Coverage Factor Research Articles

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of electrospun poly (ε-caprolactone)/collagen scaffolds and Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells (hWJ-MSCs) constructs as potential alternative for skin tissue engineering

Dermal substitutes bear a high clinical demand because of their ability to promote the healing process of cutaneous wounds by reducing the healing time the appearance and improving the functionality of the repaired tissue. Despite the increasing development of dermal substitutes, most of them are only composed of biological or biosynthetic matrices. This demonstrates the need for new developments focused on using scaffolds with cells (tissue construct) that promote the production of factors for biological signaling, wound coverage, and general support of the tissue repair process. Here, we fabricate by electrospinning two scaffolds: poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) as a control and poly(ε-caprolactone)/collagen type I (PCol) in a ratio lower collagen than previously reported, 19:1, respectively. Then, characterize their physicochemical and mechanical properties. As we bear in mind the creation of a biologically functional construct, we characterize and assess in vitro the implications of seeding human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells (hWJ-MSCs) on both scaffolds. Finally, to determine the potential functionality of the constructs in vivo, their efficiency was evaluated in a porcine biomodel. Our findings demonstrated that collagen incorporation in the scaffolds produces fibers with similar diameters to those in the human native extracellular matrix, increases wettability, and enhances the presence of nitrogen on the scaffold surface, improving cell adhesion and proliferation. These synthetic scaffolds improved the secretion of factors by hWJ-MSCs involved in skin repair processes such as b-FGF and Angiopoietin I and induced its differentiation towards epithelial lineage, as shown by the increased expression of Involucrin and JUP. In vivo experiments confirmed that lesions treated with the PCol/hWJ-MSCs constructs might reproduce a morphological organization that seems relatively equivalent to normal skin. These results suggest that the PCol/hWJ-MSCs construct is a promising alternative for skin lesions repair in the clinic.

KNOWLEDGE OF UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS ABOUT GENERAL WOUND CARE: OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Objective: To identify nursing students’ knowledge about general wound care. Methods: This is an observational-descriptive research conducted with final-year nursing undergraduate students from higher education institutions in the Cariri region, Ceara, Brazil. Data collection was developed through the sampling technique snowball or snowball sampling. The data were tabulated in Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet and later analyzed by simple descriptive statistics. Results: The sample included 211 nursing students, from the ninth (123) and tenth (88) semester, from public (50) and private (161) institutions. Among the students, 122 highlighted professors and scientific events as sources of searching for primary information about wounds, and that in their hospital internships they have skin assessment as part of the activities they perform (85.8%). About the knowledge, the data that showed the highest percentage are regarding aspects of wound assessment (98.6%), coverage (96.7%) and biological factors of healing (92.4%). The participants left to be desired in aspects of PU prevention (39.8%) and Braden scale, with 45% of correct answers. Conclusion: This study made it possible to identify the general knowledge about wounds of graduating nursing students.

Diffusion coefficients in binary electrolyte mixtures by dynamic light scattering and molecular dynamics simulations

In this work, three binary electrolyte mixtures represented by different molecular solvents and dissolved lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Li][NTf2]) are characterized by determining their Fick diffusion coefficient D11. For this, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were applied in the temperature range between (293.15 and 398.15) K at a solute mole fraction x[Li][NTf2] of 0.05. DLS is a contactless measurement technique that requires no calibration and allows to investigate multiple thermophysical properties, including D11, in macroscopic thermodynamic equilibrium. To get reliable thermophysical properties for the binary mixtures from MD simulations, force fields (FFs), describing inter- and intramolecular interactions between atoms, for the pure solvents were taken from the literature and reparametrized. The objective for the reparameterization was to accurately predict the static dielectric constant ε, density ρ, and viscosity η of the solvents. Using the optimized FFs, D11 for the binary electrolyte mixtures could be predicted via MD simulations and the results agree with those from DLS within an average absolute relative deviation of 23%. Most data points agree within combined uncertainties, considering an average expanded statistical uncertainty (coverage factor k = 2) of 18% for D11 from MD simulations and an average expanded experimental uncertainty (k = 2) of 10% for D11 from DLS. η and ε of the solvent were found to correlate with D11 and, thus, the diffusive mass transport in electrolyte mixtures. A large η leads to small D11, due to the slower dynamics in the system. Also a small solvent ε leads to small D11, which is due to the formation of ion pairs or clusters, which hinders the free movement.

Thermal Conductivity of Ternary Aqueous H2O + Li2SO4 + Zn(NO3)2 Solutions at High Temperatures and Pressures

The thermal conductivity of ternary aqueous H2O + Li2SO4 + Zn(NO3)2 solutions at high temperatures (from 298 to 573 K) and at two isobars of 10 and 30 MPa is reported in the present work. The measurements were made for five solutions with concentration ratios of Li2SO4/Zn(NO3)2 of 1:1, 2:1, 1:2, 1.75:2.00, and 0.7:0.3 (mol·kg–1) using a concentric cylinder (steady) method. The combined expanded relative uncertainties of thermal conductivity, pressure, concentration, and the absolute uncertainty of temperature measurements (at 0.95 confidence level, a coverage factor of k = 2) were estimated to be less than 0.02, 0.0005, 0.0002, and 20 mK, respectively. The measured data were used to confirm the reliability, accuracy, and predictive capability of the existing correlation methods for multicomponent aqueous electrolyte solutions. It was shown that the temperature and pressure behavior of the aqueous solutions is controlled by the water. The effect of Li2SO4 and Zn(NO3)2 concentrations on the thermal conductivity of H2O + Li2SO4 + Zn(NO3)2 solutions at various temperatures and pressures has been studied.

Association between pertussis vaccination coverage and other sociodemographic factors and pertussis incidence using surveillance data

Routine vaccination with pertussis vaccines has been successful in driving down pertussis mortality and morbidity globally. Despite high vaccination coverage, countries such as Australia, USA, and UK have experienced increase in pertussis activity over the last few decades. This may be due to local pockets of low vaccination coverage that result in persistence of pertussis in the population and occasionally lead to large outbreaks. The objective of this study was to characterize the association between pertussis vaccination coverage and sociodemographic factors and pertussis incidence at the school district level in King County, Washington, USA. We used monthly pertussis incidence data for all ages reported to the Public Health Seattle and King County between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2017 to obtain school district level pertussis incidence. We obtained immunization data from the Washington State Immunization Information System to estimate school-district level vaccination coverage as proportion of 19–35 month old children fully vaccinated with ≥4 doses of the Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular-Pertussis (DTaP) vaccine in a school district. We used two methods to quantify the effects of vaccination coverage on pertussis incidence: an ecological vaccine model and an endemic–epidemic model. Even though the effect of vaccination is modeled differently in the two approaches, both models can be used to estimate the association between vaccination coverage and pertussis incidence. Using the ecological vaccine model, we estimated the vaccine effectiveness of 4 doses of Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular-Pertussis vaccine to be 83% (95% credible interval: 63%, 95%). In the endemic–epidemic model, under-vaccination was statistically significantly associated with epidemic risk of pertussis (adjusted Relative Risk, aRR: 2.76; 95% confidence interval: 1.44, 16.6). Household size and median income were statistically significantly associated with endemic pertussis risk. The endemic–epidemic model suffers from ecological bias, whereas the ecological vaccine model provides less biased and more interpretable estimates of epidemiological parameters, such as DTaP vaccine effectiveness, for each school district.

An assessment on the off-road trafficability using a quantitative rule method with geographical and geological data

The assessment of off-road trafficability is an important issue in special military or disaster relief operations. It is affected by geographical and geological environmental factors, and the factor sensitivity changes with space. Previous research used a qualitative manual rule method and geographical factors to assess off-road trafficability in terms of land coverage and terrain factors. However, this caused problems because the factors were not comprehensive, the method was qualitative, and there was a great deal of noise in the assessment results. To solve these problems, we developed a quantitative rule method to comprehensively assess the obstacles caused by geographical and geological factors to off-road trafficability. First, we reviewed remote sensing images of various factors in the study area, searched for traffic rules, and quantified them using the analytic hierarchy process-weighted information content (AHP-WIC) method. Then, the corresponding relationship between rules and off-road trafficability is established by the clustering method, and it is divided into multiple types of motion (generally>2 types). Finally, we used the improved watershed method to filter off-road trafficability map noise. The results showed that the geological environment (including geological hazards, joint & structure, topographic position index, rock structure, etc.) can seriously hinder off-road trafficability but has not been considered in previous research. For complex field environments, the proposed method can adaptively establish the classification relationship between rules and off-road trafficability. Additionally, the improved watershed method can effectively filter the noise generated by the rule method.

The Effect of Some Elements of Cultivation in Stubble on the Glycine max Performance

In the irrigation conditions of Azerbaijan, the cultivation of Glycine max in stubble fields after harvesting the barley crop along with spring sowing is also economically very important. Sowing in stubble fields makes it possible to obtain additional grain yield and fodder from a single area, and to use reclamation facilities efficiently. At this time, the soil is provided with organic matter for autumn planting, and at the same time salinization is prevented, soil erosion and weed control issues are fully resolved. Cultivation of stubble field crops in large farms increases the possibilities of more efficient use of labor force, irrigation networks, agricultural machinery and equipment. During the conducted research, different results were obtained regarding the effect of different irrigation regimes and fertilizer rates on soybean grain yield. The resulting productivity depended on the plant coverage factor, leaf surface area, changes in wet and dry biomass. The smallest indicator of the yield was 10.0 centners in the variant with soil moisture of 60% before irrigation, and the highest indicator was 25.8 cwt/ha in the variant of the fertilizer rate calculated when the soil moisture was 80%, which is the same as the yield obtained from the autumn sowing of barley of the previous year (39 cwt/ha) together, it is equal to the yield of 67.9 cwt/ha from 1 hectare of land in one year.

Thermal radiation effect measurement in enclosure calibration

The effect of thermal radiation could be the biggest issue in enclosure calibration. Reducing it by taking accurate measurements can improve the calibration uncertainty or calibration measurement capability (CMC). However, there is still less information related to the measurement procedure that can be taken from references such as DKD-R 5-7: Calibration of Climatic Chambers, DKD-R 5-8: Calibration of Hygrometers for Direct Measurement of Relative Humidity, and KAN Pd-02.04: Pedoman Kalibrasi Enklosur Suhu. Moreover, one of those reference documents suggests a value of 0.35 °C as the standard uncertainty contributed by thermal radiation for enclosure temperatures up to about 30 °C above ambient. This large value can be understood as an attempt to produce secure uncertainty since it is not measured directly. Therefore, this study describes the detailed measurement of the effect of thermal radiation. Two enclosures, which are an oven and a climatic chamber, are used as the samples. The oven represents an enclosure with natural thermal convection while the climatic chamber represents an enclosure with flowing air at a certain relative humidity. The thermal radiation effect is measured by two small PRTs class A with a diameter of 3 mm and length of 15 mm. Those PRTs are wrapped in aluminum foil to have low emissivity (ɛ=0.4) and one of them is then painted by Nextel 811-21 to have high emissivity (ɛ=0.97). The resistance outputs from the PRTs are measured by 34401A 6½ Digital Multimeter manufactured by Keysight. Before being used, those PRTs were calibrated in a stirred bath having uncertainty U=0.06 °C with a confidence level of 95 % and coverage factor k=2. The temperature range for the oven is from 60 °C to 140 °C while for the climatic chamber is from 40 %rh to 90 %rh at 20 °C and is from 40 %rh to 90 %rh at 25 °C. A mathematical model is proposed and the results are presented graphically where for the oven the higher temperature is the higher the thermal radiation effect, ranging from ±0.1 °C to ±0.4 °C. Variation of relative humidity inside the climatic chamber does not change the thermal radiation effect since the difference is 0.05 °C which is still within the uncertainty of PRTs

Analysis of Spatio-temporal Variation of Fractional Vegetation Coverage and Influence Factors in Qinghai, China

The fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) can visually represent ecological changes in a region. Based on MDO12A1 data to calculate FVC, we investigated the spatial and temporal variations of FVC in Qinghai Province from 2001 to 2015 and performed correlation analysis with the annual mean temperature and annual rainfall. The results indicate that the spatial changes in FVC in Qinghai Province increase gradually from northwest to southeast and are discontinuous due to topographic variations. In Qinghai Province, the area of higher FVC decreased by 0.69% over the past 15 years, while the area of medium FVC increased by 5.75%, and the area of lower FVC decreased by 5.06%. Changes in FVC in Qinghai Province are influenced by changes in rainfall and temperature. The average partial correlation coefficients of FVC with rainfall and temperature are 0.031 and 0.117, respectively, indicating that rainfall has a more significant influence on vegetation growth when the temperature remains constant.

Exploring the association between covid-19 vaccination coverage and socioeconomic factors in high income countries

Exploring the association between covid-19 vaccination coverage and socioeconomic factors in high income countries

Control Light Pollution by Genetic Algorithms

Based on Light pollution, the team first investigated the important factors that may lead to light pollution, and is divided into three factors, respectively, they are cultural factors, geographical factors and development factors, each and there are several secondary factors, they are GDP, air pollution, river coverage, vegetation coverage, residential coverage, industrial coverage, population quality and other factors. After obtaining these key factors affecting light pollution, our group conducted quantitative modeling based on the two-level AHP hierarchical analysis and derived the weights of these key factors. Noted that because the AHP model largely depends on expert opinion, has a lot of subjectivity, so our group further introduced the grey correlation analysis to more accurately and our assessment results and actual situation is very well, such as protection areas, rural areas for almost no light pollution or light pollution, and urban areas or urban areas are severe or moderate light pollution. Based on the above work, our group adopted the multi-target gene optimization method to obtain the optimal set of strategies, and greatly reduced the light pollution level under the premise that it did not affect the development.

Development of a hydrogen impurity analyzer based on mobile-gas chromatography for online hydrogen fuel monitoring

Hydrogen is an excellent alternative energy source, particularly for vehicles. Despite the expansion of a considerable number of infrastructures, such as hydrogen refueling stations, there is a lack of efficient inspection methods for monitoring the hydrogen fuel quality. In this study, a hydrogen impurity analyzer (HIA) based on mobile gas chromatography with a thermal conductivity detector is developed and evaluated for the quality assurance of hydrogen fuel. Accordingly, O2, N2, and Ar which help in monitoring air leaks at hydrogen refueling stations, and CH4, which can also be detected by HIA, are selected as target impurities. The HIA reached limits of detection of 2.93, 0.72, 0.84, and 1.54 μmol/mol for O2, Ar, N2, and CH4, respectively. Moreover, the ISO 14687 requirements are satisfied with respective HIA expanded uncertainties of 2.6, 8.7, 8.2, and 9.4% (coverage factor k = 2). The developed system is ISO-compliant and offers enhanced mobility for online inspections.

Hygienic assessment of 90Sr and 137Cs contamination of water and fish in the lakes of the head part of the peripheral zone of the East Ural radioactive trace

Introduction. The article presents the results of studies of the specific activity of 90Sr and 137Cs in the water and fish of the Irtyash and Kazhakul lakes located in the peripheral zone of the head of the East Ural Radioactive trace in 2014-2017.
 Materials and methods. Determination of the levels of specific 90Sr and 137Cs in the water and the body of the resource-forming species of Siberian roach (soroga, chebak) Rutilus rutilus lacustris (Linnaeus, 1758) from the studied lakes was carried out over the period of 2012–2017. The measurements were carried out using standardized methods adopted in in the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Health “Central Medical and Sanitary Unit No. 71 of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia” (FGBUZ TsMSCH No. 71 of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia) and the Southern Ural.
 Results. The research was carried out over 2014 to 2017. Since the accident at the Mayak enterprise in the fall of 1957, the specific radioactivity of the water in the studied lakes was found to decrease. The concentration of 90Sr in the water of Irtyash lake was 0.019±0.008, and 137Cs – 0.028±0.009, and in Lake Kazhakul – 0.19±0.06 and 0.14±0.06, respectively. These values are much lower than the level of intervention according to NRB-99/2009. 
 The water of the lakes is used to meet household needs. The water of Lake Irtyash is used for drinking water supply of the city of Ozersk. The specific activity of the raw mass of a roach carcass from the Irtyash and Kazhakul lakes for the accumulation of 90Sr is 2.7± 1.7 and 64.5±19 and 137Cs – 1.68± 0.8 and 38±33.5Bq/kg, respectively. All the samples studied separately according to 90Sr and 137Cs had levels of radioactive contamination at or below the regulatory compliance indicator (SanPiN 2.3.2.1078–01). At the same time, taking into account the absolute extended uncertainty (with a coverage factor of k = 2) roach from Kazhakul lake has a significant excess of the limit level of radioactive contamination.
 Limitations. Hydrochemical parameters of the aquatic environment in various reservoirs can vary significantly over time and affect the accumulation of radionuclides by hydrobionts. Therefore, the research results are relevant only for the research period. To obtain more reliable results, long-term comprehensive monitoring is necessary.
 Conclusion. Over the past 60 years after the accident at the Mayak enterprise in 1957, the levels of radioactive contamination of water and fish in the studied lakes Irtyash and Kozhakul have decreased by more than 10 times. Calculation of doses of ionizing radiation for certain groups of the population of areas contaminated as a result of accidents, living near lakes, is a complex task, for which additional research is needed.

The Challenge of Bacteremia Treatment due to Non-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Nosocomial infections caused by non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria are a real challenge for clinicians, especially concerning the accuracy of empirical treatment. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristic, empirical antibiotic therapy, accuracy of these prescriptions for appropriate coverage and risk factor for clinical failure of bloodstream infections due to non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli. This retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted between January 2016 and June 2022. Data were collected from the hospital's electronic record. The statistic tests corresponding to each objective were applied. A multivariate logistic regression was performed. Among the total 120 patients included in the study, the median age was 63.7 years, and 79.2% were men. Considering the appropriate empirical treatment rate by species, inappropriate treatment for S. maltophilia was 72.4% (p = 0.088), for A. baumanii 67.6% and 45.6% for P. aeruginosa. Clinical success was achieved in 53.3%, and overall, 28-day mortality was 45.8%. ICU admission, sepsis or shock septic, age, previous antibiotic treatment and contact with healthcare facilities were independently associated with clinical failure. In conclusion, bloodstream infection produced by multidrug-resistant non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria is a significant therapeutic management challenge for clinicians. The accuracy of empirical treatment is low due to the fact that it is not recommended to cover these microorganisms empirically, especially S. maltophilia and A. baumanii.

Spatio-Temporal Variation and Climatic Driving Factors of Vegetation Coverage in the Yellow River Basin from 2001 to 2020 Based on kNDVI

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is a fundamental ecological barrier in China and is one of the regions where the ecological environment is relatively fragile. Studying the spatio-temporal variations in vegetation coverage in the YRB and their driving factors through a long-time-series vegetation dataset is of great significance to eco-environmental construction and sustainable development in the YRB. In this study, we sought to characterize the spatio-temporal variation in vegetation coverage and its climatic driving factors in the YRB from 2001 to 2020 by constructing a new kernel normalized difference vegetation index (kNDVI) dataset based on MOD13 A1 V6 data from the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Using Theil–Sen median trend analysis, the Mann–Kendall test, and the Hurst exponent, we investigated the spatio-temporal variation characteristics and future development trends of the vegetation coverage. The climatic driving factors of vegetation coverage in the YRB were obtained via partial correlation analysis and complex correlation analysis of the associations between kNDVI and both temperature and precipitation. The results reveal the following: The spatial distribution pattern of kNDVI in the YRB showed that vegetation coverage was high in the southeast and low in the northwest. Vegetation coverage fluctuated from 2001 to 2020, with a main significant trend of increasing growth at a rate of 0.0995/5a. The response of vegetation to climatic factors was strong in the YRB, with a stronger response to precipitation than to temperature. Additionally, the main driving factors of vegetation coverage in the YRB were found to be non-climatic factors, which were mainly distributed in Henan, southern Shaanxi, Shanxi, western Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and eastern Gansu. The areas driven by climatic factors were mainly distributed in northern Shaanxi, Shandong, Qinghai, western Gansu, northeastern Inner Mongolia, and Sichuan. Our findings have implications for ecosystem restoration and sustainable development in the YRB.

Development of measures for metrological support of Raman spectroscopy

The method of Raman spectroscopy (RS) is widely used for timely metrological support of technological lines of the industrial sector in the chemical, medical and pharmaceutical, food, as well as criminalistics and forensic examinations. The wide application of the Raman spectroscopy method requires the use of specific metrological support tools, namely, measures for calibrating Raman spectrometers and microscopes according to the spectrum shape (i. e. relative spectral sensitivity).The purpose of the research was to develop prototype measures designed to calibrate Raman spectrometers and microscopes on a scale of relative intensities provided with metrological traceability to the SI base units.Prototype measures were made from inorganic glasses based on an oxide matrix, each of the glasses was activated with metal ions selected to excite a broad fluorescence line with radiation at a given wavelength: 532 nm (manganese ions), 633 nm (bismuth ions) and 785 nm (chromium ions). Metrological characteristics were established for prototype measures, where the certified characteristic is the relative intensity of the reproduced fluorescence radiation. The maximum expanded measurement uncertainty of the relative fluorescence intensity at a coverage factor k = 2 was determined, which is 9.4 %, 5.2 % and 2.8 % for prototype measures designed to reproduce the relative fluorescence intensity when excited at wavelengths of 532 nm, 633 nm and 785 nm, respectively.Certification of measures performed on the laser Raman confocal microscope Confotec NR500, which is part of the GET 196-2015 standard, allows establishing metrological traceability through the scale of relative intensities of the GET 8 6-2017 microscope, providing traceability to SI units of the “(light) energy flux” value. Thus, it is possible to find the spectral correction function for determining the Raman spectra traceable to the State Primary Standard GET 196-2015 for calibrated devices using certified measures.The practical significance of the results of the research makes it possible to expand the possibility of establishing and monitoring the stability of the calibration characteristics of microscopes and Raman spectrometers, namely, it allows calibration on a scale of relative intensities.

Aqueous solutions of chiral ionic liquids based on (–)-menthol: An experimental and computational study of volumetric and transport properties

Aqueous solutions of ionic liquids remain at the focus of the physico-chemical and chemical-engineering research due to their interesting behaviour in the bulk and on the molecular level as well as thanks to their possible application potential. Indeed, the molecular structure of the aqueous solutions of ionic liquids is still poorly understood. In this work, imidazolium-based chiral ionic liquids with a (–)-menthol substituent on the cation 1-alkyl-3-[(1R,2S,5R)-(–)-menthoxymethyl]imidazolium chlorides were studied in aqueous solutions. Their volumetric properties and electrical conductivity were measured to better understand their hydration and dissociation. The bulk experimental data were interpreted in the light of MD simulations that enabled us to obtain spatial and radial distribution functions and to estimate the volumetric and transport properties of the studied systems. Experimental data of density and conductivity were analyzed by methods of mathematical gnostics which is naturally robust, is valid for small data set (no coverage factor needed), and does not require prior knowledge of the distribution of the measurement errors. It is therefore applicable in cases where tests of data normality are statistically insignificant or even fail.

Vaccination Coverage and Risk Factors Associated With Incomplete Vaccination Among Children in Cambodia, Madagascar, and Senegal.

Vaccination reduces mortality from infectious disease, which is the leading cause of death in children under 5 and bears a particularly high burden in low- and middle-income countries. The Global Vaccine Action Plan (2011-2020) has set a target of 90% vaccine coverage for all vaccines included in national immunization programs by 2020. The objectives of this study were to estimate vaccine coverage among children in Madagascar, Cambodia, and Senegal and to identify the risk factors associated with incomplete vaccination. Using data from a community-based prospective cohort that included all newborn of some areas from 2012 to 2018 in these 3 countries, vaccine coverage was estimated for BCG, hepatitis B, oral polio, pentavalent (targeting diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b), and measles vaccines. Risk factor analysis was performed with logistic regression models to identify correlates of incomplete vaccination. A total of 3606 children were followed up, and vaccine coverage was below the 90% threshold for most vaccines in all countries. Coverage was higher for vaccines recommended at birth and at 6 weeks, while a decrease in coverage for subsequent doses was observed for vaccines requiring several doses (23-47 points). Low birth weight (<2500 g) was an important risk factor for nonvaccination for vaccines recommended at birth in all 3 countries (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval] ranging from 1.93 [1.11-3.38] to 4.28 [1.85-9.37]). Vaccine coverage for common childhood vaccines was lower than World Health Organization recommendations, and multidisciplinary approaches may help to improve vaccine coverage and timeliness.

Thermal Conductivity Calculation Model for Refrigerant Mixtures in the Vapor Phase

Thermal conductivity measurements of ten refrigerant mixtures (R-404A, R-406A, R-407C, R-409A, R-410A, R-415A, R-507A, R-227ea/R-134a 61.5/38.5, R-227ea/R-134a 88.8/11.2 and R-227ea/R-134a 45/55) in the gas phase are analyzed. The thermal conductivity was studied with the same experimental setup, which improved the reliability of the results, excluding thereby systematic errors caused by using different methods to measure thermal conductivity. The reported experimental data have 1.5 % to 2.5 % uncertainty at 0.95 confidence level with a coverage factor of k = 2. Equations for calculating thermal conductivity depending on temperature and pressure are given for each mixture. The equations for thermal conductivity on the dew line and in the ideal gas state are obtained. A model for predicting thermal conductivity on a wide range of state parameters is proposed based on obtained experimental data and the theory of thermodynamic similarity. A comparison of the experimental data with the calculation model gives the standard deviation at 0.4 % to 2.1 %, which does not exceed the measurement error.

Heat capacities of different amine aqueous solutions at pressures up to 25 MPa for CO2 capture

A high-pressure flow calorimeter is used to determine isobaric heat capacities for aqueous solutions of some amines such as MEA, DEA TEA, DMAE, MDEA, PZ from T = (293.15 to 353.15) K and up to 25 MPa. The experimental device can measure heat capacities with an estimated total uncertainty better than 1% for a coverage factor k = 2. The isobaric heat capacity values are analysed in conjunction with their temperature and pressure dependencies. Furthermore, empirical equations are proposed to fit isobaric heat capacities as functions of temperature and pressure for given conditions, for this kind of mixtures, obtaining standard deviations within the uncertainty of the measurements. Finally, DMAE shows the highest value of heat capacity and TEA the lowest value, when they are compared at the same conditions of temperature, pressure and composition.