Reduction In Rate Research Articles

Preparation and smoke suppression mechanism of flame‐retardant PBS composites with BNNS@DOPA

AbstractCurrently, the flame‐retardant modification of polybutylene succinate (PBS) is mainly focused on improving flame‐retardant efficiency, ignoring the negative impact of the smoke produced by combustion on the human respiratory tract. To address this problem, PBS composites were prepared by melt blending method in this study. The effect of boron nitride‐grafted DOPO flame retardant (BNNS@DOPA) on flame retardancy and smoke suppression of PBS composites was investigated. Incorporating 3% BNNS@DOPA into PBS composites results in a 90% improvement in thermal conductivity. This resulted in a reduction of the peak heat release rate, total heat release rate, and actual smoke rate to 453.7 kW m−2, 86.3 MJ m−2, and 1035.9 m2, respectively, compared with pure PBS. The latter indicated a decrease of 34.0%, 37.6%, and 51.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the ignition time was extended by 45 s and the limiting oxygen index value increased by 12.5%. This functionalization approach presents a new way to study PBS flame retardancy improvement, consequently boosting its application in fire safety for polymer materials.

Development of experimental device for inductive heating of magnetic nanoparticles

Inductive heating using magnetic nanoparticles is a critical process extensively investigated for cancer treatment. However, the high cost of commercially available equipment hinders its accessibility for many research groups. In response, this paper introduces a simple electronic circuit with low-cost components, making it easy to construct even for non-electronic experts. Operating within the 50–200 kHz range, the circuit employs a parallel inductor-capacitor configuration, providing a maximum induction magnetic field of 23.6 mT. Ltspice software simulations align well with oscilloscope measurements. Using commercial iron oxide nanoparticles (∼16 nm) in water suspensions (1–10 mg ml−1), the device exhibited a concentration-dependent reduction in specific absorption rate values, consistent with literature findings. Hyperthermia temperatures were achieved in a few minutes at 52.5 kHz and 23.6 mT in the highest concentration. At 81.9 kHz and 21.5 mT, a temperature of 93 °C was achieved after 22 min at 10 mg ml−1. Additionally, the device demonstrated stable and safe operation over a 100 min period, as validated by an ice-melting experiment. These results highlight the device’s efficacy for hyperthermia experiments in both biological and non-biological systems, particularly advantageous for larger nanoparticles in a blocked state. The proposed device holds significant potential for contributing to hyperthermia studies across diverse research groups. Future development will focus on frequency adjustment without reducing the alternating magnetic field amplitude and a thorough investigation of field homogeneity inside the coils.

The tax shield increases the interest rate

We study the general equilibrium implications of the corporate tax shield in a growth economy that taxes household income and firm profits and redistributes tax revenues. Our stylized model predicts that in general equilibrium the tax shield's reduction of the corporate after-tax borrowing rate is counteracted (but not fully eliminated) by an increase in the pre-tax rate.

A Narrative Review of Contemporary Lethal Pesticides: Unveiling the Ongoing Threat of Pesticide Poisoning.

Following the 2011 ban on paraquat sales, South Korea has witnessed a significant reduction in the mortality rate associated with acute pesticide poisoning. Traditionally, paraquat and diquat, alongside several highly toxic organophosphates, carbamates, and organochlorine insecticides, have been recognized as culprits in causing fatalities among patients with acute pesticide poisoning. However, despite global efforts to curtail the use of these highly toxic pesticides, certain pesticides still exhibit a level of lethality surpassing their established clinical toxicity profiles. Understanding the clinical progression of these pesticides is paramount for physicians and toxicologists, as it holds the potential to enhance patient prognoses in cases of acute poisoning. This review aims to address the persistence of such highly lethal pesticides, which continue to pose a grave threat to victims of acute poisoning.

Dry sliding wear behavior of hard-chrome and zinc-phosphate conversion coatings on steel substrates

We have studied tribological properties of conversion coatings, hard chrome on AISI 430 stainless steel, and zinc phosphate on AISI 1044 carbon steel. These substrates were chosen due to their extensive industrial applications. The goal of the present study is to improve the wear resistance of these substrates through the coatings. We performed nano-indentation and ball-on-disc tribometer experiments to study mechanical and tribological behavior of substrates and coatings. We find that when zinc-phosphate coating is applied to AISI 1044 steel, a new phase Zn2Fe(PO4)2·4H2O (phosphophyllite) is formed on the surface that increases the surface hardness. We further find that coefficient of friction decreases approximately by 8% due to hard-chrome coating on AISI 430 steel and by 48% due to zinc-phosphate coating on AISI 1044 steel under load and speed conditions applied in the present study. We attribute our findings to formation of: (1) an adhering layer of chromium in the case of chrome–steel contact, leading to chrome–chrome contact at the interface of test-specimen and counter-surface, and (2) a glossy layer at interface in the case of phosphate-steel contact, owing to the compaction and crushing of phosphate wear debris. Our wear studies show maximum reductions in specific wear rate to be around 80% and 89% for chrome and zinc-phosphate coatings, respectively. We note that adhesion and abrasion are the primary modes of wear for chrome and zinc-phosphate conversion coatings, respectively at the initial stage. However, adhesive wear switches to delamination wear at a later stage for hard-chrome coating.

Trends and Outcomes Associated With Bariatric Surgery and Pharmacotherapies With Weight Loss Effects Among Patients With Heart Failure and Obesity.

Utilization patterns of bariatric surgery among older patients with heart failure (HF), and the associations with cardiovascular outcomes, are not well known. Medicare beneficiaries with HF and at least class II obesity from 2013 to 2020 were identified with Medicare Provider Analysis and Review 100% inpatient files and Medicare 5% outpatient files. Patients who underwent bariatric surgery were matched to controls in a 1:2 ratio (matched on exact age, sex, race, body mass index, HF encounter year, and HF hospitalization rate pre-surgery/matched period). In an exploratory analysis, patients prescribed pharmacotherapies with weight loss effects (semaglutide, liraglutide, naltrexone-bupropion, or orlistat) were identified and matched to controls with a similar strategy in addition to HF medical therapy data. Cox models evaluated associations between weight loss therapies (as a time-varying covariate) and mortality risk and HF hospitalization rate (calculated as the rate of HF hospitalizations following index HF encounter per 100 person-months) during follow-up. Of 298 101 patients with HF and body mass index ≥35 kg/m2, 2594 (0.9%) underwent bariatric surgery (45% men; mean age, 56.2 years; mean body mass index, 51.5 kg/m2). In propensity-matched analyses over a median follow-up of 4.7 years, bariatric surgery was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.49-0.63]; P<0.001), greater reduction in HF hospitalization rate (rate ratio, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.67-0.77]; P<0.001), and lower atrial fibrillation risk (HR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.65-0.93]; P=0.006). Use of pharmacotherapies with weight loss effects was low (4.8%), with 96.3% prescribed GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) agonists (semaglutide, 23.6%; liraglutide, 72.7%). In propensity-matched analysis over a median follow-up of 2.8 years, patients receiving pharmacotherapies with weight loss effects (versus matched controls) had a lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.71-0.95]; P=0.007) and HF hospitalization rate (rate ratio, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.77-0.99]; P=0.04). Bariatric surgery and pharmacotherapies with weight loss effects are associated with a lower risk of adverse outcomes among older patients with HF and obesity; however, overall utilization remains low.

The influence of polydiethylsiloxane (PDES) concentration on the tribolfilm of chlorophenyl silicone oil (CPSO) under high-temperature lubrication

As pivotal structural component, steels operating at high temperatures play a vital role in promoting the development of advanced equipment technology. Enduring and efficient lubricants are critical bottleneck for the construction of high-temperature frictional subsystems. Polydiethylsiloxane oil (PDES) significantly reduces the coefficient of friction (COF) (9.80–16.74 %) and wear rate (28.95–54.59 %) in the Si3N4–8Cr4Mo4V system without sulfur and phosphorus anti-wear additives at 250 °C. With only 1 wt% PDES, there is a remarkable 28.95 % wear rate reduction in the Si3N4–8Cr4Mo4V frictional system. The enhanced lubrication performance come from the Si–O tribofilm at lower PDES concentrations (1–15 wt%). Once exceeding a PDES concentration of 30 wt%, the as-formed Si–O tribofilm transitions to a Fe–Mo compound film, exhibiting superior friction reduction and wear resistance properties.

EFFECT OF CuO NANOPARTICLES ON SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH IN ECHINACEA PURPUREA IN VITRO.

This study was aimed to examin the effect of CuONPs on both seeds germination, seedling growth and comparing the method of soaking and adding to the culture medium, The research was implemented at PTC. Lab. College of Biotechnology - Al Nahrain University, during 2022 and 2023. The experimental design was factorial within CRD. It was included five experments and ten replicates (4X3). first experment was by using Sodium Hypochlorite (0.0, 1, 2 and 3%) with (5, 10, 15min) duartion time. The second experment was CuONPs (0, 25, 50, 75mg,L‾¹ ) combined with (3,6,9 and 12 day) Time duration, same factors wre examined after soaking seeds with CuONPs which represented the third experment, fourth and fifth experments soaked before culture seeds were cultured respictively with CuONPs (0.0, 25, 50, 75mg,L‾¹ ) for 1hour then culturing them on MS media. Results showed full reduction in the contamination rate of the selected E. purpurea explant recorded in 3% sodium hypochlorite at 10 and 15min. the highest rate of seeds germination were a chieved with CuONPs of 50 mg, L‾¹ for 9 days rated 7.80 germinated seeds in MS media culture method, at the soaking method the results clarify the highest CuONPs 75 mg, L‾¹ combined with 6,9 and 12 days of soaking a chieved the highest germination rate 10.0 seeds (100% germination).The results also showed that 50% of CuONPs increases shoot numbers 8.6 explant and dry weight 198 mg. 25% of CuONPs achieve the best shoot length 14.5 cm. in seeds soaking results showed the best shoot Nu. 8.7, shoot length 9.7 cm. and dry weight 204 mg. when seeds was soaked in 75 mg, L‾¹ of CuONPs.

Surveillance for Diabetes in Hospital-Evaluation of Dashboard Effectiveness.

There is a large burden of diabetes in Western Sydney, and this descriptor is also valid for the inpatient population. Optimizing diabetes care in hospital is important to prevent inpatient morbidity. A surveillance system was developed to address this need and a diabetes dashboard was developed around a data model built around the patient journey that integrated key data feeds from the pathology, medication, and patient administration systems. This facilitated the rapid identification and triaging of individuals with diabetes. We evaluated this dashboard using high level clinical and financial indicators. This implementation resulted in an improved time to patient review, and a reduction in 28-day readmission rates but the inpatient length of hospital stay was unchanged. (116 words).

DECIPHERING THE BURDEN OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE LANDSCAPE (1990-2019) IN HIGH INCOME NORTH AMERICA: PROJECTIONS, TEMPORAL SHIFTS, AND A GLIMPSE BEYOND TO 2040

Abstract BACKGROUND In High-Income North America, IBD ranks as the 6th leading cause of disability and the 9th primary cause of mortality among all digestive diseases. The increasing prevalence in this region underscores the urgent need to address both the clinical and socio-economic challenges of managing this chronic condition in a developed setting. METHOD Utilizing Global Burden of DIsease tool, we estimated IBD prevalence, incidence, mortality, and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) of IBD in High-Income North America. Standardized statistical techniques facilitated comparisons by age, sex, year within this specific region. The DisMod-MR 2.1 tool was employed to estimate incidence and prevalence, while mortality rates were discerned using the Cause of Death Ensemble Model (CODEm). Additionally, we projected the deaths and Years of Life Lost (YLLs) up to 2040 using regression analysis. RESULTS From 1990 to 2019, the overall IBD prevalence in High-Income North America showed a decline from 1,100,006 (95%UI: 961,427-1,248,969) to 920,749 (859,032-982,587). However, deaths rose sharply from 2,442 (2,189-2,963) in 1990 to 6,313 (5,075-6,885) in 2019, marking an Annual Percentage Change (APC) surge of 159% (84-182). Meanwhile, DALYs grew by 17% (2-33). Age-Standardized Rates (ASR) indicate a reduction in incidence and DALYs rates by 30% and 22%, respectively, while mortality rates climbed by 42% (1-54). Country-specific trends show Canada and Greenland with incidence APC increases of 28% and 37%, respectively, while the U.S. saw a 12% decline. For mortality, the U.S. led with a 172% APC rise, followed by Greenland at 1,485% and Canada at 49%. In age-specific trends, children under five witnessed a 20% APC surge in incidence per 100,000 population, whereas the under-20 age bracket saw a 13% rise. Notably, those aged under 70 experienced an 89% jump in deaths from 1990-2019. CONCLUSION The marked shift in IBD prevalence and mortality in High-Income North America over three decades underscores the escalating challenge this disease presents to the healthcare landscape. The substantial increase in deaths, especially in countries like the U.S. and Greenland, combined with the age-specific trends, emphasizes the pressing need for targeted interventions and robust healthcare policies. Notably, in 2019, IBD was responsible for 4.43% of all deaths linked to digestive diseases and contributed to 6.13% of the total disabilities arising from digestive conditions. This data accentuates the profound and growing impact of IBD in the region and demands immediate, evidence-based action.

Urinary podocyte stress marker as a prognostic indicator for diabetic kidney disease

BackgroundDiabetic kidney diseases (DKD) is a the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) around the world. Previous studies suggest that urinary podocyte stress biomarker, e.g. podocin:nephrin mRNA ratio, is a surrogate marker of podocyte injury in non-diabetic kidney diseases.MethodWe studied 118 patients with biopsy-proved DKD and 13 non-diabetic controls. Their urinary mRNA levels of nephrin, podocin, and aquaporin-2 (AQP2) were quantified. Renal events, defined as death, dialysis, or 40% reduction in glomerular filtration rate, were determined at 12 months.ResultsUrinary podocin:nephrin mRNA ratio of DKD was significantly higher than the control group (p = 0.0019), while urinary nephrin:AQP2 or podocin:AQP2 ratios were not different between groups. In DKD, urinary podocin:nephrin mRNA ratio correlated with the severity of tubulointerstitial fibrosis (r = 0.254, p = 0.006). and was associated with the renal event-free survival in 12 months (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.523; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.157–2.006; p = 0.003). After adjusting for clinical and pathological factors, urinary podocin:nephrin mRNA ratio have a trend to predict renal event-free survival (adjusted HR, 1.327; 95%CI 0.980–1.797; p = 0.067), but the result did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionUrinary podocin:nephrin mRNA ratio has a marginal prognostic value in biopsy-proven DKD. Further validation is required for DKD patients without kidney biopsy.

Wear-Resistant Elastomeric Composites Based on Unvulcanized Rubber Compound and Recycled Polytetrafluoroethylene

Advancements in industrial machinery and manufacturing equipment require more reliable and efficient polymer tribo-systems which operate in conditions associated with increasing machine speeds and a lack of cooling oil. The goal of the current research is to improve the tribological properties of elastomeric composites by adding a solid lubricant filler in the form of ultrafine polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with the chemical formula [C2F4]n and recycled polytetrafluoroethylene (r-PTFE) powders. PTFE waste is recycled mechanically by abrasion. The elastomeric composites are prepared by mixing a nitrile butadiene rubber with a phenol-formaldehyde resin and PTFE powders in an extruder followed by rolling. The deformation-strength and tribological tests of r-PTFE elastomeric composites are conducted in comparison with the ultrafine PTFE composites. The latter is based on products of waste fluoropolymer processing using a radiation method. The deformation-strength test shows that the introduction of ultrafine PTFE and r-PTFE powder to the composite leads to a decrease in strength and elongation at break, which is associated with the poor compatibility of additives and the elastomeric matrix. The friction test indicates a decrease in the coefficient of friction of the composite material. It is determined that the 15 wt.% filler added in the elastomeric matrix leads to a reduction in the wear rate by 20%. The results obtained show the possibility of using ultrafine PTFE powder and r-PTFE for creating elastomeric composites with increased tribological properties. These research results are beneficial for rubber products used in many industries, mainly in mechanical engineering.

Sandwich-structure inspired super-tough and fire-resistant plywood containing vinyl acetate-ethylene based adhesive reinforced by melamine amino trimethyl phosphate and sodium lignosulfonate

The flammability of wood composite materials inevitably limits its broadly applications, inspired by the sandwich structure, we propose an intumescent flame-retardant vinyl acetate-ethylene based adhesive reinforced by melamine amino trimethyl phosphate and sodium lignosulfonate compounds (IFRs), then being incorporated in adhesive layer to prepare fire-proofing plywood. The formaldehyde-free adhesive incorporated with 23 wt% IFRs in plywood (FR plywood) resulted in a significant reduction in the peak heat release rate (pHRR, −51 %) and a great delay in time to pHRR (219 s) compared with that of the sample neat plywood. Additionally, the shear strength and bending strength of sample FR plywood present significant increase of 150 % and 73 %, respectively, compared to that of the neat plywood. By incorporating the IFRs into the plywood adhesive layers, low-flammability gasses can be released under heat to dilute flammable volatile gasses together with the wood decomposition in the gaseous phase, simultaneously, generated polyphosphoric acids to facilitate the charring of wood under heat, leading to a cohesive and dense phospho-carbonaceous structure in the condensed phase. Thus, this work provides an efficient and simple strategy to prepare fire-proofing plywood with excellent mechanical performance, is worth commercializing in plywood industry.

Changing landscape of diabetes in Asia - What are the unmet needs?

The incidence rates of type 2 diabetes among adults in Asia have been stable, but the rates in youth and young adults have increased. In territory-wide surveillance in Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of People's Republic of China, all-cause mortality rates among people with diabetes have exhibited a declining trend in the past 15 years, with a narrowing in the mortality gap between people with and without diabetes. At the same time, the improvement in survival resulted in a changing age structure and disease profile of people with diabetes, towards an increasing proportion of older people with long diabetes duration and multi-morbidities. Reductions in event rates were not observed in the youngest age group who also had the least gains in risk factor control and uptake in organ protective drugs over time. A young age at diabetes diagnosis, associated with exposure to high glycemic burden from an early age, predicted higher risks of complications and premature mortality compared with later-onset of diabetes. People presenting with type 2 diabetes below 40 years of age were 5-fold more likely to die and their life expectancy was shortened by 8 years than age-matched counterparts without diabetes. Analysis of population-based data in Hong Kong Chinese identified hypertension followed by chronic kidney disease as the leading contributor to mortality in young people, indicating that efforts to optimize non-glycemic risk factors and organ protection are as important in young individuals as it is in the older population.

Targeting ocean conservation outcomes through threat reduction

Nations have committed to reductions in the global rate of species extinctions through the Sustainable Development Goals 14 and 15, for ocean and terrestrial species, respectively. Biodiversity loss is worsening despite rapid growth in the number and extent of protected areas, both at sea and on land. Resolving this requires targeting the locations and actions that will deliver positive conservation outcomes for biodiversity. The Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric, developed by a consortium of experts, quantifies the contributions that abating threats and restoring habitats in specific places offer towards reducing extinction risk based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. STAR is now recommended as an appropriate metric by recent disclosure frameworks for companies to report their impacts on nature and STAR has seen widespread uptake within the private sector. However, it is currently only available for the terrestrial realm. We extend the coverage of the threat abatement component of the STAR metric (START), used to identify locations where positive interventions could make a large contribution to reducing global species extinction risk and where developments that increase threats to species should be mitigated, to the marine realm for 1646 marine species. Reducing unsustainable fishing provides the greatest opportunity to lower species extinction risk, comprising 43% of the marine START score. Three-quarters (75%) of the global marine START score falls entirely outside the boundaries of protected areas and only 2.7% falls within no-take protected areas. The STAR metric can be used both to guide protected area expansion and to target other actions, such as establishment and enforcement of fishing limits, to recover biodiversity.

Effect of 2D Cu-MOFs modified carbon spheres nanoparticles as an environmentally friendly lubricating additive on tribological properties

As a nanoscale carbon material, carbon spheres (CS) are expected to achieve ideal lubrication performance by reducing direct contact between friction pairs and bearing loads. In this work, 2D Cu-MOFs surface modified (CS@Cu(BDC)) CS was added to the base oil, which exhibited a remarkable reduction in friction coefficient and wear rate (62.2%, 33.9%), the width of the friction pair wear marks was decreased by 30.8% relative to the base oil. The improvement in performance can be attributed to the polishing, repairing, filling and tribo-film forming effects of CS@Cu(BDC). This work provided an effective strategy for diversifying the surface structure of CS and opened new avenues for the development of a new generation of green and efficient lubricant additives.

Improvement of thermal conductivity and wear property of Gr/EP composites with CNTs/Cu foam as 3-dimensional reinforcing skeleton

The graphite-reinforced epoxy resin composite (Gr/EP) is considered one of the promising solid lubricating materials. However, the low thermal conductivity and correlated poor wear resistance cause limitations to its tribological applications. With the expectation to improve the thermal conductivity and wear property, carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced copper foams (CNTs/Cuf) are introduced as 3-dimensional skeletons to reinforce Gr/EP composites. Herein, comprehensive testing was conducted to assess the wear resistance, thermal conductivity, microstructure, and wear morphology of the composites. The results revealed that incorporating Cu or CNTs/Cu foams into the Gr/EP matrix significantly enhanced thermal conductivity and wear resistance, with only minor elevation of the friction coefficients, which showed a consistent decline trend with increasing CNTs contents. Notably, with the CNT content of 0.159 wt%, the composites reached the favorable combination of a 25.4 % improvement in thermal conductivity and a 34 % reduction in wear rate compared to pure copper foam-reinforced Gr/EP composites.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Care Utilization in the Vaccine Safety Datalink: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Understanding the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care utilization is important to health care organizations and policy makers for strategic planning, as well as to researchers when designing studies that use observational electronic health record data during the pandemic period. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in health care utilization across all care settings among a large, diverse, and insured population in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a retrospective cohort study within 8 health care organizations participating in the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project using electronic health record data from members of all ages from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021. The visit rates per person-year were calculated monthly during the study period for 4 health care settings combined as well as by inpatient, emergency department (ED), outpatient, and telehealth settings, both among all members and members without COVID-19. Difference-in-difference analysis and interrupted time series analysis were performed to assess the changes in visit rates from the prepandemic period (January 2017 to February 2020) to the early pandemic period (April-December 2020) and the later pandemic period (July-December 2021), respectively. An exploratory analysis was also conducted to assess trends through June 2023 at one of the largest sites, Kaiser Permanente Southern California. The study included more than 11 million members from 2017 to 2021. Compared with the prepandemic period, we found reductions in visit rates during the early pandemic period for all in-person care settings. During the later pandemic period, overall use reached 8.36 visits per person-year, exceeding the prepandemic level of 7.49 visits per person-year in 2019 (adjusted percent change 5.1%, 95% CI 0.6%-9.9%); inpatient and ED visits returned to prepandemic levels among all members, although they remained low at 0.095 and 0.241 visits per person-year, indicating a 7.5% and 8% decrease compared to pre-pandemic levels among members without COVID-19, respectively. Telehealth visits, which were approximately 42% of the volume of outpatient visits during the later pandemic period, were increased by 97.5% (95% CI 86.0%-109.7%) from 0.865 visits per person-year in 2019 to 2.35 visits per person-year in the later pandemic period. The trends in Kaiser Permanente Southern California were similar to those of the entire study population. Visit rates from January 2022 to June 2023 were stable and appeared to be a continuation of the use levels observed at the end of 2021. Telehealth services became a mainstay of the health care system during the late COVID-19 pandemic period. Inpatient and ED visits returned to prepandemic levels, although they remained low among members without evidence of COVID-19. Our findings provide valuable information for strategic resource allocation for postpandemic patient care and for designing observational studies involving the pandemic period.

Interventions aimed to increase average 24-h systolic blood pressure reduce blood pressure drops in patients with reflex syncope and orthostatic intolerance.

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) drops recorded by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) identify patients with susceptibility to reflex syncope and orthostatic intolerance. We tested the hypothesis that treatments aimed to increase BP (reassurance, education, and lifestyle measures plus pharmacological strategies) can reduce SBP drops. This was a multicentre, observational proof-of-concept study performed in patients with reflex syncope and/or orthostatic intolerance and with SBP drops on a screening ABPM. Among 144 eligible patients, 111 underwent a second ABPM on average 2.5 months after start of treatment. Overall, mean 24-h SBP increased from 114.1 ± 12.1 to 121.4 ± 14.5 mmHg (P < 0.0001). The number of SBP drops <90 and <100 mmHg decreased by 61%, 46% during daytime, and by 48% and 37% during 24-h period, respectively (P < 0.0001 for all). The dose-response relationship between difference in 24-h average SBP increase and reduction in number of SBP drops reached a plateau around ∼15 mmHg increase of 24-h SBP. The reduction in SBP drop rate was consistent and significant in patients who underwent deprescription of hypotensive medications (n = 44) and in patients who received BP-rising drugs (n = 67). In patients with reflex syncope and/or orthostatic intolerance, an increase in average 24-h SBP, regardless of the implemented strategy, significantly reduced the number of SBP drops and symptom burden. A 13 mmHg increase in 24-h SBP appears to represent the optimal goal for aborting the maximal number of SBP drops, representing a possible target for future interventions. ClincalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05729724.

Mitigation of Desulfovibrio ferrophilus IS5 degradation of X80 carbon steel mechanical properties using a green biocide.

Most microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) studies focus on the threat of pinhole leaks caused by MIC pitting. However, microbes can also lead to structural failures. Tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS) biocide mitigated the microbial degradation of mechanical properties of X80 steel pipeline by Desulfovibrio ferrophilus (IS5 strain), a very corrosive sulfate reducing bacterium. It was found that 100 ppm (w/w) THPS added to the enriched artificial seawater (EASW) culture medium before incubation resulted in 2.8-log reduction in sessile cell count after a 7-d incubation at 28 °C under anaerobic conditions, leading to 94% uniform corrosion rate reduction (from 1.3to 0.07mm/a), and 84% pitting corrosion rate reduction (from 0.70to 0.11mm/a). The X80 dogbone coupon incubated with 100 ppm THPS for 7 d suffered 3% loss in ultimate tensile strain and 0% loss in ultimate tensile strength compared with the abiotic control in EASW. In comparison, the no-treatment X80 dogbone coupon suffered losses of 13% in ultimate tensile strain and 6% in ultimate tensile stress, demonstrating very good THPS efficacy.