bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defining the Value of Health Technologies in Latin America: Developments in Value Frameworks to Inform the Allocation of Healthcare Resources
Authors: Pichon-Riviere Andres , Garcia-Marti Sebastian , Oortwijn Wija , Augustovski Federico , Sampietro-Colom Laura
Published: April 2019

Objectives

The recent development of value frameworks to inform healthcare resource allocation responds to a demand to make the decision-making process more inclusive and explicit. The objectives of the 2018 Latin American (LAtam) Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Policy Forum were to explore the current international experiences and to discuss the potential application of value frameworks in Latin America.

Methods

A background paper, presentations, and group discussions of Policy Forum members (43 participants, 12 LAtam countries represented) at the 2018 HTAi Policy Forum meeting informed this paper.

Results

Participants agreed that HTA and decision making based on more comprehensive and inclusive value frameworks could improve health system effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and equity; promote transparency in the decision process; sustain a more comprehensive assessment of technologies; and facilitate stakeholder participation as well as accountability of decisions. Criteria that were identified as essential to be included in a value framework for LAtam were burden of illness and severity of the disease, effectiveness and safety of the technology, quality of the evidence, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact. Potential challenges identified for the application of value frameworks in LAtam, included scarcity of human resources and delays in the assessment process.

Conclusions

Forum participants agreed that the next steps should be to identify appropriate processes and methodologies, adapted to the context of each country, regarding the application of value frameworks to improve the link between HTA and decision making.
Cardiac troponin-I in the serum of infants of diabetic mothers
Authors: Oran Bülent , Çam Lokman , Başpınar Osman , Baysal Tamer , Reisli İsmail , Peru Harun , Karaaslan Sevim , Koç Hasan , Gürbilek Mehmet
Published: April 2019

A transient form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has been previously described in infants of diabetic mothers. When it occurs, it is generally benign. The purpose of our study was to establish the extent of injury to the cardiomyocytes in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with and without hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Thus, we compared 35 consecutive patients to 20 healthy controls, establishing the significance, if any, of differences in cardiac troponin-I and creatine kinase, including its MB-fraction, and seeking to establish the value of these parameters in the diagnosis of cardiac injury. We also determined to levels of glucose and insulin in the serum, and took note of electrocardiographic and echocardiographic investigations. Values were determined at the 1st and 7th days after admission in the patients, while parameters were measured in the control group only on the first day.

We found that the levels of cardiac troponin-I in the serum, known to be a marker for cardiac injury, were significantly elevated in symptomatic patients with life-threatening respiratory or haemodynamic distress. We speculate that transient ventricular hypertrophy is neither the cause nor the consequence of damage to the cardiomyocytes. It would be interesting, nonetheless, to determine the relationship, if any, between cardiomyocytic damage and clinical outcome.
Increased levels of brain and atrial natriuretic peptides after the first palliative operation, but not after a bidirectional Glenn anastomosis, in children with functionally univentricular hearts
Authors: Wåhlander Håkan , Westerlind Andreas , Lindstedt Göran , Lundberg Per-Arne , Holmgren Daniel
Published: April 2019

We evaluated the concentrations of the brain and atrial natriuretic peptides in the plasma as markers of ventricular function and volume load in children with functionally univentricular hearts. We studied 7 children aged from 0.5 to 0.7 years with functionally univentricular hearts who had undergone a first palliative operation, and 10 children aged from 1.8 to 3.7 years who had undergone a bidirectional Glenn anastomosis at ages ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 year. As a control group, we studied 14 children without heart defects aged from 0.1 to 4.5 years. Levels of the brain natriuretic peptide were measured at 8.3 to 122 ng/l, with a mean of 52.8 ng/l, after the first palliative operation, compared to 0 to 16 ng/l, with a mean of 7.3 ng/l, after a bidirectional Glenn anastomosis, and 0 to 13.8 ng/l, with a mean of 5.9 ng/l, in the children serving as controls. Corresponding values for atrial natriuretic peptide were 17 to 203 ng/l, with a mean of 103 ng/l, after the first palliative operation, compared to 16 to 54 ng/l, with a mean of 29 ng/l, after the bidirectional Glenn anastomosis, and 12 to 52 ng/l, with a mean of 32 ng/l in the controls. Echocardiography showed that all the children with functionally univentricular hearts had normal ventricular function. Blood presssure, pulmonary arterial pressure, and arterial saturations of oxygen did not differ between the groups. We conclude, that in children with functionally univentricular hearts, the volume overload imposed on the heart after the first palliative operation is associated with increased production of brain and atrial natriuretic peptides, while after ventricular unloading, levels of the natriuretic peptides return to control values.
Hoarseness after pulmonary arterial stenting and occlusion of the arterial duct
Authors: Assaqqat Mervat , Siblini Ghassan , Al Fadley Fadel
Published: April 2019

We report a 12-year-old girl who had multiple congenital cardiac lesions, specifically an arterial duct, left pulmonary arterial stenosis, an atrial septal defect in the oval fossa, and mild Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve. Therapeutic transcatheter intervention was performed to stent the left pulmonary artery, occlude the arterial duct with a coil, and place a device to close the atrial septal defect. Subsequent to the catheterization, she complained of hoarseness, which was shown to be due to entrapment of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve between the coil used to close the arterial duct and the stent placed in the left pulmonary artery. Laryngoscopy confirmed paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
On pure word deafness, temporal processing, and the left hemisphere
Authors: STEFANATOS GERRY A. , GERSHKOFF ARTHUR , MADIGAN SEAN
Published: April 2019

Pure word deafness (PWD) is a rare neurological syndrome characterized by severe difficulties in understanding and reproducing spoken language, with sparing of written language comprehension and speech production. The pathognomonic disturbance of auditory comprehension appears to be associated with a breakdown in processes involved in mapping auditory input to lexical representations of words, but the functional locus of this disturbance and the localization of the responsible lesion have long been disputed. We report here on a woman with PWD resulting from a circumscribed unilateral infarct involving the left superior temporal lobe who demonstrated significant problems processing transitional spectrotemporal cues in both speech and nonspeech sounds. On speech discrimination tasks, she exhibited poor differentiation of stop consonant-vowel syllables distinguished by voicing onset and brief formant frequency transitions. Isolated formant transitions could be reliably discriminated only at very long durations (>200 ms). By contrast, click fusion threshold, which depends on millisecond-level resolution of brief auditory events, was normal. These results suggest that the problems with speech analysis in this case were not secondary to general constraints on auditory temporal resolution. Rather, they point to a disturbance of left hemisphere auditory mechanisms that preferentially analyze rapid spectrotemporal variations in frequency. The findings have important implications for our conceptualization of PWD and its subtypes. (JINS, 2005,11, 456–470.)
Research, knowledge and collaboration Dilemmas of the PFI
Authors: PENN ALAN
Published: April 2019

The discussion of the state of research and practice in architecture in recent issues of arq has been triggered by the results of the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise and the prospect of the next RAE in 2008. For the architectural profession I would argue (in Panglossian fashion) that the RAE 2001 may turn out to be for the best in the long run. There is nothing like a poor result, especially if felt to be ill deserved, to concentrate the mind.
Cut-off points of anthropometric markers associated with hypertension in the Brazilian population: National Health Survey, 2013
Authors: Souza Ana Paula Alves de , Rodrigues Paulo Rogério Melo , Muraro Ana Paula , Moreira Naiara Ferraz , Sichieri Rosely , Pereira Rosângela Alves , Ferreira Márcia Gonçalves
Published: April 2019

Objective

To identify cut-off points for waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and BMI associated with hypertension in the Brazilian adult and elderly population.

Design

Cross-sectional study. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut-off points of WC, WHtR and BMI in the prediction of hypertension. Those who had systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg and those who reported use of antihypertensive medication were considered hypertensive.

Setting

Brazil.

Participants

Participants from the National Health Survey, the Brazilian household-based survey conducted in 2013, of both sexes and age ≥20 years.

Results

Cut-off points for WC and WHtR increased with age in both sexes. WC cut-off limits ranged between 88·0 and 95·9 cm in men and between 85·0 and 93·2 cm in women. For WHtR, cut-off scores ranged from 0·51 to 0·58 for men and from 0·53 to 0·61 for women. Additionally, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for all age and sex groups was greater than 0·60 while the lower limit of the AUC 95 % CI for both WC and WHtR was not less than 0·50. The performance of BMI was similar to that of indicators of fat location.

Conclusions

All analysed anthropometric indicators had similar performance in identifying hypertension in the Brazilian population.
SCOTTISH MEDICAL ETHNOGRAPHY: COLONIAL TRAVEL, STADIAL THEORY AND THE NATURAL HISTORY OF RACE,c.1770–1805
Authors: BUCHAN BRUCE
Published: April 2019

This paper will present a comparative analysis of the ethnographic writings of three colonial travellers trained in medicine at the University of Edinburgh: William Anderson (1750–78), Archibald Menzies (1754–1842) and Robert Brown (1773–1858). Each travelled widely beyond Scotland, enabling them to make a series of observations of non-European peoples in a wide variety of colonial contexts. William Anderson, Archibald Menzies and Robert Brown in particular travelled extensively in the Pacific with (respectively) James Cook on his second and third voyages (1771–8), with George Vancouver (1791–5) and with Matthew Flinders (1801–3). Together, their surviving writings from these momentous expeditions illustrate a growing interest in natural-historical explanations for diversity among human populations. Race emerged as a key concept in this quest, but it remained entangled with assumptions about the stadial historical progress or “civilization” of humanity. A comparative examination of their ethnographic writings thus presents a unique opportunity to study the complex interplay between concepts of race, savagery and civilization in the varied colonial contexts of the Scottish Enlightenment.
Ministerial Politics in Southeastern Europe: Appointment and Portfolio Allocation to Female Ministers
Authors: Rashkova Ekaterina R. , Zankina Emilia
Published: April 2019

In light of the growing scholarship on women's representation in the executive, we examine whether extant theories on the determinants of female ministerial appointments apply to and explain the role of women in the executive in new democracies. We are further interested in better understanding the dynamics of portfolio allocation to female ministers. Given the different meanings that the political left and right carry in new compared with established democracies, we argue that ministerial appointments and portfolio allocations reflect this difference and therefore show diverse results. Presenting data on women ministers in five southeastern European states between 1990 and 2018, we analyze the descriptive representation of women at the highest echelons of political power. We establish that while the standard claim found in the literature that left political parties stage more women and with more progressive views, as shown primarily in scholarship on Western democracies, southeastern European women ministers who are given portfolios traditionally reserved for men are appointed primarily by parties of the right. Moreover, we find little support for the link between legislative and executive representation; rather, we see that the appointment of women ministers is related to the institutionalization level of the parties in power.
Compact QMSIW-based antenna with different resonant frequencies depending on loading of metalized vias
Authors: Chaturvedi Divya , Kumar Arvind , Raghavan S.
Published: April 2019

In this work, simple, low profile, compact quarter-mode substrate-integrated waveguide (QMSIW)-based antennas are proposed for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) at 5.2/5.5 GHz and Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) at 5.8 GHz, respectively. By implementing QMSIW technique, the electrical size of the antenna is reduced up to 1/4th of the conventional circular SIW cavities. Thanks to the quarter mode concept, the antenna size is reduced significantly by preserving its dominant mode. The resonant frequency of the dominant mode TM010 is independently tuned at 5.2, 5.5, and 5.8 GHz after loading the QMSIW cavity with metalized via holes, subsequently. The on-body performance of the antenna is verified on pork tissues at 5.8 GHz and it is found to be insensitive with respect to surroundings. The measured gain and simulated efficiency of the proposed antenna at 5.8 GHz in free space are 4.8 dBi and 92%, while in the proximity of pork tissues values are 3.25 dBi and 57%, respectively. Moreover, the measurement results demonstrate a good matching with the simulation results.
Sekundärprävention des Schlaganfalls
Authors: Mulic Smaila , Kahles Timo , Nedeltchev Krassen
Published: April 2019

Zusammenfassung. Der Schlaganfall gehört zu den häufigsten Erkrankungen und ist die häufigste Ursache von bleibenden Behinderungen im Erwachsenenalter. Grundzüge der Sekundärprophylaxe des Schlaganfalls sind eine medikamentöse Therapie, Optimierung der modifizierbaren Risikofaktoren, die Revaskularisation einer symptomatischen Karotisstenosen sowie der Verschluss eines Persistierenden Foramen Ovale (bei Patienten unter 60 Jahren mit kryptogenem Schlaganfall).
Tiefe Hirnstimulation
Authors: Benninger David , Schüpbach Michael
Published: April 2019

Zusammenfassung. Die Tiefe Hirnstimulation ist eine neurochirurgische Therapie, bei der in bestimmten Hirnregionen Elektroden implantiert werden, über die mittels eines Hirnschrittmachers elektrische Impulse appliziert werden. Die therapeutische Wirksamkeit ist in verschiedenen neurologischen und psychiatrischen Indikationen wissenschaftlich nachgewiesen worden. Die Tiefe Hirnstimulation bietet eine Therapieoption bei schweren Krankheitsverläufen und ungenügender Wirksamkeit der Medikation an. Wirkfluktuationen und Dyskinesien beim Morbus Parkinson, die Dystonie, der therapierefraktäre Tremor und Epilepsie, und bestimmte Schmerzsyndrome sind in der Schweiz als Indikationen für die Tiefe Hirnstimulation zugelassen.
Neueste Entwicklungen der Neuromuskulären Medizin
Authors: Peyer Kauffmann Anne-Kathrin , Wilder-Smith Einar
Published: April 2019

Zusammenfassung. Im Bereich der neuromuskulären Erkrankungen hat sich in der nicht-invasiven Diagnostik wie auch der Therapien in den letzten Jahren enorm viel entwickelt. So können Ganzkörper MRI Untersuchungen der Muskulatur ein spezifisches Muster einer Muskelerkrankung aufzeigen und direkt zur molekulargenetischen Analyse überleiten; bedside Ultraschall Untersuchung der peripheren Nerven vermag behandelbare inflammatorische Neuropathien erkennen, sodass in gewissen Fällen auf die Lumbalpunktion wie auch Nervenbiopsie verzichtet werden kann. Spezifische Antikörper helfen, die erworbenen autoimmun bedingten Erkrankungen besser zu charakterisieren und das Therapieansprechen abzuschätzen. Für die spinale Muskelatrophie und die familiäre Transthyretin Amyloidose stehen uns erste Gentherapien zur Verfügung, die direkt den zugrundeliegenden Gendefekt beheben und eine neue Ära in der Behandlung von monogenetisch bedingten neuromuskulären Erkrankungen eingeläutet haben. Diese Zusammenfassung soll Ihnen eine Auswahl an neuen diagnostischen und therapeutischen Errungenschaften im Bereich der neuromuskulären Erkrankungen präsentieren.
Effectiveness of a Workshop Intervention on Responsible Reporting on Suicide Among Swiss Media Professionals
Authors: Scherr Sebastian , Markiewitz Antonia , Arendt Florian
Published: April 2019

Abstract. Objective: There is limited knowledge about the effects of a workshop intervention on responsible reporting on suicide (RRS) by media professionals. The study aimed to test how a workshop can shape reporting-relevant attitudes and beliefs among media professionals. Method: A pre–postintervention survey of Swiss media professionals ( N = 26, 55.7% male, Mage = 38.1, SDage = 12.8, all Swiss nationals) was conducted. All participants received the same intervention and survey questions. The analytical focus was on within-person changes caused by the workshop intervention. Results: Among media professionals, the workshop intervention increased perceived knowledge sufficiency about RRS, raised awareness that RRS can save lives, decreased insecurities related to RRS, and reduced the misperception that there are no clear recommendations about RRS. Limitations: Despite the missing randomization of workshop participants, the repeated measures design allows to speak to the short-term changes in RRS. Conclusion: An RRS workshop intervention has multifaceted positive effects on media professionals. The study found no evidence for unintended effects of the intervention.
Grain and Virtual Water Storage Capacity in the United States
Authors: Ruess Paul J. , Konar Megan
Published: April 2019

Extensive research has evaluated virtual water trade, the water embodied in traded commodities. However, relatively little research has examined virtual water storage or the water embodied in stored commodities. Just as in physical hydrology, both flows and stocks of virtual water resources must be considered to obtain an accurate representation of the system. Here we address the following question: How much water can be virtually stored in grain storage in the United States? To address this question, we employ a data‐intensive approach, in which a variety of government databases on agricultural production and grain storage capacities are combined with modeled estimates of grain crop water use. We determine the virtual water storage capacity (VWSC) in grain silos, map the spatial distribution of VWSC, calculate contributions from irrigation and rainwater sources, and assess changes in VWSC over time. We find that 728 km3 of water could be stored as grain in the United States, with roughly 86% coming from precipitation. National VWSC capacities were 777 km3 in 2002, 681 km3 in 2007, and 728 km3 in 2012. This represents a 6% decline in VWSC over the full 10‐year period, mostly attributable to increased water productivity. VWSC represents 62% of U.S. dam storage and accounts for 75–97% of precipitation receipts to agricultural areas, depending on the year. This work enhances our understanding of the food‐water nexus, will enable virtual water trade models to incorporate temporal dynamics, and can be used to better understand the buffering capacity of infrastructure to climate shocks.
How Did We Get Here?
Authors: Goss Heather
Published: April 2019

With a discovery made from fossils in the seabed, paleoceanographers and paleoclimatologists began tracing the delicate path between ancient eras and our future.
Numerical prediction of colloidal phase separation by direct computation of Navier–Stokes equation
Authors: Tateno Michio , Tanaka Hajime
Published: April 2019

Numerical prediction of out-of-equilibrium processes in soft and bio matter containing liquids is highly desirable. However, it is quite challenging primarily because the motions of the components at different hierarchical levels (e.g., large colloids and small solvent molecules) are spatio-temporally coupled in a complicated manner via momentum conservation. Here we critically examine the predictability of numerical simulations for colloidal phase separation as a prototype example of self-organization of soft materials containing a liquid. We use coarse-grained hydrodynamic simulations to tackle this problem, and succeed in almost perfectly reproducing the structural and topological evolution experimentally observed by three-dimensional confocal microscopy without any adjustable parameters. Furthermore, comparison with non-hydrodynamic simulations shows the fundamental importance of many-body hydrodynamic interactions in colloidal phase separation. The predictive power of our computational approach may significantly contribute to not only the basic understanding of the dynamical behavior and self-organization of soft, bio and active matter but also the computer-aided design of colloidal materials.
ToF-SIMS depth profiling of altered glass
Authors: Collin Marie , Gin Stéphane , Jollivet Patrick , Dupuy Laurent , Dauvois Vincent , Duffours Laurent
Published: April 2019

Glass and mineral corrosion usually leads to the formation of morphologically and compositionally complex surface layers that can be characterized by various analytical techniques to infer rate control mechanisms. In this study, we investigate the capabilities and limitations of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to better understand chemical processes of glass corrosion. In particular, we focus on the potential impact of the ToF-SIMS ion beam on the distribution of several elements of interest in alteration layers formed on International Simple Glass, a six-oxide reference glass altered in a solution enriched in alkalis and spiked with H218O. A thin flake of glass partially altered on both sides is analyzed entirely from one side to the other to determine whether atoms weakly bonded to the solid are displaced by the beams. We highlight the beam effect on cations weakly bonded to the silicate network (Li, Na, K, and B, Ca, Cs to a lesser extent) affecting the profile shape of these elements. No impact is observed on 18O and H, but it is demonstrated that quantification of isotopic ratios is possible only for a limited range of isotopic enrichment.
Asthma patients’ perception on their care pathway: a qualitative study
Authors: Hannane Anissa , Misane Lilia , Devouassoux Gilles , Colin Cyrille , Letrilliart Laurent
Published: April 2019

Because of insufficient asthma control in many patients, the collaboration between stakeholders is regarded as a promising strategy to improve asthma outcomes. This study explored the perceptions of French adult asthma patients on their care pathway. We conducted a qualitative study based on the interviews of 30 asthma patients aged 18–40 years, recruited in French primary care. We performed a thematic analysis of the data collected, using the NVivo software. According to the patients, the stakeholders involved in asthma management included those visible to healthcare professionals (patient, general practitioner, specialist(s), pharmacist, physiotherapist, family and friends) and those concealed by the patients (complementary and alternative practitioners); other stakeholders, such as nurses and occupational physicians, were not involved. Asthma management at diagnosis and follow-up phases proved to be unstructured, and were associated with poor patient education. This was supported by patients’ ambivalence (in relation to illness and treatments), poor communication between patients and healthcare professionals (lack of listening and use of inappropriate vocabulary by physicians, underreporting of alternative medicine use by patients) and weak cooperation between professionals (limited to interaction between the general practitioner and the specialist, either pulmonologist or allergist). Asthma management would probably benefit from a more coordinated care pathway at each phase of the disease that is consistent with the expectations and goals of the patients. It should be based on improved organization (involvement of other healthcare professionals and the patient as partners) and processes (regular follow-up, specific tools such as peak flow meter or action plan).
Comparative Evaluation of Hydrothermal Carbonization and Low Temperature Pyrolysis of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver for the Production of Solid Biofuel
Authors: Wang Yajun , Qiu Ling , Zhu Mingqiang , Sun Guotao , Zhang Tianle , Kang Kang
Published: April 2019

This study evaluates the feasibility of two thermal pretreatments including hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and low temperature pyrolysis (LTP) on the production of Eucommia ulmoides biochar. The waste wood of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver was pretreated and characterized for fuel applications. The results confirm that both LTP and HTC are promising processes for improving fuel properties. However, for the same char yield, the required temperature for HTC is lower than LTP, as the char yields of H200 and L300 were quite close (66.50% vs. 66.74%). The surface morphology is significantly different between the pyrolytic carbon and the hydrochar. In addition, it was found that the H/C and O/C ratios of H300 were 0.82 and 0.21, respectively, and the H/C and O/C ratios of L340 were 0.77 and 0.22, respectively. They were similar to that of sub-bituminous. Moreover, under the same reaction temperature, hydrochar showed better grindability, hydrophobicity, and reduction in inorganic content. Comparing the integrated combustion characteristic index (S), LTP process had the better performance within the lower temperature under 220 °C while HTC process performed better at temperature higher than 300 °C. The results reveal that HTC has the potential to produce solid carbonized products with better fuel quality.
A new hyperpolarized 13C ketone body probe reveals an increase in acetoacetate utilization in the diabetic rat heart
Authors: Abdurrachim Desiree , Woo Chern Chiuh , Teo Xing Qi , Chan Wei Xin , Radda George K. , Lee Philip Teck Hock
Published: April 2019

Emerging studies have recently shown the potential importance of ketone bodies in cardio-metabolic health. However, techniques to determine myocardial ketone body utilization in vivo are lacking. In this work, we developed a novel method to assess myocardial ketone body utilization in vivo using hyperpolarized [3-13C]acetoacetate and investigated the alterations in myocardial ketone body metabolism in diabetic rats. Within a minute upon injection of [3-13C]acetoacetate, the production of [5-13C]glutamate and [1-13C] acetylcarnitine can be observed real time in vivo. In diabetic rats, the production of [5-13C]glutamate was elevated compared to controls, while [1-13C]acetylcarnitine was not different. This suggests an increase in ketone body utilization in the diabetic heart, with the produced acetyl-CoA channelled into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This observation was corroborated by an increase activity of succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid-CoA transferase (SCOT) activity, the rate-limiting enzyme of ketone body utilization, in the diabetic heart. The increased ketone body oxidation in the diabetic hearts correlated with cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction, suggesting a potential coupling between ketone body metabolism and cardiac function. Hyperpolarized [3-13C]acetoacetate is a new probe with potential for non-invasive and real time monitoring of myocardial ketone body oxidation in vivo, which offers a powerful tool to follow disease progression or therapeutic interventions.
Assessing yield gap in high productive countries by designing wheat ideotypes
Authors: Senapati Nimai , Semenov Mikhail A.
Published: April 2019

Designing crop ideotypes in silico is a powerful tool to explore the crop yield potential and yield gap. We defined yield gap as the difference between yield potential of a crop ideotype optimized under local environment and yield of an existing cultivar under optimal management. Wheat ideotypes were designed for the current climate using the Sirius model for both water-limited and irrigated conditions in two high wheat-productive countries viz. the United Kingdom (UK) and New Zealand (NZ) with the objective of estimating yield gap. The mean ideotype yields of 15.0–19.0 t ha−1 were achieved in water-limited conditions in the UK and NZ, whereas 15.6–19.5 t ha−1 under irrigated conditions. Substantial yield gaps were found in both water-limited, 28–31% (4–6 t ha−1), and irrigated conditions, 30–32% (5–6 t ha−1) in the UK and NZ. Both yield potential (25–27%) and yield gap (32–38%) were greater in NZ than the UK. Ideotype design is generic and could apply globally for estimating yield gap. Despite wheat breeding efforts, the considerable yield gap still potentially exists in high productive countries such as the UK and NZ. To accelerate breeding, wheat ideotypes can provide the key traits for wheat improvement and closing the yield gap.
Mendelian Randomization Analysis Support Causal Associations of HbA1c with Circulating Triglyceride, Total and Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in a Chinese Population
Authors: Jia Xu , Hou Yanan , Xu Min , Zhao Zhiyun , Xuan Liping , Wang Tiange , Li Mian , Xu Yu , Lu Jieli , Bi Yufang , Wang Weiqing , Chen Yuhong
Published: April 2019

Previous observational studies supported a positive association of glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level with serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). However, the causal relationship between HbA1c and either one of them was unclear in the East Asians. We performed a Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis in a community-based study sample in Shanghai, China (n = 11,935). To clarify the cause-and-effect relationships of HbA1c with the four interested lipids, an Expanded HbA1c genetic risk score (GRS) with 17 HbA1c-related common variants and a Conservative score by excluding 11 variants were built and adopted as the Instrumental Variables (IVs), respectively. The Expanded HbA1c-GRS was associated with 0.19 unit increment in log-TG (P = 0.009), 0.42 mmol/L TC (P = 0.01), and 0.33 mmol/L LDL-C (P = 0.01); while the Conservative HbA1c-GRS was associated with 0.22 unit in log-TG (P = 0.03), 0.60 mmol/L TC (P = 0.01), and 0.51 mmol/L LDL-C (P = 0.007). No causal relationship was detected for HDL-C. Sensitivity analysis supported the above findings. In conclusions, MR analysis supports a causal role of increased HbA1c level in increment of circulating TG, TC, and LDL-C in a Chinese population.
Publisher Correction: Menstrual cycle rhythmicity: metabolic patterns in healthy women
Authors: Draper C. F. , Duisters K. , Weger B. , Chakrabarti A. , Harms A. C. , Brennan L. , Hankemeier T. , Goulet L. , Konz T. , Martin F. P. , Moco S. , van der Greef J.
Published: April 2019

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Real Time Microwave Biochemical Sensor Based on Circular SIW Approach for Aqueous Dielectric Detection
Authors: Mohd Bahar Amyrul Azuan , Zakaria Z. , Md. Arshad M. K. , Isa A. A. M. , Dasril Y. , Alahnomi Rammah A.
Published: April 2019

In this study, a critical evaluation of analyte dielectric properties in a microvolume was undertaken, using a microwave biochemical sensor based on a circular substrate integrated waveguide (CSIW) topology. These dielectric properties were numerically investigated based on the resonant perturbation method, as this method provides the best sensing performance as a real-time biochemical detector. To validate these findings, shifts of the resonant frequency in the presence of aqueous solvents were compared with an ideal permittivity. The sensor prototype required a 2.5 µL volume of the liquid sample each time, which still offered an overall accuracy of better than 99.06%, with an average error measurement of ±0.44%, compared with the commercial and ideal permittivity values. The unloaded Qu factor of the circular substrate-integrated waveguide (CSIW) sensor achieved more than 400 to ensure a precise measurement. At 4.4 GHz, a good agreement was observed between simulated and measured results within a broad frequency range, from 1 to 6 GHz. The proposed sensor, therefore, offers high sensitivity detection, a simple structural design, a fast-sensing response, and cost-effectiveness. The proposed sensor in this study will facilitate real improvements in any material characterization applications such as pharmaceutical, bio-sensing, and food processing applications.
Phosphate deficiency induced biofilm formation of Burkholderia on insoluble phosphate granules plays a pivotal role for maximum release of soluble phosphate
Authors: Ghosh Ranjan , Barman Soma , Mandal Narayan Chandra
Published: April 2019

Involvement of biofilm formation process during phosphate (P) solubilization by rhizobacterial strains is not clearly understood. Scanning electron microscopic observations revealed prominent biofilm development on tricalcium phosphate as well as on four different rock phosphate granules by two P solubilizing rhizobacteria viz. Burkholderia tropica P4 and B. unamae P9. Variation in the biofilm developments were also observed depending on the total P content of insoluble P used. Biofilm quantification suggested a strong correlation between the amounts of available P and degrees of biofilm formation. Lower concentrations of soluble P directed both the organisms towards compact biofilm development with maximum substratum coverage. Variation in the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the similar pattern also suggested its close relationship with biofilm formation by the isolates. Presence of BraI/R quorum sensing (QS) system in both the organisms were detected by PCR amplification and sequencing of two QS associated genes viz. braR and rsaL, which are probably responsible for biofilm formation during P solubilization process. Overall observations help to hypothesize for the first time that, biofilm on insoluble P granules creates a close environment for better functioning of organic acids secreted by Burkholderia strains for maximum P solubilization during P deficient conditions.
Optical Co-registration of MRI and On-scalp MEG
Authors: Zetter Rasmus , Iivanainen Joonas , Parkkonen Lauri
Published: April 2019

To estimate the neural generators of magnetoencephalographic (MEG) signals, MEG data have to be co-registered with an anatomical image, typically an MR image. Optically-pumped magnetometers (OPMs) enable the construction of on-scalp MEG systems providing higher sensitivity and spatial resolution than conventional SQUID-based MEG systems. We present a co-registration method that can be applied to on-scalp MEG systems, regardless of the number of sensors. We apply a structured-light scanner to create a surface mesh of the subject’s head and the sensor array, which we fit to the MR image. We quantified the reproducibility of the mesh and localised current dipoles with a phantom. Additionally, we measured somatosensory evoked fields (SEFs) to median nerve stimulation and compared the dipole positions between on-scalp and SQUID-based systems. The scanner reproduced the head surface with <1 mm error. Phantom dipoles were localised with 2.1 mm mean error. SEF dipoles corresponding to the P35m response for OPMs were well localised to the somatosensory cortex, while SQUID dipoles for two subjects were erroneously localised to the motor cortex. The developed co-registration method is inexpensive, fast and can easily be applied to on-scalp MEG. It is more convenient than traditional co-registration methods while also being more accurate.
Environmental interactions are regulated by temperature in Burkholderia seminalis TC3.4.2R3
Authors: Gonçalves Priscila Jane Romano de Oliveira , Hume Carmen C. Denman , Ferreira Almir José , Tsui Sarina , Brocchi Marcelo , Wren Brendan W. , Araujo Welington Luiz
Published: April 2019

Burkholderia seminalis strain TC3.4.2R3 is an endophytic bacterium isolated from sugarcane roots that produces antimicrobial compounds, facilitating its ability to act as a biocontrol agent against phytopathogenic bacteria. In this study, we investigated the thermoregulation of B. seminalis TC3.4.2R3 at 28 °C (environmental stimulus) and 37 °C (host-associated stimulus) at the transcriptional and phenotypic levels. The production of biofilms and exopolysaccharides such as capsular polysaccharides and the biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi were enhanced at 28 °C. At 37 °C, several metabolic pathways were activated, particularly those implicated in energy production, stress responses and the biosynthesis of transporters. Motility, growth and virulence in the Galleria mellonella larvae infection model were more significant at 37 °C. Our data suggest that the regulation of capsule expression could be important in virulence against G. mellonella larvae at 37 °C. In contrast, B. seminalis TC3.4.2R3 failed to cause death in infected BALB/c mice, even at an infective dose of 107 CFU.mL−1. We conclude that temperature drives the regulation of gene expression in B. seminalis during its interactions with the environment.
ADAM17-dependent proteolysis of L-selectin promotes early clonal expansion of cytotoxic T cells
Authors: Mohammed Rebar N. , Wehenkel Sophie C. , Galkina Elena V. , Yates Emma-Kate , Preece Graham , Newman Andrew , Watson H. Angharad , Ohme Julia , Bridgeman John S. , Durairaj Ruban R. P. , Moon Owen R. , Ladell Kristin , Miners Kelly L. , Dolton Garry , Troeberg Linda , Kashiwagi Masahide , Murphy Gillian , Nagase Hideaki , Price David A. , Matthews R. James , Knäuper Vera , Ager Ann
Published: April 2019

L-selectin on T-cells is best known as an adhesion molecule that supports recruitment of blood-borne naïve and central memory cells into lymph nodes. Proteolytic shedding of the ectodomain is thought to redirect activated T-cells from lymph nodes to sites of infection. However, we have shown that activated T-cells re-express L-selectin before lymph node egress and use L-selectin to locate to virus-infected tissues. Therefore, we considered other roles for L-selectin proteolysis during T cell activation. In this study, we used T cells expressing cleavable or non-cleavable L-selectin and determined the impact of L-selectin proteolysis on T cell activation in virus-infected mice. We confirm an essential and non-redundant role for ADAM17 in TCR-induced proteolysis of L-selectin in mouse and human T cells and show that L-selectin cleavage does not regulate T cell activation measured by CD69 or TCR internalisation. Following virus infection of mice, L-selectin proteolysis promoted early clonal expansion of cytotoxic T cells resulting in an 8-fold increase over T cells unable to cleave L-selectin. T cells unable to cleave L-selectin showed delayed proliferationin vitrowhich correlated with lower CD25 expression. Based on these results, we propose that ADAM17-dependent proteolysis of L-selectin should be considered a regulator of T-cell activation at sites of immune activity.
Lysine-specific demethylase 2A enhances binding of various nuclear factors to CpG-rich genomic DNAs by action of its CXXC-PHD domain
Authors: Iuchi Shiro , Paulo Joao A.
Published: April 2019

The lysine-specific demethylase 2A gene (KDM2A) is ubiquitously expressed and its transcripts consist of several alternatively spliced forms, including KDM2A and the shorter form N782 that lacks the 3′ end encoding F-box and LRR. KDM2A binds to numerous CpG-rich genomic loci and regulates various cellular activities; however, the mechanism of the pleiotropic function is unknown. Here, we identify the mechanism of KDM2A played by its CXXC-PHD domain. KDM2A is necessary for a rapid proliferation of post-natal keratinocytes while its 3′ end eclipses the stimulatory effect. EGFP-N782 binds to chromatin together with the XRCC5/6 complex, and the CXXC-PHD domain regulates the CpG-rich IGFBPL1 promoter. In vitro, CXXC-PHD enhances binding of nuclear extract ORC3 to the CpG-rich promoter, but not to the AT-rich DIP2B promoter to which ORC3 binds constitutively. Furthermore, CXXC-PHD recruits 94 nuclear factors involved in replication, ribosome synthesis, and mitosis, including POLR1A to the IGFBPL1 promoter. This recruitment is unprecedented; however, the result suggests that these nuclear factors bind to their cognate loci, as substantiated by the result that CXXC-PHD recruits POLR1A to the rDNA promoter. We propose that CXXC-PHD promotes permissiveness for nuclear factors to interact, but involvement of the XRCC5/6 complex in the recruitment is undetermined.
Eutectic modification by ternary compound cluster formation in Al-Si alloys
Authors: Barrirero J. , Pauly C. , Engstler M. , Ghanbaja J. , Ghafoor N. , Li J. , Schumacher P. , Odén M. , Mücklich F.
Published: April 2019

Al-alloys with Si as the main alloying element constitute the vast majority of Al castings used commercially today. The eutectic Si microstructure in these alloys can be modified from plate-like to coral-like by the addition of a small amount of a third element to improve ductility and toughness. In this investigation the effects of Eu and Yb are studied and their influence on the microstructure is compared to further understand this modification. The two elements impact the alloy differently, where Eu modifies Si into a coral-like structure while Yb does not. Atom probe tomography shows that Eu is present within the Si phase in the form of ternary compound Al2Si2Eu clusters, while Yb is absent in the Si phase. This indicates that the presence of ternary compound clusters within Si is a necessary condition for the formation of a coral-like structure. A crystallographic orientation relationship between Si and the Al2Si2Eu phase was found, where the following plane normals are parallel: 011Si//0001Al2Si2Eu, 111Si//6$$\bar{7}$$

7
¯

10Al2Si2Eu and 011Si//6$$\bar{7}$$

7
¯

10Al2Si2Eu. No crystallographic relationship was found between Si and Al2Si2Yb. The heterogeneous formation of coherent Al2Si2Eu clusters inside the Si-phase is suggested to trigger the modification of the microstructure.
Autophagy is a new protective mechanism against the cytotoxicity of platinum nanoparticles in human trophoblasts
Authors: Nakashima Akitoshi , Higashisaka Kazuma , Kusabiraki Tae , Aoki Aiko , Ushijima Akemi , Ono Yosuke , Tsuda Sayaka , Shima Tomoko , Yoshino Osamu , Nagano Kazuya , Yoshioka Yasuo , Tsutsumi Yasuo , Saito Shigeru
Published: April 2019

Nanoparticles are widely used in commodities, and pregnant women are inevitably exposed to these particles. The placenta protects the growing fetus from foreign or toxic materials, and provides energy and oxygen. Here we report that autophagy, a cellular mechanism to maintain homeostasis, engulfs platinum nanoparticles (nPt) to reduce their cytotoxicity in trophoblasts. Autophagy was activated by nPt in extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cell lines, and EVT functions, such as invasion and vascular remodeling, and proliferation were inhibited by nPt. These inhibitory effects by nPt were augmented in autophagy-deficient cells. Regarding the dynamic state of nPt, analysis using ICP-MS demonstrated a higher accumulation of nPt in the autophagosome-rich than the cytoplasmic fraction in autophagy-normal cells. Meanwhile, there were more nPt in the nuclei of autophagy-deficient cells, resulting in greater DNA damage at a lower concentration of nPt. Thus, we found a new protective mechanism against the cytotoxicity of nPt in human trophoblasts.
Oxidation destabilizes toxic amyloid beta peptide aggregation
Authors: Razzokov J. , Yusupov M. , Bogaerts A.
Published: April 2019

The aggregation of insoluble amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides in the brain is known to trigger the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. In spite of the massive number of investigations, the underlying mechanisms to destabilize the Aβ aggregates are still poorly understood. Some studies indicate the importance of oxidation to destabilize the Aβ aggregates. In particular, oxidation induced by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has demonstrated promising results in eliminating these toxic aggregates. In this paper, we investigate the effect of oxidation on the stability of an Aβ pentamer. By means of molecular dynamics simulations and umbrella sampling, we elucidate the conformational changes of Aβ pentamer in the presence of oxidized residues, and we estimate the dissociation free energy of the terminal peptide out of the pentamer form. The calculated dissociation free energy of the terminal peptide is also found to decrease with increasing oxidation. This indicates that Aβ pentamer aggregation becomes less favorable upon oxidation. Our study contributes to a better insight in one of the potential mechanisms for inhibition of toxic Aβ peptide aggregation, which is considered to be the main culprit to Alzheimer’s disease.
Efficient Low Shear Flow-based Trapping of Biological Entities
Authors: Sohrabi Kashani Ahmad , Packirisamy Muthukumaran
Published: April 2019

Capturing cells or biological entities is an important and challenging step toward in-vitro studies of cells under a precisely controlled microscale environment. In this work, we have developed a compact and efficient microdevice for on-chip trapping of micro-sized particles. This hydrodynamics-based trapping system allows the isolation of polystyrene micro-particles with a shorter time while inducing a less hydrodynamic deformation and stress on the particles or cells both after and before trapping. A numerical simulation was carried out to design a hydrodynamic trapping mechanism and optimize the geometric and fluidic parameters affecting the trapping efficiency of the microfluidic network. By using the finite element analysis, the velocity field, pressure field, and hydrodynamic force on the micro particles were studied. Finally, a PDMS microfluidic device was fabricated to test the device’s ability to trap polystyrene microspheres. Computational fluid analysis and experimental testing showed a high trapping efficiency that is more than 90%. This microdevice can be used for single cell studies including their biological, physical and chemical characterization.