bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cranial sonographic markers of fetal open spina bifida at 11 to 13 weeks of gestation
Authors: Wertaschnigg Dagmar , Ramkrishna Jayshree , Ganesan Sujatha , Tse Cheryl , Scheier Matthias , Volpe Nicola , Ghi Tullio , Meagher Simon , Rolnik Daniel L.
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To compare the sonographic signs of spina bifida obtained on axial and sagittal views of the fetal head between 11 and 13+6 weeks of gestation.

Methods

This was a retrospective study including 27 cases of spina bifida and 1003 randomly selected controls. Indirect markers of spina bifida were evaluated on stored ultrasound images. Intracranial translucency (IT), ratio between the brainstem and the brainstem–occipital bone distance (BS/BSOB), and maxillo‐occipital (MO) line were assessed on sagittal view, whereas biparietal diameter (BPD), BPD to abdominal circumference ratio (BPD/AC), and aqueduct to occipital bone (aqueduct of Sylvius [AoS]) distance were measured on the axial plane. Reference ranges were developed, and cases of spina bifida were examined in relation to the reference range.

Results

On the sagittal view, detection rates for IT below the fifth percentile, BS/BSOB above the 95th percentile, and an abnormal MO line were 52.3%, 96.3%, and 96.3%, respectively. On the axial view, detection rates for BPD, BPD/AC, and AoS below the fifth percentile were 66.7%, 70.4%, and 77.8%, respectively.

Conclusion

The MO line and the BS/BSOB ratio appear to be the best indirect ultrasound markers of spina bifida and can be easily obtained during the routine first‐trimester scan.
Pharmacokinetics of Basiliximab for the Prevention of Graft‐versus‐Host Disease in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation with Minimal‐Intensity Cyclophosphamide and Fludarabine
Authors: Podichetty Jagdeep T. , Brinda Bryan J. , Nelson Robert P. , Karr Alissa H. , Prasad Nagendra K. , Quinney Sara , Foxworthy Scott Susanna , Kiel Patrick J.
Published: November 2019

Study Objective

Basiliximab is an immunosuppressive monoclonal antibody used for rejection prevention following solid organ transplantation; the pharmacokinetics (PK) of basiliximab in this setting are known. Basiliximab may also be used for prophylaxis and treatment of graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT); however, the PK of basiliximab in this setting are not known. Clinical transplant providers expect variation in the volume of distribution and clearance after nonmyeloablative allogeneic transplantation (NMAT) compared with solid organ transplantation. Blood loss, organ site–specific antibody accumulation, and differences in blood product use during the two transplantation approaches may generate differences in basiliximab PK. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the PK of basiliximab after its addition to a minimally intense NMAT regimen, in conjunction with cyclosporine, for GVHD prophylaxis in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Design

Population PK analysis of a single‐center, single‐arm, phase II clinical trial.

Setting

Academic cancer research center.

Patients

Fourteen adults with hematologic malignancies (acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, myelofibrosis, or severe aplastic anemia) and undergoing NMAT with a fully HLA‐matched (10 of 10 antigen matched) related or unrelated donor.

Measurements and Main Results

Basiliximab was used in conjunction with cyclosporine to deplete activated T cells in vivo as GVHD prophylaxis. We developed a novel competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method using recombinant interleukin‐2 receptor alpha‐chain (IL‐2Ra) and a commercially available soluble sIL‐2R ELISA kit to permit the quantification of serum basiliximab concentrations and characterization of the PK properties of the drug in this patient population. Using a nonlinear mixed effects model with NONMEM software, a one‐compartment model with first‐order elimination best described the PK, as covariate analysis using stepwise covariate modeling did not improve the base model.

Conclusion

We suggest a one‐compartment population model with first‐order elimination to capture the PK profile for basiliximab for this patient population.
Reference equation for maximal voluntary ventilation in children and adolescents
Authors: Silva Jaksoel C. , Carvalho Ideza E. , Dal Corso Simone , Lanza Fernanda C.
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To develop reference equations of maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) in children and adolescents, and to test the validity and reproducibility of MVV.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Patient‐Subject selection

A total of 348 healthy volunteers (6‐17 years)—248 for the development of reference equations and 100 to test the validity— were selected.

Methodology

Spirometry and MVV were performed. Volunteers were instructed to breathe quickly and strongly to estimate the MVV. Independent variables tested were age, sex, weight, height, and pulmonary function.

Results

All volunteers (50% boys) had a normal pulmonary function. Mean MVV was 66.3 (17.8) L/minute for children and 118.8 (20.0) L/minute for adolescents. The equation developed for children was MVV = 4.865 + (forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV1] × 16.257) + (peak expiratory flow [PEF] × 7.621); for adolescents was MVV = −25.450 + (FEV1 × 11.591) + (PEF × 6.672) + (sex × 12.179) + (age × 3.613). No significant differences were observed between measured and predicted MVV in children (64.6 [10.3] vs 64.6 [8.5] L/minute; P = .34) or adolescents (111.8 [23.4] vs 113.1 [22.8] L/minute, P = .12). The intraclass correlation coefficient between measured and predicted MVV was 0.95 (0.91‐0.97) for children and 0.90 (0.82‐0.94) for adolescents. The mean bias of Bland‐Altman analysis was −0.8 L/minute for children and −2.7 L/minute for adolescents.

Conclusions

Normative values for MVV were established for children and adolescents, additionally, these equations are reproducible and it can be used to determine the respiratory impairments in the pediatric population.
Theoretical and Experimental Study of the α‐ and β‐Phase of Diammonium 5,5′‐Bistetrazole‐1,1′‐Diolate (ABTOX)
Authors: Wang Xiao Jun , Zhang Xiao Peng , Wang Xia , Lu Zhi Yan , Shang Feng Qin , Zhao Yun
Published: November 2019

Two new phase of diammonium 5,5′‐bistetrazole‐1,1′‐diolate (α‐ and β‐ABTOX) were prepared, and its structure were characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopy and single X‐ray diffraction. The thermal decomposition processes of α‐ and β‐ABTOX were studies by means of the DTA‐TG and TG‐MS technologies, the crystal morphology of α‐ and β‐ABTOX were studied by SEM technology. The results show thermal stability of α‐ABTOX is better than β‐ABTOX, the crystal morphology of α‐ and β‐ABTOX are rhombus and square. Finally, front orbital energies and the molecular electronic potential (MEP) of α‐ and β‐ABTOX were studied using density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP/6‐311G(d, p) basis set level.
Improved Uniform Current Injection into Core‐Shell‐Type GaInN Nanowire Light‐Emitting Diodes by Optimizing Growth Condition and Indium‐Tin‐Oxide Deposition
Authors: Sone Naoki , Suzuki Atsushi , Murakami Hideki , Goto Nanami , Terazawa Mizuki , Lu Weifang , Han Dong-Pyo , Iida Kazuyoshi , Ohya Masaki , Iwaya Motoaki , Takeuchi Tetsuya , Kamiyama Satoshi , Akasaki Isamu
Published: November 2019

The aim of this research is to realize high‐efficiency light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) with a 3D core‐shell GaN nanowire. This article describes the growth of 3D core‐shell GaN nanowires, the formation of indium tin oxide (ITO) around the p‐GaN outer shell of the nanowires, and the characteristics of the fabricated nanowire‐LED (NW‐LED). The structural properties of the n‐GaN core, GaInN/GaN multiquantum shell (MQS), p‐GaN outer shell, and ITO electrode are investigated by scanning electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the optical and electrical characteristics of the NW‐LEDs are evaluated. The findings show that the grown n‐GaN cores have a uniform height and diameter, the MQS is defect‐free with a uniform film thickness, and p‐GaN outer shells with a uniform thickness are grown on both the m‐ and c‐planes. Consequently, a NW‐LED that emits light from the entire chip area is successfully realized by depositing an ITO electrode that covers the p‐GaN outer shells with a uniform film thickness.
Broadband Ultraviolet Emission from 2D Arrays of AlGaN Microstructures Grown on the Patterned AlN Templates
Authors: Kataoka Ken , Funato Mitsuru , Kawakami Yoichi
Published: November 2019

Broadband ultraviolet (UV) emission is achieved using AlGaN microstructure 2D arrays. 2D arrays of trenches are initially formed on AlN templates on sapphire (0001) substrates. AlGaN‐based quantum wells (QWs) are subsequently regrown on top of the patterned templates. Bunched steps are formed within the trench, inducing variations in the Al composition and AlGaN thickness in the QWs. Regions with and without bunched steps coexist and cause emission wavelength variations. The formation mechanism of bunched steps is attributed to the position‐dependent AlN growth rate due to variations of the source–precursor flow within narrow trenches.
Nontraditional hypsometric equation
Authors: Ong Hing , Roundy Paul E.
Published: November 2019

This study corrects the hypsometric equation by restoring the nontraditional terms to relax the hydrostatic approximation. The nontraditional terms include one Coriolis term and two metric terms in the vertical momentum equation. The hypsometric equations with and without the nontraditional correction are used to calculate the geopotential height of pressure levels using more than 300,000 selected tropical rawinsonde profiles. With westerlies between two pressure levels, the thickness of the layer increases, which reduces the upward pressure gradient forces to balance the upward nontraditional Coriolis forces; the opposite is true for easterlies. Hence, zonal winds are negatively correlated with traditional geopotential height biases aloft. At 500 hPa, for example, traditional geopotential height error in the tropical troposphere is on the order of at least 0.5 m, which is considerable with respect to geopotential height variability in tropical large‐scale flow, on the order of 10 to 15 m.
Insights into the role of D‐A‐π‐A type pro‐aromatic organic dyes with thieno[3,4‐b]pyrazine as A acceptor group into dye‐sensitized solar‐cells. A TD‐DFT/periodic DFT study
Authors: Paredes‐Gil Katherine , Páez‐Hernández Dayán , Arratia‐Pérez Ramiro , Mendizábal Fernando
Published: November 2019

Time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT)/periodic DFT calculations were performed to determine the role of pro‐aromatic organic D‐A‐π‐A type dyes (the NL1‐NL17 family) with Thieno[3,4‐b]pyrazine (Tpy) as A acceptor group into dye‐sensitized solar‐cells (DSSC). This work presents a discussion of the ground and excited states of these dyes along with the aromaticity analysis and the electron injection step using a dye@(TiO2)72 model. The results suggest that the pro‐aromatic behavior increases from the thiophene ring to the pyrazine when an acceptor π‐bridge such as phenyl is used. This strong pro‐aromaticity is also reflected in the electron injection step, studied using a 3x2 3 layer (TiO2)72 slab model. The resulting adsorption energies (ΔEads and ΔGads) and the electron injection (ΔGinject) in the stablest coordination mode, Bid_CN_COOH, indicate that the redox reaction (Dye* ➔ Dye+ + e−) is stronger and more spon than the adsorption reaction (Dye+ + TiO2 [+e−] ➔ Dye@TiO2) in the electron injection. In this way, the highest efficiency of NL6 and NL12 is a consequence of the more significant pro‐aromatic characteristics and the more spontaneous redox process. Finally, these NL dyes are promising in the molecular engineering of D‐A‐π‐A metal‐free types dyes.
Histone deacetylases in virus‐associated cancers
Authors: Mirzaei Habibollah , Ghorbani Saeed , Khanizadeh Sayyad , Namdari Haideh , Faghihloo Ebrahim , Akbari Abolfazl
Published: November 2019

Oncogenic viruses are one of the most important causes of cancer worldwide. The pathogens contribute to the establishment of human malignancies by affecting various cellular events. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone modification methylation/demethylation, are one of the most critical events manipulated by oncogenic viruses to drive tumorigenesis. Histone modifications are mediated by histone acetylation and deacetylation, regulated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs), respectively. Dysregulation of HDACs activity affects viral tumorigenesis in several ways, such as manipulating tumor suppressor and viral gene expression. The present review aims to describe the vital interactions between both cancer‐caused/associated viruses and the HDAC machinery, particularly by focusing on those viruses involved in gastrointestinal tumors, as some of the most common viral‐mediated cancers.
Neural cell adhesion molecule regulates chondrocyte hypertrophy in chondrogenic differentiation and experimental osteoarthritis
Authors: Cheng Bin-Feng , Lian Jun-Jiang , Yang Hai-Jie , Wang Lei , Yu Hao-Heng , Bi Jia-Jia , Gao Yao-Xin , Chen Su-Juan , Wang Mian , Feng Zhi-Wei
Published: November 2019

Chondrocyte hypertrophy-like change is an important pathological process of osteoarthritis (OA), but the mechanism remains largely unknown. Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is highly expressed and involved in the chondrocyte differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, we found that NCAM deficiency accelerates chondrocyte hypertrophy in articular cartilage and growth plate of OA mice. NCAM deficiency leads to hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation in both murine MSCs and chondrogenic cells, in which extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling plays an important role. Moreover, NCAM expression is downregulated in an interleukin-1β-stimulated OA cellular model and monosodium iodoacetate-induced OA rats. Overexpression of NCAM substantially inhibits hypertrophic differentiation in the OA cellular model. In conclusion, NCAM could inhibit hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation of MSCs by inhibiting ERK signaling and reduce chondrocyte hypertrophy in experimental OA model, suggesting the potential utility of NCAM as a novel therapeutic target for alleviating chondrocyte hypertrophy of OA.

Significance statement Defects in the cartilage are irreversible and difficult to repair in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. A cell-based therapeutic approach for cartilage regeneration using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has gained attention in recent years; however, chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs is usually inefficient because of excessive chondrocyte hypertrophy-like change under inflammatory intra-articular conditions caused by OA. The present study provides the first experimental evidence for neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) on the cartilage repair of OA treatment. It has been demonstrated that NCAM deficiency enhances chondrocyte hypertrophy in chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs and in experimental OA, and upregulation of NCAM inhibits hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation. The results suggest a more efficient strategy for the cartilage repair of OA treatment using NCAM-overexpressing MSCs.
Effect of Prestrain and Tempering on the Residual Stress of Low‐Carbon Microalloyed Steel
Authors: Ding Wenhong , Liu Yazheng , Xie Jianxin , Sun Li , Liu Tianwu , Yuan Fei , Pan Jin
Published: November 2019

In this article a method that combines prestrain with tempering (PST) is used to study the effect of a thermomechanical treatment on the residual stress of high‐strength steel and its underlying controlling mechanisms. The study results show that prestrain changes the material's dislocation distribution and carbide precipitation pattern and lowers the temperature controlling the residual stress. Compared with direct tempering (DT), 10% PST causes the temperature controlling the surface residual stress to decrease from 300 to 100 °C, reducing the surface residual stress by 76.2%. The temperature controlling the elastic strain energy decreases from 600 to 450 °C, and the elastic strain energy decreases by 75.2%. PST's action in controlling the residual stress involves two mechanisms. From room temperature to 300 °C, the residual stress is controlled by the precipitation plasticity generated by cementite precipitation, and the effect is mainly focused on controlling the surface residual stress. For temperatures of 300 °C and higher, the residual stress is controlled by precipitation‐induced creep caused by carbide precipitation, and the effect is mainly focused on decreasing the elastic strain energy.
PDGFRα marks distinct perivascular populations with different osteogenic potential within adipose tissue
Authors: Wang Yiyun , Xu Jiajia , Meyers Carolyn A. , Gao Yongxing , Tian Ye , Broderick Kristen , Peault Bruno , James Aaron W.
Published: November 2019

The perivascular niche within adipose tissue is known to house multipotent cells, including osteoblast precursors. However, the identity of perivascular subpopulations that may mineralize or ossify most readily is not known. Here, we utilize inducible PDGFRα (platelet-derived growth factor alpha) reporter animals to identify subpopulations of perivascular progenitor cells. Results showed that PDGFRα-expressing cells are present in four histologic niches within inguinal fat, including two perivascular locations. PDGFRα+ cells are most frequent within the tunica adventitia of arteries and veins, where PDGFRα+ cells populate the inner aspects of the adventitial layer. Although both PDGFRα+ and PDGFRα− fractions are multipotent progenitor cells, adipose tissue-derived PDGFRα+ stromal cells proliferate faster and mineralize to a greater degree than their PDGFRα− counterparts. Likewise, PDGFRα+ ectopic implants reconstitute the perivascular niche and ossify to a greater degree than PDGFRα− cell fractions. Adventicytes can be further grouped into three distinct groups based on expression of PDGFRα and/or CD34. When further partitioned, adventicytes co-expressing PDGFRα and CD34 represented a cell fraction with the highest mineralization potential. Long-term tracing studies showed that PDGFRα-expressing adventicytes give rise to adipocytes, but not to other cells within the vessel wall under homeostatic conditions. However, upon bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)-induced ossicle formation, descendants of PDGFRα+ cells gave rise to osteoblasts, adipocytes, and “pericyte-like” cells within the ossicle. In sum, PDGFRα marks distinct perivascular osteoprogenitor cell subpopulations within adipose tissue. The identification of perivascular osteoprogenitors may contribute to our improved understanding of pathologic mineralization/ossification.
Impact of elevated curing temperature on mechanical properties and microstructure of MgO‐based expansive additive cement mortars
Authors: Qian Xia , Jiang Linhua , Song Zijian , Chu Hongqiang , Yan Xiancui , Zhang Yingjie
Published: November 2019

MgO‐based expansive additive (MEA) is uniquely used in China to compensate for the thermal shrinkage. For mass concrete, its inner temperature can soar up to 60°C due to the accumulation of hydration heat, which will strongly impact the mechanical properties and microstructures. In this paper, the impacts of elevated curing temperatures on the compressive strength developments, the tensile strengths as well as the pore structures of MEA cement mortars are investigated by means of X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results show that the external addition of MEA weakens, not eliminates, the crossover effect found in the temperature‐affected strength developments, which is mainly attributed to the accelerated expansion of MEA. For the tensile strength, the weakness of the crossover effect is found more obvious. The ratio of tensile to compressive strength is also positively correlated to the MEA content and the curing temperature. A scattered prestress effect is proposed to explain this phenomenon. The microcosmic evidence proves that the elevated temperature promotes the hydration of MEA and cement, and thereby improves the early‐age microstructures but impairs the late‐age one, which is generally consistent with the mechanical results.
Surgical Identity Play: The Anatomy Lab Revisited
Authors: Vinson Alexandra H.
Published: November 2019

The anatomy lab has been studied by sociologists interested in professional socialization since the 1950s. This is because the act of dissecting a cadaver is thought to be foundational for both the student's medical knowledge and the development of the student's professional identity. In this paper, I revisit the anatomy lab both historically and ethnographically. Drawing on theoretical insights from the laboratory ethnography tradition within science and technology studies, I show that students use material artifacts in the lab to support their “surgical identity play.” This activity is structured by the laboratory's performative architecture even while it is unsupervised by anatomy faculty. While many analyses of professional socialization focus on how students learn to interact with patients during their training, I show that the anatomy lab experience is an important form of professional socialization because here students learn to employ surgical instruments, language, and dress, and begin to relate to each other as colleagues.
Fabrication of Damping Material over Broad Temperature Range: Blending Amorphous Styrene‐Butadiene‐Styrene Triblock Copolymer with Semi‐Crystalline Syndiotactic 1,2‐Polybutadiene
Authors: Sun Haoxuan , Mao Zepeng , Zhang Jun
Published: November 2019

Broad‐temperature‐range (−85.4 to 96.2 °C) damping material was fabricated by blending amorphous styrene‐butadiene‐styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) with semicrystalline syndiotactic 1,2‐polybutadiene (s‐PB). According to dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) analysis, SBS/s‐PB blends exhibited three consecutive damping peaks at −85.4, 2.7, and 96.2 °C. The peaks at −85.4 and 96.2 °C were associated with the glass transition of polybutadiene and polystyrene in SBS, and peak at 2.7 °C belonged to the glass transition of s‐PB. The analysis of rheological behavior and thermal properties showed that the mobility and thermal stability of SBS/s‐PB blends improved with the introduction of semi‐crystalline s‐PB. Moreover, regarding the results of DMTA, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements, SBS and s‐PB were compatible in the macroscopic scale while they were immiscible in thermodynamic scale. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) results present the crystal structure of blends were unchanged. Besides, with the introduction of s‐PB in blends, 100% tensile modulus increased from 3.2 to 5.8 MPa and tear strength increased from 49.2 to 84.2 kN/m. The Kerner–Uemura–Takayanagi model was employed to compare with experimental data. Thus, broad‐temperature‐range damping material was fabricated by blending SBS with s‐PB and the material combined with good processability, thermal stability, and mechanical properties. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 26:336–347, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Synthesis and Structures of Dinuclear Aluminum Complexes Based on Bis(β‐diketiminate) Ligands
Authors: Desat Marcella E. , Kretschmer Robert
Published: November 2019

A series of ten dinuclear aluminum alkyl complexes based on rigid, semirigid, and flexible bis(β‐diketiminate) ligands (NacNac) has been obtained from the reaction of trimethylaluminum and the corresponding bis(β‐diketimine)s. All compounds were fully characterized using NMR and IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The molecular structures of five compounds have been investigated by means of single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis.
Higher-order tree-level amplitudes in the nonlinear sigma model
Authors: Bijnens Johan , Kampf Karol , Sjö Mattias
Published: November 2019

Abstract

We present a generalisation of the flavour-ordering method applied to the chiral nonlinear sigma model with any number of flavours. We use an extended Lagrangian with terms containing any number of derivatives, organised in a power-counting hierarchy. The method allows diagrammatic computations at tree-level with any number of legs at any order in the power-counting. Using an automated implementation of the method, we calculate amplitudes ranging from 12 legs at leading order,$$ \mathcal{O} $$O(p2), to 6 legs at next-to- next-to-next-to-leading order,$$ \mathcal{O} $$O(p8). In addition to this, we generalise several properties of amplitudes in the nonlinear sigma model to higher orders. These include the double soft limit and the uniqueness of stripped amplitudes.
An algebraic classification of exceptional EFTs. Part II. Supersymmetry
Authors: Roest Diederik , Stefanyszyn David , Werkman Pelle
Published: November 2019

Abstract

We present a novel approach to classify supersymmetric effective field theories (EFTs) whose scattering amplitudes exhibit enhanced soft limits. These enhancements arise due to non-linearly realised symmetries on the Goldstone modes of such EFTs and we classify the algebras that these symmetries can form. Our main focus is on so-called exceptional algebras which lead to field-dependent transformation rules and EFTs with the maximum possible soft enhancement at a given derivative power counting. We adapt existing techniques for Poincaré invariant theories to the supersymmetric case, and introduce superspace inverse Higgs constraints as a method of reducing the number of Goldstone modes while maintaining all symmetries. Restricting to the case of a single Goldstone supermultiplet in four dimensions, we classify the exceptional algebras and EFTs for a chiral, Maxwell or real linear supermultiplet. Moreover, we show how our algebraic approach allows one to read off the soft weights of the different component fields from superspace inverse Higgs trees, which are the algebraic cousin of the on-shell soft data one provides to soft bootstrap EFTs using on-shell recursion. Our Lie-superalgebraic approach extends the results of on-shell methods and provides a complementary perspective on non-linear realisations.
The Predicted Long-Term Benefits of Ensuring Timely Treatment and Medication Adherence in Early Schizophrenia
Authors: Horvitz-Lennon Marcela , Predmore Zachary , Orr Patrick , Hanson Mark , Hillestad Richard , Durkin Mike , El Khoury Antoine C. , Mattke Soeren
Published: November 2019

The impact of initiatives aimed at reducing time in untreated psychosis during early-stage schizophrenia will be unknown for many years. Thus, we simulate the effect of earlier treatment entry and better antipsychotic drug adherence on schizophrenia-related hospitalizations, receipt of disability benefits, competitive employment, and independent/family living over a ten-year horizon. We predict that earlier treatment entry reduces hospitalizations by 12.6–14.4% and benefit receipt by 7.0–8.5%, while increasing independent/family living by 41.5–46% and employment by 42–58%. We predict larger gains if a pro-adherence intervention is also used. Our findings suggest substantial benefits of timely and consistent early schizophrenia care.
Pregnancy, pregnancy loss and the risk of diabetes in Chinese women: findings from the China Kadoorie Biobank
Authors:   China Kadoorie Biobank Collaboration Group, Peters Sanne A. E. , Yang Ling , Guo Yu , Chen Yiping , Bian Zheng , Sun Huarong , Li Yanjie , Li Liming , Woodward Mark , Chen Zhengming
Published: November 2019

Pregnancy and pregnancy loss may be associated with increased risk of diabetes in later life. However, the evidence is inconsistent and sparse, especially among East Asians where reproductive patterns differ importantly from those in the West. We examined the associations of pregnancy and pregnancy loss (miscarriage, induced abortion, and still birth) with the risk of incident diabetes in later life among Chinese women. In 2004–2008, the nationwide China Kadoorie Biobank recruited 302 669 women aged 30–79 years from 10 (5 urban, 5 rural) diverse localities. During 9.2 years of follow-up, 7780 incident cases of diabetes were recorded among 273,383 women without prior diabetes and cardiovascular disease at baseline. Cox regression yielded multiple-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of diabetes associated with pregnancy and pregnancy loss. Overall, 99% of women had been pregnant, of whom 10%, 53%, and 6% reported having a history of miscarriage, induced abortion, and stillbirth, respectively. Among ever pregnant women, each additional pregnancy was associated with an adjusted HR of 1.04 (95% CI 1.03; 1.06) for diabetes. Compared with those without pregnancy loss, women with a history of pregnancy loss had an adjusted HR of 1.07 (1.02; 1.13) and the HRs increased with increasing number of pregnancy losses, irrespective of the number of livebirths; the adjusted HR was 1.03 (1.00; 1.05) for each additional pregnancy loss. The strength of the relationships differed marginally by type of pregnancy loss. Among Chinese women, a higher number of pregnancies and pregnancy losses were associated with a greater risk of diabetes.
Mapping within-field leaf chlorophyll content in agricultural crops for nitrogen management using Landsat-8 imagery
Authors: Croft Holly , Arabian Joyce , Chen Jing M. , Shang Jiali , Liu Jiangui
Published: November 2019

Spatial information on crop nutrient status is central for monitoring vegetation health, plant productivity and managing nutrient optimization programs in agricultural systems. This study maps the spatial variability of leaf chlorophyll content within fields with differing quantities of nitrogen fertilizer application, using multispectral Landsat-8 OLI data (30 m). Leaf chlorophyll content and leaf area index measurements were collected at 15 wheat (Triticum aestivum) sites and 13 corn (Zea mays) sites approximately every 10 days during the growing season between May and September 2013 near Stratford, Ontario. Of the 28 sites, 9 sites were within controlled areas of zero nitrogen fertilizer application. Hyperspectral leaf reflectance measurements were also sampled using an Analytical Spectral Devices FieldSpecPro spectroradiometer (400–2500 nm). A two-step inversion process was developed to estimate leaf chlorophyll content from Landsat-8 satellite data at the sub-field scale, using linked canopy and leaf radiative transfer models. Firstly, at the leaf-level, leaf chlorophyll content was modelled using the PROSPECT model, using both hyperspectral and simulated mulitspectral Landsat-8 bands from the same leaf sample. Hyperspectral and multispectral validation results were both strong (R2 = 0.79, RMSE = 13.62 μg/cm2 and R2 = 0.81, RMSE = 9.45 μg/cm2, respectively). Secondly, leaf chlorophyll content was estimated from Landsat-8 satellite imagery for 7 dates within the growing season, using PROSPECT linked to the 4-Scale canopy model. The Landsat-8 derived estimates of leaf chlorophyll content demonstrated a strong relationship with measured leaf chlorophyll values (R2 = 0.64, RMSE = 16.18 μg/cm2), and compared favourably to correlations between leaf chlorophyll and the best performing tested spectral vegetation index (Green Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, GNDVI; R2 = 0.59). This research provides an operational basis for modelling within-field variations in leaf chlorophyll content as an indicator of plant nitrogen stress, using a physically-based modelling approach, and opens up the possibility of exploiting a wealth of multispectral satellite data and UAV-mounted multispectral imaging systems.
Modified diffusion-weighted imaging-Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score including deep white matter lesions predicts symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage following intravenous thrombolysis
Authors: Tanaka Koji , Matsumoto Shoji , Furuta Konosuke , Yamada Takeshi , Nagano Sukehisa , Takase Kei-ichiro , Hatano Taketo , Yamasaki Ryo , Kira Jun-ichi
Published: November 2019

The Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) is widely used for the assessment of early ischemic changes (EICs) before thrombolysis. However, for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) following intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), the prediction abilities of CT-ASPECTS, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-ASPECTS, and DWI-ASPECTS including EICs in deep white matter (DWI-ASPECTS + W) are unclear. We investigated associations between each score and sICH following intravenous rt-PA. Data from consecutive patients who received intravenous rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke from 2005 to 2015 in four hospitals were retrospectively screened. We included data from patients who had undergone both CT and magnetic resonance imaging before thrombolysis and without evidence of posterior circulation stroke. We analyzed the ability of CT-ASPECTS, DWI-ASPECTS, and DWI-ASPECTS + W to predict sICH, accompanied by an increase in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of ≥ 4 within the initial 36 h. Of 455 patients (273 men, median 75 years old), sICH occurred in 15 patients (3.3%). Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-offs of CT-ASPECTS, DWI-ASPECTS, and DWI-ASPECTS + W for predicting sICH were ≤ 9 (sensitivity 60.0%, specificity 59.8%, c-statistic 0.625), ≤ 6 (sensitivity 53.3%, specificity 80.9%, c-statistic 0.718), and ≤ 8 (sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 55.9%, c-statistic 0.756), respectively. A DWI-ASPECTS + W of ≤ 8 was independently associated with sICH (odds ratio 5.21, 95% confidence interval 1.30–35.31) after adjustment for pretreatment with antithrombotic agents, pretreatment NIHSS score, and large artery occlusions. DWI-ASPECTS + W predicted sICH in patients with acute anterior circulation stroke receiving intravenous rt-PA.
First report of a comparative patient-oriented perspective on the use of non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants or vitamin-K antagonists in atrial fibrillation: patients’ experiences, side-effects and practical problems leading to non-adherence
Authors: Bennaghmouch N. , de Veer A. J. W. M. , Zivelonghi C. , van Dijk L. , ten Berg J. M.
Published: November 2019

Background

Non-vitamin‑K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are recommended as the first-choice therapy for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the lack of monitoring may impact patients’ adherence, and non-adherence to medication is a potential hazard to safe and efficacious use. This is the first report with a ‘comparative patient-oriented perspective’ regarding the use of anticoagulant medication in the NOACs era. Our aim was to compare patients’ self-reported practical problems, adverse events and non-adherence to anticoagulation therapy.

Methods

A survey was conducted among patients with AF on either NOACs or vitamin‑K antagonists (VKAs). The outcomes were self-reported non-adherence to anticoagulant medication, and patients’ experiences, adverse events and practical problems correlated with the intake of the drug itself.

Results

A total of 765 patients filled out the questionnaire, of which 389 (50.9%) were on VKAs and 376 (49.1%) on NOACs. Age (70.6 ± 8.8 vs 70.3 ± 9.1 years) and male gender (70.4% vs 64.6%) were similar in the two groups. A significantly higher proportion of VKA users than NOAC users reported having frequent (16.2% vs 3.7%, p > 0.001) or occasional (4.1% vs 1.3%, p > 0.001) practical issues with medication intake. Self-reported non-adherence was significantly higher (24.4% vs 18.1%, p = 0.03) among VKA users. The incidence of self-reported adverse events was similar.

Conclusion

Patient experiences support the current guideline recommendations for NOACs as the first-choice therapy: NOAC therapy resulted in a higher practical feasibility and better adherence when compared with VKA therapy, with a similar incidence of adverse events in both groups.
Testing the New World: early modern chemistry and mineral prospection at colonial Jamestown, 1607–1610
Authors: Veronesi Umberto , Rehren Thilo , Straube Beverly , Martinón-Torres Marcos
Published: November 2019

The paper presents new research on an assemblage of metallurgical crucibles used in the assay of minerals at colonial Jamestown. The aim of the study is to explore the range of chemical operations carried out at the site of the first permanent British settlement in America, for which little is known in the documents. The results show that the colonists used high-quality Hessian crucibles to perform tests on different types of complex polymetallic sulphides. This was done to (1) prospect for potential silver and copper ores and (2) to find suitable sources of zinc and tin to be alloyed into brass and bronze through cementation with imported copper offcuts. This study makes a relevant contribution to the growing field of the archaeology of early chemistry and mineral prospection as well as the archaeology of early European colonies in the New World. In particular, material culture can shed fresh light on how European settlers reacted to the many challenges of a new and unfamiliar natural environment and how they tried to make sense and exploit it for financial profit.
“Cool and tasty waters”: managing Naples’s water supply, c. 1500–c. 1750
Authors: Gentilcore David
Published: November 2019

Although Naples was one of Europe’s largest cities (after London and Paris), studies of the management of its water supply during the early modern period are sorely lacking, despite growing interest in the subject at both an Italian and European level. Naples was perhaps unique in relying on a vast and tortuous underground network of reservoirs, cisterns, channels and conduits, accessed by well shafts, all fed by an ancient aqueduct. The present study outlines and evaluates the Neapolitan water supply as it existed in the period, analysing the archival records of the municipal tribunal responsible for the city’s infrastructure, the ‘Tribunale della Fortificazione, Acqua e Mattonata’, and its various ‘Appuntamenti’ (proposals), ‘Conclusioni’ (decisions) and edicts. This is interwoven with reference to pertinent printed accounts, from contemporary guide books to medical regimens and health manuals. We examine both water quantity, in terms of availability and accessibility (by looking at the structure and its management, and the technicians responsible for its maintenance) and water quality (by looking at contemporary attitudes and perceptions). In the process we are able to question the widespread view of early modern Naples as chaotic and uncontrolled, governed by a weak public authority, as well as widely held assumptions about the “inertia” of the pre-modern hydro-social system more generally.
Anthropometric parameters measurement to predict 4-strand hamstring autograft size in single bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction of South Sulawesi population
Authors: Sakti Muhammad , Yurianto Henry , Pasallo Padlan , Hidayatullah Syarif , Faisal Arief , Subagio Erich Svante
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Among many available autograft options for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, hamstring tendon (HT) is the most popular graft. The ability to identify whether patient is at risk of inadequate HT autograft size prior to surgery is very important. Among some methods that have been done, anthropometric parameters are considered as an easy and cost effective method in predicting the size of HT autograft. In order to predict the length of semitendinosus tendon (ST), gracilis tendon (GT) and quadrupled HT graft diameter, a prospective study was conducted to determine the anthropometric parameters.

Method:

Anthropometric parameters, including age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), true leg length (TLL), thigh circumference and thigh length of 60 patients with primary ACL reconstruction was measured before surgery. Using univariate analysis, independent-sample t-test, Pearson correlation test, and simple logistic regression to evaluate the correlation of these anthropometric variables on the size of the graft obtained.

Result:

Average values for GT length (23.17 ± 3.01 cm), ST length (24.93 ± 2.85 cm), and 4-strand HT autograft diameter (7.36 ± 0.66 mm). 83.33% total patients had graft diameter of 7 mm and more. Height and TLL correlate to GT length and quadruple HT autograft diameter, while thigh circumference correlates to ST length.

Conclusion:

Height and TLL can be predicting factor of GT length and quadruple HT autograft, while thigh circumference to ST length. Patients who are less than 155 cm in height and less than 76 cm in TLL are at risk of having 4-strand HT autograft diameter less than 7 mm.

Highlights:
The elephant in the room: What matters cognitively in cumulative technological culture
Authors: Osiurak François , Reynaud Emanuelle
Published: November 2019

Cumulative technological culture (CTC) refers to the increase in the efficiency and complexity of tools and techniques in human populations over generations. A fascinating question is to understand the cognitive origins of this phenomenon. Because CTC is definitely a social phenomenon, most accounts have suggested a series of cognitive mechanisms oriented toward the social dimension (e.g., teaching, imitation, theory of mind, and metacognition), thereby minimizing the technical dimension and the potential influence of non-social, cognitive skills. What if we have failed to see the elephant in the room? What if social cognitive mechanisms were only catalyzing factors and not thesufficient and necessaryconditions for the emergence of CTC? In this article, we offer an alternative, unified cognitive approach to this phenomenon by assuming that CTC originates in non-social cognitive skills, namely technical-reasoning skills which enable humans to develop the technical potential necessary to constantly acquire and improve technical information. This leads us to discuss how theory of mind and metacognition, in concert with technical reasoning, can help boost CTC. The cognitive approach developed here opens up promising new avenues for reinterpreting classical issues (e.g., innovation, emulation vs. imitation, social vs. asocial learning, cooperation, teaching, and overimitation) in a field that has so far been largely dominated by other disciplines, such as evolutionary biology, mathematics, anthropology, archeology, economics, and philosophy.
The gender of walking: female pedestrians in street photographs 1890–1989
Authors: Männistö-Funk Tiina
Published: November 2019

This article focuses on the role of gender in walking by studying thousands of street photographs taken between 1890 and 1989 in the city of Turku. Analysis of the photographs presents female pedestrians as the most numerous and continuously large group on the urban streets and reveals gendered patterns and practices of walking. Furthermore, it showcases how female mobility patterns were ignored and harmed by the car-centred city planning and traffic solutions of the mid- and late twentieth century. At the same time, women's walking appears as a central enabler of the fragile technological system that is motorized urban transport.
The Language of the Kharg Island
Authors: BORJIAN HABIB
Published: November 2019

Khargi is spoken on the island of Kharg in the Persian Gulf. A member of the Southwest branch of the Iranian languages, Khargi is related to the languages spoken in the province of Fārs and along the coastal line down to the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting extensive maritime contact, yet does not lend itself to any of the known subgroups of the family. As Khargi remains largely obscure, this article offers a morphosyntax and lexical analysis based on published texts and those collected by the author. It investigates the linguistic position of Khargi based on comparative-historical phonology as well as areal features, with a look at cross-linguistic influence in the situation of language contact. By contrasting linguistic findings with details of history and economy, an attempt is made to date the original and later human settlements on the island.1
Vulnerability of clitics and articles to bilingual effects in typically developing Spanish–English bilingual children
Authors: Castilla-Earls Anny , Pérez-Leroux Ana Teresa , Martinez-Nieto Lourdes , Restrepo Maria Adelaida , Barr Christopher
Published: November 2019

This study examines bilingual effects in Spanish–English bilingual children with good maintenance of the minority language. The present study compares the performance of a group of Spanish-monolingual children (MON; n = 30) with two groups of Spanish-speaking bilingual children (Low English proficiency group: LEP; n = 36; High English proficiency group, HEP; n = 36) on the elicited productions of Spanish articles and object clitics. Our results suggest that children with LEP performed significantly lower than MON children of the same age on both articles and clitics in Spanish. However, children with HEP, who were a year older on average, performed similarly to the MON group. Both groups of bilingual children produced errors of clitic omission and substitution, but these errors were minimal in the MON group. The results suggest that Spanish clitics and articles are vulnerable to bilingual effects for English/Spanish speaking children with good Spanish maintenance.
Accuracy of paratuberculosis diagnostic tests in small ruminants: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Buczinski S. , Arsenault J. , Kostoulas P. , Corbière F. , Fecteau G. , Dendukuri N.
Published: November 2019

Paratuberculosis is a worldwide infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Various ruminant species can be affected by the disease, and the diagnosis of the disease is challenging in the absence of a gold standard test. The aim of this systematic review protocol is to determine the accuracy of the direct and indirect diagnostic tests for MAP infection with a special focus on sheep and goats.
Closure of Secondary Basins Causes Channel Deepening in Estuaries With Moderate to High Friction
Authors: Nnafie A. , de Swart H. E. , De Maerschalck B. , Van Oyen T. , van der Vegt M. , van der Wegen M.
Published: November 2019

Estuaries are often characterized by the presence of secondary basins (side embayments), which affect the estuarine hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics. Many of these basins have disappeared due to land reclamations, which might influence the estuarine morphodynamics. This study addresses how the presence and closure of secondary basins affect the estuarine channel depth using the Delft3D model. Results reveal that channels in estuaries with secondary basins are shallower than those in which these basins are absent, regardless of their location, length, or number. This shallowing is more pronounced for basins that are located at the northern estuarine margin due to the Coriolis force. The shallowing of channels increases if more secondary basins are present. Channels deepen after the closure of secondary basins, resulting from a decrease of the landward directed sediment transport that is driven by tidal asymmetry. Model results apply to estuaries with moderate to high friction.