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There is not a welfare protocol for horses reared for meat production in semi-extensive systems. The aims of the study were to develop a specific welfare protocol suitable to be applied at pasture and on stable; and to evaluate whether the welfare items were influenced by the farming system (pasture vs stable). 52 non-animal-based measures (N-ABMs) and 14 animal-based measures (ABMs), classified into 6 thematic areas (training, feeding, facilities, ABMs, biosecurity, health management) were selected by a focus group. The protocol was applied on a total of 429 Catria horses located across 26 pastures during the warm seasons and on 7 stables during the cold seasons. Differences obtained within each horse-unit were calculated by using the diversity index (VARNC) and the distance from the ideal (dfi) index. Chi-square test was used for comparing the relative frequencies (%) of the answers (pasture vs stable). Most the welfare items were classified as adequate in both pasture and stable, yet differences were found within ‘training’ (p = 0.02) and ‘feeding’ (p

The inclusion of lead in the Champion perovskite material MAPbI3 is a detrimental factor in the commercialization of lead based perovskite solar cells. This is mainly due to the toxicity of lead and also due to degradation of MAPbI3 in ambient condition into hazardous chemicals which are toxic to the environment [1]. Due to these factors, though the Hybrid Organic Inorganic Lead based PSCs exhibit excellent photovoltaic effect and photo conversion efficiency (PCE), yet numerous theoretical and experimental studies have been done to replace lead with suitable elements such as Sn, Ge, Bi etc. This research work focusses on replacing Pb from MAPbI3, with different wt% of Bi such as 1%, 2%, 4% and 8% and analyzing its effect on the stability and efficiency of the PSC. These solutions of Bi doped perovskite are coated on the FTOs and are fabricated under room ambient condition in the sandwich structure. The results exhibit lower efficiency of Bismuth doped PSCs but it shows remarkable stability comparable to that of MAPbI3.

Introduction: Vitiligo is a complex dermatosis with an uncertain etiology, variable clinical presentations, an unpredictable course and prognosis, and difficult to treat. Surgical intervention is recommended for patients with a stable, nonprogressive vitiligo. Dermoscopy can detect the subtle changes in the pigmentary pattern and aid in the diagnosis of evolving lesions. This study was undertaken to measure the stability of the disease by classifying the patients as clinically stable and active and observing dermatological parameters. Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate assess the correlation between the clinical and dermoscopic features in stable and active cases of vitiligo. Materials and Methods: Forty patients of vitiligo. Clinical VIDA score and six lesional and perilesional dermoscopic parameters were analyzed. Statistical analysis was done to determine their correlation. Results: Altered pigment network (91.6%) was the most observed dermoscopic feature followed by perifollicular depigmentation (66.7%) in clinically unstable patients and altered pigment network (87.5%) followed by leucotrichia (68.8%) was seen in clinically stable patients. However, vascularity and Koebner's phenomena failed to produce the same. Conclusion: Lesional and perilesional dermoscopic examination together for the above four parameters (pigmentary network, perifollicular changes, perilesional hypopigmentary macules, and leucotrichia) will produce reliable diagnostic approach for differentiating patients as clinically stable or unstable along with clinical VIDA score.

M Patrick Witvliet,1,2 E Karin Arkenbout,3 Pieter W Kamphuisen1,4 1Department of Internal Medicine, Tergooi Medical Center, Hilversum, the Netherlands; 2Department of General Practice, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 3Department of Cardiology, Tergooi Medical Center, Hilversum, the Netherlands; 4Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsCorrespondence: M Patrick Witvliet, Department of Internal Medicine, Tergooi Medical Center, Laan van Tergooi 2, 1212 VG, Hilversum, the Netherlands, Tel +31 205664271, Email m.p.witvliet@amsterdamumc.nlBackground: The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score can be used to increase (CAC score > 0) or decrease (CAC score = 0) the likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD). We compared the CAC score with the pre-test probability (PTP) for CAD (low, intermediate, and high). Furthermore, we compared the CAC score with exercise electrocardiography (ECG) and compared both tests with coronary angiography.Methods and Results: We retrospectively identified patients with angina and/or dyspnea for whom CAC score was used to increase or decrease the likelihood of CAD. Of 882 patients, majority had low (45%) or intermediate (44%) PTP. Patients with higher PTP had significantly higher CAC scores (Cramer’s V = 0.29, p < 0.0001). Most patients (57%) had a CAC score of zero, especially those with low (73%) and intermediate (49%) PTP. However, 20% of patients with high PTP had CAC score of zero. Higher CAC scores were observed in patients with abnormal exercise ECG, but association was weak and not significant (Cramer’s V = 0.13, p = 0.08). Moreover, more than 40% of patients with an abnormal exercise ECG had CAC score of zero. Higher CAC scores were associated with more severe abnormalities on coronary angiography (Cramer’s V = 0.43, p < 0.0001), whereas there was no association between results of exercise ECG and coronary angiography (Cramer’s V = 0.11, p = 0.91).Conclusion: CAC score can be used in addition to PTP to increase or decrease the likelihood of CAD, and it might be more useful than exercise ECG in the diagnostic work-up of chest pain.Keywords: coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, CT, risk factors, angina, stable

Clay is naturally occurring and poses a low risk. It is distinguished by mineral composition and ability to adsorb plant colorants and phytochemicals effectively. This study aimed to enhance the stability of bio-clay by preparing body mud scrubs through a solid-state reaction, combining volcanic clay with herbal plants, including Bougainvillea spp., Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb., and Curcuma longa L. (bio-clay). The characterization of purification clay revealed strong stability within its mineral composition. The optimum condition for sampling was 4 °C, which reserved the total phenolic content (TPC), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. A high Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC; mg TEAC/g sample) and low half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) indicated excellent antioxidant activity. Over a storage period of 28 d, the Bougainvillea spp., Curcuma longa L., purified clay + Bougainvillea spp., and purified clay + Curcuma longa L. samples retained their stability. Their TPC, % scavenging, TEAC, and IC50 showed dominant antioxidant activity, stable active phenolic compounds, and the maintenance of extensive amounts. This compound is widely applied as a unique cosmetic ingredient.

We study a variational problem for hypersurfaces in a wedge in the Euclidean space. Our wedge is bounded by a finitely many hyperplanes passing a common point. The total energy of each hypersurface is the sum of its anisotropic surface energy and the wetting energy of the planar domain bounded by the boundary of the considered hypersurface. An anisotropic surface energy is a generalization of the surface area which was introduced to model the surface tension of a small crystal. We show an existence and uniqueness result of local minimizers of the total energy among hypersurfaces enclosing the same volume. Our result is new even when the special case where the surface energy is the surface area.

Efficient, low-cost photocatalysts with mild synthesis conditions and stable photocatalytic behavior have always been the focus in the field of photocatalysis. This study proves that non-quantum-dot Cs2PbI2Cl2-based materials, created by a simple method, can be successfully employed as new high-efficient photocatalysts. The results demonstrate that two-dimensional Cs2PbI2Cl2 perovskite can achieve over three times higher photocatalytic performance compared to three-dimensional CsPbBr3 perovskite. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of Cs2PbI2Cl2 can be further improved by constructing a heterojunction structure, such as Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3. Cs2PbI2Cl2 can connect well with CsPbBr3 through a simple method, resulting in tight bonding at the interface and efficient carrier transfer. Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 exhibits notable 5-fold and 10-fold improvements in photocatalytic performance and rate compared to CsPbBr3. Additionally, Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 demonstrates superb stable catalytic performance, with nearly no decrease in photocatalytic performance after 7 months (RH = 20% ± 10, T = 25 °C ± 5). This study also reveals that the photocatalytic process based on Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 can directly oxidize organic matter using holes, without relying on the generation of intermediate reactive oxygen species from water or oxygen (such as ·OH or ·O2−), showcasing further potential for achieving high photocatalytic efficiency and selectivity in anhydrous/anaerobic catalytic reactions and treating recalcitrant pollutants.

As a free-ranging, social species, the housing of horses (Equus caballus) may limit their opportunity to display natural behaviour, compromising well-being. This review records and presents studies that have investigated horse housing design, evaluates the location and number of studies carried out to date, and reports the methods used to assess impact on equine well-being. A Boolean search was conducted in two databases: Web of Science and Scopus, filtered according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, resulting in 60 peer-reviewed papers for evaluation. Key findings are that a significant amount of work to date has been carried out in Europe and the USA, and the frequency of horse housing studies has steadily increased over the last 33 years, with 52% of them occurring in the last eight years. Health and welfare measures indicate benefits of housing horses in more natural management systems, particularly with conspecifics. Generally, the studies reviewed were only conducted in the short term, therefore future research should aim to increase the length of time over which housing is evaluated, particularly to ensure studies continue beyond an adaptation period. The review also highlights a requirement for more standardised methodology in housing welfare evaluation to allow for more meaningful comparisons to be made. Studies seeking to improve horse welfare in existing housing systems, in the face of limited space or other management constraints, are of high value to the end user and are encouraged. The studies reviewed here represent a significant and diverse body of work from which gaps in knowledge and future research directions can be determined.

Organic–inorganic hybrid dielectric nanomaterials are vital for OTFT applications due to their unique combination of organic dielectric and inorganic properties. Despite the challenges in preparing stable titania (TiO2) nanoparticles, we successfully synthesized colloidally stable organic–inorganic (O-I) TiO2 hybrid nanoparticles using an amphiphilic polymer as a stabilizer through a low-temperature sol–gel process. The resulting O-I TiO2 hybrid sols exhibited long-term stability and formed a high-quality dielectric layer with a high dielectric constant (κ) and minimal leakage current density. We also addressed the effect of the ethylene oxide chain within the hydrophilic segment of the amphiphilic polymer on the dielectric properties of the coating film derived from O-I TiO2 hybrid sols. Using the O-I TiO2 hybrid dielectric layer with excellent insulating properties enhanced the electrical performance of the gate dielectrics, including superior field-effect mobility and stable operation in OTFT devices. We believe that this study provides a reliable method for the preparation of O-I hybrid TiO2 dielectric materials designed to enhance the operational stability and electrical performance of OTFTs.

Inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of COPD by interfering with the protease/antiprotease and oxidant/antioxidant balance. There is no adequate data about the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and FEV1 values in stable COPD patients. Prospective cohort study, designed in tertiary care chest disease hospitals' outpatient clinic. COPD patients were approved informed consent were included in the study. The total antioxidant status (TAS,), total oxidant status (TOS), total thiol (TT), native thiol (NT), IL1 IL6, and TNFα levels were measured. The mean age of 33 COPD patients who joined the study was 61±9,32 years, while their average body mass index (BMI) was 27±4,31 kg/m2. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age, gender, weight, smoking status and comorbidities. According to the results of the analysis, there was a statistically significant difference in TOS, TAS, oxidative stress index (OSI), TT, NT, DIS, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα between the control and COPD patient groups (p [Med-Science 2022; 11(2.000): 770-74]

Abstract Despite the fact that flexible temperature sensors, which can be mechanically deformed, are used for the fabrication of next‐generation smart electronics over the past few years, the improvement in their sensitivity and stability remains a major challenge. Along these lines, in this work, an all‐inorganic flexible temperature sensor consisting of MnCoNiO (MCNO) spinel structural ceramics film and a flexible 40 µm‐thick mica substrate is fabricated. By precisely controlling the production process, the pure spinel phase MCNO/mica films with low defect density can be obtained. In addition, the activation energy of the proposed flexible ceramic temperature sensor film remains stable in the natural bending state and at radii of curvature of 10, 15, and 20 mm, respectively, accordingly, B25/50 is relatively stable around the range of 3450–3550 K. Meanwhile, its sensitivity temperature coefficient of resistance value reaches −3.9% °C−1. More specifically, ΔB25/50 is less than 1.83%, 1.57%, and 1.32% after thermal shock, application of the bending cycle, and vibration, respectively. The superior performance of this all‐inorganic ceramic film is due to the excellent bonding between the film and the substrate. This work provides an alternative approach to exploit the development of the next‐generation high‐sensitivity flexible electronic devices.

Titanium-oxo-clusters (TOCs), due to its precise, tunable structure and rich properties, have been widely used in many fields. However, application of TOCs is greatly limited in biomedical area owing to the impact of its own performances, for example, unstable structure, lack of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties required as biomedical materials. In this work, we developed a novel stable, excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties Ag-Titanium-oxo-cluster (Ag-TOC, Ag9Ti4) with active site Ag and salicylic acid by one-step solvothermal method, through introducing silver and salicylic acid. Then, the Ag9Ti4 cluster was introduced into the dopamine-containing hydrogel system, the results in vitro indicated this Ag9Ti4 cluster hydrogel system possesses good antibacterial and photothermal properties. Moreover, the results in vivo indicated the Ag9Ti4 hydrogel system showed better anti-inflammatory and wound healing ability under NIR condition. Combined with its excellent properties, we believed that the construction of antibacterial, photothermal and stable Ag-TOC hydrogel system can provide a new strategy for the expanding biomedical applications of TOCs.

The clinical concept of coronary artery disease (CAD) has seen a paradigm shift over the last decade. CAD is mostly a progressive disease, and patients with CAD can develop acute coronary syndromes at any point in disease progression. In this clinical context, a new term, “chronic coronary syndrome,” was published in the 2019 European Society of Cardiology guidelines, reflecting the importance of early diagnosis and active management. Recent advances have been made in the evaluation of CAD using coronary CT angiography (CCTA). The clinical usefulness of CCTA in patients with stable angina or chronic coronary syndrome begins with the detection of early asymptomatic CAD. The characterization of atherosclerotic plaque and its role in determining treatment strategies for CAD have been demonstrated for all stages of the disease. This review describes the pathophysiology of stable angina to aid in the understanding of the clinical applications of CCTA.

Background: Intertrochanteric fractures of femur are one of the most common fractures encountered in the elderly population. Dynamic hip screw (DHS) with a side plate is the standard modality of treatment especially in the case of stable fractures because it creates a controlled collapse at fracture site, leading to union. A comparative study between minimally invasive surgical technique with the conventional surgical technique for the fixation of intertrochanteric fractures with the DHS device was done. Methods: Thirty patients with stable intertrochanteric fractures (31A1.1, 31A1.2, and 31A1.3) were treated with the conventional open technique and another thirty with a new minimally invasive technique. Patients in both groups were followed up for at least 9 months. Results: There was less preoperative and postoperative blood loss, less soft-tissue destruction, less pain postoperatively, shorter hospital stays, and early mobilization and faster union with the minimally invasive technique. Conclusion: The study concludes that minimally invasive technique is superior to conventional (open) DHS in stable fractures.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials continue to attract significant interest due to their optoelectronic application. However, the degradation phenomenon associated with hybrid structures remains a challenging aspect of commercialization. To overcome the stability issue, we have assembled the methylammonium lead bromide nano islands (MNIs) on the backbone of poly-3-dodecyl-thiophene (PDT) for the first time. The structural and morphological properties of the MNI-PDT composite were confirmed with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optical properties, namely absorption studies, were carried out by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The fluorescent behavior is determined by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The emission peak for the MNI-PDT was observed at 536 nm. The morphology studies supported by FESEM indicated that the nano islands are completely covered on the surface of the polymer backbone, making the hybrid (MNI-PDT) stable under environmental conditions for three months. The interfacial interaction strategy developed in the present work will provide a new approach for the stabilization of hybrids for a longer time duration.

Idiopathic slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a known disorder in pre/adolescent children with vague hip/knee pain. We wished to study the demographic differences between stable varus, unstable varus, and valgus idiopathic SCFEs using a retrospective review over a 10-year period of SCFE children seen at a tertiary children’s hospital. Standard demographic data was collected, and radiographs were measured to determine the Southwick angle and status of the tri-radiate cartilage. There were 190 patients; 138 had stable varus SCFEs, 45 unstable varus SCFEs, and 7 valgus SCFEs. All unstable SCFEs were varus, and all valgus SCFEs were stable. There were significant differences between the three groups by age at diagnosis, sex, race, SCFE severity, weight percentile, and duration of symptoms. The average age at diagnosis was 11.0 ± 1.2, 11.8 ± 1.8, and 12.3 ± 1.7 years for the valgus, unstable varus, and stable varus groups (p = 0.019), and similarly, SCFE severity was 25° ± 15°, 48° ± 18°, and 35° ± 19° (p = 0.0002) for the three same groups. Patients with valgus SCFEs were mostly female (86%) compared to the stable varus (39.9%) and unstable (47%) groups (p = 0.05) and mostly non-White (86%) (0.011). The duration of symptoms was 4.1 ± 4.1, 2.3 ± 5.0, and 4.5 ± 5.0 months for the valgus, unstable varus, and stable varus groups (p = 0.00005). These three types of idiopathic SCFEs demonstrated differences by age at diagnosis, sex, race, weight percentile, and duration of symptoms.

The energy demand generated by fossil fuels is increasing day by day, and it has drastically increased after the COVID-19 pandemic as industries and household utilities rejuvenate. Renewable sources are thus becoming more essential as easily available, alternative methods of low-cost energy generation. Among these renewables, solar energy, i.e., solar power, is a promising energy source and can be used for solar-based H2 evolution because H2 technology is a leading source of eco-friendly electricity generation, and most of the worldwide efforts to develop this method involve heterogeneous catalysis for H2 evolution via water splitting and its storage, i.e., using a fuel cell. In the current scenario, there is a need to develop a stable, recyclable, and reusable heterogeneous catalyst system, which is a great challenge. In the current study, we have focused on novel ferrite magnetic nanomaterials for recyclable and reusable robust photocatalysis. Moreover, discussions of the factors contributing to the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, low-cost synthesis techniques, and prospects for making them ideal photocatalysts are uncommon in the literature. The study will impart possible approaches for the design and development of novel ferrite nanomaterials and their nanocomposites for H2 generation in the forthcoming years.

Metal halide perovskites have recently been reported as excellent scintillators for X-ray detection. However, perovskite based scintillators are susceptible to moisture and oxygen atmosphere, such as the water solubility of CsPbBr3, and oxidation vulnerability of Sn2+, Cu+. The traditional metal halide scintillators (NaI: Tl, LaBr3, etc.) are also severely restricted by their high hygroscopicity. Here we report a new kind of lead free perovskite with excellent water and radiation stability, Rb2Sn1-x TexCl6. The equivalent doping of Te could break the in-phase bonding interaction between neighboring octahedra in Rb2SnCl6, and thus decrease the electron and hole dimensionality. The optimized Te content of 5% resulted in high photoluminescence quantum yield of 92.4%, and low X-ray detection limit of 0.7 µGyair s−1. The photoluminescence and radioluminescence could be maintained without any loss when immersing in water or after 480,000 Gy radiations, outperforming previous perovskite and traditional metal halides scintillators.

Potato is the third major food crop in the world. In Northern Bangladesh, potato production outside the regular growing season can contribute to farmers’ profit and prices can be very favorable as consumers’ demand for potatoes is greater than the decreased, off-season supply. However, potato production may be negatively affected by increased pest and disease pressure and higher soil temperature. We hypothesized that some potato varieties would have smaller tuber yield reduction when they are grown outside the normal season. The objective of this experiment was to find out promising genotypes for earlier cultivation prior to mid of November, cultivation in northern regions of Bangladesh. The trials, corresponding to very early, early, normal and late growing seasons were planted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Germination percent, plant height, stems per hill, marketable tuber yield at 65 days, marketable tuber yield at 90 days were recorded. For yield and components of yield contributing characters Clone 13.17, BARI Alu 7(Diamant) and Arizona outperformed in all growing condition and had wider adaptability and stability of tuber yield based on Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI).

Abstract Based on an L1 interpolation operator, a new high-order compact finite volume scheme is derived for the 2D multi-term time fractional sub-diffusion equation. It is shown that the difference scheme is unconditionally convergent and stable in L ∞ $L_{\infty }$ -norm. The convergence order is O ( τ 2 − α + h 1 4 + h 2 4 ) $O(\tau ^{2-\alpha }+h_{1}^{4}+h_{2}^{4})$ , where τ is the temporal step size and h 1 $h_{1}$ is the spatial step size in one direction, h 2 $h_{2}$ is the spatial step size in another direction. Two numerical examples are implemented, testifying to their efficiency and confirming their convergence order.

The aim of the study was to analyse selected air parameters in a stable (microclimate) and the basic physiological parameters of horses housed in the stable in different seasons of the year. The research material was 12 adult hot-blooded horses kept in a brick stable with stalls. Air parameters in the stable (temperature in the passageway, temperature in the stall at two points, relative humidity in the passageway, and relative humidity in the stall at two points) were determined four times in one year, in summer, autumn, winter and spring. Measurements were made with a Bluetooth BLE-LOGGER LB-518 battery-operated cordless thermo-hygrometer at 12 noon at five points in the stable located 300 cm apart. Physiological parameters of the horses, i.e. internal body temperature (Veterinär SC 12 veterinary thermometer), heart rate (Polar ELECTRO OY RS800CX with PolarProTrainer 5.0. software), and respiratory rate (with a manual stopwatch) were measured at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on each day of the study. The season of the year was found to have a significant influence on the microclimate of the stable. To ensure optimal air humidity, airing of the stable should be limited only in winter and periodically in autumn. It is also worth emphasizing that the stable microclimate has a marked effect on the basic physiological parameters of horses. High temperature and relative humidity in the stable can cause unfavourable changes in the form of an increase in evening body temperature in the summer and a decrease in the winter. The remaining parameters, i.e. heart rate and respiratory rate, can also unfavourably increase, mainly in the summer. Horses should have fewer problems maintaining normal physiological parameters in winter, even fewer in autumn, and the fewest in spring.

The idea behind the neutrosophic set is we can connect the concept by dynamics of opposite interacts and its neutral that are uncertain and get common parts. Automata theory is beneficial to solve computational complexity problem and also it is an influential mathematical modeling tool in computer science. Inspired by the concepts of neutrosophic sets and automata theory, here, we are introducing and discussing the algebraic concept of neutrosophic finite automata based on the paper [10]. Generally, composite machines can be achieved by the output of the one machine that will be used as input for another machines. This paper introduced the concept of composite automata under the environment of the neutrosophic set and also examined the box function between the composite neutrosophic finite automata.

Assessment of myocardial ischemia in patients with stable angina is important in deciding whether to treat coronary artery disease and in predicting clinical outcome. The fractional flow reserve is a standard reference for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia, but this procedure has limitations because of its invasiveness. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is now an established tool in the anatomic diagnosis of coronary artery disease; however, there are limits to the diagnosis of hemodynamically important stenosis that causes myocardial ischemia. In order to address this problem, studies using quantification of coronary atherosclerotic plaques, myocardial perfusion, and noninvasive calculation of fractional flow reserve based on CCTA have been actively conducted and recognized for their diagnostic value. In this review, several imaging techniques of CCTA used to assess myocardial ischemia are described.

Abstract Background Growing up on a cattle farm and consuming raw cow's milk protects against asthma and allergies. We expect a cattle‐specific protein as active component in this farm effect. Methods Dust was collected from cattle and poultry stables and from mattresses of households. Urine was obtained from cattle, and ambient aerosols were sampled. Samples were analysed for BLG by SDS PAGE/immunoblot and mass spectrometry, and for association with metals by SEC‐ICP‐MS. PBMC of healthy donors were incubated with BLG +/− zinc, and proliferation and cytokines determined. BALB/c mice were pre‐treated intranasally with stable dust extract containing BLG or depleted of BLG, and subsequent allergy response after sensitization was evaluated on antibody and symptom level. Results A major protein in dust from cattle farms and ambient air was identified as BLG. Urine from female and male cattle is a major source of BLG. In dust samples, BLG was associated with zinc. In vitro, zinc‐BLG provoked significantly lower proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells while inducing significantly higher levels of IFN‐γ and IL‐6 than the apo‐BLG devoid of zinc. In vivo, pre‐treatment of mice with dust extract containing BLG resulted in lower allergy symptom scores to BLG and unrelated Bet v 1 than pre‐treatment with extract depleted of BLG. These in vitro and in vivo effects were independent of endotoxin. Conclusion The lipocalin BLG is found in large amounts in cattle urine, accumulates in bovine dust samples and is aerosolized around farms. Its association with zinc favorably shapes the human cellular immune response towards Th1‐cytokines in vitro. BLG together with zinc in stable dust protects mice from allergic sensitization. BLG with its associated ligands may in an innate manner contribute to the allergy‐protective farm effect.

The Heston–Hull–White three-dimensional time-dependent partial differential equation (PDE) is one of the important models in mathematical finance, at which not only the volatility is modeled based on a stochastic process but also the rate of interest is assumed to follow a stochastic dynamic. Hence, an efficient method is derived in this paper based on the methodology of the localized radial basis function generated finite difference (RBF-FD) scheme. The proposed solver uses the RBF-FD approximations on graded meshes along all three spatial variables and a high order time-stepping scheme. Stability is also studied in detail to show under what conditions the proposed method is stable. Computational simulations are given to support the theoretical discussions.

Assessing dynamic risk factors for persons who reside in an institution can be a challenge. Conceptualizing and scoring dynamic risk factors is more difficult when environments are restricted and opportunities for those being assessed to demonstrate changes in behaviour may be few and far between. Additionally, because dynamic risk measures rely partly on file information scoring is dependent on the training and backgrounds of the people who record information and their personal decisions as to what they consider important enough to include in records. This may mean that scoring under research conditions based only on file review does not reflect the reliability of the measure under clinical conditions. Despite these challenges the present paper argues that there is sufficient evidence to support the use of STABLE-2007 as a reliable and valid measure of dynamic risk factors in institutional settings under both clinical and research conditions. Tips are provided on how to conceptualize institutional behaviours in a manner relevant to dynamic risk factors and how to weigh historical versus more recent information. Finally, recommendations are made for implementing a thoughtful system of checks and balances relevant to the assessment process in institutional settings.

This research work presents the design of a mixture of SiO2/TiO2 that increases the surface roughness and hydrophobicity of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) coated glass. The deposition of SiO2, TiO2, and MTMS were conducted using a layer by layer dip coating technique. The SiO2/TiO2 coating was derived from complete hydrolysis of tetraethylorthsilicate and titanium tetraisopropoxide. In order to evaluate and compare the performance of SiO2/TiO2/MTMS coated glass, the SiO2/SiO2/MTMS and TiO2/TiO2/MTMS were also fabricated. SiO2/TiO2/MTMS samples displayed the highest water contact angle. The topography of surfaces showed that SiO2/TiO2/MTMS exposed higher surface roughness with micro-nanoscale structures. The sequence of SiO2 and TiO2 influenced the water contact angle and the stability of the coatings. SiO2/TiO2/MTMS produced higher contact angle and stability than TiO2/SiO2/MTMS.

A graph G with the double domination number γ×2(G) = k is said to be k- γ×2-critical if γ×2 (G + uv) < k for any uv ∉ E(G). On the other hand, a graph G with γ×2 (G) = k is said to be k-γ×2+$k - \gamma _{ \times 2}^ + $-stable if γ×2 (G + uv) = k for any uv ∉ E(G) and is said to be k-γ×2-$k - \gamma _{ \times 2}^ - $-stable if γ×2 (G− uv) = k for any uv ∈ E(G). The problem of interest is to determine whether or not 2-connected k- γ×2-critical graphs are Hamiltonian. In this paper, for k ≥ 4, we provide a 2-connected k- γ×2-critical graph which is non-Hamiltonian. We prove that all 2-connected k-γ×2-critical claw-free graphs are Hamiltonian when 2 ≤ k ≤ 5. We show that the condition claw-free when k = 4 is best possible. We further show that every 3-connected k- γ×2-critical claw-free graph is Hamiltonian when 2 ≤ k ≤ 7. We also investigate Hamiltonian properties of k-γ×2+$k - \gamma _{ \times 2}^ + $-stable graphs and k-γ×2-$k - \gamma _{ \times 2}^ - $-stable graphs.

Soybean in Indonesia is grown in diverse agro-ecological environments. The performance of soybean yield often varies due to significant genotype × environment interaction (GEI), therefore the yield stability of performance is an important consideration in the breeding program. The aim of the research was to exploring the GEI pattern and yield stability of soybean promising lines in the tropics using GGE (Genotype and Genotype by Environment Interaction) biplot method. A total of 16 soybean promising lines were evaluated in ten environments during 2016 growing season. The experiment was arranged in a randomized completely block design with four replicates. The analysis of variance revealed that environments (E) explained the highest percentage of variation (51.45%), meanwhile the genotypes (G) and genotype × environment interactions (GEI) contributed for 3.24%, and 14.59% of the total variation, respectively. Seed yield of 16 soybean promising lines ranged from 2.41 to 2.83 t.ha-1 with an average of 2.74 t.ha-1. Joint effects of genotype and interaction (G+GE) which was partitioned using GGE biplot analysis showed that the first two components were significant, explaining 60.88% (37.89% PC1 and 22.98% PC2) of the GGE sum of squares. Indonesia can be divided into at least four putative mega environments for soybean production. The GGE biplot identified G10 as high yielding and stable promising line, thus recommended to be developed in multi-environment in tropical regions of Indonesia.

Abstract Objective The treatment of plant tissue with Agrobacterium tumefaciens is often a critical first step to both stable and transient plant transformation. In both applications bacterial suspensions are oftentimes physically introduced into plant tissues using hand-driven pressure from a needleless syringe. While effective, this approach has several drawbacks that limit reproducibility. Pressure must be provided with the syringe perfectly perpendicular to the tissue surface. The researcher must also attempt to provide even and consistent pressure, both within and between experimental replicates. These factors mean that the procedures do not always translate well between research groups or biological replicates. Results We have devised a method to introduce Agrobacterium suspensions into plant leaves with greater reproducibility. Using a decommissioned dissecting microscope as an armature, a syringe body with the bacterial suspension is mounted to the nosepiece. Gentle, even pressure is applied by rotating the focus knob. The treatment force is measured using a basic kitchen scale. The development of the Standardized Pressure Agrobacterium Infiltration Device (SPAID) provides a means to deliver consistent amounts of bacterial suspensions into plant tissues with the goal of increasing reproducibility between replicates and laboratories.

The study employs the Markov switching regression to examine the dynamic effects of crude oil price movements on sector returns in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China and India given the impact of the global factor. The evidence from the Markov switching model with dynamic transitions indicates that crude oil and the global factor are significant in explaining the dynamic transition between the specified regimes. We find that the expected regime durations in India are the highest across the sample. We observe that the consumer durables and construction sectors in India exhibited the longest expected duration in stable regimes, whereas the banking sector lasted much longer in recessions.

Participatory varietal selection (PVS) were conducted at Dembia, Gondarzuria and Takusa midland districts of North Gondar during 2015–2016 main cropping seasons to evaluate and select improved sorghum varieties for high yield and other agronomic traits. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications. The analysis of variance showed highly significant among treatments of all traits. Environment and Genotype by Environment Interaction also contributed significant effect on performance of some yield components. The highest average grain yield was recorded from the variety IS9302 (2635 kg/ha) followed by Birmash (2537 kg/ha) across locations. Four parametric stability methods including: Lin and Binns’s Cultivar Performance Measure (Pi), Wricke’s Ecovalence (WI), Static stability and GGbiplot methods that consider both yield and stability were conducted. Based on those parameters genotype IS9302 showed high mean yield and stability across locations. Participant farmers’ prioritized seven traits: head size, panicle length, earliness, grain color, disease and pest tolerance, stalk vigor and plant height. Hence, farmer’s preferences in a variety selection process more prioritized yield-related traits. The best varieties ranked by traits of interest were IS9302, Dagem and Birmash that performed well under their circumstances. Hence, the results showed that farmers’ preferred varieties matches with researchers’. Therefore, based on objectively measured traits, farmers preferences and the agro ecologies of the site varieties IS9302, Dagem and Birmash were found promising for production in the mid altitude of North Gondar and similar agro ecologies.

According to density functional theory (DFT), a novel carbon allotrope is first predicted and investigated in this paper, denoted as oP72 carbon. oP72 carbon is mechanically stable and dynamically stable. There are fourteen carbon atom positions in oP72 carbon, it is an all-sp3 hybridized bonding network, and 4, 5, 6, 10 and 12 membered rings exist in the crystal structure of oP72 carbon. The shear modulus (224 GPa) and bulk modulus (269 GPa) of oP72 carbon are both slightly larger than those of C64, Y carbon, TY carbon, and T carbon, and the shear modulus of oP72 carbon is slightly greater than that of Pnma-BN. The conduction band minimum of oP72 carbon is situated in the X point, when the maximum value of the valence band of oP72 carbon is from point T to point Y, the indirect band gap of oP72 carbon is 2.941 eV. Therefore we speculate the oP72 carbon is an indirect semiconductor material. Furthermore, the Debye temperature, elastic anisotropy, Poisson’s ratio v, and Young’s modulus E of oP72 carbon are calculated and discussed systematically in this paper.

Single-crystalline lead halide perovskites with remarkable physical properties offer great potential in integrated optoelectronic applications but are restricted by their instability and toxicity. To address these problems, various strategies including lead-free halide double perovskites with high stabilities of heat, light, and moisture have been developed. However, it still requires an efficient method to pattern single-crystalline, double-perovskite micro-/nanostructures with strict alignment and ordered orientation for the integration of optoelectronic devices. Here, our solution-processing approach employs capillary bridges to control the dewetting dynamics and confine the crystallization in the assembly of non-toxic Cs2AgBiBr6 microwire arrays. We demonstrate the strict alignment, high crystallinity, eliminated grain boundary, and ordered orientation of these as-prepared single-crystalline, double-perovskite microwire arrays. Based on these high-quality microwire arrays, we fabricate high-performance photodetectors with a responsivity of 1,625 A W−1, on/off ratio of 104, and fast response speed of τdecay = 0.04 ms and τrise = 0.28 ms. The long-term crystallographic and spectroscopic stability of Cs2AgBiBr6 microwire arrays has also been demonstrated through the 1 month exposure to air conditioning. Our strategy provides a new perception to fabricate stable perovskite microarrays for the integration of non-toxic optoelectronic devices.

No abstract available.

This paper reviews single stage amplifiers identified in the literature as well as presents a new structure single stage highly linear rail-to-rail amplifier intended for column drivers in Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display (AMLCD). The new proposed amplifier is based on applying current splitting technique on a rail-to-rail differential pair thus elevating the overall performance of the amplifier in terms of different performance parameters such as effective transconductance, output resistance, DC gain and unity gain frequency among others. One major advantage of the new proposed amplifier is its capability of providing a rail-to-rail stable operation without the need for compensation. The performance of the new proposed amplifier is tested on LTspice using 90nm CMOS technology under 1 Volts supply voltage and compared to other existing single stage amplifiers. Simulation results shows that the proposed amplifier provides a high DC gain, high effective transconductance and high output resistance while maintaining a stable operation with a phase margin of 80°. Obtained results also confirms that the amplifier exhibits rail-to-rail operation while maintaining a very low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). The pulse response of the proposed amplifier indicates a fast response with a rise time and fall times almost twice as fast as the other examined topologies. Against Process, Voltage and Temperature (PVT) variations, the amplifier exhibits a robust performance as the DC gain variation range was within 20% only which is much less than the other examined topologies.

Gel-based ionic conductors are promising candidates for flexible electronics, serving as stretchable sensors or electrodes. However, most of them suffer from a short operating life, low conductivity and rely on an external power supply, limiting their practical application. Herein, we report a stable organogel ionic conductor with high conductivity and self-powering ability. Briefly, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, as a conductive salt, provides high conductivity and the poly(1,1-difluoroethylene) layers, as a self-powering system, supply stable energy output under the influence of pressure. Moreover, the proposed conductors withstand long-term and multi-cycle durability tests. The prepared auxiliary training device can withstand the impact of a basketball and detect the impact force, showing potential in passive sensing during practical applications.

Abstract Background Genetic transformation is a valuable tool and an important procedure in plant functional genomics contributing to gene discovery, allowing powerful insights into gene function and genetically controlled characteristics. Primulaceae species provide one of the best-known examples of heteromorphic flower development, a breeding system which has attracted considerable attention, including that of Charles Darwin. Molecular approaches, including plant transformation give the best opportunity to define and understand the role of genes involved in floral heteromorphy in the common primrose, Primula vulgaris, along with other Primula species. Results Two transformation systems have been developed in P. vulgaris. The first system, Agrobacterium-mediated vacuum infiltration of seedlings, enables the rapid testing of transgenes, transiently in planta. GUS expression was observed in the cotyledons, true leaves, and roots of Primula seedlings. The second system is based on Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection of pedicel explants with an average transformation efficiency of 4.6%. This transformation system, based on regeneration and selection of transformants within in vitro culture, demonstrates stable transgene integration and transmission to the next generation. Conclusion The two transformation systems reported here will aid fundamental research into important traits in Primula. Although, stable integration of transgenes is the ultimate goal for such analyses, transient gene expression via Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer, offers a simple and fast method to analyse transgene functions. The second system describes, for the first time, stable Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Primula vulgaris, which will be key to characterising the genes responsible for the control of floral heteromorphy.

Background: Half of acute exacerbations of COPD are due to bacterial infection, and the other half are likely influenced by microbial colonisation. The same organisms commonly cultured during acute exacerbations are often found in the sputum of patients during stability. A robust assessment of the prevalence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms (PPMs) in the sputum of stable COPD patients may help to inform the targeted prevention of exacerbation by these organisms. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to determine the prevalence of PPMs in patients with COPD in the stable state. Meta-analysis of prevalence was carried out using the Freeman–Tukey double arcsine transformation random effects model, and sub-group analysis was performed for sputum modality. Prevalence of total and individual PPMs was calculated from patient-level data from individual studies. Results: Pooled prevalence of PPMs identified by sputum culture was found to be 41% (95% CI 36–47%). Significant heterogeneity was found across all studies, which can likely be attributed to inconsistent measuring and reporting of PPMs. The most commonly reported organisms were H. influenzae, M catarrhalis, S. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa. Declining lung function was weakly correlated with prevalence of PPMs. Conclusion: The airways of patients with COPD are colonised with PPMs during the stable state in almost half of patients. A complex relationship likely exists between the microbiome in the stable state and the phenotype of COPD patients. Targeted microbial therapy for preventing exacerbations of COPD should carefully consider the stable microbiome as well as the exacerbated.

Rowanberries (Sorbus aucuparia) are omnipresent in Europe. The medicinal importance of rowanberries is widely known and corresponds to the active ingredients present in the fruits, mainly polyphenols, carotenoids, and organic acids. In the current study, we explored rowanberries for the reduction of gold and silver salts into nanoparticles. Rowanberries-mediated gold nanoparticles (RB-AuNPs) formed within 5 s at room temperature, and silver nanoparticles (RB-AgNPs) formed in 20 min at 90 °C. The produced nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), single-particle inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (sp-ICP-MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The characterization confirmed that the nanoparticles are highly monodisperse, spherical, stable over long periods, and exhibit a high negative zeta potential values. The produced RB-AuNPs and RB-AgNPs were 90–100 nm and 20–30 nm in size with a thick biological corona layer surrounding them, providing extreme stability but lowering the antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobials study of RB-AgNPs revealed that the nanoparticles have antimicrobial potential with an MBC value of 100 µg/mL against P. aeruginosa and 200 µg/mL against E. coli.

Modeling topological properties of the spatial relationship between objects, known as the topological relationship, represent a fundamental research problem in many domains including artificial intelligence and geographical information science. Real-world data are generally finite and exhibit uncertainty. Therefore, when attempting to model topological relationships from such data, it is useful to do so in a manner which is both stable and facilitates statistical inferences. Current models of the topological relationships do not exhibit either of these properties. We propose a novel model of topological relationships between objects in the Euclidean plane, which encodes topological information regarding connected components and holes. Specifically, a representation of the persistent homology, known as a persistence scale space, is used. This representation forms a Banach space that is stable and, as a consequence of the fact that it obeys the strong law of large numbers and the central limit theorem, facilitates statistical inferences. The utility of this model is demonstrated through a number of experiments.

Abstract Background Several aspects of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) treatment remain controversial. Loder’s work has been instrumental in changing our understanding and approach to the management of the condition when he introduced the concept of “slip instability” and showed that avascular necrosis (AVN) developed in 47% of unstable slips but none of the stable slips. As the two types of SCFE behave differently in terms of presentation, progress and complications, we approached them as two different conditions to highlight these differences. This paper focuses on treatments of stable SCFE. Materials and methods An extensive literature search was carried out from multiple databases. One thousand six hundred and twenty-three citations were screened. Three hundred and sixteen full publications were obtained for further scrutiny. Fifty-eight studies (2262 hips) were included in the review. These studies evaluated 6 interventions. AVN was chosen as a surrogate for bad outcome. Secondary outcomes were chondrolysis (CL), femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI), osteoarthritis (OA) and patients’ reported outcomes. The latter were pooled when they met our predefined criteria. Results The type of surgical intervention was an important risk factor. Pinning in situ (PIS) was associated with the lowest AVN rate (1.4%). Moreover, the CL, FAI and OA rates were relatively low in patients who underwent PIS. These were not translated into high patient satisfaction rates among these patients, with only 47% reporting an “excellent” outcome. In contrast, 87% of patients who underwent Ganz surgical dislocation reported an “excellent” outcome. The Ganz surgical dislocation was associated with an AVN rate of 3.3%; double that observed in pinning in situ. Conclusion Pinning in situ is the best treatment for mild and moderate stable slip. Ganz surgical dislocation gives higher patient satisfaction for severe stable slip but the risk of AVN is doubled compared with pinning in situ. Devices that allow continued growth may be better than standard screws. Level of evidence Level III.

Given a large number of birds in the flock, we mathematically investigate the mechanism the birds move in a collective behavior. We assume that each bird is able to know its position and velocity of other birds within a radius of communication. Thus, to be able to fly in the flock, a bird has to adjust its position and velocity according to his neighbors. For this purpose, first of all, we analyze how the connectedness of the bird interaction network affects the cohesion of the stable bird flock. We further analyze a condition when the flock is vulnerable, which is mathematically indicated by means of the presence of an articulation point in bird communication network.

ABSTRACT Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has become a common rescue therapy for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, and encapsulated delivery (cFMT) of healthy donor microbiota shows similar clinical efficacy as more traditional routes of administration. In this study, we characterized long-term patterns of bacterial engraftment in a cohort of 18 patients, who received capsules from one of three donors, up to 409 days post-FMT. Bacterial communities were characterized using Illumina sequencing of the V5-V6 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene, and engraftment was determined by using the Bayesian algorithm SourceTracker. All patients recovered clinically and were free of C. difficile infection following cFMT. The majority of patients (61%) showed high levels of engraftment after the first week following FMT, which were sustained throughout the year. A small subset, 22%, experienced a decline in donor engraftment after approximately 1 month, and a few patients (17%), two of whom were taking metformin, showed delayed and low levels of donor engraftment. Members of the genera Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Faecalibacterium were significantly and positively correlated with donor similarity (ρ = 0.237 to 0.373, P ≤ 0.017). Furthermore, throughout the year, patient fecal communities showed significant separation based on the donor fecal microbiota that they received (P

Network dysfunction is well established in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and has been shown to be present early in the disease. This is especially interesting in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) since they are more likely to develop AD. In EEG, one type of network analysis is microstates where the EEG is divided into quasi-stable states and these microstates have been linked to networks found with resting state functional MRI. In the current exploratory study, we therefore wanted to explore the changes in microstates in MCI, and AD compared to healthy controls (HC) and whether microstates were able to separate patients with MCI who progressed (pMCI) and those who remained stable (sMCI). EEGs were recorded at baseline for 17 patients with AD, 27 patients with MCI, and 38 older HC and the patients were followed for 3 years. To investigate whole-brain dynamics we extracted different microstate parameters. We found that patients with MCI, and AD had significantly higher occurrence (p-value = 0.028), and coverage (p-value = 0.010) for microstate A compared to HC. However, we did not find any significant systematic deviation of the transition probabilities from randomness for any of the groups. No significant differences were found between pMCI and sMCI but the largest difference in duration was found for microstate D. Microstate A has been linked to the temporal lobes in studies combining EEG and fMRI and the temporal lobes are the most affected by AD pathology in the early stages of the disease. This supports our idea that microstate A may be the first affected microstate in early AD. Even though not significant between pMCI and sMCI, Microstate D has previously been shown to be associated with both frontal and parietal areas as measured with fMRI and may correspond to underlying pathological changes in the progression of MCI to AD. However, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The neoagaro-oligosaccharides, degraded from agarose by agarases, are important natural substances with many bioactivities. In this study, a novel agarase gene, agaW1540, from the genome of a deep-sea bacterium Shewanella sp. WPAGA9, was expressed, and the recombinant AgaW1540 (rAgaW1540) displayed the maximum activity under the optimal pH and temperature of 7.0 and 35 °C, respectively. rAgaW1540 retained 85.4% of its maximum activity at 0 °C and retained more than 92% of its maximum activity at the temperature range of 20–40 °C and the pH range of 4.0–9.0, respectively, indicating its extensive working temperature and pH values. The activity of rAgaW1540 was dramatically suppressed by Cu2+ and Zn2+, whereas Fe2+ displayed an intensification of enzymatic activity. The Km and Vmax of rAgaW1540 for agarose degradation were 15.7 mg/mL and 23.4 U/mg, respectively. rAgaW1540 retained 94.7%, 97.9%, and 42.4% of its maximum activity after incubation at 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C for 60 min, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography and ion chromatography analyses verified that rAgaW1540 is an endo-acting β-agarase that degrades agarose into neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose as the main products. The wide variety of working conditions and stable activity at room temperatures make rAgaW1540an appropriate bio-tool for further industrial production of neoagaro-oligosaccharides.

Abstract Background and objective Stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation as demonstrated by an increase in blood leukocytes, acute-phase proteins such as C-reactive protein, and inflammatory cytokines. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is one of the platelet (PLT) function indexes. It reflects the PLT production rate and stimulation. The changes in MPV during an exacerbation of COPD versus stable COPD have not been clearly examined. The aim of the present study was to evaluate MPV in participants during their stable phase and during an exacerbation of COPD. Patients and methods This study included a total of 80 COPD patients: group A included 40 patients in the stable state and group B included the remaining 40 who were admitted for exacerbation of COPD, who were followed-up for 6 weeks after recovery, and were matched with 40 healthy, nonsmoking controls. All patients underwent spirometry, laboratory investigations with respect to complete blood count, PLT count and MPV, and echocardiography. Results MPV revealed a highly significant decrease within the exacerbated patient group than stable ones who had lower levels of MPV than the control volunteers. There was a highly significant increase in MPV during the stable follow-up visit than during exacerbation for the same included group of patients. There was a significant positive correlation between MPV and grade of severity of COPD; 60% of the stable COPD patients were found to have pulmonary arterial hypertension by echocardiography. There was a significantly higher MPV among patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) than those without PH. Although PLT count increased with increased severity of PH, it did not reach significance, and there was a significant increase in MPV with increased severity of PH. Conclusion MPV is a quick and reliable tool for the assessment of inflammatory response. PLT activation is an important prothrombotic manifestation of COPD, which may be a useful therapeutic target.

Objectives: Air quality in the stables is characterized by elevated level of dust and aeroallergens which are supposed to directly cause or exacerbate several respiratory disorders. The most often recognized problem is recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), previously known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is some indication that aeroallergens (among them endotoxins) may also cause inflammation in human airways and may exceed safe levels in stables. Monitoring studies have covered mainly the determination of the concentration of respirable particles and of culturable fungi and their toxins. However, these particles do not only directly affect the respiratory system, but might act as a carrier conveying toxic contaminants and biological agents such as bacteria. In a typical, 20-horse Hungarian stable, microbial community of respirable fraction of resuspended dust has been characterized to reveal if these particles convey hazardous pathogenic bacteria, posing risk to either horses or staff. Material and Methods: Resuspended dust was sampled using a mobile instrument. The instrument contains a PARTISOL-FRM model 2000 sampler that was operated at a flow rate of 16.7 l/min and a cyclone separator which collected the particulate matter with an aerodynamic size between 1 μm and 10 μm (PM1–10) fraction. Microbial taxa were identified by culture-independent next generation sequencing (NGS) of variable 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene regions. Results: In total, 1491 different taxa were identified, of them 384 were identified to species level, 961 to genus level. The sample was dominated by common ubiquitous soil and organic material-dwelling taxa. Conclusions: Pathogens occurred at low abundance, and were represented by mostly facultative human pathogens, with the prevalence of Staphylococcus species.

Precipitation is essential for understanding hydrological processes and identifying the characteristics that must be considered to protect human lives and property from natural disasters. Hydrological analyses assume that precipitation shows stationarity. However, because of the recent changes in climate, the stationarity of climate data has been widely debated, and a need has arisen to analyze its nonstationary nature. In this study, we reviewed a method to analyze the stationarity of annual precipitation data from 37 meteorological stations that have recorded data for more than 45 years. Six stations that showed abnormal precipitation during the previous year were selected to evaluate the normality of future precipitation. The results showed that a significant trend was present in four out of 37 stations with unstable precipitation in 22 stations and persistent precipitation in 4 stations. The stationarity analysis of future annual precipitation using climate change scenarios suggested that no trend would be present in 11 stations and that unstable precipitation would be present in six stations. Persistent precipitation was identified in four stations. A comparison between the historical and predicted precipitation data conducted with the climate change scenarios showed that an increasing number of stations presented nonstationarity. Therefore, both stationarity and nonstationarity should be considered when performing hydrological analyses using annual precipitation data in Korea. Accordingly, prior to conducting any such analyses, the effect of climate change on annual precipitation should also be considered.

The aim of this study was to estimate microbiological quality of bioaerosols sampled from indoor and outdoor air of stables. Two types of closed stables (type 1 and 2) and one opened were tested during winter, spring and summer periods. Summary the highest number of bacteria was in closed stable type 2 (above 105 CFU×m-3), then opened (up to 105 CFU×m-3) and stable type 1 (near low 104 CFU×m-3). The number of fungi did not exceed 104 CFU×m-3 and was the greatest in stable type 1. Pool of mesophilic bacteria isolated from bioaerosols of both closed stables represented almost the same genetic profile, as well as between psychrophilic bacteria isolated from opened stable and background.