We show the existence of global-in-time solutions to an initial-boundary value problem in one space dimension of a phase-field model on the martensitic phase transformations, which consists of the equations of degenerate and a nondegenerate nonlinear parabolic equation of second order.

Gastroduodenal fistula (GDF) is a rare endoscopy finding that can be acquired or congenital. We present the case of a 65-year-old male without medical past history who was admitted for gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to peptic ulcer. The case shows an acquired double pylorus, due to pre pyloric ulcer.

Protein from camelina seed is a valuable co-product that can be derived from the meal remaining after oil extraction. The current study describes the types and physicochemical properties of the major proteins present in camelina meal. Seed coat mucilage, which interferes with protein extraction, was removed from whole seeds by digestion with Viscozyme® and lipids were removed with hexane to obtain demucilaged/defatted meal. Protein comprised 51.3% of meal dry matter and the eight essential amino acids comprised 40.8% of total amino acids. The meal polypeptide profile showed bands originating from cruciferin (~44.1 and 51.7 kDa), napin (~14 kDa) and oil body proteins (OBP; ~15-20 kDa) resembling that of other crucifers. Cruciferins (11 isoforms) were the predominant proteins, while vicilins (6 isoforms) also were identified among the proteins soluble at pH 8.5. Among the proteins soluble at pH 3, napins (5 isoforms) comprised the majority, though late embryogenesis abundant proteins also were found. Camelina cruciferin and napin were confirmed to possess predominantly β-sheet and α-helix secondary structures, respectively. Camelina cruciferin structure was highly sensitive to changes in medium pH and underwent acid-induced denaturation at pH 3, but exhibited high thermal stability (>80°C) at neutral and alkaline pHs. The structure of camelina napins was less sensitive to pH. The major proteins associated with oil bodies were oleosins (6 isoforms). Identification and characterization of the properties of camelina meal proteins will enable strategic paths for co-product valorization.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is rapidly spreading across the world with the endorsement of the cardiological community(1) and the supporting results of randomised controlled trials (2,3). However, TAVI-related complication like aortic dissection, aortic valvular rupture, or left ventricle perforation are still potentially catastrophic (4).

This report describes the case of an 84-year-old male who was brought to the emergency room because a dental bur was swallowed accidentally during a dental procedure. The foreign body was successfully removed by gastroenterologists endoscopically 8 days after the ingestion and was identified as a 2-cm-long dental bur.

Neuroendocrine tumors have a wide range of malignant potential. These tumors infrequently metastasize to the orbit. We report the case of a 61-year-old man who presented with unilateral recurrent panuveitis related to choroidal metastasis. Explorations led to the diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma as the primary tumor.

Introduction: Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool to determine endotracheal tube placement; however, few studies have compared it with standard methods of confirmation. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS and time-to-interpretation for correct identification of tracheal versus esophageal intubations compared to a composite of standard-of-care methods in neonates. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi Pakistan. All required intubations were performed as per NICU guidelines. The ETT placement was determined using standard-of-care methods (auscultation, colorimetric capnography, and chest X-ray) by a clinical team, and simultaneously by POCUS. Timings were recorded for each method by independent study staff. Results: A total of 348 neonates were enrolled in the study. More than half (58%) of intubations were in an emergency scenario. Using an expert as the reference standard, POCUS user interpretation showed 100% sensitivity and 94% specificity. We found a 99.4% agreement (Kappa: 0.96; p<0.001) between the POCUS user and expert. Diagnostic accuracy of POCUS compared with at least two standard-of-care methods demonstrated 99.7% sensitivity, 91% specificity, and 98.9% agreement (Kappa:0.93; p<0.001). The median time required for POCUS interpretation was 3.0 (IQR 3.0 -4.0) seconds for tracheal intubation. The time recorded for auscultation and capnography was 6.0 (IQR 5.0 -7.0) and 3.0 (IQR 3.0-4.0) respectively. Conclusion: POCUS is a rapid and reliable method of identifying ETT placement in neonates. Early and correct identification of airway management is critical to save lives and prevent mortality and morbidity.

Spontaneous bilateral intra-orbital hematoma is a rare complication of sickle cell disease in children. Imaging examinations are of paramount importance in the diagnosis and condition the management in order to avoid complications that can compromise the visual function prognosis.

Introduction: The reliability of breath sound analysis using an improved method in infants has been reported. Objective: Breath sounds of infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-induced acute bronchiolitis were analyzed to evaluate their specificity and examine their relationship with the severity. Subjects and methods: We evaluated the inspiratory and expiratory breath sound parameters of 33 infants (median age=2 months old) diagnosed with RSV-induced acute bronchiolitis. The sound powers of inspiration and expiration and the spectrum curve indices (ratio of the third and fourth area to the total area under the curve and ratio of the power and frequency at 50% and 75% of the highest frequency were evaluated at the acute phase and recovery phase. Furthermore, the relationship between the breath sound parameters and the clinical severity of acute bronchiolitis was examined. Results: Analyses of the breath sound spectrogram showed that the power of expiration at the acute phase was large, and was the expiration-to-inspiration sound power ratio in a mid-frequency range (E/I MF), with values decreased in the recovery phase. Data of the inspiratory sound spectrum curve showed the improvement of airway stenosis during the recovery period. Furthermore, there were significant relationships between the E/I MF and SpO2 and the severity score of acute bronchiolitis. Conclusion: In RSV-induced acute bronchiolitis, specificity of breath sounds was observed in the expiration sound and the reversible airway stenosis was evaluated. Breath sound analyses are expected to be useful for the diagnosis and clinical evaluation of the severity of acute bronchiolitis.

Tillage practices can influence soil microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE), which is critical for carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. The effect of tillage practices could also be regulated by nitrogen (N) addition. However, the soil microbial mechanism about N fertilizer effect on microbial CUE under no-tillage is still unclear. We investigated how N fertilizer regulates the effect of tillage management on microbial CUE through changing microbial properties and further assessed the impact of microbial CUE on particulate (POC) and mineral-associated organic matter carbon (MAOC) using a 16-yr field experiment with no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT), both of which combined with 105 (N1), 180 (N2), and 210 kg N ha-1 (N3) N application. We found that microbial CUE increased with increasing N application rate. NT increased microbial CUE compared with CT under N1. The bacterial and fungal diversities of NT was higher than CT and N application decreased their diversities in the 0-10 cm layer. The partial least squares path model showed that bacteria diversity, fungal diversity, and fungal community structure played more critical roles in increasing microbial CUE. Furthermore, POC and MAOC under NT were higher than CT and they also increased with increasing N application rate. This could be explained by the finding that increasing microbial CUE induced by N application had the potential to increase POC and MAOC. Overall, N addition is an important pathway to influence microbial CUE, which is mainly regulated by bacterial and fungal diversities rather than their biomass under no-tillage.

The paper overviews and summarizes the results of the developing a methodology for the land degradation neutrality (LDN) assessment basing on LDN-based studies at national, regional and local levels in Russia. The review of more one hundred available publications in Russian language over the past 6-7 years allowed for analysis on the following areas: development of LDN terminology, LDN assessment at the different levels, adapting transition matrix; application of global and national LDN indicators; using the LDN concept for economic valuation of land, estimating LDN baseline, and using LDN as an integral indicator for sustainable land management. With the LDN concept the issue of land degradation (LD) has gone beyond the limited scope of desertification and drylands, and enlarged the concept of “rational” or “effective” land use and land management dominated in Russia. The LDN concept has been broadened with the introduction of the LDN Index proposed to evaluate the rate of LDN achievement; proposal on reconstructing transition matrices and adding specific land cover sub-categories; approach of integrating traditional national sectoral systems for assessing land quality with an LDN add-on; justification for using additional and specific LDN indicators at national and subnational level (soil erosion, aridity, soil salinity, soil depletion, etc.); importance of factoring natural background trends like climate change, natural succession cycles linked with geological and geomorphological processes; need for using different site-specific LDN baselines, not only those time-based; approaches for LDN-based economic valuation of lands; and the LDN-based typology of SLM practices and models.

Right atrial appendage aneurysms (RAAAs) are extremely rare in cardiac anomaly. According to the literature, no more than 25 cases have been reported so far, among which only 3 cases were children. Here, we reported an infant with a giant RAAA and severe symptoms. The RAAA was diagnosed by echocardiography and surgically resected under cardiopulmonary bypass. The role of transesophageal echocardiography was very important during the aneurysm resection surgery, which helped surgeons to plan surgical procedures during the surgery and evaluate the surgical effect postoperatively.

We consider the equations of motion of a bar, with given density, infinite in both directions, subjected to longitudinal vibrations under the action of an external load, and a stress-strain relation represented by a fractional order operator.  Using three types of fractional operators, the initial-boundary value problems associated with the described phenomenon are posed and solved. Through the bivariate Mittag-Leffer function, which has been recently introduced, we find the fundamental solution of these problems and calculate their moments.

We studied the thermomechanical and microstructural properties of oleogels developed with 2.1 to 15.7 Moles of monoglycerides/Mole of lecithin (MG/LC). The oleogels were developed (15°C) in vegetable (VO) and mineral (MO) oils using at each MG/LC 2% or 4% total mass of gelator. During oleogelation a synergistic MG-LC interaction existed deriving in the development of MG-LC cocrystals even below the gelators’ minimum gelling concentration. The cocrystals delayed the Lα→β polymorphic transition and worked as an active filler of the oleogels’ crystal network. In the VO, the oil with the highest relative polarity, the oleogels were structured by a network of β crystals where the cocrystals acted as an active filler. In the MO, the oil with the lowest relative polarity, the cocrystals’ development was favored while the Lα→β transition occurred just in the 15.7 MG/LC oleogels. Then, at all MG/LC the VO oleogels with 2% or 4% total gelator concentration achieved higher G’ than MO oleogels. However, the presence of β crystals will produce deleterious effects in shorter time in the VO oleogels than in the MO oleogels. In both oils the oleogels with the highest G’ and gel-like rheological behavior were achieved at 8.1 MG/LC, particularly at 4% total gelator concentration. Under these conditions the β polymorph was limited developed in the VO oleogels and completely absent in the MO oleogels. Then, we might tailoring the rheology of MG-LC oleogels with storage stability using as design variables the MG/LC, the total gelator concentration, and the polarity of the oil.

This Research Highlight showcases the two Research Papers entitled, A precise photometric ratio via laser excitation of the sodium layer – I. One-photon excitation using 342.78 nm light, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab1621 and A precise photometric ratio via laser excitation of the sodium layer – II. Two-photon excitation using lasers detuned from 589.16 nm and 819.71 nm resonances, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab1619.

Titanium is a versatile biocompatible metal that is desirable in additively manufactured medical implant devices. However, additively manufactured parts have particular microstructures, porosity, residual stress and surface conditions which can have a strong impact on fatigue performance. Implants have an added complexity from the saline operating environment and the associated impact on the safe design life. Equally, direct energy deposition induces a complex thermal history which, if not carefully controlled, can significantly alter the mechanical/material properties of the component. This study investigates the decrease in fatigue life, in an in-vitro body fluid simulation using Ringer’s solution, observed in Ti-6Al-4V specimens extracted from coupons manufactured by directed energy deposition. An interrupted deposition strategy was employed to control build regularity, which appeared to influence certain mechanical properties, including corrosion fatigue life. An ≈50% decrease in fatigue life was observed in Ringer’s solution at 6 Hz loading frequency, clearly important in designing implants.

Acute pericarditis is uncommon presentation of COVID-19. Here we described a case of 50-year-old male who presented with chest pain without fever nor cough and diagnosed with acute pericarditis complicated by pericardial effusion due to COVID-19 after exclusion of other cause and receive supportive treatment and improve over two weeks.

A novel representation of spin 1/2 combines in a single geometric object the standard Pauli spin operator and spin state. Under the spin-position decoupling approximation it consists of the sum of three orthogonal vectors comprising a gauge phase. In the one-spin case the representation: (1) is Hermitian; (2) endowed with handedness; (3) yields all standard results, including the total spin angular momentum S=(√3 ℏ)⁄2; (4) relates basis spins by proper rotations, thus preserving handedness; (5) allows formalizing irreversibility in spin measurement. In the bipartite case: (1) entangled spins have precisely related gauge phases and opposite handedness; (2) maximally entangled spins relate by one of the four improper rotations in 3D: plane-reflections (triplets) and inversion (singlet); (3) the full spin expressions yield the standard total two-spin angular momentum; (4) all standard expected values for bipartite observations follow. Depending on whether spin operations act one – or two – sided, the formalism appears in two complementary forms, the ‘spinor’ or the ‘vector’ form, respectively. The proposed scheme provides a clear geometric picture of spin transformations and correlations in the 3D physical orientation space.