Two metakaolins, with similar mineralogical composition but which vary in their surface area (11.1 versus
25.4
m2
∕g
), were evaluated for use as supplementary cementitious materials through ...measurements of workability, setting time, strength, elastic modulus, heat evolution, calcium hydroxide (CH) content, and surface area. Compressive and flexural strength of concrete were greater and increased at a faster rate when the finer metakaolin was used, as expected. The addition of metakaolin increased early age (i.e.,
1–3
days
) flexural strength by as much as 60%. The effect of metakaolin surface area on compressive strength was particularly evident at the lower water-to-cementitious materials ratios (w/cms) examined and generally at later ages (i.e.,
7
days
or later). However, although greater in the metakaolin–cement concretes than the ordinary concretes (particularly at the lowest w/cm examined, 0.40) elastic modulus measured at
28
days
, was not affected by the metakaolin surface area. The greater surface area metakaolin caused a greater and more rapid heat evolution, indicating a higher reactivity and a greater rate of hydration product formation. Both metakaolins decreased CH content compared to controls, with the consumption of CH extending beyond
14
days
. Surface area measurements indicated a more refined pore structure relative to controls by
28
days
. These analyses illustrate the effect of metakaolin fineness on pozzolanic reactivity, associated CH consumption, and pore structure refinement, and suggest links to the observed increased mechanical properties of metakaolin–concretes.
Background and Aims
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) (COVID‐19) pandemic devasted the general life of people and various human activities across the globe, and ...Ghana is of no exception. This led to development of vaccines within record time to combat morbidity and mortality associated with the virus. In Ghana, COVID‐19 vaccines were introduced in addition to existing COVID‐19 protocols. However, the vaccines have adverse events among those who received them. In this study, we determined the prevalence of some common adverse events of the COVID‐19 vaccines and its associated sociodemographic factors in Ghana.
Methods
An online snowball cross‐sectional survey was conducted between April and June 2021 among 240 people who had taken at least one dose of any of the COVID‐19 vaccines approved in Ghana. The penalized binary logistic regression model was used to assess the factors associated with experience of at least one adverse event and the experience of number of adverse events using Stata version 16.
Results
Among the 240 participants, 88.2% had experienced at least one adverse event. The most common adverse event after the first dose was pain at injection site (65.8%), headache (57.5%), tiredness (55.8%), fever (51.7%), chills (39.6%), and muscle pains (38.3%). Experience of adverse events was 16 times higher among those who took their vaccines in Ghana (adjusted odd ratio AOR: 16.2, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.98–132.56, p = 0.009), 94% less among those who took AstraZeneca (India) compared to AstraZeneca (Oxford) (AOR: 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01–0.37, p = 0.002) and 86% less among 40–49 years compared with less than 30 years old (AOR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03–0.58, p = 0.007).
Conclusion
Pain at the injection site, headache, tiredness, fever, chills, and muscle pains were the most frequently reported adverse events. The study identified country of vaccination, country of origin of AstraZeneca vaccine and age to be associated with adverse events of vaccination.
Craniosynostosis (CS) is a major birth defect in which one or more skull sutures fuse prematurely. We previously performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for sagittal non-syndromic CS (sNCS), ...identifying associations downstream from
on 20p12.3 and intronic to
on 7p14.3; analyses of imputed variants in
on 3q29 were also genome-wide significant. We followed this work with a GWAS for metopic non-syndromic NCS (mNCS), discovering a significant association intronic to
on 20q13.31. In the current study, we sequenced the associated regions on 3q29, 7p14.3, and 20p12.3, including two candidate genes (
and
near some of these regions in 83 sNCS child-parent trios, and sequenced regions on 7p14.3 and 20q13.2-q13.32 in 80 mNCS child-parent trios. These child-parent trios were selected from the original GWAS cohorts if the probands carried at least one copy of the top associated GWAS variant (rs1884302 C allele for sNCS; rs6127972 T allele for mNCS). Many of the variants sequenced in these targeted regions are strongly predicted to be within binding sites for transcription factors involved in craniofacial development or bone morphogenesis. Variants enriched in more than one trio and predicted to be damaging to gene function are prioritized for functional studies.
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► A clinoptilolite-polypropylene composite for adsorption of lead has been prepared. ►The activation of clinoptilolite before mixing with polypropylene was essential. ► The mechanical ...strength of polypropylene was not affected by the activation process. ► The adsorption and desorption of lead from aqueous media have been successful. ►The composite can thus be used on a routine basis in water purification systems.
A polymer composite of polypropylene (PP) and clinoptilolite (CLI) for the adsorption of lead has been prepared using the melt-mixing compounding technique in a rheomixer. Characterization of the composite was performed using scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunuer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The influence of contact time, pH, initial metal-ion concentration, temperature, and pretreatment on the adsorption of lead (Pb) by the PP–CLI composite was investigated. Optimum pH was found to be between pH 6 and pH 8 while the maximum sorption of lead at optimal pH was 95%. No difference was observed between the adsorption behavior of composites functionalized with 20% and 30% clinoptilolite, respectively, while the pretreatment with HCl and NaCl made a slight difference to the adsorption capacity of composites. The findings from this study on the lead adsorption behavior of CLI–PP composite may have potential applications in wastewater and water purification works.
Conductive atomic force microscope (cAFM) nanopatterning is demonstrated on epitaxial graphene on SiC (0001) under ambient conditions. Nanopatterning kinetics and chemistry suggest that ambient cAFM ...nanopatterning induces local oxidization with the surface, interface, and bulk layers of epitaxial graphene on SiC (0001) playing distinct roles in the depth profile of the final nanopatterned structure.
This study examined change in early language comprehension from 15 to 54 months for fifth-grade typical readers (n = 35), poor decoders (n = 11), or poor comprehenders (n = 16) from a nationally ...representative study of early child-care experiences. Changing measures of language comprehension were captured across early childhood for the 62 children. Multiple-group quasi-simplex and latent growth models were used on rank-transformed outcomes to examine children's relative rank change. Results showed that future poor comprehenders significantly declined in language comprehension over time relative to others who gradually improved. Efforts to improve language skills as a means to improve reading comprehension hinge upon the perspective that language weaknesses are a causal contributor to reading difficulties.
Ergot alkaloids, a class of mycotoxins, induce vasoconstriction when consumed by animals and humans. Pregnant ewes (n = 16; 81.2 kg ± 7.7) were assigned fed endophyte-infected tall fescue seed (E+; ...4.14 μg ergovaline + ergovalinine/g seed) or a control diet (CON; 0 μg ergovaline + ergovalinine) for increasing duration during late gestation (from gd86 to gd110 or gd133) to examine changes in placentome morphology and mRNA transcriptome, and fetal development. Exposure to E+ fescue reduced serum prolactin concentrations at gd110 and gd133 demonstrating treatment efficacy. For control ewes, cotyledon and total placentome weights decreased with advancing gestation due to remodeling of placental tissues; however, cotyledon and placentome weight did not change with advancing gestation in E+ fed ewes. Fetal brain sparing was evident in E+ exposed fetuses at gd110 and gd133 compared to CON, which demonstrates asymmetrical growth and intrauterine growth restriction. Mycotoxin exposure (E+) resulted in differential expression of 22 genes in the cotyledon tissue at gd110 but only one gene at gd133 compared to CON. These results suggest that the response to mycotoxin exposure in the pregnant sheep model has an immediate impact on placental remodeling and fetal development that persists throughout the duration of the exposure period.
Objective welfare assessments play a fundamental role in ensuring that positive welfare is achieved and maintained for animals in captivity. The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG), a welfare ...assessment tool, has been validated for use with a variety of both domestic and exotic species. It combines both resource- and animal-based measures but relies heavily on knowledge of the species to effectively assess welfare. Many zoo species are understudied in the wild due to their cryptic nature or habitat choice; therefore, the published literature needs to be supported with captive behavioural observations and zoo records. Here we adapted previously published AWAG templates to assess the welfare of Crossarchus obscurus. A total of 21 factors were identified, and the final template was used to retrospectively score the welfare of two male and two female C. obscurus at Marwell Zoo, UK, validating the use of this process for preparing a welfare assessment for a species where the published literature is scarce.
Objectives
To describe the rare presentation, imaging and histological findings, and treatments in patients with IgG4‐related disease (IgG4‐RD) and diagnostic pitfalls and difficulties.
Methods
Cases ...of sinonasal IgG4‐RD were retrieved, and clinicopathological features were reviewed.
Results
Seven cases of sinonasal IgG4‐RD were identified over an 11‐year period, including four males and three females, with an age range of 19–66 years (median 58 years). Patients presented with symptoms related to the mass effect of the lesions or the destructive nature of the disease including fullness, swelling, obstruction, and pain. Serum IgG and IgG4 levels, IgG/IgG4 ratios, storiform fibrosis, obliterative phlebitis, and plasma cell infiltration were seen in varying proportions. Bony erosion and tissue inflammation were present in some cases.
Conclusion
Sinonasal IgG4‐RD is exceedingly rare among other IgG4‐RD and varied in its clinical presentation thus posing as a clinically difficult disease to diagnosis. Proper clinical, pathological, and immunohistopathological analysis is required for accurate diagnosis. Such disease should be considered in all cases of similar presentation to those in this study.
Level of Evidence: 4.
Young children's language and social development is influenced by the linguistic environment of their classrooms, including their interactions with teachers and peers. Measurement of the classroom ...linguistic environment typically relies on observational methods, often providing limited 'snapshots' of children's interactions, from which broad generalizations are made. Recent technological advances, including artificial intelligence, provide opportunities to capture children's interactions using continuous recordings representing much longer durations of time. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of the Interaction Detection in Early Childhood Settings (IDEAS) system on 13 automated indices of language output using recordings collected from 19 children and three teachers over two weeks in an urban preschool classroom. The accuracy of language outputs processed via IDEAS were compared to ground truth via linear correlations and median absolute relative error. Findings indicate high correlations between IDEAS and ground truth data on measures of teacher and child speech, and relatively low error rates on the majority of IDEAS language output measures. Study findings indicate that IDEAS may provide a useful measurement tool for advancing knowledge about children's classroom experiences and their role in shaping development.
