bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exposure to historical burn rates shapes the response of boreal caribou to timber harvesting
Authors: Lafontaine Alexandre , Drapeau Pierre , Fortin Daniel , Gauthier Sylvie , Boulanger Yan , St‐Laurent Martin‐Hugues
Published: May 2019

Studying the response of wildlife to anthropogenic disturbances in light of their evolutionary history may help explain their capacity to adapt to novel ecological conditions. In the North American boreal forest, wildfire has been the main natural disturbance driving ecosystem dynamics for thousands of years. Boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is a threatened ungulate for which widespread decline has been associated with the rapid expansion of timber harvesting across its range. Although caribou may not be adapted to this new type of disturbance, cutovers share many similarities with wildfires by producing large landscapes of whole‐stand removal associated with an increased predation risk for caribou. We hypothesized that caribou with more evolutionary experience of fire disturbance should better perceive the cues associated with disturbances and adjust their behavior toward human disturbance accordingly. Given the extensive distribution of caribou populations in the boreal forest, we assessed how their historical exposure to wildfires could explain their behavioral response toward both burned and cutover areas. Our results indicate that caribou from regions with high historical burn rates displayed a consistent avoidance of recent burns (<5 yr old), and that this behavior translated in a similar avoidance of recent cutover, providing support to the cue similarity hypothesis. On the contrary, caribou with less evolutionary experience of wildfires were more likely to select recently disturbed (<5 yr‐old and 6–20 yr‐old) habitats. In the context that timber harvesting and its associated road network has been linked to increased mortality in boreal caribou populations, we discuss how this naïve habitat use of clearcuts can be exacerbated by historical disturbance regimes and become maladaptive for this endangered species.
Tunable Fabrication of CuO Nanoplates on ZnO Nanorods: Heterostructure Formation by Photodeposition for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Zhang Jiejing , Gao Shiyong , Wang Guangning , Ma Xinzhi , Jiao Shujie , Sang Dandan , Liu Shuo , Mao Mouwen , Fang Haitao , Wang Jinzhong
Published: May 2019

CuO nanoplates (NPs) have been prepared on ZnO nanorods (NRs) to form heterostructure by a simple photodeposition method at room temperature. The morphology, composition, and structure of the as‐prepared CuO NPs/ZnO NRs heterostructure were analyzed by SEM, TEM, XPS, and XRD. UV/Vis absorption spectrum indicates that the CuO NPs/ZnO NRs heterostructure exhibits a strong absorption in both the UV and visible light region. Photocurrent response results and the photoluminescence spectrum confirm that the CuO NPs/ZnO NRs heterostructure could promote the separation of photogenerated carriers. The photocatalytic ability of the as‐prepared samples was evaluated by degrading methyl orange. Moreover, the possible growth and photocatalytic mechanisms of the CuO NPs/ZnO NRs heterostructure were discussed.
Affinity capillary electrophoresis employed for determination of stability constants of antamanide complexes with univalent and divalent cations in methanol
Authors: Pangavhane Sachin , Makrlík Emanuel , Ruzza Paolo , Kašička Václav
Published: May 2019

Affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) and pressure‐assisted ACE were employed to study the noncovalent molecular interactions of antamanide (AA), cyclic decapeptide from the deadly poisonous fungus Amanita phalloides, with univalent (Li+, Na+, K+, and NH4+) and divalent (Mg2+ and Ca2+) cations in methanol. The strength of these interactions was quantified by the apparent stability constants of the appropriate AA‐cation complexes. The stability constants were calculated using the nonlinear regression analysis of the dependence of the effective electrophoretic mobility of AA on the concentration of the above ions in the BGE (methanolic solution of 20 mM chloroacetic acid, 10 mM Tris, pHMeOH 7.8, containing 0–50 mM concentrations of the above ions added in the form of chlorides). Prior to stability constant calculation, the AA effective mobilities measured at actual temperature inside the capillary and at variable ionic strength of the BGEs were corrected to the values corresponding to the reference temperature of 25°C and to the constant ionic strength of 10 mM. From the above ions, sodium cation interacted with AA moderately strong with the stability constant 362 ± 16 L/mol. K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ cations formed with AA weak complexes with stability constants in the range 37–31 L/mol decreasing in the order K+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+. No interactions were observed between AA and small Li+ and large NH4+ cations.
Precise measurement and control of the pressure‐driven flows for microfluidic systems
Authors: Zeng Wen , Fu Hai
Published: May 2019

The pressure‐driven device is designed and the flow rates of the microfluidic systems can be supplied by the pressure‐driven flows, which can significantly reduce the flow‐rate fluctuations coming from the pump source. For pressure‐driven flows, the flow rates of the fluids can be predicted by measuring the pressure drop along a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing. Especially, by varying the geometrical parameters of the PTFE tubing, the predicted flow rates of the fluids are compared with the experimental measurements, and the testing precision of the pressure‐driven flows can be obtained. Meanwhile, the dynamic characteristics of the open‐loop and closed‐loop control pressure‐driven device are comparatively studied. Particularly, a proportional and integral (PI) controller is integrated with the closed‐loop control pressure‐driven device, and the effects of the parameters of the PI controller on the dynamic characteristics of the pressure‐driven devices are mainly discussed. Most importantly, by improving the dynamic characteristics of the pressure‐driven devices, precise measurement and control of the pressure‐driven flows can be achieved for microfluidic systems.
Oxidative Coupling of Methane: A Comparison of Different Reactor Configurations
Authors: Cruellas Aitor , Melchiori Tommaso , Gallucci Fausto , van Sint Annaland Martin
Published: May 2019

A quantitative comparison of the performance of the most common reactor configurations proposed for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is made on the basis of numerical calculations with phenomenological reactor models. The configurations that are analyzed can be divided into two main categories, namely, packed‐bed reactors (including conventional packed beds with external cooling, packed‐bed membrane reactors, and adiabatic packed beds with post cracking) and fluidized bed reactors (bubbling fluidized bed reactor, circulating fluidized bed reactor, and fluidized bed membrane reactor). The challenges in both configuration types, mainly the heat management in the case of the packed‐bed reactors and the low C2+ yields obtained in fluidized bed reactors, are evaluated and quantified. To ensure a fair comparison, La2O3/CaO is chosen as the OCM catalyst for all the considered cases, mainly in view of the availability of a comprehensive kinetics model. The results show that, with conventional configurations, it is not possible to achieve high C2+ yields that are needed to make the process economically viable. However, the results also indicate that the C2+ yield can be significantly improved by feeding the oxygen distributively along the reactor axial length.
A Flexible Aqueous Asymmetric Lithium‐Ion Supercapacitor with High Voltage and Superior Safety
Authors: Liu Jie , Hu Mengmeng , Wang Jiaqi , Wang Panpan , Feng Yuping , Wang Hua , Cao Feng , Chen Zuhuang , Huang Yan
Published: May 2019

Achieving high voltage and safety simultaneously in energy storage devices can greatly advance the development of flexible and wearable electronics. Thus, flexible aqueous asymmetric lithium‐ion supercapacitors with a high voltage attract the interest of many researchers. Herein, a new flexible aqueous asymmetric lithium‐ion supercapacitor with a high voltage and superior safety is fabricated using manganese oxide and iron hydroxide, which are electrodeposited on carbon cloths as electrodes and a super‐concentrated gel polymer as the electrolyte. Impressively, the flexible asymmetric lithium‐ion supercapacitor delivers a high voltage of 3.2 V, which is a high value in aqueous asymmetric supercapacitors. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits a specific capacitance of 227.6 F g−1, a maximum energy density of 49.3 Wh kg−1, and a maximum power density of 11.5 kW kg−1, together with a capacitance retention of 82% after 1000 cycles at a current density of 2 A g−1. Importantly, the supercapacitor can keep good electrochemical performance under extremely harsh conditions, such as compressing, hammering, punching, and tailoring, which demonstrates superior safety.
Wildfires as an ecosystem service
Authors: Pausas Juli G , Keeley Jon E
Published: May 2019

Wildfires are often perceived as destructive disturbances, but we propose that when integrating evolutionary and socioecological factors, fires in most ecosystems can be understood as natural processes that provide a variety of benefits to humankind. Wildfires generate open habitats that enable the evolution of a diversity of shade‐intolerant plants and animals that have long benefited humans. There are many provisioning, regulating, and cultural services that people obtain from wildfires, and prescribed fires and wildfire management are tools for mimicking the ancestral role of wildfires in an increasingly populated world.
The ecological uncertainty of wildfire fuel breaks: examples from the sagebrush steppe
Authors: Shinneman Douglas J , Germino Matthew J , Pilliod David S , Aldridge Cameron L , Vaillant Nicole M , Coates Peter S
Published: May 2019

Fuel breaks are increasingly being implemented at broad scales (100s to 10,000s of square kilometers) in fire‐prone landscapes globally, yet there is little scientific information available regarding their ecological effects (eg habitat fragmentation). Fuel breaks are designed to reduce flammable vegetation (ie fuels), increase the safety and effectiveness of fire‐suppression operations, and ultimately decrease the extent of wildfire spread. In sagebrush (Artemisia spp) ecosystems of the western US, installation of extensive linear fuel breaks is also intended to protect habitat, especially for the greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species that is sensitive to habitat fragmentation. We examine this apparent contradiction in the Great Basin region, where invasive annual grasses have increased wildfire activity and threaten sagebrush ecosystems. Given uncertain outcomes, we examine how implementation of fuel breaks might (1) directly alter ecosystems, (2) create edges and edge effects, (3) serve as vectors for wildlife movement and plant invasions, (4) fragment otherwise contiguous sagebrush landscapes, and (5) benefit from scientific investigation intended to disentangle their ecological costs and benefits.
An improved particle shifting technique for incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics methods
Authors: Akbari Hassan
Published: May 2019

The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method is one of the powerful Lagrangian tools for modeling free surface flows. However, it suffers from particle disorder, which leads to interpolation and numerical errors. To overcome this problem, several techniques have been introduced until now, among which the particle shifting technique (PST) based on Fick's law is an efficient one. The current form of this method needs tuning parameters to fulfill numerical stability criteria. In this study, to eliminate calibration factors, a new shifting coefficient is derived theoretically based on particle positions before and after shifting, regardless of other parameters such as velocity, pressure, time step intervals, etc. The only required input is particle positions, and the main concern is conserving particle densities in their updated positions. In addition to the proposed PST, a new distribution index (DI) is introduced for measuring the spatial uniformity of particles. Furthering the research, some novel treatments are also studied to improve particle movements near free surface boundary. The proposed idea is only assessed for ISPH method in this study, and its performance in other SPH schemes needs more investigations. Following this innovative method, it is validated by modeling different cases including dam break flow, paddle movement, and elliptical water drop. In all cases, particle arrangements have been improved by means of the modified shifting method. In that sense, good agreements between simulation results with experimental data, analytical solutions, and other numerical methods approve the ability of the developed method in simulating free surface flows.
An improved axisymmetric lattice Boltzmann flux solver for axisymmetric isothermal/thermal flows
Authors: Zhang Liangqi , Chen Zhen , Yang Liming , Zhang Mengqi
Published: May 2019

In this work, an improved axisymmetric lattice Boltzmann flux solver (LBFS) is proposed for simulation of axisymmetric isothermal and thermal flows. This solver globally resolves the axisymmetric Navier‐Stokes (N‐S) equations through the finite volume strategy and locally reconstructs numerical fluxes with solutions to the lattice Boltzmann equation. Compared with previous axisymmetric LBFS, some novel strategies are adopted in this work to simplify the formulations and improve the accuracy. First, the macroscopic equations are reformulated to reduce the number of source terms and remove spatial derivatives involved in the source terms. Second, the local reconstruction of numerical fluxes utilizes relationships given by the Chapman‐Enskog analysis and combines the radial coordinate (r) with the local solution to the standard LB equation. By adopting these two modifications, the present axisymmetric LBFS avoids the fractional‐step formulation and the finite‐difference approximation adopted in the previous solver, which reduces the complexity of implementation. Moreover, an alternative way of predicting intermediate pressure is proposed, which could effectively fix the inaccurate resolution of the pressure field in previous axisymmetric LBFS. Further extensions are made to enrich the applicability of the present solver in thermal axisymmetric flows. Validations on various benchmark tests are carried out for comprehensive evaluation of the robustness and flexibility of the proposed solver.
The effect of Perilla (Perilla frutescens) leaf extracts on the quality of surimi fish balls
Authors: Zhao Yueliang , Kong Hongyun , Zhang Xu , Hu Xiaoqian , Wang Mingfu
Published: May 2019

The effects of Perilla frutescens leaf extract (PLE) on the quality of surimi fish balls were investigated in the present study. Firstly, the extract was prepared by solvent extraction using 95% ethanol. Then, the phenolics in the extract were analyzed by instrumental analysis. The total phenolic content in the PLE was found to be 14.51 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight (DW). The amount of caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rosmarinic acid, quercetin, and apigenin, determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), was 4.80, 5.10, 2.95, 6.46, and 3.93 mg/g DW, respectively. Furthermore, the PLE was found to show high free radical scavenging activity toward DPPH and ABTS radicals with IC50 values of 12.15 and 7.26 μg/ml, respectively. When PLE was fortified into surimi fish balls at 0.03% and stored at 4°C, it was found to slow down lipid and protein oxidation during storage of surimi fish balls as evidenced by the significant reduction in TBARS values and protein carbonyl contents (p < 0.05). PLE (0.03%) also decreased the formation of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) and inhibited the growth of E. coli compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, the overall acceptability of PLE‐added (0.03%) samples was higher than control samples during the storage process (p < 0.05) by sensory analysis. Overall, PLE have the potential to be used as a natural food additive to improve the shelf life and sensorial qualities of surimi fish ball.
Formation timing and genesis of Madiu fluorite deposit in East Qinling, China: Constraints from fluid inclusion, geochemistry, and H–O–Sr–Nd isotopes
Authors: Zhao Yu , Pei Qiuming , Zhang Shou‐ting , Guo Guanghua , Li Junjun , Liu Wengang , Hu Xinkai , Song Kairui , Wang Liang
Published: May 2019

The Heyu fluorite ore district is newly discovered in the East Qinling metallogenic belt (EQMB), central China. In this district, the large Madiu fluorite deposit contains five Mesozoic granite‐hosted orebodies. The deposit may have formed at shallow depth and occurred as continuous veins controlled by a series of N‐S‐ or NE‐trending, steeply dipping faults. The fluorite mineralization can be divided into two stages (I and II). Fluid inclusions in stage I fluorite homogenized at 132.2°C to 342.5°C (peak at 170°C–210°C) with salinities of 0.18 to 4.43 wt% NaCl equiv, whilst those in stage II fluorite homogenized at 122.2°C to 305.7°C (peak at 130°C–170°C) and salinities of 0.18 to 3.71 wt% NaCl equiv. Raman spectroscopic analysis of the fluid inclusions reveals that they comprise predominantly H2O. The rare earth element (REE) characteristics indicate that the deposit is of hydrothermal origin. The δ18OH2O (−8.8‰ to −0.5‰) and δDH2O (−69.0‰ to −61.9‰) values show a subhorizontal trend, suggesting that the oxygen isotopic compositions were modified by fluid–rock interactions. Fluid inclusion and stable isotopic data suggest that the ore‐forming fluids belong to a meteoric water‐sourced, medium–low temperature, and low salinity NaCl–H2O system. Initial fluorite 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.708879–0.709682) resemble those of the Heyu batholith. The water–rock reaction, which leached Ca from the host rock and increased the fluid pH, was likely causative to the ore precipitation. Geochemical and mineralization features suggest that the Madiu fluorite deposit is best classified as a fault‐controlled hydrothermal vein‐type fluorite deposit. The Sm–Nd isochron age of 118.9 ± 7.8 Ma and its regional age correlation suggest that the fluorite mineralization occurred under regional extension or lithospheric thinning setting and that the fluorite mineralization was an important component of the Early Cretaceous mineralization event in the EQMB.
Converging function, structure, and behavioural features of emotion regulation in very preterm children
Authors: Urbain Charline , Sato Julie , Hammill Christopher , Duerden Emma G. , Taylor Margot J.
Published: May 2019

Children born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks' gestational age) are at high risk for emotional regulation and social communication impairments. However, the underlying neurobiological correlates of these difficulties remain poorly understood. Using a multimodal approach, including both magnetoencephalographic and structural magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the functional, structural, and behavioural characteristics of socio‐emotional processing in 19 school‐age children born VPT and 21 age‐matched term‐born (TB) children (7–13 years). Structural MRI analyses were conducted on a subset of these groups (16 VPT and 21 age‐matched TB). Results showed that the inhibition of aversive socio‐emotional stimuli was associated with a sustained reduction of right frontoparietal functional brain activity in children born VPT children. Moreover, whole brain structural analyses showed that reductions of cortical thickness or volume in these regions were associated with poor socio‐emotional performance in children born VPT. Hence, our results suggest that functional and structural alterations encompassing the frontoparietal areas might be a biological marker of less efficient emotion regulation processes/performance in school‐age children born VPT. These findings open up novel avenues to investigate the potential impact of such atypicalities, and in particular, those related to the atypical maturation of the medial prefrontal regions, on the frequent development of psychiatric disorders in this vulnerable population.
Functional connectivity along the anterior–posterior axis of hippocampal subfields in the ageing human brain
Authors: Dalton Marshall A. , McCormick Cornelia , De Luca Flavia , Clark Ian A. , Maguire Eleanor A.
Published: May 2019

While age‐related volumetric changes in human hippocampal subfields have been reported, little is known about patterns of subfield functional connectivity (FC) in the context of healthy ageing. Here we investigated age‐related changes in patterns of FC down the anterior–posterior axis of each subfield. Using high resolution structural MRI we delineated the dentate gyrus (DG), CA fields (including separating DG from CA3), the subiculum, pre/parasubiculum, and the uncus in healthy young and older adults. We then used high resolution resting state functional MRI to measure FC in each group and to directly compare them. We first examined the FC of each subfield in its entirety, in terms of FC with other subfields and with neighboring cortical regions, namely, entorhinal, perirhinal, posterior parahippocampal, and retrosplenial cortices. Next, we analyzed subfield to subfield FC within different portions along the hippocampal anterior–posterior axis, and FC of each subfield portion with the neighboring cortical regions of interest. In general, the FC of the older adults was similar to that observed in the younger adults. We found that, as in the young group, the older group displayed intrinsic FC between the subfields that aligned with the tri‐synaptic circuit but also extended beyond it, and that FC between the subfields and neighboring cortical areas differed markedly along the anterior–posterior axis of each subfield. We observed only one significant difference between the young and older groups. Compared to the young group, the older participants had significantly reduced FC between the anterior CA1‐subiculum transition region and the transentorhinal cortex, two brain regions known to be disproportionately affected during the early stages of age‐related tau accumulation. Overall, these results contribute to ongoing efforts to characterize human hippocampal subfield connectivity, with implications for understanding hippocampal function and its modulation in the ageing brain.
Testing the Universal Soil Loss Equation‐MB equation in plots in Central and South Italy
Authors: Di Stefano Costanza , Pampalone Vincenzo , Todisco Francesca , Vergni Lorenzo , Ferro Vito
Published: May 2019

Planning soil conservation strategies requires predictive techniques at event scale because a large percentage of soil loss over a long‐time period is due to relatively few large storms. Considering runoff is expected to improve soil loss predictions and allows relation of the process‐oriented approach with the empirical one, furthermore, the effects of detachment and transport on soil erosion processes can be distinguished by a runoff component. In this paper, the empirical model USLE‐MB (USLE‐M based), including a rainfall‐runoff erosivity factor in which the event rainfall erosivity index EI30 of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) multiplies the runoff coefficient QR raised to an exponent b1 > 1 is tested by the measurements carried out for the Masse (10 plots) and Sparacia (22 plots) experimental stations in Italy. For the Masse experimental station, an exponent b1 > 1 was also estimated by tests carried out by a nozzle‐type rainfall simulator. For each experimental site in fallow conditions, the effect of the sample size of the plot soil loss measurements on the estimate of the b1 coefficient was also studied by the extraction of a fixed number N of randomly obtained pairs of the normalized soil loss and runoff coefficient. The analysis showed that the variability of b1 with N is low and that 350 pairs are sufficient to obtain a stable estimate of b1. A total of 1,262 soil loss data were used to parameterize the model both locally and considering the two sites simultaneously. The b1 exponent varied between the two sites (1.298–1.520), but using a common exponent (1.386) was possible. Using a common b1 exponent for the two experimental areas increases the practical interest for the model and allows the estimation of a baseline component of the soil erodibility factor, which is representative of the at‐site soil intrinsic and quasi‐static properties. Development of a single USLE‐MB model appears possible, and sampling other sites is advisable to develop a single USLE‐MB model for general use.
Second primary cancers in non‐Hodgkin lymphoma: Family history and survival
Authors: Chattopadhyay Subhayan , Zheng Guoqiao , Sud Amit , Sundquist Kristina , Sundquist Jan , Försti Asta , Houlston Richard , Hemminki Akseli , Hemminki Kari
Published: May 2019

Second primary cancers (SPCs) account for an increasing proportion of all cancer diagnoses and family history of cancer may be a risk factor for SPCs. Using the Swedish Family‐Cancer Database on non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), we assessed the influence of family history on risk of SPCs and of SPCs on survival. NHL patients were identified from the years 1958 to 2015 and generalized Poisson models were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) for SPCs and familial SPCs. Among 14,393 NHL patients, a total of 1,866 (13.0%) were diagnosed with SPC. Familial risk of nine particular cancers was associated with risks of these cancers as SPCs, with twofold to fivefold increase in RRs. At the end of a 25‐year follow‐up period, the survival probability for persons with SPC was only 20% of that for patients without SPC; the hazard ratio for SPC was 1.59 (95% CI: 1.46–1.72). Survival could be predicted by the prognostic groups based on first cancers and HRs increase systematically with worse prognosis yielding a trend of p = 4.6 × 10−5. SPCs had deleterious consequences for survival in NHL patients. Family history was associated with increasing numbers of SPCs. Prevention of SPCs and their early detection is an important target in the overall strategy to improve survival in NHL patients. Counseling for avoidance of risk factors and targeted screening based on family history are feasible steps in risk reduction.
A district‐wide population‐based descriptive study of emergency peripartum hysterectomy in a middle‐income country
Authors: Heitkamp Anke , Seinstra Jorrit , van den Akker Thomas , Vollmer Linda , Gebhardt Stefan , van Roosmalen Jos , de Vries Johanna I. , Theron Gerhard
Published: May 2019

Objective

To determine incidence, risk indicators, and outcomes of emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH) in Metro East, Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods

A population‐based district‐wide prospective descriptive study of EPH in public hospitals from November 2014 to November 2015. Women were enrolled by using the WHO maternal near miss tool and followed until discharge. EPH was defined as hemorrhage or infection leading to hysterectomy during pregnancy or within 42 days of delivery.

Results

Fifty‐nine women experienced EPH with an overall incidence of 14.3 per 10 000 women: 32 procedures were for postpartum hemorrhage, 27 for puerperal sepsis. Two women died: one from sepsis; one from hemorrhage. Overall, 51 (86%) women delivered by cesarean, and 23/51 (45%) by repeat cesarean. As compared with hemorrhage, EPH for sepsis involved older women (mean age, 31.5 vs 24.4 years) and those with higher gravidity (median, 3 vs 1), and was associated with longer hospital admission (median, 11.5 vs 4 days), with occurrence later postpartum (median, 8 vs 0 days), and more frequently with complications.

Conclusions

The incidence of EPH for sepsis was higher than previously reported. Repeat cesarean was strongly associated with EPH. Clinical characteristics of sepsis‐related EPH compared unfavorably with those of hemorrhage‐related EPH.
An overview of advances in global maternal health: From broad to specific improvements
Authors: Khorrami Najma , Stone Juliana , Small Maria J. , Stringer Elizabeth M. , Ahmadzia Homa K.
Published: May 2019

After the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 by the United Nations, many stakeholders allocated financial resources to “global maternal health.” Research to expand care and improve delivery of maternal health services has exponentially increased. The present article highlights an overview, namely 10 of the health system, clinical, and technology‐based advancements that have occurred in the past three decades in the field of global maternal health. The list of topics has been selected through the cumulative clinical and public health expertise of the authors and is certainly not exhaustive. Rather, the list is intended to provide a mapping of key topics arranged from broad to specific that span from the global policy level to the level of individual care. The list of health system, clinical, and technology‐based advancements include: (10) Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals; (9) Development of clinical training programs, including the potential for subspecialty development; (8) Prenatal care expansion and potential; (7) Decentralized health systems, including the use of skilled birth attendants; (6) Antiretroviral therapy for HIV; (5) Essential medicines; (4) Vaccines; (3) mHealth/eHealth; (2) Ultrasonography; and (1) Obstetric hemorrhage management. With the Sustainable Development Goals now underway, the field must build upon past successes to sustain maternal and neonatal well‐being in the future global health agenda.
Research on rehabilitation training bed with action prediction based on NARX neural network
Authors: Liu Zhong , Wang Xin'an , Su Mingliang , Le Leon
Published: May 2019

Rehabilitation training can effectively help the elderly recover their self‐care state and enhance physical fitness. As surface electromyography analysis is effective to recognize motion intention, researchers use it to develop prosthetic limb operations. In this article, the rehabilitation training bed is designed by combining the rehabilitation training with the motion prediction based on the surface myoelectric signal, which can recognize the tilt of the upper body in different directions and provide corresponding assistance to the elderly. After collecting EMG signal, the effective signal was dimensional reduction, mapped by linear discriminant analysis. To train and recognize the EMG‐motion mapping relationship, we used a recurrent neural network called nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input model and used a 360° tilt prediction experiment on the upper body. Results showed that the root mean squared error and the error autocorrelation coefficient were relatively low, and the tilt degree of the experimenter was highly matched.
Precision pharmacotherapy: Integrating pharmacogenomics into clinical pharmacy practice
Authors: Hicks J. Kevin , Aquilante Christina L. , Dunnenberger Henry M. , Gammal Roseann S. , Funk Ryan S. , Aitken Samuel L. , Bright David R. , Coons James C. , Dotson Kierra M. , Elder Christopher T. , Groff Lindsey T. , Lee James C.
Published: May 2019

Precision pharmacotherapy encompasses the use of therapeutic drug monitoring, evaluation of liver and renal function, genomics, and environmental and lifestyle exposures; and analysis of other unique patient or disease characteristics to guide drug selection and dosing. This paper articulates real‐world clinical applications of precision pharmacotherapy, focusing exclusively on the emerging field of clinical pharmacogenomics. Precision pharmacotherapy is evolving rapidly, and clinical pharmacists now play an invaluable role in the clinical implementation, education, and research applications of pharmacogenomics. This paper provides an overview of the evolution of pharmacogenomics in clinical pharmacy practice, together with recommendations on how the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) can support the advancement of clinical pharmacogenomics implementation, education, and research. Commonalities among successful clinical pharmacogenomic implementation and education programs are identified, with recommendations for how ACCP can leverage and advance these common themes. Opportunities are also provided to support the research needed to move the practice and application of pharmacogenomics forward.
Optical coherence tomography to detect acute esophageal radiation‐induced damage in mice: A validation study
Authors: Jelvehgaran Pouya , de Bruin Daniel M. , Khmelinskii Artem , Borst Gerben , Steinberg Jeffrey D. , Song Ji‐Ying , de Vos Judith , van Leeuwen Ton G. , Alderliesten Tanja , de Boer Johannes F. , van Herk Marcel
Published: May 2019

Radiation therapy for patients with non‐small‐cell lung cancer is hampered by acute radiation‐induced toxicity in the esophagus. This study aims to validate that optical coherence tomography (OCT), a minimally invasive imaging technique with high resolution (~10 μm), is able to visualize and monitor acute radiation‐induced esophageal damage (ARIED) in mice. We compare our findings with histopathology as the gold standard. Irradiated mice receive a single dose of 40 Gy at proximal and distal spots of the esophagus of 10.0 mm in diameter. We scan mice using OCT at two, three, and seven days post‐irradiation. In OCT analysis, we define ARIED as a presence of distorted esophageal layering, change in backscattering signal properties, or change in the esophageal wall thickness. The average esophageal wall thickness is 0.53 mm larger on OCT when ARIED is present based on histopathology. The overall sensitivity and specificity of OCT to detect ARIED compared to histopathology are 94% and 47%, respectively. However, the overall sensitivity of OCT to assess ARIED is 100% seven days post‐irradiation. We validate the capability of OCT to detect ARIED induced by high doses in mice. Nevertheless, clinical studies are required to assess the potential role of OCT to visualize ARIED in humans.
Synthesis of a MnO2/multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite and its application as a sorbent for removing Cu2+ ions from aqueous media
Authors: Mohammadkhani Shima , Aghaie Mehran
Published: May 2019

In this research, a manganese dioxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MnO2/MWCNT) was firstly synthesized and characterized and then was applied as an effective sorbent for removing Cu2+ ions from aqueous solution. The effects of initial concentration, temperature, contact time, pH solution, and sorbent dosage were investigated and the optimum value of each was determined. The Langmuir isotherm model, Freundlich model, and Temkin model were used to fit our experimental results. Ultimately, using the Van't Hoff approach, the thermodynamic functions of the intended adsorption phenomenon such as ΔH°ad, ΔS°ad, and ΔG°ad were estimated.
Resting energy expenditure in argininosuccinic aciduria and in other urea cycle disorders
Authors: Brambilla Alessandra , Bianchi Maria L. , Cancello Raffaella , Galimberti Cinzia , Gasperini Serena , Pretese Roberta , Rigoldi Miriam , Tursi Serena , Parini Rossella
Published: May 2019

No data are available on the specific energy needs of patients affected with Urea Cycle disorders (UCD) and especially argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA). In our experience, ASA patients tend to develop central adiposity and hypertriglyceridemia when treated with apparently adequate energy intake, while the other UCD do not. The aim of this study was to evaluate anthropometric parameters, body composition, risk of metabolic syndrome (MS) and resting energy expenditure (REE), both by indirect calorimetry (IC) and predictive equations, in UCD patients. Hypertension (5/13), pathological waist circumference‐to‐height ratio (WtHr) (6/13), hypertriglyceridemia (12/13), reduced HDL cholesterol (12/13), and MS (5/13) were found in ASA group. In the ASA cohort, the mean and median IC‐REE were 88% of what was predicted by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Harris‐Benedict equations. The “other UCD” cohort did not show hypertension, dyslipidaemia nor MS; IC‐REE was similar to the REE predicted by equations. A significant difference was seen for the presence of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, pathological WtHr, MS and IC‐REE/predictive equations‐REE in the two cohorts. ASA patients have a risk of overfeeding if their energy requirement is not assessed individually with IC. Excessive energy intake might increase the cardiovascular risk of ASA patients. We suggest to test ASA individuals with IC every year if the patient is sufficiently collaborative. We speculate that most of the features seen in ASA patients might depend on an imbalance of Krebs cycle. Further studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.
Mitochondrial DNA mutation analysis from exome sequencing—A more holistic approach in diagnostics of suspected mitochondrial disease
Authors: Wagner Matias , Berutti Riccardo , Lorenz‐Depiereux Bettina , Graf Elisabeth , Eckstein Gertrud , Mayr Johannes A. , Meitinger Thomas , Ahting Uwe , Prokisch Holger , Strom Tim M. , Wortmann Saskia B.
Published: May 2019

Diagnostics for suspected mitochondrial disease (MD) can be challenging and necessitate invasive procedures like muscle biopsy. This is due to the extremely broad genetic and phenotypic spectrum, disease genes on both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and the tissue specificity of mtDNA variants. Exome sequencing (ES) has revolutionized the diagnostics for MD. However, the nuclear and mtDNA are investigated with separate tests, increasing costs and duration of diagnostics. The full potential of ES is often not exploited as the additional analysis of “off‐target reads” deriving from the mtDNA can be used to analyze both genomes. We performed mtDNA analysis by ES of 2111 cases in a clinical setting. We further assessed the recall rate and precision as well as the estimation of heteroplasmy by ES data by comparison with targeted mtDNA next generation sequencing in 49 cases. ES identified known pathogenic mtDNA point mutations in 38 individuals, increasing the diagnostic yield by nearly 2%. Analysis of mtDNA variants by ES had a high recall rate (96.2 ± 5.6%) and an excellent precision (99.5 ± 2.2%) when compared to the gold standard of targeted mtDNA next generation sequencing. ES estimated heteroplasmy levels with an average difference of 6.6 ± 3.8%, sufficient for clinical decision making. Taken together, the mtDNA analysis from ES is of sufficient quality for clinical diagnostics. We therefore propose ES, investigating both nuclear and mtDNA, as first line test in individuals with suspected MD. One should be aware, that a negative result does not exclude MD and necessitates further test (in additional tissues).
US temperatures: Time trends and persistence
Authors: Gil‐Alana Luis A. , Sauci Laura
Published: May 2019

This paper investigates the time trend coefficients in the temperatures in 48 US states using monthly data from January 1895 to December 2017, as well as in their anomalies with respect to the base period 1901–2000. For this purpose, we use techniques based on fractional integration, which is a more general approach than the standard methods used in the literature based on integer differentiation. The results indicate that with the exception of 10 states, in the remaining 38, the temperature anomalies have increased across time, with the increase being higher than the one expected under the other more standard approaches. The highest increases correspond to New Jersey and Rhode Island, with an increase of approximately 2.9°C over the last 100 years.
Impacts of mesoscale sea surface temperature anomalies on the meridional shift of North Pacific storm track
Authors: Zhang Chao , Liu Hailong , Li Chongyin , Lin Pengfei
Published: May 2019

In this study, an index for the variability of mesoscale sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the Kuroshio and Oyashio confluence region (KOCR) is proposed based on the high‐resolution SST data set. The positive phase of the new index indicates that the mesoscale SST anomalies are strong and feature double peaks of variance within the KOCR, and the negative phase of the index denotes weak mesoscale SST anomalies and a broader single peak of variance. Composite analysis is conducted on the relation between the variability of mesoscale SST and the North Pacific storm track. The mechanism behind the relation is then investigated. We find that the storm track is shifted southwards (northwards) during the positive (negative) phase of the index. The variability of mesoscale SST impacts first the turbulent heat fluxes out of the ocean, changing the near‐surface baroclinicity with the large‐scale zonal wind. The baroclinic energy conversion resembles the baroclinicity anomaly, modulating the anomaly of the storm track along the southern side of its climatological peak.
Posterior Bearing Overhang Following Medial and Lateral Mobile Bearing Unicompartmental Knee Replacements
Authors: Martin Benjamin Richard , Pegg Elise C. , van Duren Bernard H. , Mohammad Hasan R. , Pandit Hemant G. , Mellon Stephen J. , Murray David W.
Published: May 2019

This study explores the extent of bearing overhang following mobile bearing Oxford unicompartmental knee replacement (OUKR) (Oxford Phase 3, Zimmer Biomet). The Oxford components are designed to be fully congruent, however knee movements involve femoral rollback, which may result in bearing overhang at the posterior margin of the tibial implant, with potential implications for; pain, wear, and dislocation. Movement is known to be greater, and therefore posterior overhang more likely to occur, with; lateral compared to medial implants, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency (ACLD) compared to ACL intact (ALCI), and at extremes of movement. Twenty‐four medial, and 20 domed lateral, OUKRs underwent sagittal plane knee fluoroscopy during step‐up and forward lunge exercises. The bearing position was inferred from the relative position of the femoral and tibial components. On the basis of the individual component sizes and geometry the extent the posterior part of the bearing which overhung the posterior part of the tibial component was calculated. There was no significant posterior overhang in knees with medial implants. Knees with lateral domed implants exhibited overhang at flexion angles beyond 60°, the magnitude of which increased with increasing flexion angle, reaching a maximum of 50% of the bearing length at 140° (range 0–140°). This demonstrates a clear difference between the kinematics, and prevalence and extent of posterior bearing overhang between medial and lateral OUKRs. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:1938–1945, 2019
Northern Bobwhite Chick Survival and Effects of Weather
Authors: Terhune Theron M. , Palmer William E. , Wellendorf Shane D.
Published: May 2019

Reliable vital rates for all life stages are necessary to identify limiting factors in wildlife populations and inform sound wildlife management. The difficulty associated with capturing and tagging precocial young, such as northern bobwhite chicks (Colinus virginianus), and linking variation in recruitment to ecological conditions has contributed to significant knowledge gaps in their population ecology. During 1999–2017, we captured and patagial‐tagged ≤12‐day‐old bobwhite chicks (n = 3,576) and estimated their survival from time of capture (Jun–Sep) to fall and winter (Nov and Jan) recapture and winter (Feb) recovery. We used Burnham's model implemented in Program MARK to integrate mark‐recapture and dead‐recovery (via harvest) data to estimate survival for the 19‐year study. By including weather covariates, we also evaluated explicit hypotheses related to temperature and precipitation effects on chick survival. We found inter‐annual, intra‐annual, and intra‐seasonal variation in chick survival with an average annual daily survival estimate of 0.9887 (95% CI = 0.9321, 0.9918). Precipitation amount and number of precipitation (>0.635 cm) events during the first 4 weeks post‐tagging decreased the daily survival rate of chicks curvilinearly. Average minimum daily temperature and maximum daily temperature effects on survival were negligible, but an interaction between minimum temperature and cumulative precipitation during the first 14 days post‐tagging affected survival. We recommend population modelers incorporate intra‐ and inter‐annual variation in chick survival to improve predictions. Observed variation in chick survival rates portends a significant opportunity to improve population management for bobwhites and other game birds. © 2019 The Wildlife Society
Maternal Behavior Indicates Survival and Cause‐Specific Mortality of Moose Calves
Authors: Obermoller Tyler R. , Delgiudice Glenn D. , Severud William J.
Published: May 2019

Continuing research on cause‐specific mortality and annual survival of moose (Alces alces) calves in northeastern Minnesota, USA, is important to understanding the long‐term trajectory of the population. In 2013 and 2014, we observed global positioning system (GPS)‐collared, female moose exhibit a specific behavior (i.e., mortality movement) associated with the death of their GPS‐collared neonate. The females made a rapid, long‐distance movement (flee), followed by a return to the calf mortality site. We used characteristics of this movement in 2013–2014 (n = 46) to develop models for assessing calf survival, and then evaluated these models using female movement rates (n = 49) in 2015−2016. Using this behavior as an indicator of calf mortality in 2016, we conducted field investigations, leading to evidence of 15 mortalities at a mean age of 30.6 ± 15.5 (SE) days (range = 3–243 days). We launched 21 investigations in response to a mortality movement and they resulted in confirmation of 11 of the 15 calf mortalities. Specific causes of mortality included 9 wolf (Canis lupus)‐kills, 3 black bear (Ursus americanus)‐kills, 1 unknown predator‐kill, and 2 deaths following vehicle collisions. The mean distance females fled after a mortality was 1,873 ± 412 m (range = 126–5,805 m, n = 14). Females that made return visits returned a mean 2.8 ± 0.5 times (range = 1–5, n = 8) to within a mean 106 ± 22 m (range = 34–230 m, n = 8) of the mortality site. Calf survival to 30 days of age was 67 ± 8% (95% CI = 53–84%, n = 36) but declined to 53 ± 8% (95% CI = 39–72%, n = 36) by 3 months of age. We developed 2 population‐level movement models to improve the efficacy of using the mortality movement to identify and locate calf mortalities in real time via field investigations. The first approach, a temporal‐based model, used a 3‐day average movement velocity threshold (118 m/hr) for all females to indicate calf mortality and accurately predicted survival status in 51% (n = 105) of the cases. The second approach, an age‐specific model using different thresholds (28–135 m/hr) for females relative to calf age, was 80% (n = 231) accurate. Using movement behavior of females to assess calf mortality yielded important insights into mechanisms influencing the population decline that will inform future management decisions. © 2019 The Wildlife Society