Soil aggregates are the basic unit structing soils, and their stability is an important index for soil degradation. However, current methodologies rarely assess the influence of primary soil particles on soil aggregates distribution for different breakdown mechanisms. Therefore, a new method that separates the primary soil particles from the soil aggregates for different breakdown mechanisms with a series of in-lab experiments were developed to fill this gap. The whole soil sample was treated by fast wetting, slow wetting, and mechanical breakdown by pre-wetting and stirring to simulate the different breakdown mechanisms of slaking, differential swelling of clays, and mechanical breakdown by raindrop impact, respectively. Then, attempts were made to separate the primary soil particles from the soil aggregates of various particle size fractions by using sodium hexametaphosphate and hydrogen peroxide to eliminate the influence of the primary soil particles on the soil aggregate distribution. Four soils collected from different areas with different soil textures were used to assess the soil aggregate distribution by using the new method to highlight the importance of separating the primary soil particles from the soil aggregate for different breakdown mechanisms. The results indicated that the primary soil particles have much greater influence on the micro-aggregates than on macro-aggregates. Different breakdown mechanisms and soil types could affect the influence of the primary soil particles affects the on soil aggregate distribution. This study highlights the influence of separate primary soil particles on soil aggregate distribution for different breakdown mechanisms.

The relationship between the speed of sound (u) in biodiesel and the change in Gibbs energy (ΔG) has not been describe in literature. With the Gibbs energy additivity (GEA ) method, the relation between u and ΔG can be expressed as lnu2 = ΔG/RT + A, where R is the universal gas constant; T is absolute temperature and A is constant. Further expansion of the G to its enthalpy and entropy, and sub-division the molecule of a fatty and methyl ester (FAME) into groups of atoms, the final model was good for estimation the speed of sound in both FAME and biodiesel at various temperatures. Only numbers of double bond and carbon atoms of fatty acid were required for the calculation.

The cell culture is the central piece of a biotechnological industrial process. It includes upstream (e.g. media preparation, fixed costs, etc.) and downstream steps (e.g. product purification, waste disposal, etc.). In the continuous mode of cell culture, a constant flow of fresh media replaces culture fluid until the system reaches a steady state. This steady state is the standard operation mode which, under very general conditions, is a function of the ratio between the cell density and the dilution rate and depends on the media supplied to the culture. To optimize the production process it is widely accepted that the concentration of the metabolites in this media should be careful tuned. A poor media may not provide enough nutrients to the culture, while a media too rich in nutrients may be a waste of resources because, either the cells do not use all of the available nutrients, or worse, they over-consume them producing toxic byproducts. In this work we show how an in-silico study of a genome scale metabolic network coupled to the dynamics of a chemostat could guide the strategy to optimize the media to be used in a continuous process. Given a known media we model the concentrations of the cells in a chemostat as a function of the dilution rate. Then, we cast the problem of optimizing the production process within a linear programming framework in which the goal is to minimize the cost of the media keeping fixed the cell concentration for a given dilution rate in the chemostat. We evaluate our results in two metabolic models: first a simplified model of mammalian cell metabolism, and then in a realistic genome-scale metabolic networks of mammalian cells, the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line. We explore the latter in more detail given specific meaning to the predictions of the concentrations of several metabolites.

A document by Cristine Rosário, written on Authorea.

To study the compressive mechanical properties of a new type of brazed aluminum honeycomb plate (BAHP), tensile tests on single- and brazed-cell walls as well as compression tests in the out-of-plane, in-plane longitudinal, and transverse directions were conducted. Compared to the material properties of a traditional glued aluminum honeycomb plate (GAHP), those of the single- and brazed-cell walls of the BAHP are entirely different. Therefore, their characteristics should be considered separately when performing theoretical and simulation analysis. Under out-of-plane compression, the core of the BAHP did not debond, owing to its higher strength than that of the GAHP. In comparison, under in-plane compression in the longitudinal and transverse directions, the load–displacement characteristics, ultimate load, and failure modes also differed, and there was no large-scale cracking. Considering the characteristics of the BAHP, a strength prediction method was proposed. The simulation results demonstrated that the model built based on the new method was highly consistent with the experimental results.

In the paper, the authors present several explicit formulas for the (p, q, r)-Tribonacci polynomials and generalized Tribonacci sequences in terms of the Hessenberg determinants and, consequently, derive several explicit formulas for the Tribonacci numbers and polynomials, the Tribonacci–Lucas numbers, the Perrin numbers, the Padovan (Cordonnier) numbers, the Van der Laan numbers, the Narayana numbers, the third order Jacobsthal numbers, and the third order Jacobsthal–Lucas numbers in terms of special Hessenberg determinants.

To clarify the effects of ferrite morphologies and contents on high-cycle rotating bending fatigue property of pearlite-ferrite dual-phase (DP) steel used for fabrication of commercial vehicle crankshafts, two types of DP steels with different ferrite grain sizes (S10: 13.1μm and S30: 21.4μm) and ferrite contents (S10: ~9.5vol.% and S30: ~30.4vol.%) were prepared. Stress-number of high cycles to failure (S-N) fatigue of the two DP steels were evaluated. Experimental results showed a fatigue strength of 510 MPa and 400 MPa for S10 and S30 steels, respectively, at 107 cycles. Fatigue cracks in S10 steel extended preferentially along the grain boundary, but it was easy for crack propagation to extend within a pearlite colony to form a zigzag crack morphology. Crack roughness was enhanced and high stress was introduced to the crack surface due to this kind of crack propagation behavior, which has positive effects on slowing down crack propagation. However, the crack propagation in S30 steel mainly occurred inside the soft equiaxed coarse ferrite grain. Analysis revealed that little stress was introduced to the crack surface. These results show that it is possible to improve high cycle rotating bending fatigue strength of pearlite-ferrite DP steel by appropriately manipulating the volume fraction and microstructure morphology of ferrite phase.

ii. Rationale, aims and objectives Fraser Health, a large health authority, undertook an audit of standardized order sets (SOS) listing ranitidine due to the Health Canada recall of ranitidine. Our primary objective was to determine if ranitidine use on SOSs was supported by the best available evidence, in order to sparingly use ranitidine in the hospital. ii. Method Two evaluators recorded the indication of ranitidine on every SOS and a scoping review of systematic review evidence was conducted in parallel to a comprehensive review of evidence quality. Clinical practice guideline recommendations were also recorded in order to make comparisons to systematic review evidence. iii. Results Twenty-seven SOSs were found. Seven SOSs (26%) clearly indicated the medical condition ranitidine was being used for. Twenty SOSs (74%) did not list an indication or had an unclear indication. Six SOSs (22%) were supported by systematic review evidence: 4 intensive care unit (ICU) SOSs for stress ulcer prophylaxis, 1 nausea and vomiting of pregnancy SOS for heartburn, and 1 emergency department SOS for heartburn iv. Conclusion The SOS ranitidine audit conducted at Fraser Health has highlighted inconsistencies between institutional prescribing policies and evidence. Drugs listed on SOSs should be carefully considered before being used at an institutional level. To aid prescribers’ decision making, it may also be beneficial to indicate what the purpose of each drug is on a SOS Our team plans to use this as an opportunity to revise other ranitidine SOSs to reflect best evidence. Evaluation of how ranitidine or other drugs were being prescribed from SOSs is encouraged.

Background: The combination of electrical and structural remodeling may have a strong effect on the prognosis of non-ischemic heart failure (HF). We aimed to clarify whether prolonged PR-interval and the presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) influence the outcomes of patients with non-ischemic HF. Methods: We studied 262 consecutive hospitalized patients with non-ischemic HF. In a clinically stable condition, a 12-lead electrocardiogram and CMR were performed, and the clinical characteristics and outcomes were investigated. Results: During the follow-up of 967.7±851.8 days, there were 68 (25.9%) cardiac events (HF or sudden death, re-hospitalization due to HF, or ventricular tachyarrhythmias). In a multivariable analysis, a median rate-adjusted PR (PRa)-interval of ≥173.5 ms and the presence of LGE were associated with cardiac events with a hazard ratio of 1.690 and 2.045 (P=0.044 and P=0.006, respectively). Study subjects were then divided into three groups based on PRa-interval and LGE status. The patients were given 1 point each for PRa-interval of ≥173.5 ms and the presence of LGE: score of 0 (n=79), score of 1 (n=123) and score of 2 (n=60). Cardiac events were 16.4% in score of 0, 26.0% in score of 1 and 38.3% in score of 2 (P=0.005), respectively. The multivariable analysis showed that score of 2 was an independent predictor for cardiac events compared to score of 0 (hazard ratio, 3.437, P=0.001). Conclusions: The combination of a long PRa-interval and the presence of LGE provides a better predictive value of cardiac events in non-ischemic HF.

Introduction: In-hospital cardiac arrest(IHCA) constitutes a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. we devised this study to shed some light on it to better inform both hospitals and policymakers. Methods: We analyzed retrospective data from 680 IHCAs at the American University of Beirut Medical Center between July 1st, 2016, and May 2nd, 2019. Sociodemographic variables included age, sex, and comorbidities in the Charlson Comorbidity Index(CCI). IHCA variables were the day of the week, time from activation to arrival, event location, initial cardiac rhythm, the total number of IHCA events, and the months and years of the IHCAs. We considered the return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC) and survival to discharge(StD) to be our outcomes of interest. Results: The incidence of IHCA was 6.58 per 1000 hospital admissions. Non-shockable rhythms were 90.7% of IHCAs. Most IHCAs occurred in the Closed care units(87.9%) and on weekdays(76.5%). ROSC followed 56% of the IHCAs. Only 5.4% achieved StD. Survival outcomes were not significantly different between the time of the day and were higher in cases with a shockable rhythm. ROSC wasn’t significantly different between weekdays and weekends. however, StD was higher on weekdays. A high CCI was associated with decreased StD. Conclusion: The incidence of IHCA was high, and its outcomes were lower compared to other developed countries. Survival outcomes were better for patients who had a shockable rhythm and were similar between the time of the day. These findings may help inform hospitals and policymakers about the magnitude and quality of IHCA care in Lebanon

This paper presents a complete design procedure, with an optimized feeding method, of two-dimensional slotted waveguide antenna arrays (2D SWAs). For a desired sidelobe level ratio, the proposed system provides a pencil shape pattern with a narrow halfpower beamwidth, large sidelobe level ratio (SLR), and very low sidelobe levels (SLL), which makes it suitable for high power microwave applications. The radiating slotted waveguide antennas use longitudinal slots, designed for a specified slidelobe level ratio and resonance frequency. The resulting two-dimensional slotted waveguide antenna array is formed by stacking a number of similarly designed radiating SWAs, and fed with an additional SWA. The proposed feeding method uses longitudinal coupling slots rather than the conventional inclined coupling slots, which can provide better values of SLR and easily obtain very low SLLs, in comparison with the conventional systems. The feeder dimensions and slots positions are deduced from the dimensions and total number of the radiating SWAs. For a desired SLR, the slots excitation in the radiating and feeder SWAs are calculated based on a specified distribution. Then, using simplified closed-form equations and for a desired resonance frequency, the slots lengths, widths, and their distribution along the length of the radiating SWAs and feeder SWA can be found. Two examples are illustrated with different number of slots and radiating elements, and one is fabricated and tested. Chebyshev distribution is used to estimate the excitations of the SWA slots in the examples. The obtained measured and simulated results are in accordance with the design objectives.

Abstract Background Tumor immunity plays an important role in assessing the tumor progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of combined systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) and platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for treatment of gastroesophageal junction cancer (AEG) and upper gastric cancer (UGC). Methods In this retrospective cohort study, patients from 2003 to 2014 were divided into training set (n=194) and validation set (n=177). The prognostic accuracy of each variable was compared using time-ependent ROC analysis. The scoring system was calculated by cut-off values of SIRI and PLR by ROC curve for survival in 5 years. Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank tests were used to analyze overall survival (OS). The chi-square test was used to analyze the association between clinical characteristics and the scoring system. Univariate and multivariate analyses based on the competitive risk regression model were used to analyze independent predictors of death due to AGC and UGC. The R software was used to construct the Nomogram model of risk assessment. Results Patients with SIRI–PLR=2 had worse survival time than those with 0 and 1 (P<0.001) and more suitable for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (P=0.003) and proximal gastrectomy (P=0.045). SIRI and PLR were independent predictors in training set (P=0.036, P=0.045), which could be combined with age and pTNM to construct Nomogram for predicting OS. Conclusions Preoperative SIRI–PLR score was an independent predictor for patients with AEG and UGC. The Nomogram model constructed by age, SIRI, PLR and pTNM can correctly predict the prognosis of patients.

A series of rigid triphenylamine (TPA) dyes have been designed with the donor (D)-π-acceptor (A) architecture. To screen the acceptor moities, we have design that’s A1 and A2. The design sensitizer to evaluate the parameters such as geometries, electronic structures, and optical properties, along with dipole moment, polarizability and first-order hyperpolarizability were calculated using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT). Photo physical properties like wavelength of maximum absorption (λmax), oscillator strength (f), light harvesting efficiency (LHE) and dipole moment ( ) have been analyzed. Based on the results A2 acceptor moities having good photo physical properties, so this A2 based dyes having good sensitizer for dye sensitized solar cells application.

In order to explore the influence of isotope effect and ligand modification on the quantum yield of OLED, three classes Pt(II) complexes with 2,2’-bipyridine ligand have been investigated by using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). The explored Pt(II) complexes, class 1 included Pt(RC≡CBpyC≡CR)(C≡CBpy)2, (R = trimethylsilyl，1a or H, 1b, C≡CBpyC≡C = 5,5-bis(ethynyl)-2,2-bipyridine, C≡CBpy corresponds to bipyridineacetylene) and Pt(Bpy)(C≡CBpy)2 (Bpy = bipyridine, 1c); class 2, Pt(Bpy)(C≡CPy)2 (C≡CPy = pyridineacetylene, 2a) , Pt(Bpy)(C≡CPh)2 (C≡CPh =phenylethynyl, 2b), Pt(dbBpy)(C≡CPh)2(dbBpy = 4,4’-di-tert-butyl-2,2’-bipyridine, 2c); and class 3, Pt(Bpy)(Tda) (Tda = tolan-2,2’-diacetylide, 3a), Pt(dbBpy)(Tda) (3b), Pt(3,3’,4,4’-OH-Bpy)(Tda) (3c). The calculation results reveal that the heavy isotope effect effectively reduces the overall vibration frequency of these complexes, and in turn decreases the non-radiative decay rate κnr, which lead to the promotion of phosphorescent quantum yield ϕem. Theoretical studies also reveal the influence of ligand modification on the phosphorescence quantum yields of OLED, and a new Pt(II) complex 3c was designed based on the theoretical study.

INTRODUCTION: The anemia leads to a worse prognosis in patients with heart failure(HF). There are few data on the impact of anemia on mortality in patients with acute heart failiure(AHF), and the studies available are mainly retrospective and include hospitalized patients. OBJECTIVE. Evaluate the role of anemia in 30-days and one-year mortality in patients with AHF attended in hospital emergency departments(HEDs). METHODS. Multicenter, observational study of prospective cohorts of patients with AHF. Study variables: anemia(hemoglobin<12g/dL in women and <13g/dL in men), 30-days-mortality and at one year, risk factors, comorbidity, functional impairment, basal functional grade for dyspnea, chronic and acute treatment, clinical and analytical data of the episode and patient destination. Statistical analysis: bivariate analysis and survival analyses using Cox regression. RESULTS. A total of 13,454 patients were included, 7662(56.9%) of whom had anemia. Those with anemia were older, had more comorbidity, a worse functional status and New York Heart Association class, greater renal function impairment and more hyponatremia. The mortality was higher in patients with anemia at 30-days and one-year: 7.5% vs. 10.7%(p<0.001) and 21.2% vs. 31.4%(p<0.001), respectively. The crude and adjusted hazard ratios of anemia for 30-days-mortality were: 1.46(confidence interval[CI]95% 1.30-1.64);p<0.001 and 1.20(CI95% 1.05-1.38);p=0.009, respectively, and 1.57(CI95% 1.47-1.68) and 1.30(CI95% 1.20-1.40) for one-year-mortality. The weight of anemia on mortality was different in each follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS. Anemia is an independent predictor of 30-days-mortality and one year in patients with AHF attended in HEDs. It is important to study the etiology of AHF since adequate treatment would reduce mortality.

Background/ Aims Anthropometric characteristics, namely overweight/obesity, height and waist circumference have been associated with various cancer types. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the potential associations between anthropometric characteristics and bladder cancer risk, synthesizing longitudinal cohort studies. Methods Literature search across MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar and Cochrane Central was performed up to December 31, 2019 and data abstraction was performed independently by two authors. Random-effects (DerSimonian-Laird) models were used to estimate pooled relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI); subgroup analyses were performed geographical region, mean age, publication year, length of follow-up, sample size, method of BMI estimation and adjustment for smoking. Results A total of 27 studies were included (88,593 bladder cancer cases in a total cohort of 49,647,098 subjects). Increased bladder cancer risk was noted in overweight men (pooled RR=1.12, 95%CI: 1.04-1.21) but not in overweight women. Both obese men (pooled RR=1.14, 95%CI: 1.06-1.22) and women (pooled RR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.02-1.38) showed increased risk. Interestingly, height increase per 5 cm did not seem to affect risk of bladder cancer in men (pooled RR=1.03, 95%CI: 0.99- 1.06) and women (pooled RR=1.02, 95%CI: 0.97-1.06). Larger waist circumference was associated with bladder cancer risk in men (pooled RR=1.18, 95%CI: 1.09-1.26) but not women. Conclusion In conclusion, bladder cancer risk seems to be related with obesity overall and central obesity in men. In contrast to other cancer types, height does not seem to affect risk, but more studies are needed to extract safe conclusions.

Background. 2018 Guideline from the College of American Pathologists(CAP), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) , and the Association for Molecular Pathology(AMP) established a benchmark turnaround time (TAT), according to which the results were supposed to be available to the treating oncologist within 10 working days. Methods. In this study, we established and validated a new protocol for pathological diagnosis and treatment pathway that was tested in the Henan Cancer Hospital, China. Results. Compared with the routine pathway, the new path adopts a parallel approach to conventional pathology and molecular pathology, which significantly shortens the TAT to 4-6 days. Self-designed DNA biology collector “BIOCO” tool, designed by our team to collect specimens that are discarded when the wax block is trimmed, can effectively save pathological samples, avoid cross-contamination and reduce the period extension caused by re-sampling. Most importantly, its accuracy and effectiveness are consistent with conventional collection methods. Conclusions. Therefore, the new diagnosis and treatment pathway based on the BIOCO collector can be used as a practical approach to the molecular diagnostic platform of the hospital pathology department.

In this paper, authors introduce the generalized Bessel-Maitland transform whose kernel is the generalized Bessel-Maitland function. New identities are obtained for special cases of the generalized Bessel-Maitland function. Using these relations, several identities are obtained for generalized Bessel-Maitland integral transform. It is shown that some special cases of them are related with the Laplace transform and the Hankel transform. Also, some examples are given as representations of the outcomes presented here.

In this paper, we give a new method to show a monotonicity result for a function $f$ satisfying $(_{a}\nabla_{h}^{\nu}f)(t)\leq0$ ($(_{a}\nabla_{h,\ast}^{\nu}f)(t)\leq0$) with $\nu\in(0,1]$, which has never been solved in other papers. In addition, we give an example to illustrate one of our main results.

In this paper, we consider switched coupled system of nonlinear impulsive Langevin equations with mixed derivatives. Some sufficient conditions are constructed to observe the existence, uniqueness and generalized Ulam--Hyers--Rassias stability of our proposed model, with the help of Generalized Diaz--Margolis's fixed point approach, over generalized complete metric space. We give an example which supports our main result.

\begin{abstract} In this work, we discuss the existence of positive periodic solutions of a class of second order nonlinear neutral delay differential equations of the form \\ \begin{align*} & [u(t)-p(t)f(u(t-\alpha))-q(t)g(u(t-\beta))]’‘= -\sigma(t) u(t)+ h(t, u(t-\alpha), u(t-\beta))\\ & [u(t)-p(t)f(u(t-\alpha))-q(t)g(u(t-\beta))]”= \sigma(t) u(t)- h(t, u(t-\alpha), u(t-\beta)) \end{align*} by using Krasnoselskii’s fixed point theorem. \\ {\bf{Mathematics subject classification (2010)}}: 34K13, 34A34\\ {\bf{Keywords}:} Periodic solution, neutral differential equation, delay, nonlinear.\\ \\ \end{abstract}

This article presents to evaluating the sway of thermal radiation and chemical reaction on MHD flow of Ag/SWCNT – Water based Maxwell hybrid nanoliquid over a vertical cone by considering Cattaneo - Christov heat flux, convective boundary condition and suction parameter. By using appropriate transformations the nonlinear partial differential equations are converted into ordinary differential equations. The governing dimensionless equations are solved by using an optimized and extensively validated Finite element method. The sway of dissimilar parameter on hydrodynamic, thermal and solutal boundary layer is perceived and the results are laid out graphically. Additionally, the values of skin – friction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood numbers are authorized for different values of pertinent parameters and results are demonstrated in tabular form. Comparison of the present problem results with existing results shows good agreement. The key observations are summarized as the velocity grows with (ϕ1), Temperature increases for Biot number (Bi) and Skin – friction coefficient, Sherwood number declines, nevertheless Nusselt number escalates as values of Deborah number (α) improves.

Erdheim–Chester disease (ECD) is a rare non-Langerhans disease. This report describes a 51-year-old woman with a history of weakness, bone pain, xanthelasma palpebrarum, diabetes insipidus, and hypothyroidism. ECD is a multisystemic condition with a poor prognosis. This disease should be considered in patients with diabetes insipidus and multiorgan involvements.

Objective: Examine the trajectory of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) among patients eligible for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy Background: Ejection fraction is the cornerstone criterion for ICD therapy, but the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains after an improvement in EF. Methods: We examined the trajectory of EF among 1178 participants of the Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial (SCD-HeFT) who had 3 or more assessments of EF, at least 90 days apart. A follow-up EF >35% or >10% absolute increase in EF from baseline were examined as the criteria for EF improvement. Results: At first follow-up, 381 (32%) patients had an improvement of EF to >35%. However, EF had returned back to 35% in 109 (27%) of these patients at second follow-up. Similarly, 446 (38%) patients experienced a >10% improvement in EF at first follow-up, but 109 (24%) of these had a subsequent >10% decrease in EF at the second follow-up. Of the 32 patients with normalized EF (≥55%) at first follow-up, 18 (56%) had a subsequent >10% decrease in EF. The fluctuation in EF was present in both ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy but a higher proportion of patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy had an improvement in EF to >35% at first follow-up compared to those with ischemic cardiomyopathy (38% vs. 27%, p=<0.0001). Conclusion: There is substantial fluctuation of EF among patients who are eligible for ICD therapy. These data may help explain the continued risk of SCD after improvement in EF.