Analytic study of superradiant stability of Kerr-Newman black holes under charged massive scalar perturbation

The superradiant stability of a Kerr-Newman black hole and charged massive scalar perturbation is investigated. We treat the black hole as a background geometry and study the equation of motion of the scalar perturbation. From the radial equation of motion, we derive the effective potential experienced by the scalar perturbation. By a careful analysis of this effective potential, it is found that when the inner and outer horizons of Kerr-Newman black hole satisfy $\frac{r_-}{r_+}\leqslant\frac{1}{3}$ and the charge-to-mass ratios of scalar perturbation and black hole satisfy $\frac{q}{\mu }\frac{Q}{ M}>1$, the Kerr-Newman black hole and scalar perturbation system is superradiantly stable.Comment: 7 pages, references adde

Association of the CTLA4 Gene with Graves' Disease in the Chinese Han Population

To determine whether genetic heterogeneity exists in patients with Graves' disease (GD), the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated 4 (CTLA-4) gene, which is implicated a susceptibility gene for GD by considerable genetic and immunological evidence, was used for association analysis in a Chinese Han cohort recruited from various geographic regions. Our association study for the SNPs in the CTLA4 gene in 2640 GD patients and 2204 control subjects confirmed that CTLA4 is the susceptibility gene for GD in the Chinese Han population. Moreover, the logistic regression analysis in the combined Chinese Han cohort revealed that SNP rs231779 (allele frequencies p = 2.81×10−9, OR = 1.35, and genotype distributions p = 2.75×10−9, OR = 1.42) is likely the susceptibility variant for GD. Interestingly, the logistic regression analysis revealed that SNP rs35219727 may be the susceptibility variant to GD in the Shandong population; however, SNP, rs231779 in the CTLA4 gene probably independently confers GD susceptibility in the Xuzhou and southern China populations. These data suggest that the susceptibility variants of the CTLA4 gene varied between the different geographic populations with GD

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Quality attributes of set-style skimmed yoghurt affected by the addition of a cross-linked bovine gelatin

Bovine gelatin was cross-linked using horseradish peroxidase, glucose oxidase, and glucose, and then used in the preparation of set-style skimmed yoghurt. Both bovine and cross-linked gelatins were added into yoghurt milk at 2 g/kg, whilst the yoghurt milk composed of table sugar of 60 g/kg was fermented by a commercial direct vat set starter at 42°C for 5 h. Yoghurt samples stored at 4°C for 1 and 7 d were assessed for their compositions and quality indices. In comparison with that contained bovine gelatin, the yoghurt contained cross-linked gelatin had similar chemical indices in terms of protein, reducing sugars, and total solids contents, but exhibited lower syneresis, larger hysteresis loop area, higher apparent viscosity, elastic and viscous moduli, and improved microstructure. Cross-linked gelatin could delay yoghurt post-acidification slightly. Cross-linked gelatin was thus proved to be a potential stabilizer better than bovine gelatin to improve the quality of set-style skimmed yoghurt

Plasmonic switching of the reaction pathway: Visible-light irradiation varies the reactant concentration at the solid-solution interface of a gold-cobalt catalyst

Product selectivity of alkyne hydroamination over catalytic Au2Co alloy nanoparticles (NPs) can be made switchable by a light-on/light-off process, yielding imine (cross-coupling product of aniline and alkyne) under visible-light irradiation, but 1,4-diphenylbutadiyne in the dark. The low-flux light irradiation concentrates aniline on the catalyst, accelerating the catalytic cross-coupling by several orders of magnitude even at a very low overall aniline concentrations (1.0×10−3 mol L−1). A tentative mechanism is that Au2Co NPs absorb light, generating an intense fringing electromagnetic field and hot electrons. The sharp field-gradient (plasmonic optical force) can selectively enhance adsorption of light-polarizable aniline molecules on the catalyst. The light irradiation thereby alters the aniline/alkyne ratio at the NPs surface, switching product selectivity. This represents a new paradigm to modify a catalysis process by light

Applying Modified VP53A Recombinant Protein as an Anti-White Spot Syndrome Virus Biological Agent in Litopenaeus vannamei Farming

Shrimp farming is an important economic activity. However, due to the spread of pathogens, shrimp aquaculture is becoming increasingly difficult. Many studies have confirmed that white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) recombinant proteins can inhibit viral infection. Among them, VP53 recombinant protein has been found to reduce mortality upon WSSV challenge. This study was conducted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and reports the first field feeding trial to demonstrate that WSSV recombinant proteins can improve shrimp survival rates at a farming scale. Prior to the feeding trial, the shrimp were confirmed to be slightly infected with WSSV, Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), non-AHPND V. parahaemolyticus strains, and Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), which are common pathogens that shrimp farmers often face. The shrimp were then divided into two groups: a control group (C group) fed with a commercial diet and a protein group (P group) fed with the same commercial feed with VP53 recombinant protein. Our findings indicated that the survival rate and expression of immune genes of the P group were higher than those of the C group. The intestinal microbiota of the two groups were also analysed. Collectively, our results confirmed that the recombinant WSSV envelope protein derivative can be used as an effective anti-virus biological agent in shrimp farms