Feasible Management Strategy Research Articles

Survey of Phytophagous Mites, its Associated Natural Enemies on Brinjal and its Management Through Acaricides in North Bihar

Background: Brinjal is an important vegetable crop grown throughout the country and a number of insect and non- insect pest are reported causing loss in quality and quantity of this crop. Tetranychus urticae (Koch) the two spotted mite is the most notorious non insect pest responsible for significant yield losses in brinjal crops next to shoot and fruit borer. Phytophagous mites are minute and not easily visible by naked eye making it very important create awareness among farmers of its occurrence and management practices. The present work was undertaken to understand status of phytophagous mites and associated natural enemies in brinjal farmers field along with to develop economically feasible management strategy. Methods: Survey was conducted in four villages each of two district of North Bihar Samastipur and Muzaffarpur on presence of phytophagous mites, natural enemies in farmers brinjal field and efficacy of novel acaricides was also evaluated against these phytophagous mites. The survey on phytophagous mites and their natural enemies on brinjal crops was carried out in 31 farmers’ field of Chandauli, Harpur, Naranyanpur and Gopalpur Thara villages of Samastipur and Lautan, Mirapur, Ittha and Muraul villages of Muzaffarpur district at fortnightly interval from January to June 2022. Result: In our study we found wide spread presence of two species of tetranychid mites, predatory mites and six predatory insects viz., Tetranychus urticae, T. neocaedelonicus, Amblyseius indicus, A. tetranychivorous, Coccinellids, green lacewing, anthocorid bugs, mirid bugs, scolothrips and black ants. Efficacy of various acaricides resulted in lowest population in plot sprayed with chlofenapyr 10SC and spiromesifen 240EC and highest active mites were found in azadirachtin 1.9 EC treated plots. The highest per cent reduction over control was observed in plots treated with spiromesifen and the lowest per cent reduction over control was observed in plot treated with azadirachtin. This study has helped in understanding increase in mites infestation in changing climate scenario strategy for management.

Long-term outcomes of nodal surveillance practices in sentinel node positive melanoma: An early post MSLT-II cohort

BackgroundThe Second Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial (MSLT-II), published in 2017, demonstrated equivalent melanoma-specific survival between nodal surveillance and completion lymph node dissection (CLND) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) positive melanoma. This study evaluated outcomes of nodal surveillance in an early post-MSLT-II institutional cohort. MethodsIncluded patients received nodal surveillance from 2017 to 2023. Primary outcomes were nodal basin and any site recurrence. Kaplan Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate recurrence-free survial and associated factors. ResultsThis 212 patient cohort (median age 61 years, 57.7 ​% male, 96.7 ​% white) had median primary tumor depth of 1.9 ​mm and one positive SLN. Sixty-three patients (29.7 ​%) recurred at 23 month median follow-up. Sixty percent received adjuvant therapy. Any site and nodal basin recurrence-free survival were 58.3 ​% and 80.9 ​% at 3 years. On adjusted analysis, older age and head/neck primary site were associated with worse recurrence-free survival. ConclusionLong-term outcomes at a single institution were comparable to clinical trial findings. Nodal surveillance remains a feasible management strategy for SLN ​+ ​melanoma.

Development and feasibility testing of a time-restricted eating intervention for women living with overweight/obesity and HIV in a resource-limited setting of South Africa

BackgroundHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are amongst the leading causes of death in South Africa. The preferred first-line anti-retroviral treatment contains dolutegravir (DTG), shown to increase body weight, may compound the already high rates of obesity and associated risk for T2D. South Africa has widespread food insecurity, making traditional dietary strategies difficult to implement. Time-restricted eating (TRE) may be an appropriate intervention in resource-limited communities.MethodsThis article outlines the development and feasibility testing of a TRE intervention to inform the design of a TRE randomised controlled trial in women (20–45 years old) living with overweight/obesity and HIV, receiving DTG-based treatment from a resource-limited community in Cape Town, South Africa. Factors influencing TRE adoption were identified using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation – Behaviour model and the Theoretical Domains Framework, combining in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions. Participants from the IDIs went on to participate in a single arm 4-week TRE pilot trial where feasibility was explored in terms of reach, acceptability, applicability, and implementation integrity. An iterative, thematic analysis approach was employed to analyse the qualitative data.ResultsParticipants included 33 isiXhosa-speaking women (mean age 37.1 years, mean BMI 35.9 kg/m2). Thematic analysis identified psychological capability (knowledge of fasting), social influences (cultural preferences, family support), and reflective motivation (awareness of weight, health impact, motivation for TRE) as key factors influencing adoption of TRE for weight management. In a 4-week TRE pilot trial (n = 12), retention was 100%. Positive outcomes perceived included improved energy, appetite control and weight loss. TRE was perceived as acceptable, easy, and enjoyable. Family support facilitated adherence, while habitual and social eating and drinking practices were barriers. Compliance was high, aided by self-selected eating times, reminders, and weekly calls. Recommendations included the incorporation of dietary education sessions and text messages to provide additional support and reminders.ConclusionsThis study indicates that TRE is a feasible weight management strategy in women living with overweight/obesity and HIV, receiving DTG-based treatment in a resource-limited community. These findings will ensure that the forthcoming TRE randomised controlled trial is adapted and optimised to the local South African context.

Mechanical thrombectomy for acute pulmonary embolism in lung transplant recipients

The rates of pulmonary embolism (PE) are high among lung transplant (LT) recipients. Management is challenging because of elevated bleeding risks and inadequacy of conventional PE risk stratification tools. New percutaneous large bore mechanical thrombectomy catheters are being increasingly used effectively to debulk thrombus and restore flow immediately. We describe the use of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in 8 LT recipients. All patients were diagnosed with intermediate/high-risk proximal PE involving the allograft and underwent successful MT within 30hours of diagnosis. Estimated blood loss was between 200 and 450cc, with 3 patients requiring blood transfusions. Improvement in heart rate and oxygenation was seen in all 8 patients after the procedure. In the 30days after MT, 7 of 8 patients survived. One patient died from major bleeding occurred 16 days after MT and 5 days after venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator decannulation. Mechanical thrombectomy may provide a feasible management strategy in select LT recipients with pulmonary embolism.

A Staged Protocol for Treatment of High-Energy Tongue-Type Calcaneus Fractures: Surgical Technique and Case Series.

Displaced tongue-type calcaneus fractures are frequently associated with severe soft tissue injuries, and urgent relief of the displaced tongue fragment on the posterior soft tissues is essential to preventing soft tissue complications. If there is a complex articular injury, the soft tissue envelope often needs time for swelling to resolve to allow for a safe open anatomic reduction because premature open reduction internal fixation is often associated with increased complications. We have found that in high-energy tongue-type calcaneus fractures with complex articular injuries, a staged protocol consisting of initial percutaneous reduction and fixation with later definitive reconstruction is soft tissue friendly, allows early restoration of calcaneal morphology, and affords extensile approaches for eventual reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to describe our protocol of staged treatment of high-energy tongue-type calcaneus fractures, along with postoperative surgical outcomes, in a case series of 53 patients.Our series of patients had a high rate of intra-articular injury with marked initial displacement (mean Bohler angle -8.4±20.8 degrees). They were treated initially with percutaneous reduction and fixation at median 1 day postinjury (interquartile range [IQR] 0-1) and definitively at median 16 days postinjury (IQR 10-33). In this series, 2 of 53 (3.8%) patients developed a deep wound infection.In high-energy tongue-type calcaneus fractures at risk for soft tissue compromise or with a significantly displaced tongue fragment without initial soft tissue compromise, we found that staged management represents a feasible management strategy to mitigate risk of soft tissue complications and therefore helps facilitate safe definitive open treatment.

Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring Technology for Patients With Asymptomatic Elevated Blood Pressure Discharged From the Emergency Department: Pilot Study.

Hypertension affects 1 in 5 Canadians and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Hypertension control is declining due to multiple factors including lack of access to primary care. Consequently, patients with hypertension frequently visit the emergency department (ED) due to high blood pressure (BP). Telehealth for Emergency-Community Continuity of Care Connectivity via Home-Telemonitoring Blood Pressure is a pilot project that implements and evaluates a comprehensive home blood pressure telemonitoring (HBPT) and physician case management protocol designed as a postdischarge management strategy to support patients with asymptomatic elevated BP as they transition from the ED to home. Our objective was to conduct a feasibility study of an HBPT program for patients with asymptomatic elevated BP discharged from the ED. Patients discharged from an urban, tertiary care hospital ED with asymptomatic elevated BP were recruited in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and provided with HBPT technology for 3 months of monitoring post discharge and referred to specialist hypertension clinics. Participants monitored their BP twice in the morning and evenings and tele-transmitted readings via Bluetooth Sensor each day using an app. A monitoring clinician received these data and monitored the patient's condition daily and adjusted antihypertensive medications. Feasibility outcomes included eligibility, recruitment, adherence to monitoring, and retention rates. Secondary outcomes included proportion of those who were defined as having hypertension post-ED visits, changes in mean BP, overall BP control, medication adherence, changes to antihypertensive medications, quality of life, and end user experience at 3 months. A total of 46 multiethnic patients (mean age 63, SD 17 years, 69%, n=32 women) found to have severe hypertension (mean 191, SD 23/mean 100, SD 14 mm Hg) in the ED were recruited, initiated on HBPT with hypertension specialist physician referral and followed up for 3 months. Eligibility and recruitment rates were 40% (56/139) and 88% (49/56), respectively. The proportion of participants that completed ≥80% of home BP measurements at 1 and 3 months were 67% (31/46) and 41% (19/46), respectively. The proportion of individuals who achieved home systolic BP and diastolic BP control at 3 months was 71.4% (30/42) and 85.7% (36/42) respectively. Mean home systolic and diastolic BP improved by -13/-5 mm Hg after initiation of HBPT to the end of the study. Patients were prescribed 1 additional antihypertensive medication. No differences in medication adherence from enrollment to 3 months were noted. Most patients (76%, 25/33) were highly satisfied with the HBPT program and 76% (25/33) found digital health tools easy to use. HBPT intervention is a feasible postdischarge management strategy and can be beneficial in supporting patients with asymptomatic elevated BP from the ED. A randomized trial is underway to evaluate the efficacy of this intervention on BP control.

Survival benefit of active surveillance for papillary thyroid carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis based on SEER database.

Over-treatment of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has become a common issue. Although active surveillance (AS) has been proposed as an alternative treatment to immediate surgery for PTMC, its inclusion criteria and mortality risk have not been clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether surgery can achieve significant survival benefits in patients with larger tumor diameter of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), in order to evaluate the feasibility of expanding the threshold for active surveillance. This study retrospectively collected data of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2000 and 2019. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to minimize confounding factors and selection bias between the surgery and non-surgery groups, and to compare the clinical and pathological characteristics between the two groups based on the SEER cohort. Meanwhile, the impact of surgery on prognosis was compared using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazard models. A total of 175,195 patients were extracted from the database, including 686 patients who received non-surgical treatment, and were matched 1:1 with patients who received surgical treatment using propensity score matching. The Cox proportional hazard forest plot showed that age was the most important factor affecting overall survival (OS) of patients, while tumor size was the most important factor affecting disease-specific survival (DSS) of patients. In terms of tumor size, there was no significant difference in DSS between PTC patients with tumor size of 0-1.0cm who underwent surgical treatment and those who underwent non-surgical treatment, and the relative survival risk began to increase after the tumor size exceeded 2.0cm. Additionally, the Cox proportional hazard forest plot showed that chemotherapy, radioactive iodine, and multifocality were negative factors affecting DSS. Moreover, the risk of death increased over time, and no plateau phase was observed. For patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) staged as T1N0M0, AS is a feasible management strategy. As the tumor diameter increases, the risk of death without surgical treatment gradually increases, but there may be a threshold. Within this range, a non-surgical approach may be a potentially viable management strategy. However, beyond this range, surgery may be more beneficial for patient survival. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct more large-scale prospective randomized controlled trials to further confirm these findings.

Water challenges of Dire Dawa city of Ethiopia: An assessment of urban growth and groundwater supply

Urbanization in Ethiopia is increasing rapidly, leading to environmental changes and necessitating improved urban infrastructure. Dire Dawa, the second most populous city in Ethiopia, has a high rate of urban growth. This study focuses on three main areas: remote sensing analysis of urban growth, urban water supply and water distribution system, and groundwater resources management. Land use and land cover (LULC) analysis over four different time periods showed significant and rapid expansion of the city. The current and future water demand and supply analysis found that the water supply is three times less than the water demand, indicating that existing water sources are not adequate for the future expansion of the city. Moreover, the hydraulic performance of the existing distribution system as analyzed by WaterGems software found that pressure at 22.41% of nodes and velocities at 29.83% of pipes are sufficient to provide water for the study area. Finally, the study investigated the discharge and water level and water quality of each borehole in Dire Dawa City. Overall, this study showed that high urbanization rate together with the population growth has put pressure on the existing water supply source and existing water distribution system calling for feasible water management strategy for the city.

Using organo–mineral complex material to prevent the migration of soil Cd and As into crops: An agricultural practice and chemical mechanism study

The migration and transformations of Cd and As in soil are different, so it is difficult to simultaneously control them. In this study, an organo–mineral complex (OMC) material was prepared using modified palygorskite and chicken manure, the Cd and As adsorption capacities and mechanism of the OMC were explored, and the response of the crop to the OMC was clarified. The results show that the maximum Cd and As adsorption capacities of the OMC under pH values of 6–8 are 12.19 mg·g−1 and 5.07 mg·g−1, respectively. In the OMC system, the modified palygorskite contributed more to the adsorption of the heavy metals than the organic matter. Cd2+ may form CdCO3 and CdFe2O4, and AsO2− may form FeAsO4, As2O3, and As2O5 on the surfaces of the modified palygorskite. Organic functional groups such as hydroxyl, imino, and benzaldehyde groups can participate in the adsorption of Cd and As. The Fe species and carbon vacancy in the OMC system promote the conversion of As3+ into As5+. A laboratory experiment was conducted to compare five commercial remediation agents with OMC. Planting Brassica campestris in the OMC remediated soil with excessive contamination increased the crop biomass and decreased the Cd and As accumulation sufficiently to meet the current national food safety standards. This study emphasizes the effectiveness of OMC in preventing the migration of Cd and As into crops while promoting crop growth, which can provide a feasible soil management strategy for CdAs co-contaminated farmland soil.

An integrated approach for the restoration of Australian temperate grasslands invaded by Nassella trichotoma

Invasive plants are considered to be one of the biggest threats to environmental assets, and once established, they can be immensely difficult to control. Nassella trichotoma is an aggressive, perennial grass species, and is considered to be one of the most economically damaging weeds to grazing systems due to its unpalatability, as well as being one of the leading causes of biodiversity loss in grassland communities. This species produces high density seedbanks that rapidly respond to disturbance events. Despite control programs being developing in Australia since the 1930s, this species is still widespread throughout south-east Australia, indicating that a new management approach is critical to control this Weed of National Significance at the landscape scale. The present study explored the effect of 12 different combinations of herbicide, fire, a second application of herbicide, grazing exclusion, tillage and broadcasting seeds in order to reduce the above and below-ground density of N. trichotoma. A control treatment was also included. The results were assessed using a Hierarchy analysis, whereby treatments of increasing complexity were compared for their efficacy in reducing N. trichotoma cover and seedbank density, while simultaneously increasing the establishment of the broadcast species. Whilst all integrated treatments effectively reduced N. trichotoma's seedbank, the treatments that included fire performed significantly better at simultaneously reducing N. trichotoma and increasing the establishment of broadcasted seeds. Overall, the integration of herbicide, fire and broadcasting native seeds was observed to provide the most economically feasible management strategy for the landscape scale restoration of a degraded temperate grassland dominated by N. trichotoma.

“Sometimes choices are not made, because we have ‘a’ choice, they’re made because they are ‘the’ choice”: Barriers to weight management for clients in rural general practice

BackgroundObesity is an international health issue which currently affects over 34% of New Zealand adults and leads to further physical and psychosocial health complications. People living in rural communities experience health inequities and have a high-risk of becoming obese. The aim of this study was to explore and identify barriers to effective weight management in rural Waikato general practice.MethodsUsing semi-structured interviews, 16 rural Waikato participants shared their experiences with barriers to weight management. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsFour themes were identified: resource constraints, rural locality barriers, rural sociocultural norms barriers, and participants’ understanding the solutions needed to overcome their specific barriers to effective weight management. For these participants, finding a feasible weight management strategy was a challenging first step in their weight management journey. A programme that would ‘work’ meant one that was economically viable for low-income persons, accessible, even if living rurally with less resources, and did not cause harm or jeopardise their social connections within family or community.ConclusionOverall, participants noted a lack of weight management strategy ‘choice’ because of income, isolation or accessibility of their rural location and/or the sociocultural norms of the community they lived in restricted options available to them. Future weight management initiatives may be better devised from within communities themselves and will need to be cognisant of the barriers specific to rural communities. Rural perspectives have much to offer in any such reconsideration of weight management initiatives.

A review of the role of non-invasive ventilation in critical care responses to COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries: lessons learnt from Baghdad.

In 2021, the burden of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic became especially severe in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). With high numbers of patients requiring advanced respiratory support and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), many ICUs were overwhelmed. This problem is particularly pronounced in LMICs, where the availability of intensive care beds may be limited. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been increasingly used in COVID-19, as both a bridge to intubation as well as a definitive treatment. Use of NIV may be a feasible management strategy in settings where performing IMV is not possible on a large scale due to resource constraints. During 2020–2021, Médecins Sans Frontière helped manage a COVID-19 ICU in Baghdad, Iraq. The predominant mode of treatment was NIV. Due to a shortage of intensive care ventilators, NIV was delivered in the majority of cases by home continuous positive airway pressure machines. In total, 709 patients were admitted to the ICU during the study period with an overall mortality of 61.1%. In addition to the ventilation strategy, patients must be treated holistically, with a comprehensive package of critical care. We aim to highlight the role of NIV in this setting and summarise our experiences to assist future critical care projects during the pandemic.

A single-center experience on the management of pediatric blunt aortic injury

ObjectiveBlunt abdominal aortic injury in children is a rare clinical entity with which most vascular surgeons have minimal experience. The evidence for management recommendations is limited. We have reported a single institution’s experience in the care of pediatric abdominal aortic injuries. MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of consecutive pediatric patients who had been diagnosed with blunt traumatic abdominal aortic injury at our institution from 2008 to 2019. ResultsA total of 16 pediatric patients (50% male) were identified. They ranged in age from 4 to 17 years. All had been involved in motor vehicle collisions and had been restrained passengers with a seatbelt in use. Five patients (31%) were hypotensive en route or on arrival. Seven patients (44%) had been transferred from another hospital. The median injury severity score was 34 (interquartile range, 19-35). The infrarenal aortic injuries were stratified using the aortic injury grading classification (five, two, seven, and two with grade 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively). Concurrent nonaortic injuries included solid organ (63%; n = 10), hollow viscus (88%; n = 14), brain (25%; n = 4), hemothorax or pneumothorax (25%; n = 4), spine fractures (81%; n = 13), and nonspine fractures (75%; n = 12). Of the 16 patients, 9 (56%) had required aortic repair. Three had required immediate revascularization for distal ischemia. The remaining six patients (38%) had undergone delayed repair, with a median interval to repair of 52 days (range, 2-916 days). One half of the delayed repairs were performed during the index hospitalization. On repeat axial imaging, the three patients who had undergone delayed repair were found to have enlarging pseudoaneurysms or flow-limiting dissections and had subsequently undergone repair during the index hospitalization. Only one patient had undergone endovascular repair. No deaths occurred, and the median follow-up was 7 months (interquartile range, 3-28 months) for our study population. All postoperative patients demonstrated stable imaging findings without requiring further intervention. Seven patients, whose injury grades had ranged from 1 to 3, were observed. Their repeat imaging studies demonstrated either stability or resolution of their aortic injury. However, one half of the patients had been lost to follow-up after discharge or after their first postoperative clinic visit. ConclusionsDelayed aortic intervention can be safely performed for most pediatric patients with blunt abdominal aortic injuries with preserved distal perfusion to the lower extremities. This finding suggests that transfer to a tertiary center with vascular expertise is a safe and feasible management strategy. However, the progression of aortic injuries was seen as early as within 48 hours and as late as 30 months after injury, underscoring the importance of long-term surveillance. However, in our cohort, 50% of the children were lost to follow-up, highlighting the need for a more structured surveillance strategy.

Outpatient surveillance programme for health workers with COVID 19 in Mexico: an observational study of ambulatory treatment and early hospitalization

International guidelines recommend hospital care for patients with severe Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but fragile health care systems struggle to cope with high number of admissions, placing patients at risk of receiving substandard care. We describe an outpatient ambulatory surveillance and treatment strategy (OPAT) for health care workers (HCWs) with severe COVID-19 during low hospital bed availability periods in Mexico City. In this observational, descriptive, retrospective study, we included HCWs with severe disease for whom there were no hospital beds available at the time of evaluation. We provided daily assessments by infectious disease specialists, daily ambulatory steroid, oral thromboprophylaxis and domiciliary low-dose oxygen. We recorded the number of patients who recovered, were hospitalized or died on follow-up. From 18 March 2020 to 16 July 2021, 1739 HCWs attended our service. A total of 540 were diagnosed with COVID-19. Seventy-four had severe COVID-19 and needed hospitalization. Immediate hospitalization was not possible in 56 patients who were sent to the OPAT and included in our study. Twenty-four patients subsequently required hospitalization and 32 recovered as outpatients. We describe a feasible and safe outpatient management strategy for HCWs with severe COVID-19 in a low-resource setting.

Evaluating Release Strategy for Translocated Northern Bobwhites in Cross Timbers Ecoregion of Texas: A Pilot Study

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) population decline is largely driven by the loss, fragmentation, and degradation of grassland habitats. Translocation is used to reintroduce or augment populations in fragmented landscapes where natural dispersal is inhibited. Northern bobwhites have been successfully translocated in the southeastern portion of their range, but outcomes of translocations in western ranges have been mixed. Our objective was to conduct a pilot study to test the feasibility of translocating northern bobwhites to a restored, but isolated, habitat in the Cross Timbers ecoregion of Texas, USA and to evaluate the influence of release strategy for improving northern bobwhite site fidelity and survival post-release. The release property was restored through brush management, native species seeding, and proper grazing management. We trapped and translocated 84 northern bobwhites from source populations in the Rolling Plains and Edwards Plateau ecoregions during March 2015. Coveys were assigned to either delayed or immediate release treatment. We radio-collared all hens (n = 40; 11 adults; 29 juveniles) and evenly divided the sample between delayed and immediate releases. Delayed release coveys were held on the release site for 4 weeks in a Surrogator® (Wildlife Management Technologies, LLC). We trapped and radio-collared resident hens (n = 15) in March and monitored all hens through breeding season (March–August; 180 days). We implemented a 2-state (alive or dead) multistate model in Program MARK to analyze survival as a function of the release treatment, resident status, and age. We found no evidence that survival differed between translocated and resident hens (β = 0.48, standard error [SE] = 0.38), release treatments (β = 0.10, SE = 0.40), or age (β = -0.16, SE = 0.54). Daily survival for all hens was 0.99 (SE = 0.009) and breeding season survival was 0.19 (SE = 0.08). Four (20%) immediate, 2 (10%) delayed release, and 0 resident hens dispersed off-property. Translocated and resident hens survived at similar rates, indicating that translocation may be a feasible management strategy for augmenting a northern bobwhite population on restored habitats in the Cross Timbers ecoregion although overall survival was low. We did not find evidence that delayed release improved daily survival post-release, but our small sample size may have prevented us from detecting a difference. However, delayed release birds were effectively sheltered from predation during peak raptor migration. Additional research is needed to fully understand population dynamics and implications of release strategy for translocated northern bobwhite.

Uranium stabilization in red mud by sintering: Mechanism and leachability

Uranium(VI)-bearing waste is inevitably produced in the process of aqueous U(VI) abatement by red mud (RM). Such U(VI)-bearing waste has been considered to be highly hazardous to the environment and human because of their easy mobility, high toxicity, and radioactive. The stabilization of uranium constitutes an urgent challenge that must be solved through an economic and feasible waste management strategy. Herein, a low thermal stabilization process was well-designed for stabilizing U(VI) in red mud into particular phase(s) such as geopolymer-like microstructures. Characterization and leaching experiments were further performed for U(VI)-bearing RM samples thermally stabilized at various temperatures, and the stabilization mechanism of uranium in the RM was explored. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that a geopolymer-like phase whose main components were Al, Si and O was formed when the U(VI)-bearing RM was treated at 600 °C; thus, uranium was successfully stabilized. When treated at higher temperature (i.e., 900 °C), the U(VI)-bearing RM formed feldspar minerals from the oxides of Si and Al, which originated from the broken geopolymers (a stable three-dimensional network), thus exposing uranium to the surface. The constant-pH leaching test evidenced that the sintering temperatures of 600–800 °C could facilitate the fixation of uranium by RM. The findings of this study offer us a promising strategy on the utilization of RM to eliminate and stabilize U(VI) from waste streams.

Tolerability and efficacy of second-line antifibrotics in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BackgroundThe antifibrotic drugs nintedanib and pirfenidone reduce disease progression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and have also shown to improve survival. Switching first-line antifibrotic drug may required in IPF due to disease progression or intolerable adverse effects. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of second-line antifibrotic treatment in patients with IPF. Material and methodsThis retrospective, multicenter study was conducted at three referral interstitial lung disease centers who received first-line antifibrotics more than one month and switched the treatment to a second-line antifibrotic agent during January 2016–June 2021. The drug's safety was evaluated based on the type of adverse effect. Disease progression was defined as an absolute decline in FVC of >10% within 12 months with or without radiological progression. ResultsAmong 629 consecutive patients with IPF, 66 patients switched antifibrotics. The median duration of antifibrotics was 13 (1–41) months prior to the switch, and 14 (2–42) months after the switch. The mean age was 70.6 ± 8.9 years and, median FVC (%) was 72.1 ± 18.7 at the initiation of first-line antifibrotics. The most common reason for the switch was disease progression (56%) followed by severe adverse effects (SAEs) (44%). SAEs were significantly less observed after the switch compared before the switch (43.9% vs12.1%, respectively, p < 0.001). Eighteen patients had adverse effects due to second-line antifibrotics. Among these patients, 10 had mild adverse effects and 8 had severe adverse effects. While there was no change in the FVC (%) values in 30.3% patients 12 months after the first-line antifibrotic treatment (before the switch), there was no change in the FVC (%) values in 40% patients at the end of 12 months after the switch. Fourteen patients (42.4%) who received antifibrotic treatment before the switch had more than 10% decline in FVC (%) at the end of 12 months. Eight patients (32.0%) had 10% or more decline in FVC (%) 12 months after the switch. ConclusionPatients with IPF who do not tolerate first-line antifibrotic treatment or those showing disease progression despite treatment, switching antifibrotics may be a feasible management strategy.

Agronomic and Environmental Performances of On-Farm Compost Production and Application in an Organic Vegetable Rotation

Horticultural crops produce huge amounts of wastes due to the large difference between total and marketable yields, and plant residues. The biological stabilization and sanitization of these organic materials directly on-farm through a simple technique such as composting may be a feasible and sustainable management strategy. The objectives of this research were to (i) estimate the sustainability and the energy impact of the on-farm composting process; (ii) to evaluate the agronomic performance and sustainability of the compost application, compared to a commercial organic fertilizer; and (iii) to identify the management and environmental hotspots. To accomplish these aims, a composting process was set up and monitored using the organic wastes and residues produced in the experimental farm. The compost produced was compared to a commercial organic fertilizer in combination with the use of cover crops in the rotation, in a two-year pepper cultivation. All processes were assessed using an energy analysis and a carbon stocks and emissions evaluation. Our findings point out that the composting process on-farm was environmentally sustainable in terms of energy consumption and carbon emissions and produced a good quality fertilizer. The use of this compost determined the best agronomic performance, especially when it was combined with other agro-ecological techniques. The yield values were slightly higher and statistically comparable with the commercial fertilizer ones. Moreover, the treatments that included the compost were most energy efficient and showed the best compromise between C emissions and C stocks.

Effect of low-thermal pretreatment on the methanogenic performance and microbiome population of continuous high-solid anaerobic digester treating dewatered sludge

Undigested and dewatered sludge at 10% total solids was pretreated at 60 °C for 3 h and fed to a lab-scale horizontal anaerobic bioreactor for 130 days with solids retention time (SRTs) from 25 to 16 d. The low-thermal pretreatment enabled higher net energy production, improved sludge treatment efficiency, and enhanced digestion stability. The highest average biomethane yield and production rate were 138.5 mL/g VS and 0.43 L/L.d, respectively, and the economic benefit was expected to be the maximum at SRT 16 d. Pretreatment did not increase the specific methanogenic activity per unit methanogen, but resulted in higher abundance of methanogenic archaea and hydrolytic bacteria. Methanogenic population shifted from hydrogenotrophic to acetoclastic, consistent with predicted gene expression at SRT equal or below 20 d. Anaerobic digestion along with low-thermal could be a feasible management strategy for undigested dewatered sludge from small WWTPs.

Influence of amount and frequency of protein supplementation to ruminants consuming low-quality cool-season forages: efficiency of nitrogen utilization in lambs and performance of gestating beef cows.

We evaluated the influence of amount and crude protein (CP) supplementation frequency (SF) on nitrogen (N) use by wethers and the performance of late-gestation beef cows. In exp. 1, seven Western whiteface wethers (31.8 ± 1.4 kg) were used in an incomplete 7 × 4 Latin square to evaluate intake and N use. Wethers received one of the seven treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial design containing two levels of supplemental soybean meal offered at a rate of 100% (F) or 50% (H; 50% of F) of the estimated CP requirement daily, once every 5, or once every 10 d, plus a non-supplemented control (CON). Low-quality cool-season forage (4.9 % CP; dry matter [DM] basis) was provided daily for ad libitum intake. Experimental periods lasted 30 d. In exp. 2, 84 Angus × Hereford cows (560 ± 35 kg) were stratified by age, body condition score (BCS), and expected calving date and allocated to 1 of the 21 feedlot pens (three pens per treatment). Pens were randomly assigned to receive the same treatments as in exp. 1 and cows had free access to low-quality cool-season forage (2.9% CP; DM basis). Cow body weight (BW) and BCS were measured every 14 d until calving and within 24 h after calving. In exp. 1, supplementation did not alter total DM and organic matter (OM) intake (P ≥ 0.26), but both parameters linearly decreased as SF decreased (P = 0.02). Supplementation increased DM, OM, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility (P ≤ 0.02). Additionally, F feeding linearly increased DM, OM, and NDF digestibility as SF decreased (P ≤ 0.04). Digestibility of N, N balance, and digested N retained were greater with supplementation (P < 0.01), and N digestibility linearly increased as SF decreased (P = 0.01). Mean plasma urea-N concentration was not only greater (P < 0.01) for supplemented vs. CON wethers but also greater (P = 0.03) for F vs. H. In exp. 2, pre-calving BCS change was greater (P = 0.03) for supplemented cows. A linear effect of SF × supplementation rate for pre-calving BCS change was noted (P = 0.05), as F-supplemented cows lost more BCS compared with H as SF decreased. When considering supplementation intervals greater than 5 d, reducing the quantity of supplement provided, compared with daily supplementation, may be a feasible management strategy to maintain acceptable nutrient use and animal performance while reducing supplement and labor costs.