Separation of light hydrocarbon mixtures and extraction of C3H8 and C2H6 from CH4 are of significant importance in natural gas purification and upgrade. Microporous carbon adsorbents are promising in light hydrocarbons separation, but to fabricate uniform ultramicropores to boost separation selectivity remains challenging. Herein, we fabricated a series of poly(vinylidene chloride) resins-derived ultramicroporous carbon adsorbents with relatively uniform pore size (5.2-5.3 Å) by activator-free pyrolysis. The optimal C-PVDC-800 exhibited record-high IAST selectivity of C3H8/CH4 (3387) and C2H6/CH4 (75) as well as Henry’s selectivity of C3H8/CH4 (369) among all reported adsorbents under ambient conditions, combined with ultrahigh uptake of C3H8 (3.9 mmol g-1, 0.05 bar) and C2H6 (2.67 mmol g-1, 0.10 bar) at low partial pressures and 298 K. More importantly, fast gas adsorption kinetics were realized, favorable in fixed-bed adsorption applications. Breakthrough experiments and cycling tests further confirm the superb separation performance of extraction of C3H8 and C2H6 from CH4.

The efficiency of air separation is tested using three different small scale cryogenic distillation columns. The performance of a random packed column is compared to the performance of two microchannel distillation (MCD) columns that use thin wicking structures and gas flow channels to achieve process intensification. The MCD columns tested include a plate-type layered (PTL) column and an additively manufactured porous honeycomb (AMPH) column. For columns with 25.4 cm of active height and run under similar conditions, the packed, PTL, and AMPH columns achieved approximate height equivalent of a theoretical plate (HETP) values of 5.5, 3.7, and 3.2 cm for nitrogen, and 5.9, 4.9, and 3.3 cm for argon. The AMPH column can produce up to 0.4 SLM of 90+% purity oxygen with 12 W of cooling lift. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using additive manufacturing to construct MCD devices and pave a way for constructing novel MCD designs.

Symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema (SDRIFE), previously known as “Baboon Syndrome,” is diagnosed if four or more of the following criteria are met: symmetry, involvement of at least one intertriginous zone, erythema of the gluteal, inguinal, or axillary region, systemic exposure to a drug, and lack of systemic toxicity. A first ever case of SDRIFE after HSCT is presented who was initially treated for multiple recurrences of acute skin graft versus host disease. SDRIFE should be considered in the differential diagnosis of refractory GvHD and is easily treatable by avoiding the offending medication

Background. Fermentation of lactose in milk by bacteria and yeasts naturally present in kefir grains produces a beverage that has been suggested to have cardiovascular benefit. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to evaluate the effects of this kefir beverage on cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods. Literature search utilised PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar for the articles published from inception until June 2021. Cardiometabolic risk indices extracted included insulin and insulin resistance (HOMA_IR), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), fasting blood sugar (FBS), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and body weight (BW). In total, six RCTs (314 subjects) were selected for the meta-analysis. Inverse-variance weighted mean difference (WMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for the mean changes in TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, FBS, HbA1c and BW compared to baseline. A random effects model was used to estimate the pooled WMD. Results. Kefir intake significantly reduced fasting insulin (WMD:-3.69 micro-IU/mL,95% CI:-6.30 to -1.07,p=0.006,I2=0.0%) and HOMA-IR (WMD:-2.56,95%CI:-3.82 to-1.30, p<0.001,I2=19.4%). No effect on TC (WMD:-9.30mg/dL,95%CI:-20.00 to 1.39,p=0.088), TG (WMD:-1.35 mg/dL,95%CI:-13.28 to 10.58,p=0.824), HDL-c (WMD:0.70mg/dL, 95%CI:-1.30 to 2.71,p=0.491), LDL-C (WMD:-0.71mg/dL, 95%CI:-13.16 to 11.72, p=0.910), FBS (WMD: -2.73 mg/dL, 95%CI: -7.56 to 2.09,p=0.267), HbA1c (WMD:-0.58 %, 95%CI: -1.79 to 0.61,p=0.339) or body weight (WMD:-0.78 kg, 95%CI: -2.75 to 1.19,p=0.439) were found for kefir treatment. Conclusion. Kefir has a beneficial effect on decreasing insulin resistance; however, no effect was seen on BW, FBS, HbA1C or the lipid profile.

In this paper, we study the multiplicity of solutions for a class of noncooperative Schr\”{o}dinger-type system involving a general variable exponent elliptic operator with critical nonlinearity in $\mathbb{R}^N$. Under suitable assumptions, we obtain a sequence of solutions by using the Limit Index Theory due to Li \cite{Li1} and the version of concentration-compactness principle.

The final version of this article is published at Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, and is available online at https://doi.org/10.1017/S2040174422000526.

Predation regimes on many oceanic islands are known to be weak. Evidence gathered in the 1970s and 1980s shows that Antillean anoles live at higher densities on fewer resources, grow more slowly, reproduce later, and live longer than mainland counterparts. Living at high densities should select for the ability to subsist on minimum resource levels, the definition of a superior resource competitor. These results imply that island anoles, and by inference, birds, experience low predation but intense competition, whereas mainland species experience the opposite. Further support is found in the phenomenon of community saturation in Antillean birds, an unexpected finding underlain by hyperdispersed body size ratios within avian foraging guilds, low alpha diversity and low species packing within guilds, all being evidence that these guilds are structured by competition. Islands should thus not be regarded as havens for weak competitors, but rather as refuges from predation. It follows that intense predation regimes prevent island species from colonizing mainlands, and that competition and/or low resource levels prevent mainland species from colonizing islands. These predictions are experimentally testable with lizards and if confirmed, could set island biogeography on a new course.

Introduction: In order to provide refined effects analysis of health communication intervention, this study aims to measure and compare the impact on the knowledge and protective attitudes and behavior intentions(KAP) towards canine rabies of interventions that use the local TV net(V1) and WeChat platform (V2) delivering a short video, and cartoon pamphlet(P). Materials and Methods: The study used a between-subject design involving repeated measures of rabies-related KAP. 800 randomly selected villagers were randomly allocated into four intervention groups (V1, V2, P and V2+P) and one control. The content of video and pamphlet covered topics about rabies prevention, route of transmission, and so on. The pamphlet was given door to door once immediately after the pretest. One day after the pretest, the same video was posted one time through WeChat platform, and was broadcasted via local TV net two times each day in consecutive fifteen days. A validated questionnaire was used to capture demographic and KAP information. Ordinary Least Squares regression was used to contrast the effects of interventions. Results: Our results indicate that overall V2 outperforms V1 but underperforms P at improving KAP scores. Our results suggest that a combined intervention of V2 and P can result in higher scores than any of the two in isolation. The impact on the knowledge, protective attitudes and behavior intentions scores is revealed in a decreasing sequence. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that health communication modes based on V1, V2, P and a combination of the two are all effective to improve rabies-related KAP in the short term. These findings provide a scientific basis for the implementation of health communication intervention toward rabies and further studies are needed to investigate the long term and other social media message elements benefits of these interventions on the reduction of rabies incidence in humans.

There is a new type of nanofluid called ternary hybrid nanofluid that can be used to improve heat flow. This study investigates effects of magnetic field, mass suction with ohmic heating towards stagnation region of stretching/shrinking cylinder of polymer based ternary hybrid nanofluid flows in two dimensions with different shapes aspect. Under the imposed assumptions, equations governing the flow will be modelled. It is feasible to convert nonlinear partial differential equations that are not exactly solvable via similarity transformation to a system of ordinary differential equations, which are solved numerically. The combination of Runge–Kutta-IV and shooting method in Mathematica has been shown to have a substantial impact on the prevalence of heat exchange and the mobility parameters of ternary hybrid nanofluids. The number of nanoparticles with suction enhances heat transfer and skin friction coefficient. Graphs and tables demonstrated the influence of many factors such as suction, Reynold number, nanoparticles volume fraction, magnetic field, Eckert number, stretching/shrinking on temperature, velocity, skin friction and local heat transfer rate coefficients curves. To verify the findings, a contrast study was undertaken between the current research and previously published results for a specific instance, and excellent agreement was discovered.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a predictive model for cesarean delivery after induction of labor (IOL) in twin pregnancy. Design: Retrospective cohort study Setting: University hospital. Population: Twin pregnancy who underwent IOL from 2005 to 2018 Methods: The study population was randomly divided into the training and test sets at a ratio of 2:1. Three-fold cross-validation (CV) with 100 times repetitions was applied to select the best model. Main outcome measure to develop and validate a prediction model for cesarean delivery after IOL in twin pregnancies. Results: A total of 1,703 twin pregnancies were analyzed, including 1,356 women in the development cohort of the SNUH database and 347 women in the external validation cohort of the SNUBH database. In the development cohort, the clinical variables that were different between the successful and failed IOL groups were included in the logistic regression analysis, and the final prediction model, composed of five variables (maternal age, maternal height, parity, cervical effacement, and summated birth weight of both twins), was selected with an AUROC of 0.742 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.700-0.785) and 0.733 (95% CI, 0.671-0.794) in the training set and test set, respectively. A nomogram for predicting the risk of cesarean delivery after IOL in twin pregnancies was also developed. Conclusion: A prediction model to provide information and evaluate the risk of cesarean delivery after IOL in twin pregnancies was developed. Keywords Twin pregnancy, induction of labor, cesarean section, prediction model

Abstract: This work sheds light on the centralized nature of ocean governance and the symptomatic expenses borne by marine natural capital and smaller scale ocean users alike, such as artisanal fishermen. Considering the weak representation on the topic within formal academic circles, phenomena are primarily thread from grey and secondary sources into a supportive theoretical work regarding oceanic spatial appropriation from the federal governments of the world’s coastal states. It is argued that the marginalization of the world’s coastal poor and ecological depletion in part result from the top-down nature of managing marine resources, and that the fate of nearly all sea life is in large part at the hands of geopolitical relationships.

The evolution of the concept of PBB is analyzed over time since it appeared as protracted bronchitis1, later protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB)2, and finally its “clinical” version3, which avoids the need to perform fiberoptic bronchoscopy in children. However, this deviates in a significant manner from the principle on which the concept is based, giving rise to the idea of a disease that only affects children with the main characteristic of bacteriological isolation from lower airways. On the other hand, the clinical diagnosis of PBB is made by excluding other diseases through so-called “pointers to specific cough (primarily for chronic cough)”1 with a posterior reference of signs and symptoms called specific cough pointers2 and finally, in 2020, “Pointers to presence of specific cough”.4 Comments are then made on how asthma (and early wheezing) and posterior nasal drip syndrome are ruled out as important causes of chronic and recurrent cough in children. In conclusion, the causes of acute and chronic cough in children, with a few exceptions, are quite comparable to the causes of cough in adults. Therefore, an easy and more accurate way of diagnosing cough in children could be to reconsider our concepts of so-called cough pointers, upper airway cough syndrome, and asthma (and early wheezing) in children.

We found a seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG of 77% in a population of Cameroonian pregnant women sampled 14 months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This high exposure to the virus requires a rethinking of vaccine priorities in African countries. The value of vaccination against COVID-19 should be considered at the local level based on seroprevalence studies, but the expanded programme of vaccination interrupted during the pandemic should be resumed urgently.

The low Mach number limit of the nonisentropic compressible Hookean elastodynamic equations is rigorously proved with respect to well-prepared initial data. We introduce certain suitable seminorms to obtain the uniform estimate of solutions, for which the critical point is to cancel the higher order derivate terms caused by the coupling of velocity and deformation gradient.

Abstract. In this manuscript we consider the internal control problem for the fifth order KdV type equation, commonly called the Kawahara equation, on unbounded domains. Precisely, under certain hypotheses over the initial and boundary data, we are able to prove that there exists an internal control input such that solutions of the Kawahara equation satisfies an integral overdetermination condition. This condition is satisfied when the domain of the Kawahara equation is posed in the real line, left half-line and right half-line. Moreover, we are also able to prove that there exists a minimal time in which the integral overdetermination condition is satisfied. Finally, we show a type of exact controllability associated with the “mass” of the Kawahara equation posed in the half-line.

Electrocardiogram Changes as Predictors for New Imaging Findings in Repeat Transthoracic EchocardiographyRunning title: EKG Changes and Repeat EchoAnis John Kadado MDa, Abdullah Pervaiz MDa, Kyle Gobeil DO, MSca, Saima Shikari DOb, Petal Elder MDc, Ayman Battisha MDc, Ritika Walia MDc, William Hiser MDa, Tara Lagu MDd, Quinn R Pack, MD, MSca,eDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA.Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KYDepartment of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA.Division of Hospital Medicine, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IllinoisInstitute for Healthcare Delivery and Population Science at University of Massachusetts Medical School – Baystate, Springfield, MA.

Background Multiple studies illustrated that mitral valve (MV) leaflet presented variations, and there is little known about the posterior mitral leaflet (PML) anatomical variation affecting residual MR in interventional mitral valve edge-to-edge repair (TEER) with the ValveClamp system in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) using three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D TEE). Method Fifty-five DMR patients treated with TEER were included and performed 3D TEE pre- and post-procedure immediately. 3D TEE images were proceeded to characterize the posterior mitral leaflet anatomy and investigate the relationship between variations and residual mitral regurgitation (MR). Results Variations in PML were found in 16 patients (32%) of this series, including 3 cases (6%) of one scallop, 8 cases (16%) of two scallops, and 5 cases (10%) of four scallops. Residual MR ≥ 2+ were found in 3 patients with variant PML and 8 patients with classical PML post procedures, while other patients were all < 2+. The Chi-square test results showed no correlation between residual MR and PML variants (18.8% vs. 23.5, ᵪ 2 = 0, p = 0.988). Of the 5 patients with 4 scallops, 3 had poor clinical outcomes. Two patients were converted to surgical mitral valve repair and one died 1 month after implantation. Conclusions 3D TEE provides a novel and non-invasive method to characterize and classify PML variations. Variations in PML are relatively common and not associated with residual MR 2+.

Root growth strategies are important to predict plant – soil interactions under nutrient-limited soil environments. A dominant species Stipa breviflora is found to develop cluster fragmentation in the arid and semi-arid areas of China, where water, nitrogen and phosphorus are the most important limiting factors to plant growth. Here, we aimed to assess how water, N, P additions and their interactions, and cluster fragmentation affect root growth traits in a greenhouse experiment to reveal the adaptation of S. breviflora under drought conditions. A standard Taguchi L8(27) arrays design was conducted with four factors such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and water (W) and cluster fragmentation (C) and three interactions (N × P, N × W and P × W). Each of four factors had two levels (N1 = 15 mg N / kg, N2 = 120 mg N / kg, P1 = 2 mg P2O5 / kg, P2 = 24 mg P2O5 / kg, W1 = 25 % ~ 30 % field moisture capacity of mixture (FMC), W2 = 75 % ~ 80 % FMC, C1 = individual with single ramet, C2= individual with three ramets).Water was the most important contributor to S. breviflora root system growth, while cluster fragmentation was the second contributor, followed by N and P in order. W2 and P2 both promoted root growth, whereas N2 significantly inhibited root growth. Moreover, under drought condition, N2 induced its roots developing an acquisition resource use strategy for escaping adverse environments compared to N1. While under sufficient P condition, W1 induced its roots developing an acquisition resource use strategy for acquiring more resource. And cluster fragmentation is beneficial to improving the adaptability of S. breviflora under low N condition.

ABSTRACT Sleep is a behavioral state whose quantity and quality represent a trade-off between the costs and benefits of sleep versus the costs and benefits of wakefulness. We humans need a brain/body state that can fulfill basic biological functions, such as securing food, water, and mates. But we must do so while conserving energy and minimizing exposure to dangers that accompany an organism’s particular ecological niche. Our species is particularly vulnerable during sleep because of our reduced ability to monitor the environment for nighttime predators and other environmental dangers. A number of variations in sleep characteristics may have evolved to reduce this vulnerability, both at the individual level and group level. The goals of this review paper are: (1) to explore such variations, including clinical disorders like insomnia and circadian rhythm disturbances, which may have adaptive utility in terms of enhancing detection of external threats, and (2) to consider cultural developments that improve vigilance and reduce vulnerability during sleep and the night.

In this research, through the calculation of nonlinear algebraic systems by Maple software, the powerful direct truncation method is applied to construct the solutions to a significant nonlinear mathematical physical model in nonlinear optics, namely, the perturbed Gerdjikov-Ivanov equation. We successfully obtain some new solitary wave solutions, including bright, dark, kink soliton and periodic solutions. Furthermore, we discuss the relationships between the types of solutions and the coefficients of the perturbed and non-perturbed terms. To present the physical features of our interesing results, the 2D and 3D shapes of representative solutions are plotted under the appropriate selection of parameter values. The acquired results are of significance to the dynamics of soliton propagation through optical fibers.

Primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma (PPMM) is a rare malignancy arising from the serous mesothelial lining of the pericardium. These neoplasms are aggressive, pose diagnostic difficulties, and have a poor prognosis. The median survival is less than six months. Presenting symptoms are non-specific and include fatigue, dyspnea, and low-grade fever. Given the nature of presenting symptoms, it is imperative that appropriate imaging, tissue sampling, and histological analysis are undertaken to establish a clinical diagnosis. In cases of localised disease, surgical resection remains the primary treatment. In advanced disease, chemotherapy or palliative procedures may be beneficial. We describe two cases of PPMM and provide an update and guidance on the contemporaneous management of this challenging condition.

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has caused many complications, the invention of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines has also brought about several adverse events, from common side effects to unexpected and rare ones. Common vaccine-related adverse reactions manifest locally or systematically following any vaccine, including Covid-19 vaccines. Certain side effects, known as adverse events of special interest (AESI), are unusual and need more evaluation. Here, we discuss some of the most important rare adverse events of Covid-19 vaccines.

Introduction: Left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is an extremely rare cardiac abnormality with potentially life-threatening risks. Most LAAA were detected because of the symptoms triggered by it, while asymptomatic LAAA were detected incidentally. Once LAAA is diagnosed, early surgical intervention is generally recommended. Case presentation: We reported a case of an 18-year-old female with giant congenital LAAA without any symptoms or surgical history. In an incidental transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examination, a saccular structure adjacent to her left rear of the heart was encountered. Further CT and MRI examination established the diagnosis of LAAA. The LAAA was corrected via open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, and this patient recovered well and discharged uneventfully. Conclusion: TTE is the primary tool to diagnose LAAA. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), CT and MRI can be used for more accurate diagnosis. Early operation is a generally recommended and widely used intervention to prevent adverse events.

Gobbling activity of Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris; hereafter, turkeys) has been widely studied, focusing on drivers of daily variation. Weather variables are widely believed to influence gobbling activity, but results across studies are contradictory and often equivocal, leading to uncertainty in the relative contribution of weather variables to daily fluctuations in gobbling activity. Previous works relied on road-based auditory surveys to collect gobbling data which limits data consistency, duration, and quantity due to logistical difficulties associated with human observers and restricted sampling frames. Development of new methods using autonomous recording units (ARUs) allows researchers to collect continuous data in more locations for longer periods of time, providing the opportunity to delve into factors influencing daily gobbling activity. We used ARUs from 1 March to 31 May to detail gobbling activity across multiple study sites in the southeastern United States during 2014 – 2018. We used state-space modeling to investigate the effects of weather variables on daily gobbling activity. Our findings suggest rainfall, greater wind speeds, and greater temperatures negatively affected gobbling activity, whereas increasing barometric pressure positively affected gobbling activity. Therefore, when using daily gobbling activity to make inferences relative to gobbling chronology, reproductive phenology, and hunting season frameworks stakeholders should recognize and consider the potential influences of extended periods of inclement weather.