Significant Differences In Temperature Research Articles

Acute heat stress-indued apoptosis in mouse skeletal muscle is not associated with alteration of glutamine homeostasis.

We previously demonstrated that exposing mice to heat causes functional and ultrastructural mitochondrial alterations and apoptosis in skeletal muscle. Emerging evidence indicates that glutamine (Gln) deprivation may increase cell susceptibility to apoptosis whereas Gln supplementation may protect cells against heat stress. In this study, we investigated the effect of short-term Gln treatment on heat-induced changes in mouse skeletal muscle. Male mice received vehicle, low-dose Gln (100 mg/kg/d) or high-dose Gln (300 mg/kg/d) through daily gavage for 10 days before a heat exposure test. During heat exposure, mice displayed a hyperthermic response and no significant differences in peak core body temperature were noted across the three groups. Neither heat exposure nor pretreatment with low-dose or high-dose Gln significantly affected Gln concentrations in plasma and gastrocnemius muscles. Heat-exposed mice had significantly higher caspase 3/7 levels in gastrocnemius muscle compared to unexposed controls. Heat exposure significantly increased ROS production and mitochondrial fragmentation and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in flexor digitorum brevis muscle. These changes were not affected by low- or high-dose Gln pretreatment. Together, acute heat stress did not disrupt Gln homeostasis in mouse skeletal muscle and Gln supplementation did not protect mouse skeletal muscle against heat-induced injury. The results of this study do not support a role of Gln in heat-induced skeletal muscle apoptosis.

Sports Bra Pressure: Effect on Body Skin Temperature and Wear Comfort

Sports bras are an essential apparel for active women, but may exert excessive pressure that negatively affects thermoregulation, thermal comfort and wear sensation. This study measures skin temperature changes during short durations of exercise on a treadmill with different bra pressures. The results based on 21 female subjects (age: 27.2 ± 4.5 years old) show that bras with more pressure at the underband or shoulder straps do not cause statistically significant skin temperature changes during exercise (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, compared to the optimal bra fit, significant differences in bra-breast skin temperature are found during running, cooling down and sitting when the bra pressure is increased (p < 0.05), particularly under bra cup (T1) in this study. The FLIR thermal images can visualize the skin temperature changes at abdomen throughout the four activity stages. Subjective sensations of bra thermal comfort, pressure and breast support are assessed. Despite the increased pressure on the shoulders and chest wall, perceptions towards thermal comfort remain unchanged. The perceived pressure comfort and support sensation amongst the 4 bra conditions are comparable. Interestingly, positive sensations of pressure comfort and breast support are perceived with a tight-fitting sports bra during treadmill exercise. High pressures induced by sports bras (>4 kPa) that habitually considered harmful to the human body may not lead to wear discomfort but enhance bra support sensation and a sense of security to the wearers.

Karst Dolines Support Highly Diversified Soil Collembola Communities—Possible Refugia in a Warming Climate?

Karst dolines, as geomorphologically diverse natural landforms, usually exhibit more or less steep microclimatic gradients that provide a mosaic of diverse microhabitat conditions, resulting in a high diversity of soil biota with numerous rare endemic and/or relict species occupying these habitats. In this study, we investigated the spatial patterns of Collembola abundance, species richness, community structure and distribution of functional groups at topographically and microclimatically different sites across three open (unforested) karst dolines in a north-south direction in the Slovak Karst, Slovakia. We also assessed the refugial capacity of dolines for collembolan communities. The Friedman ANOVA test confirmed the significant differences in soil mean temperatures between the sites of all the dolines selected. The diverse soil microclimatic conditions within the dolines supported higher Collembola diversity (species numbers, diversity indices) compared with sites on the karst plateau and showed a potential to facilitate the persistence of some species that are absent or very rare in the surrounding landscape. In dolines with circular morphology and comparable size, the topography and soil microclimate had a stronger effect on community composition and structure than soil organic carbon. Shallow solution dolines provided microhabitats for various functional groups of soil Collembola in relation to the microclimatic character of the individual sites. It was observed that such landforms can also function as microclimatic refugia for cold-adapted species through the accumulation of colder air and the buffering of the local microclimate against the ambient mesoclimate, thus underlying the necessity of adequate attention in terms of the conservation of the karst natural phenomena.

Discrete Heaped Model of Tobacco Strips Drying and Characteristics Analysis of Heat and Mass Transfer

To accurately study the drying characteristics of tobacco strips in the process of redrying, a discrete heaped physical model of tobacco strips is built. Based on this model, a convective drying multiphase porous media model of the heaped tobacco strips is established, which considers the binary diffusion and transport of vapor inside and outside the tobacco leaf. The model is solved using COMSOL Multiphysics, and the accuracy of the model is verified by experiments. The changes in hot air velocity, vapor and moisture content, and evaporation rate in heaped tobacco strips with different thicknesses are analyzed. The results show that: it is feasible to study the drying characteristics of tobacco strips in redrying using a discrete heaped model; there were significant differences in water content, evaporation rate, and temperature in different regions of heaped tobacco strips; the increase in heaping thickness will significantly reduce the uniformity of heat and mass transfer of tobacco strips in the process of convection drying. This model can provide a reference for the study of heat and mass transfer in porous media, such as tobacco strips in the heaping state.

Simulation of a round supersonic combustor using wall-modeled large eddy simulation and partially-stirred reactor models

Simulations are presented for a generic, round supersonic combustor. Turbulence is modeled in the combustor using a wall-modeled large eddy simulation approach. Combustion is modeled using a small quasi-global mechanism and a more detailed skeletal mechanism. Both mechanisms are used in conjunction with two variations of the partially-stirred reactor model for sub-grid turbulence chemistry interactions. Sensitivity of the solutions to grid resolution is investigated. It is found that in order to achieve reasonable grid convergence in the mean wall pressure, the model constant that appears in the partially-stirred reactor model must be a function of both the chemistry mechanism and the grid resolution. Most of the combinations of mechanism and turbulent combustion model tested can be tuned in order to predict the location of the pre-combustion shock train and the peak mean pressure in the combustor. It is found that while the different models are able to reproduce the mean wall pressure, there are significant differences in the mean temperature and heat release rate fields. The sensitivity of the different combinations of mechanisms and partially-stirred reactor formulation is quantified and some combinations are found to be more prone to blowout. Two of the tuned models were tested across several fuel equivalence ratios with a single value of the partially-stirred reactor model constant. One model produced reasonable predictions of shock location and peak mean pressure for each equivalence ratio. The second model captured the global trends in the mean wall pressure, but was unable to quantitatively predict the shock location and peak mean pressure for all equivalence ratios tested.

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of diclofenac and ketoprofen patches in two different rat models of acute inflammation

ObjectivesTopical forms of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used to treat pain, fever and inflammation ensure reduced occurrence of systemic adverse effects that are common with oral application. Compared to the systemic therapy, topical applications of NSAIDs require lower doses to achieve pain relief, and thus pose lower risk of major drug interactions. We aimed to evaluate analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of diclofenac and ketoprofen patch in the rat model of acute inflammation. MethodsWistar male rats, body weight 220–290 g were randomized into five groups with six rats. Two groups were treated with diclofenac patch at different doses, two with ketoprofen patch at different doses, while a placebo patch was administered to the control group. After patches removal and initial measurements of pain, gait, body temperature, paw temperature, color and paw volume, the models of acute inflammation were applied: yeast-induced hyperalgesia and carrageenan-induced edema. Measurements were repeated one, three and five hours after inflammation induction. ResultsAcute inflammations induced by both used models did not affect the whole-body temperature. However, there were significant (p < 0.05) differences in pain, gait, paw temperature, color and volume between low and high dose diclofenac and ketoprofen groups compared to the control group in different time points, in both models. ConclusionsOur results confirm the analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of diclofenac and ketoprofen patches when used in two well-established rat models of inflammation. These findings suggests that diclofenac patch would be a useful formulation in clinical practice as a novel treatment option. However, new prospective double blind randomized clinical trials are necessary to evaluate analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of topically applied NSAIDs when used in specific pain and inflammation indications.

Determinants of Schistosoma mansoni transmission in hotspots at the late stage of elimination in Egypt

BackgroundIn certain settings, the prevalence and severity of schistosoma infection do not lessen despite repeated rounds of preventative chemotherapy; these areas are known as hotspots. This study aimed to investigate the role of human practices, besides environmental and malacological factors, in the maintenance of the Schistosoma mansoni infection transmission chain in hotspot areas in Egypt.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted between July and November 2019 in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt. A pre-designed structured interviewing questionnaire was used to collect humanitarian data. Stool samples were collected from children aged 6–15 years on three successive days and examined using the Kato-Katz technique. Simultaneously, water and snail samples were taken from watercourses surrounding houses. Snails were identified based on their shell morphology and structure and tested for cercaria shedding. Water samples were analyzed for their physicochemical and biological characteristics.ResultsA total of 2259 fecal samples (1113 in summer and 1146 in fall) were collected from 861 children. About 46.9% of the participants were males, and 31.8% were aged 6–10 years. The prevalence of S. mansoni infection was higher during the summer than during the fall (19.1% vs 7.2%, respectively, P < 0.01). The intensity of infection (light, moderate, and heavy) during summer versus fall was (93.55 vs 89.38%, 6.45 vs 8.85%, and 0.00% vs 1.77%), respectively (P < 0.05). A higher prevalence of human infection was observed among males than females [OR = 1.63, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.10–2.40, P = 0.015], children aged 11–15 years than among their counterparts aged 6–10 years (OR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.72–5.06, P < 0.001), and mothers with a low level of education (OR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.70–6.52, P < 0.001). The main identified risk factors were contacting the main body of water-canal for washing clothes (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.12–2.49, P = 0.015), land irrigation (OR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.32–4.96, P = 0.004), water collection (OR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.82–4.73, P < 0.001), bathing (OR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.21–4.31, P = 0.009), and garbage disposal (OR = 2.38, 95% CI:1.38–4.12, P < 0.001). The count of Biomphalaria alexandrina was distinct between seasons (P < 0.01) in consistent with statistically significant differences in water temperature, salinity, turbidity, the total concentration of coliforms, depth, velocity, and water level (P < 0.01). The presence of grasses and duckweeds was significantly associated with snail infection (P = 0.00 l). Significant effects of water depth, pH, temperature, and total dissolved solids on snail count were also observed (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe persistence of the infection is due to adoption of risky behaviors and environmental factors that enhance snail survival and infection. Schistosomiasis elimination in hotspots requires an integrated control approach that combines preventive chemotherapy with other complementary measures.

Are New Residential Areas Cooler than Older Ones?

This study was conducted to investigate if passive cooling technologies have been implemented in commercially supplied new residential areas in Bangkok and to observe if there were significant differences in the land surface temperature (LST) compared to old residential areas. Values of LST were compared among 62 residential areas that differed in completion year. The mean LST for the most recent residential areas completed in 2013 or later was significantly less than that for the other older categories, suggesting that passive cooling effects were significantly better functioning in the new residential areas. A roof treatment on old buildings in a public housing project was still quantitatively effective after 8 years. This suggested the possibility of a deteriorated cooling function in the older categories among the residential areas. The possibility of deterioration was quantitatively investigated. The results stressed the importance of the periodic maintenance of passive cooling functions. As an extension of precise basic studies, this is the first study to quantify the passive cooling effects on commercially supplied residential areas. In terms of spatial extent, this residential area–scale study bridges precise analyses of single buildings/materials and regional observations, mainly relying on satellite data. The study results can aid in the mitigation and prevention of the urban heat island phenomenon. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-06-08 Full Text: PDF

Full-scale three-dimensional simulation of air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack: Temperature spatial variation and comprehensive validation

This study presents one of the first full-scale stack three-dimensional (3D) simulations for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell to investigate temperature distribution, cell/stack performance, and impact of air cooling. The stack consists of 30 cells with the active area of 50 mm × 200 mm for each fuel cell. The manifold and all the basic components are included in the computational domain, while the flow field structure is treated as porous media in order to reduce the computational burden. The model predictions are validated against the experimentally measured voltage and detailed temperature distribution under different currents. It is found that significant differences in temperature are present between the fuel cells at the two sides and that in the middle, and the oxygen content becomes lower at a higher temperature site due to the local increased water vapor concentration. As a consequence, thermal behavior has a decisive effect on the distributions of temperature, reactant concentration, membrane hydration, current density, etc., inside this air-cooled stack. It is also found that increasing the cooling air flow rate not only decreases the stack temperature, but also reduces the temperature variation, which further benefit the uniform distributions of oxygen, water vapor, etc. in the stack.

EFFECT OF FERMENTED CINNAMON (Cinnomomum zeylanicumon) JUICE EXTRACT ON RED SOKOTO BUCKS THERMOREGULATORY INDICES, HAEMATOLOGY AND SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY

This study assessed the effect of fermented cinnamon (Cinnomomum zeylanicunom) juice extract on Red Sokoto bucks thermoregulatory indices, haematology and serum biochemistry. A total number of twelve (12) apparently healthy pubertal Red Sokoto Buck of approximately the same age (7 months) categories and with average body weight of 15±05 Kg was selected for this study. The bucks were allotted into four dosage levels of 0ml, 15ml, 30ml and 45ml of fermented cinnamon juice extract per treatment in a completely randomized design (CRD). The thermoregulatory result revealed that there are significant (P&lt;0.05) differences in rectal temperature (ºC) and pulse rate while respiratory rate (brpm) indicate non-significant (P&lt;0.05) difference in bucks supplemented fermented cinnamon juice extract. The meteorological data determined in this study indicate that experimental animals were raised in high Temperature-humidity index which signifies thermal discomfort. The haematological profile measured in this study revealed a significantly different (P&lt;0.05) of packed cell volume, red blood cell, and white blood cell among the treatments. Significant (P&lt;0.05) differences were also observed in aspartate aminotransferase, total protein, albumin, serum phosphorus, calcium, cholesterol, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein with increases dosages of fermented cinnamon juice extract. It is therefore concluded that supplementing Red Sokoto bucks with fermented cinnamon juice extract up 45ml has a profound effect in modulating thermoregulatory indices during period of thermal discomfort thereby ameliorating thermal stress, and played a crucial role in stabilizing hematological and serum biochemical profiles of Red Sokoto bucks.

Antiviral activity of mink interferon alpha expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris.

Many viruses can cause infections in mink, including canine distemper virus, mink enteritis virus, and Aleutian disease virus. Current treatments are ineffective, and these infections are often fatal, causing severe economic losses. As antiviral drugs may effectively prevent and control these infections, recent research has increasingly focused on antiviral interferons. Herein, the gene encoding a mature mink interferon alpha (MiIFN-α) was synthesized according to the P. pastoris preference of codon usage and a recombinant plasmid, pPICZαA-MiIFN-α, was constructed. pPICZαA-MiIFN-α was linearized and transformed into the P. pastoris X33 strain, and zeocin-resistant transformants were selected. Protein expression was induced by methanol. SDS-PAGE and western blot analyses showed that a 25-kDa fusion protein was expressed in the culture supernatant. Antiviral activity of the expressed protein was determined using cytopathic effect inhibition (CPEI). The purified MiIFN-α significantly inhibited the cytopathic effect of vesicular stomatitis virus with a green fluorescent protein (VSV-GFP) in F81 feline kidney cells, with an antiviral activity of 6.4 × 107 IU/mL; it also significantly inhibited MEV replication in F81 cells. MiIFN-α antiviral activity against VSV-GFP was significantly reduced on treatment with pH 4 and pH 10 conditions for 24 h (p < 0.01). Serum MiIFN-α concentrations in rat were measured using enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay; MiIFN-α concentrations in rat serum peaked at ~36 h after injection. A high dose of MiIFN-α was safe for use. There were no significant differences in body temperature, tissue changes, and lymphocyte, total white blood cell, and central granulocyte counts between the injected and control groups (p > 0.05). These findings lay a foundation for the large-scale production of recombinant MiIFNs.

Effects of Canopy Position and Microclimate on Fruit Development and Quality of Camellia oleifera

Camellia oleifera is an economic tree species in southern China and is famous for its oil. The surrounding climate is filtered by the tree itself, resulting in the canopy microclimate, which affects the growth and fruit quality of C. oleifera. This study investigated the effect of canopy positions on microclimate and fruit growth, maturation and qualities by comparing the differences in canopy position. This study also considered the relationship between microclimate and fruit qualities during the oil conversion period. The fruit qualities and microclimate were studied by dividing the canopy into two vertical layers and horizontal layers, creating the following canopy positions: upper outer canopy (UO), upper inner canopy (UI), lower outer canopy (LO) and lower inner canopy (LI). The light intensity increased significantly from inside to outside and from top to bottom in the canopy; however, there were no significant differences in temperature and relative humidity. At maturity, the moisture content of fruits and kernels in UO and LO was approximately &lt;5% of those in UI and LI. The soluble sugar content increased by 10.90%, 8.47% and 6.84% in UO, UI and LO in November, while no significant change was observed in LI. The kernel oil content (KOC) obtained a higher value in UO and UI at maturity. However, KOC decreased by 5.16%, 3.02%, 3.10% and 0.67% in UO, UI, LO and LI in November. Light intensity in September and October was correlated, and temperature and relative humidity in August and September were correlated.

EDNA metabarcoding shows latitudinal eukaryote micro- and mesoplankton diversity stabilizes across oligotrophic region of a >3000 km longitudinal transect in the Indian Ocean

Sea surface planktonic assemblages were sampled using environmental DNA at 1.5° latitudinal increments (from 39.5 to 11.5°S) following the 110°E meridian in the Eastern Indian Ocean to reveal factors structuring eukaryotic diversity. Metabarcoding the v4 region of the 18S rRNA gene revealed a eukaryotic assemblage over-dominated by amplicon sequence variants representing just four taxa that comprised 50% of reads, which were from copepods. Eukaryotes were predominantly heterotrophs and mixotrophs, with the presence of individual taxa responding to nutrient and temperature/oxygen gradients. Assemblage richness and diversity was greater at the northern end of the transect, but this diversity change occurred mostly around the sub-tropical front (∼35°S) with an unusually high degree of uniformity and non-monotonic progression in the alpha and beta diversity over the majority of the transect despite extending through distinct water masses, i.e., Indonesian Throughflow with tropical, low salinity waters, Subtropical Surface Water of high salinity waters and varying temperature, and Sub-Antarctic Mode Water with cooler and low salinity water. However, piecewise linear models of environmental and biotic data and fuzzy c-means clustering (with k = 2, 3 or 4) identified some discontinuities in the transect that were clumped at the southern end of the transect, although these cluster boundaries lacked consensus, being often poorly defined between the different data types. This eDNA data was largely concordant with morphological analyses, that also found the eukaryotic assemblage became largely stable northwards of the southernmost sampling points. These results contrast to other observations of diversity increasing monotonically toward the equator; i.e., eukaryotic communities were contrary to the “latitudinal diversity gradient hypothesis”. This accords with observations that extremely oligotrophic conditions can stabilise planktonic assemblages, despite significant latitudinal differences in temperature of as much as 16 °C.

Propagation of Babesia bigemina in Rabbit Model and Evaluation of Its Attenuation in Cross-Bred Calves.

Simple SummaryVector-borne diseases (VBDs) cause heavy economic losses in the livestock sector. Among these VBDs, babesiosis is the second most common disease, causing high morbidity, mortality, and reproductive and productive losses in cattle. The causative agents of this disease are globally distributed across tropical and subtropical countries. In the current study, B. bigemina was propagated in vivo in rabbit for attenuation and evaluated for its virulence periodically. This attenuated B. bigemina was then inoculated to naive calves for the evaluation of clinical parameters. Increased parasitaemia and temperature were observed in rabbits following the inoculation of B. bigemina-infected red blood cells. The naive calves did not show symptoms of parasitaemia or temperature elevation when inoculated with rabbit-propagated B. bigemina-infected RBCs. Furthermore, this study also demonstrated that infected cattle periodically had a decreased PCV profile, along with increased temperature and parasitaemia. Moreover, this study also revealed correlations between the temperature, parasitaemia, and packed cell volume of inoculated, infected, and control group calves.Bovine babesiosis (BB) is a vector-borne disease (VBD) that affects cattle in tropical and subtropical areas, caused by the haemoprotozoa Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina. It is transmitted by tick bites belonging to the genus Rhipicephalus and is clinically characterized by high fever, depression, anorexia, decreased milk and meat production, haemoglobinemia, haemoglobinuria, jaundice, and pregnancy loss. In this study, the propagation of B. bigemina was evaluated by intraperitoneally inoculating 3 × 106 red blood cells infected with B. bigemina into rabbits. The study showed that variations in rabbit body temperatures are related to induced bovine babesiosis. A significant increase in temperature (39.20 ± 0.23 °C) was observed from day 4 onwards, with the maximum temperature (40.80 ± 1.01 °C) on day 9 post-inoculation. This study included susceptible cross-bred calves for in vivo attenuation, and they were compared with an infected group. The calves in the infected group showed a significant increase in temperature (38.79 ± 0.03 °C) from day 3 onwards and a maximum temperature (41.3 ± 0.17 °C) on day 11. Inoculated calves showed a gradual rise in temperature post-inoculation, but the difference was not significant. Inoculated calves did not show parasitaemia, whereas 32% of infected calves displayed parasitaemia. As compared to inoculated calves post-inoculation, packed cell volume (PCV) decreased (16.36 ± 1.30) for infected calves. However, there were statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in temperatures, parasitaemia, and PCV in both inoculated and infected calves. The current study aimed to attenuate B. bigemina in rabbit models and evaluate the pathogenic potential of this organism in naive calves. In conclusion, B. bigemina proliferation was attenuated in rabbits. The rabbit model can be used to study B. bigemina in vivo in order to reduce its pathogenicity.

EN PRENSA Predicting semi-intensive production of Penaeus vannamei using simple linear regression models: A sensitivity analysis using environmental and management variables. EN PRENSA

An analysis was conducted on semi-intensive production of a commercial farm of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) to establish recommendations for production improvement, considering the influence of environmental and management variables on growth and survival. For this purpose the records obtained of a production cycle. A variance analysis was conducted to confirm significant differences in environmental variables among ponds. The following relationships were determined: 1) environmental variables with management variables and 2) environmental and management variables with the production parameters (final weight and final survival). Subsequently, simple linear regression models were estimated between the variables related to the production parameters to conduct sensibility analysis by simulation. The analysis of variance showed statistically significant differences (P &lt; 0.05) in temperature and dissolved oxygen concentrations among ponds. The correlation analyses between environmental and management variables showed that the final weight was positively related to temperature and dissolved oxygen and inversely proportional to the stocking density and duration of cultivation (P &lt; 0.05). Survival was negatively correlated with pond size (P &lt; 0.05). Sensibility analysis by simulation showed that variability of dissolved oxygen affected the final production more than other variables, as it increased from 1.521 kg ha-1 to 2.429 kg ha-1. The remainder variables in order of importance were: temperature, duration of cultivation, amount of feed, stocking density and pond size, respectively. Within the ranges tested, higher levels of dissolved oxygen, appropriate stocking densities and small pond size could substantially improve the production in semi-intensive Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp farms.

An archaeometric study of the Konya basin metallic ware through FTIR and XRD analysis with chemometrics: Central Anatolian Early Bronze Age ceramics

AbstractFourier‐transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction and chemometrics were used to characterize the mineralogical composition and firing conditions of 59 Early Bronze Age ceramic sherds from the Konya Plain (Turkey). These include the Konya Basin Metallic Ware (KBMW) and a control group of contemporary local products. The analysis indicates significant differences in mineral inclusions and firing temperatures, with KBMW generally being fired above 800°C and characterized by standardized fabric recipes. Assessed together with other published evidence, these results indicate a high degree of specialization in the production of KBMW ceramic assemblages in central Anatolia during the third millennium BCE.

Diagnostic role of multislice spiral computed tomography combined with clinical manifestations and laboratory tests in acute appendicitis subtypes

The study aimed to investigate the diagnostic role of multislice spiral CT (MSCT) combined with clinical manifestations and laboratory tests in acute appendicitis subtypes. Patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis were...

Flammability and Combustibility of Two Mediterranean Species in Relation to Forest Fires in Croatia

Climatic conditions are extremely important for the start and spread of forest fires. Flammability and the spread of fire are sensitive to the interactions of variables within ecosystems, such as weather, fuel, and topography. Certain variables are highly significant for forest fires and are applied in various models, particularly the moisture content of potential fuel, and its flammability or combustibility. However, such these models cannot determine the true values of the required variables, unlike actual empirical research. Areas with the highest number of fires show significant variability and differences in air temperature, humidity, and precipitation. These factors have a strong influence on flammability, combustibility, and moisture content of Mediterranean species. This study analyses the flammability and combustibility of two Mediterranean species important for the Adriatic area in Croatia: climazonal holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) and Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) as an important conifer for afforestation and reforestation. The results of linear correlation coefficients of flammability of these species at the studied localities show a statistically significant and very strong correlation between flammability and the moisture content of the tested sample, with the exception of Aleppo pine on the island of Rab. The analysis of variance of combustibility showed that there were no statistically significant differences between nearly all variables tested. The results indicate the significant effect of live fuel moisture content on the flammability and combustibility of natural fuels.

Analysis of the Effect of Antibiotic Bone Cement in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcer through Tibia Transverse Transport.

ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy of antibiotic bone cement (ABC) combined with the modified tibial transverse transport (mTTT) on the treatment of severe diabetic foot with infection.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted of 243 patients with TEXAS grade 3/4 stage D diabetic foot ulcers from December 2016 to December 2019. A total of 115 patients treated with mTTT were classified as the mTTT group (78 male and 37 female, mean age: 70.4 ± 6 years) and 128 patients who were treated with ABC combined with mTTT were in the ABC + mTTT group (89 male and 39 female, mean age: 68.9 ± 8 years). Follow‐up records during treatment and 6 months after surgery were collected, including the time required for white blood cells (WBC) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) to return to normal range, wound healing time, pain visual analog scale (VAS), ankle‐brachial index (ABI), foot skin temperature, transcutaneous oxygen pressure measurement (TcPO2), complications, and other indicators. Normally distributed data were compared using the independent sample t‐test, non‐normally distributed data were analyzed by one‐way ANOVA analysis of variance.ResultsThere were 128 cases in the ABC + mTTT group (89 male and 39 female, mean age: 68.9 ± 8 years) treated with ABC and mTTT, and 115 cases in the TTT group (78 male and 37 female, mean age: 70.4 ± 6 years) treated with mTTT alone. The time required for WBC and CRP to return to the normal range and wound healing time in the ABC + mTTT group were significantly shorter than those in the mTTT group (12.9 ± 4.6 vs. 22.6 ± 1.6 days, t = 3.979, p < 0.001; 25.3 ± 1.3 vs. 31.3 ± 2.3 days, t = 4.261, p = 0.001; 11.9 ± 3.8 vs. 15.9 ± 3.9 days, t = 4.539, p < 0.001). There were no significant intergroup differences in the foot skin temperature, VAS score, ABI, and TcPO2 (t = 0.349, 0.542, 0.765, 0.693 while all p > 0.05).ConclusionAlthough the application of ABC with mTTT for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers did not affect the wound healing time and ankle blood supply in the mid‐term, it could control ulcer infection faster and accelerate wound healing.

Diagnostic efficiency of metagenomic next-generation sequencing on spinal infection and prognosis.

Spinal infection is a rare infectious disease that is difficult to treat. The incidence of spinal infection is on the rise with the experiential use of antibiotics, the increasing incidence of drug-resistant bacteria, and the improvement of detection techniques. Traditional detection methods have limitations such as low sensitivity and long time-consuming in the diagnosis of spinal infection. In the clinical diagnosis and treatment of spinal infection, it has always been the focus and difficulty to determine the type of pathogens and to use antibiotics in a targeted manner. Many patients in the early stage of spinal infection due to the limitations of traditional detection methods cannot be quickly and accurately diagnosed, resulting in diagnosis delay, missed the best treatment time, bringing disastrous consequences to patients. There is an urgent need for a high-specificity, high-sensitivity, and time-saving test technique in clinical practice, which can simultaneously distinguish and identify the pathogen of spinal infection. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a new frontier technology emerging in recent years. It can detect all known pathogens in samples and has been used to diagnose clinically atypical and rare infectious diseases. This study aims to analyze the sensitivity of mNGS technique in diagnosing pathogens after spinal infection and its effect on prognosis. Clinical data of 82 patients with spinal infection admitted to Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Peripheral blood erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) were routinely performed before surgery, and focal tissue specimens were obtained during surgery. Microbial culture, histopathological examination, and mNGS detection were performed. All patients were assigned into a targeted medication group (n=71) and an experienced treatment group (n=1) based on the results of mNGS. After regular follow-up, the sensitivity of mNGS to detect pathogens of spinal infection and its effect on prognosis were evaluated. The positive rate of mNGS (86.59%, 71/82) was significantly higher than that of microbial culture (18.99%, 15/79) and PCT (30.23%, 13/43). There were no significant differences in preoperative temperature, white blood cell count, neutrophil ratio, and scores of Visual Analogue Scale between the targeted medication group and the experienced treatment group. Preoperative use of antibiotics had no significant effect on the positive rate of mNGS and microbial culture (P=0.681). According to the targeted medication group, postoperative CRP and ESR showed a decreasing trend, and the ESR was significantly lower than that of the experienced treatment group at 30 days follow-up (P=0.044). Compared with the microbial culture or PCT, mNGS has a higher sensitivity rate to detect pathogens of spinal infection. Patients receiving targeted antibiotics based on the results of mNGS have better outcomes than those receiving the experienced medicine.