Nutrition in necrotizing enterocolitis and following intestinal resection

This review aims to discuss the role of nutrition and feeding practices in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), NEC prevention, and its complications, including surgical treatment. A thorough PubMed search was performed with a focus on meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials when available. There are several variables in nutrition and the feeding of preterm infants with the intention of preventing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Starting feeds later rather than earlier, advancing feeds slowly and continuous feeds have not been shown to prevent NEC and breast milk remains the only effective prevention strategy. The lack of medical treatment options for NEC often leads to disease progression requiring surgical resection. Following resection, intestinal adaptation occurs, during which villi lengthen and crypts deepen to increase the functional capacity of remaining bowel. The effect of macronutrients on intestinal adaptation has been extensively studied in animal models. Clinically, the length and portion of intestine that is resected may lead to patients requiring parenteral nutrition, which is also reviewed here. There remain significant gaps in knowledge surrounding many of the nutritional aspects of NEC and more research is needed to determine optimal feeding approaches to prevent NEC, particularly in infants younger than 28 weeks and \u3c1000 grams. Additional research is also needed to identify biomarkers reflecting intestinal recovery following NEC diagnosis individualize when feedings should be safely resumed for each patient

Drop impact upon micro- and nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces

We experimentally investigate drop impact dynamics onto different superhydrophobic surfaces, consisting of regular polymeric micropatterns and rough carbon nanofibers, with similar static contact angles. The main control parameters are the Weber number \We and the roughness of the surface. At small \We, i.e. small impact velocity, the impact evolutions are similar for both types of substrates, exhibiting Fakir state, complete bouncing, partial rebouncing, trapping of an air bubble, jetting, and sticky vibrating water balls. At large \We, splashing impacts emerge forming several satellite droplets, which are more pronounced for the multiscale rough carbon nanofiber jungles. The results imply that the multiscale surface roughness at nanoscale plays a minor role in the impact events for small \We \apprle 120 but an important one for large \We \apprge 120. Finally, we find the effect of ambient air pressure to be negligible in the explored parameter regime \We \apprle 150Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

A Human Development Framework for CO2 Reductions

Although developing countries are called to participate in CO2 emission reduction efforts to avoid dangerous climate change, the implications of proposed reduction schemes in human development standards of developing countries remain a matter of debate. We show the existence of a positive and time-dependent correlation between the Human Development Index (HDI) and per capita CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Employing this empirical relation, extrapolating the HDI, and using three population scenarios, the cumulative CO2 emissions necessary for developing countries to achieve particular HDI thresholds are assessed following a Development As Usual approach (DAU). If current demographic and development trends are maintained, we estimate that by 2050 around 85% of the world's population will live in countries with high HDI (above 0.8). In particular, 300Gt of cumulative CO2 emissions between 2000 and 2050 are estimated to be necessary for the development of 104 developing countries in the year 2000. This value represents between 20% to 30% of previously calculated CO2 budgets limiting global warming to 2{\deg}C. These constraints and results are incorporated into a CO2 reduction framework involving four domains of climate action for individual countries. The framework reserves a fair emission path for developing countries to proceed with their development by indexing country-dependent reduction rates proportional to the HDI in order to preserve the 2{\deg}C target after a particular development threshold is reached. Under this approach, global cumulative emissions by 2050 are estimated to range from 850 up to 1100Gt of CO2. These values are within the uncertainty range of emissions to limit global temperatures to 2{\deg}C.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

A Gauge Invariant Unitary Theory for Pion Photoproduction

A covariant, unitary and gauge invariant theory for pion photoproduction on a single nucleon is presented. To achieve gauge invariance at the operator level one needs to include both the $\pi N$ and $\gamma\pi N$ thresholds. The final amplitude can be written in terms of a distorted wave in the final $\pi N$ channel provided one includes additional diagrams to the standard Born term in which the photon is coupled to the final state pion and nucleon. These additional diagrams are required in order to satisfy gauge invariance.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX, 1 figure as a separate uuencoded compressed tar fil

Model of the Quark Mixing Matrix

The structure of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix is analyzed from the standpoint of a composite model. A model is constructed with three families of quarks, by taking tensor products of sufficient numbers of spin-1/2 representations and imagining the dominant terms in the mass matrix to arise from spin-spin interactions. Generic results then obtained include the familiar relation $|V_{us}| = (m_d/m_s)^{1/2} - (m_u/m_c)^{1/2}$, and a less frequently seen relation $|V_{cb}| = \sqrt{2} [(m_s/m_b) - (m_c/m_t)]$. The magnitudes of $V_{ub}$ and $V_{td}$ come out naturally to be of the right order. The phase in the CKM matrix can be put in by hand, but its origin remains obscure.Comment: Presented by Mihir P. Worah at DPF 92 Meeting, Fermilab, November, 1992. 3 pages, LaTeX fil

Muon Physics: A Pillar of the Standard Model

Since its discovery in the 1930s, the muon has played an important role in our quest to understand the sub-atomic theory of matter. The muon was the first second-generation standard-model particle to be discovered, and its decay has provided information on the (Vector -Axial Vector) structure of the weak interaction, the strength of the weak interaction, G_F, and the conservation of lepton number (flavor) in muon decay. The muon's anomalous magnetic moment has played an important role in restricting theories of physics beyond the standard standard model, where at present there is a 3.4 standard-deviation difference between the experiment and standard-model theory. Its capture on the atomic nucleus has provided valuable information on the modification of the weak current by the strong interaction which is complementary to that obtained from nuclear beta decay.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures. Invited paper for the Journal of Physical Society in Japan (JPSJ), Special Topics Issue "Frontiers of Elementary Particle Physics, The Standard Model and beyond

Characterization of rumen microbiota in lactating Holstein cows fed molasses versus corn grain at two levels of rumen-degradable protein

We evaluated the influence of diets differing in non-fiber carbohydrates and rumen-degradable protein (RDP) levels on changes in the ruminal bacterial populations in lactating Holstein cows. In all, 12 ruminally cannulated cows were assigned to diets with high or low RDP levels. Within each RDP level, molasses was substituted for corn grain at a concentration of 0%, 5.25%, or 10.5% of diet dry matter in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 28-day periods. Liquid and solid rumen digesta fractions collected at the end of each period underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify operational taxonomic units and were analyzed for short-chain fatty acids. Protein degradability affected 6 bacterial genera, whereas carbohydrate alteration impacted 13 genera (p < 0.05). Of the 30 genera with the highest relative abundance, 26 differed by digesta fraction (p < 0.05), with Bacteroidetes genera showing a greater abundance in solids and Firmicutes genera demonstrating a greater prevalence in liquids. Regarding relative abundances, with increasing molasses, Succiniclasticum decreased in liquid (p < 0.05), and CF231, YRC22, Clostridium, Desulfovibrio, BF311, and Oscillospira increased in solids (p < 0.05). In contrast, at higher RDP levels, Succiniclasticum increased while YRC22 and Pseudobutyrivibrio decreased in solids (p < 0.05). Genera with abundances found to be correlated with fermentation products in the liquid included Shuttleworthia, Treponema, Lachnospira, and Schwartzia, which typically have lower relative abundances, showing strong positive correlations with molar proportions (mol%) of propionate, butyrate, and valerate (p < 0.05), and negative correlations with pH and acetate mol% (p < 0.05). Fibrobacter was positively correlated with lactate mol% (p < 0.05). Butyrate mol% exhibited a quadratic increase as molasses increased (p = 0.017), and lactate mol% rose with increased RDP levels (p = 0.042). No treatment effects were detected for pH propionate and valerate mol%; however, we observed a tendency (p = 0.075) for a quadratic effect of molasses treatment on the mol% of acetate. These findings substantiate the pivotal role of diet in shaping rumen microbiota and metabolism, elucidating a nuanced relationship between dietary components, bacterial community structure, and metabolic output. This offers a more detailed understanding of rumen function and the potential for high-precision dietary management in lactating cows

Lattice Boltzmann simulations in microfluidics: probing the no-slip boundary condition in hydrophobic, rough, and surface nanobubble laden microchannels

In this contribution we review recent efforts on investigations of the effect of (apparent) boundary slip by utilizing lattice Boltzmann simulations. We demonstrate the applicability of the method to treat fundamental questions in microfluidics by investigating fluid flow in hydrophobic and rough microchannels as well as over surfaces covered by nano- or microscale gas bubbles.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Energy performance contracting (EPC): a suitable mechanism for achieving energy savings in housing cooperatives? Results from a Norwegian pilot project

The barriers to energy savings in institutions and private homes are well known and include people’s lack of interest, awareness, knowledge and human and financial capacity. Experiences made in several countries show that EPC—energy performance contracting—may be used for overcoming many of these barriers. A typical EPC project is delivered by an energy service company (ESCO) and the contract is accompanied with a guarantee for energy savings. EPC is increasingly taken in use in the professional market (firms and the public sector), but is less common in the residential sector market. It has been suggested that there are several barriers for using EPC in the domestic sector such as the uncertainty involved in estimating forthcoming reductions in private consumption. In this paper, we present the results from a pilot project on the use of EPC in a housing cooperative in Oslo. The project was initiated and observed by the researchers. The research followed a transdisciplinary methodology in that it was conducted by both researcher and practitioner (co-authors) in close collaboration with members of the housing cooperative and the ESCOs, who also contributed to the interpretation of results. We document the process in terms of why the Board decided to join the EPC pilot, the call for offers from ESCOs who guaranteed that purchased annual energy would be reduced by one third, the responses to and negotiations of the offer from the ESCO who became contracted in the initial phase and up to the moment when the General Assembly finally decided to not invest in the proposed energy saving measures. We find that the residents not only had limited interest in energy savings but also lacked confidence in the EPC process. This contributed to the outcome. We discuss the findings in relation to the barriers to using EPC among housing cooperatives. We highlight the need for more knowledge about the client side for understanding how barriers may be overcome. Three specific recommendations for how EPC may successfully be employed among housing cooperatives are suggested as follows: (i) include refurbishment and not only energy savings in the EPC, (ii) identify the residents’ needs in an early phase and (iii) communicate the EPC principle to the residents throughout the process