Abstract
Background
Many deaths in infants from low-middle income countries (LMICs) occur at home or upon arrival to health facilities. Although acute lower respiratory tract illness plays an ...important role in community mortality, the accuracy of mortality rates due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains unknown.
Methods
An active surveillance study among children aged under 5 years old (U5) was performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between January and December 2019, to define the burden and role of RSV in childhood community mortality.
Results
A total of 63 families of children U5 participated in the study. Based on a combined approach of tissue sampling, verbal autopsies, and expert’s analysis, RSV infection was found in the causal chain of 11 from 12 cases with positive molecular biology results in respiratory samples. The estimated mortality rate due to RSV among infants was 0.27 deaths/1000 live births. The mean age of RSV-related household deaths was 2.8 months of age (standard deviation SD 1.7), and 8/12 were male infants (66.7%). Dying at home from RSV was associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae and/or Moraxella catarrhalis lung coinfection (75%), living in slums and settlement (odds ratio OR, 17.09; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.3–219.2), and other underlying comorbidities (OR, 14.87; 95% CI, 1.3–164.6).
Conclusions
Infant community mortality rates due to RSV are higher than those reported in industrialized countries and similar to those reported in hospital-based studies in the same catchment population.
In the present work, the influence of the plasma energy on the surface of the workpiece in electrical discharge machining (EDM) was investigated, using a cylindrical electrode into deionized water, ...applied to a heat uniform distribution which is transferred during On-time periods of 12, 20, and 28 μs. A kinetic-molecular energy model is proposed in order to determine the fraction of energy employed in material removal by evaporation and overheating on the surface of high-strength low-alloy steel. The plasma energy was determined as 1.28 × 10
9
and 0.760 × 10
9
W/m
2
, using 25 and 15 A, for high and low discharge, respectively. Microstructural analysis of the front of machining associated with a planar heat source and the material removal rate (MRR) was carried out. Results evidence that some atomic layers of metal were removed in each cycle for different conditions of discharge energy. The planar heat distribution model to determine the MRR showed a
R
2
= 0.9753 concordance versus experimental data. The material removal mechanism was considered as a separation of sublimated metal, which in turn is mixed with steam during the heat transfer in the interface dielectric-anode and a material melt fraction is removed by drag for the EDM drilling process. It was possible to measure experimentally the resolidified layer and the heat-affected zone and accurately obtain the transferred effective energy for material removal in the range of 1 to 1.3% for a machining power of 12.1 × 10
6
W/m
2
.
Nowadays, gold nanoparticles (AuNps) can be used in a variety of applications, thus efficient methods to produce them are necessary. Several methods have been proposed in this area, but NPs ...production time is one limitation of these approaches. In this study, we propose a high competitive method to synthesize gold colloidal nanoparticles, instantaneously, using no-toxic reducing agents. These substances allow the instantaneous synthesis at room temperature, even without magnetic stirrers, ovens or ultrasonic baths. Optic analysis showed two absorption bands, associated with surface Plasmon as function of HAuCl4 concentration. The nanoparticles synthesized have a 10–20 nm size, seen by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Therefore, it was possible to obtain several geometric patterns of AuNps, and the synthesis was performed reducing significantly processing time. Additionally, Mie and Fuchs theories were used to predict the location of the absorption bands linked to the plasmon surface in gold nanoparticles. The Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) effect was analyzed considering natural zeolite (Chabazite) as analyte, in order to determinate its possible application in soil analysis.
•Cubic and spherical morphologies in AuNp.•Surface plasmon prediction in cubic and spherical AuNp.•Instant synthesis of AuNp.•SERS applications in soil analysis.
The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score and GYM score to predict 30-day ...mortality in older non-severely dependent patients attended for an episode of infection in the emergency department (ED). We performed an analytical, observational, prospective cohort study including patients 75 years of age or older, without severe functional dependence, attended for an infectious process in 69 Spanish EDs for 2-day three-seasonal periods. Demographic, clinical and analytical data were collected. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality after the index event. We included 1071 patients, with a mean age of 83.6 standard deviation (SD) 5.6 years; 544 (50.8%) were men. Seventy-two patients (6.5%) died within 30 days. SIRS criteria ≥ 2 had a sensitivity of 65% 95% confidence interval (CI) 53.1–75.9 and a specificity of 49% (95% CI 46.0–52.3), a qSOFA score ≥ 2 had a sensitivity of 28% (95% CI 18.2–39.8) and a specificity of 94% (95% CI 91.9–95.1), and a GYM score ≥ 1 had a sensitivity of 81% (95% CI 69.2–88.6) and a specificity of 45% (95% CI 41.6–47.9). A GYM score ≥ 1 and a qSOFA score ≥ 2 were the cut-offs with the highest sensitivity (
p
< 0.001) and specificity (
p
< 0.001), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.73 (95% CI 0.66–0.79;
p
< 0.001) for the GYM score, 0.69 (95% CI 0.61–0.76;
p
< 0.001) for the qSOFA score and 0.65 (95% CI 0.59–0.72;
p
< 0.001) for SIRS. A GYM score ≥ 1 may be the most sensitive score and a qSOFA score ≥ 2 the most specific score to predict 30-day mortality in non-severely dependent older patients attended for acute infection in EDs.
Antimonide−based p−n junctions are particularly attractive for a wide variety of optoelectronic applications in the near and mid-infrared wavelength range. In this work, novel p−type Si−doped ...In0.145Ga0.855As0.123Sb0.877 epitaxial layers were grown on GaSb(100) substrates by Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE) technique. The XPS spectra measured on Si−doped In0.145Ga0.855As0.123Sb0.877 layers indicate that Si atoms behave as acceptors. The analysis of the surface depletion region and its relationship with phonon−plasmon L_ coupling were investigated using Raman spectroscopy, giving an acceptor concentration of NA ∼ 5.8 × 1017 cm−3 for a depletion region thickness of d ∼ 9.4 nm. Low temperature photoluminiscence (PL) spectrum for the Si−doped In0.145Ga0.855As0.123Sb0.877 layers showed a bound excitonic emission peak associated to neutral Sb acceptors, with an activation energy of ∼10meV and a donor−acceptor transition. It was observed that the Si doping reduces the excitonic emission intensity and increases the donor−acceptor pair recombination intensity.
Display omitted
•Novel p − type In0.145Ga0.855As0.123Sb0.877 epitaxial layers with Si.•Si-doped quaternary alloy exhibits a higher donor-acceptor emission intensity.•SiSb substitutions generate a highly effective recombination channel.•Study of hole concentration from the phonon-plasmon coupled L− mode.•Growth of p-type quaternary alloy by Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE).
ABSTRACT Fusarium species are the cause of diseases in various crops throughout the world and cause significant economic losses. Chemical fungicides are the main strategy for control, but their ...intensive and long-term use generates resistance, toxic residues, and environmental contamination. The biological control of bioactive substances has wide applications. In this study, the fungicidal activity of the extract obtained from Annona glabra L. seeds was evaluated as a control alternative for Fusarium solani. In addition, chemical characterization was carried out to identify the groups of metabolites present in the extract. The fungicidal activity against F. solani was evaluated using the microdilution method, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was established, as well as the mean inhibitory concentration (IC50). The IC50 of the extract was 972.24 mg L-1, and the MIC was 12.02 mg L-1. Using chemical characterization by ultrahigh-efficiency liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, the presence of THF acetogeniones, isoquinolinic alkaloids, and kaurene-type diterpenes, which were the main compounds responsible for the activity evaluated, was confirmed. The results obtained provide evidence that A. glabra seed extracts can be a potential source of metabolites with fungicidal activity.
RESUMO O gênero Fusarium é causador de doenças em diversas culturas agrícolas em todo o mundo com perdas econômicas significativas. Os fungicidas químicos são a principal estratégia de controle, mas o seu uso intensivo e prolongado gera resistência, resíduos tóxicos e contaminação ambiental. O controle biológico a partir de substâncias bioativas tem ampla aplicação. Neste estudo, a atividade fungicida do extrato obtido de Annona glabra L. como alternativa ao controle de Fusarium solani. Além disso, foi realizada uma caracterização química com o intuito de identificar os grupos de metabólitos presentes no extrato. A atividade fungicida contra F. solani foi avaliada pelo método de microdiluição e foi estabelecida a concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) e a concentração inibitória média (IC50). Os resultados da atividade fungicida mostraram que o IC50 do extrato foi de 972.24 mg L-1 e o MIC foi de 12.02 mg L-1. Através da caracterização química por cromatografia líquida de ultraalta eficiência acoplada à espectrometria de massas (UHPLC-MS/ MS), foi confirmada a presença de acetogênios THF, alcaloides isoquinolínicos e diterpenos do tipo caureno, que são os principais responsáveis pela atividade avaliada. Os resultados obtidos fornecem evidências de que os extratos de sementes de A. glabra podem ser uma fonte potencial de metabólitos com atividade fungicida contra F. solani.
Previous work demonstrated that the slow force response (SFR) to stretch is due to the increase in calcium transients (Ca2+T) produced by an autocrine-paracrine mechanism of locally produced ...angiotensin II/endothelin activating Na+-H+ exchange. Although a rise in pHi is presumed to follow stretch, it was observed only in the absence of extracellular bicarbonate, suggesting pHi compensation through the Na+-independent Cl--HCO3- exchange (AE) mechanism. Because available AE inhibitors do not distinguish between different bicarbonate-dependent mechanisms or even between AE isoforms, we developed a functional inhibitory antibody against both the AE3c and AE3fl isoforms (anti-AE3Loop III) that was used to explore if pHi would rise in stretched cat papillary muscles superfused with bicarbonate after AE3 inhibition. In addition, the influence of this potential increase in pHi on the SFR was analyzed. In this study, we present evidence that cancellation of AE3 isoforms activity (either by superfusion with bicarbonate-free buffer or with anti-AE3Loop III) results in pHi increase after stretch and the magnitude of the SFR was larger than when AE was operative, despite of similar increases in Na+i and Ca2+T under both conditions. Inhibition of reverse mode Na+-Ca2+ exchange reduced the SFR to the half when the AE was inactive and totally suppressed it when AE3 was active. The difference in the SFR magnitude and response to inhibition of reverse mode Na+-Ca2+ exchange can be ascribed to a pHi-induced increase in myofilament Ca2+ responsiveness.
Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown etiology characterized by the development of non-caseating epitheloid granulomas. The lungs are the most commonly involved organ (>90% of cases), followed ...by the lymph nodes, the skin, and the eyes. Areas covered: This review summarizes current pharmacotherapy options and future directions for the development of new therapies. Glucocorticoids are the first-line therapy for sarcoidosis. For patients with the most severe forms of sarcoidosis (who will need glucocorticoids for long periods) and for those intolerant or refractory, immunosuppressive drugs are used as sparing agents. The management of extrathoracic sarcoidosis must be tailored to the specific organ or organs involved; however, there is limited data from controlled trials to guide the treatment of these patients. The emergence of biological therapies has increased the therapeutic armamentarium available to treat sarcoidosis, with monoclonal anti-TNF agents being the most promising, but their use is still limited by a lack of licensing and costs. Expert commentary: The treatment of sarcoidosis is still not totally standardized. New effective therapies are urgently needed to enable the reduction or replacement of long-term therapy with glucocorticoids in patients with sarcoidosis.
Current–voltage (I–V) and R0A curves and spectral response as a function of bias voltage and temperature of p–n indium gallium arsenide antimonide (In0.14Ga0.86As0.13Sb0.87)/n-GaSb photodiodes are ...presented. InGaAsSb quaternary alloys with a bandgap energy of about 653meV were grown using the liquid phase epitaxy technique on top of (100) GaSb substrates. Device structure was fabricated using a process that includes passivation with sodium sulfide, thermal annealing and metallizations. The diode architecture was a back-illuminated (B-I) structure with a ring-shaped metallic contact in the GaSb substrate face. Photodiode spectral response showed good performance in the entire temperature range between 20K and 300K.
PDF
