Depth-averaged systems of equations describing the motion of fluid–sediment mixtures have been widely adopted by scientists in pursuit of models that can predict the paths of dangerous overland flows of debris. As models have become increasingly sophisticated, many have been developed from a multi-phase perspective in which separate, but mutually coupled sets of equations govern the evolution of different components of the mixture. However, this creates the opportunity for the existence of pathological instabilities stemming from resonant interactions between the phases. With reference to the most popular approaches, analyses of two- and three-phase models are performed, which demonstrate that they are more often than not ill posed as initial-value problems over physically relevant parameter regimes – an issue which renders them unsuitable for scientific applications. Additionally, a general framework for detecting ill posedness in models with any number of phases is developed. This is used to show that small diffusive terms in the equations for momentum transport, which are sometimes neglected, can reliably eliminate this issue. Conditions are derived for the regularisation of models in this way, but they are typically not met by multi-phase models that feature diffusive terms.

Background: Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is caused by a deficiency of acid α-glucosidase (GAA), leading to progressive muscle and respiratory decline. Cipaglucosidase alfa (cipa), a recombinant human GAA naturally enriched with bis-mannose-6-phosphate, exhibits improved muscle uptake but is limited by inactivation at near-neutral blood pH. Miglustat (mig), an enzyme stabiliser, binds competitively and reversibly to cipa, enhancing its stability and activity. Methods: In dose-finding studies, Gaa-/- mice were treated with cipa (20 mg/kg) +/- mig (10 mg/kg; equivalent human dose ~260 mg). Clinical study methodologies have been published (Schoser et al. Lancet Neurol 2021:20;1027–37; Schoser et al. J Neurol 2024:271;2810–23). Results: In Gaa-/- mice, cipa+mig improved muscle glycogen reduction more than cipa alone and grip strength to levels approaching wild-type mice. LOPD patients (n=11) treated with cipa alone showed dose-dependent decreases in hexose tetrasaccharide (Hex4) levels by ~15% from baseline, decreasing another ~10% with added mig (260 mg). In a head-to-head study, cipa+mig had a similar safety profile to alglucosidase alfa. Among 151 patients (three trials), mig-related adverse events occurred in 21 (13.9%), none serious. Conclusions: Mig stabilised cipa in circulation, improving cipa exposure, further reducing Hex4 levels and was well tolerated in clinical studies in patients with LOPD. Sponsored by Amicus Therapeutics, Inc.

The Euler numbers are the coefficients En in the expansion

(1)

Since sec x is an even function and tan x an odd one, this decouples into

(2)

and

(3)

where all three series converge if and E2n + 1 are sometimes called the secant numbers (or secant coefficients) and tangent numbers (or tangent coefficients) respectively.

The Hippoboscidae are ectoparasites of birds and mammals, which, as a group, are known to vector multiple diseases. Avipoxvirus (APV) is mechanically vectored by various arthropods and causes seasonal disease in wild birds in the United Kingdom (UK). Signs of APV and the presence of louse flies (Hippoboscidae) on Dunnocks Prunella modularis were recorded over a 16·5-year period in a rural garden in Somerset, UK. Louse flies collected from this site and other sites in England were tested for the presence of APV DNA and RNA sequences. Louse flies on Dunnocks were seen to peak seasonally three weeks prior to the peak of APV lesions, an interval consistent with the previously estimated incubation period of APV in Dunnocks. APV DNA was detected on 13/25 louse flies, Ornithomya avicularia and Ornithomya fringillina, taken from Dunnocks, both with and without lesions consistent with APV, at multiple sites in England. Collectively these data support the premise that louse flies may vector APV. The detection of APV in louse flies, from apparently healthy birds, and from sites where disease has not been observed in any host species, suggests that the Hippoboscidae could provide a non-invasive and relatively cheap method of monitoring avian diseases. This could provide advanced warnings of disease, including zoonoses, before they become clinically apparent.

Traditional faith healers (TFHs) are often consulted for serious mental illness (SMIs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Involvement of TFHs in mental healthcare could provide an opportunity for early identification and intervention to reduce the mental health treatment gap in LMICs. The aim of this study was to identify models of collaboration between TFHs and biomedical professionals, determine the outcomes of these collaborative models and identify any mechanisms (i.e., explanatory processes) or contextual moderators (i.e., barriers and facilitators) of these outcomes. A systematic scoping review of five electronic databases was performed from inception to March 2023 guided by consultation with local experts in Nigeria and Bangladesh. Data were extracted using a predefined data charting form and synthesised narratively. Six independent studies (eight articles) satisfied the inclusion criteria. Study locations included Ghana (n = 1), Nigeria (n = 1), Nigeria and Ghana (n = 1), India (n = 1), Hong Kong (n = 1) and South Africa (n = 1). We identified two main intervention typologies: (1) Western-based educational interventions for TFHs and (2) shared collaborative models between TFHs and biomedical professionals. Converging evidence from both typologies indicated that education for TFHs can help reduce harmful practices. Shared collaborative models led to significant improvements in psychiatric symptoms (in comparison to care as usual) and increases in referrals to biomedical care from TFHs. Proposed mechanisms underpinning outcomes included trust building and empowering TFHs by increasing awareness and knowledge of mental illness and human rights. Barriers to implementation were observed at the individual (e.g., suspicions of TFHs), relationship (e.g., reluctance of biomedical practitioners to equalise their status with TFHs) and service (e.g., lack of formal referral systems) levels. Research on collaborative models for mental healthcare is in its infancy. Preliminary findings are encouraging. To ensure effective collaboration, future programmes should incorporate active participation from community stakeholders (e.g., patients, caregivers, faith healers) and target barriers to implementation on multiple levels.

Ion cyclotron resonance heating is a versatile heating method that has been demonstrated to be able to efficiently couple power directly to the ions via the fast magnetosonic wave. However, at temperatures relevant for reactor grade devices such as DEMO, electron damping becomes increasingly important. To reduce electron damping, it is possible to use an antenna with a power spectrum dominated by low parallel wavenumbers. Moreover, using an antenna with a unidirectional spectrum, such as a travelling wave array antenna, the parallel wavenumber can be downshifted by mounting the antenna in an elevated position relative to the equatorial plane. This downshift can potentially enhance ion heating as well as fast wave current drive efficiency. Thus, such a system could benefit ion heating during the ramp-up phase and be used for current drive during flat-top operation. To test this principle, both ion heating and current drive have been simulated in a DEMO-like plasma for a few different mounting positions of the antenna using the FEMIC code. We find that moving the antenna off the equatorial plane makes ion heating more efficient for all considered plasma temperatures at the expense of on-axis heating. Moreover, although current drive efficiency is enhanced, electron damping is reduced for lower mode numbers, thus reducing the driven current in this part of the spectrum.

The KG Index described below is proposed for evaluation as one approach to the problem of providing an index giving comparable values for items (1) of equal discriminative power at all levels of difficulty and (2) of different numbers of alternative responses.

Yellow and knotroot foxtail are two common weed species infesting turfgrass and pastures in the southeastern region of the United States. Yellow and knotroot foxtail share morphological similarities and are frequently misidentified by weed managers, thus leading to confusion in herbicide selection. Greenhouse research was conducted to evaluate the response of yellow and knotroot foxtail to several turfgrass herbicides: pinoxaden (35 and 70 g ai ha−1), sethoxydim (316 and 520 g ai ha−1), thiencarbazone + dicamba + iodosulfuron (230 g ai ha−1), nicosulfuron + rimsulfuron (562.8 g ai ha−1), metribuzin (395 g ha−1), sulfentrazone (330 g ai ha−1), sulfentrazone + imazethapyr (504 g ai ha−1), and imazaquin (550 g ai ha−1). All treatments controlled yellow foxtail >87% with more than 90% reduction of the biomass. By comparison, only sulfentrazone alone controlled knotroot foxtail 90% and completely reduced aboveground biomass. Sethoxydim (520 g ai ha−1), metribuzin, and imazaquin controlled knotroot foxtail >70% at 28 d after application. In a rate response evaluation, nonlinear regression showed that yellow foxtail was approximately 8 times more susceptible to pinoxaden and 2 times more susceptible to sethoxydim than knotroot foxtail based on log (WR50) values, which were 50% reduction in fresh weight. Our research indicates that knotroot foxtail is more difficult to control across a range of herbicides, making differentiation of these two species important before herbicides are applied.

Richard Russell (1630–93), priest, courtier, and diplomat, has largely been overlooked in English Catholic historiography. A student and later patron of the English College at Lisbon, Russell saw the college thrive. Russell began life as a servant to the college’s fifth president, Edward Pickford (1642–48). He went on to become an attaché to the Portuguese diplomatic corps, and served as a courtier to Queen Catherine of Braganza, before becoming bishop of Portalegre (1671–85) and later bishop of Viseu (1685–93). This article is based on the Letters and Papers of Richard Russell, kept at Ushaw College, Durham. The records reveal a man of considerable ability, patience, resilience and astuteness. As a young man he skilfully aided the Portuguese delegation’s deliberations at Whitehall, culminating in the Anglo-Portuguese marriage alliance of 1661. As courtier to the young Portuguese queen, he managed English Catholic affairs in London and on the Continent, providing protection to colleagues and benefices to his fellow priests from the English College at Lisbon.

Metabolite supplementation during in vitro embryo development improves blastocyst quality, however, our understanding of the incorporation of metabolites during in vitro maturation (IVM) is limited. Two important metabolites, follistatin and choline, have beneficial impacts during in vitro culture; however, effects of supplementation during IVM are unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate combining choline and follistatin during IVM on bovine oocytes and subsequent early embryonic development. We hypothesized that supplementation of choline with follistatin would synergistically improve oocyte quality and subsequent early embryonic development. Small follicles were aspirated from slaughterhouse ovaries to obtain cumulus oocyte complexes for IVM with choline (0, 1.3 or 1.8 mM) and follistatin (0 or 10 ng/mL) supplementation in a 3 × 2 design. A subset of oocytes underwent transcriptomic analysis, the remaining oocytes were used for IVF and in vitro culture (IVC). Transcript abundance of CEPT1 tended to be reduced in oocytes supplemented with 1.8 mM choline and follistatin compared to control oocytes (P = 0.07). Combination of follistatin with 1.8 mM choline supplementation during maturation, tended (P = 0.08) to reduce CPEB4 in oocytes. In the blastocysts, HDCA8, NANOG, SAV1 and SOX2 were increased with choline 1.8 mM supplementation without follistatin (P < 0.05), while HDCA8 and SOX2 were increased when follistatin was incorporated (P < 0.05). The combination of choline and follistatin during oocyte maturation may provide a beneficial impact on early embryonic development. Further research is warranted to investigate the interaction between these two metabolites during early embryonic development and long-term influence on fetal development.