Stable Level Research Articles

PKM Kelompok Tani Sawit “KUD Kampar” Desa Kampa, Riau

Oil palm is a plantation commodity that has a strategic role in Indonesia's economic development. The development of the palm oil industry in Indonesia is inseparable from the role of planting materials used by oil palm plantation farmers. Superior oil palm seedlings are the basic capital to achieve high productivity and quality of palm oil. The use of illegal or careless seedlings can cause a decrease in productivity of up to 50%. In contrast, by using superior quality oil palm seedlings, stable production levels can be guaranteed for 25 years, hence the type and quality of seedlings is a major concern. This community service related to superior seedling selection strategies in order to increase national oil palm productivity was carried out at KUD Kampar. KUD Kampar oversees 20 farmer groups of oil palm farmers in Kampar district, so that through this service it is hoped that the PKM Polytechnic Kampar Team can be a means for oil palm farmers in Kampar Regency to get correct and accurate information about superior oil palm seeds and be able to increase the productivity of the oil palm plantations owned by KUD Kampar farmer groups.

SPECIFICS OF ANTIBODY GENESIS IN NOVOSIBIRSK BREED SM-1 PIGS IN THE PROCESS OF PHYLOGENESIS

The article presents data reflecting the features of the synthesis of IgM and IgG in pigs of the SM-1 breed of Novosibirsk selection in phylogenesis. The studies were conducted on pigs on the 30th, 60th, 90th and 240th days of life in 1990, 1996 and 2006. birth. Each group of animals included 66 animals. Groups of animals were formed according to the method of analogues, taking into account age, body weight, sex and health. Pigs were bled from the cranial vena cava. The concentration of IgM and IgG in the blood serum of animals was determined by simple radial immunodiffusion. The study results showed that pigs born in 1990 differ from their peers born in 1996 and 2006 in statistically significant high levels of IgM at 30, 60, and 240 days of age and increased activity of IgG synthesis at three months of age. So, at 30 days of age, piglets born in 1990 exceeded the IgM content in the blood serum of sucklings born in 1996 by 15.5% (P<0.001) and piglets born in 2006 - by 20.0% (P<0.001). On the 60th day of life, the differences between pigs born in 1990 and 1996 and between 1990 and 2006 were, respectively, 26.2 (P<0.01) and 32.5% (P<0.01). In pigs on the 240th day of life, born in 1990, the concentration of IgM in the blood serum was 44.6% (P<0.001) higher than in pigs born in 1996 and 48.0% (P<0.001) higher than in pigs 2006 year of birth. At two months, piglets born in 1990 were inferior in IgG level to piglets born in 1996 by 24.4% and too young animals born in 2006 by 24.7% (P<0.01). A month after weaning, pigs born in 1990 demonstrated the best rehabilitation qualities of the immune system. As a result, piglets born in 1990 were ahead of their counterparts in 1996 and 2006. births by 26.1% (P<0.001) and 26.0% (P<0.001), respectively. Pigs 1996 and 2006 birth throughout the study showed a stable level of antibody genesis.

Reconstruction of the Atrophic Ridge with Staged approaches with the Autogenous Bone Block and Dental Implant: Case Reports and Literature Review

<p>Dental implant is a common choice for rehabilitation of edentulous areas in modern dentistry. However, alveolar bone destruction due to severe periodontitis, trauma, or other pathological conditions may compromise implant placement in an idea position. Ridge augmentation with autogenous bone blocks can be used to reconstruct the deficiency of the alveolar bone. This article reviewed about the relevant literatures and reported two cases of severe ridge atro¬phy using staged approaches with ridge augmentation using autogenous bone block grafting and implant placement for reconstruction. Case 1 showed alveolar bone destruction caused by severe periodontitis at left maxillary region, which was augmented with the autogenous bone block harvested from mandibular symphysis in combination with FDBA and collagen membrane. Case 2 presented alveolar ridge deficiency after tooth extraction due to severe periodontitis. Ridge augmentation was performed using autogenous bone block harvested from the mandibular ramus along with FDBA and collagen membrane. Both cases showed increased bone volume after ridge augmentation. Implants were successful and presented stable bone level for a follow up period at least one year after implant surgery. The literature review and case reports suggest that with appropriate case selection, careful treatment, and regular maintenance, using autogenous block bone grafts harvested from the mandibular symphysis or ramus for ridge augmentation and implant placement can achieve predictable outcomes.</p> <p> </p>

Post-Hospital Falls Among the Older Population: The Temporal Pattern in Risk and Healthcare Burden.

Older adults are prone to falls following hospital discharge, resulting in healthcare utilization and costs. The fall risk might change over time after discharge. To fill research gaps in this area, this study examined the temporal pattern in incidence and healthcare burden of post-hospital falls in older adults. A territory-wide retrospective cohort study was conducted. Participants were Hong Kong adults aged ≥65 years and discharged from hospitals between January 2007 and December2017. The participants were followed for 12months to identify fall-related inpatient episodes, accident and emergency department (AED) visits, and mortality after discharge. The post-hospital falls were further analyzed in 2 subcategories (1) only requiring AED visits and (2) requiring hospitalization. The incidence rate and faller incidence proportion for total falls and subcategories during the different periods were examined. The corresponding healthcare utilization and costs were calculated. Among the 606,392 older adults discharged from hospitals during the study period, 28,593 individuals (4.7%) experienced at least 1 post-hospital fall within 12months, resulting in a total of 33,158 falls (57 per 1000 person-years). Out of post-hospital falls presenting to hospitals, one-third only required AED visits, and two-thirds required hospitalization. The fall incidence rate peaked in the first 3 weeks after discharge and gradually decreased to a stable level from the fourth to ninth week. The annual healthcare costs related to post-hospital falls exceeded USD 28.9 million in older adults, with the mean cost per faller and fall being USD 11,129 and USD9596. The fall-related healthcare utilizations after discharge impose a substantial economic burden on older adults. During the first 9 weeks, particularly the first 3 weeks, older adults were at high risk of falling. The efforts on resource allocation for fall prevention are suggested to prioritize this period.

Information Support of Accounting and Reporting in Cost Calculating of Boiler-Building Production

Introduction. The improvement of calculation systems is historically justified by the development of the management system and the increase in the number of users of accounting and reporting data and their requests, which has a significant impact on the information support of the production process in various spheres of economic activity. Every commercial organization is faced with the question of the rationality of the calculation system used and the degree of its compliance with market realities affected by uncertainty and risk conditions. The application of traditional approaches to calculating the cost of products, works, services becomes insufficient to maintain a stable level of competitiveness. In this context, the development of information support for calculation systems aimed not only at calculating the cost, but also at managing costs throughout the entire production cycle is an urgent and practically significant research topic. Purpose. Development of an approach to disclosure of information on calculating the cost of boiler-building production in accounting and reporting. Methods. To achieve the purpose of the study, general scientific methods were used: modeling – in determining the target values of the cost of production, specification – in calculating the cost of various types of outdoor heating boilers, analysis – in identifying the effect of the use of calculation systems, comparison – in comparing traditional and innovative methods of calculating the cost. Results. A comparative characteristic of the traditional methods of cost accounting and cost calculation for Russian practice with foreign ones is carried out to determine the possibilities and limitations of their application, as well as the need for the development of accounting and reporting tools. The calculation of the cost based on the materials of actually operating organizations of the boiler-building sphere is carried out, an algorithm for determining the target cost and profit rate of the products is proposed. Recommendations on improving the information support of accounting and reporting have been compiled. Conclusion. The obtained results confirmed the expediency of applying innovative approaches to calculating the cost of production of boiler-building organizations, including setting the target cost and its reflection in accounting and reporting.

Dynamic dosing for continuous renal replacement therapy: Service evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of titrating dose to biochemistry

Introduction: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) dose is usually fixed and primarily weight-based. Whilst this is safe, theoretically, underdosing or overdosing may occur in those requiring acute versus maintenance CRRT respectively. We have developed a dynamic dosing protocol for CRRT which individualises and updates dosing according to biochemistry. Here we describe the protocol and compare it to a fixed dose protocol to evaluate its safety and effectiveness. Methods: We conducted a service evaluation of this novel protocol using data from consecutive non-COVID-19 admissions receiving CRRT within Barts Health NHS trust, United Kingdom (UK). Fifty admissions using the dynamic protocol were compared to historically collected data from 108 admissions who used the fixed protocol. Acute and maintenance CRRT subgroups were analysed. Results: For the dynamic protocol 49 patients were treated with 135 CRRT circuits. One patient had two admissions. Protocol compliance (compared in one ICU) was 76% (dynamic) vs 61% (fixed) ( p < 0.05). For the dynamic versus fixed protocol, median CRRT lifespan censored for reasons other than clotting was: 56 h vs 58 h RCA (ns), 27 h versus 20 h heparin (ns) and 79 h versus 22 h no anticoagulation ( p < 0.05). The dynamic vs fixed protocol average CRRT dose was: 30 ml/kg/h (14–57) vs 26 ml/kg/h (20–62) ( p < 0.05). The dynamic protocol generated a similar rate of increase of bicarbonate in an acute phase (RCA: 0.2 mmol/l/h vs 0.21 mmol/l/h, ns) and maintained a more stable level in a maintenance phase (RCA: −0.01 mmol/l/h vs 0.07 mmol/l/h, p < 0.05). Discussion: Dynamic dosing for CRRT in this institution was safe and may lead to more tailored maintenance of biochemical homoeostasis.

Prospective Longitudinal Assessment of Quality of Life after Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Oligometastases: Analysis of the Population-Based SABR-5 Phase II Trial

To evaluate longitudinal patient-reported quality of life (QoL) in patients treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for oligometastases. The SABR-5 trial was a population-based single-arm phase II study of SABR to up to 5 sites of oligometastases, conducted in 6 regional cancer centers in British Columbia from 2016 to 2020. Prospective QoL was measured using treatment site-specific QoL questionnaires at pre-treatment baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 30, and 36 months after treatment. Patients with bone metastases were assessed with the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Patients with liver, adrenal, and abdominopelvic lymph node metastases were assessed with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Abdominal Discomfort (FACIT-AD). Patients with lung and intrathoracic lymph node metastases were assessed with the Prospective Outcomes and Support Initiative (POSI) lung questionnaire. The two one-sided test procedure was used to assess equivalence between the worst QoL score and baseline score of individual patients. Mean QoL at all time points was used to determine the trajectory of QoL response after SABR. The proportion of patients with "stable," "improved," or "worsened" QoL was determined for all time points based on standard minimal clinically important differences (MCID; BPI worst pain = 2, BPI Functional Interference Score [FIS] = 0.5, FACIT-AD Trial Outcome Index [TOI] = 8, POSI = 3). All enrolled patients with baseline QoL assessment and at least 1 follow-up assessment were analyzed (n = 135). On equivalence testing, patients' worst QoL scores were clinically different from baseline scores and met MCID (BPI worst pain mean difference: 1.8, 90% CI [1.19 to 2.42]; BPI FIS mean difference: 1.68, 90% CI [1.15 to 2.21]; FACIT-AD TOI mean difference: -8.76, 90% CI [-11.29 to -6.24]; POSI mean difference: -4.61, 90% CI [-6.09 to -3.14]). However, the mean FIS transiently worsened at 9, 18 and 21 months but eventually returned to stable levels. The mean FACIT and POSI scores also worsened at 36 months, albeit with a limited number of responses (n = 4 and 8, respectively). The majority of patients reported stable QoL at all time points (range: BPI worst pain 71-82%, BPI FIS 45-78%, FACIT-AD TOI 50-100%, POSI 25-73%). Clinically significant stability, worsening, and improvement were seen in 70%/13%/18% of patients at 3 months, 53%/28%/19% at 18 months and 63%/25%/13% at 36 months. SABR in the oligometastatic setting can lead to transient decreases in QoL. However, most patients experienced stable QoL relative to pre-treatment levels on long-term follow-up. Further studies are needed to characterize patients at greatest risk for decreased QoL.

Hepatocyte-specific HDAC3 ablation promotes hepatocellular carcinoma in females by suppressing Foxa1/2

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer, prevails mainly in males and has long been attributed to androgens and higher circumstantial levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) produced by resident hepatic macrophages.MethodsConstitutively hepatocyte-specific histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3)-deficient (HDAC3LCKO) mice and constitutively hepatocyte-specific HDAC3 knockout and systemic IL-6 simultaneously ablated (HDAC3LCKO& IL-6−/−) mice were used in our study to explore the causes of sex differences in HCC. Additionally, we performed human HCC tissues with an IHC score. Correlation analysis and linear regression plots were constructed to reveal the association between HDAC3 and its candidate genes. To further elucidate that HDAC3 controls the expression of Foxa1/2, we knocked down HDAC3 in HUH7 liver cancer cells.ResultsWe observed a contrary sex disparity, with an earlier onset and higher incidence of HCC in female mice when HDAC3 was selectively ablated in the liver. Loss of HDAC3 led to constant liver injury and the spontaneous development of HCC. Unlike the significant elevation of IL-6 in male mice at a very early age, female mice exhibit stable IL-6 levels, and IL-6 ablation did not eliminate the sex disparity in hepatocarcinogenesis in HDAC3-deficient mice. Oestrogen often protects the liver when combined with oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα); however, ovariectomy in HDAC3-ablated female mice significantly delayed tumourigenesis. The oestrogen-ERα axis can also play a role in tumour promotion in the absence of Foxa1 and Foxa2 in the receptor complex. Loss of HDAC3 profoundly reduced the expression of both Foxa1 and Foxa2 and impaired the binding between Foxa1/2 and ERα. Furthermore, a more frequent HDAC3 decrease accompanied by the simultaneous Foxa1/2 decline was found in female HCC compared to that in male HCC.ConclusionIn summary, we reported that loss of HDAC3 reduces Foxa1/2 and thus promotes HCC development in females in an oestrogen-dependent manner.

Characterization of Hot Deformation behavior for Ultra-High Strength (UHS) Steel containing Tungsten

The steel alloy of the current study contains 0.3% carbon with different amounts of Cr, and Mo, in addition to W. Single simulation hits were designed as isothermal passes for compressive hot deformation up to 0.5 true strain. Each simulation compressive pass was carried out at temperatures, 1050, 950, 850 and 750 oC, with strain rates 0.1 and 1.0 sec-1. A numerical computational model is used for formulation of the alloy hot flow behavior at the specified conditions. The model considers inseparable strain hardening mechanism and dynamic softening phenomenon. It is noticed that high deformation temperature lowers the flow stress value (σf), while the increase of the strain rate raises it. The flow curves reveal initial high strain hardening phenomena in combination with low dynamic softening features. With the increase of strain, the dynamic softening, becomes dominant, and the flow stress gradually drops until a relatively stable stress level. Predicted flow curves were then constructed and compared with their counterpart experimental flow curves. The predicted flow curves are typically matching the counterpart experimental ones.

Electromyographic characterization of limb flexion, extension and their special exercise movements in high level distance runners

Abstract The study of EMG characteristics of high-level distance runners in limb flexion, extension, and their special exercise movements is beneficial to developing competitive distance running sports. In this study, high-level distance runners were used as the research object, and the sEMG test in EMG analysis was used to compare the general distance runners, and the changes of MPF, FC, and IEMG were obtained during the limb flexion, extension, and special exercise movements of high-level distance runners. When the FC was 100Hz, the MPF values of high-level distance runners were 64MV2/Hz, while the MPF values of average-distance runners were 45 MV2/Hz. When the muscle strength reached 50%, the IEMG values of rectus abdominis, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius were 52%, 45 and 56%, respectively, in high-level distance runners, while the IEMG values of average distance runners were 47%, 42%, and 50%, respectively and 50%, respectively. Through the data analysis, the high-level long-distance runners could maintain a higher exercise state and perform at a stable level despite the gradual muscle fatigue, their muscle strength and contraction ability were stronger, and their explosive muscle power and potential were greater than the average long-distance runners.

The Effect of Lullabies and Classical Music on Preterm Neonates' Cerebral Oxygenation, Vital Signs, and Comfort During Orogastric Tube Feeding: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study investigated the effect of lullabies and classical music on preterm neonates' cerebral oxygenation, vital signs, and comfort during orogastric (OG) tube feeding. This was a parallel-group pretest-posttest randomized controlled study. The research was conducted between December 2020 and May 2022. The sample consisted of 51 preterm neonates hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine Hospital in Konya, Türkiye. Participants were randomized into three groups (17 preterm infants in each group). The first group listened to lullabies sung by their mothers and the second group listened to classical music during OG tube feeding. The control group received routine care with no music. Data were collected using a Neonatal Identification Information Form, Physiological Parameters and rSO2 Monitoring Form, and the Newborn Comfort Behavior Scale (Comfort-Neo). The study was registered on the ClinicalTrials database (NCT05333575). The lullaby group had stable peak heart rates and oxygen saturation levels (p = .002). Both lullaby and classical music groups had significantly higher cerebral oxygenation levels than the control group. The classical music group had the highest cerebral oxygenation level (p = .001). Both lullaby and classical music groups had significantly higher mean Comfort-Neo scores than the control group. The classical music group had the highest mean Comfort-Neo score (p = .040). Preterm neonates who listen to lullabies and classical music are likely to have higher cerebral oxygen and comfort levels. Listening to lullabies helps stabilize vital signs. These results suggest that healthcare professionals should encourage parents to get their preterm neonates to listen to lullabies and classical music.

Emerging Therapies in Hypothyroidism.

Levothyroxine (LT4) is effective for most patients with hypothyroidism. However, a minority of the patients remain symptomatic despite the normalization of serum thyrotropin levels. Randomized clinical trials including all types of patients with hypothyroidism revealed that combination levothyroxine and liothyronine (LT4+LT3) therapy is safe and is the preferred choice of patients versus LT4 alone. Many patients who do not fully benefit from LT4 experience improved quality of life and cognition after switching to LT4+LT3. For these patients, new slow-release LT3 formulations that provide stable serum T3 levels are being tested. In addition, progress in regenerative technology has led to the development of human thyroid organoids that restore euthyroidism after being transplanted into hypothyroid mice. Finally, there is a new understanding that, under certain conditions, T3 signaling may be compromised in a tissue-specific fashion while systemic thyroid function is preserved. This is seen, for example, in patients with metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease, for whom liver-selective T3-like molecules have been utilized successfully in clinical trials.

Targeted Delivery of Chimeric Antigen Receptor into T Cells via CRISPR-Mediated Homology-Directed Repair with a Dual-AAV6 Transduction System.

CAR-T cell therapy involves genetically engineering T cells to recognize and attack tumour cells by adding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to their surface. In this study, we have used dual transduction with AAV serotype 6 (AAV6) to integrate an anti-CD19 CAR into human T cells at a known genomic location. The first viral vector expresses the Cas9 endonuclease and a guide RNA (gRNA) targeting the T cell receptor alpha constant locus, while the second vector carries the DNA template for homology-mediated CAR insertion. We evaluated three gRNA candidates and determined their efficiency in generating indels. The AAV6 successfully delivered the CRISPR/Cas9 machinery in vitro, and molecular analysis of the dual transduction showed the integration of the CAR transgene into the desired location. In contrast to the random integration methods typically used to generate CAR-T cells, targeted integration into a known genomic locus can potentially lower the risk of insertional mutagenesis and provide more stable levels of CAR expression. Critically, this method also results in the knockout of the endogenous T cell receptor, allowing target cells to be derived from allogeneic donors. This raises the exciting possibility of "off-the-shelf" universal immunotherapies that would greatly simplify the production and administration of CAR-T cells.

Lifetide biofeedback intervention in type 2 diabetic patients: a pilot observation

To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of lifetide biofeedback intervention in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We analyzed the changes in average blood glucose, estimated glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels in 5 patients with T2DM undergoing lifetide biofeedback intervention without the use of hypoglycemic drugs. A transient blood glucose monitoring system was used for drug withdrawal management during the intervention. Compared with those before the intervention, the average blood glucose and fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels showed no significant changes after the intervention without using hypoglycemic drugs (P>0.05), but the estimated HbA1c was significantly decreased after the intervention (P<0.05). Two patients achieved complete remission, two showed partial remission, and one had substantially improved blood glucose levels. One patient showed a marked increase in extremity temperature after the intervention (P<0.05). Another patient had a significantly increased heart rate variability index (P<0.05) without obvious changes in heart rate after the intervention (P>0.05). By reestablishing the balance in autonomic nervous system regulation and enhancing peripheral microcirculation, lifetide biofeedback intervention helps to maintain stable blood glucose levels, achieve disease remission, and reduce the occurrence of complications in T2DM patients after discontinuation of hypoglycemic drugs without changing their lifestyles.

Hybrid silica and thin-film lithium niobate waveguides and Y-junctions

Silica (SiO2) strip-loaded waveguides and Y-junctions on lithium niobate (LN) thin film were designed, fabricated and experimentally investigated. We first studied the optical confinement factor distribution in strip-loaded waveguides. The Simulations showed that most of the power (>82%) was confined in the LN layer, and the dimensions of the SiO2 loading strip had a relatively small influence on the optical confinement factor distribution. The SiO2 film was deposited with the magnetron sputtering method. The deposited SiO2 layer approached stoichiometric SiO2, and a smooth surface was obtained. A group of waveguides with widths of 2–5 μm were fabricated using lift-off technology. The 2 μm-wide waveguide displayed low propagation losses of 0.2 dB/cm for the quasi-TE (q-TE) mode and 0.8 dB/cm for the quasi-TM (q-TM) mode at the wavelength of 1550 nm. Y-junctions with small sizes were designed and fabricated based on the low-loss waveguides. The transmission could reach 70–80%, and the splitting ratio maintained at a stable level near 1:1 for the Y-junctions S1 and S4. The low-loss strip-loaded waveguides and Y-junctions offer the possibility of combining SiO2 and LN materials for integrated optics. Additional high-performance photonic devices and circuits using this method are expected in the future.

A new machine learning-based approach for cross-region coupled wind-storage integrated systems identification considering electricity demand response and data integration: A new provincial perspective of China

Faced with the growing renewable energy requirements, there is increased interest in cross-region of large-scale renewable energy market, which provides an alternative path for building sustainable power systems. Critically, the development of a renewable energy-dominated electricity market is an important way to achieve global climate goals and energy conversion. Despite improved achievement of electricity demand response (EDR) market, only limited development in the coordination capacity and development scale of EDR are dominated by renewable energy. Moreover, the normal operation and work efficiency of the system is greatly affected due to data transmission errors and other human factors. Thus, it is of great importance for the State Grid to accurately identify the data sources and realize the interactive development of cross-region power systems. This paper presents a new cross-region (province) electricity demand response (CR-EDR) model in China for large-scale renewable energy participating in EDR market. This model is applied to three provinces in China based on renewable energy, and fully consider how wind power is integrated with EDR in terms of operation, grid connection and optimization. Presently, China is in the initial stage of development, and the identification of data anomalies is inevitable for the CR-EDR. To solve this problem, a novel machine learning (ML)-based approach is proposed for effective identification of EDR. By calculating wind power output and customers’ EDR results, reliable feature sequences can be obtained. Finally, all the feature sequences are uploaded to cross-region system operators (CR-SO) for classification and identification by ML. In the case studies and discussions, we integrated all feature sequences to CR-SO for identification and present a novel process approach to implement EDR, the random forest (RF) enables 100% accuracy for training set and 99.7685% for testing set with small training samples. Compared with RF, support vector machine only achieves 79.1667% for testing set with small training samples. With accurate RF identification results, the stable operation capability and management level of the system can be effectively improved. The proposed methodology creates a new provincial perspective of China and the establishment of CR-EDR, which provides a theoretical and methodological guidance for all countries and regions to develop CR-EDR.

Uni-and bidirectional soliton rains in a NALM mode-locked Tm-doped fiber laser

We report the generation of different drifting patterns of soliton rains in a Tm-doped fiber laser mode locked by the technique of nonlinear amplifying loop mirror. The directional control of drifting soliton rain has been achieved by varying pump power and polarization. At a stable pumping level, a kind of bidirectional soliton rain is observed from a unidirectional one for the first time. In the bidirectional case, the forward and backward solitons, leaving from the two sides of the condensed phase, appear in the spectrum as two typical soliton peaks on a wide pedestal, 2 nm in separation. The spectral result implies that the secondary drifting solitons are formed by developing one strong sideband of the primary soliton rain, induced by a shift of the transmission peak.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor use in kidney transplant recipients.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are novel oral hypoglycemic agents garnering much attention for their substantial benefits. These recent data have positioned SGLT2i at the forefront of diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure management. SGLT2i use post-kidney transplant is an emerging area of research. Highlights from this mini review include the following: Empagliflozin is the most prescribed SGLT2i in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), median time from transplant to initiation was 3 years (range: 0.88-9.6 years). Median baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 66.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 (range: 50.4-75.8). Median glycohemoglobin (HgbA1c) at initiation was 7.7% (range: 6.9-9.3). SGLT2i were demonstrated to be effective short-term impacting HgbA1c, eGFR, hemoglobin/hematocrit, serum uric acid, and serum magnesium levels. They are shown to be safe in KTRs with low rates of infections, hypoglycemia, euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis, and stable tacrolimus levels. More data is needed to demonstrate long-term outcomes. SGLT2i appear to be safe, effective medications for select KTRs. Our present literature, though limited, is founded on precedent robust research in CKD patients with diabetes. Concurrent research/utilization of SGLT2i is vital to not only identify long-term patient, graft and cardiovascular outcomes of these agents, but also to augment management in KTRs.

New model for evaluating greenhouse gas emissions from sludge treatment based on fossil and biogenic carbon migration

The treatment and disposal of massive amounts of sewage sludge are potential emission sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs) which strongly depend on the migration of fossil and biogenic carbon into GHGs. Owing to the lack of fossil carbon data and suitable estimation models, CO2 emissions generated from sludge combustion and biodegradation are considered carbon-neutral according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), increasing the inaccuracy of GHG emissions accounting. Therefore, this study aimed to build a new comprehensive assessment model to accurately evaluate GHG emissions from four typical sludge treatment and disposal approaches. Notably, fossil and biogenic carbon migration were considered, rather than the emission factor method when measuring direct GHG emissions. The results of 14C analysis, which quantified the contributions of fossil and biogenic carbon to the sludge samples, showed significant differences in the average fossil carbon fractions among the four types of sludge: 84.11% for chemical sludge, 25.99% for tannery sludge, 79.19% for textile dyeing sludge, and 45.97% for municipal sludge. According to our model, the route of safely landfilling deep-dewatered sludge possessed the highest GHG emission factors of 1.18–3.75 tCO2eq/t dry sludge. The optimal sludge treatment option was anaerobic digestion followed by land application. This treatment maintained a low and stable level of GHG emissions (0.48–0.54 tCO2eq/t dry sludge) and exhibited low sensitivity to changes in fossil carbon fraction and carbon content according to the sensitivity analysis results. For sludge with a high calorific value and a low fossil carbon fraction, the route of dry incineration + utilization of ash and slag as building materials was carbon-negative and more suitable than anaerobic digestion to achieve carbon neutrality. This study complements the fossil carbon data gaps of sludge in the IPCC Guidelines and provides a more accurate GHG emissions accounting model, which will support the sludge treatment industry in developing effective strategies to reduce GHG emissions.

The 0.2-μg/day Fluocinolone Acetonide Intravitreal Implant in Chronic Noninfectious Posterior Uveitis: A 3-year Randomized Trial in India

To examine the long-term efficacy and safety of the intravitreal 0.2-μg/day fluocinolone acetonide implant (FAi) to treat noninfectious uveitis (NIU) of the posterior segment (PS). Three-year, phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-masked, controlled, prospective study (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02746991). Overall, 153 patients in India with NIU-PS in ≥ 1 eye (with or without anterior uveitis) for ≥ 1 year who had ≥ 2 separate recurrences of uveitis requiring ocular injections or systemic therapy in the prior 12 months. Patients were randomized 2:1 for baseline FAi or sham injection and monitored for main outcome measures. Incidence and timing of uveitis recurrence, use of adjunctive therapy, best-corrected visual acuity, central foveal thickness, and monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP)- and cataract-related events over 36 months. Overall, 153 patients (FAi, n = 101; treated sham, n = 52) were enrolled. Fluocinolone acetonide implant-treated eyes had significantly reduced uveitis recurrence rates versus treated sham (46.5% vs. 75.0%, respectively; P= 0.001) and a longer median time to recurrence (1116.0 [95% confidence interval, 847.00 to not evaluable] vs. 190.5 [95% confidence interval, 100.0-395.0] days for treated sham). Systemic adjunctive treatments were similar between groups, but fewer FAi-treated eyes required adjunctive injections (8.9% vs. 51.9% for treated sham). Visual outcomes were similar between groups, and residual macular edema was more common at 36 months in treated sham versus FAi-treated eyes (46.2% vs. 24.2%, respectively). The FAi-treated group had a lower central foveal thickness from month 12 onward. Intraocular pressure-lowering surgeries were stable in both groups, but, as expected, rates of IOP elevations were more frequent in the FAi-treated group than in the treated sham (IOP > 25 mmHg: 23.8% vs. 3.8%; IOP > 30 mmHg: 16.8% vs. 1.9%, respectively), and FAi-treated eyes had a higher incidence of cataract surgery than the treated sham (70.5% vs. 26.5%, respectively). In patients with NIU-PS, the 0.2-μg/day FAi is associated with reduced-uveitis recurrence and increased time to first recurrence while controlling macular edema, maintaining stable IOP levels, and providing an expected safety profile, including a higher occurrence of cataract formation over 36 months. The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.