bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison Between SonoVue and Sonazoid Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound in Characterization of Focal Nodular Hyperplasia Smaller Than 3 cm
Authors: He Mengna , Zhu Lu , Huang Min , Zhong Liyun , Ye Zhengdu , Jiang Tian'an
Published: December 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), including SonoVue (SV; sulfur hexafluoride; Bracco SpA, Milan, Italy) and Sonazoid (SZ; perflubutane; GE Healthcare, Oslo, Norway), and explore the differences between them in the characterization of CEUS features in focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) smaller than 3 cm.

Methods

This retrospective study included 31 lesions smaller than 3 cm diagnosed as FNH by CEUS between April 2019 and November 2019. Nine patients underwent SZ CEUS examinations, and 22 patients underwent SV CEUS examinations; all of them were confirmed by pathologic examinations or 2 other kinds of CEUS methods. We compared the CEUS features between SZ and SV in different phases, including arterial, portal venous, delayed, and Kupffer (SZ) phases.

Results

Twenty‐eight lesions were eventually diagnosed as FNH; 3 were misdiagnosed as FNH by SV CEUS. The overall diagnostic accuracy of CEUS including SZ and SV was 90.3% (28 of 31). No significant difference was found (P > .05) for the positive predictive value. Likewise, no significant difference in depicting centrifugal filling (9 of 9 versus 19 of 19), spoke wheel artery (6 of 9 versus 8 of 19), or feeding artery (2 of 9 versus 10 of 19) features was found between the contrast agents; However, SZ was significantly better at depicting the presence of a central scar than SV (5 of 9 versus 3 of 19; P = .030). Misdiagnosed cases are discussed in detail.

Conclusions

Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound enables an accurate diagnosis in FNH smaller than 3 cm. Sonazoid CEUS and SV CEUS were comparable in diagnosing small FNH, and both agents were highly capable of depicting the centrifugal filling dynamic process of FNH smaller than 3 cm. Sonazoid CEUS might be better than SV CEUS at depicting a central scar.
Olfactory Dysfunction is not a Determinant Of Patient‐Reported Chronic Rhinosinusitis Disease Control
Authors: McCann Adam C. , Trope Michal , Walker Victoria L. , Kavoosi Tazheh A. , Speth Marlene M. , Gengler Isabelle , Phillips Katie M. , Sedaghat Ahmad R.
Published: December 2020

Objectives/Hypothesis

As a cardinal symptom of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), hyposmia has been recommended to be assessed as a component of CRS disease control. Herein we determine the significance of hyposmia in CRS in the context of nasal obstruction and drainage symptoms.

Study Design

Prospective, cross‐sectional

Methods

Cross‐sectional study of 308 CRS patients (102 CRSwNP, 206 CRSsNP) without prior endoscopic sinus surgery. The burden of nasal obstruction and hyposmia were assessed using the corresponding item scores on the 22‐item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22). Burden of nasal discharge was assessed using the mean of “thick nasal discharge” and “thick post‐nasal discharge” SNOT‐22 item scores. Patients were all asked to rate their CRS symptom control as “not at all,” “a little,” “somewhat,” “very,” or “completely.”

Results

In CRSwNP, only 4.9% had a hyposmia score > 1 with nasal obstruction and drainage scores less than or equal to 1. In CRSsNP, only 1.9% had a hyposmia score > 1 with nasal obstruction and drainage scores less than or equal to 1. On univariate association, CRS symptom control was significantly associated with nasal obstruction, hyposmia, and drainage in both CRSwNP and CRSsNP (P < .05 in all cases). Using multivariable regression to account for all nasal symptoms, only nasal obstruction and nasal discharge scores (but not hyposmia) were significantly associated with CRS symptom control.

Conclusions

Hyposmia rarely occurs without nasal obstruction or nasal drainage, and may therefore be redundant to assess for CRS disease control. Moreover, hyposmia was not associated with patient‐reported CRS symptom control when accounting for the burden of nasal obstruction and drainage.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 131:E2116–E2120, 2021
National Database Outcomes of Esophageal Dilations
Authors: Mullen Michael B. , Witt Michael Andrew , Stromberg Arnold J. , Fritz Mark A.
Published: December 2020

Objectives/Hypothesis

To better assess rates of postoperative complications and mortality following esophageal dilation, and to identify factors associated with adverse outcomes.

Study Design

Observational, retrospective cohort study.

Methods

We queried a national database of insurance claims for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes representing esophageal dilation performed between 2011 and 2017. Patients aged 18 to 100 who were continuously enrolled with their insurance provider were included. Demographic information, additional CPT codes, concomitant diagnoses, and anticoagulant medication data were collected for all patients included. Postoperative mortality was assessed and International Classification of Diseases (ICD)9/10 codes for complications, including esophageal perforation, hemorrhage, mediastinitis, and sepsis were flagged.

Results

We identified 202,965 encounters for esophageal dilation. Of these procedures, 193 were performed on a patient who underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) during the study period and was analyzed separately. Another 244 dilations were excluded due to repeat entries. Of the remaining 202,528 procedures remaining, 42,310 were repeat dilations in the same patient. Data analysis was confined to each patient's initial dilation. 160,218 initial dilations remained. Of these, 62,107 were performed on male patients and 98,111 were performed on female patients. The average age was 57.7 years. There were 12 mortalities within 30 days postoperatively, representing 0.0075% of all dilations. Esophageal perforation and esophageal hemorrhage were the most common reported complications, with 139 and 110 occurrences, respectively. The overall per‐dilation complication rate was 0.215%.

Conclusions

Evidence from a national insurance claim database suggests that esophageal dilation is a safe procedure with a low rate of serious complications and a 30‐day all‐cause mortality rate of less than 1 per 10,000 dilations.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:2436–2440, 2021
Effectiveness of Injection Laryngoplasty for Aspiration in Acute Iatrogenic Vocal Fold Paralysis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Pan Sabrina , Sadoughi Babak
Published: December 2020

Objective/Hypothesis

To review current evidence on effectiveness of injection laryngoplasty on aspiration outcomes in acute unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Study Design

Systematic review.

Methods

A literature search was performed on MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library from inception of each database to May 2019. Inclusion criteria included case series, case–control studies, prospective cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials assessing the outcomes of early injection laryngoplasty on aspiration in unilateral vocal fold paralysis, in the acute setting. Only English articles with adult study populations were included. Two independent investigators screened all abstracts and manuscripts. Data on study design, patient demographics, interventions, and outcome measures were systematically extracted by both authors for included studies.

Results

Fourteen case series studies comprising 582 patients were included. Results were not quantitatively synthesized due to the heterogeneity of outcome measures. Eleven studies reported that a majority (ranging 50%–100%) of patients in each respective study showed improvement in diet intake (progression from nil per os to oral) or Penetration‐Aspiration Scale (PAS) scores after injection laryngoplasty. However, none of the investigations used a control group, and therefore, did not account for the possibility of improvement of function related to placebo or Hawthorne effects rather than attributed to intervention.

Conclusions

No robust evidence was found to support injection laryngoplasty as an effective measure to improve aspiration outcomes in acute iatrogenic vocal fold paralysis. Current practices rely on empirical observations and scarce expert opinions. Further prospective investigations with controlled objective measures are necessary to definitively demonstrate the effectiveness of IL for aspiration management. Laryngoscope, 132:813–821, 2022
Quantifying responses of net primary productivity to agricultural expansion in drylands
Authors: Pan Ning , Wang Shuai , Liu Yanxu , Hua Ting , Zhang Junze , Xue Feng , Fu Bojie
Published: December 2020

There is a limited understanding of agricultural land dynamics across global drylands and the impacts of transitions between agricultural land and land cover on net primary productivity (NPP) changes. This study attempted to fill this gap by examining agricultural land changes and NPP responses in drylands. A data‐driven assessment of effects on the NPP of individual agricultural land displacement was carried out using three methods: the mean difference method, a newly introduced ridge‐regression method, and a proposed method based on actual change excluding climate impact. Increases in NPP were accompanied by agricultural land transitions from natural land cover and expected forests. The agricultural expansion mainly replaced sparse vegetation and grassland and increased the overall NPP of the dryland ecosystem. The mean difference method and ridge‐regression method overestimated the NPP increase caused by agricultural land expansion. Land use change contributed more than 70% to NPP increase in the new agricultural area. However, land use change has less effect on total NPP in drylands than climate change. Monitoring agricultural land dynamics and distinguishing NPP changes caused by different agricultural land transitions is helpful for targeted management and sustainable development of agriculture in drylands.
Nitrogen and oxygen isotopomeric constraints on the sources of nitrous oxide and the role of submarine groundwater discharge in a temperate eutrophic salt‐wedge estuary
Authors: Wong Wei Wen , Lehmann Moritz F. , Kuhn Thomas , Frame Caitlin , Poh Seng Chee , Cartwright Ian , Cook Perran L.M.
Published: December 2020

Estuaries have been identified as sources of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions to the atmosphere but questions remain as to which production pathway(s) govern the oversaturation of N2O observed in most estuaries worldwide. Here, we use a suite of nitrate and N2O isotopes, as well as the 15N site preference signatures of N2O to assess (1) the relative importance of different N2O production pathways in a eutrophic groundwater‐impacted salt‐wedge estuary and the aquifers underlying the estuary and (2) the influence of groundwater input on the overall N2O saturation in the estuary. This is one of the few studies to examine the effect of groundwater–surface water interaction on N2O cycling using N2O isotopes. The site preference values of N2O in the deep aquifer below the estuary were distinctive (83‰ ± 25‰) and were much higher than in either surface water (21‰ ± 6‰) or shallow groundwater (44‰ ± 8‰), suggesting the influence of multiple biotic and/or abiotic processes which proceed through multiple cycles, and/or the occurrence of a yet unidentified N2O production pathway. Isotope endmember considerations revealed that nitrifier‐denitrification was the major N2O production pathway within the shallow aquifer whereas within the estuarine water column, N2O saturation was governed by chemodenitrification and discharge of N2O‐laden submarine groundwater. Our study not only emphasizes the substantial, yet often underappreciated role of submarine groundwater discharge in estuarine N2O budgets, but also highlights the need to reevaluate the importance of the noncanonical denitrification pathways (i.e., chemodenitrification and nitrifier‐denitrification) in controlling the overall N2O production from estuarine and groundwater environments.
Responses of phytoplankton communities to the effect of internal wave‐powered upwelling
Authors: Ma Lingqi , Xiao Wupeng , Laws Edward A. , Bai Xiaolin , Chiang Kuo‐Ping , Liu Xin , Chen Jixin , Huang Bangqin
Published: December 2020

Upwelling and internal waves are known to affect the physical and chemical characteristics of marine ecosystems, yet the processes and mechanisms by which internal waves influence phytoplankton biomass and community composition in upwelling regions are still unclear. In this study, a 72‐h time series of observations was conducted in an upwelling system in the northern South China Sea during the summer of 2014. The results showed that the intensity of upwelling was affected by internal waves, which caused nutrient fluctuations in the upper water column. The phytoplankton total chlorophyll a responded positively to the increase of nutrient concentrations, but only after a time lag of 12–16 h. This overall response was the net result of four different types of responses displayed by nine specific phytoplankton groups. All groups that displayed immediate positive responses continued to respond positively at least 12 h later, whereas all groups that responded negatively showed no time‐lagged responses. Based on the vertical distributions of the nine phytoplankton groups and their known physiological traits, we suggest that these different types of response were the net result of a rapid physical transport effect and a time‐lagged, physiological effect via bottom‐up control.
Developing Science Communication Skills in Early Career Scientists
Authors: Schiebel Hayley , Stone Rebecca , Rivera Echo A. , Fairfield Jessamyn
Published: December 2020

For two consecutive years, a workshop entitled Developing the Science of Science Communication has been offered as the Aquatic Sciences Meeting (2019) and Ocean Sciences Meeting (2020). The goal of these workshops was to provide training for early career scientists specifically related to verbal and visual communication skills that are sorely lacking in early career science curricula. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected from 91 participants across the two workshops through pre‐ and postsurvey data. Participants overwhelmingly agreed that they (1) would recommend the workshop to others and (2) found the workshop content would be useful in their careers. Workshop participants had the opportunity to offer more feedback in response to several open‐ended questions related to the visual and verbal components of the workshop, each of which provided interesting feedback in terms of which session(s) were the most useful for different types of audiences and how to proceed in future workshops. The workshop hosts created a report with background information, survey data results, and recommendations moving forward. The full report can be found at: http://bit.ly/ECRworkshop.
OCT‐Based Angiography and Surface Topography in Burn‐Damaged Skin
Authors: Lu Jie , Deegan Anthony J. , Cheng Yuxuan , Mandell Samuel P. , Wang Ruikang K.
Published: December 2020

Background and Objectives

There is a clinical need for an accurate, non‐invasive imaging tool that can provide the objective assessment of burn wounds. The aims of this study are to demonstrate the potential of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in evaluating burn wound healing, as well as exploring the physiological basis of human wound healing.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

This was a retrospective study. Seven patients with severe burn wounds who were admitted to Harborview Medical Center were imaged using an in‐house‐built, clinical‐prototype OCT system. OCT imaging was carried out at multiple scan sites on the burned skin across two time points (imaging session #1 and #2) with a field of view of ~9 × 9 mm. Due to pathological differences among burn zones, scan sites were classified into red sites (zone of hyperemia), white sites (zone of coagulation), and mixed sites. In addition to obtaining qualitativeen facevascular and surface topography maps, we quantified vascular area density and surface roughness for comparative purposes.

Results

En facevascular and surface topography maps demonstrated numerous morphological changes over both imaging sessions associated with burn injury, such as altered blood flow and loss of regular texture. Quantitative analyses revealed that during imaging session #1, vascular area density was significantly increased within the red sites compared with that of a healthy control (P = 0.0130), while vascular area density was significantly decreased within the white sites compared with that of a healthy control (P < 0.0001). During imaging session #2, vascular area density was significantly reduced to a more normal range within the red sites compared with imaging session #1 (P = 0.0215); however, vascular area density was still significantly lower within the white sites compared with that of a healthy control (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, vascular area density and surface roughness were significantly increased within the white sites during imaging session #2 compared with imaging session #1 (bothP < 0.0001).

Conclusions

OCT is clinically feasible to monitor vascular changes and alterations in skin surface roughness during the process of burn wound healing. Variations in vascular area density and roughness measurements within the burn wounds revealed by OCT offer some key insights into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for wound healing, which may become critical biological indicators in future clinical evaluation and monitoring of wound healing. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC
How selective are clinical CDK4/6 inhibitors?
Authors: Hendrychová Denisa , Jorda Radek , Kryštof Vladimír
Published: December 2020

Pharmacological inhibition of cyclin‐dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) has emerged as an efficient approach for treating breast cancer, and its clinical potential is expanding to other cancers. CDK4/6 inhibitors were originally believed to act by arresting proliferation in the G1 phase, but it is gradually becoming clear that the cellular response to these compounds is far more complex than this. Multiple context‐dependent mechanisms of action are emerging, involving modulation of quiescence, senescence, autophagy, cellular metabolism, and enhanced tumor cell immunogenicity. These mechanisms may be driven by interactions with unexpected targets. We review cellular responses to the Food and Drug Administration‐approved CDK4/6 inhibitors palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib, and summarize available knowledge of other drugs undergoing clinical trials, including data on their off‐target landscapes. We emphasize the importance of comprehensively characterizing drugs' selectivity profiles to maximize their clinical efficacy and safety and to facilitate their repurposing to treat additional diseases based on their target spectrum.
Maternal adiposity is associated with inflammatory gene expression in leukocytes at term human pregnancy: A pilot study
Authors: MacDonald‐Ramos Karla , Vega‐Sánchez Rodrigo
Published: December 2020

Background

Human labor is associated with an inflammatory process that takes place at the maternal–fetal interface, where leukocytes infiltrate and contribute to the local production of effector molecules such as cytokines, chemokines, MMPs, etc. This process may be altered by a low‐grade chronic inflammation, characteristic of obesity, resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this cross‐sectional pilot study, we analyzed the relationship between maternal adiposity and inflammation‐related gene expression in leukocytes from six healthy women with term pregnancies without labor.

Methods

We estimated maternal adiposity and examined the relative expression of 211 inflammation‐related genes in maternal peripheral blood leukocytes (MAT), placental intervillous blood leukocytes (PLA), and choriodecidual leukocytes (CHD) by real‐time qPCR. Finally, we analyzed the correlation between maternal adiposity and gene expression.

Results

Participants’ adiposity ranged from 27.6% to 61.1% (n = 6). The expression of 23 genes significantly differed (p < 0.05) in MAT, PLA, and CHD leukocytes, most of which code for chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. Importantly, increasing maternal adiposity correlated (r > 0.7) mostly positively with the expression of genes related to activation, migration, infiltration, and proinflammation in MAT (36 genes) and PLA (31 genes). In contrast, in CHD leukocytes maternal adiposity correlated only negatively with seven genes, involved in migration and infiltration.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that during term pregnancy, increased maternal adiposity may enhance the priming of peripheral leukocytes, while in choriodecidua it may alter leukocyte recruitment and proinflammatory activity. Maternal adiposity must be considered an important variable in further studies that analyze inflammation‐related gene expression in pregnant women.
Progress on the nanoscale spherical TiO2 photocatalysts: Mechanisms, synthesis and degradation applications
Authors: Lian Peng , Qin Aimiao , Liao Lei , Zhang Kaiyou
Published: December 2020

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has the advantages of strong photocatalytic activity, non‐toxicity, and low cost, and so on. It has always occupied a dominant position in many photocatalytic materials, especially nanoscale spherical TiO2 has the characteristics of high specific surface area and pore‐volume, and so on. Therefore, Degussa P25, as a typical representative of the nanoscale spherical structure, is currently the only material produced on a large scale. According to the structure, nanoscale spherical TiO2 can be divided into three types: solid, core‐shell, and hollow spheres. However, there is still a lack of the latest review on the synthetic doping and application of nanoscale spherical TiO2. Therefore, we first describe the degradation mechanism of nanoscale spherical TiO2 and summarize the latest progress of its synthesis strategy in this review, including doping and other modification techniques, and finally introduce the application of nanoscale spherical TiO2 photocatalytic degradation of volatile organic compounds, dye wastewater, antibiotics, pesticides, and oily wastewater. Through this review, it is helpful for researchers to further understand the synthesis and application of nanoscale spherical TiO2, hoping to continuously improve the disadvantages and photocatalytic activity of nanoscale spherical TiO2, and promote the widespread application of nanoscale spherical TiO2 on an industrial scale.
Suppositories with bioactive calcium phosphate nanoparticles for intestinal transfection and gene silencing
Authors: Hosseini Shabnam , Epple Matthias
Published: December 2020

Calcium phosphate nanoparticles (diameter about 60 nm, triple‐shell) were loaded with nucleic acids (DNA or siRNA) for local gene therapy in the colon. To avoid the oral administration where a passage through the stomach is necessary, the nanoparticles were incorporated into custom‐made hard‐fat suppositories after freeze‐drying with trehalose. After melting the suppository at 37°C, the nanoparticles were released and well dispersed in cell culture medium. They retained their bioactivity as shown by in vitro cell culture studies with the model cell line HeLa and the colon cancer cell line Caco‐2. The nanoparticles were easily taken up by both cell types and also efficient for transfection and gene silencing, as shown with the model protein eGFP. This opens a way for local gene therapy in the colon.
Radiofrequency coil for routine ultra‐high‐field imaging with an unobstructed visual field
Authors: Gilbert Kyle M. , Klassen L. Martyn , Mashkovtsev Alexander , Zeman Peter , Menon Ravi S. , Gati Joseph S.
Published: December 2020

Many neuroscience applications have adopted functional MRI as a tool to investigate the healthy and diseased brain during the completion of a task. While ultra‐high‐field MRI has allowed for improved contrast and signal‐to‐noise ratios during functional MRI studies, it remains a challenge to create local radiofrequency coils that can accommodate an unobstructed visual field and be suitable for routine use, while at the same time not compromise performance. Performance (both during transmission and reception) can be improved by using close‐fitting coils; however, maintaining sensitivity over the whole brain often requires the introduction of coil elements proximal to the eyes, thereby partially occluding the subject's visual field. This study presents a 7 T head coil, with eight transmit dipoles and 32 receive loops, that is designed to remove visual obstructions from the subject's line of sight, allowing for an unencumbered view of visual stimuli, the reduction of anxiety induced from small enclosures, and the potential for eye‐tracking measurements. The coil provides a practical solution for routine imaging, including a split design (anterior and posterior halves) that facilitates subject positioning, including those with impaired mobility, and the placement of devices required for patient comfort and motion reduction. The transmit and receive coils displayed no degradation of performance due to adaptions to the design topology (both mechanical and electrical) required to create an unobstructed visual field. All computer‐aided design files, electromagnetic simulation models, transmit field maps and local specific absorption rate matrices are provided to promote reproduction.
A simplified two‐level subgrid stabilized method with backtracking technique for incompressible flows at high Reynolds numbers
Authors: Yang Xiaocheng , Shang Yueqiang , Zheng Bo
Published: December 2020

Based on finite element discretization, a simplified two‐level subgrid stabilized method with backtracking technique is proposed for the steady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations at high Reynolds numbers. The method combines the best algorithmic characteristics of the standard two‐level method with backtracking technique and subgrid stabilized method. In this method, we first solve a fully nonlinear Navier–Stokes equations with a subgrid stabilized term on a coarse grid, then solve a simplified subgrid stabilized linear problem on a fine grid, and finally solve a linear correction problem on a coarse grid, where the stabilized term is based on an elliptic projection. The theoretical results show that, with suitable scalings of algorithmic parameters, the method can yield an optimal convergence rate of second‐order. Two numerical results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.
Telehealth and mobile health interventions in adults with inflammatory bowel disease: A mixed‐methods systematic review
Authors: Davis Suja P. , Ross Megan Suzanne Hardin , Adatorwovor Reuben , Wei Holly
Published: December 2020

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic illness that is comprised of two major disorders: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Adults with IBD have adopted telehealth and mobile health (mHealth) interventions to improve their self‐management skills and symptom‐monitoring. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of telehealth and mHealth interventions and explore the benefits and challenges of these interventions in patients with IBD. This review used a convergent segregated approach to synthesize and integrate research findings, a methodology recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute for mixed‐methods systematic reviews. Databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The search followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses, which yielded sixteen quantitative and two qualitative articles. A narrative synthesis was performed to present the findings of quantitative and qualitative studies. Evidence from quantitative and qualitative studies was then integrated for a combined presentation. The results of quantitative analysis supported the efficacy of telehealth and mHealth interventions to improve patients' quality of life, medication adherence, disease activity, medication monitoring, disease‐related knowledge and cost savings. While some participants in qualitative studies reported certain challenges of telehealth and mHealth interventions, most of the participants conferred the benefits of the interventions, including improved disease‐related knowledge, communication between patients and providers, sense of reassurance, and appointment options. The evidence from quantitative and qualitative synthesis partially supported each other.
Interpreting injury recidivism in a rural post‐medieval male individual from Bucelas, Portugal
Authors: Antunes‐Ferreira Nathalie , Prates Carlos , Curate Francisco
Published: December 2020

Injury recidivism studies assess the lived experience of individuals who endure multiple traumatic incidents, conveying a nuanced contextualization of individual suffering within a reticulate of social and cultural processes. During a recent archaeological excavation, a skeleton of a middle‐aged male dating to the 17th–18th centuries AD was excavated in the churchyard of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit in Bucelas (Portugal). This individual exhibited a mixture of healed and healing fractures that prompted poor functional long‐term outcomes and an increase in the risk of death. Macroscopic and medical imaging (computerized tomography) analyses revealed lesions in the right shoulder, right and left ribs, fifth right proximal phalanx and right distal femur. Fracture complications include myositis ossificans and chronic osteomyelitis. The results are interpreted in the broader sociocultural circumstances of Bucelas during the early modern period, in order to investigate the causes of this individual's accumulated trauma and the possibility of health‐related care associated with it.
Voter's choice of a presidential candidate: An empirical study
Authors: Arkorful Vincent Ekow , Lugu Benjamin Kweku , Basiru Ibrahim , Hammond Anastasia , Arkorful Vincent Emmanuel , Budu Godfred
Published: December 2020

Since the consolidation of democracy and the inception of reforms thereof in Ghana, one raging subject matter that has over time come under intense scrutiny, and persistently, altogether eminently preoccupied the attention of political scientists, pollsters, marketers and strategists in particular, has been one bordering on voter's behavior. Understanding voter's behavior is crucially indispensable to reshaping the democratic process and devising political strategies. In spite of this, there is however a paucity of research focus targeted at unraveling the distinct behavior patterns and underpinnings relative to voters' choices. Against this backdrop, the main idea of this research is to explore the antecedents of voters' choice. The theory of consumer behavior has been used as the theoretical framework. Using the survey approach, data was elicited from card bearing registered voters and analyzed with the aid of the structural equation modeling technique. Results of data (n = 363) analysis revealed a confluence of voters' choice antecedents anchored on; quality, trust, attractiveness, expertise and image. Based on the results, study implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are subsequently delineated.
ASA/SEBS/paraffin composites as phase change material for potential cooling and heating applications in building
Authors: Xiang Bo , Yang Zhangbin , Zhang Jun
Published: December 2020

Phase change material (PCM) is able to melt and crystalize with a high heat of phase change at constant temperature, which provides new and green cooling and heating strategies for buildings. In this work, PCMs for buildings composed of acrylonitrile‐styrene‐acrylate copolymer (ASA), polystyrene‐b‐poly(ethylene/butylene)‐b‐polystyrene triblock copolymer (SEBS) and paraffin were fabricated by melt blending. The results of the accelerated leakage test indicated an excellent ability of PCMs to keep paraffin from leakage. Thermal properties suggested that the phase change enthalpy of PCMs increased with the increasing content of paraffin and their phase change temperature was close to the comfortable sensible temperature of human body, which made it quite suitable for building cooling and heating. Besides, PCMs presented excellent stability and reusability after several thermal cycling tests. The temperature test conducted with self‐designed cylindrical devices gave a more sufficient and direct demonstration of the cooling and heating effect. Remarkably, excellent cooling and heating performance (both as high as 15°C) of the composites could be obtained with the addition of paraffin. And the time span of the cooling and heating process was as long as 5 and 7.5 hours, respectively. Owing to its excellent cooling and heating capabilities, the ASA/SEBS/paraffin composites are of great potential to be applied in building temperature control.
The preparation and mechanism of permanently flame retardancy, antistatic, good toughness and high transparent poly(methyl methacrylate)
Authors: Chen Si , Wu Dandan , Xu Changbo , Ma Meng , Shi Yanqin , Yuan Kaiyun , Xu Ruqing , Wang Xu
Published: December 2020

A novel kind of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) copolymer, P(MMA‐co‐HEMAP), with permanently flame retardancy, antistatic, good toughness and high transparency properties was synthesized through the addition of 2‐hydroxyethyl 2‐methyl‐2‐propenoate phosphated (HEMAP), which was chosen as the flame retardant and the antistatic agent. The included phosphine group is necessary for flame retardancy and acryl phosphate group that could absorb water to realize antistatic property while having good compatibility with methyl methacrylate (MMA). Different from the significantly reduction of transparency happened in traditional modification method, the optical property of the P(MMA‐co‐HEMAP) copolymers keeps almost unchanged comparing to that of neat PMMA in the visible range. And the peak Heat Release Rate (pHRR) and Total Heat Release (THR) of the 30PhrHEMAP were significantly reduced by 40% and 36.2%, respectively, while the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) increased from 17.8 to 24.5%. The HEMAP decomposed during the combustion process to form polyphosphoric acid, which promotes dehydration and carbonization of polymer matrix to form a cross‐linking yield char and it would reduce fire spread. Besides, the surface resistance of the 30PhrHEMAP could be reduced down to 1010Ω which could achieve antistatic effect. The hydrophilic groups, acryl phosphate on the surface of copolymer was able to absorb moisture from the air for antistatic effects. Furthermore, the toughness of the copolymers was also greatly improved compared to that of neat PMMA. This research provided a method for preparing PMMA copolymer and the resultant P(MMA‐co‐HEMAP) copolymers can significantly improve the three properties simultaneously for the first time.
Interleukin‐33 improves local immunity during Gram‐negative pneumonia by a combined effect on neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes
Authors: Ramirez‐Moral Ivan , Blok Dana C , Bernink Jochem H , Garcia‐Laorden M Isabel , Florquin Sandrine , Boon Louis , van't Veer Cornelis , Mack Matthias , Saluzzo Simona , Knapp Sylvia , Spits Hergen , de Vos Alex F , van der Poll Tom
Published: December 2020

Pneumonia represents a major health care burden and Gram‐negative bacteria provide an increasing therapeutic challenge at least in part through the emergence of multidrug‐resistant strains. IL‐33 is a multifunctional cytokine belonging to the IL‐1 family that can affect many different cell types. We sought here to determine the effect of recombinant IL‐33 on the host response during murine pneumonia caused by the common Gram‐negative pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae. IL‐33 pretreatment prolonged survival for more than 1 day during lethal airway infection and decreased bacterial loads at the primary site of infection and distant organs. Postponed treatment with IL‐33 (3 h) also reduced bacterial growth and dissemination. IL‐33‐mediated protection was not observed in mice deficient for the IL‐33 receptor component IL‐1 receptor‐like 1. IL‐33 induced a brisk type 2 response, characterized by recruitment of type 2 innate lymphoid cells to the lungs and enhanced release of IL‐5 and IL‐13. However, neither absence of innate lymphoid cells or IL‐13, nor blocking of IL‐5 impacted on IL‐33 effects in mice infected with Klebsiella. Likewise, IL‐33 remained effective in reducing bacterial loads in mice lacking B, T, and natural killer T cells. Experiments using antibody‐mediated cell depletion indicated that neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes were of importance for antibacterial defense. The capacity of IL‐33 to restrict bacterial growth in the lungs was strongly reduced in mice depleted of both neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes, but not in mice selectively depleted of either one of these cell types. These results suggest that IL‐33 boosts host defense during bacterial pneumonia by a combined effect on neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes. © 2020 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Synthesis, structure, and function of internally functionalized dendrimers
Authors: Smith Ryan J. , Gorman Christopher , Menegatti Stefano
Published: December 2020

The past three decades have witnessed an exponential increase in the structural diversity and applications of dendrimers, spanning across drug delivery and diagnostics, protein, and enzyme mimicry, solubility enhancement, coatings, light harvesting, and catalysis. The dendrimer community has recently focused on internally functionalized dendrimers (IFDs) owing to their advanced design and functionality. The synthesis of IFDs relies on advanced orthogonal chemistries and/or (de)protection schemes, as well as careful purification to minimize polydispersity of composition and molecular weight. The studies published on IFDs, however, lay scattered across the chemical literature, and a comprehensive presentation of structural rationale, synthetic procedures, and technologically relevant applications is missing. To address this need, this review presents a comprehensive collection and discussion of all available studies on IFDs, detailing their methods of synthesis and their structure–function correlations. The wide variety of internal functionalities, including hydroxyl, amine, carboxylic acid, allyl, alkyne, and imidazole groups, enables myriad applications in biochemistry, chemical and biomedical engineering, and material science. Particular focus is given to IFDs that are amenable to modular synthetic strategies, which promote higher synthetic yield and scalability, and therefore possess stronger translational and commercial potential. As such, this review guides research groups pursuing the difficult task of IFD rational design and synthesis providing them a concise roadmap to their mission.
Efficacy of a multimedia intervention in facilitating breast cancer patients' clinical communication about sexual health: Results of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Reese Jennifer B. , Sorice Kristen A. , Pollard Whitney , Handorf Elizabeth , Beach Mary C. , Daly Mary B. , Porter Laura S. , Tulsky James A. , Lepore Stephen J.
Published: December 2020

Objective

Many women with breast cancer (BC) hesitate to raise sexual concerns clinically. We evaluated a multimedia intervention to facilitate BC patients' communication about sexual/menopausal health, called Starting the Conversation (STC).

Methods

Female BC patients (N = 144) were randomly assigned to either STC (20‐min video, workbook, and resource guide) or control (resource guide only). Audio‐recorded dialogue from patients' next oncology clinic encounter was coded for patients' sexual health communication. Self‐report surveys assessed patients' beliefs about sexual health communication, self‐efficacy for clinical interactions, sexual function/activity, anxiety/depression symptoms, and quality of life at baseline, post‐intervention, and 2‐month follow‐up. T‐tests or mixed‐effects logistic regression compared study arms.

Results

Women in the STC arm were more likely to raise the topic of sexual health (51%; OR = 2.62 [1.02, 6.69], p = 0.04) and ask a sexual health question (40%; OR = 2.85 [1.27, 6.38], p = 0.01) during their clinic encounter than those in the control arm (30% and 19% for raise and ask, respectively). At follow‐up, women in the STC arm showed greater improvements in sexual health communication self‐efficacy (p = 0.009) and in anxiety symptoms (p = 0.03), and more women were sexually active at follow‐up, compared to the control arm (OR = 1.5, 70% vs. 46%, p = 0.04).

Conclusions

The STC intervention facilitated women's clinical communication about sexual health and reduced women's anxiety, possibly due to increased confidence in expressing their medical needs. Helpful information gained from clinical discussions could have improved women's willingness or ability to engage in sexual activity. Future studies should identify aspects of the clinical encounter most critical to improving women's sexual outcomes.
Total Integration of the Sample Injection, Microdroplet Reaction, Phase Separation, Real‐Time Optical Detection, and Recovery of Diverse Silver–Gold Bimetallic Nanoalloys in a Continuous Process
Authors: Bui Hoang Khang , Kim Ki Yoon , Kim Hyeonjin , Ahn Jae‐Pyoung , Yu Taekyung , Seo Tae Seok
Published: December 2020

Microfluidic droplet generators have garnered great attention due to the uniformity, high‐throughput capability, and facile experimental setup. To maximize the potentials of droplet technology as a chemical/biological nanoliter‐scale reactor, the downstream processes such as separation of the aqueous and oil phase, real‐time monitoring of the products formed in droplets, and the final product recovery from the droplets is necessary. In this study, the droplet is utilized as a chemical reactor to synthesize a variety of Ag and Au bimetallic nanoalloys in a fully integrated microsystem including sample injection, a T‐junction droplet generator, droplet reaction, water–oil phase separation, real‐time UV–vis absorbance detection, and product recovery. The flow rate of the Ag nanoparticle (NP) solution and the HAuCl4 solution was tuned to generate different molar ratios of Ag and Au components. The in‐line UV–vis absorbance spectrometer displays a peak shift of the Ag/Au bimetallic alloys depending on the molar ratio of Ag/Au in the continuous process, enabling to judge the kind of the Ag/Au alloys in situ and collect a variety of Ag/Au nanoalloys. Thus, the desired nanomaterials can be obtained with minimal trial and error, saving time and cost.
Physiotherapy in Haiti: A qualitative study exploring local clinicians' perspectives
Authors: Bessette Jennifer , Lapointe Anne‐Marie , Gendron Marilyne , Camden Chantal
Published: December 2020

Background and Purpose

The physiotherapy profession in Haiti has seen many changes since the earthquake in 2010, due to the increased number of Haitians living with permanent impairments. The earthquake sparked a significant humanitarian response. Research shows that the response focused mainly on providing short‐term rehabilitation services without sustained efforts to develop sustainable rehabilitation services. A decade later, little is known about the state of the Haitian physiotherapy profession. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of Haitian physiotherapy professionals regarding the current state of the profession in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Methods

We used a qualitative exploratory descriptive design. This study consisted of two phases: (1) a survey to identify potential interview participants, and identify preliminary themes to be explored in the follow‐up interviews, and (2) a series of semi‐structured qualitative interviews. We performed a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts.

Results

Four physiotherapists and one rehabilitation technician participated in the interviews. Six interrelated themes emerged, each having a systemic impact on the development of physiotherapy and rehabilitation services in Haiti: (1) physiotherapy as an emerging field, (2) government funding and planning of physiotherapy services, (3) accessibility to physiotherapy services, (4) relationship with doctors, (5) international collaboration, and (6) Haitian physiotherapy associations.

Conclusion

This study highlights the ongoing efforts of local physiotherapy associations in advocating for the profession in Haiti, which has become one of the profession's main strengths. The lack of government funding and service planning was considered a significant barrier to overcome, as was the aftermath of the earthquake's emergency response. Future international efforts could focus on supporting local physiotherapy associations and organisations in their endeavours to develop sustainable rehabilitation services.
Holographic Theories at Finite θ‐Angle, CP‐Violation, Glueball Spectra and Strong‐Coupling Instabilities
Authors: Hamada Yuta , Kiritsis Elias , Nitti Francesco
Published: December 2020

A general class of holographic theories with a nontrivial θ‐angle are analyzed. The instanton density operator is dual to a bulk axion field. We calculate the ground‐state solutions with nontrivial source, , for the axion, for both steep and soft dilaton potentials in the IR, and both in and . We find all cases to be qualitatively similar. We also calculate the spin=2, 0 glueball spectra and show that the glueball masses monotonically decrease as functions of (or θ‐angle). The slopes of glueball masses are different, generically, in different potentials. In the case of steep dilaton potentials, the glueball (masses)2 turn negative before the maximum of is attained. We interpret this as a signal for a favored instanton condensation in the bulk. We also investigate strong CP‐violation in the effective glueball action.
PBPK Model of Coproporphyrin I: Evaluation of the Impact of SLCO1B1 Genotype, Ethnicity, and Sex on its Inter‐Individual Variability
Authors: Takita Hiroyuki , Barnett Shelby , Zhang Yueping , Ménochet Karelle , Shen Hong , Ogungbenro Kayode , Galetin Aleksandra
Published: December 2020

Coproporphyrin I (CPI) is an endogenous biomarker of OATP1B activity and associated drug‐drug interactions. In this study, a minimal physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic model was developed to investigate the impact of OATP1B1 genotype (c.521T>C), ethnicity, and sex on CPI pharmacokinetics and interindividual variability in its baseline. The model implemented mechanistic descriptions of CPI hepatic transport between liver blood and liver tissue and renal excretion. Key model parameters (e.g., endogenous CPI synthesis rate, and CPI hepatic uptake clearance) were estimated by fitting the model simultaneously to three independent CPI clinical datasets (plasma and urine data) obtained from white (n = 16, men and women) and Asian‐Indian (n = 26, all men) subjects, with c.521 variants (TT, TC, and CC). The optimized CPI model successfully described the observed data using c.521T>C genotype, ethnicity, and sex as covariates. CPI hepatic active was 79% lower in 521CC relative to the wild type and 42% lower in Asian‐Indians relative to white subjects, whereas CPI synthesis was 23% higher in male relative to female subjects. Parameter sensitivity analysis showed marginal impact of the assumption of CPI synthesis site (blood or liver), resulting in comparable recovery of plasma and urine CPI data. Lower magnitude of CPI‐drug interaction was simulated in 521CC subjects, suggesting the risk of underestimation of CPI‐drug interaction without prior OATP1B1 genotyping. The CPI model incorporates key covariates contributing to interindividual variability in its baseline and highlights the utility of the CPI modeling to facilitate the design of prospective clinical studies to maximize the sensitivity of this biomarker.