The quenching and partitioning (Q&P) processing of advanced high strength steels has been shown to result in a distinct improvement of their strength and ductility. The selection of the quench ...temperature during Q&P processing makes it possible to obtain a wide range of mechanical properties for the final martensite-austenite microstructures. In the present study, a physically-based model describing the relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical properties of Q&P processed steels is developed. The model is applied to the mechanical properties of a Q&P processed medium Mn steel.
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Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic and the implemented lockdown strongly impact on everyone’s daily life. Stressful situations are known to alter eating habits and increase the risk for obesity. In our ...study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the lockdown measures on nutrition behavior among young adults.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 1964 voluntary participants from Bavarian universities. All participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire, semi-quantitatively evaluating the amount and type of food before and during pandemic lockdown. Study subjects were inquired to give information about acquisition and food procurement. The primary outcome was the change in food amount, secondary outcomes included alterations of food composition and procurement.
Results
Our study cohort (mean age 23.3 ± 4.0 years, 28.5% male) had a mean body mass index of 22.1 ± 4.5 kg/m
2
. The overall food amount increased in 31.2% of participants (
n
= 610) during lockdown and decreased in 16.8% (
n
= 328). A multinominal regression model revealed that an increased food intake was less likely in male participants (OR, 0.7 CI 0.6–0.9) and more likely with increasing BMI (OR, 1.4 CI 1.3–2.0), increased sports activity (OR, 1.3 CI 1.2–1.8), augmented mental stress (OR 1.4 1.1–1.7), and an alteration of alcohol consumption (reduced alcohol amount, OR, 1.4 CI 1.1–1.7, increased alcohol, OR, 1.9 CI 1.4–2.5). Increase in food intake was mainly triggered by consumption of bread (increased in 46.8%,
n
= 284) and confectionary (increased in 64.4%,
n
= 389).
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown significantly affected eating habits in young adults. Further investigation to evaluate long-term effects on weight change and comorbidities are warranted.
Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT), a treatment for certain gastrointestinal conditions associated with dysbiosis in people, is also empirically employed in horses with colitis. This study used ...microbiota high-throughput sequencing to compare the fecal microbial profile of healthy horses to that of geriatric microbial transplant recipients experiencing diarrhea and tested whether FMT restores microbiota diversity.
To evaluate the effect of environment and donor characteristics on the intestinal microbiota, fecal samples were collected per rectum from 15 healthy young-adult (2-12 years) and 15 geriatric (≥20 years) horses. Additionally, FMT was performed for 3 consecutive days in 5 geriatric horses with diarrhea using feces from the same healthy donor. Fecal samples were collected from both donor and recipient prior to each FMT and from recipients 24 hours following the last FMT. The profile of the fecal bacterial microbiota was compared using 16S amplicon sequencing.
In contrast to diet and farm location, age did not significantly affect the healthy equine fecal microbiota, indicating that both healthy geriatric and young-adult horses may serve as FMT donors. The fecal microbiota of horses with diarrhea was significantly more variable in terms of β-diversity than that of healthy horses. An inverse correlation between diarrhea score and relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia was identified in surviving FMT recipients. At study completion, the fecal microbiota of horses which responded to FMT had a higher α-diversity than prior to treatment and was phylogenetically more similar to that of the donor.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
IMPORTANCE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been suggested as a risk factor for dementia since it may lead to chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and stroke. However, longitudinal studies assessing the ...association between AF and dementia have shown inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of AF on the risk of developing dementia during 20 years of follow-up. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The association of prevalent and incident AF with incident dementia was assessed from July 6, 1989, to February 4, 2010, in 6514 dementia-free participants in the prospective population-based Rotterdam Study. Data analysis was conducted from September 18, 2014, to April 17, 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusting for age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors; censored for stroke; and stratified by median age were used. In addition, we investigated whether the association between incident AF and dementia varied according to the duration of exposure, categorized in 6-year time bands. EXPOSURES: Prevalent and incident AF. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Incident dementia, determined according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Third Edition Revised) and the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke–Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria. RESULTS: At baseline, 318 of 6514 participants (4.9%) had prevalent AF, and during 81 483 person-years of follow-up, 994 participants (15.3%) developed incident dementia. With findings presented as adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI), prevalent AF was related to an increased risk of dementia (1.33; 1.02-1.73). Among 6196 participants without prevalent AF during 79 003 person-years of follow-up, 723 participants (11.7%) developed incident AF and 932 individuals (15.0%) developed incident dementia. Incident AF was associated with an increased risk of dementia in younger participants (<67 years: 1.81; 1.11-2.94 vs ≥67 years: 1.12; 0.85-1.46; P = .02 for interaction). The risk of dementia was strongly associated with duration of exposure to AF in the younger participants (in the highest stratum: 3.30; 1.16-9.38; P = .003 for trend) but not in the elder participants (0.25; 0.04-1.86; P = .94 for trend). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of dementia, independent of clinical stroke. This association was strongest for younger participants with the longest duration of AF. Future studies should investigate whether optimal treatment of AF can prevent or postpone dementia.
A series of easily prepared, phosphine-ligated palladium precatalysts based on the 2-aminobiphenyl scaffold have been prepared. The role of the precatalyst-associated labile halide (or pseudohalide) ...in the formation and stability of the palladacycle has been examined. It was found that replacing the chloride in the previous version of the precatalyst with a mesylate leads to a new class of precatalysts with improved solution stability and that are readily prepared from a wider range of phosphine ligands. The differences between the previous version of precatalyst and that reported here are explored. In addition, the reactivity of the latter is examined in a range of C-C and C-N bond forming reactions.
A series of easily prepared, phosphine-ligated palladium precatalysts based on the 2-aminobiphenyl scaffold have been prepared. The role of the precatalyst-associated labile halide (or pseudohalide) in the formation and stability of the palladacycle has been examined.
It has been long recognized that NOD1 and NOD2 are critical players in the host immune response, primarily by their sensing bacterial peptidoglycan‐conserved motifs. Significant advances have been ...made from efforts that characterize their upstream activators, assembly of signaling complexes, and activation of downstream signaling pathways. Disruption in NOD1 and NOD2 signaling has also been associated with impaired host defense and resistance to the development of inflammatory diseases. In this review, we will describe how NOD1 and NOD2 sense microbes and cellular stress to regulate host responses that can affect disease pathogenesis and outcomes.
Data from wall friction testing and physical property characterization of over 100 pharmaceutical powders, blends, and granulations have been analyzed. The analyses focused on data for stainless ...steel surfaces with the most common finishes for pharmaceutical powder processing equipment, either a 2B cold rolled mill finish or an electropolished 2B surface. Active pharmaceutical ingredients exhibited the highest friction against these surfaces, whereas active granulations exhibited the least friction. The typical (median) wall friction angle for an active blend on 2B stainless steel was 22° versus 18° for an active granulation. Typical wall friction values on electropolished 2B surfaces were about 17° and 12° for active blends and granulations, respectively. Blends typically exhibited larger wall friction angles than the granulations suggesting that simple blends will usually require hoppers or bins with steeper walls to achieve mass flow. Lower wall friction angles were consistently observed against the smoother electropolished 2B surface, and, thus, the wall surface finish should be considered when designing bins and hoppers for use with pharmaceutical powders. The wall friction angles of blends and granulations did not show any definite trend as the percentage of active pharmaceutical ingredient increased.
There is a great interest in increasing the levels of production of nanocellulose, either by adjusting production systems or by improving the raw material. Despite all the advantages and ...applications, nanocellulose still has a high cost compared to common fibers and to reverse this scenario the development of new, cheaper, and more efficient means of production is required. The market trend is to have an increase in the mass production of nanocellulose; there is a great expectation of world trade. In this sense, research in this sector is on the rise, because once the cost is not an obstacle to production, this material will have more and more market. Production of the cellulose fibers is determinant for the production of nanocellulose by a hydrolyzing agent with a reasonable yield. This work presents several aspects of this new material, mainly addressing the enzymatic pathway, presenting the hydrolysis conditions such as pH, biomass concentration, enzymatic loading, temperature, and time. Also, the commonly used characterization methods are presented, as well as aspects of the nanocellulose production market.
Whale sharks are generally associated with environmental factors that drive their movements to specific locations where food availability is high. Consequently, foraging is believed to be the main ...reason for the formation of whale shark aggregations. Feeding aggregations occur mainly in nearshore areas and are composed primarily of immature individuals. Conversely, aggregations of mature adults are rarely observed, and their occurrence is correlated with oceanic environments. Despite an increase in the number of whale shark studies, information on mating and parturition grounds is still lacking. In the present work, we assessed the ecological and behavioural aspects of the whale sharks that visit the archipelago of São Pedro and São Paulo (ASPSP), located ~1,000 km off the coast of Brazil in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Forty-nine whale sharks were recorded from February 2005 to May 2014. The estimated mean ± SD size was 8.27 ± 2.52 m (range: 2.5-14.0 m) with no significant differences in size across the year. The maturational stages were classified by size as immature (<8.0 m; 32.56%) and mature (>9.0 m; 46.51%); with almost half of the observed animals being mature specimens. The majority of sightings occurred between February and June. During this period, the ocean current weakens and the waters are enriched by eggs and larvae of fishes and invertebrates that attract marine life to forage. At the same time, evidence of reproductive activity in adult females (i.e. swollen abdomen and bite marks on the pectoral fins), and the potential mating behaviour exhibited by one male, suggest that the ASPSP area might also have a role in whale shark reproduction. Irrespective of its use for feeding or reproduction, this insular habitat serves as a meeting point for both juvenile and adult whale sharks, and may play an important ecological role for the species.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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