Search

Background: Multiple studies have indicated that patients with high body mass index (BMI) may have favourable survival outcomes following treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). However, this evidence is limited by several factors, notably the minimal evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the use of categorised BMI with inconsistent cut point definitions, and minimal investigation of contemporary combination ICI therapy. Moreover, whether overweight and obese patients gain a larger benefit from contemporary frontline chemoimmunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. Methods: This secondary analysis pooled individual patient data from the intention-to-treat population of the IMpower130 and IMpower150 RCTs comparing chemoimmunotherapy versus chemotherapy. Co-primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The potentially non-linear relationship between BMI and chemoimmunotherapy treatment effect was evaluated using Multivariable Fractional Polynomial Interaction (MFPI). As a sensitivity analysis, chemoimmunotherapy treatment effect (chemoimmunotherapy versus chemotherapy) on survival was also estimated for each BMI subgroup defined by World Health Organisation classification. Exploratory analyses in the respective chemoimmunotherapy and chemotherapy cohort were undertaken to examine the survival outcomes among BMI subgroups. Results: A total of 1282 patients were included. From the MFPI analysis, BMI was not significantly associated with chemoimmunotherapy treatment effect with respect to either OS (p = 0.71) or PFS (p = 0.35). This was supported by the sensitivity analyses that demonstrated no significant treatment effect improvement in OS/PFS among overweight or obese patients compared to normal weight patients (OS: normal BMI HR = 0.74 95% CI 0.59–0.93, overweight HR = 0.78 95% CI 0.61–1.01, obese HR = 0.84 95% CI 0.59–1.20). Exploratory analyses further highlighted that survival outcomes were not significantly different across BMI subgroups in either the chemoimmunotherapy therapy cohort (Median OS: normal BMI 19.9 months, overweight 17.9 months, and obese 19.5 months, p = 0.7) or the chemotherapy cohort (Median OS: normal 14.1 months, overweight 15.9 months, and obese 16.7 months, p = 0.7). Conclusion: There was no association between high BMI (overweight or obese individuals) and enhanced chemoimmunotherapy treatment benefit in front-line treatment of advanced non-squamous NSCLC. This contrasts with previous publications that showed a superior treatment benefit in overweight and obese patients treated with immunotherapy given without chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betting on the various codes of football in Australia accounts for the majority of sports betting, with Australian rules football (AFL) by far the most popular sport in Australia. Several studies have revealed the heavy presence of gambling advertising during AFL broadcasts, and a frequently used advertising strategy involves the use of well-known AFL commentators outlining their tips and betting suggestions. To date, no research has examined the hypotheses that skill may help in predicting AFL matches and monetary outcomes from AFL betting. Rather than merely discounting such ideas, it is important to test them empirically. The aims of this study were therefore, to examine if (1) expert AFL tipsters made better predictions than random picks, (2) expert AFL tipsters gained greater monetary reward than random selection, and (3) expert tipsters' prediction accuracy improved with betting experience. To this end, six seasons of AFL matches, odds data, and expert tipster data were analysed retrospectively, totalling 1141 matches. Random selections were calculated for each match using an inbuilt random number generator within Microsoft Excel and a $2 simulated wager was applied for each AFL match. The results of mixed-effects modelling showed that experts picked more correct outcomes than random selection; experts' correct predictions were partially mediated by home-game selections; no difference in monetary outcome was observed for experts compared to random selection; experts' predictions did not improve over time. The results of this study may be used to inform both psychological interventions that target gamblers' illusions of control, and public health gambling harm prevention messaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research was conducted to extend the theoretical construct of positive orientation (PO) to psychiatric outpatients. This research also examined the effect of PO on alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression among psychiatric outpatients. Methods: This cross-sectional survey recruited 301 psychiatric outpatients online. As these respondents have a short attention span, short measures were used to measure PO-related variables (life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem) and indicators of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). These outpatients are at the legal age to provide consent for themselves (M = 30.12, SD= 8.11). The majority of them have been identified as male (80.07%). Similarly, the ethnic distribution was unequal, with the majority of these outpatients identified as Malay (85.05%), followed by those who were identified as Chinese (7.31%), Indian (4.32%), and from other ethnic groups (3.32%). Results: Generalized structured component analysis (GSCA) supported that satisfaction with life, optimism, and self-esteem reflect the construct of PO. Furthermore, PO predicted depression, anxiety, and depression negatively. Conclusion: It is possible to replicate the construct of PO with psychiatric outpatients using single item measures for life satisfaction, optimism, and self-esteem. PO is beneficial to psychiatric outpatients as it reduces the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the theoretical studies on dry abrasion on surfaces with microscopic roughness are based on JKR or DMT contact theory. Superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings with low surface energy and microscopic surface roughness have extremely low real contact area and adhesion to the abrasive when subjected to contact and friction, making the above theories inapplicable. To date, there lack of theoretical studies on the dry abrasion characteristics of superhydrophobic nanocomposite coating surfaces. In response to this problem, a numerical understanding of the frictional force on superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings is proposed based on Hertz contact theory, and the abrasion mechanisms of superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings and its influencing factors are analyzed from the perspective of microscopic torque balance. The abrasion process is divided into three stages, and there exists a minimum value of bonding strength between the microstructure on the coating surface and the polymer matrix of the coating that determines whether abrasion will occur. This minimum bonding force is determined by Young's modulus of the polymer matrix, the radius of the microstructure, and the applied load. The conclusions can be a guide for the improvement of the anti-dry-abrasion property of superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings from the perspective of coating preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) are the two most common forms of activated carbon with varying particle size range. The goal of this study was to analyze the key factors (particle size and activation temperature) affecting the surface characteristics of GAC and PAC derived from palm kernel shell (PKS). The surface morphology suggested that the pore network in PKS-PAC is more developed than that in PKS-GAC owing to the presence of a micropore structure when prepared at lower activation temperatures. This study also demonstrated that activation performed on different PKS particle size range influenced the mesopore domain of the activated carbon produced. The PKS-GAC was found to have more mesopores than PKS-PAC, which made it more reliable for dye adsorption in water treatment. Overall, this study demonstrated that applying different particle size range of PKS during the activation process can have a significant influence on the surface characteristics, thus having a direct impact on the application of activated carbon. An accurate particle size range will ensure that the most cost-effective activated carbon is selected to achieve the desired performance objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the global public health system, which is already overwhelmed by the increasing statistics of comorbidities and burden due to obesity. The number of individuals with obesity and obesity-associated diseases are rising in many regions that could attribute to the growing obesogenic environment and the lockdown implemented to curb COVID-19. This review focuses on the aspects of the obesity epidemic, chronic inflammatory effects of obesity, positive outcomes of obesity interventions and the worsening effects observed in obese COVID-19 patients. The chronic inflammatory effects of obesity are apparent by the increase of pro-inflammatory signals by immune cells in the adipose tissue and reactive species populations. The reduction of antioxidants exacerbates the effects of oxidative stress on genomic and tissue levels. The public must be made aware of the importance of practising a healthier lifestyle, even more now as we are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) has led to vast amounts of data being accumulated on a patient's history, diagnosis, prescriptions, and lab tests. Advances in recommender technologies have the potential to utilize this information to help doctors personalize the prescribed medications. However, existing medication recommendation systems have yet to make use of all these information sources in a seamless manner, and they do not provide a justification on why a particular medication is recommended. In this work, we design a two-stage personalized medication recommender system called PREMIER that incorporates information from the EHR. We utilize the various weights in the system to compute the contributions from the information sources for the recommended medications. Our system models the drug interaction from an external drug database and the drug co-occurrence from the EHR as graphs. Experiment results on MIMIC-III and a proprietary outpatient dataset show that PREMIER outperforms state-of-the-art medication recommendation systems while achieving the best tradeoff between accuracy and drug-drug interaction. Case studies demonstrate that the justifications provided by PREMIER are appropriate and aligned to clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This pilot study assessed the impact of a structured lifestyle intervention combined with mobile health application on chronic disease risk in a healthcare-based university. Methods: A total of 24 overweight/obese university employees participated in a 12-week intervention that included group nutrition education and exercise sessions, a structured low-calorie meal plan, meal replacements, and a mobile health application. Results: A pre- and post-intervention analysis showed that the participants had weight loss (p < 0.001), a reduction in blood triglyceride (p = 0.010), and a reduction in systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001). There was an increase in the proportion of participants who achieved their clinical targets for systolic blood pressure from 16.7% at baseline to 58.3% after the intervention (p = 0.004). A focus group discussion demonstrated good acceptability of the intervention that was driven by the use of practical nutrition knowledge gained from the group education sessions and structured meal plans, and timely feedback on eating behaviour from use of the mobile heath application. Conclusion: A structured lifestyle intervention combined with mobile health application supports significant clinical improvements including weight loss and reductions in blood triglyceride and blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined the relationships of social network sites (SNS) intensity, parasocial interaction (PSI), and the propensity to imitate idols or celebrities. Conceptual model that depicts the indirect effect of the measured PSI on the relationship of SNS usage and the tendency to imitate idols was tested. 194 undergraduate students were recruited to complete the Celebrity-Persona Parasocial Interaction Scales, the modified Facebook Intensity Scale, and a set of five items that reflect on the inclination to imitate idols. Results revealed the significant indirect effect of the measured PSI, supporting that SNS intensity facilitate parasocial experience, which in turn, induce the tendency to impersonate idols. Findings supported one of the theorems of the uncertainty reduction theory, which posited the facilitative effect of perceived intimacy on similarity. Theorem that posited the importance of engagement level in inducing similarity was negated by the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of additional water-soluble additives was studied relative to the physical and mechanical properties of particleboards produced from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB). Polyethylene glycol, acrylamide, and acrylic resin were selected as water-soluble additives for use in the OPEFB particleboard production process. The effects of the three additives at two different concentrations (2% and 4% of dry OPEFB mass) on the particleboard properties were evaluated. Addition of water-soluble additives increased the performance of the OPEFB particleboard. The additive concentration has a significant effect on the properties of the particleboard. With the increase of additive concentration, the internal bonding and modulus of rupture value increased while the thickness swelling and water absorption decreased. Particleboards with an additional 4% of acrylamide or polyethylene glycol achieved the highest modulus of rupture (22 MPa), highest internal bonding strength (1 N/mm2), and lowest thickness swelling (9%). All the particleboards produced with 4% of water-soluble additive achieved the standard requirements of JIS A 5908:2003 for physical and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under natural application conditions, water in the forms of condensates and high-speed raindrops tend to form Wenzel contact with the surface of superhydrophobic coatings, and in this case, the effect of the standing water on the abrasion mechanisms of superhydrophobic coatings is not clear. To investigate the issue, comparative tests of abrasion-induced aging on the surface of the superhydrophobic coating under dry, and water infiltration conditions are conducted. A theoretical prediction model of the friction magnitude on the surface of the superhydrophobic coating under the above two conditions is established, and the experimental phenomenon is analyzed based on the theoretical results of the model. The results show that once water wets superhydrophobic surfaces in Wenzel mode, the microscopic rough structures on the surfaces are more likely to fall off under external friction due to the presence of Laplace pressure, which means that the presence of water makes the superhydrophobic surfaces more prone to abrasion-induced aging in this condition. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing interest in the study of Blastocystis in the last two decades. Many studies have been carried out in human and animal hosts including environmental sources, but there is little or no information on the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources across the world from 2005 to 2022, noting the method of detection and the distribution of the subtypes from various water sources. A literature search was performed on internet-based databases including Google search, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Upon application of the criteria for inclusion, 25 articles revealing the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources in 15 countries were included in the review. Blastocystis occurrence varies across water sources ranging from 0% in a drinking water source in Venezuela to 100% in rivers; well water, stored water, and fishpond in Nepal and Malaysia; and fountain water, irrigation water, and rainwater in Italy, Spain, and Thailand. The occurrence of the parasite was significantly associated with the coliform count, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total dissolved solids, and chemical oxygen demand. A total of 11 Blastocystis subtypes were identified in water sources worldwide, namely, ST1–ST8, ST10, ST23, and ST26 in which ST1 and ST3 were the most prevalent subtypes. Considering the importance of Blastocystis as a waterborne parasite, the subtype distribution and morphological distinction in water sources need to be carried out using molecular and electron microscopic techniques. Existing studies have covered only about 10% of the world's countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article it is proved that carbon pastes with ionic liquids (ILs) are a promising material for transducers of reference electrodes, which favors their miniaturization. Two ILs were used: 1‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐3‐methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL1) and 1‐(2‐methoxyethyl)‐3‐methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL2). They acted both as a binder of carbon paste and potential‐determining component. ILs were also used in polymeric membrane of reference electrodes what ensured continuity of IL phase between carbon paste and the polymeric membrane and resulted in enhancement of electrode potential stability. It was shown that application of IL as a carbon paste binder is superior to conventional plasticizer and allows for significant increase of reference electrode potential stability. Different types of carbon materials were also tested during research: commercialy available graphite powder and graphene oxide obtained from waste biomass – palm kernel shells. It was observed that both the type of carbon paste material and IL influences reference electrode work parameters. Utilization of IL with less lipophilic cation resulted in higher potential stability of the reference electrodes. Application of graphite paste‐based transducers resulted in higher potential stability of reference electrodes in sodium perchlorate and TMA chloride solutions while using palm kernel shell graphene oxide paste – based transducers caused enhancement of reference electrode long‐term potential stability. The results indicate biomass‐derived graphene oxide can be successfully applied as a construction material of reference electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of a study conducted in Singapore that examined the use of oral antivirals (OAVs) among older adults with COVID-19 in primary care during the Omicron waves. The study revealed that a small percentage of older adults received OAVs, with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir being the most commonly prescribed medication. The study also identified factors such as primary care characteristics and socioeconomic status (SES) indicators that influenced the likelihood of receiving OAVs. The authors emphasize the importance of addressing disparities in OAV access among older adults and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. They recommend targeted efforts to improve access for individuals with lower SES. [Extracted from the article]

Methyl-silica superhydrophobic coatings have the capability of providing anti-pollution flashover protection for outdoor electrical insulators. However, in practical applications, the deposition and dissolution of atmospheric pollutants on the coating generates acidic or alkaline ions and leads to chemical degradation of the coating's surface property, which in turn causes a decrease in the anti-pollution flashover performance of the coating. Currently, there is a lack of research on the hydrophobic degradation characteristics of superhydrophobic methyl-silica coatings induced by chemical corrosion. Meanwhile, it is not clear how chemical corrosion affects the anti-pollution flashover performance of methyl-silica superhydrophobic coatings. To address the above issues, the static water contact angle and sliding angle on the corroded methyl-silica superhydrophobic coatings were tested to reflect the surface hydrophobicity degradation, and the results were theoretically interpreted; the surface leakage current amplitudes of the coatings aged to different degrees were measured under dirty and wet conditions to characterize the anti-pollution flashover performance of the corroded coatings. The surface leakage current amplitudes of the aged methyl-silica superhydrophobic coating under different corrosion environment temperatures, different applied electric field strengths, and different wetting times of surface pollutants are measured to characterize the anti-pollution flashover performance of the corrosion-aged coating, and the influences of the above factors on the anti-pollution flashover performance of the methyl-silica superhydrophobic coating are analyzed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the epidemiology of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and the disease profile of patients attending the emergency department (ED). Hence, we sought to explore the changes in ED physicians' attitudes and behaviours in four EDs in Singapore. Methods: We employed a sequential mixed-methods approach (quantitative survey followed by in-depth interviews). Principal component analysis was performed to derive latent factors, followed by multivariable logistic regression to explore the independent factors associated with high antibiotic prescribing. Interviews were analysed using the deductive-inductive-deductive framework. We derive five meta-inferences by integrating the quantitative and qualitative findings with an explanatory bidirectional framework. Results: We obtained 560 (65.9%) valid responses from the survey and interviewed 50 physicians from various work experiences. ED physicians were twice as likely to report high antibiotic prescribing rates pre-COVID-19 pandemic than during the pandemic (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.32 to 3.41, p = 0.002). Five meta-inferences were made by integrating the data: (1) Less pressure to prescribe antibiotics due to reduced patient demand and more patient education opportunities; (2) A higher proportion of ED physicians self-reported lower antibiotic prescribing rates during the COVID-19 pandemic but their perception of the overall outlook on antibiotic prescribing rates varied; (3) Physicians who were high antibiotic prescribers during the COVID-19 pandemic made less effort for prudent antibiotic prescribing as they were less concerned about antimicrobial resistance; (4) the COVID-19 pandemic did not change the factors that lowered the threshold for antibiotic prescribing; (5) the COVID-19 pandemic did not change the perception that the public's knowledge of antibiotics is poor. Conclusions: Self-reported antibiotic prescribing rates decreased in the ED during the COVID-19 pandemic due to less pressure to prescribe antibiotics. The lessons and experiences learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic can be incorporated into public and medical education in the war against antimicrobial resistance going forward. Antibiotic use should also be monitored post-pandemic to assess if the changes are sustained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doping Mn2+ ions into lead halide perovskite (LHP) nanocrystals (NCs) has attracted great attention in the optoelectronic fields due to the stability enhancement and unique dual-color emission characteristics arising from the energy transfer from the LHP host to the dopants (i.e., Mn2+ ions). Herein, we report a facile and scalable synthetic protocol for Mn2+-doped CsPbCl3 and CsPbBrxCl3−x nanoplates via a one-pot room-temperature (RT) procedure in the presence of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). It is noteworthy that both HMDS and Mn2+ ions play a critical role in triggering the crystallization of the Mn-doped LHP NCs under ambient conditions by functioning as a passivation agent with Lewis base groups that coordinate with Pb2+ ions. The optical properties including the emission wavelength and the relative PL intensity of the band-to-band emission and the Mn2+ emission are tuned by changing the amount of HMDS and the precursor ratios Mn : Pb and Br : Cl. It is interesting that the representative Mn-doped CsPbCl3 NCs displayed enhanced thermal stability, which was confirmed by the observation that the emission intensity of the sample annealed below 95 °C for 2 h increases compared with that of the fresh sample. Ion exchanges between not only Cl−, Br− and I− but also Mn2+ and Pb2+ are also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power conditioning system (PCS), which provides matched pulse energy for the amplifier, is the key subsystem of a giant solid-state laser facility. It consists of many power conditioning modules (PCMs). Some of the catastrophic faults such as capacitor short-circuit, high voltage cable head short-circuit, or high and low voltage busbar short-circuit, might occur when there is high voltage in the PCMs. To analyze these cases, first, the model of a PCM was proposed. Second, three main faults of a PCM were introduced and the models of them were built. Third, a PCM experimental device with ten xenon lamps in parallel was designed and built, and the experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed model. In this article, three fault simulation results were analyzed and the security design recommendations were presented, which can provide reference value for the design of such power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic (SH) and superamphiphobic (SAP) coatings have been viewed as an alternative to conventional hydrophobic room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber coatings in anti-pollution flashover application. However, being one of the most important properties in RTV-based anti-flashover materials and devices, the hydrophobicity transfer property was rarely documented for SH and SAP coatings, which restricts their practical applications in environments with heavy contamination. Herein, we propose for the first time a superhydrophobicity transfer effect in superwetting (SW) coatings (e.g., SAP and SH coatings) containing low-surface-energy molecules (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)) as a migratory reagent. When the surface is stained by artificial simulated pollutants, PDMS molecules can migrate from the coating to the contamination layer, followed by a surface modification. Through this process, the surface wettability of the contaminant layer gradually evolves from superhydrophilicity to hydrophobicity, and finally to SH state. This evolution is investigated in relation to the amount and species of migratory reagents, migration time, pollution grade, and pollutant species. The superhydrophobicity transfer effect offers the coated glass insulators an outstanding anti-pollution flashover strength. This work can provide a novel and universal protocol to realize a superhydrophobicity transfer property in SW coatings, which may stimulate further investigation and applications in not only anti-pollution flashover but also other fields such as anti-fouling and anti-icing. • Superhydrophobicity transfer effect is proposed for the first time. • Superwetting coatings with superhydrophobicity transfer property are obtained. • The mechanism behind the superhydrophobicity transfer effect is proposed. • Superhydrophobicity transfer effect improves the anti-pollution flashover strength of insulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using micro-nanostructure superhydrophobic coating with the unique self-cleaning phenomenon is a feasible method to further reduce the frequency of insulator pollution flashover. However, the research on the anti-pollution flashover performance of superhydrophobic coating is still insufficient. This paper analyzes the various types of forces on the polluted particles accumulated on the superhydrophobic coating surface, and calculates that the vertical force or the horizontal force on the nano-scale and micro-scale particles is positive when they are in contact with most types of droplets. After being fully wetted, these particles are easily absorbed or pulled by the droplets and leave the coating surface. So it is necessary to establish a new DC pollution flashover mechanism model of superhydrophobic coatings surface from the electric field perspective. Based on this model, the relationship between the pollution flashover voltage and the dry flashover voltage is clarified in the state of extremely small leakage current. Furthermore, the anti-pollution flashover performance experiment was carried out on superhydrophobic coating, RTV coating, and uncoated surface to test the leakage current under different conditions. The experimental results show that at any pollution degree, the leakage current of superhydrophobic coating surface always remains about 16.3μA after being completely wetted. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem carbon stocks were compared in three island mangrove forests, subjected to different anthropogenic stresses, close to Port Klang in Selangor State on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Carbon stocks in living biomass, litter, deadwood and soil were quantified, and the carbon isotopic signature in mangrove soils was also measured, to estimate their carbon source. We hypothesize that carbon stock would be more readily available in undisturbed mangroves. The results indicated that, in general, soil organic carbon pool comprised the majority of the ecosystem carbon stock, while dead organic matter made a negligible contribution. The highest ecosystem carbon stock was measured in the permanent undisturbed mangrove reserve on Pulau Klang. Carbon isotope data revealed that disturbed mangroves in Pulau Ketam had a more enriched δ13C signature of soil samples compared to the other two sites. The soil organic carbon in Pulau Ketam was mostly derived from mangrove materials (92.8%). The results suggested that the organic carbon accumulated in the soils was not only regulated by the burial of mangrove-derived organic carbon, but also the site conditions. • Ecosystem carbon stock in mangrove environment can be influenced by its land use status. • Soil organic carbon in undisturbed mangrove forest can contribute to the majority of the ecosystem carbon stock, regardless of the vegetation stands. • Isotope data revealed that the mangrove leaf and suspended particulate organic matter in the sea water are the sources of soil organic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control (2023) 12:24 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-023-01230-2 The original article [[1]] contained an error in attribution and display of affiliation #8 which has since been corrected. The online version of the original article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-023-01230-2. [Extracted from the article]

In the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR), the role of microzooplankton (20–200 μm) grazing on phytoplankton as a channel for carbon transfer to higher trophic levels was investigated. Our results showed that primary production was higher during the southwest monsoon (SWM) (1905 ± 1478 μgCl−1d−1) than in the northeast monsoon (NEM) (708 ± 474 μgCl−1d−1). Microzooplankton grazing was tightly coupled to primary production in both SWM and NEM, accounting for 97% and 68% of primary production, respectively. Both primary production (activation energy: 1.29 ± 0.54 eV) and microzooplankton grazing (2.05 ± 0.63 eV) showed temperature dependency, and revealed a shift towards heterotrophy with seawater warming, specifically at temperatures above 32 °C. As a conclusion, the microbial food web in MMFR is characterised by high primary production that was efficiently grazed by microzooplankton. • Relative to other tropical mangrove forests, primary production in the mangrove estuary of Matang was high. • Microzooplankton grazing was tightly coupled to primary production. • There were monsoonal differences in the classical food chain but not in the microbial loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleanliness and desiccative are necessary for outdoor insulation surfaces to maintain the voltage withstand capability especially in humid and polluted operation conditions. Once the voltage withstanding capability of insulation coatings is reduced by contaminant electrolyte, flashover accidents would be easier to happen, causing tremendous economy and energy losses. Superhydrophobic coatings, due to their self-cleaning property, are deemed to have great application potential in maintaining outdoor insulation performance, especially in humid and polluted environments. The water patterns on superhydrophobic coating in humid and polluted conditions are obviously different from those on traditional insulation coatings. Flashover voltage is one of the indices for quantifying insulation strength, while to date it is still unclear whether the commonly-used flashover voltage prediction models based on Obenaus's theory are still suitable to be applied in the cases with superhydrophobic surface. Here we proposed a facile and low-cost preparation method of superhydrophobic coating. By analyzing the specific surface condition under humid and polluted conditions, and considering the development of arc path, a novel theoretical model for predicting flashover voltage of superhydrophobic coatings is established from the perspective of electric field. The flashover voltage of the synthesized coating as well as Room Temperature Vulcanized (RTV) silicone rubber coating are tested and compared, for investigating the insulation strength on the synthesized superhydrophobic coating, and verifying the accuracy of the proposed prediction model. It is found the synthesized superhydrophobic coating shows self-cleaning property during the wetting and voltage applying process, the flashover voltage of superhydrophobic coating is higher than that of RTV coating, and is affected less obviously by the change in pollution degree, compared with RTV coating. The established model shows better accuracy in predicting the flashover voltage of superhydrophobic coating than the traditional one, with errors of less than 6%. Based on the proposed model, the flashover voltage of polluted superhydrophobic coating surface is positively and negatively related to the volume and the contact angle of the polluted electrolyte droplet, respectively. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of the superhydrophobic coating is expected to be an effective method to further improve the pollution flashover voltage of insulators. However, so far, the relationship between electric field strength, droplet volume, and sliding angle in strong electric fields is not clear. This is not conducive to the evaluation of the practical application effect of superhydrophobic insulators. In this paper, the self-cleaning property of superhydrophobic coating and the critical motion condition of droplets in the electric field were analyzed theoretically. Then an experimental platform was set up to observe the movement of the droplet driven by the electric field, and the critical electric field strength for droplet motion was measured. Experimental and theoretical analysis results show that the critical electric field strength for positive droplet motion is less than that for the negative droplet. The droplet driven by the electric field can also remove water-insoluble pollution particles. And the maximum pollution concentration that droplets can remove by means of self-cleaning performance is calculated theoretically. The theoretical calculation method of the sliding angle of superhydrophobic coating in uniform DC electric field is obtained, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. This paper provides theoretical support for evaluating the practical performance of the superhydrophobic insulator in strong electric fields. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]