An Experimental Evaluation of the Weathering Effects on Mine Shaft Lining Materials

Many shaft collapses are related to the deterioration and failure of the masonry shaft lining materials. In modern mine shaft, concrete is widely used to provide support. To analyse shafts stability, the properties of the lining need to be well defined. The behaviour of masonry and concrete can be considerably affected by long-term exposure to harsh mine water. This paper presents a study which focuses on the weathering effects of mine water on lining materials (brick, mortar, and concrete). To reproduce the weathering process, samples were placed into solutions of potable water, artificial mine water, and a more aggressive mine-water solution for just less than one year. Four phases of laboratory tests were conducted throughout the time period to assess the degradation of mechanical properties of the lining materials. Particular attention is given to the degradation of material strength and stiffness. Results indicate that the harsh acidic mine water has pronounced detrimental effects on the strength and stiffness of mortar. The weathering process is shown to have the most significant effect on the stiffness of concrete and mortar. It is also shown that the use of mass loss as an index for evaluation of mechanical properties may not be appropriate

Th gme 10: A numerical model to capture the geotechnical response to coal combustion at an underground coal gasification site

A detailed numerical modelling study was carried out to represent geotechnical aspects of the Wieczorek underground coal gasification (UCG) site in Poland. A coupled thermos-mechanical numerical model was created to represent a single coal burning panel. The coal burning proceb was simulated by modifying the energy balance equation with an additional term related to the calorific value of coal as a source. Temperature dependent material properties were abigned to the coupled thermal-mechanical model according to published data. In the model, the burning zone spread about 7.5m laterally after 20 days of burning. Results from the coupled model were used to gauge a worst-case scenario in terms of the potential size of a formed cavity. This data was used within a leb computationally expensive mechanicalonly numerical model in order to evaluate the ground subsidence caused by the worst-case scenario for single and multiple UCG burning panels. The single panel burning resulted in 23mm of ground subsidence at the top of the model after long term coal burning. The ground subsidence measured at the top of the model, at the center point of the gasification arrangement, was approximately 72mm when five panels were burnt with an edge to edge panel distance of 5m; this was increased to 85mm for seven panels. The numerical modelling results have implications to the industrial application of UCG

Risk-based inspection as a cost-effective strategy to reduce human exposure to cysticerci of Taenia saginata in low-prevalence settings

Taenia saginata cysticercus is the larval stage of the zoonotic parasite Taenia saginata, with a life-cycle involving both cattle and humans. The public health impact is considered low. The current surveillance system, based on post-mortem inspection of carcasses has low sensitivity and leads to considerable economic burden. Therefore, in the interests of public health and food production efficiency, this study aims to explore the potential of risk-based and cost-effective meat inspection activities for the detection and control of T. saginata cysticercus in low prevalence settings

The Seroepidemiology of Haemophilus influenzae Type B Prior to Introduction of an Immunization Programme in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is now recognized as an important pathogen in Asia. To evaluate disease susceptibility, and as a marker of Hib transmission before routine immunization was introduced in Kathmandu, 71 participants aged 7 months-77 years were recruited and 15 cord blood samples were collected for analysis of anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate antibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Only 20% of children under 5 years old had levels considered protective (>0.15 µg/ml), rising to 83% of 15-54 year-olds. Prior to introduction of Hib vaccine in Kathmandu, the majority of young children were susceptible to disease

CD161 contributes to prenatal immune suppression of IFNγ-producing PLZF^{+} T cells

BACKGROUND: While the human fetal immune system defaults to a program of tolerance, there is a concurrent need for protective immunity to meet the antigenic challenges encountered after birth. Activation of T cells in utero is associated with the fetal inflammatory response, with broad implications for the health of the fetus and of the pregnancy. However, the characteristics of the fetal effector T cells that contribute to this process are largely unknown. METHODS: We analyzed primary human fetal lymphoid and mucosal tissues and performed phenotypic, functional, and transcriptional analysis to identify T cells with proinflammatory potential. The frequency and function of fetal-specific effector T cells was assessed in the cord blood of infants with localized and systemic inflammatory pathologies and compared with that of healthy term controls. RESULTS: We identified a transcriptionally distinct population of CD4^{+} T cells characterized by expression of the transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF). PLZF^{+}CD4^{+} T cells were specifically enriched in the fetal intestine, possessed an effector memory phenotype, and rapidly produced proinflammatory cytokines. Engagement of the C-type lectin CD161 on these cells inhibited TCR-dependent production of IFN-γ in a fetal-specific manner. IFN-γ–producing PLZF^{+}CD4^{+} T cells were enriched in the cord blood of infants with gastroschisis, a natural model of chronic inflammation originating from the intestine, as well as in preterm birth, suggesting these cells contribute to fetal systemic immune activation. CONCLUSION: Our work reveals a fetal-specific program of protective immunity whose dysregulation is associated with fetal and neonatal inflammatory pathologies. FUNDING: This work was supported by the UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Pilot Award for Basic and Translational Investigators (2014908), UCSF (K12HD072222), the NIAID (K08 AI128007 and 1F31AI136336-01), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (1650113 ), and an Academy for Medical Sciences Clinical Lecturer grant (535274)

Budesonide foam versus budesonide enema in active ulcerative proctitis and proctosigmoiditis

Background: Rectal budesonide is an effective treatment of active ulcerative proctitis or proctosigmoiditis. Aim: To compare the therapeutic efficacy, tolerability and safety, and patient's preference of budesonide foam vs. budesonide enema. Methods: Patients with active ulcerative proctitis or proctosigmoiditis (clinical activity index >4 and endoscopic index ≥4) were eligible for this double-blind, double-dummy, randomized, multicentre study. They received 2 mg/25 mL budesonide foam and placebo enema (n = 265), or 2 mg/100 mL budesonide enema and placebo foam (n = 268) for 4 weeks. Primary endpoint was clinical remission (clinical activity index ≤4) at the final/withdrawal visit (per protocol). Results: A total of 541 patients were randomized - 533 were evaluable for intention-to-treat analysis and 449 for per protocol analysis. Clinical remission rates (per protocol) were 60% for budesonide foam and 66% for budesonide enema (P = 0.02362 for non-inferiority of foam vs. enema within a predefined non-inferiority margin of 15%). Both formulations were safe and no drug-related serious adverse events were observed. Because of better tolerability and easier application most patients preferred foam (84%). Conclusion: Budesonide foam is as effective as budesonide enema in the treatment of active ulcerative proctitis or proctosigmoiditis. Both budesonide formulations are safe, and most patients prefer foam.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Favourable antibody responses to human coronaviruses in children and adolescents with autoimmune rheumatic diseases

Background: Differences in humoral immunity to coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), between children and adults remain unexplained and the impact of underlying immune dysfunction or suppression unknown. Here, we sought to examine the antibody immune competence of children and adolescents with prevalent inflammatory rheumatic diseases, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), against the seasonal human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43 that frequently infects this age group. // Methods: Sera were collected from JIA (n=118), JDM (n=49) and JSLE (n=30) patients, and from healthy control (n=54) children and adolescents, prior to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. We employed sensitive flow cytometry-based assays to determine titres of antibodies that reacted with the spike and nucleoprotein of HCoV-OC43 and cross-reacted with the spike and nucleoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, and compared with respective titres in sera from patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents (MIS-C). // Findings: Despite immune dysfunction and immunosuppressive treatment, JIA, JDM and JSLE patients maintained comparable or stronger humoral responses than healthier peers, dominated by IgG antibodies to HCoV-OC43 spike, and harboured IgG antibodies that cross-reacted with SARS-CoV-2 spike. In contrast, responses to HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 nucleoproteins exhibited delayed age-dependent class-switching and were not elevated in JIA, JDM and JSLE patients, arguing against increased exposure. // Conclusions: Consequently, autoimmune rheumatic diseases and their treatment were associated with a favourable ratio of spike to nucleoprotein antibodies

Histological heterogeneity in a large clinical cohort of juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: analysis by myositis autoantibody and pathological features

AIM: Juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) have been recently reclassified into clinico-serological subgroups. Myopathological correlates of the subgroups are incompletely understood. METHODS: We studied muscle biopsies from 101 children with clinically and serologically-defined juvenile IIM from the UK JDM Cohort and Biomarker Study by applying the international JDM score tool, myopathological review, and C5b-9 complement analysis. RESULTS: Autoantibody data were available for 90/101 cases with 18/90 cases positive for anti-TIF1γ, 15/90 anti-NXP2, 11/90 anti-MDA5, 5/90 anti-Mi2, and 6/90 anti-PmScl. JDM biopsy severity scores were consistently low in the anti-MDA5 group, high in the anti-Mi2 group, and widely distributed in the other groups. Biopsies were classified histologically as perifascicular atrophy (22/101), macrophage-rich necrosis (6/101), scattered necrosis (2/101), clustered necrosis (2/101), inflammatory fibre invasion (2/101), chronic myopathic change (1/101), diffuse endomysial macrophage infiltrates (40/101), and minimal change (24/101). MDA5 cases segregated with the minimal change group and showed no capillary C5b-9-deposition. The Mi2 group displayed high severity scores and a tendency towards sarcolemmal complement deposition. NXP2 and TIF1γ groups showed a variety of pathologies with a high proportion of diffuse endomysial macrophage infiltrates and a high proportion of capillary C5b-9 deposition. CONCLUSION: We have shown that juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies have a spectrum of histopathological phenotypes and show distinct complement attack complex deposition patterns. Both correlate in some cases with the serological subtypes. Most cases do not show typical histological features associated with dermatomyositis (e.g. perifascicular atrophy). In contrast, more than half show relatively mild histopathological changes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Social network analysis shows direct evidence for social transmission of tool use in wild chimpanzees

The authors are grateful to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland for providing core funding for the Budongo Conservation Field Station. The fieldwork of CH was funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the Lucie Burgers Stichting, and the British Academy. TP was funded by the Canadian Research Chair in Continental Ecosystem Ecology, and received computational support from the Theoretical Ecosystem Ecology group at UQAR. The research leading to these results has received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) and from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) REA grant agreement n°329197 awarded to TG, ERC grant agreement n° 283871 awarded to KZ. WH was funded by a BBSRC grant (BB/I007997/1).Social network analysis methods have made it possible to test whether novel behaviors in animals spread through individual or social learning. To date, however, social network analysis of wild populations has been limited to static models that cannot precisely reflect the dynamics of learning, for instance, the impact of multiple observations across time. Here, we present a novel dynamic version of network analysis that is capable of capturing temporal aspects of acquisition-that is, how successive observations by an individual influence its acquisition of the novel behavior. We apply this model to studying the spread of two novel tool-use variants, "moss-sponging'' and "leaf-sponge re-use,'' in the Sonso chimpanzee community of Budongo Forest, Uganda. Chimpanzees are widely considered the most "cultural'' of all animal species, with 39 behaviors suspected as socially acquired, most of them in the domain of tool-use. The cultural hypothesis is supported by experimental data from captive chimpanzees and a range of observational data. However, for wild groups, there is still no direct experimental evidence for social learning, nor has there been any direct observation of social diffusion of behavioral innovations. Here, we tested both a static and a dynamic network model and found strong evidence that diffusion patterns of moss-sponging, but not leaf-sponge re-use, were significantly better explained by social than individual learning. The most conservative estimate of social transmission accounted for 85% of observed events, with an estimated 15-fold increase in learning rate for each time a novice observed an informed individual moss-sponging. We conclude that group-specific behavioral variants in wild chimpanzees can be socially learned, adding to the evidence that this prerequisite for culture originated in a common ancestor of great apes and humans, long before the advent of modern humans.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Framework, principles and recommendations for utilising participatory methodologies in the co-creation and evaluation of public health interventions

Background: Due to the chronic disease burden on society, there is a need for preventive public health interventions to stimulate society towards a healthier lifestyle. To deal with the complex variability between individual lifestyles and settings, collaborating with end-users to develop interventions tailored to their unique circumstances has been suggested as a potential way to improve effectiveness and adherence. Co-creation of public health interventions using participatory methodologies has shown promise but lacks a framework to make this process systematic. The aim of this paper was to identify and set key principles and recommendations for systematically applying participatory methodologies to co-create and evaluate public health interventions. Methods: These principles and recommendations were derived using an iterative reflection process, combining key learning from published literature in addition to critical reflection on three case studies conducted by research groups in three European institutions, all of whom have expertise in co-creating public health interventions using different participatory methodologies. Results: Key principles and recommendations for using participatory methodologies in public health intervention co-creation are presented for the stages of: Planning (framing the aim of the study and identifying the appropriate sampling strategy); Conducting (defining the procedure, in addition to manifesting ownership); Evaluating (the process and the effectiveness) and Reporting (providing guidelines to report the findings). Three scaling models are proposed to demonstrate how to scale locally developed interventions to a population level. Conclusions: These recommendations aim to facilitate public health intervention co-creation and evaluation utilising participatory methodologies by ensuring the process is systematic and reproducible