bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficiency of Brazilian public services of kidney transplantation: Benchmarking Brazilian states via data envelopment analysis
Authors: Siqueira Marina Martins , Araujo Claudia Affonso Silva
Published: July 2018

The Brazilian Public Health System, facing a national economic and political crisis, operates with tight budgets and poor physical infrastructure. Among the services it delivers, organ transplantation represents a complex process wherein inefficient resource allocation is a relevant issue. This study examines the technical and scale efficiency of the Brazilian public services in kidney transplantation, assessing the conversion of physical and labor inputs into kidney transplants using data envelopment analysis. This longitudinal analysis used a secondary database from the Brazilian Registry of Transplants having, as a unit of analysis, 23 Brazilian states that performed kidney transplants from 2013 to 2015. The Malmquist index is applied to examine productivity changes. Data were adjusted per million of population, and factors were extracted by principal component analysis. The results indicate that most states operate in a technically inefficient manner, resulting in a low mean efficiency score. Overall efficiency worsened during the analyzed period, and there was a significant disparity in performance between states, with higher scores in the South and Southeast—the most developed and wealthiest regions—than in the North and Northeast. The results provide managerial insights into the delivery of organ transplantation by the Brazilian public services on both the national and state levels, helping to identify opportunities for better resource allocation in this activity. Given the scarcity of studies that systematically assess and benchmark organ donation and transplantation, this work represents an innovative context of application and may be useful for the community of relevant policymakers, academics, and health professionals.
The sustainability of a community nurses programme aimed at supporting active ageing in mountain areas
Authors: Ippoliti Roberto , Allievi Isabella , Falavigna Greta , Giuliano Pasquale , Montani Floriana , Obbia Paola , Rizzi Silvia , Moda Giuliana
Published: July 2018

Background

Community Nurse Supporting Elderly iN a changing SOciety is a project funded by the European Union, which is aimed at developing an innovative care model based on community nurses to support active ageing in mountain areas. The planned sustainability of this innovative approach relies on social entrepreneurship, and this work highlights the necessary conditions for the existence of these entrepreneurial initiatives on the market, with community nurses' services purchased by the public health care system.

Methods

The authors propose a sustainability framework for this project based on three relevant dimensions (ie, health, organisation, and context), highlighting the necessary conditions for continued provision of health services beyond project conclusion. Then, considering the Piedmont Region and those aged 65 or older as target population, health outcomes are analysed, proposing a break‐even analysis to calculate expected levels.

Results

According to our results, in order to care for 191 977 elderly people for 3 years, a successful pro‐active approach is needed to prevent 1657 falls with hip fracture, reducing the prevalence of this adverse outcome by 36%. These are the expected health outcome levels for the existence of a social market, which can be achieved through the successful involvement of local public health organisations and stakeholders.

Conclusions

Policy makers need clear information on the economic impact of extending this new intervention to the whole target population and on the required preconditions for its financial sustainability in terms of health outcomes. However, a participatory process involving all relevant local stakeholders and organisations is crucial to extend current achievements beyond project conclusion.
Using community pharmacies to expand access to screening for noncommunicable diseases in suburban Ghana—A facility‐based survey on client needs and acceptability
Authors: Akutey Richard , Der Reina , Owusu‐Daaku Frances , Baiden Frank
Published: July 2018

Background

Many of the 28 million deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low‐ and middle‐income countries each year could be prevented through early detection and intervention. The introduction of screening for NCDs in community pharmacies (CPs) in Ghana could enhance access to early detection.

Methods

We surveyed clients in three districts in suburban Ghana to assess perceived need for screening, willingness to be screened in CPs, and willingness to receive NCD health promotion information through text messages (NCD m‐Health). We performed regression analysis to identify predictors of NCD m‐Health acceptability.

Results

We interviewed 330 clients in six CPs, 134 (42.3%) of whom were females. The median age was 34 years (interquartile range, 27‐43). Fifty‐four (16.4%) had no formal education. Although most respondents knew obesity (74.9%), smoking (81.9%), and excessive dietary salt (91.7%) were risk factors for NCDs, only 27.0% knew family history carried similar risk. Most respondents, 61.6% and 70.6%, respectively, had not had their weight and blood pressure (BP) checked for more than 12 months. These included about a third of respondents who were known hypertensives. Similarly, 71.3% of 80 participants with a family history of hypertension had not had their BPs checked. Screening for NCDs in CPs and the sending of NCD m‐Health messages was deemed acceptable to 98.5% and 83.1% of the participants, respectively. Formal education beyond junior high school (Grade 9) was the strongest independent predictor of NCD m‐Health acceptance (OR = 4.77; 95% CI, 1.72‐13.18; P value < 0.01). One hundred and twenty‐five (39.4%) participants indicated they would consider unsolicited NCD m‐Health messages an invasion of their privacy.

Conclusion

An urgent need exists to promote access to NCD screening in these communities. Its introduction into CPs is acceptable to nearly all the clients surveyed. The introduction of NCD m‐Health as an accompaniment requires consideration for the privacy of clients.
Glabridin attenuates antiadipogenic activity induced by 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin in murine 3T3‐L1 adipocytes
Authors: Choi Eun Mi , Suh Kwang Sik , Jung Woon‐Won , Park So Young , Chin Sang Ouk , Rhee Sang Youl , Kim Pak Youngmi , Chon Suk
Published: July 2018

2,3,7,8‐Tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD) has various toxicological effects in adipose tissue. Evidence is accumulating that glabridin, a flavonoid extracted from licorice, has beneficial effects on the regulation of glucose homeostasis. In this study, we investigated whether glabridin suppresses TCDD‐induced loss of adipogenic action using 3T3‐L1 adipocytes as a cell culture model of wasting syndrome. Glabridin effectively suppressed TCDD‐induced loss of lipid accumulation in this model. Pretreating cells with glabridin increased the gene expression of not only the adipogenesis‐associated key transcription factors peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha, but also lipoprotein lipase in the presence of TCDD. TCDD decreased insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake, which was effectively restored by pretreatment with glabridin. Glabridin also inhibited the TCDD‐driven decreased production of insulin receptor substrate 1 and glucose transporter 4. TCDD increased the production of mitochondrial superoxides, prostaglandin E2, phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase‐1 and intracellular calcium concentrations, while reducing the production of PPARγ coactivator 1 alpha and glycolysis. However, glabridin treatment reduced these TCDD‐induced effects. We conclude that glabridin suppresses the TCDD‐induced loss of lipid accumulation in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes by regulating the levels of PPARγ, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha, lipoprotein lipase, glucose uptake, prostaglandin E2 and energy metabolism. These results also provide in vitro evidence of the effects of glabridin on adipocyte metabolism, which suggests a protective effect against dioxin exposure in the development of insulin resistance and diabetes.
Real‐time optical spectroscopic monitoring of nonirrigated lesion progression within atrial and ventricular tissues
Authors: Singh‐Moon Rajinder P. , Yao Xinwen , Iyer Vivek , Marboe Charles , Whang William , Hendon Christine P.
Published: July 2018

Despite considerable advances in guidance of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, success rates have been hampered by a lack of tools for precise intraoperative evaluation of lesion extent. Near‐infrared spectroscopic (NIRS) techniques are sensitive to tissue structural and biomolecular properties, characteristics that are directly altered by radiofrequency (RF) treatment. In this work, a combined NIRS‐RFA catheter is developed for real‐time monitoring of tissue reflectance during RF energy delivery. An algorithm is proposed for processing NIR spectra to approximate nonirrigated lesion depth in both atrial and ventricular tissues. The probe optical geometry was designed to bias measurement influence toward absorption enabling enhanced sensitivity to changes in tissue composition. A set of parameters termed “lesion optical indices” are defined encapsulating spectral differences between ablated and unablated tissue. Utilizing these features, a model for real‐time tissue spectra classification and lesion size estimation is presented. Experimental validation conducted within freshly excised porcine cardiac specimens showed strong concordance between algorithm estimates and post‐hoc tissue assessment.
Does having a similar disability matter for match outcomes?: A randomized study of matching mentors and mentees by visual impairment
Authors: Heppe Eline C. M. , Kupersmidt Janis B. , Kef Sabina , Schuengel Carlo
Published: July 2018

Mentoring is modestly effective for youth with a chronic illness or physical disability; however, program effectiveness may be enhanced when mentors and mentees are matched on shared interests and experiences. To test this hypothesis, mentees were randomly assigned to having a mentor with or without visual impairment (VI). Results showed that mentors without VI were younger and more likely to work or be educated in a helping profession and less likely to have a fixed mindset and extremely high positive expectations than mentors with VI. The main analyses on match outcomes showed that mentors with VI had significantly fewer and shorter match meetings, had a weaker relationship with their mentees, and were more likely to end their match prematurely. Mentor age, helping profession background, and fixed mindset were confounds in several analyses and reduced the significance of the relationship between VI group and match meeting quantity. The only relationship that remained significant controlling for covariates showed that matches including a mentor with VI were significantly more likely to end in premature closure than matches including a mentor without VI. Implications of the findings for future research and program practices related to matching were discussed.
Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Intravenous Levetiracetam in Children With Epilepsy
Authors: Kim Min‐Jee , Yum Mi‐Sun , Yeh Hye‐Ryun , Ko Tae‐Sung , Lim Hyeong‐Seok
Published: July 2018

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of intravenous (IV) levetiracetam (LEV) as a monotherapy in children aged 1 month‐16 years and to explore the pharmacokinetics (PK) of IV LEV and the time to seizure after IV then oral administration of LEV in pediatric children with epilepsy. Children diagnosed with acute unprovoked seizures requiring in‐hospital IV LEV administration were included. After administration, the clinical seizure outcomes, side effects, and the Korean‐Child Behavior Checklist were monitored and the PK and repeated time to seizure were analyzed via modeling using NONMEM software. Overall, 37 children with epilepsy were enrolled and underwent a PK analysis (median age, 4.6 years; median weight, 18.0 kg). Nine children (24.3%) had seizure recurrence during the follow‐up period (median, 3.8 months) and 5 children (13.5%) experienced LEV‐associated adverse events such as irritability (n = 2; 5.4%) and somnolence (n = 3; 8.1%). The plasma LEV concentrations after IV LEV were best described by a one‐compartment linear PK model. Only body weight was associated with both the clearance and volume of distribution of LEV. The Weibull distribution model described the time to seizure recurrence well; no statistically significant predictor for the time to seizure was identified. Therefore, IV LEV was a well‐tolerated and effective alternative in children with acute unprovoked seizures, and models for the PK and time to repeated seizure recurrence after LEV were successfully developed. In particular, the current use of a weight‐based IV LEV dosing regimen in pediatric children is practical.
LY2495655, an antimyostatin antibody, in pancreatic cancer: a randomized, phase 2 trial
Authors: Golan Talia , Geva Ravit , Richards Donald , Madhusudan Srinivasan , Lin Boris Kin , Wang Haofei Tiffany , Walgren Richard A. , Stemmer Salomon M.
Published: July 2018

Background

Cachexia is a formidable clinical challenge in pancreatic cancer. We assessed LY2495655 (antimyostatin antibody) plus standard‐of‐care chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer using cachexia status as a stratifier.

Methods

In this randomized, phase 2 trial, patients with stage II–IV pancreatic cancer were randomized to 300 mg LY2495655, 100 mg LY2495655, or placebo, plus physician‐choice chemotherapy from a prespecified list of standard‐of‐care regimens for first and later lines of care. Investigational treatment was continued during second‐line treatment. The primary endpoint was overall survival.

Results

Overall, 125 patients were randomized. In August 2014, 300 mg LY2495655 was terminated due to imbalance in death rates between the treatment arms; in January 2015, 100 mg LY2495655 treatment was terminated due to futility. LY2495655 did not improve overall survival: the hazard ratio was 1.70 (90% confidence interval, 1.1–2.7) for 300 mg vs. placebo and 1.3 (0.82–2.1) for 100 mg vs. placebo (recommended doses). Progression‐free survival results were consistent with the overall survival results. A numerically higher hazard ratio was observed in patients with weight loss (WL) of ≥5% (cachexia) than with <5% WL within 6 months before randomization. Subgroup analyses for patients stratified by WL in the 6 months preceding enrollment suggested that functional responses to LY2495655 (either dose) may have been superior in patients with <5% WL vs. patients with ≥5% WL. Among possibly drug‐related adverse events, fatigue, diarrhoea, and anorexia were more common in LY2495655‐treated than in placebo‐treated patients.

Conclusions

In the intention‐to‐treat analysis, LY2495655 did not confer clinical benefit in pancreatic cancer. Our data highlight the importance of assessing survival when investigating therapeutic management of cachexia and support the use of WL as a stratifier (independent of performance status).
Preliminary economic assessment: a valuable tool to establish biocatalytic process feasibility with an in‐lab immobilized lipase
Authors: Serrano‐Arnaldos Mar , Ortega‐Requena Salvadora , Montiel Maria Claudia , Máximo Fuensanta , Bastida Josefa , Murcia Maria Dolores
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND

Despite the interest that commercial lipases arouse, the number of industrial applications is still very limited. Only high added value products such as cosmetic ingredients that can simultaneously benefit from ‘green chemistry’ and ‘natural’ labels of using biocatalysts can justify the final cost. In any case, process feasibility economic assessment in the first project stages must be done to take decisions about its industrial applicability.

RESULTS

This work presents an economic study of the cetyl esters mixture production process similar to natural spermaceti catalyzed by different in‐lab immobilized lipase derivatives to determine if they can compete, not only in catalytic properties (activity and stability) but also in price, with the commercial ones. Results highlight that CALB lipase immobilized in Amberlite™ XAD™ 1180 whose direct total cost (1.20 € g−1) is comparable with commercial lipases, is also effective in spermaceti biocatalytic synthesis achieving, under optimal conditions, 98% conversion in less than one hour.

CONCLUSION

High conversion values and it reusability (at least 15 times), provides a product with a price (58 € kg−1) similar to that of the well‐known Novozym® 435 (56.5 € kg−1). Future scale‐up will allow better study the process and gives a more realistic product final price. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
High purity fructose from inulin with heterogeneous catalysis – from batch to continuous operation
Authors: Pérez Nebreda Andrea , Russo Vincenzo , Di Serio Martino , Eränen Kari , Murzin Dmitry Yu , Salmi Tapio , Grénman Henrik
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND

Inulin is a valuable source of high purity fructose. The conversion of inulin to fructose utilizing an advanced sulfonic ion‐exchange resin was previously investigated in detail in a batch reactor study, where a detailed mechanistic model for the reaction kinetics was demonstrated (J Chem Technol Biotechnol 2018;93:224–232). The same catalyst was employed in tailor‐made continuous fixed‐bed reactors in the current work in order to study the feasibility of continuous operation.

RESULTS

Two types of reactors were utilized: a single‐bed reactor and a multibed reactor with sample withdrawal between catalyst beds. The results from the single‐bed reactor allowed optimal reaction conditions to be determined which were extrapolated and used for experiments in the multiple‐bed reactor. High yields of fructose (75%) were obtained with the multiple‐bed reactor without any degradation products. Detailed flow characterization was performed on the reactor system and residence time distribution results were merged with the detailed model for the chemical kinetics obtained from batch reactor studies taking into account mass transfer limitations, in order to obtain a rigorous model for the performance of the continuous reactor. The fit of the mathematical model to the experimental data was very good and this provides a useful tool for further development and scale‐up purposes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the two related studies highlight the potential of new reactor design strategies towards the realization of more efficient, sustainable and green processes, which can easily be scaled‐up and implemented in bio‐based industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
The opioid system and the social brain: implications for depression and suicide
Authors: Lutz Pierre‐Eric , Courtet Philippe , Calati Raffaella
Published: July 2018

In the past decade, considerable attention has been drawn to social interactions and behaviors as sources of pleasurable (social reward) and painful (social pain) emotional states. While the role of the opioid system in the regulation of reward and pain processes has long been recognized, it has more recently been investigated and characterized in the specific context of social experiences across several mammalian species. Accordingly, the present narrative review provides a comprehensive summary of studies detailing how the opioid system controls social reward and social pain. From a translational and pathophysiological perspective, we further discuss how opioid‐dependent regulation of social behaviors may contribute to depressive illness and suicidal behaviors, and ultimately provide innovative therapeutic opportunities.
Revisiting the relationship between El Niño‐Southern Oscillation and the East Asian winter monsoon
Authors: Yu Shui , Sun Jianqi
Published: July 2018

Previous studies have indicated that the relationship between El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) weakened significantly after the late 1970s. In this study, the relationship is further analysed based on the impact of different ENSO types. It is found that the relationship between ENSO and the EAWM is related to the ENSO's types. The relationship with the EAWM is strong for eastern Pacific (EP) ENSO but weak for central Pacific (CP) ENSO. The blend of EP and CP ENSO events in the Niño3 index results in a weakened statistical relationship between ENSO and the EAWM. If the pure CP ENSO events are removed from the Niño3 index, the results show that EP ENSO still exerts influence on the EAWM after the late 1970s via its strong connections with the Philippine Sea anticyclone (PSAC) and East Asian trough (EAT), similar to the period before the late 1970s. In contrast, the connections between CP ENSO and the PSAC and EAT are relatively weak, consequently resulting in a weakened relationship between CP ENSO and the EAWM. The influence of mixed (MIX) ENSO on the EAWM is similar to that of EP ENSO. Thus, the EP and MIX ENSO events have had a stable influence on the East Asian winter climate over the past half century, which is significant for the prediction of the East Asian winter climate.
Rapid and adjustable shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy using a dual‐wavelength diode laser at 785 nm
Authors: Maiwald Martin , Sumpf Bernd , Tränkle Günther
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we present rapid and adjustable shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS). A dual‐wavelength diode laser emitting at 785 nm is used as the excitation light source. Two laser resonators are realized in a single chip, and two distributed Bragg reflector gratings provide two excitation lines at 785 nm. For each laser line, an optical power of 170 mW is achieved. Two separate heater elements are implemented and are used to realize a flexible spectral distance up to 36 cm−1. At selected spectral distances from 1 to 30 cm−1, an alternating operation with modulation frequencies up to 100 Hz is performed and shows stable spectral properties including a narrow linewidth of 11 pm. Raman experiments are carried out using ethanol as the target substance and Irish cream as the test sample. Raman and SERDS spectra at the selected spectral distances are presented and discussed with respect to the analytes under study. The described alternating operation for SERDS is demonstrated with integration times down to 50 ms for a single Raman spectrum. A carefully selected spectral distance of 15 cm−1 between both laser lines allows a discrimination of closely neighbored Raman bands of Irish cream and shows a 15‐fold improvement of the signal‐to‐background noise in the reconstructed SERDS spectra. The results demonstrate rapid and adjustable SERDS using a dual‐wavelength diode laser as a potential tool for Raman applications such as real‐time diagnostic during surgeries, in situ measurements, which require quick on‐site decisions, and Raman experiments with strong background interferences, for example, from laser‐induced fluorescence and ambient light.
Determination of aflatoxin M1 and B1 in milk and jujube by miniaturized solid‐phase extraction coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Du Lijing , Wang Shuling , Huang Jianping , Chu Chu , Li Rongrong , Li Qin , Wang Qiuyan , Hu Yuhan , Cao Jun , Chen Yubo , Peng Liqing , Yang Juan
Published: July 2018

A miniaturized solid‐phase method was proposed for the extraction of aflatoxin M1 and B1 from milk and jujube samples. Target analytes were identified by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry in positive mode. The main factors that affected the extraction ability and sensitivity of the analytical method were evaluated in detail. In the optimal conditions, 30 mg of silica particles functionalized with octadecyltrimethoxysilane and methanol were used as sorbent and desorption solvent in miniaturized solid‐phase extraction, respectively. The calibration curves for aflatoxin B1 and M1 showed good linearity (r2 > 0.9921) within linear ranges. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) were determined to be 0.049 and 0.023 μg/kg for aflatoxin M1 and B1, respectively. In addition, the good spiked recoveries were obtained ranging from 88.24 to 105.35%. The results demonstrated that the proposed method had significant advantages including simple, inexpensive, rapid, and accurate, which considered as a suitable method for the trace analysis of aflatoxins.
Separation of six compounds including two n‐butyrophenone isomers and two stibene isomers from Rheum tanguticum Maxim by recycling high speed counter‐current chromatography and preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Chen Tao , Yang Xue , Wang Nana , Li Hongmei , Zhao Jingyang , Li Yulin
Published: July 2018

Six compounds including two n‐butyrophenone isomers and two stibene isomers were obtained from Rheum tanguticum Maxim. Two n‐butyrophenone isomers with a separation factor of 1.14 were successfully separated by recycling high‐speed counter‐current chromatography after ten cycles. Two stibene isomers were successfully separated by preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography. High‐performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that the purities of the compounds were all over 98%. These compounds were identified as lindleyin, isolindleyin, resveratrol‐4′‐O‐(2″‐O‐galloyl)‐glucopyranoside, resveratrol‐4′‐O‐(6′′‐O‐galloyl)‐glucopyranoside, emodin 1‐O‐β‐d‐glucoside, and 3,5‐dihydroxy‐4′‐methoxystilbene‐3‐O‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside. The results indicated that recycling high‐speed counter‐current chromatography and preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography could be effective combination for the preparation of bioactive compounds from Rheum tanguticum Maxim.
Simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of 11 active compounds in rhubarb using two reference substances by UHPLC
Authors: Chen Anzhen , Sun Lei , Yuan Hang , Wu Aiying , Lu Jingguang , Ma Shuangcheng
Published: July 2018

Multi‐component analysis is one of the key techniques for the overall quality control of traditional Chinese medicines. However, the shortage and high cost of reference substances are the greatest obstacles. The substitute method is an alternative solution. In the present study, 11 compounds of rhubarb were simultaneously determined by a method named “two reference substances for determination of multiple components”, which includes a qualitative method with linear calibration using two reference substances and a quantitative method with a relative correction factor combined with ultra high performance liquid chromatography. Using aloe‐emodin‐8‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside and chrysophanol as reference compounds, chromatographic peak identification was performed. The results demonstrated that linear calibration using two reference substances method showed higher accuracy, less deviation, and better column adaptability compared to the relative retention time method. Using chrysophanol as a reference compound, the relative correction factors were determined and showed good reproducibility and stability in different laboratories with different instruments, columns, and wavelength fluctuations. The results had no significant difference compared with the external standard method. The strategy of two reference substances for determination of multiple components coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography is economical, efficient, accurate, reliable, and environmentally friendly and is suitable for the quality control of traditional Chinese medicines.
Influence of consecutive integrated rice–crayfish culture on phosphorus fertility of paddy soils
Authors: Li Qingman , Xu Lei , Xu Lijing , Qian Yiguang , Jiao Yang , Bi Yonghong , Zhang Tanglin , Zhang Wen , Liu Yanjie
Published: July 2018

China has experienced an increase in integrated rice–crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) culture (IRCC) in rice paddies. However, whether the current regime degrades phosphorus (P) fertility in rice paddies remains unclear. To assess changes in P fertility, the surface soil (0–20 cm) of high‐yield rice paddies with 3, 6, and 10 consecutive years of IRCC was sampled in Honghu County in the Jianghan Plain region, China. Adjacent fields planted with long‐term rotations of rice and dry‐season crops (RRD) were also sampled. Total P (TP), available P (Pa), organic P (Po) compounds, and P fractions in soils were intensively assessed using chemical digestion, NaHCO3 extraction, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance, and sequential chemical extraction. IRCC significantly increased organic matter, total nitrogen, TP, Fe(II), and S2− contents of rice paddy soils and nutrient concentrations in the surface water, with a distinct decrease in total Fe and pH. Consecutive IRCC greatly influenced P fertility. Continuous P accumulation in rice paddy soils accelerated greatly, with a mean increase of approximately 43 mg·kg−1·yr−1. Pa was 67% higher after 3 years of IRCC, compared with RRD, but 78% lower after 10 years. Consecutive IRCC induced a decrease in Po compounds, with a mean decrease in TPo of approximately 20 mg·kg−1·yr−1. Long‐term consecutive IRCC increased transformation of Pa, Fe(II)–P, and Po into Ca–P and Fe(III)–P, increasing mean Ca–P and Fe(III)–P concentrations by approximately 69 and 7 mg·kg−1·yr−1, respectively. Our results suggested that long‐term consecutive IRCC degrades P fertility in rice paddies, and implementing IRCC in high‐yield rice paddies is not recommended.
Synergistic effect of halide ions and gum arabic for the corrosion inhibition of API5L X70 pipeline steel in H2SO4
Authors: Djellab Mounir , Bentrah Hamza , Chala Abdelouahad , Taoui Hicham
Published: July 2018

This paper aims to increase the inhibition efficiency of gum arabic (GA) for the corrosion of API5L X70 pipeline steel in sulfuric acid through the addition of halide ions (potassium iodide [KI], potassium chloride [KCl], and potassium bromide [KBr]). The synergistic effect of GA and halide ions has been studied using potentiodynamic polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and surface analysis by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that substantial corrosion inhibition (99%) using 2 g L−1 GA and 0.5 mM KI can be obtained in synergistic manner. The adsorption of GA in combination with iodide ions follows Langmuir adsorption isotherm. GA combined with KI acts as a mixed‐type inhibitor in sulfuric acid.
Hyperbranched Polymers Formed Through Self‐Condensing Vinyl Polymerization in a Continuous Stirred‐Tank Reactor (CSTR): 2. Branched Architecture
Authors: Tobita Hidetaka
Published: July 2018

The Monte Carlo simulation method proposed in Part 1 of this series is used to investigate the branched architecture of hyperbranched polymers formed through self‐condensing vinyl polymerization (SCVP) in a continuous stirred‐tank reactor (CSTR). The degree of branching (DB) at large chain length (P) limit, DBinf, does not change with the mean residence time . The value of DBinf is larger than the corresponding batch polymerization. The relationship between the mean‐square radius of gyration 0 and P does not change with , and high molecular weight (MW) polymers obtained in a CSTR are much more compact than those formed in batch polymerization. At least for the high MW polymers, CSTR is advantageous to synthesize compact hyperbranched polymers.
Antimicrobial efficacy of alternative compounds for use in oral care toward biofilms from caries‐associated bacteria in vitro
Authors: Cieplik Fabian , Kara Esra , Muehler Denise , Enax Joachim , Hiller Karl‐Anton , Maisch Tim , Buchalla Wolfgang
Published: July 2018

For caries‐active patients, antimicrobial measures may be useful in addition to mechanical biofilm removal. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy of alternative compounds for use in oral care from two main categories (i.e., preservatives and natural compounds) toward biofilms from caries‐associated bacteria as compared to oral care gold‐standards chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), and zinc. Compounds were screened in initial Streptococcus mutans biofilms. Then, the most effective compounds were further investigated in mature S. mutans and polymicrobial biofilms comprising Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinomyces odontolyticus, and S. mutans. Here, distinct treatment periods and concentrations were evaluated. Biofilms were visualized by scanning electron microscopy and bacterial membrane damage was evaluated by means of flow cytometry and staining with SYBR Green and propidium iodide. Citrus extract was the only compound exhibiting similar antimicrobial efficacy in initial S. mutans biofilms (>5 log10) as compared to CHX and CPC, but its effect was clearly inferior in mature S. mutans and polymicrobial biofilms. Flow cytometric data suggested that the mechanism of antimicrobial action of citrus extract may be based on damage of bacterial membranes similar to CHX and CPC. From all alternative compounds investigated in this study, citrus extract exhibited the highest antimicrobial efficacy toward in vitro biofilms from caries‐associated bacteria, but still was less effective than oral care gold‐standard antiseptics CHX and CPC. Nevertheless, citrus extract may be a valuable antimicrobial compound for use in oral care for caries‐active patients.
Flap‐site Fragment Restores Back Wild‐type Behaviour in Resistant Form of HIV Protease
Authors: Luchi Adriano , Angelina Emilio , Bogado Lucrecia , Forli Stefano , Olson Arthur , Peruchena Nélida
Published: July 2018

HIV‐1 protease (HIV‐PR) performs a vital step in the virus life cycle which makes it an excellent target for drug therapy. However, due to the error‐prone of HIV reverse transcriptase, mutations in HIV‐PR often occur, inducing drug‐resistance to inhibitors. Some HIV‐PR mutations can make the flaps of the enzyme more flexible thus increasing the flaps opening rate and inhibitor releasing. It has been shown that by targeting novel binding sites on HIV‐PR with small molecules, it is possible to alter the equilibrium of flap conformational states. A previous fragment‐based crystallographic screen have found two novel binding sites for small fragments in the inhibited, closed form of HIV‐PR, termed flap and exo sites. While these experiments were performed in wild type HIV‐PR, it still remains to be proven whether these small fragments can stabilize the closed conformation of flaps in resistant forms of the enzyme. Here we performed Molecular Dynamics simulations of wild type and mutant form of HIV‐PR bound to inhibitor TL‐3. Simulations show that on going from wild type to 6X mutant the equilibrium shifts from closed to semi‐open conformation of flaps. However, when fragment Br6 is placed at flap site of mutant form, the enzyme is restored back to closed conformation. This finding supports the hypothesis that allosteric inhibitors, together with active site inhibitors could increase the number of point mutations necessary for appreciable clinical resistance to AIDS therapy.
GlucoCEST imaging with on‐resonance variable delay multiple pulse (onVDMP) MRI
Authors: Xu Xiang , Xu Jiadi , Chan Kannie W.Y. , Liu Jing , Liu Huanling , Li Yuguo , Chen Lin , Liu Guanshu , van Zijl Peter C.M.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

To examine the detection sensitivity for the rapidly exchanging hydroxyl protons of D‐glucose using the recently developed on‐resonance variable delay multi‐pulse (onVDMP) chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) technique.

Methods

The onVDMP method was applied for the detection of water signal changes upon venous D‐glucose infusion in mice with 9L glioma xenografts. The effect size of onVDMP MRI during infusion was compared with that of conventional continuous wave (CW) CEST MRI.

Results

Both methods highlighted the tumor and the blood vessels on D‐glucose infusion. In interleaved studies, the mean signal changes detected by onVDMP were found to be 1.8 times higher than those by CW‐CEST, attributed to its high labeling efficiency for fast exchanging protons and the labeling of the OH protons over a larger frequency range.

Conclusions

The onVDMP method is a more sensitive technique for the detection of exogenous CEST agents with fast‐exchanging protons compared to CW‐CEST MRI.
Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome presenting with symptoms in an ulnar nerve distribution: A prospective study
Authors: Colorado Berdale S. , Osei Daniel A.
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Patients presenting with symptoms of pain/paresthesias primarily in an ulnar nerve distribution may be noted to have exclusive median mononeuropathy at the wrist on subsequent electrodiagnostic testing. There has been limited research looking at the prevalence of this clinical presentation.

Methods

A cohort of adults were surveyed to assess for severity and localization of hand symptoms using the Katz hand diagram and Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Symptoms Severity Scale. Thirty volunteers met our case definition for ulnar neuropathy and underwent a standardized physical examination, electrodiagnostic testing, and nerve ultrasound.

Results

Eleven of 30 subjects (37%) were found to have exclusive median mononeuropathy at the wrist.

Discussion

Carpal tunnel syndrome should remain high on the differential for patients presenting with symptoms of pain/paresthesias primarily in an ulnar nerve distribution. Muscle Nerve 59:60–63, 2019
Administration of leuprolide acetate, a GnRH agonist, improves urodynamic parameters in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Medina‐Aguiñaga Daniel , Munoz Alvaro , Luna Maricela , Martinez‐Moreno Carlos G. , Quintanar‐Stephano Andrés , Quintanar J. Luis
Published: July 2018

Aim

To evaluate the effects of a treatment with leuprolide acetate (LA) on bladder overactivity as well as the expression of gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRH‐R), and neurofilaments NF68 and NF200 in female rats with overactive bladder induced by castration.

Methods

Changes in the urodynamic parameters were determined in SHAM, ovariectomized (OVX) and ovariectomized rats treated with LA (OVX‐LA). A semi‐quantitative analysis for the expression pattern of GnRH‐R and neurofilaments NF68 and NF200 were determined.

Results

Forty‐three days after ovariectomy, rats from the OVX group have significant lower values for intercontractile interval (ICI) and compliance (C); as well as higher values for basal bladder pressure (BP) and frequency of non‐voiding contractions (NVC). The systemic application of LA increased voiding volume (Vv) and pressure threshold (ThP) in the OVX‐LA animals. The application of LA reduced the high frequency of NVC in the OVX rats. No significant differences were found for Vv and NVCs between the OVX‐LA vs SHAM groups. At the mid part of the bladder, the presence of GnRH‐R was evidenced in the urothelium of the SHAM group. The OVX animals showed different pattern of immunolabeling for GnRH‐R as well as for neurofilaments NF200 and NF68, whereas in the OVX‐LA group the immunofluorescence pattern was similar to the one seen in SHAM bladders (P < 0.05 for OVX vs OVX + LA).

Conclusions

the results suggest that systemic application of LA can improve bladder dysfunction in castrated rats, and perhaps considered as a treatment for overactive bladder conditions secondary to menopause.
High‐resolution echo‐planar spectroscopic imaging at ultra‐high field
Authors: Coello Eduardo , Noeske Ralph , Burns Brian L. , Gordon Jeremy W. , Jakary Angela , Menze Bjoern , Haase Axel , Larson Peder E.Z. , Li Yan , Schulte Rolf F.
Published: July 2018

MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) at ultra‐high field (≥7 T) benefits from improved sensitivity that allows the detection of low‐concentration metabolites in the brain. However, optimized acquisition techniques are required to overcome inherent limitations of MRSI at ultra‐high field. This work describes an optimized method for fast high‐resolution 1H‐MRSI of the brain at 7 T. The proposed acquisition sequence combines precise volume localization using semi‐localization by adiabatic selective refocusing, fast spatial encoding using high‐bandwidth symmetric echo‐planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI), and robust water suppression with variable power and optimized relaxation delays. This showed improved robustness to B0 and B1+ inhomogeneities, eddy currents, nuisance signal contamination and system instabilities. Furthermore, a method for correction of phase inconsistencies in symmetric EPSI enabled high‐bandwidth measurements at 7 T. The proposed correction effectively removed spectral ghosting using a single‐shot water reference scan. This framework was tested in healthy volunteers at 7 T and spectral quality was compared with lower‐spatial‐resolution scans, measured at 3 T using the same methodology. A gain in the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) per unit volume and unit time of 1.57 was achieved, keeping acquisition time short (5 min) and the specific absorption rate within the permitted limits. This SNR enhancement obtained at ultra‐high field enabled high‐resolution (0.25–0.375 mL) metabolite mapping of the brain within a clinically feasible scan time. The correlation of the reconstructed maps with anatomical structures was observed, showing the diagnostic potential of the technique.
A robust deconvolution method to disentangle multiple water pools in diffusion MRI
Authors: De Luca Alberto , Leemans Alexander , Bertoldo Alessandra , Arrigoni Filippo , Froeling Martijn
Published: July 2018

The diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) signal measured in vivo arises from multiple diffusion domains, including hindered and restricted water pools, free water and blood pseudo‐diffusion. Not accounting for the correct number of components can bias metrics obtained from model fitting because of partial volume effects that are present in, for instance, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). Approaches that aim to overcome this shortcoming generally make assumptions about the number of considered components, which are not likely to hold for all voxels. The spectral analysis of the dMRI signal has been proposed to relax assumptions on the number of components. However, it currently requires a clinically challenging signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and accounts only for two diffusion processes defined by hard thresholds. In this work, we developed a method to automatically identify the number of components in the spectral analysis, and enforced its robustness to noise, including outlier rejection and a data‐driven regularization term. Furthermore, we showed how this method can be used to take into account partial volume effects in DTI and DKI fitting. The proof of concept and performance of the method were evaluated through numerical simulations and in vivo MRI data acquired at 3 T. With simulations our method reliably decomposed three diffusion components from SNR = 30. Biases in metrics derived from DTI and DKI were considerably reduced when components beyond hindered diffusion were taken into account. With the in vivo data our method determined three macro‐compartments, which were consistent with hindered diffusion, free water and pseudo‐diffusion. Taking free water and pseudo‐diffusion into account in DKI resulted in lower mean diffusivity and higher fractional anisotropy values in both gray and white matter. In conclusion, the proposed method allows one to determine co‐existing diffusion compartments without prior assumptions on their number, and to account for undesired signal contaminations within clinically achievable SNR levels.
Detecting stress injury (fatigue fracture) in fibular cortical bone using quantitative ultrashort echo time‐magnetization transfer (UTE‐MT): An ex vivo study
Authors: Jerban Saeed , Ma Yajun , Nazaran Amin , Dorthe Erik W. , Cory Esther , Carl Michael , D'Lima Darryl , Sah Robert L. , Chang Eric Y. , Du Jiang
Published: July 2018

Bone stress injury (BSI) incidents have been increasing amongst athletes in recent years as a result of more intense sporting activities. Cortical bone in the tibia and fibula is one of the most common BSI sites. Nowadays, clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the recommended technique for BSI diagnosis at an early stage. However, clinical MRI focuses on edema observations in surrounding soft tissues, rather than the injured components of the bone. Specifically, both normal and injured bone are invisible in conventional clinical MRI. In contrast, ultrashort echo time (UTE)‐MRI is able to detect the rapidly decaying signal from the bone. This study aimed to employ UTE‐MRI for fatigue fracture detection in fibula cortical bone through an ex vivo investigation. Fourteen human fibular samples (47 ± 20 years old, four women) were subjected to cyclic loading on a four‐point bending setup. The loading was displacement controlled to induce −5000 ± 1500 μ‐strain at 4 Hz. Loading was stopped when bone stiffness was reduced by 20%. Fibula samples were imaged twice, using UTE‐MRI and micro‐computed tomography (μCT), first pre‐loading and second post‐loading. After loading, the macromolecular fraction (MMF) from UTE‐MT modeling demonstrated a significant decrease (12% ± 20%, P = 0.02) on average. Single‐component T2* also decreased significantly by BSI (12% ± 11%, P = 0.01) on average. MMF reduction is hypothesized to be a result of collagenous matrix rupture and water increase. However, faster T2* decay might be a result of water shifts towards newly developed microcracks with higher susceptibility. Despite this good sensitivity level of the UTE‐MRI technique, the μCT‐based porosity at a voxel size of 9 μm was not affected by loading. UTE‐MRI shows promise as a new quantitative technique to detect BSI.
Making global simpler GMRES more stable
Authors: Liu Qiaohua , Shen Dongmei , Jia Ziwei
Published: July 2018

The global GMRES method is well known for the solution of nonsymmetric linear systems with multiple right hands. In this paper, the condition number for evaluating the stability of the global simpler GMRES method is defined. With this condition number, it is shown that Zong et al.'s global simpler method with a simple basis of the Krylov matrix subspace might lead to instability when there is a large decrease in the residual norm. An adaptive global simpler method is then presented to avoid the potential instability. For this adaptive method, theoretical results deliver the lower and upper bounds for the condition number of the basis, and when the linear system is of single right hand, the estimate is proven to be tighter than Jiránek et al.'s upper bound by numerical tests. Numerical results also show that the adaptive strategy leads to a well‐conditioned basis, and in most cases, the global simpler GMRES with normalized residuals as the basis can also be reliable.