Display omitted
•We propose a probabilistic framework for estimating water budgets in low runoff regions.•We investigate the locations and time scales at which the water balance calculated provides ...most closure.•The validity of the results is examined through an innovative application of the FORM.•The failure probability of water budge closure is chiefly dependent on the accuracy of evapotranspiration estimations.
Utilizing ground-based measurements to obtain water budget components, especially in large scale basins, is challenging due to the limitation in the spatiotemporal availability of in-situ data. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic framework for estimating water budgets in low runoff regions using remote sensing products. By studying water budgets in the Central Basin of Iran (CBI) over 8 years period (2009–2016), we investigate the locations and time scales at which the water budget calculated from satellite products provides most closure. To this end, we use precipitation from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), evapotranspiration from the Water Productivity Open Access Portal (WaPOR) and terrestrial water storage change from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). The results show better closure and consistency of water budget in the center and South East of the basin at seasonal and annual time scales. Due to the uncertainty initiated from different data sources as well as the mismatch between the spatiotemporal resolutions of various satellite products, the validity of the results is examined through an innovative application of the First Order Reliability Method (FORM). Furthermore, the reliability sensitivity analysis also reveals that the failure probability of water budge closure is chiefly dependent on the accuracy of evapotranspiration estimations than the other components involved in the water budget equation.
Display omitted
•Scaling of Manning coefficient and permeability in hydrological models were proposed.•We investigate the impact of the scaling approach on results of ParFlow-CLM model.•The validity ...of the results is examined through an innovative application of FORM.•The average bias in soil moisture was decreased from 0. 17 mm3/mm3 to 0. 1 mm3/mm3.•The accuracy of simulations is more than 95 and 92 percent for Autumn and Summer.
Accurate implementation of river interactions with subsurface water is critical in large-scale hydrologic models with a constant horizontal grid resolution when models apply kinematic wave approximation for both hillslope and river channel flow. The size of rivers can vary greatly in the model domain, and the implemented grid resolution is too coarse to accurately account for river interactions. Consequently, the flow velocity is underestimated when the width of the rivers is much narrower than the selected grid size. This leads to inaccuracy and uncertainties in calculations of water quantities. In addition, the rate of exfiltration and infiltration between the river and the subsurface may be overestimated as the modeled area of water exchange between rivers and subsurface is larger than reality. Therefore, the present study tests the approximation of subscale channel flow by a scaled roughness coefficient in the kinematic wave equation. For this purpose, a relationship between grid cell size and river width is used to correct flow velocity, which follows a simplified modification of the Manning-Strickler equation. The rate of exfiltration and infiltration between the subsurface and river is also corrected across riverbeds by a scaled saturated hydraulic conductivity based on the grid resolution even though the grid size is relatively large. The scaling methodology is implemented in a hydrological model coupling ParFlow (PARallel FLOW) v3.5 and the Community Land Model (CLM) v4.5. The model is applied over the Upper Rhine Basin (between France and Germany) for a time period from 2012 to 2014 and at a spatial resolution of 0.055° (∼6 km). The validity of the results is examined with satellite and in situ data through an innovative application of the First Order Reliability Method (FORM). The scaling approach shows that soil moisture estimates have improved, particularly in the summer and autumn seasons when cross-validated with independent soil moisture observations provided by the Climate Change Initiative (CCI). The results underline the use of a simple scaling procedure of the Manning coefficient and saturated hydraulic conductivity to account for the real infiltration/exfiltration rate in large-scale hydrological models with constant horizontal grid resolution. The scaling procedure also shows overall improvements in groundwater level estimation, particularly where the groundwater level is shallow (less than 5 m from the surface). By using the scaling approach, the average bias in soil moisture for the study domain was decreased from 0.17 mm3/mm3 to 0.1 mm3/mm3. The FORM results show that the probability of a substantial divergence between the ParFlow-CLM-S soil moisture results and the CCI-SM observation, which is defined as more than 0.25% of the CCI-SM observation value, is less than 0.05, 0.11, 0.15, and 0.08 for autumn, winter, spring, and summer, respectively.
In this research, ZSM-12 zeolite with six Si/Al ratios (20 to 320) was synthesized by a hydrothermal method and systematically investigated. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized nano ...zeolites were evaluated and compared by XRD, FE-SEM,ICP-AES, NH
3
-TPD, BET, FT-IR, and TGA analyses. The results show that when the Si/Al ratio increases, the amount of microcrystals increases with the dominant competitive phase of cristobalite by decreasing the MTW phase. The catalytic assessment of synthesized zeolites in the (
n
-hexane to olefins) HTO process in a fixed bed reactor under atmospheric pressure and WHSV equal to 4 h
1
at 550 C was evaluated and various parameters such as selectivity towards light olefins, P/E ratio, production of light alkanes, and aromatic compounds (BTX) were investigated. The result of the
n
-hexane to olefins process indicated that the presence of cristobalite as an impurity phase strongly affects the activity of the catalysts. The Z80 zeolite, with a Si/Al ratio of 80, corresponds to the pure form of ZSM-12 and exhibits the highest light olefin yield at 52.5%. This zeolite demonstrates superior propylene selectivity (P/E = 1.75) owing to its well-suited pore structure, wide channels, and optimal acidity derived from the MTW zeolite. On the other hand, zeolite Z320 has a lower light olefin yield (19.4%) and a lower P/E (1.1) ratio. In addition, according to the results of the TGA analysis, the content of coke on the Z80 catalyst after the catalytic reaction is much less than other catalysts after the catalytic reactor test.
The effect of Si/Al ratio of ZSM-12 zeolite on its morphology, acidity and crystal size for the catalytic performance in HTO process.
Background
Pruritus is a symptom profoundly impairing patients' quality of life (QoL). It is a common symptom in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients of yet unknown nature. The aim of this study was ...to evaluate the risk factors of pruritus in CHF patients.
Methods
For this monocentric, prospective cohort study, CHF patients were recruited and CHF symptoms, comorbidities and drug intake were assessed using a structured report. Additionally, a questionnaire evaluated pruritus symptoms. Detailed medical histories including laboratory test results were retrieved from patient files for all participants.
Results
We evaluated data from 550 CHF patients. Of those, 25.3% reported pruritus to occur frequently (3–5 times per week), often (1–2 times per week) or daily. Patients of higher NYHA classes (NYHA III + IV) experienced significantly more pruritus (31.2%) than lower NYHA classes (NYHA I + II) (21.1%, p = 0.024). Patients with pruritus reported disproportionately often concomitant stasis dermatitis (p = 0.026) and chronic lung disease (p = 0.014). Other parameters reflecting cardiac, liver, kidney and thyroid function, as well as medical therapies showed no significant differences between patients with and without pruritus. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, only NYHA class (p = 0.016, OR 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09; 2.20) and elevated leukocyte count (p = 0.007, OR 1.11, CI 1.03; 1.21) remained significantly associated with pruritus in CHF patients.
Conclusions
NYHA class is an independent predictor for pruritus in CHF patients. Besides NYHA class, leukocyte count was also associated with increased pruritus. Pruritus may impair QoL in CHF patients and should thus be included in the assessment of those patients. We suggest that providing best care for CHF patients can be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach of cardiologists and dermatologists and should include a pruritus assessment.
Zusammenfassung
Wir berichten über einen 43 Jahre alten Patienten, der sich im septischen Schock mit unspezifischer gastrointestinaler Symptomatik in der Notaufnahme vorstellte. Sonographie und CT ...erbrachten bei dem lebertransplantierten und mit mechanischer Mitralklappe versorgten Patienten keinen Infektfokus. Die Blutkulturen zeigten sich positiv für
Listeria monocytogenes
. Eine transösophageale Echokardiographie zeigte eine Prothesenendokarditis. Unter Ampicillin zeigte sich der Befund deutlich rückläufig.
We reported a 66-year-old woman with malignant external otitis who was referred to our department for evaluation of disease extension. Both 99mTc-MDP bone SPECT/CT and 68Ga-citrate PET/CT were done ...for the patient. Both studies showed concordant areas of increased uptake in the petrous bone. In addition, 68Ga-citrate PET/CT showed soft tissue infection in the nasopharyngeal wall. Our case showed the potential of 68Ga-citrate PET/CT for evaluation of malignant external otitis.
Summary
In livestock production, antibiotics are used to promote animal growth, control infections and thereby increase profitability. This practice has led to the emergence of multiresistant ...bacteria such as Salmonella, of which some serovars are disseminated in the environment. The objective of this study is to evaluate microcin J25 as an inhibitor of Salmonella enterica serovars of various origins including human, livestock and food. Among the 116 isolates tested, 37 (31.8%) were found resistant to at least one antibiotic, and 28 were multiresistant with 19 expressing the penta‐resistant phenotype ACSSuT. Microcin J25 inhibited all isolates, with minimal inhibitory concentration values ranging from 0.06 μg/ml (28.4 nM) to 400 μg/ml (189 μM). Interestingly, no cross‐resistance was found between microcin J25 and antibiotics. Multiple sequence alignments of genes encoding for the different proteins involved in the recognition and transport of microcin J25 showed that only ferric‐hydroxamate uptake is an essential determinant for susceptibility of S. enterica to microcin J25. Examination of Salmonella strains exposed to microcin J25 by transmission electronic microscopy showed for the first‐time involvement of a pore formation mechanism. Microcin J25 was a strong inhibitor of several multiresistant isolates of Salmonella and may have a great potential as an alternative to antibiotics.
We report about a 43-year-old man who presented to the emergency department in septic shock with nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms. Sonography and computed tomography (CT) could not identify the ...location of the infection in the patient who had undergone liver transplantation and has a mechanical mitral valve. Blood cultures were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Transesophageal echocardiography showed prosthetic endocarditis. The findings regressed markedly under ampicillin.
Necrotic enteritis (NE), caused by Clostridium perfringens, is an emerging issue in poultry farming. New approaches, other than antibiotics, are necessary to prevent NE development and the emergence ...of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Enterococci are commensal microorganisms that can produce enterocins, antimicrobial peptides with activities against pathogens, and could be excellent candidates for protective cultures. This study aimed to screen and characterize Enterococcus strains of poultry origin for their inhibitory activity against C. perfringens. In total, 251 Enterococcus strains of poultry origin plus five bacteriocin-producing (BP+) E. durans strains of other origins were screened for antimicrobial activity against the indicator C. perfringens X2967 strain using the "spot on the lawn" method. We detected thirty-two BP+ strains (eleven Enterococcus faecium, nine E. gallinarum, eight E. faecalis, three E. durans, and one E. casseliflavus). We further studied the antimicrobial activity of the supernatants of these 32 BP+ strains using agar well diffusion and microtitration against a collection of 20 C. perfringens strains. Twelve BP+ enterococci that were found to exhibit antimicrobial activity against C. perfringens were characterized using whole genome sequencing. Among these, E. faecium X2893 and X2906 were the most promising candidates for further studies as protective cultures for poultry farming. Both strains belong to the sequence type ST722, harbor the genes encoding for enterocin A and enterocin B, do not possess acquired resistance genes, do not carry plasmids, and present the acm gene, which is implicated in host colonization. Further research is needed to determine the utility of these strains as protective cultures.
Three- component reaction of 4-hydroxy-2
H
-pyran-2-one, aldehydes, and malononitrile or ethyl cyanoacetate in the presence of ZnO nanoparticles as the catalyst is described as an efficient and green ...synthetic method for obtaining of pyrano4,3-
b
pyran derivatives in excellent yield. These reactions were also tested with 2'-hydroxyacetophenone under similar conditions and produced chromene derivatives.
PDF
