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Background: In humans, figurate erythema (FE) represents a heterogenous group of dermatoses with circular or serpiginous erythematous skin lesions; FE has not been reported in cats. Objectives: To report clinical and histological characteristics and outcomes of FE in sphynx cats from Baltic sea‐bordering countries. Animals: Eleven client‐owned sphynx cats with FE. Materials and Methods: We recruited cases meeting the following criteria: (i) a sphynx breed, (ii) FE with or without scaling, (iii) a chronic, waxing‐and‐waning course lasting longer than a month and (iv) an absence of other skin diseases. Results: Of 11 cats, there were seven Donskoys, one Peterbald, one Ukrainian Levkoy and two presumed Canadian sphynxes; all except one were males, and the age of onset was <12 months in eight cats. Skin lesions lasted between 1.2 and 56 months, and they consisted of erythematous plaques with a linear‐to‐serpiginous, annular, gyrate or iris configuration predominating on the trunk and extremities. Scaling was often seen trailing the edge of the centrifugally expanding erythema. All cats were otherwise asymptomatic or mildly pruritic. Dermatophytosis was ruled out by special stains and/or fungal cultures in eight cats. Microscopic lesions revealed focal, mild‐to‐moderate epidermal hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis, minimal‐to‐mild dysplasia and subepidermal collagen smudging. Special stains were negative for dermatophytes. The clinical remission of FE was not achieved with diet changes or medical interventions; yet, a spontaneous, transient, partial or complete improvement occurred in most cats. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance: This is the first report of FE in sphynx cats from Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes a criterion for the existence of sliding processes according to the frequency characteristics of the control device and the control object. It is shown that the conditions for the existence of slip are equivalent to the conditions for the absolute stability of equivalent circuits of the original systems with a variable structure. This approach is proposed by the authors as an alternative to the method of phase trajectories and state space equations used by other researchers. Frequency criteria make it possible to formulate several practical engineering provisions that are very important for the implementation of this control method in real electric drives. The main conclusions are confirmed by simulation of both processes in systems with a variable structure and in equivalent circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northeast Asian endemic species of lichen-forming fungus Umbilicaria krascheninnikovii is herein discussed in the global context of biogeography and phylogeny of the U. aprina group. The name U. krascheninnikovii has been erroneously used by lichenologists for Umbilicaria spp. from high latitudes or altitudes worldwide, as there are omphalodisc apothecia and rough "crystals" of a necral layer on the upper surface. To test the monophyly and phylogenetic relationships within the U. aprina group, four independent DNA regions (nrITS/5.8S, RPB2, mtLSU, and mtSSU) were used for six rare species, including a dozen specimens of U. krascheninnikovii from its locus classicus in Kamchatka. The study is based on the phylograms obtained using maximum likelihood and a Bayesian phylogenetic inference framework. As a result of phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses, it was shown that U. krascheninnikovii is a neo-endemic of the areas of modern volcanism in Kamchatka, Japan, as well as in the Kurile Islands, where this species was recorded for the first time. The morphology of U. krascheninnikovii is herein described and illustrated. Increasing the role of the sexual process and reducing asexual thalloconidiogenesis are shown to be apomorphic traits in the U. aprina group. The combination of sexual and asexual reproduction provides adaptive advantages in changing environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within this study, aluminum oxide granules with 0.25%vol. of graphene oxide were prepared by a spray-drying method to make an adsorbent for the 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide removal from aqueous solutions. The obtained adsorbent was studied using infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The presence of graphene in the spray-dried powder was confirmed. The adsorption removal of 2,4-D using the obtained material was performed at an ambient temperature by varying the process parameters such as pH and adsorption time. The adsorption of 2,4-D was a monolayer chemisorption according to the Langmuir isotherm pattern and a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of the monolayer was 35.181 mg/g. The results show that the Al2O3-0.25%vol. GO powder obtained by spray drying is suitable for the production of adsorbents for toxic herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HEX-P is a probe-class mission concept that will combine high spatial resolution X-ray imaging (<10" FWHM) and broad spectral coverage (0.2-80 keV) with an effective area far superior to current facilities' (including XMM-Newton and NuSTAR). These capabilities will enable revolutionary new insights into a variety of important astrophysical problems. We present scientific objectives and simulations of HEX-P observations of the Galactic Center (GC) and Bulge. We demonstrate the unique and powerful capabilities of the HEX-P observatory for studying both X-ray point sources and diffuse X-ray emission. HEX-P will be uniquely equipped to explore a variety of major topics in Galactic astrophysics, allowing us to 1) investigate broad-band properties of X-ray flares emitted from the supermassive black hole (BH) at Sgr A* and probe the associated particle acceleration and emission mechanisms; 2) identify hard X-ray sources detected by NuSTAR and determine X-ray point source populations in different regions and luminosity ranges; 3) determine the distribution of compact object binaries in the nuclear star cluster and the composition of the Galactic Ridge X-ray emission; 4) identify X-ray transients and measure fundamental parameters such as black hole spin; 5) find hidden pulsars in the Galactic Center; 6) search for BH-OB binaries and hard X-ray flares from young stellar objects in young massive clusters; 7) measure white dwarf (WD) masses of magnetic CVs to deepen our understanding of CV evolution and the origin of white dwarf magnetic fields; 8) explore primary particle accelerators in the GC in synergy with future TeV and neutrino observatories; 9) map out cosmic-ray distributions by observing nonthermal X-ray filaments; 10) explore past X-ray outbursts from Sgr A* through X-ray reflection components from giant molecular clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for a published paper on the effect of nozzle diameter, filling pattern, and layer height on the biaxial flexural strength of sintered alumina ceramic. The correction involves modifications to the experimental data presented in Table 1. The revised conclusions state that printed samples with a filling type of "line" and a layer height of 0.4 mm have the best mechanical properties due to fewer voids between horizontal layers. The authors assure that these corrections do not impact the scientific conclusions. The document appears to be a table or dataset related to a study conducted by multiple authors, with the authors' names listed at the end. [Extracted from the article]

Feline proliferative and necrotising otitis externa (PNOE) is a rare immune‐mediated condition, usually self‐limiting or responsive to immunosuppressants such as topical tacrolimus. This case report describes two cats with refractory PNOE that responded successfully to oclacitinib. One cat also had middle ear involvement and the other cat had extra‐auricular dermatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]