The Chemical Origins of Plasma Contraction and Thermalization in CO2 Microwave Discharges

Thermalization of electron and gas temperature in CO2 microwave plasma is unveiled with the first Thomson scattering measurements. The results contradict the prevalent picture of an increasing electron temperature that causes discharge contraction. It is known that as pressure increases, the radial extension of the plasma reduces from ∼7 mm diameter at 100 mbar to ∼2 mm at 400 mbar. We find that, simultaneously, the initial nonequilibrium between ∼2 eV electron and ∼0.5 eV gas temperature reduces until thermalization occurs at 0.6 eV. 1D fluid modeling, with excellent agreement with measurements, demonstrates that associative ionization of radicals, a mechanism previously proposed for air plasma, causes the thermalization. In effect, heavy particle and heat transport and thermal chemistry govern electron dynamics, a conclusion that provides a basis for ab initio prediction of power concentration in plasma reactors

Babies With Brain Damage Who Can Not Swallow: Surgical Management

Background: Neonates with severe neurological impairment are often unable to swallow, necessitating gastrostomy for feeding. Because of the risk of developing severe reflux, this procedure is often associated with fundoplication. Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of gastrostomy and Nissen fundoplication in 22 neonates with swallowing difficulties due to serious neurological impairment. Method: All children underwent an initial period of nasogastric feeding and after informed consent underwent gastrostomy and Nissen fundoplication. Results: There were no significant intraoperative complications. There were two cases of postoperative periostomy leakage. Of the 22 neonates 16 were alive four months after surgery. Six neonates died of complications due to underlying disease. Conclusion: We concluded that gastrostomy and Nissen fundoplication are safe procedures and help parents give a better care to these children.663 B641645Rogers, B.T., Arvedson, J., Msall, M., Demerath, R.R., Hypoxemia during oral feeding of children with severe cerebral palsy (1993) Dev Med Child Neurol, 35, pp. 3-10Coben, R.M., Weintraub, A., DiMarino Jr, A.J., Cohen, S., Gastroesophageal reflux during gastrostomy feeding (1994) Gastroenterology, 106, pp. 13-18Martinez, D.A., Ginn-Pease, M.E., Caniano, D.A., Sequelae of antireflux surgery in profoundly disabled children (1992) J Pediatr Surg, 27, pp. 267-273Ramachandran, V., Ashcraft, K.W., Sharp, R.J., Thal fundoplication in neurologically impaired children (1996) J Pediatr Surg, 31, pp. 819-822Mollitt, D.L., Golladay, E.S., Seibert, J.J., Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux following gastrostomy in neurologically impaired patients (1985) Pediatrics, 75, pp. 1124-1126O'Neill, J.K., O'Neill, P.J., Goth-Owens, T., Horn, B., Cobb, L.M., Care-giver evaluation of anti-gastroesophageal reflux procedures in neurologically impaired children: What is the real-life outcome? (1996) J Pediatr Surg, 31, pp. 375-380Fonkalsrud, E.W., Ashcraft, K.W., Coran, A.G., Surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux in children: A combined hospital study of 7467 patients (1998) Pediatrics, 101, pp. 419-422Guidelines for surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (1998) Surg Endosc, 12, pp. 186-188. , Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons SAGEsSachs, G., The safety of omeprazole. True or false? (1994) Gastroenterology, 106, pp. 1400-1401Gunasekaran, T.S., Hassall, E., Efficacy and safety of omeprazole for severe gastroesophageal reflux in children (1993) J Pediatr, 123, pp. 148-154Crombleholme, T.M., D'Alton, M., Cendron, M., Prenatal diagnosis and the pediatric surgeon: The impact of prenatal consultation on perinatal management (1996) J Pediatr Surg, 31, pp. 156-163Guzzetta, F., Mercuri, E., Spano, M., Mechanisms and evolution of the brain damage in neonatal post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (1995) Childs Nerv Syst, 11, pp. 293-296Detoledo, J., Icovinno, J., Haddad, H., Swallowing difficulties and early CNS injuries: Correlation with the presence of axial skeletal deformities (1994) Brain Inj, 8, pp. 607-611Fuloria, M., Hiatt, D., Dillard, R.G., O'Shea, T.M., Gastroesophageal reflux in very low birth weight infants: Association with chronic lung disease and outcomes through 1 year of age (2000) J Perinatol, 20, pp. 235-239Volpe, J.J., Neonatal intracranial hemorrhage. Pathophysiology, neuropathology, and clinical features (1997) Clin Perinatol, 4, pp. 77-102Thompson, W.R., Hicks, B.A., PCJr, G., Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in the infant (1996) J Laparoendosc Surg, (SUPPL. 1), pp. S5-S7Mims, J., Crisham, P., Health care management of children with cognitive and physical disabilities: To treat or not to treat (1996) J Neurosci Nurs, 28, pp. 238-251Hutson, J.M., Myers, N.A., The relationship between ethics and phronesis (1999) Pediatr Surg Int, 15, pp. 320-322Esposito, C., Montupet, P., Reinberg, O., Laparoscopic surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease during the first year of life (2001) J Pediatr Surg, 36, pp. 715-717Smith, C.D., Othersen Jr, H.B., Gogan, N.J., Walker, J.D., Nissen fundoplication in children with profound neurologic disability (1992) High risks and unmet goals. Ann Surg, 215, pp. 654-659Hanimann, B., Sacher, P., Stauffer, U.G., Complications and long-term results of the Nissen fundoplication (1993) Eur J Pediatr Surg, 3, pp. 12-14Bordewick, A.J., Bildner, J.I., Burd, R.S., An effective approach for preventing and treating gastrostomy tube complications in newborns (2001) Neonatal Netw, 20, pp. 37-40St. Cyr, J.A., Ferrara, T.B., Thompson, T.R., Johnson, D.E., Foker, J.E., Nissen fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux in infants (1986) J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 92, pp. 661-666Fonkalsrud, E.W., Bustorff-Silva, J., Perez, C.A., Quintero, R., Martin, L., Atkinson, J.B., Antireflux surgery in children under 3 months of age (1999) J Pediatr Surg, 34, pp. 527-531Quigley, E.M., Factors that influence therapeutic outcomes in symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (2003) Am J Gastroenterol, 98, pp. S24-S30Schatzlein, M.H., Ballantine, T.V., Thirunavukkarasu, S., Fitzgerald, J.F., Grosfeld, J.L., Gastroesophageal reflux in infants and children: Diagnosis and management (1979) Arch Surg, 114, pp. 505-510Wheatley, M.J., Wesley, J.R., Tkach, D.M., Coran, A.G., Long-term follow-up of brain-damaged children requiring feeding gastrostomy: Should an antireflux procedure always be performed? (1991) J Pediatr Surg, 26, pp. 301-304Martinez, D.A., Ginn-Pease, M.E., Caniano, D.A., Recognition of nrecurrent gastroesophageal reflux following antireflux surgery in the neurologically disabled child: High index of suspicion and definitive evaluation (1992) J Pediatr Surg, 27, pp. 983-990Campbell, N., Case selection (1991) Oesophageal atresia, pp. 287-301. , Beasley SW, Myers NA, Auldist AW Eds, Chapman & Hall: LondonSkene, L., Legal issues in treating critically ill newborn infants (1993) Cambridge Quart Healthcare Ethics, 2, pp. 295-30

‘CIP BRS Nuti’: A New Orange Flesh Sweetpotato Cultivar

The number of registered sweetpotato cultivars in Brazil is limited and they are mostly white-fleshed cultivars (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, 2021). ‘CIP BRS Nuti’ (CIP 106902.1) sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) was developed by the International Potato Center (CIP) in Peru by controlled crossing between the elite orange flesh sweetpotato (OFSP) clone (CIP101048.1) and the advanced OFSP clone (CIP194583.2). This clone will be released by Embrapa as a cultivar for Brazil, after being selected from among 80 clones imported from CIP. ‘CIP BRS Nuti’ is an OFSP with a mean commercial root yield of 35 t⋅ha−1 across 12 Brazilian site locations. The new cultivar presents resistance to Meloidogyne incognita, Meloidogyne javanica and Meloidogyne enterolobii root knot nematodes and a vigorous foliage that enables rapid establishment of the crop in comparison with the Beauregard cultivar (Rolston et al., 1987), which is the most cultivated OFSP in Brazil

The Chemical Origins of Plasma Contraction and Thermalization in CO2 Microwave Discharges

Thermalization of electron and gas temperature in CO2 microwave plasma is unveiled with the first Thomson scattering measurements. The results contradict the prevalent picture of an increasing electron temperature that causes discharge contraction. It is known that as pressure increases, the radial extension of the plasma reduces from similar to 7 mm diameter at 100 mbar to similar to 2 mm at 400 mbar. We find that, simultaneously, the initial nonequilibrium between similar to 2 eV electron and similar to 0.5 eV gas temperature reduces until thermalization occurs at 0.6 eV. 1D fluid modeling, with excellent agreement with measurements, demonstrates that associative ionization of radicals, a mechanism previously proposed for air plasma, causes the thermalization. In effect, heavy particle and heat transport and thermal chemistry govern electron dynamics, a conclusion that provides a basis for ab initio prediction of power concentration in plasma reactors

Forage yield and nutritive value of Tanzania grass under nitrogen supplies and plant densities

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the nitrogen and plant density influence on the yield, forage dissection and nutritive value of Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.). The design was of completely randomized blocks with three replications in a factorial arrangement with four nitrogen levels (0, 80, 160 or 320 kg/ha N) and three plant densities (9, 25 or 49 plants/m²). The plots were cut at 25 cm from soil level when the canopy reached 95% of light interception. The total dry matter forage yield and dry matter forage yield per harvest increased linearly with the nitrogen fertilization. The leaf and stem yield had the same response. The senesced forage yield was quadratically influenced by the nitrogen. The stems ratio in the morphologic composition was high in the high nitrogen levels and in the low plant densities. The leaf:stem ratio showed high values in this trial, but it was increased in plots without nitrogen and high plant density. The pre-grazing height was reduced with the increase in plant density. The nutritive value was favored by the nitrogen fertilization, which increased the crude protein level and reduced neutral detergent fiber and lignin. These factors increased the leaf and stem in vitro digestibility of organic matter. Nitrogen fertilization increases the forage yield of Tanzania grass under rotational grazing. After the establishment, plant density has little influence on the Tanzania grass yield and its forage dissection. The harvest with 95% light interception improves the structure and nutritive value of Tanzania grass pastures