Modeling contaminant sorption data using a linear model is very common; however, the rationale for whether the y-intercept should be constrained or not remains a subject of debate. This article justifies constraining the y-intercept in the linear model to zero. By doing so, one imposes consistency on the system of linear equations, allowing for direct comparison of the sorption coefficients. © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.A mathematical analysis is performed to study the flow and heat transfer phenomena of Casson based nanofluid with effects of the porosity parameter and viscous dissipation over the exponentially permeable stretching and shrinking surface. The considered nanofluid comprises Casson as a base fluid that contains silver ( A g ) and copper ( C u ) solid nanoparticles. The system of the nonlinear governing partial differential equations (PDEs) are converted into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by applying similarity transformation. buy Selitrectinib The obtained ODEs are solved by using shooting technique in Maple software. Numerically obtained results reveal dual solutions for various values of pertinent parameters. Due to occurrence of dual solutions, the stability analysis is done in order to find stable solution. Positive signs of smallest eigenvalues point out that the first solution is stable and second unstable. The variation of the velocity and the temperature profiles with coefficient of the skin friction and the Nusselt number are shown graphically. Both temperature profiles and its boundary layer thicknesses increase as volume fraction of nanoparticles of A g and C u are increased in the Casson fluid. Velocity profiles and corresponding boundary layer thicknesses decrease by suspension of nanoparticles of silver and copper, whereas the silver A g nanoparticles show the greater rate of heat transfer enhancement as compared to copper C u nanoparticles when suspended in Casson fluid. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.Hyaluronic acid (HA), as a safe biomaterial with minimal immunogenicity, is being employed in a broad range of medical applications. Since unmodified HA has a high potential for biodegradation in the physiological condition, herein, an HA-based cross-linked hydrogel was formulated using polydimethylsiloxane-diglycidyl ether terminated (PDMS-DG) via epoxide-OH reaction. The formation of HA-PDMS hydrogel was confirmed using FTIR, NMR, and FESEM. Temperature demonstrated a critical role in the physicochemical properties of the final products. Gel-37, which formed at 37 °C, had a higher modification degree (MD) and more stability against hyaluronidase and oxidative stress than the hydrogel formulated at 25 °C (Gel-25). In addition, the swelling ratio, roughness, and porous network topology of Gel-25 and Gel-37 were different. The rheology measurement indicated that HA-PDMS hydrogel had a stable viscoelastic character. The hydrogel was also biocompatible, non-cytotoxic, and considerably stable during 7-months storage. Overall, various determined parameters confirmed that HA-PDMS hydrogel is worth using in different medical applications. Keywords Hyaluronic acid; Polydimethylsiloxane-diglycidyl ether terminated; Hydrogels; Long-term stability; Viscoelastic behavior; Biocompatibility. © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.Appropriate hygiene practices and vaccine acceptance are key factors impacting the health of homeless individuals. A recent outbreak of hepatitis A in Michigan, especially impacting Detroit, prompted us to investigate the practices and attitudes of Detroit’s homeless population toward hygiene measures and vaccinations, as well as barriers to such resources. We developed a questionnaire as a means to collect our data, and participants were interviewed at shelters and soup kitchens. While the majority of participants adhered to healthy hygiene practices, approximately 89% reported barriers to accessing public showers. More than half the participants (64%) reported receiving their hepatitis A vaccine prior to the study, while 23% reported previously refusing or hesitating to receive vaccinations. Despite an overall favorable adherence to hygiene practices, substantial barriers are yet to be overcome. Moreover, active measures should be taken to establish higher levels of trust between providers and the homeless to encourage vaccine acceptance. © 2020 The Authors.[This corrects the article DOI 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03241.]. © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.Cryptosporidium spp. has been associated with foodborne infectious disease outbreaks; however, it is unclear to what extent raw oyster consumption poses a risk to public health. Control of Cryptosporidium in shellfish harvest seawater in Canada is not mandatory and, despite relay/depuration processes, the parasite can remain viable in oysters for at least a month (depending on initial loads and seawater characteristics). Risks of human infection and illness from exposure to oysters contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocysts were assessed in a Bayesian framework. Two data sets were used counts of oocysts in oysters harvested in Approved, Restricted, and Prohibited zones of the Hillsborough River system; and oocyst elimination rate from oysters exposed to oocysts in laboratory experiments. A total of 20 scenarios were assessed according to number of oysters consumed in a single serving (1, 10 and 30) and different relay times. The median probability of infection and developing cryptosporidiosis (e.g. illness) duysts are a potential cause of foodborne infection and illness when consuming raw oysters from Hillsborough River, one of the most important oyster production bays on Prince Edward Island. We discuss data gaps and limitations of this work in order to identify future research that can be used to reduce the uncertainties in predicted risks. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of International Association of Food and Waterborne Parasitology.Giardia duodenalis is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in humans with about 250-300 million cases per year. It is considered to be a species complex comprising of eight genetic assemblages (A to H), with assemblages A and B being the major causes of human infections. In this study we carried out genotypic characterization of G. duodenalis isolates detected in asymptomatic school-going children aged 3-16 years. Between May and September 2017, a total of 329 fecal samples were collected from school-going children from Chawama compound of Lusaka City and were screened for Giardia by microscopic examination. All microscopically positive fecal samples were analyzed by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) gene. Genotyping of amplified PCR products was conducted by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence analysis. Microscopically, Giardia was found in 10% (33/329) of fecal samples. The PCR-RFLP analysis of the gdh gene revealed assemblages A and B in 27.