bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrical contacts of coplanar 2H/1T′ MoTe2 monolayer
Authors: Li Aolin , Pan Jiangling , Dai Xiongying , Ouyang Fangping
Published: February 2019

Contact resistance plays a crucial role in determining the performance of nanodevices. The phase contact of 2H/1T′ MoTe2 has driven significant interest for its potential in dealing with this issue. Using first-principles calculations, this work reports on the electronic and contact properties of coplanar 2H/1T′ MoTe2 interfaces down to monolayer limits. Twelve interface structures are investigated, two of them are expected to be the most energy-favored structures depending on the chemical condition; we name them as (0°, 30°) and (0°, −30°). For all the interfaces, the quality of electrical contact is evaluated by analyzing the Schottky barrier height (SBH), the interfacial states, and charge transfer at the phase boundaries. The SBH changes greatly between different interfaces. Especially, as the electrical contact of (0°, 30°) is ohmic with a small SBH of 0.03 eV for hole, the electrical contact of (0°, −30°) is Schottky with the Fermi level located near the midgap. All the interfaces introduce very tiny and thin midgap states in the 2H sides, these states cause the Fermi level to be partly pinned. Besides, linear band bending is found in these coplanar phase contacts due to interface polarity. Our results suggest that the control of interfacial morphology is a key factor for the device applications.
Zinc oxide based dielectric nanoantennas for efficient nonlinear frequency conversion
Authors: Golla C. , Weber N. , Meier C.
Published: February 2019

We present the enhancement of frequency doubled and tripled light in zinc oxide (ZnO) by utilizing arrays of Mie-resonant dielectric nanoantennas. The cylindrical antennas exhibit resonances at the fundamental excitation wavelength, enabling strong localization of light and redistribution of the electric field inside the structures. Linear transmission spectroscopy reveals the resonant behavior of the fabricated nanoantennas and confirms the performed theoretical simulations. Nonlinear spectroscopic measurements show direct dependency between the resonant behavior and the amplification of nonlinear signals. Comparing the unpatterned ZnO thin films with the dielectric nanostructures shows a maximum enhancement by factors of about 22 for SHG and 7 for THG from resonant excitations of the nanoantennas.
Information flows in the market: An evolutionary game approach
Authors: Xu Hedong , Tian Cunzhi , Fan Suohai , Li Jiajia
Published: February 2019

Information influences the decisions that investors make in the markets. Whether this information is true or false can be quantified and distinguished by markets. To study how information propagates through markets, we propose an information flow game based on an evolutionary game approach. In reality, investors transmit profits or losses when they transmit information, because there are values associated with information in the market. In the information flow game, information is represented by its value. Investors in the game can choose to be sharers or silencers. Sharers share their information with their neighbors according to a sharing rate α, which is a key quantity in the model. In the evolutionary process, we show that more sharers emerge when the market is full of rumors, especially as the sharing rate increases. Higher values of the sharing rate reduce the standard deviation of the information value in such markets, whereas the opposite occurs in markets that largely consist of true information. The reactions of the investors are asymmetric, which indicates that investors are more sensitive to losses than to profits. Furthermore, as the network becomes more random, a higher sharing rate becomes more beneficial for the stability of the emergence of sharers if information is generally false, whereas a lower sharing rate is helpful for the stability of the emergence of sharers if information is generally true.
Local structure origin of ultrafast crystallization driven by high-fidelity octahedral clusters in amorphous Sc0.2Sb2Te3
Authors: Qiao Chong , Guo Y. R. , Wang S. Y. , Xu Ming , Miao Xiangshui , Wang C. Z. , Ho K. M.
Published: February 2019

Phase-change material Sc0.2Sb2Te3 (SST) can remarkably boost the writing speed of memory devices due to the extremely fast crystallization. It was demonstrated that the fast crystallization is because Sc stabilizes the 4-fold rings which act as precursors of nuclei in the amorphous phase. In this work, by using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, we studied the local structures in the liquid and amorphous SST at various temperatures. The results reveal that Sc-centered configurations are almost in the form of stable octahedral clusters, which enhances the local order of the amorphous phase. Different from Sb- and Te-centered clusters which have lower coordination numbers, Sc-centered clusters are mainly in high-coordinated octahedral structures. These Sc-centered octahedral clusters present a high stability in supercooled liquid and amorphous states, remarkably reducing the incubation time of nucleation and speeding up the crystallization. Our study reveals the role of Sc atoms in the liquid and amorphous structure, paving the way for the application of Sc-based phase-change memory.
Experimental verification of modified Paschen’s law in DC glow discharge argon plasma
Authors: Mathew Prijil , George Jobin , Mathews T Sajith , Kurian P J
Published: February 2019

Breakdown voltage of a gas is the required voltage to start a discharge or electric arc through the gas. Paschen’s law describes the characteristics of gas breakdown voltage between two electrodes. This law states that the Gas breakdown voltage(VB) depends only on the product of gas pressure (p) and gap length(d) between electrodes (VB=f(pd)). In this paper, the effect of electrode separation length(d) and electrode radius (r) on gas breakdown voltage is studied experimentally. A gas discharge system with a large gap length compared to electrode radius is used for the study. Paschen curves are plotted for different electrode separation lengths and electrode radii. It is observed that gas breakdown voltages deviates from Paschen’s law and depend on the d/r ratio also in addition to the product of gap separation and pressure, i.e. VB=f(pd,d/r). This relation, already reported in the analyses of micro gap discharge and theoretical studies, is known as modified Paschen’s law. In order to experimentally verify the modified Paschen’s law in large discharge gaps, many experiments are conducted by varying both electrode separation and electrode radii but keeping the d/r ratio always same. It is observed that for different discharge system geometries, if d/r ratio is same, the break down voltages are same for same pd value. The Paschen’s curves are also plotted for different experiments and it is observed that the curves overlap if d/r ratio is set same for all experiments. Thus, the work presented in this paper experimentally verify the modified Paschen’s law.
Seeking natural capital projects: Forest fires, haze, and early-life exposure in Indonesia
Authors: Tan-Soo Jie-Sheng , Pattanayak Subhrendu K.
Published: February 2019

Natural capital will be depleted rapidly and excessively if the long-term, offsite impacts of depletion are ignored. By examining the case of tropical forest burning, we illustrate such myopia: Pursuit of short-term economic gains results in air pollution that causes long-term, irreversible health impacts. We integrate longitudinal data on prenatal exposure to the 1997 Indonesian forest fires with child nutritional outcomes and find that mean exposure to air pollution during the prenatal stage is associated with a half-SD decrease in height-for-age
z
score at age 17, which is robust to several statistical checks. Because adult height is associated with income, this implies a loss of 4% of average monthly wages for approximately one million Indonesian workers born during this period. To put these human capital losses in the context of policy making, we conduct social cost–benefit analyses of oil palm plantations under different scenarios for clearing land and controlling fires. We find that clearing for oil palm plantations using mechanical methods generates higher social net benefits compared with clearing using fires. Oil palm producers, however, would be unwilling to bear the higher private costs of mechanical clearing. Therefore, we need more effective fire bans, fire suppression, and moratoriums on oil palm in Indonesia to protect natural and human capital, and increase social welfare.
Role of forest regrowth in global carbon sink dynamics
Authors: Pugh Thomas A. M. , Lindeskog Mats , Smith Benjamin , Poulter Benjamin , Arneth Almut , Haverd Vanessa , Calle Leonardo
Published: February 2019

Although the existence of a large carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystems is well-established, the drivers of this sink remain uncertain. It has been suggested that perturbations to forest demography caused by past land-use change, management, and natural disturbances may be causing a large component of current carbon uptake. Here we use a global compilation of forest age observations, combined with a terrestrial biosphere model with explicit modeling of forest regrowth, to partition the global forest carbon sink between old-growth and regrowth stands over the period 1981–2010. For 2001–2010 we find a carbon sink of 0.85 (0.66–0.96) Pg year−1located in intact old-growth forest, primarily in the moist tropics and boreal Siberia, and 1.30 (1.03–1.96) Pg year−1located in stands regrowing after past disturbance. Approaching half of the sink in regrowth stands would have occurred from demographic changes alone, in the absence of other environmental changes. These age-constrained results show consistency with those simulated using an ensemble of demographically-enabled terrestrial biosphere models following an independent reconstruction of historical land use and management. We estimate that forests will accumulate an additional 69 (44–131) Pg C in live biomass from changes in demography alone if natural disturbances, wood harvest, and reforestation continue at rates comparable to those during 1981–2010. Our results confirm that it is not possible to understand the current global terrestrial carbon sink without accounting for the sizeable sink due to forest demography. They also imply that a large portion of the current terrestrial carbon sink is strictly transient in nature.
Early lineage specification defines alveolar epithelial ontogeny in the murine lung
Authors: Frank David B. , Penkala Ian J. , Zepp Jarod A. , Sivakumar Aravind , Linares-Saldana Ricardo , Zacharias William J. , Stolz Katharine G. , Pankin Josh , Lu MinQi , Wang Qiaohong , Babu Apoorva , Li Li , Zhou Su , Morley Michael P. , Jain Rajan , Morrisey Edward E.
Published: February 2019

During the stepwise specification and differentiation of tissue-specific multipotent progenitors, lineage-specific transcriptional networks are activated or repressed to orchestrate cell specification. The gas-exchange niche in the lung contains two major epithelial cell types, alveolar type 1 (AT1) and AT2 cells, and the timing of lineage specification of these cells is critical for the correct formation of this niche and postnatal survival. Integrating cell-specific lineage tracing studies, spatially specific mRNA transcript and protein expression, and single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis, we demonstrate that specification of alveolar epithelial cell fate begins concomitantly with the proximal–distal specification of epithelial progenitors and branching morphogenesis earlier than previously appreciated. By using a newly developed dual-lineage tracing system, we show that bipotent alveolar cells that give rise to AT1 and AT2 cells are a minor contributor to the alveolar epithelial population. Furthermore, single-cell assessment of the transcriptome identifies specified AT1 and AT2 progenitors rather than bipotent cells during sacculation. These data reveal a paradigm of organ formation whereby lineage specification occurs during the nascent stages of development coincident with broad tissue-patterning processes, including axial patterning of the endoderm and branching morphogenesis.
A mechanism for temporary bioadhesion
Authors: Wunderer Julia , Lengerer Birgit , Pjeta Robert , Bertemes Philip , Kremser Leopold , Lindner Herbert , Ederth Thomas , Hess Michael W. , Stock David , Salvenmoser Willi , Ladurner Peter
Published: February 2019

The flatworm
Macrostomum lignano
features a duo-gland adhesive system that allows it to repeatedly attach to and release from substrates in seawater within a minute. However, little is known about the molecules involved in this temporary adhesion. In this study, we show that the attachment of
M. lignano
relies on the secretion of two large adhesive proteins,
M. lignano
adhesion protein 1 (Mlig-ap1) and Mlig-ap2. We revealed that both proteins are expressed in the adhesive gland cells and that their distribution within the adhesive footprints was spatially restricted. RNA interference knockdown experiments demonstrated the essential function of these two proteins in flatworm adhesion. Negatively charged modified sugars in the surrounding water inhibited flatworm attachment, while positively charged molecules impeded detachment. In addition, we found that
M. lignano
could not adhere to strongly hydrated surfaces. We propose an attachment–release model where Mlig-ap2 attaches to the substrate and Mlig-ap1 exhibits a cohesive function. A small negatively charged molecule is secreted that interferes with Mlig-ap1, inducing detachment. These findings are of relevance for fundamental adhesion science and efforts to mitigate biofouling. Further, this model of flatworm temporary adhesion may serve as the starting point for the development of synthetic reversible adhesion systems for medicinal and industrial applications.
Beating the reaction limits of biosensor sensitivity with dynamic tracking of single binding events
Authors: Sevenler Derin , Trueb Jacob , Ünlü M. Selim
Published: February 2019

Significance

Low-abundance molecular biomarkers are a promising reservoir of diagnostic information for the early detection and precise treatment of a range of diseases. Yet, most leading assay technologies are currently limited by the affinity and specificity of the molecular-recognition agents they use. This binding “reaction limit” could be beaten by measuring the duration of individual molecular-binding events as they happen in real time. We developed a technology to measure the duration of thousands of individual binding events across a large sensor area. These duration measurements allowed specific analyte binding to be distinguished from nonspecific background binding. The sensor is large enough to accommodate 12 ultrasensitive tests at once.
The global mass and average rate of rubisco
Authors: Bar-On Yinon M. , Milo Ron
Published: February 2019

Photosynthetic carbon assimilation enables energy storage in the living world and produces most of the biomass in the biosphere. Rubisco (
d
-ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) is responsible for the vast majority of global carbon fixation and has been claimed to be the most abundant protein on Earth. Here we provide an updated and rigorous estimate for the total mass of Rubisco on Earth, concluding it is ≈0.7 Gt, more than an order of magnitude higher than previously thought. We find that >90% of Rubisco enzymes are found in the ≈2 × 10
14
m
2
of leaves of terrestrial plants, and that Rubisco accounts for ≈3% of the total mass of leaves, which we estimate at ≈30 Gt dry weight. We use our estimate for the total mass of Rubisco to derive the effective time-averaged catalytic rate of Rubisco of ≈0.03 s
−1
on land and ≈0.6 s
−1
in the ocean. Compared with the maximal catalytic rate observed in vitro at 25 °C, the effective rate in the wild is ≈100-fold slower on land and sevenfold slower in the ocean. The lower ambient temperature, and Rubisco not working at night, can explain most of the difference from laboratory conditions in the ocean but not on land, where quantification of many more factors on a global scale is needed. Our analysis helps sharpen the dramatic difference between laboratory and wild environments and between the terrestrial and marine environments.
Safety and efficacy of adzuki bean extract in subjects with moderate to high LDL-C: a randomized trial
Authors: Kitano-Okada Tomoko , Nagata Ryuji , Han Kyu-Ho , Mikami Nana , Satoh Koji , Nishihira Jun , Sasaki Keiko , Ohba Kiyoshi , Fukusima Michihiro
Published: February 2019

The safety and efficacy of polyphenol-containing adzuki bean extract on lipid metabolism were evaluated in human subjects in an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel intervention study. No adverse effects were observed in the participants receiving adzuki bean extract. The adzuki bean group showed a significant increase in the ΔHDL-C concentration compared with the placebo group after 4 weeks of intervention (3.76 ± 7.79 mg/dL vs. −0.08 ± 6.03 mg/dL), respectively, and both groups showed reduced ∆HDL-C concentrations, with the adzuki bean extract group showing a return to the baseline levels (0.36 ± 5.36 mg/dL) and the placebo group showing a decrease to below the baseline levels (−3.17 ± 7.79 mg/dL) at week 8. This short-term study represents the first step in establishing the practicality, safety, and plausibility of HDL-C maintaining effects of adzuki bean extract in human subjects.
The Italian Keyboard Toccata c.1615–1650: A Repository for Oral Compositional Practices
Authors: Barker Naomi J.
Published: February 2019

This research uses statistical analysis of a sample of keyboard toccatas including pieces by Frescobaldi, Rossi, Froberger and the anonymous composer of the manuscript R-Vat Mus Chigi Q.IV.25 to investigate the extent to which surviving written examples of the genre contain indicators of their unwritten compositional processes. The results of the analysis indicate that within the measurably formulaic textural disposition, there are clearly defined motivic patterns and melodic shapes that are present in the work of all three composers. The intertextuality thus implied is indicative of common unwritten procedures used in the process of composing toccatas at the keyboard and undermines common assumptions about the use of concordances between sources as indicative of authorship.
Andre L. Delbecq: An engaged scholar
Authors: Van de Ven Andrew H.
Published: February 2019

We can learn many lessons on being an engaged scholar from the career of Andre L. Delbecq.
The putative G protein–coupled receptor GrlD mediates extracellular polyphosphate sensing inDictyostelium discoideum
Authors: Suess Patrick M. , Tang Yu , Gomer Richard H.
Published: February 2019

Five or more orthophosphates bound together by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds are highly ubiquitous inorganic molecules called polyphosphate. Polyphosphate acts as a signaling molecule eliciting a number of responses in eukaryotic cells, but the mechanisms mediating these effects are poorly understood. Proliferating Dictyostelium discoideum cells accumulate extracellular polyphosphate. At extracellular concentrations similar to those observed in stationary phase cells, polyphosphate inhibits proteasome activity and proliferation, and induces aggregation. Here we identify GrlD as a putative G protein–coupled receptor that mediates binding of extracellular polyphosphate to the cell surface. Cells lacking GrlD do not respond to polyphosphate-induced proteasome inhibition, aggregation, or proliferation inhibition. Polyphosphate also elicits differential effects on cell-substratum adhesion and cytoskeletal F-actin levels based on nutrient availability, and these effects were also mediated by GrlD. Starving cells also accumulate extracellular polyphosphate. Starved cells treated with exopolyphosphatase failed to aggregate effectively, suggesting that polyphosphate also acts as a signaling molecule during starvation-induced development of Dictyostelium. Together, these results suggest that a eukaryotic cell uses a G protein–coupled receptor to mediate the sensing and response to extracellular polyphosphate.
Myosin IIA drives membrane bleb retraction
Authors: Taneja Nilay , Burnette Dylan T.
Published: February 2019

Membrane blebs are specialized cellular protrusions that play diverse roles in processes such as cell division and cell migration. Blebbing can be divided into three distinct phases: bleb nucleation, bleb growth, and bleb retraction. Following nucleation and bleb growth, the actin cortex, comprising actin, cross-linking proteins, and nonmuscle myosin II (MII), begins to reassemble on the membrane. MII then drives the final phase, bleb retraction, which results in reintegration of the bleb into the cellular cortex. There are three MII paralogues with distinct biophysical properties expressed in mammalian cells: MIIA, MIIB, and MIIC. Here we show that MIIA specifically drives bleb retraction during cytokinesis. The motor domain and regulation of the nonhelical tailpiece of MIIA both contribute to its ability to drive bleb retraction. These experiments have also revealed a relationship between faster turnover of MIIA at the cortex and its ability to drive bleb retraction.
Association Between Community-Level Social Participation and Self-reported Hypertension in Older Japanese: A JAGES Multilevel Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Nakagomi Atsushi , Tsuji Taishi , Hanazato Masamichi , Kobayashi Yoshio , Kondo Katsunori
Published: February 2019

BACKGROUND

Many factors are associated with hypertension development. We focused on social participation as an aspect of social capital and investigated the contextual relationship between community-level social participation and hypertension using multilevel regression analyses.

METHODS

We used cross-sectional data from the 2016 Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study—a population-based study of functionally independent adults aged 65 years or older. The sample comprised 116,013 participants nested in 818 communities. Hypertension and social capital were defined by questionnaires. Social capital was assessed at both the individual and the community levels in 3 dimensions: civic participation (as an index of social participation), social cohesion, and reciprocity.

RESULTS

The prevalence rate of hypertension was 43.7%, and 44.1% of the respondents were involved in civic participation. Community-level civic participation, but not social cohesion or reciprocity, was negatively associated with hypertension in the total population (prevalence ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.98 (0.96–0.99), P = 0.004) and female group (0.97 (0.95–0.99), P = 0.015), and the association neared significance in the male group (0.98 (0.96–1.005), P = 0.13) after adjustment for individual-level social capital dimensions including civic participation, individual-level covariates, and population density as a community-level covariate. The interaction between community-level civic participation and sex in relation to hypertension was significant (P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

We found a contextual preventive relationship between community-level civic participation and hypertension. The design of the contextual characteristics of communities by the promotion of social participation may help reduce the prevalence of hypertension in older people.
A Moxifloxacin-based Regimen for the Treatment of Recurrent, Drug-sensitive Pulmonary Tuberculosis: An Open-label, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Perumal Rubeshan , Padayatchi Nesri , Yende-Zuma Nonhlanhla , Naidoo Anushka , Govender Dhineshree , Naidoo Kogieleum
Published: February 2019

Background

The substitution of moxifloxacin for ethambutol produced promising results for improved tuberculosis treatment outcomes.

Methods

We conducted an open-label, randomized trial to test whether a moxifloxacin-containing treatment regimen was superior to the standard regimen for the treatment of recurrent tuberculosis. The primary and secondary outcomes were the sputum culture conversion rate at the end of 8 weeks and the proportion of participants with a favorable outcome, respectively.

Results

We enrolled 196 participants; 69.9% were male and 70.4% were co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). There was no significant difference between the study groups in the proportion of patients achieving culture conversion at the end of 8 weeks (83.0% [moxifloxacin] vs 78.5% [control]; P = .463); however, the median time to culture conversion was significantly shorter (6.0 weeks, interquartile range [IQR] 4.0–8.3) in the moxifloxacin group than the control group (7.9 weeks, IQR 4.0– 11.4; P = .018). A favorable end-of-treatment outcome was reported in 86 participants (87.8%) in the moxifloxacin group and 93 participants (94.9%) in the control group, for an adjusted absolute risk difference of −5.5 (95% confidence interval −13.8 to 2.8; P = .193) percentage points. There were significantly higher proportions of participants with Grade 3 or 4 adverse events (43.9% [43/98] vs 25.5% [25/98]; P = .01) and serious adverse events (27.6% [27/98] vs 12.2% [12/98]; P = .012) in the moxifloxacin group.

Conclusions

The replacement of ethambutol with moxifloxacin did not significantly improve either culture conversion rates at the end of 8 weeks or treatment success, and was associated with a higher incidence of adverse events.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT02114684.
Evaluating Movement of Patients With Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections in the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan Area Using Social Network Analysis
Authors: Bower Chris W , Fridkin Cass , Wolford Hannah M , Slayton Rachel B , Kubes Julianne N , Jacob Jesse T , Ray Susan M , Fridkin Scott K
Published: February 2019

Background

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are an urgent threat with potential for rapid spread. We evaluated the role of Medicare patient movement between facilities to model the spread of CRE within a region.

Methods

Through population-based CRE surveillance in the 8-county Atlanta (GA) metropolitan area, all Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., or Klebsiella spp. resistant to ≥1 carbapenem were reported from residents. CRE was attributed to a facility based on timing of culture and facility exposures. Centrality metrics were calculated from 2016 Medicare data and compared to CRE-transfer derived centrality metrics by Spearman correlation.

Results

During 2016, 283 incident CRE cases with concurrent or prior year facility stays were identified; cases were attributed mostly to acute care hospitals (ACHs; 141, 50%) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs; 113, 40%), and less frequently to long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs; 29, 10%). Attribution was widespread, originating at 17 of 20 ACHs (85%), 7 of 8 (88%) LTACHs, but only 35 of 65 (54%) SNFs. Betweenness of Medicare patient transfers strongly correlated with betweenness of CRE case-transfer data in ACHs (r = 0.75; P < .01) and LTACHs (r = 0.77; P = .03), but not in SNFs (r = 0.02; P = 0.85). We noted 6 SNFs with high CRE-derived betweenness but low Medicare-derived betweenness.

Conclusions

CRE infections originate from almost all ACHs and half of SNFs. We identified a subset of SNFs central to the CRE transfer network but not the Medicare transfer network; other factors may explain CRE patient movement in these facilities.
Haemadsorption improves intraoperative haemodynamics and metabolic changes during aortic surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest
Authors: Saller Thomas , Hagl Christian , Woitsch Stefan , Li Yupeng , Niedermayer Sebastian , Born Frank , Luehr Maximilian , Kammerer Tobias , Pichlmaier Maximilian , Scheiermann Patrick , Peterss Sven
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVES:

Aortic surgery involving hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) results in a systemic inflammatory response that may negatively influence outcome. An extracorporeal haemadsorption (HA) device (CytoSorb®) that removes inflammatory triggers may improve haemodynamic and metabolic reactions due to excessive inflammation and, ultimately, outcome.

METHODS:

As a single-centre experience, the data of 336 patients who had undergone aortic surgery with HCA between 2013 and 2017 were retrospectively analysed. Patients with HA were matched to patients receiving standard therapy without HA (Control) by propensity score matching and compared subsequently.

RESULTS:

During aortic surgery with HCA, HA significantly reduced the requirement of norepinephrine (HA: 0.102 µg/kg/min; Control: 0.113; P = 0.043). Severe disturbances of acid–base balance as reflected by a pH lower than 7.19 (HA: 7.1%; Control: 11.6%; P = 0.139), maximum lactate concentrations (HA: 3.75 mmol/l; Control: 4.23 P = 0.078) and the need for tris-hydroxymethylaminomethane buffer (HA: 6.5%; Control: 13.7%; P = 0.045) were less frequent with HA. Compared to standard therapy, HA decreased the need for transfusion of packed red blood cells (1 unit; P = 0.021) and fresh frozen plasma (3 units; P = 0.001), but increased the requirement of prothrombin complex concentrate (800 IE, P = 0.0036). HA did not affect inflammatory laboratory markers on the first postoperative day. Differences in operative mortality (HA: 4.8%; Control: 8.8%) and the length of hospital stay (HA: 13.5 days; Control: 14) were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS:

HA significantly reduces the need for vasopressors, the amount of transfusion and improves acid–base balance in aortic surgery with HCA. Multicentre prospective trials are required to confirm these results.
Patching Up a Diplomatic Fissure: Reassessing Richard Wunsch, a German Physician to the Korean Court, 1901–1905*
Authors: Kim Hoi-Eun
Published: February 2019

In 1901 the Korean imperial court invited Greifswald-educated medical doctor Richard Wunsch to be personal physician to Emperor Kojong, only to abandon him upon his arrival in Seoul. Previous scholarship has understood Wunsch’s wasteful four-year engagement as a typical example from an incompetent regime on the cusp of its forceful transformation into Japan’s protectorate in 1905. Based upon careful analysis of hitherto unexplored diplomatic documents from both German and Korean sides, I argue that the appointment of Wunsch needs be understood in the whirlwind of diplomatic tension between Germany and Korea that arose over the issue of a disputed mining concession in 1898. The mutually agreed arrangement to install a German doctor in the Korean court in 1901 was a symbol of the patched-up relationship, with each side harbouring a different agenda—the German government wanted to put a powerful person in the court to gain an edge in imperial politics in Korea, and Koreans wished to have a German doctor who would function as a counterweight to the more dominant presence of American and British doctors in the court. By reconstructing the impact of convoluted factors, both local and global, in the invitation of a German doctor to Korea, this article provides a detailed case study of the use of medical science by the German imperial government as a chip in the global game of influence. It also functions as an overdue corrective to a commercially inspired and prevalent image of Wunsch that has capitalized upon a self-orientalizing tendency in contemporary Korea.
Risk of oil contamination of fish eggs and larvae under different oceanic and weather conditions
Authors: Samuelsen Annette , Daewel Ute , Wettre Cecilie
Published: February 2019

An oil drift model is applied to determine the spread of oil spills from different locations along ship lanes off southern Norway every month for 20 years. These results are combined with results from an egg- and larvae drift model for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) to determine their risk of being impacted by oil. The number of eggs and larvae exposed to oil contamination is connected to environmental conditions. The highest risk of overlap between an oil spill and cod in early life stages occurs during March and April when the eggs and larvae concentrations are highest. Spills off the west coast pose a greater risk because of the ship lanes’ proximity to the spawning grounds, but there is large interannual variability. For some spill locations the interannual variability can be explained by variability in wind and ocean currents. Simultaneously occurring onshore transports lead to a high-risk situation because both oil and larvae are concentrated towards the coast. This study demonstrates how results from oil drift and biological models can be combined to estimate the risks of oil contamination for marine organisms, based on the location and timing of the oil spill, weather/ocean conditions, and knowledge of the organisms’ life cycle.
Immigrants’ Support for Welfare Spending and the Role of Perceived and Preferred Group’s Access to Welfare: A Comparative Study Among 10 Immigrant Groups in the Netherlands
Authors: Renema Jeanette A J , Meuleman Roza , Lubbers Marcel
Published: February 2019

Immigrants’ opinions on welfare spending are often ignored, but an examination of these perspectives provides further insights into the formation of welfare attitudes. We developed a framework proposing that support for welfare spending is not only driven by self-interest and group-interest, but also by the preferences and perceptions of immigrants regarding their group’s access to welfare. We discuss how these two aspects affect immigrants’ support for spending on unemployment benefits and social assistance in the Netherlands. Immigrants were found to be more supportive of spending on welfare to which they perceived they had greater access, particularly when they preferred a more generous access for their group. Their support for welfare spending was weaker if they preferred less generous access.
Regulatory T cells in inflammatory skin disease: from mice to humans
Authors: Kalekar Lokesh A , Rosenblum Michael D
Published: February 2019

The skin is the largest organ in the body and one of the primary barriers to the environment. In order to optimally protect the host, the skin is home to numerous immune cell subsets that interact with each other and other non-immune cells to maintain organ integrity and function. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are one of the largest immune cell subsets in skin. They play a critical role in regulating inflammation and facilitating organ repair. In doing so, they adopt unique and specialized tissue-specific functions. In this review, we compare and contrast the role of Tregs in cutaneous immune disorders from mice and humans, with a specific focus on scleroderma, alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, cutaneous lupus erythematosus and psoriasis.
Is Capillary Electrophoresis a New Tool to Monitor Acute Lithium Poisoning in Human?†
Authors: Jamal Tsandni , Hennequin Carole , Gahoual Rabah , Leyris Annie , Beaudeux Jean-Louis , Baud Frédéric J , Houzé Pascal
Published: February 2019

A 38-year-old man was admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) after supposed ingestion of 504 sustained-release tablets of Theralithe™ corresponding ~200 g of lithium carbonate. At the admission, ~19.5 h after ingestion, the patient was conscious with trembling limbs, intense thirst, profuse sweats and vomiting and lithium serum concentration was 14.2 mmol/L. Toxicological screenings performed in urine and serum, were negative. Patient was treated with continuous extrarenal epuration by continue veno-venous hemodiafiltration starting (CCVHDF) 24 h post-admission and was carried on until 64 h. After 11 days in ICU, the patient was dismissed to the service without sequelae, and transferred to a psychiatric unit. To follow lithium concentrations in serum, urines and dialysates, we developed a simple, rapid and reliable method by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). Separation was achieved in 7 min. The method was linear between 0.14 and 1.44 mmol/L for serum samples, and between 0.07 and to 1.44 mmol/L for urines and dialysates. Limits of quantification were 0.15 mmol/L and 0.07 mmol/L for serum and others fluids, respectively. Intra- and inter-day precisions expressed as CV were systematically inferior to 12.1% for serum and 8.2% for other fluids. Results obtained regarding precision, accuracy, recovery and stability were satisfying, with recoveries ranging from 91.0 to 102.0%. Serum, urine and dialysate samples were measured using CZE and flame photometry. We observed a strong correlation between both methods as assessed by linear regression and Bland–Altman analysis. For the intoxicated patient, the assay was successfully applied to serum, urine and dialysates to determine the amount of lithium present in circulation and excreted. Lithium amounts in dialysates were estimated to correspond to 89% of total lithium excreted during CCVHF session while urine excretion account only for 11%.
Did Bioethics Matter? A History of Autonomy, Consent, and Intersex Genital Surgery
Authors: Reis Elizabeth
Published: February 2019

This article argues that the rise of bioethics in the post-WWII era and the emergence of the legal doctrine of informed consent in the late 1950s should have had a greater impact on patients with intersex traits (atypical sex development) than they did, given their emphasis on respect for autonomy and beneficence toward patients. Instead, these progressive trends collided with a turn in intersex management toward infants, who were unable to provide autonomous consent about their medical care. Patient autonomy took a back seat as parents heeded physicians’ advice in an environment even more hierarchical than we know today. Intersex care of both infants and adults continues to need improvement. It remains an open question whether the abstract ideals of bioethics—respect, patient autonomy, and the requirement of informed consent—are alone adequate to secure that improvement, or whether legal actions (or the threat of litigation) or some other reforms will be required to effect such change.
A systematic study of soft X-ray pulse profiles of magnetars in quiescence
Authors: Hu Chin-Ping , Ng C-Y , Ho Wynn C G
Published: February 2019

Magnetars are neutron stars with extremely high surface magnetic fields. They show diverse X-ray pulse profiles in the quiescent state. We perform a systematic Fourier analysis of their soft X-ray pulse profiles. We find that most magnetars have a single-peaked profile and hence have low amplitudes of the second Fourier harmonics (A2). On the other hand, the pulsed fraction (PF) spreads over a wide range. We compared the results with theoretical profiles assuming various surface hotspot asymmetries, viewing geometries, and beaming functions. We found that a single value of the intensity ratio r between two antipodal hotspots is unable to reproduce the observed distribution of A2 and PF for all magnetars. The inferred r is probably anticorrelated with the thermal luminosity, implying that high-luminosity magnetars tend to have two symmetric hotspots. Our results are consistent with theoretical predictions, for which the existence of an evolving toroidal magnetic field breaks the symmetry of the surface temperature.
Emerging Technologies in Optimizing Pre-Intervention Workflow for Acute Stroke
Authors: Yaeger Kurt A , Shoirah Hazem , Kellner Christopher P , Fifi Johanna , Mocco J
Published: February 2019

Over the last several years, thrombectomy for large vessel occlusions (LVOs) has emerged as a standard of care for acute stroke patients. Furthermore, the time to reperfusion has been identified as a predictor of overall patient outcomes, and much effort has been made to identify potential areas to target in enhancing preintervention workflow. As medical technology and stroke devices improve, nearly all time points can be affected, from field stroke triage to automated imaging interpretation to mass mobile stroke code communications. In this article, we review the preintervention stroke workflow with specific regard to emerging technologies in improving time to reperfusion and overall patient outcomes.
History of Depression and Increased Risk of Sternal Wound Infection After Cardiothoracic Surgery: A Novel and Potentially Modifiable Risk Factor
Authors: Theodore Deborah A , Goodwin Renee D , Zhang Yuan (Vivian) , Schneider Nancy , Gordon Rachel J
Published: February 2019

Background

Sternal wound infection (SWI) is a leading cause of postoperative disease and death; the risk factors for SWI remain incompletely understood. The goal of the current study was to investigate the relationship between a preoperative history of depression and the risk of SWI after cardiothoracic surgery.

Methods

Among patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery in a major academic medical center between 2007 and 2012, those in whom SWI developed (n = 129) were matched, by date of surgery, with those in whom it did not (n = 258). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the strength of relationships between risk factors and development of infection. History of depression was defined as a composite variable to increase the sensitivity of detection.

Results

History of depression as defined by our composite variable was associated with increased risk of SWI (adjusted odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–4.7; P = .01). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism isolated.

Conclusions

History of depression was associated with increased risk of SWI. Future prospective studies are warranted to further investigate this relationship. Depression is highly treatable, and increased efforts to identify and treat depression preoperatively may be a critical step toward preventing infection-related disease and death.
A Message to the African Leaders, Specifically, Idriss Déby
Authors: Shekau Abubakar
Published: February 2019

(9 FEBRUARY 2015)

[Trans.: Abdulbasit Kassim]

Available at: http://jihadology.net/2015/02/09/new-video-messagefrom-jamaat-ahl-al-sunnah-li-l-dawah-wa-l-jihad-boko-%e1%b8%a5aram-abu-bakr-shekau-a-message-to-african-leadersespecially-idris-david/

Of all the opponents that the activities of Boko Haram had brought upon themselves by the beginning of 2015, the doughtiest were the Chadians. Boko Haram had initiated several operations threatening Chad, including the 28–29 December 2014 full-scale attack on Cameroon, close to the Chadian capital of N’Djamena. Thus, it was not a surprise when President Idriss Déby began to initiate military operations against Boko Haram first in Cameroon on 9 January 2015, and then into northeastern Nigeria on 16 January 2015. Obviously, these operations angered Boko Haram...
Arrival of the Caliphate’s Soldiers in West Africa
Authors: Ifriqiyā Wilāyat Gharb
Published: February 2019

(2 JUNE 2015)

[Trans.: Abdulbasit Kassim]

Available at: http://jihadology.net/2015/06/02/new-video-message-from-the-islamic-state-arrivals-of-the-soldiers-of-the-caliphate-in-west-africa-wilayat-gharb-ifriqiyyah/

A mark of the post-allegiance to ISIS period for Boko Haram is the lowered profile of Shekau, who ceases to be the major focus of its public image. In this video, the two speakers alluded to the escalation of the conflict between Boko Haram and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) comprising soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Benin. While mentioning the tensions and the context of distrust between Nigeria and her neighbors, the first speaker referred to the comment of the Chadian president, when he said that the fight against Boko Haram is being hampered by poor co-ordination between Chad and Nigeria. He also gave further information of the activities within the caliphate as well as detailed information concerning the soldiers killed in various clashes. This video should be understood within the context of Boko Haram’s display of resilience against the operations of the MNJTF...
Honeybees show a context-dependent rightward bias
Authors: O'Shea-Wheller Thomas A.
Published: February 2019

Lateralized behaviour in social insects is of biological significance, as certain lateral biases appear to have emerged in tandem with eusociality, and thus can provide insights into its functioning. Here, I investigate behavioural asymmetry in an ecologically important social insect, the honeybee
Apis mellifera.
Experiments show that foraging bees exhibit a strong rightward turning bias, accompanied by reduced decision latency when entering open cavities, yet demonstrate no directional preference in sequential choice-mazes. A rightward exploration preference within unknown cavities is consistent with current information relating to the physiology of this species, with workers being better equipped for sensory investigation and threat response using their right antenna and eye. Furthermore, when applied to collective nest-choice scenarios, a similar bias would promote the uniform assessment of nest cavities, and consistency in quorum attainment. Conversely, such laterality appears to provide no immediate advantage in enclosed decision-maze systems, where thigmotaxis instead predominates. As such, my results show that directional biases in
A. mellifera
are extent, yet context-dependent, thus providing a simple and optimized response to varied social challenges.
Altererythrobacter amylolyticus sp. nov., isolated from lake sediment
Authors: Qu Jian-Hang , Ma Wen-Wen , Li Hai-Feng , Wang Xi-Feng , Lu Bin-Bin , Luo Yu
Published: February 2019

An aerobic, motile, Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain NS1T, was isolated from interfacial sediment from Taihu Lake, China. The strain formed yellow colonies on R2A medium. Cells were ovoid to rod-shaped and non-spore-forming. Growth occurred at 15–40 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 5.0–10.5 (optimum, 6.5–7.5) and in the presence of 0–1 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0 %). Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain NS1T represented a member of the genus

Altererythrobacter

and had the highest sequence similarity to

Altererythrobacter troitsensis

CCTCC AB 2015180T (97.1 %). The average nucleotide identity value between strain NS1T and the closest related strain based on their genomes was 78.6 %. The predominant ubiquinone was Q-10. The major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0. The polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, an unidentified phospholipid, an unidentified glycolipid and six unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 66.6 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain NS1T represents a novel species of the genus

Altererythrobacter

, for which the name

Altererythrobacter
amylolyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NS1T (=CGMCC 1.13679T=NBRC 113553T).
Frateuria defendens sp. nov., bacterium isolated from the yellows grapevine’s disease vector Hyalesthes obsoletus
Authors: Lidor Ofir , Santos-Garcia Diego , Mozes-Daube Netta , Naor Vered , Cohen Eyal , Iasur-Kruh Lilach , Bahar Ofir , Zchori-Fein Einat
Published: February 2019

A

Dyella

-like bacterium was previously isolated from the planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus (Hemiptera). Based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain DHoT was assigned to the family Rhodanobacteraceae with

Dyella

and

Frateuria

as its closest relatives. The closest 16S rRNA gene sequences were Frateuria aurantia DSM 6220T (98.2 %), Dyella thiooxydans ATSB10T (98 %), Dyella terrae JS14-6T (97.8 %) and Dyella marensis CS5-B2T (97.8 %). Strain DHoT is a Gram-negative, aerobic, motile, yellow-pigmented, rod-shaped bacterium. Strain DHoT cells grew well at 28–30 °C and at pH 6.5–7.5 on a nutrient agar plate. DNA–DNA hybridization showed that the relatedness between strain DHoT and

D. jiangningensis

strain SBZ3-12T, and

F. aurantia

DSM 6220T was 42.7 and 42.6 %, respectively. Ubiquinone Q-8 was the predominant respiratory quinone, and the major fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0. In silico analysis based on phylogenetics and sequence identity at the nucleotide and protein levels suggests that

Frateuria

is the closest known relative of strain DHoT. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain DHoT was designated as a novel species of the genus

Frateuria

, for which the name Frateuria defendens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DHoT (=NCCB 100648T; =DLBT=DSM 106169T).