Silage Characteristics of Sugarcane (\u3cem\u3eSacchrum officinarum\u3c/em\u3e) Tops in Sri Lanka

Sugarcane tops (SCTs) is generally known to be a major byproduct of sugarcane industry which is currently not utilized in a profitable manner and it is widely available at low cost particularly during the dry period in Sri Lanka when the forage are scarce for feeding of ruminants. Usually, the residue after sugarcane harvesting contains dry leaves, fresh leaves and growing point of the stalk. It increases drying of leaves in the field within 2 to 3 days after harvesting due to dry weather conditions prevailing in the harvesting period and much of the tops are burned and wasted in the field. Therefore, it is difficult to use tops as feed unless they are preserved. Silage making is a good preservation technique which can be used under this condition. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the ensiling characteristics and nutritive value of SCTs or Guinea (Panicum maximum) ‘A’ grass with different additives

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

COVIDiSTRESS diverse dataset on psychological and behavioural outcomes one year into the COVID-19 pandemic

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVIDiSTRESS Consortium launched an open-access global survey to understand and improve individuals’ experiences related to the crisis. A year later, we extended this line of research by launching a new survey to address the dynamic landscape of the pandemic. This survey was released with the goal of addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion by working with over 150 researchers across the globe who collected data in 48 languages and dialects across 137 countries. The resulting cleaned dataset described here includes 15,740 of over 20,000 responses. The dataset allows cross-cultural study of psychological wellbeing and behaviours a year into the pandemic. It includes measures of stress, resilience, vaccine attitudes, trust in government and scientists, compliance, and information acquisition and misperceptions regarding COVID-19. Open-access raw and cleaned datasets with computed scores are available. Just as our initial COVIDiSTRESS dataset has facilitated government policy decisions regarding health crises, this dataset can be used by researchers and policy makers to inform research, decisions, and policy. © 2022, The Author(s).U.S. Department of Education, ED: P031S190304; Texas A and M International University, TAMIU; National Research University Higher School of Economics, ВШЭThe COVIDiSTRESS Consortium would like to acknowledge the contributions of friends and collaborators in translating and sharing the COVIDiSTRESS survey, as well as the study participants. Data analysis was supported by Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) Research Grant, TAMIU Act on Ideas, and the TAMIU Advancing Research and Curriculum Initiative (TAMIU ARC) awarded by the US Department of Education Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (Award # P031S190304). Data collection by Dmitrii Dubrov was supported within the framework of the Basic Research Program at HSE University, RF

Global variation in anastomosis and end colostomy formation following left-sided colorectal resection

Background End colostomy rates following colorectal resection vary across institutions in high-income settings, being influenced by patient, disease, surgeon and system factors. This study aimed to assess global variation in end colostomy rates after left-sided colorectal resection. Methods This study comprised an analysis of GlobalSurg-1 and -2 international, prospective, observational cohort studies (2014, 2016), including consecutive adult patients undergoing elective or emergency left-sided colorectal resection within discrete 2-week windows. Countries were grouped into high-, middle- and low-income tertiles according to the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). Factors associated with colostomy formation versus primary anastomosis were explored using a multilevel, multivariable logistic regression model. Results In total, 1635 patients from 242 hospitals in 57 countries undergoing left-sided colorectal resection were included: 113 (6·9 per cent) from low-HDI, 254 (15·5 per cent) from middle-HDI and 1268 (77·6 per cent) from high-HDI countries. There was a higher proportion of patients with perforated disease (57·5, 40·9 and 35·4 per cent; P < 0·001) and subsequent use of end colostomy (52·2, 24·8 and 18·9 per cent; P < 0·001) in low- compared with middle- and high-HDI settings. The association with colostomy use in low-HDI settings persisted (odds ratio (OR) 3·20, 95 per cent c.i. 1·35 to 7·57; P = 0·008) after risk adjustment for malignant disease (OR 2·34, 1·65 to 3·32; P < 0·001), emergency surgery (OR 4·08, 2·73 to 6·10; P < 0·001), time to operation at least 48 h (OR 1·99, 1·28 to 3·09; P = 0·002) and disease perforation (OR 4·00, 2·81 to 5·69; P < 0·001). Conclusion Global differences existed in the proportion of patients receiving end stomas after left-sided colorectal resection based on income, which went beyond case mix alone

Gas Transfer at Water Surfaces 2010

PrefaceSection 1: Interfacial Turbulence and Air-Water Scalar TransferJ. Hunt, S. Belcher, D. Stretch, S. Sajjadi, J. Clegg [1]S.A. Kitaigorodskii [13]S.A. Kitaigorodskii [29]Y. Toba [38]D. Turney, S. Banerjee [51]J.G. Janzen, H.E. Schulz, G.H. Jirka [65]S. Komori, R. Kurose, N. Takagaki, S. Ohtsubo, K. Iwano, K. Handa, S. Shimada [78]J. Beya, W. Peirson, M. Banner [90]S. Mizuno [104]M. Sanjou, I. Nezu, A. Toda [119]M. Sanjou, I. Nezu, Y. Akiya [129]K. Takehara, Y. Takano, T.G. Etoh [138]G. Caulliez [151]Section 2: Numerical Studies on Interfacial Turbulence and Scalar TransferL.-P. Hung, C.S. Garbe, W.-T. Tsai [165]A. E. Tejada-Martínez, C. Akan, C.E. Grosch [177]W.-T. Tsai, L.-P. Hung [193]P.G. Jayathilake, B.C. Khoo, Zhijun Tan [200]H.E. Schulz, A.L.A. Simões, J.G. Janzen [208]Section 3: Bubble-Mediated Scalar TransferD.P. Nicholson, S.R. Emerson, S. Khatiwala, R.C. Hamme [223]W. Mischler, R. Rocholz, B. Jähne [238]R. Patro, I. Leifer [249]K. Loh, K.B. Cheong, R. Uittenbogaard [262]N. Mori, S. Nakagawa [273]Section 4: Effects of Surfactants and Molecular Diffusivity on Turbulence and Scalar TransferA. Soloviev, S. Matt, M. Gilman, H. Hühnerfuss, B. Haus, D. Jeong, I. Savelyev, M. Donelan [285]S. Matt, A. Fujimura, A. Soloviev, S.H. Rhee [299]P. Vlahos, E.C. Monahan, B.J.Huebert, J.B. Edson [313]K.E. Richter, B. Jähne [322]X. Yan, W.L. Peirson, J.W. Walker, M.L. Banner [333]Section 5: Field MeasurementsP.M. Orton, C.J. Zappa, W.R. McGillis [343]U.Schimpf, L. Nagel, B. Jähne [358]C.L. McNeil, E.A. D'Asaro, J.A. Nystuen [368]D. Turk, B. Petelin, J.W. Book [377]M. Ribas-Ribas, A. Gómez-Parra, J.M. Forja [394]A. Rutgersson, A.-S. Smedman, E. Sahlée [406]H. Pettersson, K. K. Kahma, A. Rutgersson, M. Perttilä [420]Section 6: Global Air-Sea CO2 FluxesR. Wanninkhof, G.-H. Park, D.B. Chelton, C.M. Risien [431]N. Suzuki, S. Komori, M.A. Donelan [445]Y. Suzuki, Y. Toba [452]M.T. Johnson, C. Hughes, T.G. Bell, P.S. Liss [464]Section 7: Advanced Measuring TechniquesO. Tsukamoto, F. Kondo [485]R. Rocholz, S. Wanner, U. Schimpf, B. Jähne [496]B.C.G. Gonzalez, A.W. Lamon, J.G. Janzen, J.R. Campos, H.E. Schulz [507]E. Sahlée, K. Kahma, H. Pettersson, W.M. Drennan [516]D. Kiefhaber, R. Rocholz, G. Balschbach, B. Jähne [524]C.S. Garbe, A. Heinlein [535]Section 8: Environmental Problems Related to Air-Water Scalar TransferW.L. Peirson, G.A. Lee, C. Waite, P. Onesemo, G. Ninaus [545]Y.J. Choi, A. Abe, K. Takahashi [559]Y. Baba, K. Takahashi [571]R. Onishi, K. Takahashi, S. Komori [582][593]Turbulence and wave dynamics across gas-liquid interfacesThe calculation of the gas transfer between the ocean and atmosphereThe influence of wind wave breaking on the dissipation of the turbulent kinetic energy in the upper ocean and its dependence on the stage of wind wave developmentMarvellous self-consistency inherent in wind waves : Its origin and some items related to air-sea transfersNear surface turbulence and its relationship to air-water gas transfer ratesTurbulent gas flux measurements near the air-water interface in an oscillating-grid tankSensible and latent heat transfer across the air-water interface in wind-driven turbulenceRainfall-generated, near-surface turbulenceEffects of the mechanical wave propagating in the wind direction on currents and stresses across the air-water interfaceTurbulent transport in closed basin with wind-induced water wavesPIV measurements of Langumuir circulation generated by wind-induced water wavesStudy of vortices near wind wave surfaces using high-speed video camera and MLSWind wave breaking from micro to macroscaleValidation of Eddy-renewal model by numerical simulationMass transfer at the surface in LES of wind-driven shallow water flow with Langmuir circulationCharacteristics of gas-flux density distribution at the water surfacesNumerical simulation of interfacial mass transfer using the immersed interface methodStatistical approximations in gas-liquid mass transferAn inverse approach to estimate bubble-mediated air-sea gas flux from inert gas measurementsExperimental setup for the investigation of bubble mediated gas exchangeGas transfer velocity of single CO2 bubblesMass transfer across single bubblesAeration of surf zone breaking wavesModification of turbulence at the air-sea interface due to the presence of surfactants and implications for gas exchange. Part I: laboratory experimentModification of turbulence at the air-sea interface due to the presence of surfactants and implications for gas exchange. Part II: numerical simulationsWind-dependence of DMS transfer velocity: Comparison of model with recent southern ocean observationsA laboratory study of the Schmidt number dependency of air-water gas transferOn transitions in the Schmidt number dependency of low solubility gas transfer across air-water interfacesAn autonomous self-orienting catamaran (SOCa) for measuring air-water fluxes and forcingThe 2009 SOPRAN active thermography pilot experiment in the Baltic SeaObservations of air-sea exchange of N2 and O2 during the passage of Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf of Mexico during 2008The effect of high wind Bora events on water pCO2 and CO2 exchange in the coastal Northern AdriaticSeasonal sea-surface CO2 fugacity in the north-eastern shelf of the Gulf of Cádiz (southwest Iberian Peninsula)Including mixed layer convection when determining air-sea CO2 transfer velocityAir-sea carbon dioxide exchange during upwellingImpact of small-scale variability on air-sea CO2 fluxesThe effect of wind variability on the air-sea CO2 gas flux estimationFuture global mapping of air-sea CO2 flux by using wind and wind-wave distribution of CMIP3 multi-model ensembleA Rumsfeldian analysis of uncertainty in air-sea gas exchangeAccurate measurement of air-sea CO2 flux with open-path Eddy-CovarianceCombined Visualization of wind waves and water surface temperatureMicroscopic sensors for oxygen measurement at air-water interfaces and sediment biofilmsDamping of humidity fluctuations in a closed-path systemImproved Optical Instrument for the Measurement of Water Wave Statistics in the FieldFriction Velocity from Active Thermography and Shape AnalysisEvaporation mitigation by storage in rock and sandDevelopment of oil-spill simulation system based on the global ocean-atmosphere modelStructure variation dependence of tropical squall line on the tracer advection scheme in cloud-resolving modelHigh-resolution simulations for turbulent clouds developing over the oceAuthor Inde

Role of Biofilms in Bioprocesses: A Framework for Multidimensional IBM Modelling of Heterogeneous Biofilms

During the past few decades, biofilm formation by a variety of microbial strains has attracted much attention, mainly in the medical and industrial settings due to their high resistance to antibiotics. However, environmental scientists and biochemical engineers have realized the importance of biofilm growth dynamics and their biocatalytic activity. For instance, the ability to forecast and control microbial communities has led to enhance biogas production and a better characterization of biofilm importance in wastewater treatment systems. Thus, understanding the fundamental processes contributing to biofilm growth is useful to anyone involved with natural or industrial settings where biofilms may play a significant role in determining variables such as bulk water quality, toxic compound biodegradation or product quality. Investigation of individual microcolonies within a biofilm using powerful microscopic tools has fueled the creation of biofilm models that reproduce biofilm growth dynamics and interactions. Mathematical frameworks that describe heterogeneous bacterial biofilms formation have greatly contributed to our understanding of physiochemical and biological principles of biofilm spreading dynamics. A clear understanding of heterogeneities at the local scale may be vital to solving the riddle of the complex nature of microbial communities, which is crucial to improve the performance, robustness and stability of biofilm-associated bioprocess