Fast Program Research Articles

Intermittent fasting supports the balance of the gut microbiota composition.

There is a growing body of detailed research demonstrating that intermittent fasting is essentially a cleansing activity in terms of health. Especially since its applications that exceed 16h trigger autophagy, it continues its effect on all tissue and organ systems after the regeneration movement that starts at the cellular level. Similarly, it continues to be better understood with each passing day that the gut microbiota (GM) has many positive effects on all tissue and organ systems. Although the GM is affected by many different parameters, dietary habits are reported to be the most effective factor. Therefore, it is important to investigate the effects of different preferred fasting practices on the GM, which has numerous health benefits. Pointing out this situation, this study aims to determine the effects of 18-h intermittent fasting for 5weeks on the shaping of GM. A 12-month-old male Wistar rat was chosen as the model organism in the study. At the end of the application, the metagenome was applied to the cecum content of the intestinal tissue collected from the sacrificed animals. Intermittent fasting practice led to an increase in alpha diversity, which expresses a significant bacterial diversity, the stabilization of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes ratios (F/B), and the reshaping of the values with the highest prevalence in all stages of the classification, especially in the family, genus, and species care. Analysis results showed that the preferred intermittent fasting program helps balance the GM composition. This study is an important example showing the strong positive link between intermittent fasting and GM.

Comparison of the visual field test of Glaufield Lite with Humphrey Field Analyser.

To compare visual field test results of Glaufield Lite AP901 CTS 133 (Appasamy Associates, Mannadipet Commune, Thirubhuvanai, Puducherry, India, hereafter Glaufield Lite) with Humphrey Field Analyser (HFA, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, California, USA, hereafter HFA). A pilot study at a tertiary eye centre involving 23 normal and 24 glaucoma patients who underwent two consecutive visual field tests on (i) HFA 24-2 SITA Fast and (ii) Glaufield Lite Quick Central program. The mean testing time on HFA was significantly shorter than Glaufield Lite (normals: HFA: 2.75 ± 0.49min, Glaufield Lite: 6.85 ± 0.86min, p < 0.001; glaucoma patients: HFA: 3.45 ± 1.08min, Glaufield Lite: 6.95 ± 0.54min, p < 0.001). Reliability criteria were similar, but false-positivity was lower with Glaufield Lite. Bland-Altman analysis showed poor agreement for mean deviation (MD), [~ 2.69 units less for HFA], and acceptable agreement for pattern standard deviation (PSD) [~ 0.426 units more for HFA] between the two devices. Both perimetric techniques showed reliable test results though test duration was longer with Glaufield Lite perimetry. The MD showed poor agreement, likely due to different scales and principles used for perimetry. The PSD showed acceptable agreement, making it valid for use in glaucoma, though a direct comparison of fields from the two devices is not possible. We recommend using the same perimetry device for follow-up evaluation.

Fast Functional Rehabilitation Protocol versus Plaster Cast Immobilization Protocol after Achilles Tendon Tenorrhaphy: Is It Different? Clinical, Ultrasonographic, and Elastographic Comparison.

Background: the incidence of Achilles tendon (AT) rupture is rising; however, there is no clear consensus regarding the optimal treatment. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare instrumental and patient-reported outcome scores after fast functional rehabilitation (group A) versus plaster cast immobilization (group B) programs in patients who underwent AT tenorrhaphy. Methods: 33 patients, with similar clinical and demographic features, underwent open AT tenorrhaphy between January and July 2018. Of these, 15 patients were treated with fast functional rehabilitation program (group A), and 18 patients were treated with plaster cast immobilization protocol (group B). Sural triceps hypotrophy and functional scores (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle–Hindfoot Score, and Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS)) were recorded at a 12-month follow-up. Ultrasonography (US) and elastosonography (ES) were used to compare the characteristics of the tendons after surgery. Results: At 12 months, no significant differences in any of the patient-reported outcomes or the instrumental measurement tests were seen between the two groups. Conclusions: fast functional rehabilitation after AT surgical repair is safe, effective, and may be the first choice of treatment, especially in young, collaborative, and active patients.

The Effect of Ramadan Fasting Combined With Regular Aerobic Exercise on Cortisol Level and Trait-State Anxiety in Female Professional Athletes

Background and Aims Fasting during Ramadan causes changes in the body’s metabolism, but there are contradictory results regarding the effect of fasting on the psychological and physiological status of professional athletes. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of Ramadan fasting combined with regular aerobic exercise on cortisol levels and anxiety in female professional athletes. Methods This applied study was performed with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included all female professional athletes in Qom in 2019. By available sampling method, 50 people were selected and divided into experimental (n=25) and control (n=25) groups. The experimental group performed aerobic exercises according to the defined intensities and three sessions per week. The control group did not intervene. Data were collected using the State-Trait Anxiety Scale and cortisol was measured by blood sampling using a Tosoh 360-AIA device. Data were analyzed by independent and paired t-test and multivariate analysis of covariance. The significance level was considered 0.05. Ethical considerations were observed in this study. Results The findings showed that Ramadan fasting program combined with regular aerobic exercise had a positive and significant effect on reducing total anxiety and its components, including trait anxiety and state anxiety in the experimental group. There was a significant difference between the mean scores of cortisol levels in the two groups in the post-test. Conclusion The research findings showed that fasting during Ramadan combined with regular aerobic exercise is effective in reducing anxiety and cortisol in athletes. The researcher suggests that in order to achieve more reliable results, the study should be performed on larger populations.

Measurement method of maize morphological parameters based on point cloud image conversion

The plant height (PH), stem thickness long axis (STLA), and stem thickness short axis (STSA) in maize morphological parameters can effectively reflect the growth, lodging resistance and yield information of maize plants. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can achieve rapid measurement of crop phenotypic parameters. To address the problems of low automation and leaf interference in the existing measurement methods, TLS was used as the measurement sensor, and a morphological measurement method for PH, STLA and STSA of field maize based on point cloud image conversion was proposed. First, in the V3, V6, V9, and V12 stages, three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data of two maize varieties (Jingnongke 728 and Nongda 84) were obtained by TLS. Second, the point cloud processing software was used to match the collected maize point cloud data, obtain the registered multi-site cloud data, remove the background point cloud data, extract the maize row data, and carry out down-sampling. Programming was used to realize data format conversion and individual plant segmentation. Third, several methods, including plane segmentation, statistical filtering, pass filtering, maximum and minimum traversal, and Euclidean clustering were used to remove ground point clouds, judge whether there was maize plant, and extract area maize point clouds. A method of point cloud image conversion was proposed to realize the segmentation of maize stem and leaf. Finally, the height of the plant was measured by calculating the vertical distance from the highest point of the plant to its base. The point cloud of the stem at a specific location was identified, and the ellipse fitting method was used to measure the thickness of the long axis and the short axis of the stem. Compared with the measured value of artificial point cloud, the PH, STLA and STSA of maize in 4 growth stages were measured using automatic program. The root mean square error (RMSE) of the PH, STLA and STSA of Jingnongke 728 were 0.61 cm, 3.16 mm and 2.53 mm respectively, and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were 0.52%, 7.90% and 9.70% respectively. The RMSE of Nongda 84 were 0.66 cm, 2.63 mm and 2.42 mm respectively, and the MAPE were 0.75%, 7.07% and 9.76% respectively. The results show that the point cloud image conversion method for measuring PH, STLA and STSA proposed in this article is suitable for maize of different growth periods and different maize varieties. It is highly consistent with the artificial point cloud measurement values and can replace manual measurement. It can provide breeders with a fast, automatic and accurate measurement program for the PH, STLA and STSA of maize.

Comparison of Rapid Rehabilitation after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Tensioning Technique and Traditional Rehabilitation.

To investigate the efficacy of a fast rehabilitation program for the recovery of knee joint function after arthroscopic autologous hamstring tendon transplantation for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), from January 1, 2017, to March 31, 2019, a total of 65 patients with ACL injury were randomly divided into a study group and a control group. Both groups were treated with autologous hamstring tendon to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament, arthroscopic transplantation, and decompression techniques. The research group was treated with a fast rehabilitation program. The control group was treated with traditional rehabilitation program. Knee flexion angles were measured at 2, 4, and 8 weeks postoperatively. KT-1000 knee anterior stability was measured at 3, 6, and 12 months after operation. Knee function was assessed by subjective knee function assessment scale (IKDC) and Lysholm knee score. The knee curvature, KT-1000 measurement, IKDC score, and Lysholm score were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. KT-1000 measured value, IKDC score, and Lysholm score in 2 groups were significantly improved 3, 6, and 12 months compared with those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Comparison between the two groups: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after treatment, the knee curvature in the study group was better than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001); there was no significant difference in the measured values of KT-1000 between the two groups 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment (P > 0.05); IKDC score and Lysholm score in the study group 3 and 6 months after treatment were significantly better than those in the control group, with statistical significance (P < 0.001); there was no significant difference in IKDC score and Lysholm score between the two groups 12 months after treatment (P >0.05). Autograft hamstring tendon transplantation and tense-reducing technique for anatomical reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament under arthroscopy combined with rapid rehabilitation program can quickly, safely, and effectively restore the knee function of patients, greatly shortening the rehabilitation period of patients.

Effect of the Preparatory School FAST Stroke Educational Program.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of FAST stroke educational program among all preparatory school students in the state of Qatar. METHODS: The pretest-posttest experimental research design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the FAST educational program in Qatar. A 30-minute audiovisual presentation was given to improve knowledge of stroke. We included grade 7 to 9 students during the academic year 2018-2019. The FAST program consisted of a pretest, an educational intervention, and immediate and long-term posttests at 2 months. RESULTS: A sample of 1244 students completed presurvey and immediate postsurvey, with an average age of 13.5 (1.12) years (range, 11-18 years) and 655 (53%) females. Students had significantly ( P < .01) greater knowledge of stroke signs, symptoms, and risk factors at intermediate posttest (5.9 [2.6] and 6.2 [2.4]) and at 2 months posttest (5.6 [2.8] and 5.6 [2.7]) compared with pretest (4.8 [2.6] and 4.9 [2.6], respectively). Students also had a higher self-efficacy to seek assistance, which was sustained from pretest to long-term posttest. CONCLUSION: The FAST program improved stroke knowledge that was retained at 2 months.

Розрахунково-методичне забезпечення для проведення комплексних розрахунків надзвукового обтікання летальних апаратів з прямоточними повітряно-реактивними двигунами

This paper discusses the use of the authors’ fast methods and programs for the calculation of 3D supersonic flow about a flying vehicle and thermogas dynamic processes in the components of an airframe-integrated ramjet. To conduct fast comprehensive calculations, use is made of marching methods, which are two to three orders of magnitude faster than pseudoviscosity methods. 3D supersonic flows about the airframe, in the inlet section of the air intake, and in the exhaust jet are calculated using a “viscous layer” model or Godunov’s scheme for the inviscid approximation. Subsonic flows in the outlet section of the air intake and in the combustion chamber are calculated using a “narrow channel” or a quasi-one-dimensional model. The elements of the presented methods and programs that complement a previously proposed fast comprehensive model are described in more detail. A method for assigning the spatial shape of the flying vehicle surface and the ramjet duct walls is described. A simplified approach to determining the critical area of the exit nozzle in the one-dimensional approximation is proposed. The paper substantiates the advantages of marching methods over pseudoviscosity ones in the predesigning of ramjets with direct account for flow choking, which may occur in the combustion chamber or the exit nozzle. The calculated 3D flows in the individual components and the full assembly of a stylized-shape flying vehicle are presented. The main advantages of the proposed methods and programs are their comprehensiveness and fast computation speed. Their use in the calculation of 3D supersonic flow about a ramjet flying vehicle shortens the ramjet component predesigning time.

Comparison of What If, Fast Track and Crash Program Methods for Acceleration of Project Delay

One of the obstacles that often arises in working on a project is project delay. Delays are usually caused by unplanned obstacles  or problems. Delays cause the project implementation duration is not as planned in employment contract. What If, Fast Track, and Crash Program methods can all reduce project delays. The costs incurred by the Fast Track method and the What If method were less than the realization costs, while the Crash program method is greater than the realization costs, but the costs of all these methods are greater than the planning costs.The combination of Fast Track Crash Program methods and the combination of Fast Track What If methodsboth can restore the initial duration of the project.If the methodsare reversed into combinations of the Crash Program Fast Track methods and What If Fast Track methods, the produced results aredifferent, namely unable to restore the initial duration of the project. The costs incurred from these combinations are both less than the realization costs, but still higher than the planning costs.

High performance resistive memory device based on highly stable layered CsPb2Br5 perovskite polymer nanocomposite

The rapid growth of information technology and data processing in recent times has immensely increased the research surge for the efficient data storage devices. The state of the art resistive memory technology is keen to deliver in high density storage along with fast programming. In this work, we have fabricated a resistive memory device using 2D perovskite-polymer nanocomposite as the functional layer, where aluminum (Al) and indium tin oxide (ITO) has been employed as top and bottom electrodes respectively. The polymer nanocomposite device with moderate level of perovskite nanosheets concentration demonstrated significant resistive switching properties having maximum current ON/OFF ratio of 104 with switching voltages of± 1.5 V. Moreover, the endurance upto 103 cycles and the data retention upto 104 s without any severe degradation show the uniformity and reproducibility of the resistive memory device. The Al/PMMA/CsPb2Br5/PMMA/ITO device has also exhibited multi-level storage capability programmed under controlled compliance current (CC), which assures the high-density storage. In addition, the proposed device has also demonstrated long-term stability even after 15 days of fabrication process and no deprivation in the resistance state could be observed. Finally, the charge transport mechanism is illustrated on the basis of bipolar switching curves with the help of energy band diagram and the role CsPb2Br5 perovskite has been discussed as the charge trapping/de-trapping centers.

Rapid estimation of the isotopic composition and total mass fraction of boron in enriched B4C samples for Indian fast reactor technology using external (in air) particle induced Gamma-ray emission technique

Enriched boron carbide of nuclear grade is being used for the fabrication of control and poison rod materials in the Indian nuclear fast reactor program. Hence, a stringent quality control protocol becomes necessary to ensure the quality of enriched B4C powder as well as its finished products. In the present work, the external Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE), a non destructive technique, was applied for the rapid estimation of the isotopic composition of boron (10B/11B) and the total boron mass fraction in various enriched B4C samples with less turnaround time of analysis at FOlded Tandem Ion Accelerator (FOTIA), BARC. The isotopic composition and total boron concentrations obtained by PIGE were compared with the values obtained from Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) and classical Titrimetry methods respectively and found to be in good agreement. The statistical evaluation like students’ t-test was also performed to ascertain the reliability of the results obtained by PIGE, TIMS and Titrimetry.

Novel infusion strategy to reduce major side effects caused by anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody naxitamab without affecting its pharmacokinetics.

e14502 Background: Intravenous administration of anti-ganglioside GD2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is commonly associated with adverse events (AEs) such as pain and hypertension. Naxitamab is an anti-GD2 mAb intended for outpatient use with a short (30-60 minutes) administration time with 60%-70% of patients in clinical studies experiencing grade 3-4 pain or hypotension. To reduce this risk we assessed a novel administration protocol (StU) that modulates the pharmacodynamics (PD) of naxitamab and mitigates infusion-related reactions. Methods: High-Risk Neuroblastoma (HR-NB) patients in complete remission (CR) received naxitamab as consolidation. Naxitamab cycles comprised priming doses of sc GM-CSF for 5 days at 250 μg/m2/day followed by naxitamab + sc GM-CSF for 5 days at 500 μg/m2/day (days 1-5). Standard naxitamab protocol infusion is provided over 60 minutes at 3 mg/kg/day on day 1 and over 30 minutes on days 3 and 5. Infusions in the StU protocol day 1 were initiated at 1 ml/h with doubling of infusion rate every 15 minutes over 75 minutes (16% of the total dose) and completing the infusion to a final cumulative dose of 3 mg/kg over the remaining 45 minutes; total infusion time of 2h (Table). A faster program (30% of the dose administered in 60 minutes and completed with further 30 minutes) was used for days 3 and 5 infusions. Treatment cycles were repeated every 4 weeks for a goal of 5 cycles. Pharmacokinetics was studied by quantifying serum naxitamab concentrations by ELISA. Infusion related adverse events (AEs) were graded according to the CTCAE v 4.0. Results: 42 HR-NB patients were treated during 2021, 19 with the standard, 15 using the StU, and 8 with both, for a total of 159 cycles (77 StU including 20 cycle one), 477 (231 StU) infusions. All pts presented non-serious CTCAE G1-2 AEs and 7 (37%) CTCAE G3/4 AEs (hypertension x1, hypotension x4, pain x3, airway constriction x5) on the standard protocol. Among the 15 pts on the StU protocol, 1 (6.7%) had CTCAE G3 hypertension. Of the 8 pts who received both types of cycles, 5 (62.5%) had CTCAE G3/4 toxicities (laryngospasm x3; pain x2), 3 with the standard regimen and 2 with the StU protocol. When protocols were compared, the standard regimen cycles (22 cycle one) generated 14.6% (12 of 82) G3/4 AEs whereas the StU 3.9% (3 of 77). Using mixed effects logistic regression analysis, an odds ratio of 0.23 with 95% CI=(0.05, 0.96) and p=0.045 is obtained with the StU cycles reducing the chances to develop G3/4 AEs in 77% compared to the standard regimen. The median serum naxitamab levels pre-StU infusion is 11.46 ug/mL and post infusion 100.95 ug/mL, within the same range as the standard protocol. Conclusions: A pharmacodynamics guided protocol of infusion significantly decreased the severe AEs permitting more tolerable infusions of naxitamab.[Table: see text]

The Franka Emika Robot: A Reference Platform for Robotics Research and Education

The importance of robots for industry, research, education, and society as a whole is steadily increasing as reflected by the number of available systems and installed robots, not only in industry but also in the public sector and households. Software-only robotics researchers usually rely on commercially available robots which, in the case of manipulators, are primarily designed for industrial purposes and are often far from their needs. This article is a hands-on tutorial on the Franka Emika robot, the first series of industrial artificial intelligence (AI)-ready tactile robot platforms. Beyond industrial use, the systems can be seamlessly expanded to fulfill the demands of research and education across all robotics and AI disciplines. To satisfy the needs of such a wide variety of fields, it provides three different interfaces: Desk, a high-level app-based user interface for easy and fast task programming; Robot Integrated Development Environment (RIDE), a command-based programming environment used to create high-performance robot skills that enables programming custom apps and integrating external sensors; and the Franka control interface (FCI), a 1-kHz low-level torque and position control interface that exploits the also-available Langrangian dynamics robot model. We take a close look at implementations with all interfaces, ranging from simple solutions, apps, and controllers to robot-learning examples illustrating how to exploit all the advantages of this platform in ongoing robotics research and education.

Clinical and Dietary Determinants of Ketosis During Long-Term Fasting in 1610 Subjects

ObjectivesThe health-promoting effects of fasting are increasingly documented. Long-term fasting according to the Buchinger Wilhelmi program (200 kcal/day, approximately 30 grams of carbohydrates) elicits various health-improving effects. The metabolic switch from glucose to fat oxidation is associated with an elevation in urine ketone concentrations (ketonuria). We hypothesised that inter-individual differences in ketonuria are due to variations in daily intake of carbohydrate facultative supplements. We further hypothesised that changes in ketonuria are linked to the beneficial effects of therapeutic fasting on an individual basis, and that these could be predicted from a person’s demographic data and metabolic status before they entered the fasting program. MethodsWe evaluated daily variations in carbohydrate intake and ketonuria in a group of 1610 subjects during a 4 to 21-day fasting period. Ketosis was estimated non-invasively in urine with Ketostix strips. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of ketonuria was used to stratify patients as subgroups. Random Forest classification was performed using R package Caret. Differences in the effects of fasting between the different subgroups were model-predicted estimated marginal means. ResultsKetonuria was less intense in individuals who consumed honey and/or juice, which corresponded to a daily carbohydrate intake of approximately 30 grams. Participants with high ketonuria were younger, had lower blood urea concentrations, and lower HDL levels, before they entered the fasting program. Subjects excreting the largest amounts of ketones in their urine had a larger decrease in blood glucose levels, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, body weight and waist circumference, and a larger increase in blood uric acid concentrations, in the group of patients. ConclusionsWe showed that even a low level carbohydrate intake influences ketonuria during long-term fasting. The course of ketonuria could be predicted based on a patient’s characteristics before they entered the fasting program. Individuals with the most intense ketonuria presented the most pronounced metabolic changes during long-term fasting. Altogether, our study paves the way to the establishment of personalised long-term fasting strategies. Funding SourcesThis study was funded by Amplius GmbH, Überlingen, Germany.

First discoveries and localizations of Fast Radio Bursts with MeerTRAP: real-time, commensal MeerKAT survey

ABSTRACT We report on the discovery and localization of fast radio bursts (FRBs) from the MeerTRAP project, a commensal fast radio transient-detection programme at MeerKAT in South Africa. Our hybrid approach combines a coherent search with an average field-of-view (FoV) of 0.4 $\rm deg^{2}$ with an incoherent search utilizing a FoV of ∼1.27 $\rm deg^{2}$ (both at 1284 MHz). Here, we present results on the first three FRBs: FRB 20200413A (DM = 1990.05 pc cm−3), FRB 20200915A (DM = 740.65 pc cm−3), and FRB 20201123A (DM = 433.55 pc cm−3). FRB 20200413A was discovered only in the incoherent beam. FRB 20200915A (also discovered only in the incoherent beam) shows speckled emission in the dynamic spectrum, which cannot be explained by interstellar scintillation in our Galaxy or plasma lensing, and might be intrinsic to the source. FRB 20201123A shows a faint post-cursor burst of about 200 ms after the main burst and warrants further follow-up to confirm whether it is a repeating FRB. FRB 20201123A also exhibits significant temporal broadening, consistent with scattering, by a turbulent medium. The broadening exceeds from what is predicted for the medium along the sightline through our Galaxy. We associate this scattering with the turbulent medium in the environment of the FRB in the host galaxy. Within the approximately 1 arcmin localization region of FRB 20201123A, we identify one luminous galaxy (r ≈ 15.67; J173438.35-504550.4) that dominates the posterior probability for a host association. The galaxy’s measured properties are consistent with other FRB hosts with secure associations.

Sub-channel analysis code development and core thermal calculation for fast reactor refueling cycle

Sub-channel analysis is an indispensable method for core safety evaluation. As a part of the fast reactor program series, development of SAC-SUB (System analysis code – SUB channel) program has been completed. Experiments performed with a 19-rod test assembly in the fuel failure mockup (FFM) sodium loop in Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was selected as the benchmark to verify the SAC-SUB program capability. The maximum outlet temperature deviation is within 5%, which preliminarily verifies the availability of the program for fast reactor. Then the code was used to analyze CEFR thermal response during refueling cycle and MOX equilibrium state. During each refueling cycle, highest sodium temperature occurs in the fourth flow zone, and highest fuel temperature rise occurs in the first flow zone. The highest sodium temperature is 606.8 °C appearing in 3rd cycle, and the highest fuel temperature rise is 880.93 °C appearing in 4th cycle. Maximum temperature rise across the cladding and film do not change much. After reaching MOX core equilibrium state, all the key temperature will reach a lower level compared with refueling transition process, which indicating that the power distribution and flow distribution of the core are more matched in the equilibrium state.

Two sides of the stream: the politics of belonging between foreign ex-farm workers and A1 farmers on a fast track farm in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT Zimbabwe’s Fast Track Land Reform Programme continues to attract scholarship on land and agrarian reform. The farm occupations by black Zimbabweans and subsequent displacements of white farmers and their labourers, which conditioned the emergence of fast track, impacted significantly the former farm workers, as they had to reinvent their lives thereafter. Issues focusing on livelihoods and belonging became pertinent to ex-farm workers, particularly those of foreign origin. Zimbabwean-by-origin ex-farm workers could relocate to their communal areas, but this was not an easy option for those of foreign origin. This article focuses on farm workers of foreign origin who remained on former white-owned commercial farms after fast track by examining their contested belonging with autochthonous occupiers and, later, new A1 fast track farmers. Fieldwork entailed ethnographic research on an A1 farm in Shamva District, Mashonaland Central Province. Those considering themselves as autochthones (A1 farmers) tried to impose hegemonic control over the ex-farm workers (labelled as allochthones). Despite the exclusionary stratagems imposed on them, ex-migrant workers also stamp their autonomy and belonging on fast track farms in Zimbabwe.

Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava level I–III thrombectomy: experience of one center and literature review

Objective. Radical nephrectomy with thrombectomy of the inferior vena cava is the preferred treatment for renal cell carcinoma with an tumor thrombosis. We describe our experience and presentreview of the literature evaluating the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy.Materials and methods. The study included 37 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with level I–III thrombectomy for renal cell carcinoma in our institution from 2018 to 2021. We analyzed the clinical, radiographic, intraoperative, pathological and postoperative parameters of the patients. The literature was reviewed by the Medline search engine, PubMed, with a review of publications on laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava levelI–IIIthrombectomy.Results. The mean operation time was 275 ± 60.1 min, the median blood loss was 450 ± 81.6 ml (≥50 % of the circulating blood volume – 32.4 %). Intraoperative complications were observed during 10 (27.0 %) operations. Postoperative complications developed in 29.7 % of patients and reached gradesIII–IV according to the Clavien–Dindo scale on 13.0 % ill. All patients are activated according to the fast track rehabilitation program. The average hospital stay was 5 days. A literature review identified clinical cases and small series demonstrating the technical feasibility and safety of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with thrombectomy in selected patients.Conclusion. Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with thrombectomy is a technically feasible approach in carefully selected patients with level I–III tumor thrombosis. Optimal patient selection, extensive experience in laparoscopy and specialized centers are essential for the safe use of thistechnique.

Fast and efficient void detection in carbonates by combined ERT and borehole data: A case study from Chania Airport in Greece

A typical approach for karstic carbonate risk assessment is to utilize integrated geophysical research and calibrate the data with either pre- or postmeasurement acquisition borehole information. Here, we present a case study of a time-demanding investigation on the detection of subsurface areas prone to new building foundation stability at a site rich in karstic structures belonging to the Trypali Unit (Triassic-Jurassic). During excavation and construction to expand the airport in Chania, Crete, Greece, a large karstic void was revealed, which triggered an alert that led to an immediate work stoppage and the demand for an investigation of the subsurface of the whole area. The scope was to detect weak zones or voids larger than 0.5 m with a fast and timely approach because the costs of a long project stop are high. To meet the time demands with an efficient approach, we utilized the electrical resistivity tomography method, which guided a fast postacquisition borehole program and was supplemented by in-borehole video recordings, aiding in the direct detection of karstic structures. The 3D inversion of the electrical data provided electrical resistivity tomography images of the subsurface, which characterized the area as highly karstified and fractured and detected voids with sizes ranging from 0.5 to 6 m.

A tailored fast thioacidolysis method incorporating multi-reaction monitoring mode of GC-MS for higher sensitivity on lignin monomer quantification

Abstract Thioacidolysis is widely used for lignin structural characterization by cleaving β-aryl ethers to release syringyl (S), guaiacyl (G), and p-hydroxyphenyl (H) monomers followed by GC analysis. However, the traditional thioacidolysis method requires tedious extraction steps with chlorinated solvent underlying harmful to health, limiting its efficiency and application. Herein, an improved thioacidolysis method with high sensitivity for the quantitation of lignin-derived monomers was developed. The improved protocol used a quick, streamlined procedure to recover the monomeric products using ethyl acetate as extracting solvent and MS detector in multi-reaction monitoring mode to enhance its ability to detect extremely low concentration (0.1 ppb with signal-to-noise higher than 2) of monomeric products. Additionally, a fast GC program was established to speed up the GC quantitation. Several representative lignocellulose samples, including gymnosperm, angiosperm, and poaceae, were used to test this tailored method. The results demonstrated that the ratios of lignin monomer compositions determined by this method were consistent with that of traditional procedure despite the slightly higher monomer yields measured. More importantly, this method uses non-chlorinated solvent for microscale extraction and requires no evaporation step for workup, which is a green and efficient way for the quantification of lignin monomer compositions.