Advanced Machine Learning Techniques for Corrosion Rate Estimation and Prediction in Industrial Cooling Water Pipelines.

This paper presents the results of a study on data preprocessing and modeling for predicting corrosion in water pipelines of a steel industrial plant. The use case is a cooling circuit consisting of both direct and indirect cooling. In the direct cooling circuit, water comes into direct contact with the product, whereas in the indirect one, it does not. In this study, advanced machine learning techniques, such as extreme gradient boosting and deep neural networks, have been employed for two distinct applications. Firstly, a virtual sensor was created to estimate the corrosion rate based on influencing process variables, such as pH and temperature. Secondly, a predictive tool was designed to foresee the future evolution of the corrosion rate, considering past values of both influencing variables and the corrosion rate. The results show that the most suitable algorithm for the virtual sensor approach is the dense neural network, with MAPE values of (25 ± 4)% and (11 ± 4)% for the direct and indirect circuits, respectively. In contrast, different results are obtained for the two circuits when following the predictive tool approach. For the primary circuit, the convolutional neural network yields the best results, with MAPE = 4% on the testing set, whereas for the secondary circuit, the LSTM recurrent network shows the highest prediction accuracy, with MAPE = 9%. In general, models employing temporal windows have emerged as more suitable for corrosion prediction, with model performance significantly improving with a larger dataset.

Evaluating the impact of gypsum as a novel bedding material on broiler performance, foot pad health, and fear response.

Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) gypsum is a byproduct of the coal-fired power plant process commonly used to remove sulfur dioxide emissions from the flue gas. FGD gypsum has numerous industrial, agricultural, and environmental applications. This study aimed to explore a novel approach involving the use of FGD gypsum combined with different litter treatments as bedding for broiler production. It focused on performance metrics, including adjusted feed conversion ratio (AFCR) and average body weight (BW), foot pad dermatitis (FPD), and fear response over 5 consecutive flocks. A total of 1,800 one-day-old Ross 708 chicks were randomly assigned to 24 pens (75 birds/pen), divided into 6 treatment groups (4 pens/treatment), with 5 replications and raised until 42 d old (d). Treatments were gypsum that was decaked (D), rotovated (E), and rotovated then windrowed (F) between flocks. Control treatments using pine shavings were decaked (A), rotovated (B), and windrowed postrotovating (C). AFCR, average BW, and mortality were used as a measure of production. Foot pad dermatitis scores were taken on d42 using a scale of 0 (absence), 1 (mild), and 2 (severe). Response to observer and human approach test were used to measure fear response. Data were analyzed as a 2-way ANOVA (Proc Glimmix) for the main effects of bedding type and litter treatment. Means were identified using Tukey's HSD. No effect of bedding type or litter treatment was found for AFCR, BW, or mortality. FPD scores 2 and 1, were higher with pine shavings than gypsum (P = 0.01 and P = 0.01, respectively). While FPD scores 0 were higher for gypsum than the pine shaving (P = 0.01). No difference in fear response was found among birds raised on any of the gypsum litter treatments and any of the pine shaving litter treatments. Overall, the use of gypsum as bedding results in equivalent production and fear response to pine shavings, while increasing FPD quality when compared to pine shaving.

Buffering Capacity Comparison of Tris Phosphate Carbonate and Buffered Peptone Water Salmonella Pre-Enrichments for Manufactured Feed and Feed Ingredients.

Various culture-based methods to detect Salmonella in animal feed have been developed due to the impact of this bacterium on public and animal health. For this project, tris phosphate carbonate (TPC) and buffered peptone water (BPW) buffering capacities were compared as pre-enrichment mediums for the detection of Salmonella in feed ingredients. A total of 269 samples were collected from 6 feed mills and mixed with the pre-enrichments; pH was measured before and after a 24 h incubation. Differences were observed when comparing pH values by sample type; DDGS and poultry by-product meal presented lower initial pH values for TPC and BPW compared to the other samples. For both TPC and BPW, meat and bone meal presented higher final pH values, while soybean meal and peanut meal had lower final pH values. Furthermore, for BPW, post cooling, pellet loadout, and wheat middlings reported lower final pH values. Additionally, most feed ingredients presented significant differences in pH change after 24 h of incubation, except DDGS. From meat and bone meal samples, four Salmonella isolates were recovered and identified: three using BPW and one using TPC. TPC provided greater buffer capacity towards neutral pH compared to BPW, but BPW was more effective at recovering Salmonella.

Effect of translucency and eggshell color on broiler breeder egg hatchability and hatch chick weight.

A successful hatch has a considerable economic impact on all poultry companies. The aim of the current study was to describe the possible effects of shell translucency (T score) and coloration lightness (L* value) on shell thickness, hatchability, and chick weight. A total of 4,320 eggs from 4 commercial Ross 708 breeder flocks (50-55-wk old) were used. Eggs were selected for T score and L* value. A 3-point subjective scoring system was used for T score (1 = low, 2 = medium, 3 = high), and an electronic colorimeter for L* value, sorting the eggs as light (avg. L* = 80.7) or dark (avg. L* = 76.0). Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (V9.4) and Tukey's HSD test was performed to separate means, a significant difference was considered when P ≤ 0.05. Results suggest that the color of the eggshell was related to the egg weight on the day of collection (P = 0.0056) and at transfer (P = 0.0211), in both cases dark eggs were 0.6 g heavier than light eggs. Dark eggs had a 3.8% increased hatchability of egg set (P = 0.0481) and yielded 6 µm thicker shells (P = 0.0019) when compared to light eggs. Regarding translucency, egg weight at transfer was 0.8 g heavier for T score 1 eggs compared to T score 3 (P = 0.0358). The translucency score of 1 had a 6.9% higher hatchability of eggs set (P = 0.0127) and 0.7 g heavier chick weight (P = 0.0385) compared to T score 3. However, T score 1 eggs had shells 28 µm thinner than the T score 2 and 34 µm thinner than T score 3 (P < 0.0001). An interaction effect was observed for eggshell thickness, L* value, and T score, where eggs classified as light with T score 1 had thinner eggshells compared to those that were dark with T score 3 (P = 0.0292). These results suggest that eggshell translucency and coloration lightness can be good noninvasive indicators of eggshell thickness, hatchability, and chick weight in broiler breeder flocks.

Factors Associated with COVID-19 Death in a High-Altitude Peruvian Setting during the First 14 Months of the Pandemic: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study in Hospitalized Patients.

Risk factors for COVID-19 death in high-altitude populations have been scarcely described. This study aimed to describe risk factors for COVID-19 death in three referral hospitals located at 3399 m in Cusco, Peru, during the first 14 months of the pandemic. A retrospective multicenter cohort study was conducted. A random sample of ~50% (1225/2674) of adult hospitalized patients who died between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021 was identified. Of those, 977 individuals met the definition of death by COVID-19. Demographic characteristics, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, invasive respiratory support (IRS), disease severity, comorbidities, and clinical manifestation at hospital admission were assessed as risk factors using Cox proportional-hazard models. In multivariable models adjusted by age, sex, and pandemic periods, critical disease (vs. moderate) was associated with a greater risk of death (aHR: 1.27; 95%CI: 1.14-1.142), whereas ICU admission (aHR: 0.39; 95%CI: 0.27-0.56), IRS (aHR: 0.37; 95%CI: 0.26-0.54), the ratio of oxygen saturation (ROX) index ≥ 5.3 (aHR: 0.87; 95%CI: 0.80-0.94), and the ratio of SatO2/FiO2 ≥ 122.6 (aHR: 0.96; 95%CI: 0.93-0.98) were associated with a lower risk of death. The risk factors described here may be useful in assisting decision making and resource allocation.

Effects of dietary yeast cell wall supplementation on growth performance, intestinal Campylobacter jejuni colonization, innate immune response, villus height, crypt depth, and slaughter characteristics of broiler chickens inoculated with Campylobacter jejuni at d 21.

A study was conducted to assess the effects of a dietary yeast cell wall (YCW) with and without a Campylobacter jejuni (CJ) challenge. A total of 2,240-day-old Ross 708 males were randomly assigned within 8 treatments with a 4 × 2 factorial design, with 4 diets (negative control, positive control, YCW constant dose (400 g/ton), and YCW step-down dose (800/400/200 g/ton in the starter/grower/finisher diets, respectively) and with and without d 21 CJ oral gavage challenge at 5.2 × 107 CFU/mL. At d 0, 14, 28, and 41 body weights and feed consumption were measured to determine performance. At d 14, 28, and 42, 8 jejunal and ileal histology samples per treatment were collected for villi morphology measurements. At d 22 and 28 (1- and 7-days postinoculation), 24 ileal tissue samples per treatment were collected for relative gene expression analysis. At d 42, 24 cecal content samples per treatment were collected for CJ enumeration. Finally, on d 44, 96 birds per treatment were processed to determine carcass yield and 16 carcass rinses per treatment were collected to determine CJ prevalence after processing. Diet or inoculation did not impact broiler performance (P > 0.05). Limited differences were observed in intestinal morphology, and villus height and crypt depth were different only in the ileum at d 42 (P = 0.0280 and P = 0.0162, respectively). At d 1 postinoculation, differences between treatments inoculated with CJ and PBS were observed in the expression of avian beta defensin 10 (AvBD10), interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), and interleukin 10 (IL-10) (P < 0.05). At d 7 postinoculation, expression of AvBD10, IL-1ß, and IL-10 was similar among all treatments (P > 0.05). At d 42, all birds, regardless the inoculation, had similar levels of CJ recovered from cecal contents (P > 0.05). After processing, carcass yield and CJ prevalence postchilling was similar in all treatments (P > 0.05). Overall, under the conditions of this study, the addition of YCW during a CJ challenge did not have an impact in growth performance, innate immune response, cecal colonization, carcass yield, or CJ prevalence after processing.

Effects of Common Litter Management Practices on the Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni in Broilers.

Campylobacter is an important foodborne pathogen and is naturally found in chickens. During broiler production, litter can become contaminated with Campylobacter when birds defecate, and this litter, in some countries, is typically reused for the next flock, potentially causing cross-contamination. The goal of this experiment was to observe if reusing contaminated litter could spread Campylobacter between flocks and to observe if common litter treatments could prevent this cross-contamination. To determine this, a flock of birds was inoculated with Campylobacter jejuni and allowed to naturally contaminate the litter for 42 days. After grow-out, birds were terminated, and litter was given five treatments: uninoculated fresh litter, untreated re-used litter, composted re-used litter, re-used litter treated with sodium bisulfate (45 kg/305 m2), and re-used litter composted and treated with sodium bisulfate (45 kg/305 m2). A second flock was placed on the litter, grown for 42 days, and tested for C. jejuni prevalence. Following inoculation of the first flock, high prevalence of C. jejuni was observed; however, after a 19-day down-time between flocks, no C. jejuni was detected in any samples from the second flock. These results indicate that re-used litter was not a significant reservoir for cross-contamination of broilers when provided a significant down-time between flocks.

[Carotid body paraganglioma in a teenager. Case report]. / Paraganglioma del cuerpo carotídeo en adolescente. Reporte de caso.

BACKGROUND: Paragangliomas of the head and neck are neuroendocrine tumors. They have a low incidence (0.6%), are generally benign, have a poorly defined etiology, and multiple factors have been associated with their origin. Humans and other species living at high altitudes (>2000 m above sea level) are subjected to a relatively chronic hypoxia and there is a high prevalence of the development of carotid body hyperplasia and eventually paragangliomas. This disease is usually seen in patients in their 50s and in their 30s if there is a family history. CLINICAL CASE: We present the case of a 16 year-old female with acute pharyngitis and growing tumor located on the left side of the neck, without symptoms. A duplex Doppler ultrasound showed a solid nodular lesion on the left carotid bifurcation. A left lateral cervicotomy was performed, finding a highly vascularized tumor of 4 × 3 × 3 cm involving the common carotid from its middle third, the internal carotid up to the cranial base, and the external carotid to its upper third, and intimately related to the trachea, esophagus and cervical spine. The tumor was completely resected and the histopathological analysis corroborated the presence of paragangliomas. CONCLUSIONS: The publication of this case is relevant and of clinical interest due to the uncommon age of presentation and the fact that it should be considered as a diagnostic possibility.

Antecedentes: los paragangliomas de cabeza y cuello son tumores neuroendocrinos de baja incidencia (0.6%), en su mayor parte benignos, en cuyo origen se han involucrado múltiples factores. Los seres humanos y otras especies que viven a grandes alturas (por arriba de 2000 metros sobre el nivel del mar) son propensos a sufrir hipoxia crónica relativa, hiperplasia del cuerpo carotídeo y, eventualmente, paragangliomas. Este padecimiento aparece en la quinta década de la vida y en la tercera, en caso de presentación familiar. Caso clínico: se comunica el caso de una adolescente de 16 años de edad que un año antes tuvo faringitis aguda con tumor localizado en la cara lateral izquierda del cuello, de crecimiento gradual, sin ningún síntoma. El ultrasonido Doppler dúplex de cuello mostró una lesión nodular sólida sobre el trayecto de la bifurcación carotídea izquierda. Fue intervenida quirúrgicamente mediante cervicotomía lateral izquierda, en la cual se encontró una tumoración de aproximadamente 4 × 3 × 3 cm, sumamente vascularizada, que afectaba la carótida común desde su tercio medio, la carótida interna hasta la base del cráneo y la carótida externa hasta el tercio superior, con íntima relación con la tráquea, el esófago y la columna cervical. La tumoración se resecó en su totalidad, el estudio histopatológico corroboró los paragangliomas. Conclusiones: la edad de presentación es poco común, por lo que se considera relevante y de interés clínico comunicar este caso, toda vez que debe considerarse como posibilidad diagnóstica.

Persistent sciatic artery aneurysm.

A persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is an exceptionally rare embryologic vascular anomaly with a reported incidence of 0.01-0.05% based on angiography. Most PSAs do not require treatment and 50% of affected individuals are asymptomatic. However, all PSA-related aneurysms should be treated because they involve a high risk of complications.We report the case of 53-year-old man with a 7-cm aneurysm arising from a left dominant PSA together with a hypoplastic left femoral artery, who presented with acute left limb ischemia. The patient had realized the presence of a pulsating mass in his left buttock 12 months before the ischemic event. He was treated initially with below-knee popliteal embolectomy and exclusion of the aneurysm with 2 overlapping, self-expanding, 10×50-mm stent grafts. On diagnosis, PSA aneurysms require neither potentially harmful ligation nor a technically challenging open procedure. Endovascular aneurysm exclusion using an antegrade or a retrograde approach is safe and efficient; however, long-term follow-up is required to establish the efficacy of this endovascular procedure.

Treatment of arterial pseudoaneurysms with percutaneous ultrasound-guided thrombin injection.

BACKGROUND: The pseudoaneurysms or false aneurysms are one of the most common complications after arterial invasive manipulation. Different methods of treatment have been described, such as surgical repair, ultrasound-guided compression and endovascular procedures. Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection has shown efficacy, safety and low cost, and, in some cases, the procedure is considered the treatment of choice. Preliminary results are presented. DESIGN: Case series. We studied adult patients with iatrogenic arterial pseudoaneurysms demonstrated clinically and corroborated with ultrasound. We describe the technique used for the management of the arterial pseudoaneurysms by ultrasound-guided thrombin application, as well as complications and follow-up. RESULTS: Twelve patients were included with a mean age of 63 years (SD 12.4), 33% were male and 67% female. Associated comorbid states were hypertension 83%, 50% diabetes, obesity 66%. All pseudoaneurysms were located in the femoral artery (2:1 right/left ratio). The mean size of the pseudoaneurysm was 48.2 mm SD 11.9, (range of 30 to 65 mm) by 44.3 mm SD 9.3, (range 20 to 53 mm). The average neck diameter was 2.2 mm SD 0.54 (range of 1.5 to 3 mm). Eleven cases were unilobulated (87.5%), and one bilobulated (12.5%). All reported arterial integrity with complete occlusion after one thrombin application without recurrence and morbidity after 90 days of follow up. CONCLUSIONS: In our study we obtained a 100% of thrombosis without pseudoaneurysm recurrence or complications. However a longer follow-up time and more number of cases are required to confirm these results.

Etiopatogenia de la osteoporosis / Etiopathogeny of osteoporosys

La osteoporosis representa un grupo heterogéneo de condiciones en el que variados mecanismos patogénicos están asociados con estados de recambio óseo bajo, normal o incrementado. La remodelación ósea es un proceso complejo que involucra una serie de funciones celulares, orientadas a coordinar la resorción y formación (unos dos millones de unidades), donde una serie de factores regulan el metabolismo óseo actuando sobre los osteoclastos responsables de la resorción ósea y los osteoblastos de la formación. Los reguladores son sistémicos y locales; aumentan la formación los ejercicios, hormona tiroidea durante el crecimiento, insulina, hormona de crecimiento, andrógenos; disminuyen la formación, el exceso de glucocorticoides, la inmovilización, enfermedades inflamatorias crónicas. Aumentando la resorción los glucocorticoides en exceso, la hormona tiroidea en exceso, prostaglandinas (PG), interleukina (IL1), factor de necrosis tumoral; disminuyendo la resorción se encuentran los estrógenos, calcitonina, andrógenos, niveles altos de calcio. La alteración de estos factores hace que se rompa el equilibrio que debe existir entre la resorción y formación

Tuberculosis osteoarticular en el Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins / Osteoarticular tuberculosis in Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (HNERM)

Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo sobre tuberculosis osteoarticular en el Hospital Nacional "Edgardo Rebagliati Martins" (HNERM), en el período de 1975-1985. De los 66 pacientes estudiados (39 hombres y 27 mujeres) con un rango de 11-76 años de edad, más del 50 por ciento eran menores de 40 años. La tuberculosis osteoarticular fue el 1.58 por ciento del total de casos de tuberculosis atendidos, ocupando el tercer lugar entre las tuberculosis extrapulmonares. Existe retardo en el diagnóstico, en más del 25 por ciento se hizo después de 18 meses de iniciada la enfermedad. Las localizaciones más frecuentes fueron: columna (30 por ciento), rodilla (30 por ciento) y cadera (17 por ciento). El traumatismo fue el factor predisponente más frecuente. De las formas clínicas de tuberculosis osteoarticular, la monoartritis es más frecuente (54.6 por ciento), seguida por espondilitis (34.8 por ciento), oligoartritis (6.4 por ciento), poliartritis (1.6 por ciento); siendo dolor la manifestación común a todas ellas. La radiología típica fue de gran utilidad para el diagnóstico y, la artroscopía, en los casos de monoartritis de rodilla. Desde fines de 1981, el empleo de 4 drogas ha permitido acortar el tiempo de tratamiento (de 18-24 meses a 12-14 meses).