Low Number Research Articles

Long-term outcome of robotic-guided closed reduction internal fixation for Delbet II femoral neck fractures in children

ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyze and assess the long-term effectiveness of robotic navigation and traditional closed reduction internal fixation in the treatment of Delbet type II femoral neck fracture in children.MethodsA total of fifty-five patients diagnosed with pediatric Delbet type II femoral neck fracture, who were admitted to Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2018 and June 2022, were included in this study. Among them, 22 cases of nailing under robotic navigation were set as the observation group, and 33 cases of nailing under fluoroscopy of the C-arm machine were set as the control group. All patients had their femoral neck fractures closed and repositioned first. After confirming the satisfactory fracture repositioning under the fluoroscopic view of the C-arm machine, internal fixation was performed by inserting hollow compression screws in the corresponding surgical way.A comparative analysis was conducted between the two groups to assess the disparity in the amount of X-ray exposure during surgery, the number of guide pins inserted, and the duration of the surgical procedure. The quality of comparative fracture reduction was assessed according to the Haidukewych criteria on the first postoperative hip X-ray, and the parallelism and distribution of the comparative screws were measured. The incidence of hip function and postoperative complications according to the Ratliff criteria were evaluated between each of the subgroups at the final follow-up.ResultsComparison of general information, operation duration, and quality of fracture reduction between the two groups failed to reveal statistically significant results (P > 0.05). The observation group had a lower number of X-ray exposures and guide pin placements compared to the control group, and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).At the last follow-up, the observation group exhibited superior screw parallelism and distribution, as well as hip joint function, compared to the control group, and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group was lower than that in the control group; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).ConclusionClosed reduction and internal fixation under orthopedic robot navigation can achieve better long-term efficacy in treating Delbet type II femoral neck fracture in children.

Seasonal habitat use and diel vertical migration in female spurdog in Nordic waters

BackgroundStudying habitat use and vertical movement patterns of individual fish over continuous time and space is innately challenging and has therefore largely remained elusive for a wide range of species. Amongst sharks, this applies particularly to smaller-bodied and less wide-ranging species such as the spurdog (Squalus acanthias Linnaeus, 1758), which, despite its importance for fisheries, has received limited attention in biologging and biotelemetry studies, particularly in the North-East Atlantic.MethodsTo investigate seasonal variations in fine-scale niche use and vertical movement patterns in female spurdog, we used archival data from 19 pregnant individuals that were satellite-tagged for up to 365 days in Norwegian fjords. We estimated the realised niche space with kernel densities and performed continuous wavelet analyses to identify dominant periods in vertical movement. Triaxial acceleration data were used to identify burst events and infer activity patterns.ResultsPregnant females frequently utilised shallow depths down to 300 m at temperatures between 8 and 14 °C. Oscillatory vertical moments revealed persistent diel vertical migration (DVM) patterns, with descents at dawn and ascents at dusk. This strict normal DVM behaviour dominated in winter and spring and was associated with higher levels of activity bursts, while in summer and autumn sharks predominantly selected warm waters above the thermocline with only sporadic dive and bursts events.ConclusionsThe prevalence of normal DVM behaviour in winter months linked with elevated likely foraging-related activity bursts suggests this movement behaviour to be foraging-driven. With lower number of fast starts exhibited in warm waters during the summer and autumn months, habitat use in this season might be rather driven by behavioural thermoregulation, yet other factors may also play a role. Individual and cohort-related variations indicate a complex interplay of movement behaviour and habitat use with the abiotic and biotic environment. Together with ongoing work investigating fine-scale horizontal movement as well as sex- and age-specific differences, this study provides vital information to direct the spatio-temporal distribution of a newly reopened fishery and contributes to an elevated understanding of the movement ecology of spurdog in the North-East Atlantic and beyond.Graphical

MixTrain: accelerating DNN training via input mixing.

Training Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) places immense compute requirements on the underlying hardware platforms, expending large amounts of time and energy. An important factor contributing to the long training times is the increasing dataset complexity required to reach state-of-the-art performance in real-world applications. To address this challenge, we explore the use of input mixing, where multiple inputs are combined into a single composite input with an associated composite label for training. The goal is for training on the mixed input to achieve a similar effect as training separately on each the constituent inputs that it represents. This results in a lower number of inputs (or mini-batches) to be processed in each epoch, proportionally reducing training time. We find that naive input mixing leads to a considerable drop in learning performance and model accuracy due to interference between the forward/backward propagation of the mixed inputs. We propose two strategies to address this challenge and realize training speedups from input mixing with minimal impact on accuracy. First, we reduce the impact of inter-input interference by exploiting the spatial separation between the features of the constituent inputs in the network's intermediate representations. We also adaptively vary the mixing ratio of constituent inputs based on their loss in previous epochs. Second, we propose heuristics to automatically identify the subset of the training dataset that is subject to mixing in each epoch. Across ResNets of varying depth, MobileNetV2 and two Vision Transformer networks, we obtain upto 1.6 × and 1.8 × speedups in training for the ImageNet and Cifar10 datasets, respectively, on an Nvidia RTX 2080Ti GPU, with negligible loss in classification accuracy.

Biosolid as an alternative source of nutrients in chrysanthemum cultivation

The objective was to evaluate the biosolids as an alternative source of nutrients in the production of chrysanthemums by adding increasing doses to the cultivation substrate. The experimental design was in blocks with 6 treatments and 5 replications. The treatments consisted of the mixture (commercial substrate + biosolid) at the concentrations: 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of biosolid + two controls (100% of biosolid and 100% of substrate). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse for 90 days. Physiological parameters, number of flower buds, dry biomass and nutrient accumulation were evaluated. Physiological parameters were evaluated using the Infrared Gas Analyzer. The number of flower buds was evaluated by counting. Biomass was determined after drying the structures and then calculated the accumulation of nutrients. A total of 90 plants were evaluated. Concentrations of up to 40% of biosolid promoted a greater number of flower buds, dry biomass and nutrient accumulation. Concentrations above 60% lower number of buds, biomass increment and nutrient accumulation. It is concluded that the biosolid has potential as an alternative source of nutrients in the cultivation of chrysanthemums, indicating concentrations of up to 40% and the nutrient content of each batch generated must be verified.

Genetic patterns reveal geographic drivers of divergence in silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis)

Identifying mechanisms that drive population divergence under varying geographic and ecological scenarios can inform our understanding of evolution and speciation. In particular, analysis of genetic data from island populations with known colonisation timelines allows us to identify potential source populations of diverging island subspecies and current relationships among populations. Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) are a small passerine that have served as a valuable study system to investigate evolutionary patterns on both large and small geographic scales. We examined genetic relatedness and diversity of two silvereye subspecies, the mainland Z. l. cornwalli and island Z. l. chlorocephalus, and used 18 077 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), to compare locations across southeast Queensland, Australia. Although silvereyes are prolific island colonisers our findings revealed population divergence over relatively small spatial scales was strongly influenced by geographic isolation mediated by water barriers. Strong genetic connectivity was displayed between mainland sites, but minimal inter-island connectivity was shown despite comparable sampling distances. Genetic diversity analysis showed little difference in heterozygosity between island and mainland populations, but lower inbreeding scores among the island populations. Our study confirmed the range of the Z. l. chlorocephalus subspecies throughout the southern Great Barrier Reef. Our results show that water barriers and not geographic distance per se are important in driving incipient divergence in island populations. This helps to explain the relatively high number of phenotypically differentiated, but often geographically proximate, island silvereye subspecies compared to a lower number of phenotypically less well-defined Australian continental subspecies.

Anatomical and subcortical invasiveness in diffuse low-grade astrocytomas differ between IDH status and provide prognostic information.

Diffuse astrocytomas preferentially infiltrate eloquent areas affecting the outcome. A preoperative understanding of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) status may offer opportunities for specific targeted therapies impacting treatment management. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical, topographical, radiological in WHO 2 astrocytomas with different IDH status and the long-term patient's outcome. A series of confirmed WHO 2 astrocytoma patients (between 2005 and 2015) were retrospectively analyzed. MRI sequences (FLAIR) were used for tumor volume segmentation and to create a frequency map of their locations into the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space. The Brain-Grid (BG) system (standardized radiological tool of intersected lines according to anatomical landmarks) was used as an overlay for infiltration analysis of each tumor. Long-term follow-up was used to perform a survival analysis. Forty patients with confirmed IDH status (26 IDH-mutant, IDHm/14 IDH-wild type, IDHwt) according to WHO 2021 classification were included with a mean follow-up of 7.8 years. IDHm astrocytomas displayed a lower number of BG-voxels (P < 0.05) and were preferentially located in the anterior insular region. IDHwt group displayed a posterior insular and peritrigonal location. IDHwt group displayed a shorter OS compared with IDHm (P < 0.05), with the infiltration of 7 or more BG-voxels as an independent factor predicting a shorter OS. IDHm and IDHwt astrocytomas differed in preferential location, number of BG-voxels and OS at long follow-up time. The number of BG-voxels affected the OS in IDHwt was possibly reflecting higher tumor invasiveness. We encourage the systematic use of alternative observational tools, such as gradient maps and the Brain-Grid analysis, to better detect differences of tumor invasiveness in diffuse low-grade gliomas subtypes.

Aging is associated with reduced inflammatory disease activity independent of disease duration in relapsing multiple sclerosis trial populations

Background: Higher age is associated with less inflammatory disease activity in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). It is unknown whether age itself or disease duration underlies this association. Objectives: This study investigated the effects of age, disease duration, and inflammatory disease activity in people with RRMS. Methods: Individual patient-level data from five large phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was utilized to investigate the association of both age and disease duration with annualized relapse rate (ARR), contrast-enhancing lesions (CELs), and new T2 lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and follow-up. Results: The data set included 5626 participants. Higher age was associated with lower ARRs, lower CEL number on MRI at baseline and follow-up, and lower new T2 lesion numbers at follow-up. This effect was present in all disease duration groups. For example, we found a lower number of new T2 lesions on MRI during follow-up in higher age groups compared to lower age groups, independent of disease duration. Conclusion: Aging in RRMS is associated with a lower risk of inflammatory disease activity, across different disease durations. Age should be taken into account when designing clinical trials and future research should investigate how age should be integrated into personalized predictions of treatment response and risk profiling.

Pinch-off of a regular bubble during the impact of droplets on a liquid pool

A droplet impacting a liquid pool can result in the pinch-off of a regular bubble. In this study, the cavity deformation and regular bubble pinch-off after droplets impacting a liquid pool were experimentally investigated. The results indicate that the phenomenon of regular bubble pinch-off results from the combined effects of cavity expansion and capillary wave propagation. The inertial force, viscous force, and droplet diameter are all crucial to the cavity evolution and the process of regular bubble pinch-off. The cavity depth increases with the droplet's inertial force but does not change with the droplet's viscous force. As the droplet's inertial force increases, the diameter of the regular bubble first increases and then decreases. The diameter of the regular bubble at We = 165 is almost four times that at We = 193. In addition, the peak size of the regular bubble decreases as the liquid viscosity increases, but increases as the droplet diameter increases. These variations in the regular bubble size are explained using a theoretical analysis. Finally, the effects of the inertial and viscous forces on the thresholds between no-bubble and regular-bubble pinch-off regimes are studied. As the Ohnesorge number increases from 1.37 × 10−2 to 2.03 × 10−2, the upper and lower critical Weber numbers for the occurrence of the regular bubble pinch-off can increase by 30 and 25, respectively. The theoretical boundaries of regular bubble pinch-off agree well with the boundaries observed in the experiments.

Floral morphology and development reveal extreme diversification in some species of Croton (Euphorbiaceae).

Floral diversity of Croton, the second largest genus in Euphorbiaceae, is currently under-explored. Several clades demonstrate an unusual floral morphology, e.g., lower or higher stamen number, bilateral symmetry and reduced ovary, but have never been investigated in a comparative study with typical Croton. This study examined morphology and ontogeny of flowers in nine Croton species from different clades within the genus with light and scanning microscopy, resin sectioning and micro-computed tomography. In staminate flowers, great variations of stamen number and arrangement are observed. The ancestral androecium likely consisted of two or more whorls with the outermost antepetalous stamen whorl developing centrifugally. Modification by reduction of the antepetalous whorl resulted in an outer alternipetalous stamen whorl in Croton section Moacroton, subgenus Quadrilobi. Several species in the subgenus Geiseleria show an independent reduction of stamen numbers by absence of a centrifugal development with the antepetalous whorl the first whorl to develop. Petal losses are observed in the distantly related C. setiger and C. dioicus. Chaotic stamen arrangement is found in C. celtidifolius (subgenus Adenophylli) as a result of a secondary stamen increase. In pistillate flowers, reduction of carpel numbers happened three times in the subgenus Geiseleria. C. monanthogynus has a bicarpellate ovary, while in C. setiger and C. michauxii the ovary is monocarpellate. Reduction of carpel number is linked with merism change and perianth reduction. The ovary in C. michauxii has basal placentation which is unique among all Croton. Moreover, strong bilateral sepals and nectaries are observed in species from section Julocroton. Therefore, the floral diversity of some species in the genus Croton could be explained by developmental modification of an ancestral form via reduction, rearrangement of stamen whorls, and symmetry shifts.

Managing naïve multiple sclerosis patients: how firstline oral medications modify educational time

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Multiple sclerosis nurses are involved in all aspects of care, in particular in patients' education about disease-modifying drugs. The availability of oral firstline treatments has had a considerable impact on disease management. The aim of this study was to valuate if the introduction of oral therapies has led to a change in nurses' time spent on education, empowerment and training. A retrospective study was conducted enrolling naïve patients with relapsing-remitting mutliple sclerosis. Working time spent by nurses was compared between patients treated with oral versus injectable drugs. Correlations between time and clinical variables were investigated. A total of 55 patients were enrolled (34 using injectable and 21 using oral medication). For the oral group, less work time (P=0.018) and number of meetings (P=0.004) were needed. Dimethyl fumarate needed a lower number of meetings compared with other drugs. The availability of oral drugs seemed to reduce the amount of working time nurses spent with naïve patients' discussing education and treatment.

Association Between Surgeon Sex and Days Alive at Home Following Surgery: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

The objective of this study was to measure potential associations between surgeon sex and number of days alive and at home (DAH). Patients treated by female surgeons appear to have lower rates of mortality, complications, readmissions, and healthcare costs when compared with male surgeons. DAH is a validated measure, shown to better capture the patient experience of postoperative recovery. We conducted a retrospective study of adults (≥18 years of age) undergoing common surgeries between January 01, 2007 and December 31, 2019 in Ontario, Canada. The outcome measures were the number of DAH within 30-, 90-, and 365-days. The data was summarized using descriptive statistics and adjusted using multivariable generalized estimating equations. During the study period, 1,165,711 individuals were included, of which 61.9% (N = 721,575) were female. Those managed by a female surgeon experienced a higher mean number of DAH when compared with male surgeons at 365 days (351.7 vs. 342.1 days; P < 0.001) and at each earlier time point. This remained consistent following adjustment for covariates, with patients of female surgeons experiencing a higher number of DAH at all time points, including at 365 days (343.2 [339.5-347.1] vs. 339.4 [335.9-343.0] days). Multivariable regression modeling revealed that patients of male surgeons had a significantly lower number of DAH versus female surgeons. Patients of female surgeons experienced a higher number of DAH when compared with those treated by male surgeons at all time points. More time spent at home after surgery may in turn lower costs of care, resource utilization, and potentially improve quality of life. Further studies are needed to examine these findings across other care contexts.

Vaccines and allergy: Back to the right places.

Hypersensitivity reactions represent one of the most common causes of hesitancy for adherence to national vaccination programs. The majority of hypersensitivity reactions after vaccination are mild, and anaphylaxis is reported to be rare, although it remains challenging to estimate the frequency attributed to each single vaccine, either because of the lower number of administered doses of less common vaccines, or the administration of simultaneous vaccine in most of the vaccination programs. Although literature remains scattered, international consensus guides clinicians in identifying patients who might need the administration of vaccines in protected environments due to demonstrated hypersensitivity to vaccine components or adjuvants. Here we provide the current guidance on hypersensitivity reactions to vaccines and on vaccination of children with allergy disorders.

Predicting Recanalization Failure With Conventional Devices During Endovascular Treatment Related to Vessel Occlusion

Background Among patients with stroke eligible for endovascular treatment, preprocedure identification of those with low chances of successful recanalization with conventional devices (stent‐retrievers and/or direct aspiration) may allow anticipating procedural rescue strategies. We aimed to develop a preprocedural algorithm able to predict recanalization failure with conventional devices (RFCD). Methods Observational study. Data from consecutive patients with stroke who received endovascular treatment between 2019 and 2022 in 10 centers were collected from the Catalan Stroke Registry (Codi Ictus Catalunya Registry, CICAT). RFCD was defined as final thrombolysis in cerebral infarction ≤2a or the use of rescue therapy defined as balloon angioplasty±stent deployment. Univariate and multivariate analysis to identify variables associated with RFCD were performed. A gradient boosted decision tree machine learning model to predict RFCD was developed utilizing preprocedure variables previously selected. Clinical improvement at 24 hours was defined as a drop of ≥4 points from baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score or 0–1 at 24 hours. Results In total, 984 patients were included; RFCD was observed in 14.3% (n:141) of the cases. Of these, 47.5% (n = 67) received balloon angioplasty±stent deployment as rescue therapy. Among patients receiving balloon angioplasty±stent deployment, clinical improvement was associated with lower number of attempts with conventional devices (median number of passes 2 versus 3; P = 0.045). In logistic regression, the absence of atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR]: 2.730, 95%CI: 1.541–4.836; P = 0.007) and no‐thrombolytic treatment (OR: 1.826, 95%CI: 1.230–2.711; P = 0.003) emerged as independent predictors of RFCD. A predictive model for RFCD, based on age, sex, hypertension, wake‐up stroke, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT [Computed Tomography] Score, occlusion site, thrombolysis, and atrial fibrillation showed an acceptable discrimination (area under the curve: 0.72±0.024 SD) and accuracy (0.75±0.015 SD). Overall performance was moderate (weighted F1‐score: 0.77±0.041 SD). Conclusion In RFCD patients, early balloon angioplasty±stent deployment rescue was associated with improved outcomes. A predictive model using affordable preprocedure clinical variables could be useful to identify these patients before intervention.

Comparison of clinical characteristics and severity of COVID-19 with or without viral co-infection in hospitalized children

BackgroundCo-infection with other pathogens can alter the severity and clinical outcomes of viral infections. However, the information regarding viral co-infections in pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases is still limited. MethodsThis is a nationwide, retrospective cohort study using the data from the COVID-19 Registry Japan. The pediatric (<18 years), laboratory confirmed, hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the Omicron variant of concern predominant period (January 2022 to January 2024) were included. Co-infection was investigated by multiplex PCR. We compared clinical characteristics, symptoms, severity, and outcomes between children with and without co-infection. ResultsAmong 245 hospitalized pediatric COVID-19 patients, 78 (31.8 %) had co-infections. The patient backgrounds of the “co-infection” and “SARS-CoV-2 alone” groups were similar, although age distribution was different, with a lower number of patients over 12 years in the co-infection group (n = 2, 2.6 % vs. n = 29, 17.4 %; P < 0.001). Among the patients with co-infection, the most common pathogen was enterovirus/rhinovirus (51.3 %), followed by parainfluenza virus (23.1 %) and adenovirus (12.8 %). Patients with co-infection more commonly had respiratory symptoms, including SpO2 < 96 %, shortness of breath, runny nose, and wheezing. Requirement of non-invasive oxygen support was higher in the co-infection group (n = 27, 34.6 % vs. n = 28, 16.8 %, P = 0.006). By multivariable logistic regression analysis, co-infection and presence of any comorbidity were identified as significant risk factors for necessity of oxygen therapy (odds ratio [95 % confidence interval] 2.44 [1.29–4.63] and 3.99 [2.07–7.82], respectively). ConclusionsViral co-infection may increase the risk of respiratory distress in pediatric COVID-19 patients.

Influence of anionic silica forms in clear sodium silicate precursors on metakaolin geopolymerisation via 29Si and 27Al MAS-NMR and microstructural studies

A number of synthesis parameters directly influence the degree of reticulation/geopolymerisation of metakaolin exposed to alkaline solutions of sodium hydroxide and/or sodium silicate. In the latter case, a sodium silicate solution can be depolymerised by the introduction of an appropriate amount of NaOH. The effects of the ageing of the activator solution on the reticulation of metakaolin-based geopolymers are quantified for the first time in this work. We studied the anionic species of the sodium silicate solution with the addition of NaOH made just before the preparation of the paste, 24 h or 7 days before. These three ageing periods cause a significant difference in the Si-bearing species in solution, as demonstrated by nuclear magnetic resonance on 29Si. The effect of these anionic species on the reticulation/polymerisation of metakaolin at room temperature was demonstrated by solid-state 27Al and 29Si MAS-NMR, the chemical stability in various solutions (deionised water, HCl, HNO3, H2SO4), and X-ray diffraction on geopolymer powders before and after immersion in acids. Compressive strength before and after the immersion in acidic media was an additional measurement to assess the overall structural stability of the 3D polymerised network of the final dense ceramic-like product. Ageing of the activator solution affected the chemical stability of the hardened geopolymers accompanied by a slight to severe reduction in strength after leaching in HNO3 or HCl and in H2SO4, respectively. The quantitative MAS-NMR description of the Si and Al coordination in the geopolymers was correlated with the chemical stability where the formulations with the higher number of Q4(0Al) and Q4(1Al) for the silicon species were more resistant (lower number of Na+ compensating for Al+3 to be exchanged with H+). The formulations with higher Al content in the structure, i.e. higher number of Q4(3Al) silicon species showed higher mechanical stability. These results show that the timing of the preparation of the alkaline activator is essential for a correct mix design.

Advanced smectite alteration and the role of accessory reactants at 180 °C: New experimental constraints on the stability of bentonite

Bentonite clay is commonly accepted as an appropriate material for backfilling the space between the radioactive canisters and the host rock of planned underground repository sites for waste disposal. Despite its favourable properties as a hydrodynamic seal, its long-term stability remains a concern. This experimental study of a Bavarian bentonite investigated advanced montmorillonite (smectite) illitisation at 180 °C in the presence of K-oxalate and/or the accessory minerals of pyrite and calcite. The formation of mixed-layered illite-smectite was quantified by X-ray diffraction Rietveld refinement and the crystal chemistry was determined by transmission electron microscopy. The results showed neocrystallisation of a celadonitic illite-smectite (up to 63% illite-layers) after treatment with KCl or K-oxalate with increased Al3+ in the tetrahedral sheets, reduced amounts in the octahedral locations and increased fixation of non-exchangeable K+ ions in response to the increased layer charges. K-oxalate complexation of Al3+ and enhanced dissolution of the smectite resulted in the formation of a possible intermediate amorphous phase and illite-smectite crystallites with additional vacant sites explaining the lower number of octahedral ions (<2 per formula unit). Adding 10% pyrite, 10% calcite, or 5% of each, did influence the degree of alteration to a recognisable degree in the presence of KCl, but the effects on the rate of illitisation were minimal when reacted with K-oxalate, which further increased illitisation by up to 6.4 times. Although batch reactor experiments do have limitations compared to complex repository conditions, our results do indicate that claystone host rocks low in organic matter should be favoured over organic-rich lithologies that are likely to contain oxalate ligands or similar catalysing compounds.

Essential oils and capsaicin in the diet of Jersey cows at early lactation and their positive impact on anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunological responses.

The objective of this work was to determine whether the addition of phytogenic compounds based on essential oils (carvacrol, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde) and resinous pepper oil (capsaicin) to the diet of Jersey cows at the beginning of lactation affects anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory responses, as well as whether there are effects of EO on blood metabolites, ruminal fermentation, digestibility and milk production and composition. Six primiparous cows (370.00 ± 17kg body weight (BW); 13.02kg dry matter intake (DMI); 21 days of lactation and average milk production of 20 ± 2L per day) were allocated to crossed experimental design (2 × 2) with two experimental periods of 28 days and two treatments. Blood, milk and rumen fluid were collected and, at the end of each period, feed and feces samples were collected to evaluate the apparent digestibility of nutrients. The groups were control (CLT) without supplementation and treated (BEO) with the addition of 150mg/kg of dry matter of the phytogenic to the concentrated portion of the diet. Cows in the BEO group had lower numbers of leukocytes (P ≤ 0.05) and lymphocytes (P ≤ 0.02), but total protein and globulin levels were higher on days 21 and 28 (P ≤ 0.01). In the BEO group, the levels of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin heavy chain and transferrin were higher (P ≤ 0.05). The levels of ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin and C-reactive protein were lower in the BEO group (P ≤ 0.05). Lipid peroxidation levels and protein carbonyl content were lower in the BEO group. The total antioxidant capacity (P ≤ 0.09) and the activity of glutathione S-transferase (P ≤ 0.03) and glutathione peroxidase (P ≤ 0.05) were higher in the BEO group. Cows in the BEO group had lower pH (P ≤ 0.05), acetic acid concentrations (P ≤ 0.01) and higher protozoa counts (P ≤ 0.01). Our results suggest that phytogenic supplementation has positive effects on the health of Jersey cows in early lactation, characterized by immunostimulant, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Impact of Age, Period, Cohort, Region, Race, and Health Services on Bladder Cancer Mortality in Brazil: A 23-Year Ecological Study.

Bladder cancer is one of the most economically costly types of cancer, but few studies have evaluated its mortality considering the factors that impact this outcome. This study aimed to investigate the impact of sociodemographic factors, period, cohort, and health services on bladder cancer mortality. This ecological study analyzed bladder cancer mortality data in Brazil from 2000 to 2022 and evaluated sociodemographic variables (race, region of residence), socioeconomic variables (gross domestic product per capita, Gini index of household income per capita, number of health professionals per inhabitant, expenditure on public health services, and consultations per inhabitant), and bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment procedures. These data were subjected to statistical analysis, which revealed that after the age of 50, there was a progressive increase in the risk of bladder cancer. Indigenous people had the lowest mortality rate, while white people had a significantly greater mortality rate than black and brown people. The North Region and Northeast Region presented the lowest mortality rates, whereas the South Region presented the highest mortality rates. In the South and Southeast Regions, a higher GDP was related to lower mortality. In the South, higher mortality was associated with a lower number of consultations per inhabitant per region. Fewer bladder punctures/aspirations and bladder biopsies were associated with higher mortality rates. In oncology, more procedures, such as total cystectomy, cystoenteroplasty, and total cystectomy with a single shunt, do not reduce the mortality rate. These results can serve as guidelines for adjusting public health policies.

Melt blending of commercial linear polyethylene with low-entangled ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene: From dispersion compatibility to viscoelastic scaling laws

This study investigates the dispersion and compatibility of low-entangled “dis-entangled” UHMWPE (dis-UH) in a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix using solvent-free melt-blending conditions and compares it with entangled UHMWPE (eUH) in the same matrix. The findings reveal that dis-UH/HDPE exhibits a significantly lower viscosity ratio than eUH/HDPE (1 and 4, respectively), indicating a lower critical capillary number (Cacritical), thus enhanced dispersion and compatibility. Blends with varying dis-UH content up to 20 wt% show homogeneity, evidenced by DSC and SEM analysis, and demonstrate improved mechanical properties by 36 % in the maximum stress (σmax) and 39 % in Young's modulus (E). Linear viscoelasticity assessments reveal that higher dis-UH content slow the dynamics and increase the apparent weight average molecular weight (Mw), consistent with previous reports for linear entangled PE. The zero-shear viscosity (η0) scaling with Mw (η0∝Mn) is adjusted for high polydispersity, yielding a transitional point in the scaling exponent (n) from 3.6 to 3 at a reptation number of entanglement segments (Mr/Me) of ∼287, in line with theoretical predictions. To rationalize the success of the homogenization process, we propose a qualitative molecular picture inspired from the constraint release Rouse mechanism involved in the disorientation process of bi-disperse linear polymers. In the case of dis-UH/HDPE blends, with initially lower density of long-long entanglements within dis-UH, and the highest density of short-short entanglements within HDPE matrix, the formation of long-short entanglements between dis-UH and HDPE is facilitated, which results in successful homogenization process. In the contrary, the establishment of long-short entanglements in eUH/HDPE blends will require unwinding of the long-long entanglements, which holds a higher kinetic barrier compared to dis-UH/HDPE blends, leading to unsuccessful homogenization.

Effects of Number of Filters and Frequency Cutoff in Continuous Interleaved Sampling and Frequency Amplitude Modulation Encoding Schemes in Cochlear Implant

Cochlear implants are devices designed to transform sound into electrical signals perceived by the brain, making them vital prostheses for deaf individuals. This study examines two schemes used in cochlear implants, namely Continuous Interleaved Sampling (CIS) and Frequency Amplitude Modulation Encoding (FAME), to compare their performance while varying the number of bandpass filters and cutoff frequencies used. Both schemes were simulated using 8 and 5 bandpass filters, and cutoff frequencies of 2000 Hz and 200 Hz. Results show that the CIS scheme can maintain signal intelligibility despite the loss of some frequency components when the number of bandpass filters is lowered. Conversely, FAME retains more frequency details but presents perceptible delays. With a cut off frequency of 200 Hz, signals processed with CIS loses intelligibility significantly, whereas FAME-processed signals remain intelligible both at 200 Hz and 2000 Hz cut off frequencies. It is therefore concluded that FAME can provide better cochlear implant performance despite the lower number of bandpass filters and lower frequency cutoff.