bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Social Perception of Microtia and Auricular Reconstruction
Authors: Nuyen Brian A. , Kandathil Cherian K. , Saltychev Mikhail , Firmin Françoise , Most Sam P. , Truong Mai Thy
Published: April 2020

Objectives

To examine the social perception of microtia and quantify the effect of reconstruction on socially perceived attributes.

Methods

Parental consent was obtained for peri‐reconstruction photographs in a patient with unilateral grade 3 microtia without an underlying craniofacial syndrome. With computer simulation, the normal, preoperative microtia, and postoperative reconstruction ear were isolated and blended into the oblique and lateral views of that volunteer's face to isolate ear morphology as a variable against a constant facial baseline. These photographs were embedded into Web‐based surveys with visual analogue scales to capture social perception data and then were sourced to general population adults.

Results

Survey respondents totaled 631. On average, the face with the microtia ear was perceived to be less friendly (P = .015), less healthy (P = .022), and less successful (P = .005) than the same face with the “normal” ear. There were no statistically significant differences in socially perceived attributes between the face with the normal ear and the face with the reconstructed ear.

Conclusion

This is the first study to examine the social perception consequences of microtia and microtia reconstruction in children. These findings may explain the significant psychosocial distress experienced by these patients by exploring the social perception of specific attributes perceived. Lastly, this study may better inform microtia patients and their physicians on the impact of auricular reconstruction on third party's perception of social attributes.

Level of Evidence

N/A Laryngoscope, 131:195–200, 2021
Thermomechanical Ablation‐Assisted Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris. A Retrospective Chart Review of 30 Patients
Authors: Hilerowicz Yuval , Friedman Or , Zur Eyal , Ziv Roni , Koren Amir , Salameh Fares , Mehrabi Joseph N. , Artzi Ofir
Published: April 2020

Background and Objectives

Acne vulgaris, a chronic inflammatory disease, affects more than 90% of teenagers. The first‐line treatments for acne vulgaris are topical and oral medications, mainly antibiotics and retinoids. However, antibiotic resistance of Propionibacterium acnes, contraindications, partial response, significant adverse effects, or recurrence creates demand for novel treatment options in acne. Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well‐established modality in the treatment of acne. Nevertheless, PDT has limitations: it may not be effective for every patient; several treatments are usually required to achieve sufficient outcome; incubation time is 1–3 hours; treatment pain and post‐treatment downtime may be difficult for some patients to endure; and adverse effects may occur. This retrospective chart review was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PDT, assisted by a thermomechanical ablation (TMA) fractional injury device in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe acne.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

We conducted a retrospective chart review of 30 acne patients treated with TMA immediately before 5% ALA application with an incubation time of 1 hour and exposure to 60 J/cm2 red light (630 nm). Patients received up to three monthly treatments and were followed for 16 weeks. Two independent investigators evaluated the subject outcomes according to high definition photographs taken at baseline, before each treatment and at follow‐up visits. Three acne grading methods were used: Acne Grading Scoring System (AGSS), the Leeds revised acne grading system, and the general response to the treatment score. Patients also provided self‐assessments of improvement using the patient global impression of change (PGIC).

Results

Compared with baseline, the AGSS has showed a statistically significant reduction of 26.7% and 23.7%, respectively, at weeks 8 and 16 after final treatment. The Leeds score showed 65.2% and 60.6% improvement at the respective visits. The overall response rate was graded 3.3 ± 0.5 out of 4. PGIC score given by the patients was 5.5 out of 7, reflecting high satisfaction.

Conclusion

TMA used immediately prior to ALA application may enhance the effectiveness of PDT in the treatment of acne with minimal side effects, reduced downtime, and fewer sessions. The exact mechanism of TMA‐assisted PDT is still to be understood. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The humanized mouse: Emerging translational potential
Authors: Morton J. Jason , Alzofon Nathaniel , Jimeno Antonio
Published: April 2020

The humanized mouse (HM) has emerged as a valuable animal model in cancer research. Engrafted with components of a human immune system and subsequently implanted with tumor tissue from cell lines or in the form of patient‐derived xenografts, the HM provides a unique platform in which the tumor microenvironment (TME) can be evaluated in vivo. This model may also be beneficial in the assessment of potential cancer treatments including immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, to maximize its utility, researchers need to understand the critical factors necessary to ensure that the tumor immune interactions in the HM are representative of those within cancer patients. In most current HM models, the human T cells residing in the HM are educated in a murine thymus, allogeneic to implanted tumor tissue, and/or alloreactive to mouse tissues, making their interaction and reactivity with tumor cells suspect. There are several strategies underway to harmonize the immune‐tumor environment in the HM. Once the essential components of the HM‐tumor TME interface have been identified and understood, the HM model will permit not only the discovery of effective immunotherapy treatments, but it can be used to predict patient responses to great clinical benefit.
Origin of orientation‐dependent R1 (=1/T1) relaxation in white matter
Authors: Schyboll Felix , Jaekel Uwe , Petruccione Francesco , Neeb Heiko
Published: April 2020

Purpose

In a recent MRI study, it was shown that the longitudinal relaxation rate, R1, in white matter (WM) is influenced by the relative orientation of nerve fibers with respect to the main magnetic field (B0). Even though the exact nature of this R1 orientation dependency is still unclear, it can be assumed that the origin of the phenomenon can be attributed to the anisotropic and unique molecular environment within the myelin sheath surrounding the axons. The current work investigates the contribution of dipolar induced R1 relaxation of the myelin associated hydrogen nuclei theoretically and compares the results with the experimentally observed R1 orientation dependency.

Methods

Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were employed and the R1 relaxation rate of hydrogen nuclei of a myelin‐alike molecular environment was calculated for various orientations of the trajectory sets relative to the B0‐field. Based on the calculated relaxation rates, the observable R1 relaxation was simulated for various fiber orientations and fitted to the experimental data using a suitable signal weighting‐scheme.

Results

The results obtained show that the R1 relaxation rate of both solid myelin (SM) and myelin water (MW) depends on the fiber orientation relative to the main B0‐field. Moreover, employing a realistic signal weighing scheme and tissue characteristics, the theoretically investigated R1 orientation dependency matches the experimental data well.

Conclusion

The good agreement between theoretical and experimental findings indicates that the R1 orientation dependency in WM mainly originates from anisotropic dipole‐dipole interactions between hydrogen nuclei located within the myelin sheath.
Management of pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer: An overview for the pediatric oncologist
Authors: Prasad Pinki K. , Mahajan Priya , Hawkins Douglas S. , Mostoufi‐Moab Sogol , Venkatramani Rajkumar
Published: April 2020

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most common childhood thyroid malignancy. The standard of care for pediatric DTC is total thyroidectomy followed by radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment when indicated. Molecular changes and potential therapeutic targets have been recently described in pediatric thyroid cancer. Pediatric oncologists are increasingly involved in the evaluation of thyroid nodules in childhood cancer survivors and in the management of advanced thyroid cancer. In 2015, the American Thyroid Association published management guidelines for children with DTC. We provide an overview of the current standard of care and highlight available targeted therapies for progressive or RAI refractory DTC.
Fetal acute cerebral vasoreactivity to maternal hyperoxia in low‐risk pregnancies: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Sanapo Laura , Al‐Shargabi Tareq , Ahmadzia Homa K. , Schidlow David N. , Donofrio Mary T. , Hitchings Laura , Khoury Alfred , Larry Maxwell G. , Baker Robin , Bulas Dorothy I. , Gomez Luis M. , du Plessis Adre J.
Published: April 2020

Objective

To establish whether fetal cerebral vasoreactivity (CVRO2), following maternal hyperoxia, is predicted by fetal cerebral and uteroplacental Doppler pulsatility indices (PI) at baseline, fetal pulmonary vasoreactivity to oxygen (PVRO2), gestational age (GA), or sex.

Methods

Pulsatility index of middle (MCA), anterior (ACA), posterior cerebral (PCA), umbilical (UA), uterine (UtA), and branch of the pulmonary arteries (PA) were obtained, by ultrasound, before (baseline), during (hyperoxia) and after 15 minutes of maternal administration of 8 L/min of 100% oxygen, through a non‐rebreathing face mask, in normal singleton pregnancies within 20 to 38 weeks' gestation. CVRO2 was defined as changes greater than zero in z score of PI of the cerebral arteries from baseline to hyperoxia. Logistic modeling was applied to identify CVRO2 predictors.

Results

A total of 97 pregnancies were eligible. In the overall population, median z scores of PI of MCA, ACA, and PCA did not differ between study phases. Based on the logistic model, baseline z scores for cerebral PI and GA were the best predictors of CVRO2.

Conclusions

In low‐risk pregnancies, fetal CVRO2 to hyperoxia does not occur uniformly but depends on cerebral PI and GA at baseline. These findings may provide useful reference points when oxygen is administered in high‐risk pregnancies.
Association of demographic, clinical, and hospital‐related factors with use of robotic hysterectomy for benign indications: A national database study
Authors: Smith Anna Jo B. , AlAshqar Abdelrahman , Chaves Kate F. , Borahay Mostafa A.
Published: April 2020

Background

We examined the association of patient factors, gynecologic diagnoses, and hospital characteristics with utilization of the robotic approach for benign hysterectomy.

Methods

We performed cross‐sectional study of women (n = 725 050) undergoing hysterectomies in the 2012 to 2014 National Inpatient Sample.

Results

A total of 725 050 women underwent inpatient hysterectomy for benign indications: 70345 (10%) were performed robotically. Women were more likely to receive robotic hysterectomy at teaching hospitals (RR 1.60 [95% CI 1.54‐1.66]) after adjustment for other patient factors, gynecologic diagnoses, and hospital characteristics. They were more likely to undergo robotic hysterectomy at large (RR 1.34 [95% CI 1.29‐1.39]) and for‐profit hospitals (RR 1.16 [95% CI 1.11‐1.22]). Women were less likely to undergo robotic hysterectomy if they were rural (RR 0.68 [95% CI 0.64‐0.72]), African‐American (RR 0.78 [95% CI 0.74‐0.82]), or publicly insured or uninsured (RR 0.55 [95% CI 0.53‐0.57]) women.

Conclusion

Significant geographic and hospital‐level disparities exist in access to robotic hysterectomy in the United States.
Preparation and Characterization of a Starch‐Based Adsorbent for the Effective Removal of Environmental Pollutants Hg (II)
Authors: Li Jing , Riley Andrew , Pu Lumei , Long Haitao , Li Zhihai
Published: April 2020

In this work, a dialdehyde starch cysteine (DASC) Schiff base is synthesized by the reaction of dialdehyde starch (DAS) and l‐cysteine, and subsequently tested to remove Hg (II) from aqueous solution using the batch method. It is also characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunner–Emmet–Teller (BET) measurements, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The results reveal that the DASC is a kind of starch‐based Schiff base containing thiol group, which holds excellent adsorption capacity for Hg (II) due to the interaction between sulfur atoms and Hg (II). At 25 °C, the equilibrium can be achieved within 2 h and the maximal adsorption capacity of DASC with the substitution degree of 1.14 can be reached at 884.6 mg g−1 at initial pH 5. A relatively high temperature is favorable for the adsorption process of Hg (II). The kinetic and isotherm data are well fitted with the linear forms of pseudo‐second order equation and Freundlich model. Additionally, the DASC shows good regenerative adsorption efficiency of 87.07% after four recycles. Owing to the advantages of economical, eco‐friendly, high adsorption capacity, and recyclability, DASC may provide valuable information for the treatment of Hg (II) contaminated water.
Exchange rate pass-through to import prices in Europe: a panel cointegration approach
Authors: Arsova Antonia
Published: April 2020

This paper takes a panel cointegration approach to the estimation of short- and long-run exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) to import prices in the European countries. Although economic theory suggests a long-run relationship between import prices and exchange rate, in recent empirical studies its existence has either been overlooked or it has proven difficult to establish. Resorting to novel tests for panel cointegration, we find support for the equilibrium relationship hypothesis. Exchange rate pass-through elasticities, estimated by two different techniques for cointegrated panel regressions, give insight into the most recent development of the ERPT.
Reducing postprandial glucose in dietary
intervention studies and the magnitude of the effect on diabetes-related risk factors: a
systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ruijgrok Carolien , Blaak Ellen E. , Egli Léonie , Dussort Pierre , Vinoy Sophie , Rauh Simone P. , Beulens Joline W. , Robertson M. Denise , Alssema Marjan
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Reducing postprandial hyperglycemia has beneficial effects on
diabetes-related risk factors, but the magnitude of the reduction needed to achieve such
an effect is unknown. The purpose of the study was to quantify the relationship of acute
glucose and insulin postprandial responses with longer-term effects on diabetes-related
risk factors by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary intervention
studies.

Methods

We systematically searched EMBASE and MEDLINE. Dietary intervention studies
among any human population aiming to reduce postprandial glycemia, with actual measures of
postprandial glucose (PPG) and/or insulin (PPI) as acute exposures (incremental area under
the curve, iAUC) as well as markers of glucose metabolism (fasting glucose, HbA1c) and
insulin sensitivity (fasting insulin, HOMA-IR) after at least 4 weeks of diet intervention
as outcomes were included. Meta-analyses were performed for the effects on acute exposures
and on diabetes-related risk factors. The relationship between changes in acute exposures
and changes in risk factor outcomes was estimated by meta-regression analyses.

Results

Out of the 13,004 screened papers, 13 papers with 14 comparisons were
included in the quantitative analysis. The dietary interventions acutely reduced mean PPG
[mean difference (MD), − 0.27 mmol/l; 95% CI − 0.41 to − 0.14], but not mean PPI (MD
− 7.47 pmol/l; 95% CI − 16.79 to 1.86). There were no significant overall effects on
fasting glucose and insulin. HbA1c was reduced by − 0.20% (95% CI − 0.35 to − 0.05).
Changes in acute PPG were significantly associated with changes in fasting plasma glucose
(FPG) [per 10% change in PPG: β = 0.085 (95% CI 0.003,
0.167), k = 14], but not with fasting insulin
[β = 1.20 (95% CI − 0.32, 2.71), k = 12]. Changes in acute PPI were not associated with changes
in FPG [per 10% change in PPI: β = − 0.017 (95% CI
− 0.056, 0.022), k = 11].

Conclusions

Only a limited number of postprandial glucose-lowering dietary intervention
studies measured acute postprandial exposures to PPG/PPI during the interventions. In this
small heterogeneous set of studies, an association was found between the magnitude of the
acute postprandial responses and the change in fasting glucose, but no other outcomes.
More studies are needed to quantify the relationship between acute postprandial changes
and long-term effects on risk factors.
Optic neuritis in German children: clinical findings and association with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Tonagel Felix , Wilhelm Helmut , Kelbsch Carina
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Analysis of a cohort of pediatric optic neuritis patients concerning the epidemiology, disease progression, and association with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

Retrospective, observational cohort study. From 2004 to 2018, all electronic medical files of patients younger than 18 years referred to a tertiary care clinic in Germany with the diagnosis optic neuritis have been analyzed.

Results

Sixty-nine patients were referred in the study period, 16 did not suffer under optic neuritis and were excluded. The median visual acuity of the remaining 53 patients was 0.07 at the baseline examination and 1.0 at the latest follow-up examination (decimal notation, median 2.1 years after baseline). Forty-two percent of the patients developed MS during the study period. Female sex (p = 0.028) as well as higher age (p = 0.0082) proved to be statistically significant risk factors for MS development.

Conclusion

The prognosis for restoring vision in pediatric optic neuritis was favorable. During the observation period, the risk of developing MS was overall 42% and 8% for patients younger than 11 years. The percentage of MS as underlying cause of optic neuritis does not differ remarkably between children older 10 years and adults.
Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing 2019 end of year summary: monitoring tissue oxygenation and perfusion and its autoregulation
Authors: Sahinovic M. M. , Vos J. J. , Scheeren T. W. L.
Published: April 2020

Tissue perfusion monitoring is increasingly being employed clinically in a non-invasive fashion. In this end-of-year summary of the Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing, we take a closer look at the papers published recently on this subject in the journal. Most of these papers focus on monitoring cerebral perfusion (and associated hemodynamics), using either transcranial doppler measurements or near-infrared spectroscopy. Given the importance of cerebral autoregulation in the analyses performed in most of the studies discussed here, this end-of-year summary also includes a short description of cerebral hemodynamic physiology and its autoregulation. Finally, we review articles on somatic tissue oxygenation and its possible association with outcome.
How much is too much? The difference between research influence and self-citation excess
Authors: Szomszor Martin , Pendlebury David A. , Adams Jonathan
Published: April 2020

Citations can be an indicator of publication significance, utility, attention, visibility or short-term impact but analysts need to confirm whether a high citation count for an individual is a genuine reflection of influence or a consequence of extraordinary, even excessive, self-citation. It has recently been suggested there may be increasing misrepresentation of research performance by individuals who self-cite inordinately to achieve scores and win rewards. In this paper we consider self-referencing and self-citing, describe the typical shape of self-citation patterns for carefully curated publication sets authored by 3517 Highly Cited Researchers and quantify the variance in the distribution of self-citation rates within and between all 21 Essential Science Indicators’ fields. We describe both a generic level of median self-referencing rates, common to most fields, and a graphical, distribution-driven assessment of excessive self-citation that demarcates a threshold not dependent on statistical tests or percentiles (since for some fields all values are within a central ‘normal’ range). We describe this graphical procedure for identifying exceptional self-citation rates but emphasize the necessity for expert interpretation of the citation profiles of specific individuals, particularly in fields with atypical self-citation patterns.
Characterization of Pb-Bearing Minerals in Polluted Soils from Closed Mine Sites
Authors: Hoshino Mihoko , Zhang Ming , Suzuki Masaya , Tsukimura Katsuhiro , Ohta Masaaki
Published: April 2020

Lead is a toxic metal, and its characterization in contaminated soils is crucial to the success of a remediation, especially for the soil washing, one of most commonly used technologies. In this study, we propose a convenient approach that combines sedimentary hydro-classification with semi-quantitative powder X-ray diffraction analysis for characterizing the Pb-bearing minerals in soils. The approach was applied to two samples (YYm and YYu-1) collected from a closed Cu–Pb–Zn mine in the Tohoku region of Japan. The samples were taken from adjacent areas but had different appearances (YYm was a gray soil and YYu-1 was a creamy colored soil). The coarser YYm fractions had higher Pb contents than the finer YYm fractions, but the finer YYu-1 fractions (diameters < 32 μm) had higher Pb contents than the coarser YYu-1 fractions. The semi-quantitative powder X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the main Pb-containing minerals in the YYm and YYu-1 samples were galena and plumbojarosite, respectively. Tessier sequential extractions were also performed, and 1 M sodium acetate leached 21% and 65% of the Pb from the YYm and YYu-1 samples, respectively. This suggested that most of the Pb in the YYu-1 sample was ion-exchangeable and was more easily leached compared with that in the YYm sample. The findings indicate that it is important to accurately characterize the Pb-bearing minerals (especially naturally occurring Pb) present in contaminated soils before selecting appropriate remediation techniques and conditions.
Correction to: The structure–activity relationship review of the main bioactive constituents of Morus genus plants
Authors: Yan Jiejing , Ruan Jingya , Huang Peijian , Sun Fan , Zheng Dandan , Zhang Yi , Wang Tao
Published: April 2020

The article The structure–activity relationship review of the main bioactive constituents of Morus genus plants, written by Jiejing Yan, Jingya Ruan, Peijian Huang, Fan Sun, Dandan Zheng, Yi Zhang and Tao Wang was originally published Online First without Open Access.
Catchment-scale multi-process modeling with local time stepping
Authors: van den Bout Bastian , Jetten V. G.
Published: April 2020

Numerical modeling is an important tool for prediction, analysis and understanding of the dynamics of land surface processes. To increase the usage and impact of such tools, it is crucial to decrease runtime by increasing computational efficiency. Dynamic processes such as water flow are typically described by higher-order differential equations. Solving these accurately requires numerical integration over time, where numerical errors depend on the time steps taken. Typically, flow simulation use the smallest required time steps in a model’s domain to simulate flow. In this paper, we analyze the usage of local time stepping, for catchment-scale simulation of land surface processes such as water flow, infiltration, slope stability and landslide runout. In such a scheme, temporal integration is cell specific, allowing for higher numerical efficiency. The implemented scheme works with fully free local time steps that are synchronized only for visualization. We implement this method in a monotonic upwind scheme for conservation laws (MUSCL). We investigate the influence on stability and the resulting changes in computation time and accuracy in a hydrology-coupled, catchment-scale flood simulation. Results show that local time stepping can be implemented in a total variation diminishing (TVD) numerical scheme that is second-order spatially accurate. Simulation results in both 1D dam-break scenarios and catchment-scale flash flood scenarios show insignificant changes in modeling result, while computation time reduces with over 50%. Finally, the method is successfully implemented in a multi-process lands surface model with hydrology, flooding, slope failure, and runout. The implementation of a local time stepping for computation of dynamic land surface processes could be implemented widely for increased computational efficiency without significant loss of accuracy.
Application of isotopic and geochemical studies to explain the origin and formation of mineral waters of Staraya Russa Spa, NW Russia
Authors: Vinograd Natalia , Porowski Adam
Published: April 2020

There are two main types of mineral waters used in the Staraya Russa spa: (1) the saline waters of the Middle and Upper Devonian Arukjula–Shventoy aquifer with isotopic composition of δ18O from − 10.7 to − 11.3‰ and δ2H from − 81.3 to − 85‰ and (2) the brackish waters of the Upper Devonian Sargayev–Daugava aquifer with isotopic composition of δ18O from − 12.5 to − 12.9‰ and δ2H from − 93.0 to − 94.1‰. Hydrogeological conditions within the spa and its vicinity are complex due to hydraulic contacts between artesian aquifers and the saline waters ascension into shallower fresh water aquifers. The studies revealed that saline waters of the Arukjula–Shventoy aquifer are mixtures of approximately equal fractions (0.5) of snow melt water of δ18O around − 21.7‰ and seawater-like end-member of isotopic composition similar to modern ocean water (i.e. VSMOW). The brackish waters of the Sargayev–Daugava aquifer are result of mixing between infiltration waters and saline waters ascending from deeper Arukjula–Shventoy aquifer, the fraction of saline water may reach from around 0.2 to 0.4. The sulfur (δ34S) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic composition of sulfates dissolved in mineral waters indicate that their source is connected with marine sulfates. The ionic ratios of major chemical compounds corroborate the presence of the connate seawater-like component in the hydrogeological system, which is responsible for the observed chemical composition of mineral waters extracted in Staraya Russa spa.
Impaired breathing, sleeping, vitality, and depression, and negative impact of L-T4 treatment characterize health-related quality of life in older people with stable CVD
Authors: Ojala Anna K. , Sintonen Harri , Roine Risto P. , Strandberg Timo E. , Schalin-Jäntti Camilla
Published: April 2020

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and thyroid dysfunction are common in older people, but little is known about how they affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods

We assessed HRQoL with the 15D instrument in 329 home-dwelling patients aged ≥ 75 years with stable CVD and compared the results to those of an age- and gender-matched general population (n = 103). We also studied the impact of age, BMI, number of medications, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration, levothyroxine (L-T4) substitution and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) on HRQoL.

Results

Overall HRQoL was impaired in older people with stable CVD (mean 15D score 0.777 vs 0.801, p = 0.001), and also on single dimensions of breathing, sleeping, discomfort and symptoms, distress, vitality (all p < 0.001), and depression (p = 0.016) compared to the age- and gender-matched general population. Furthermore, in the patients, L-T4 substitution associated with impaired sleeping (p = 0.018) and sexual activity (p = 0.030). Moreover, MMSE points, number of medications used, age (all p < 0.001) and BMI (p = 0.009) predicted impaired HRQoL.

Conclusions

Older people with stable CVD are characterized by impaired HRQoL compared to age- and gender-matched controls. We demonstrate that this is the consequence of impaired breathing, sleeping, discomfort and symptoms, distress, vitality, and depression. L-T4 substitution has a negative impact on HRQoL in old patients with stable CVD. MMSE score, number of medications, age and BMI predict worse HRQoL.
Modeling the Contribution of Poroelastic Deformation to Postseismic Geodetic Signals
Authors: McCormack Kimberly , Hesse Marc A. , Dixon Timothy , Malservisi Rocco
Published: April 2020

To constrain the poroelastic component of postseismic deformation, we model the subsurface hydrologic response to the Mw 7.6 subduction zone earthquake that occurred on the plate interface beneath the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica on 5 September 2012. The model shows that poroelastic relaxation occurs on multiple time scales and the associated deformation can be up to 2 cm for the trench‐perpendicular component. By modeling the time‐dependent deformation associated with poroelastic relaxation, we can begin to remove its contribution from the observed geodetic signal. Inversions for after slip that ignore poroelastic deformation have errors of 10–20% overall and up to 50% locally. Poroelastic effects can both mute and amplify the inferred afterslip.
The Madden‐Julian Oscillation Affects Maize Yields Throughout the Tropics and Subtropics
Authors: Anderson W. B. , Han E. , Baethgen W. , Goddard L. , Muñoz Á. G. , Robertson A. W.
Published: April 2020

Understanding what causes weather‐related stresses that lead to crop failures is a critical step toward stabilizing global food production. While there are many sources of weather‐related stresses, the 30–60 days of Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) is the dominant source of subseasonal climate variability in the tropics, making it a potential—but as of yet unexplored—source of crop yield anomalies. Here crop models and observational yield statistics are used to assess whether the MJO affects maize yields. We find that the influence of the MJO is widespread; it can increase or reduce maize yields throughout the tropics. In dry, hot environments the MJO can reduce maize yields by reducing precipitation, decreasing soil moisture, and increasing extreme heat, while in wetter, cooler environments—where water stress is less common—MJO‐forced decreases in rainfall bring increases in solar radiation that benefits maize yields. These results provide a pathway to develop actionable early warnings using subseasonal forecasts.
Constraining Uncertainty in Aerosol Direct Forcing
Authors: Watson‐Parris D. , Bellouin N. , Deaconu L. T. , Schutgens N. A. J. , Yoshioka M. , Regayre L. A. , Pringle K. J. , Johnson J. S. , Smith C. J. , Carslaw K. S. , Stier P.
Published: April 2020

The uncertainty in present‐day anthropogenic forcing is dominated by uncertainty in the strength of the contribution from aerosol. Much of the uncertainty in the direct aerosol forcing can be attributed to uncertainty in the anthropogenic fraction of aerosol in the present‐day atmosphere, due to a lack of historical observations. Here, we present a robust relationship between total present‐day aerosol optical depth and the anthropogenic contribution across three multimodel ensembles and a large single‐model perturbed parameter ensemble. Using observations of aerosol optical depth, we determine a reduced likely range of the anthropogenic component and hence a reduced uncertainty in the direct forcing of aerosol.
Magnetofossil Abundance and Diversity as Paleoenvironmental Proxies: A Case Study From Southwest Iberian Margin Sediments
Authors: He Kuang , Pan Yongxin
Published: April 2020

It is still contentious how the abundance and diversity of magnetofossils reflect varying paleoenvironmental conditions. Here, we apply rock magnetic methods and transmission electron microscopy to identify magnetofossils in the core MD01‐2444 from the southwestern Iberian margin during the period 49.6–18.5 ka and 193.8–171.7 ka. Results show a correlation between the biogenic magnetite component and contrasting paleoenvironmental conditions. Specifically, remanence ratio (Mrs/Ms), the ratio of anhysteretic susceptibility (χARM) to saturation isothermal remanant magnetization (SIRM), fractions of biogenic soft and biogenic hard components (BS + BH), and delta–delta ratio (δFC/δZFC) have a negative relationship with planktonic δ18O, suggesting that more magnetofossils existed in sediments during warmer periods. Combining transmission electron microscopy images with paleoenvironmental proxies, we found that the proportions of bullet‐shaped magnetofossils increased in a warmer and less oxic environment, while isotropic shapes dominated in cooler and oxic environments.
Evidence of a Supershear Transition Across a Fault Stepover
Authors: Kehoe H. L. , Kiser E. D.
Published: April 2020

Supershear earthquakes, propagating faster than the Earth's shear wave velocity, can generate strong ground motion at distances far from the ruptured fault. Despite the hazards associated with these earthquakes, the exact fault properties that govern their occurrence are not well constrained. Although early studies associated supershear ruptures with simple fault geometries, recent dynamic rupture models have revealed a supershear transition mechanism over complex fault geometries such as fault stepovers. Here we present the first observation of a supershear transition on a fault stepover system during the 2017 Mw 7.7 Komandorsky Islands earthquake. Using a high‐resolution back‐projection technique, we find that the earthquake's rupture velocity accelerates from 2.1 to 5.0 km/s between two offset faults, demonstrating the viability of a new supershear transition mechanism occurring in nature. Given the fault complexity of the Earth's transform plate boundaries, this result may improve our understanding of supershear rupture processes and their associated hazards.
Singing Comet Waves in a Solar Wind Convective Electric Field Frame
Authors: Goetz C. , Plaschke F. , Taylor M. G. G. T.
Published: April 2020

The cometary plasma environment at low gas production rates is dominated by highly compressional, large‐amplitude magnetic field waves in the 10–100 mHz range. They are thought to be caused by an ion‐Weibel instability due to a cross‐field current, which is caused by the cometary ions that are accelerated along the solar wind convective electric field. We devise a new method to determine the location of the wave source, the wave power, frequency, and bandwidth. It is found that the wave occurs everywhere in the coma, regardless of electric field direction. There is no correlation between the wave frequency and the measured plasma density. This is not in agreement with previous studies. A dependence of the frequency on the position of the spacecraft in a comet‐fixed frame is in agreement with the prediction from the ion‐Weibel instability. We infer a wave generation region much larger than the cometocentric distances covered by Rosetta.
Thermodynamics-based Cognitive Demodulation for 'THz Torch' Wireless Communications Links
Authors: Ren Hang , Lucyszyn Stepan
Published: April 2020

The low-cost ‘THz Torch’ technology, which exploits the thermal infrared spectrum (ca. 10 to 100 THz), was recently introduced to provide secure low data rate communications links across short distances. In this paper, a thermodynamics-based approach is proposed for greatly enhancing the sensitivity of detection with non-stationary thermal radiation, generated by thermal emitters that have been modulated well beyond their thermal time constants. Here, cognitive demodulation is employed and, unlike all previous demonstrators, allows truly asynchronous operation by dynamically predicting the thermal transients for the next bit to be received. The result is a five-fold increase in the reported operational figure of merit (Range  ×  Bit Rate) for ‘THz Torch’ wireless communications links. A single-channel (2 m  ×  125 bps) prototype and an 8-channel frequency-division multiplexed (0.5 m  ×  1,000 bps) prototype are demonstrated as proof-of-principle exemplars for the enhanced method of demodulation. Measurements show superior bit error rate performance with an increase in range and bit rate, when compared with conventional threshold detection. This work represents a paradigm shift in thermal-based modulation-demodulation of digital data, and offers a practical solution for the implementation of future ubiquitous secure ‘THz Torch’ wireless communications links; as well as other applications.
Association between Stress Urinary Incontinence and Depressive Symptoms after Birth: the Czech ELSPAC Study
Authors: Jurášková Miluše , Piler Pavel , Kukla Lubomír , Švancara Jan , Daňsová Petra , Hruban Lukáš , Kandrnal Vít , Pikhart Hynek
Published: April 2020

The study objectives were to (1) identify risk factors related to stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and postnatal depression (PD) after birth, and (2) investigate both possible directions of association between SUI and PD in population-based sample of Czech mothers. 3,701 nulliparous and multiparous women completed the self-reported questionnaires at 6 weeks and 6 months after birth and were included into the analyses of this prospective cohort study. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regressions examined relationship between SUI a PD accounting for range of other risk factors. During the first 6 months after birth, 650 mothers (17.6%) developed SUI and 641 (17.3%) displayed signs of PD. The mode of delivery, parity and higher BMI were associated with SUI. The rate of PD symptoms was higher in mothers with positive history of prenatal depression, and in divorced or widowed mothers. Both conditions were associated with worse self-reported health, back pain and stop-smoker status. Initially, SUI at 6 weeks was slightly, but significantly associated with onset of PD at 6 months (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.02–2.23) while PD at 6 weeks was not significantly related to new cases of SUI at 6 months (OR 1.48, 95% CI 0.91–2.39). After full adjustment these OR reduced to 1.41 and 1.38 (both non-significant), respectively. SUI and PD are common conditions in women postpartum that share some risk factors. Our study suggests that both directions of their relationship are possible although a larger study is needed to confirm our findings.
Structure-based engineering of anti-GFP nanobody tandems as ultra-high-affinity reagents for purification
Authors: Zhang Ziyue , Wang Yao , Ding Yu , Hattori Motoyuki
Published: April 2020

Green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) are widely used in biological research. Although GFP can be visualized easily, its precise manipulation through binding partners is still burdensome because of the limited availability of high-affinity binding partners and related structural information. Here, we report the crystal structure of GFPuv in complex with the anti-GFP nanobody LaG16 at 1.67 Å resolution, revealing the details of the binding between GFPuv and LaG16. The LaG16 binding site was on the opposite side of the GFP β-barrel from the binding site of the GFP-enhancer, another anti-GFP nanobody, indicating that the GFP-enhancer and LaG16 can bind to GFP together. Thus, we further designed 3 linkers of different lengths to fuse LaG16 and GFP-enhancer together, and the GFP binding of the three constructs was further tested by ITC. The construct with the (GGGGS)4linker had the highest affinity with a KDof 0.5 nM. The GFP-enhancer-(GGGGS)4-LaG16 chimeric nanobody was further covalently linked to NHS-activated agarose and then used in the purification of a GFP-tagged membrane protein, GFP-tagged zebrafish P2X4, resulting in higher yield than purification with the GFP-enhancer nanobody alone. This work provides a proof of concept for the design of ultra-high-affinity binders of target proteins through dimerized nanobody chimaeras, and this strategy may also be applied to link interesting target protein nanobodies without overlapping binding surfaces.
Usefulness of Denoising Process to Depict Myopic Choroidal Neovascularisation Using a Single Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Image
Authors: Sawai Yuka , Miyata Manabu , Uji Akihito , Ooto Sotaro , Tamura Hiroshi , Ueda-Arakawa Naoko , Muraoka Yuki , Miyake Masahiro , Takahashi Ayako , Kawashima Yu , Kadomoto Shin , Oritani Yasuyuki , Kawai Kentaro , Yamashiro Kenji , Tsujikawa Akitaka
Published: April 2020

Quality of single optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images of myopic choroidal neovascularisation (mCNV) is poorer than in averaged images, although obtaining averaged images takes much time. This study evaluated the clinical usefulness of novel denoising process for depicting mCNV. This study included 20 eyes of 20 patients with mCNV. Ten en face images taken in a 3 × 3 mm macular cube were obtained from outer-retina-to-choriocapillaris layer. Three image types were prepared for analysis; single images before and after the denoising process accomplished deep learning (single and denoising groups, respectively) and up to 10 images were averaged (averaging group). Pairwise comparisons showed vessel density, vessel length density, and fractal dimension (FD) were higher; whereas, vessel density index (VDI) was lower in single group than in denoising and averaging groups. Detectable CNV indices, contrast-to-nose ratio, and CNV diagnostic scores were higher in denoising and averaging groups than in single group. No significant differences were detected in VDI, FD, or CNV diagnostic scores between denoising and averaging groups. The denoising process can utilise single OCTA images to provide results comparable to averaged OCTA images, which is clinically useful for shortening examination times with quality similar to averaging.
Population structure and genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Ecuador
Authors: Garzon-Chavez Daniel , Garcia-Bereguiain Miguel Angel , Mora-Pinargote Carlos , Granda-Pardo Juan Carlos , Leon-Benitez Margarita , Franco-Sotomayor Greta , Trueba Gabriel , de Waard Jacobus H.
Published: April 2020

Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health problem in Ecuador with an incidence of 43 per 100,000 inhabitants and an estimated multidrug-resistant-TB prevalence in all TB cases of 9%. Genotyping ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(MTBC) is important to understand regional transmission dynamics. This study aims to describe the main MTBC lineages and sublineages circulating in the country. A representative sample of 373 MTBC strains from 22 provinces of Ecuador, with data comprising geographic origin and drug susceptibility, were genotyped using 24 loci-MIRU-VNTR. For strains with an ambiguous sublineage designation, the lineage was confirmed by Regions of Difference analysis or by Whole Genome Sequencing. We show that lineage 4 is predominant in Ecuador (98.3% of the strains). Only 4 strains belong to lineages 2-sublineage Beijing and two strains to lineage 3-sublineage Delhi. Lineage 4 strains included sublineages LAM (45.7%), Haarlem (31.8%), S (13.1%), X (4.6%), Ghana (0.6%) and NEW (0.3%). The LAM sublineage showed the strongest association with antibiotic resistance. The X and S sublineages were found predominantly in the Coastal and the Andean regions respectively and the reason for the high prevalence of these strains in Ecuador should be addressed in future studies. Our database constitutes a tool for MIRU-VNTR pattern comparison ofM. tuberculosisisolates for national and international epidemiologic studies and phylogenetic purposes.
Publisher Correction: Uncoupled phytoplankton-bacterioplankton relationship by multiple drivers interacting at different temporal scales in a high-mountain Mediterranean lake
Authors: Durán-Romero Cristina , Medina-Sánchez Juan Manuel , Carrillo Presentación
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Intrinsic and tunable ferromagnetism in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 through CaFeO3-δ modification
Authors: Hung N. T. , Lam N. H. , Nguyen A. D. , Bac L. H. , Trung N. N. , Dung D. D. , Kim Y. S. , N. Tsogbadrakh  , Ochirkhuyag T. , Odkhuu D.
Published: April 2020

New (1-x)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 + xCaFeO3-δ solid solution compounds were fabricated using a sol–gel method. The CaFeO3-δ materials were mixed into host Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 materials to form a solid solution that exhibited similar crystal symmetry to those of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 phases. The random distribution of Ca and Fe cations in the Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 crystals resulted in a distorted structure. The optical band gaps decreased from 3.11 eV for the pure Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 samples to 2.34 eV for the 9 mol% CaFeO3-δ-modified Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 samples. Moreover, the Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 samples exhibited weak photoluminescence because of the intrinsic defects and suppressed photoluminescence with increasing CaFeO3-δ concentration. Experimental and theoretical studies via density functional theory calculations showed that pure Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 exhibited intrinsic ferromagnetism, which is associated with the possible presence of Bi, Na, and Ti vacancies and Ti3+-defect states. Further studies showed that such an induced magnetism by intrinsic defects can also be enhanced effectively with CaFeO3-δ addition. This study provides a basis for understanding the role of secondary phase as a solid solution in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 to facilitate the development of lead-free ferroelectric materials.
Microbial quality assessment of minimally processed pineapple using GCMS and FTIR in tandem with chemometrics
Authors: Adiani Vanshika , Gupta Sumit , Variyar Prasad S.
Published: April 2020

Microbial quality is the critical parameter determining the safety of refrigerated perishables. Traditional methods used for assessing microbial quality are time consuming and labour intensive. Thus rapid, non-destructive methods that can accurately predict microbial status is warranted. Models using partial least square regression (PLS-R) from chemical finger prints of minimally processed pineapple during storage obtained by Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GCMS), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and their data fusion are developed. Models built using FTIR data demonstrated good prediction for unknown samples kept under non-isothermal conditions. FTIR based models could predict 87 and 80% samples within ±1 log CFU/g for TVC and Y&M, respectively. Analysis of PLS-R results suggested the production of alcohols and esters with utilization of sugars due to microbial spoilage.
An Embodied Perspective as a Victim of Sexual Harassment in Virtual Reality Reduces Action Conformity in a Later Milgram Obedience Scenario
Authors: Neyret Solène , Navarro Xavi , Beacco Alejandro , Oliva Ramon , Bourdin Pierre , Valenzuela Jose , Barberia Itxaso , Slater Mel
Published: April 2020

Group pressure can often result in people carrying out harmful actions towards others that they would not normally carry out by themselves. However, few studies have manipulated factors that might overcome this. Here male participants (n = 60) were in a virtual reality (VR) scenario of sexual harassment (SH) of a lone woman by a group of males in a bar. Participants were either only embodied as one of the males (Group, n = 20), or also as the woman (Woman, n = 20). A control group (n = 20) only experienced the empty bar, not the SH. One week later they were the Teacher in a VR version of Milgram’s Obedience experiment where they were encouraged to give shocks to a female Learner by a group of 3 virtual males. Those who had been in the Woman condition gave about half the number of shocks of those in the Group condition, with the controls between these two. We explain the results through embodiment promoting identification with the woman or the group, and delegitimization of the group for those in the Woman condition. The experiment raised important ethical issues, showing that a VR study with positive ethical intentions can sometimes produce unexpected and non-beneficent results.