than 30 mL/minute/1.73 m², HbA1c of less than 8%, and absence of DR. Higher scores were associated with higher probability of NDKD. Conclusion: The present study clinical prediction score appears to be a useful tool to determine NDKD probability. T2DM patients with atypical presentation of DN with lower scores (0 to 2) may defer kidney biopsy. Keywords: Non-diabetic kidney disease; clinical prediction score; kidney biopsy; type 2 diabetes mellitus

Identifying prognostic factors associated with overall survival in second-line paclitaxel plus ramucirumab treated human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced/recurrent gastric cancer.

This study aimed to identify the overall survival prolongation index in patients who received paclitaxel plus ramucirumab as second line chemotherapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2-negative advanced/ recurrent gastric cancer (AGC). We included 77 patients who underwent second line chemotherapy (paclitaxel plus ramucirumab) for AGC at our institution between January 2015 and September 2020. To determine factors associated with survival, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed, and hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. In the multivariate analysis, grade ≥1 neutropenia (yes) and the number of anti-cancer drugs used (≥5) were independently and significantly associated with survival. Compared to the patients without grade ≥1 neutropenia, patients with grade ≥1 neutropenia had a survival hazard ratio of 0.455 (95% CI: 0.214-0.966; p = 0.040). The median second line treatment durations in patients with grade ≥1 neutropenia (n = 54) and in those without grade ≥1 neutropenia (n = 23) were 133 days (95% CI, 98-190 days) and 70 days (95% CI, 41-128 days), respectively (log-rank test, p = 0.026). This study demonstrated that AGC patients with initial neutropenia may benefit from paclitaxel plus ramucirumab therapy.

Effect of the co-application of olive waste-based compost and biochar on soil fertility and Zea mays agrophysiological traits

Purpose The deterioration of agricultural soil can be alleviated by maintaining an appropriate level of soil organic matter by using organic amendments such as compost and biochar. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of olive waste-based compost, wood-based biochar and their combination on the chemical and microbial properties of loamy clay soil and the agrophysiological traits of maize. Method Zea mays was grown under greenhouse conditions for 3 months in pots filled with alkaline soil collected from 0-30 cm depth. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with 5 replicates and 3 treatments: compost-soil [1:10 (v/v)], biochar-soil [1:20 (v/v)] and (1:2)-ratio biochar-compost combination (BCC). ResultsBiochar addition singly or in BCC increased soil TOC, EC, and pH. Furthermore, adding biochar to compost increased the levels of macro- and micronutrients compared to those under single application of biochar. The soil fertility improved significantly with regard to available phosphorus and potassium, nitrogen, and micronutrients. Single application of biochar had a negative impact on mycorrhizal symbiosis and was statistically insignificant for soil viable cultivable microorganisms. Conclusion Overall, single application of compost gave the best results in terms of plant growth and soil fertility improvement; thus, a synergistic effect of both amendments was not observed, which could be due to the quantity of the applied biochar and the duration of the experiment.

Association of Postoperative Radiotherapy Delay with Relapse and Metastasis in Women with Breast Cancer Using Penalized Cox Regression

Background: The impact of initiation time of radiotherapy after breast surgery on disease-free status of patient is a controversial issue. We assessed the relationship between the delay in adjuvant radiotherapy and surgery and relapse or metastasis-free survival in women with breast cancer taking heavy censoring into account. Method: This was a historical cohort study on 284 patients with breast cancer, who underwent surgery between 2001 and 2007 and followed up until March 2017. The association of the duration between radiotherapy and surgery, as well as other demographic and clinical factors with occurrence of local relapse or metastasis of breast cancer was examined through penalized Cox regression modeling. The obtained data were analyzed using R 3.6.3. Results: A total of 284 women with the mean age of 47.2 ± 11.3 years met the inclusion criteria. The maximum follow-up time was 11.1 years and the time between surgery and radiotherapy was 168 ± 84.3 days. About 10% of the patients experienced local relapse and 19% had metastasis. In multiple analysis of factors related to disease-free survival, the stage of disease was significant while surgery to radiotherapy interval (≤180 days vs >180 days) did not have any significant impacts on hazard of failure. Analysis of 3, 4, or 5 months of delay in radiation therapy did not imply any significant affects. Conclusion: In the studied patients, the delay in radiotherapy initiation after surgery did not lead into outcomes of local relapse or metastasis.

Less Sleep in Midlife Is Linked to Dementia in Later Life ... and a Possible Mechanism

Past studies that linked lack of sleep to dementia have involved small numbers of participants, included assessment of sleep duration only in later

Jacob Jewusiak. Aging, Duration, and the English Novel: Growing Old from Dickens to Woolf

<scp>Jacob Jewusiak</scp>. <i>Aging, Duration, and the English Novel: Growing Old from Dickens to Woolf</i>

160 Injectable Vitamin C Prior to Transit and Transit Duration Effects on Feedlot Performance, Inflammation, and Muscle Fatigue of Beef Steers

Abstract This study examined the effects of injectable vitamin C (VC) before transport and duration of transit on feedlot performance, inflammation, and muscle fatigue in cattle. One hundred thirty-one, Angus-cross steers (409 ± 4 kg) were stratified by bodyweight (BW) to a 2 × 2 factorial of intramuscular injection (INJ; 20 mL/steer): VC (250 mg sodium ascorbate/mL) or saline (SAL) and road transit duration (DUR): 18 (18; 1,770 km) or 8 h (8; 727 km). On d 0, steers were weighed and received INJ of SAL or VC immediately before transport. Upon return (d 1), BW and blood were collected before steers returned to pens with GrowSafe bunks. Steers were weighed on d 0, 1, 7, 15, 30, 31, 54, and 55. Data were analyzed via ProcMixed of SAS (experimental unit = steer; 32–34 steers/treatment) with fixed effects of INJ, DUR, and the interaction. Blood was collected on d -5, 1, 2, and 3 (9 steers/treatment); blood parameters were analyzed as repeated measures. Average daily gain (ADG) and BW were greater on d 7 and 15 for SAL-18 compared to all other treatments (INJ × DUR, P &amp;lt; 0.01). Final BW, overall ADG, and gain:feed were greater for 18 than 8 (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Injection did not affect BW (P &amp;gt; 0.13) but VC decreased overall dry matter intake compared to SAL (P = 0.03). Steers transported for 18 h had greater serum lactate, haptoglobin, and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations on d 1 compared to steers transported for 8 h (DUR × DAY, P &amp;lt; 0.01). Day 1 plasma ascorbate concentrations were greater for VC and returned to baseline concentrations by d 2 (INJ × DAY, P &amp;lt; 0.01). In contrast to previous work, VC did not improve post-transit performance; however, longer transit duration increased indicators of muscle fatigue and inflammation.

144 The Effect of Pre-farrow Meal Time on Onset of Parturition in Swine

Abstract Genetic selection for increased litter size has resulted in a concomitant increase in stillborn rates in modern genetic lines. In commercial farms, pre-parturient sows are typically fed during daytime hours with a high percentage of farrowings occurring unassisted overnight. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if feeding time can influence the onset of parturition to better align with farm staff hours and increase available assistance. A total of 1,016 sows were used in a commercial farm in Nebraska, USA, to determine the impact of pre-farrow meal time on onset of parturition. Sows were assigned to either control (0700) or alternative (0200) feeding treatments upon entry to farrowing room (~d112 of gestation) and all sows received 2.23 kg daily. Daily feeding time and quantity was controlled with the use of electronic feeders (Gestal SOLO; JYGA Technologies, Inc.). Farrowings had 24 hr monitoring with traits recorded including onset (ON), duration (DUR), piglet interval (PI), and stillborn percentage (SB). The linear model function (lm) in RStudio was used for regression estimates. Alternative sows farrowed earlier (P &amp;lt; 0.05; 1204 vs. 1256 hr) than control-fed sows. Alternative sows also tended to have shorter DUR (P &amp;lt; 0.10; 6.05 vs. 6.19 hr) and narrower PI times (P &amp;lt; 0.10; 22.98 vs. 24.13 min) than control-fed sows. Stillborn percentage decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.05; 8.53 vs. 9.68%) in alternative sows compared to control-fed sows. Combining ON and DUR, we calculated farrowing completion. Alternative fed sows finished parturition earlier (P &amp;lt; 0.05; 1813 vs. 1929 hr) than control fed sows. These results suggest that the alternative strategy can result in earlier onsets, shorter piglet interval and farrowing duration, and a lower stillborn rate when compared to those fed the control strategy and should especially be of interest to farms without labor for 24hr farrowing assistance.

OM-85 in the prevention of respiratory infections: State-of-the-art and future perspectives in clinical practice.

Respiratory infections (RI) significantly burden patients, their families, and society. Respiratory infection recurrence (RRI) usually depends on a defect of the immune response, which can be more or less transient and/or selective. In particular, children, older people, heavy smokers, and patients with chronic diseases, characterized by an inadequate immune response, may be at risk of developing RRI. In this context, OM- 85 could represent a valuable option in the management of RRI. OM-85 is a bacterial lysate containing the extracts of some common pathogens, including Branhamella catarrhalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella ozaenae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus viridans, and Staphylococcus aureus. Methodologically rigorous studies have documented the mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of OM-85. OM-85 enhances the natural and acquired immune response through multifaceted mechanisms. Substantial evidence has shown that OM-85 can prevent respiratory infections, reduce the number of COPD exacerbations, and shorten the disease duration at home or in hospital. OM-85 can enhance the effectiveness of the 'flu vaccination without affecting the vaccine tolerability. The preventive use of OM-85 can reduce the use of antibiotics, contributing to contrast antibiotic resistance and saving the high cost of chronic respiratory diseases. Further studies should define the ideal candidate to OM-85 treatment.

Intensity duration frequency relationship of maximum rainfall in a data scarce urbanized environment: A case study of the Guma Catchment in Sierra Leone

Rainfall intensity for a particular frequency and duration is one of the most important parameter for the hydrologic design of dam, reservoirs, storm sewers, culverts and many other hydraulic structures. This can be obtained from Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) relationship, which is determined by frequency analysis of rainfall data. The goal of this research is to develop rainfall intensity-duration frequency relationship for the data scarce urbanized Guma catchment in Freetown the capital city of Sierra Leone using the Gumbel and Pearson Type III distributions. To achieve this goal, daily rainfall data for the period of 1991 to 2018 for the Guma catchment rainfall station was obtained from the Guma Valley Water Company and were converted to shorter duration (hourly) using the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) method. Twenty-eight maximum daily rainfall events were converted to hourly rainfall events. Frequency analysis was conducted to develop the rainfall intensity-duration-frequency relationships using the Gumbel and Pearson Type III distributions. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) goodness of fit test was utilized to determine which of the distributions have a better fit at 5 and 10% significant levels. The frequency analysis results show that the Gumbel distribution gives higher intensity for all return periods and durations than the Pearson Type III distribution. The result of the K-S goodness of fit test shows that all of the data fit the Gumbel distribution for different return periods (2, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 years) at the level of significance of which yield and which yield while the data do not give good fit using the Pearson Type III distribution at both levels of significance for the different return periods. Key words: Rainfall, Intensity-duration-frequency relationships, probability distributions, goodness of fit test.

Effect of powder and extract of Ritchiea reflexa (Thonn.) Gilg et Benedict and Ctenium elegans Kunth on Amitermes evuncifer Blattodea, Termitinae

Termites play key roles in the ecosystems functioning, especially in the recycling of organic matter. However, few are considered pests because they cause damages to crops and wooden structures. Long based on the use of synthetic pesticides, the control of pestiferous termites is now focused on environmental friendly means including the use of plant extracts. Here, powder, acetonic and ethanolic extracts of Ctenium elegans and Ritchiea reflexa were tested against Amitermes evuncifer. The phytochemical study on extracts exhibited tannins and terpenoids in both species, and steroids only in the ethanolic extract of R. reflexa. Five concentrations of each formulation were used against two controls (negative and positive). Six replicates were made for each concentration using 25 (for extracts) and 30 (for powder) healthy termite workers in petri dishes. All concentrations reduced the survival duration and life expectancy of termites. In 1.83±0.41 days, the higher concentration (6 mg/cm2) of R. reflexa ethanolic extract killed all termites against 6.67±1.63, and 8.67±0.52 days for the same concentration of acetonic extract and powder, respectively. On the other hand, it took 11.17±2.64; 5.5±0.55, and 5.33±0.52 days, for powder, ethanolic and acetone extracts of C. elegans to kill all the tested termites, respectively. The results suggested the use of these formulations as a botanical insecticide in termite management. Key words: Amitermes evuncifer, biopesticides, Ctenium elegans, environment protection, Ritchiea reflexa.