bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CYP2B6*6 Genotype Specific Differences in Artemether‐Lumefantrine Disposition in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Abdullahi Sa'ad T. , Soyinka Julius O. , Olagunju Adeniyi , Bolarinwa Rahman A. , Olarewaju Olusola J. , Bakare‐Odunola Moji T. , Winterberg Markus , Tarning Joel , Owen Andrew , Khoo Saye
Published: September 2019

Cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) is involved in the metabolism of the antimalarial drugs artemether and lumefantrine. Here we investigated the effect of CYP2B6*6 on the plasma pharmacokinetics of artemether, lumefantrine, and their metabolites in healthy volunteers. Thirty healthy and previously genotyped adult volunteers—15 noncarriers (CYP2B6*1/*1) and 15 homozygote carriers (CYP2B6*6/*6)—selected from a cohort of 150 subjects from the Ilorin metropolitan area were administered the complete 3‐day course of artemether and lumefantrine (80 and 480 mg twice daily, respectively). Intensive pharmacokinetic sampling was conducted at different time points before and after the last dose. Plasma concentrations of artemether, lumefantrine, dihydroartemisinin, and desbutyllumefantrine were quantified using validated liquid chromatography–mass spectrometric methods. Pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated using noncompartmental analysis. Artemether clearance of CYP2B6*6/*6 volunteers was nonsignificantly lower by 26% (ratios of geometric mean [90% CI]; 0.74 [0.52‐1.05]), and total exposure (the area under the plasma concentration‐time curve from time 0 to infinity [AUC0‐∞]) was greater by 35% (1.35 [0.95‐1.93]) when compared with those of *1/*1 volunteers. Similarly, assuming complete bioconversion from artemether, the dihydroartemisinin AUC0‐∞ was 22% lower. On the contrary, artemether‐to‐dihydroartemisinin AUC0‐∞ ratio was 73% significantly higher (1.73 [1.27‐2.37]). Comparison of lumefantrine exposure and lumefantrine‐to‐desbutyllumefantrine metabolic ratio of *6/*6 with corresponding data from *1/*1 volunteers showed no differences. The increased artemether‐to‐dihydroartemisinin metabolic ratio of *6/*6 volunteers is unlikely to result in differences in artemether‐lumefantrine efficacy and treatment outcomes. This is the first study in humans to associate CYP2B6*6 genotype with artemether disposition.
A Dual Functional Tuneable‐Lewis Acid/Sulfur Scavenging Catalyst System for Alpha Olefin Oligomerization
Authors: Ramachandrarao Bojja , Naresh Kottari , Panday Ashoutosh , Choudary Nettem Venkateswarlu
Published: September 2019

A novel cost effective tuneable Lewis acid/sulfur scavenging system, comprising of various ratios of group 13 stronger Lewis acid AlCl3 and transition metal weak Lewis acid FeCl3, were developed for oligomerization of alpha olefins to form polyalphaolefins (PAOs). The residence time and temperature dependent oligomer ratio of 1‐decene is studied in the presence of Lewis acid catalysts containing various ratios of AlCl3/FeCl3 [AlCl3, AlCl3/FeCl3 (0.7:0.3), AlCl3/FeCl3 (0.5:0.5), AlCl3/FeCl3 (0.3:0.7), FeCl3]. The transition metal based weak Lewis acid FeCl3 yielded oligomer ratio comparable to commercial PAO 2 cst to PAO 6 cst viscosity grade. With an increase in AlCl3 concentration in the catalyst system, the equilibrium oligomer ratio is shifted towards higher oligomers. With increase in temperature, due to faster termination kinetics in comparison with the propagation, the oligomer ratio is shifted towards lighter dimer and trimer oligomers. The sulfur scavenging abilities of AlCl3/FeCl3 is studied in the presence of model mixture containing thiol in decene. The catalyst system showed superior sulfur scavenging abilities.
Conversion of 3,6‐O‐Dimethylfluorescein to Fluorescein‐Based Xanthylium Derivative: Characterization and Covalent Attachment to Bovine Serum Albumin
Authors: Kalhor Hamid Reza , Rezaei Mohsen
Published: September 2019

Xanthene dyes, such as fluorescein and rhodamine, have played crucial rules in biological sciences especially covalent attachment of these organic compounds to biomolecules. 3‐O‐methylfluorescein and 3,6‐O‐dimethylfluorescein were synthesized and purified using a facile procedure. 3,6‐O‐dimethylfluorescein, which lacks fluorescence, was treated with sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid solutions, giving rise to yellow and green fluorescent compounds, respectively. In both basic and acidic conditions, donor‐acceptor structures were formed. The reaction of 3,6‐O‐dimethylfluorescein with acids, in a reversible manner, emitted green fluorescence, whereas its reaction with hydroxide ion, irreversibly shifted the fluorescence to the yellow region. Using MS spectrometry, the product identity was determined as a xanthylium ion derivative. Stokes shift and quantum yield for xanthylium ion were measured. Various nucleophiles were examined for studying the mechanism of the xanthylium ion in aqueous solutions; the results confirmed that hydroxide ion was mediatory for the emission of the fluorescence. In addition, 3‐O‐methyl‐5(6)‐carboxyfluorescein and 3,6‐O‐dimethyl‐5(6)‐carboxyfluorescein were synthesized that can potentially be used in bioorthogonal reactions for labeling proteins. The synthesized products were used in covalent attachment to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and their unique fluorescences were detected.
Characterization and Properties of Long‐Chain Fatty Acid Starch Esters Prepared with Regenerated Starch by Dry Method
Authors: Li Jiali , Zhou Mi , Cheng Fei , Lin Yi , Hu Jianbo , Zhu Puxin
Published: September 2019

Regenerated starch (RS) prepared from 14% urea/4% NaOH aqueous solution is used as a raw material to synthesize esterified starch. Starch stearate (SS), a kind of long‐chain fatty acid starch ester, is synthesized through the esterification of RS with stearic acid by a dry method under normal pressure and without an organic solvent or catalyst. Scanning electron microscopy, Laser Particle Sizer, Fourier transform infrared, 1H NMR, X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis are used to characterize and analyze the prepared SS. The effect of degree of substitution (DS) on the properties of SS, such as moisture adsorption, transparency, emulsion ability (EA) and emulsion stability (ES), freeze–thaw stability, and retrogradation, is also studied. The results show that the prepared SS has better EA and ES, good freeze–thaw stability, and excellent retrogradation, all of which increase with the increase of DS. The transparency of SS pastes is significantly improved when its DS is under 0.3. The moisture adsorption of SS decreases due to the introduction of stearate groups. All these improved properties make SS a better material for a myriad of industrial applications.
Banks’ business strategies on the edge of distress
Authors: Flori Andrea , Giansante Simone , Girardone Claudia , Pammolli Fabio
Published: September 2019

The paper investigates the importance of banks’ business classification in shaping the risk profile of financial institutions on a global scale. We employ a rare-event logit model based on a state-of-the-art list of major global distress events from the global financial crisis. When clustering banks by their business strategies using a community detection approach, we show that (i) capital enhanced resilience only for traditional banks that were on average less capitalized than other banks; (ii) boosting ROE, usually associated with riskier exposures, improved resilience for stable funded and asset diversified banks; (iii) conversely, higher levels of ROA exacerbated banks’ vulnerability when associated with concentrated (not-diversified) investment structures; (iv) size in terms of total assets contributed to instability only for wholesale-funded institutions due to their high levels of unstable funding. Liquidity, on the contrary, reduced the institution likelihood of being in distress, regardless of its business classification. Although our findings refer to the recent financial crisis, they provide evidence that a tailored risk monitoring based on a proper peer group identification can facilitate banks’ distresses prediction.
Oviposition by the vagrant eriophyoid mite Aculops allotrichus on leaves of black locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia
Authors: Michalska Katarzyna , Tomczyk Anna , Łotocka Barbara , Orzechowski Sławomir , Studnicki Marcin
Published: September 2019

Leaf-dwelling mites often prefer to feed on young leaves and also are more likely to inhabit the abaxial leaf side. The aim of our study was to examine whether leaf age may affect production and distribution of eggs on black locust leaves by females ofAculops allotrichus. The eriophyoids were tested for 2.5 days on ‘trimmed’ compound leaves (with only two opposite leaflets left), which were maintained in vials filled with water. For the experiments we used leaves of three categories: (1) the ‘youngest’, in which both halves of the adaxial side of leaflets still adhered to each other (and usually remained folded for the next few hours), (2) ‘young’ with already unfolded leaflets, and (3) ‘mature’ with fully expanded leaflets. The tested females laid significantly more eggs on developing leaves than on ‘mature’ ones, although they deposited the highest number of eggs on the ‘young’ leaves. The distribution of eggs on adaxial or abaxial leaf sides also depended on leaf age. On the ‘youngest’ leaves, eriophyoids placed similar numbers of eggs on both sides of a blade. However, the older the leaf, the more willingly females deposited eggs on the abaxial side. Our biochemical and morphometrical analyses of black locust leaves indicated significant changes in the contents of nutrients and phenols within leaf tissue, and in the density of trichomes and thickness of the outer epidermal cell walls, correlated with leaf age. Their possible effects on the production and distribution of eggs on leaves byA. allotrichusare discussed.
Theoretical equivalence and duality
Authors: De Haro Sebastian
Published: September 2019

Theoretical equivalence and duality are two closely related notions: but their interconnection has so far not been well understood. In this paper I explicate the contribution of a recent schema for duality to discussions of theoretical equivalence. I argue that duality suggests a construal of theoretical equivalence in the physical sciences. The construal is in terms of the isomorphism of models, as defined by the schema. This construal gives interpretative constraints that should be useful for discussions of theoretical equivalence more generally. I illustrate the construal in various formulations of Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory.
Prospect evaluation and hydrocarbon potential assessment: the Lower Eocene Facha non-clastic reservoirs, Hakim Oil Field (NC74A), Sirte basin, Libya—a case study
Authors: Kassab Mohamed A. , Abbas Ali El-Said , Teama Mostafa A. , Khalifa Musa A. S.
Published: September 2019

Petrophysical assessment of Facha Formation based on log data of six wells A1, A3, A4, A5, A8 and A13 recorded over the entire reservoir interval was established. Hakim Oil Field produces from the Lower Eocene Facha reservoir, which is located at the western side of Sirte basin. Limestone, dolostone and dolomitic limestone are the main lithologies of the Facha reservoir. This lithology is defined by neutron porosity—density cross-plot. Noteworthily, limestone increases in the lowermost intervals of the reservoir. Structurally, the field is traversed by three northwest–southeast faults. The shale of the Upper Cretaceous Sirte Formation is thought to be the source rock of the Facha Formation, whereas the seals are the limestone and anhydrite of the Lower Eocene Gir Formation. In this study, the Facha reservoir’s cutoff values were obtained from the cross-plots of the calculated shale volume, porosity and water saturation values accompanied with gamma ray log data and were set as 20%, 10% and 70%, respectively. Isoparametric maps for the thickness variation of net pay, average porosity, shale volume and water saturation were prepared, and the authors found out that the Facha Formation has promising reservoir characteristics in the area of study; a prospective region for oil accumulation trends is in the north and south of the study area.
Thermodynamic analysis of theoretical dolomite formation from seawater and captured carbon dioxide
Authors: Al-Breiki Mohammed , Bicer Yusuf
Published: September 2019

In this study, an integrated system is proposed to form dolomite chemically from seawater and carbon dioxide. The system contains three main chemical processes: formation of magnesium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide, the reaction of magnesium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide with carbon dioxide, and the formation of dolomite. Based on the fundamental thermodynamic laws, energy and exergy analyses, and performance assessment of the proposed system is carried out. Furthermore, the effects of varying temperatures of each process on various energy and exergy efficiencies are assessed through parametric studies. The results show that formation of dolomite is favorable at temperature ranges of 313–470 K based on the thermodynamic study. The exergy efficiency of dolomite formation is found to be about 23.8% and the results reveal that the dolomite formation process has the specific exergy destruction value of 29.6 kJ/mol among other sub-processes. The results suggest that the proposed system may provide enhanced options for low-temperature dolomite formation using seawater and captured carbon dioxide once the reaction kinetics is favored.
From protocolized to person-centered chronic care in general practice: study protocol of an action-based research project (COPILOT)
Authors: Bogerd Mieke J.L. , Slottje Pauline , Schellevis Francois G. , Giebels Anneliet , Rijken Mieke , van Hout Hein P.J. , Reinders Marcel E.
Published: September 2019

Aim:

To develop a proactive person-centered care approach for persons with (multiple) chronic diseases in general practice, and to explore the impact on ‘Quadruple aims’: experiences of patients and professionals, patient outcomes and costs of resources use.

Background:

The management of people with multiple chronic diseases challenges health care systems designed around single disease. Patients with multimorbidity often receive highly fragmented care that may lead to inefficient, ineffective and potentially harmful treatments and neglect of essential health needs. A more comprehensive, person-centered approach is advocated for persons with multiple morbidities. However, examples on how to provide more person-centered care and evidence of its impact are scarce. A group of Dutch general practitioners (GPs) took the initiative to develop such a care approach.

Methods/Design:

Mixed methods with a development and pilot-testing phase. The proactive person-centered approach will be developed using an action-based research design consisting of multiple plan-act-observe-reflect-adjust cycles. In each cycle, experiences of patients and primary care professionals from 13 practices will be collected via interviews, observations and focus groups. Starting point for the first cycle is a ‘person-centered consultation’ of up to 1 h in which the GP discusses the health status and health care needs of the patient. Furthermore, shared decisions between GP and patient are made on treatment goals and follow-up. In the pilot-test phase, a nested case cohort study allows to explore the impact of the new approach on ‘Quadruple aim’ outcomes comparing persons with and without exposure to the new care approach.

Discussion:

This study will provide a proactive person-centered approach for persons with multimorbidity in primary care and estimate its potential impact on quadruple outcomes.
Utilizing genome-scale models to optimize nutrient supply for sustained algal growth and lipid productivity
Authors: Li Chien-Ting , Yelsky Jacob , Chen Yiqun , Zuñiga Cristal , Eng Richard , Jiang Liqun , Shapiro Alison , Huang Kai-Wen , Zengler Karsten , Betenbaugh Michael J.
Published: September 2019

Nutrient availability is critical for growth of algae and other microbes used for generating valuable biochemical products. Determining the optimal levels of nutrient supplies to cultures can eliminate feeding of excess nutrients, lowering production costs and reducing nutrient pollution into the environment. With the advent of omics and bioinformatics methods, it is now possible to construct genome-scale models that accurately describe the metabolism of microorganisms. In this study, a genome-scale model of the green alga Chlorella vulgaris (iCZ946) was applied to predict feeding of multiple nutrients, including nitrate and glucose, under both autotrophic and heterotrophic conditions. The objective function was changed from optimizing growth to instead minimizing nitrate and glucose uptake rates, enabling predictions of feed rates for these nutrients. The metabolic model control (MMC) algorithm was validated for autotrophic growth, saving 18% nitrate while sustaining algal growth. Additionally, we obtained similar growth profiles by simultaneously controlling glucose and nitrate supplies under heterotrophic conditions for both high and low levels of glucose and nitrate. Finally, the nitrate supply was controlled in order to retain protein and chlorophyll synthesis, albeit at a lower rate, under nitrogen-limiting conditions. This model-driven cultivation strategy doubled the total volumetric yield of biomass, increased fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield by 61%, and enhanced lutein yield nearly 3 fold compared to nitrogen starvation. This study introduces a control methodology that integrates omics data and genome-scale models in order to optimize nutrient supplies based on the metabolic state of algal cells in different nutrient environments. This approach could transform bioprocessing control into a systems biology-based paradigm suitable for a wide range of species in order to limit nutrient inputs, reduce processing costs, and optimize biomanufacturing for the next generation of desirable biotechnology products.
A novel photochromic hybrid containing trinuclear [Cd3Cl12]6− clusters and protonated tripyridyl-triazines
Authors: Hao Pengfei , Guo Chunyu , Shen Junju , Fu Yunlong
Published: September 2019

A novel organic–inorganic hybrid [H3TPT]2[Cd3Cl12] exhibits excellent photochromic performance with ultrafast photoresponsive rate, obvious coloration contrast and high thermal stability.
High-throughput sequencing analysis of genes encoding the B-lymphocyte receptor heavy-chain CDR3 in renal and peripheral blood of IgA nephropathy
Authors: Chen Dapeng , Zhang Zheng , Yang Yue , Hong Quan , Li Wenge , Zhuo Li
Published: September 2019

Aim: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the most common chronic glomerulonephritis. Its etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear. We thus explored the immune repertoire of the B-cell receptor (BCR) and the heavy-chain complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) in renal tissue and peripheral blood of IgAN patients. Method: Total RNAs extracted from renal tissues and peripheral blood of patients and peripheral blood of healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed via high-throughput multiplex PCR sequencing. We amplified and sequenced BCR heavy-chain CDR3 regions to explore repertoire diversity, V/J gene family distribution, CDR3 lengths, BCR heavy-chain variants, consistency between tissue and peripheral blood data, and clones ‘shared’ by these bodily compartments. Results: We identified the renal tissue and peripheral blood BCR heavy-chain CDR3 immune repertoires of 15 IgAN patients. Top1 could be more readily cloned from peripheral blood of patients than from controls (P<0.05), the average CDR3 length was significantly shorter in patients than in HCs (P<0.05), the variant frequency of the gene encoding the BCR heavy chain was higher in patients than in HCs (P<0.05), and the BCR variant frequency was highest in IgAN kidney tissue. Preliminary screening for ‘shared’ clones showed that, in at least 13 patients, the ‘ALYFHNSAY’, ‘ARWGPMYYYMDV’, ‘ARDQGALNA’, and ‘ARVDNPADF’ CDR3 sequences were evident in peripheral blood samples from patients, but not HCs. Conclusions: We found that the ‘ALYFHNSAY’, ‘ARWGPMYYYMDV’, ‘ARDQGALNA’, and ‘ARVDNPADF’ clonal sequences may be useful for noninvasive diagnosis and treatment planning in IgAN.
Fluidisation of iron-based oxygen carrier for chemical looping combustion
Authors: Berkowicz Gabriela , Miłkoś Magdalena
Published: September 2019

The study focuses on the fluidisation of an iron-based material for chemical looping combustion. The Fe/FexOy system can act as an oxygen carrier. This material can be used to transfer the oxygen in the chemical looping combustion ensuring easy CO2 sequestration during the process of burning the fuels. This kind of process would be possible only by introducing the oxygen carrier into a fluidised state. The purpose of the presented work is to determine the size of grains of an iron-based material and the minimum fluidisation velocity of the gas which can ensure a proper fluidisation of the material.
Minimization of fan energy consumption in ventilation and (or) air-conditioning systems as an optimization calculus of variations
Authors: Karpuk Michał
Published: September 2019

The article presents an optimization calculus of variations of fan energy consumption in ventilation and (or) air-conditioning systems. It defines an air flow rate function that depends on the time of operation in the defined room size, starting conditions and the function of hazardous substances emission rate in the room. The differential form of air flow rate dependence on density of hazardous substances allows to establish a connection between air pollution in the room and a fan air flow rate, i.e. fan energy consumption. Creating a fan energy model experiment in the room in different conditions allows to minimize energy consumption to 5–30% depending on existing conditions.
Sensitivity Study of the 5-station configuration of ARA
Authors: Archambault Simon
Published: September 2019

The Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) is an experiment looking for the Askaryan emission of cosmogenic neutrinos interacting in the Antarctic ice. During the last Antarctic summer, two new stations have been added to the experiment, as well as a prototype version of a phased array, attached to one of the new stations. With these stations, ARA sensitivity should become comparable to IceCube’s from 1018 eV and above. To confirm this, the sensitivity is going to be calculated through new simulations developed in the IceCube framework, with an antenna model built from in-situ calibration measurements.
Analysing EEG signals for mathematical computations
Authors: Strmiska Martin , Koudelkova Zuzana
Published: September 2019

Brain computer interface (BCI) is a device that allows us to scan brainwaves. Achieved signals can be processed using a computer and the analyzed brain activity can be than monitored. In this paper, the use of the non-invasive brain scanning method applied on person at solving a system of equations is described. This solving the system of equations was obtained by two mathematical methods. The measurement was performed for solving equations by Gaussian elimination and by substitution methods separately. The results of the measurements were visualized by graphing the brain activity. The aim of the work is to determine the more practical method of those two.
Risk management in the logistics projects
Authors: Belantová Tereza , Taraba Pavel
Published: September 2019

The aim of the research was to find out what approach the companies in the Czech Republic are taking to the risk management process in logistics projects. The article briefly introduces theoretical foundations with an emphasis on risk management. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire survey in the first quarter of 2019. The conclusion of the questionnaire survey clearly shows that most companies in the Czech Republic implement the risk management process themselves using their employees and do not use external workers. The smaller majority of these companies have a single person and do not have the need to have multiple workers for risk management.
Hille-Nehari type oscillation and nonoscillation criteria for linear and half-linear differential equations
Authors: Rˇ eznícˇková Jana
Published: September 2019

Differential equations attract considerable attention in many applications. In particular, it was found out that half-linear differential equations behave in many aspects very similar to that in linear case. The aim of this contribution is to investigate oscillatory properties of the second-order half-linear differential equation and to give oscillation and nonoscillation criteria for this type of equation. It is also considered the linear Sturm- Liouville equation which is the special case of the half-linear equation. Main ideas used in the proof of these criteria are given and Hille-Nehari type oscillation and nonoscillation criteria for the Sturm-Liouville equation are formulated. In the next part, Hille-Nehari type criteria for the half-linear differential equation are presented. Methods used in this investigation are based on the Riccati technique and the quadratic functional, that are very useful instruments in proving oscillation/nonoscillation both for linear and half-linear equation. Conclude that there are given further criteria which guarantee either oscillation or nonoscillation of linear and half-linear equation, respectively. These criteria can be used in the next research in improving some conditions given in theorems of this paper.
The use of fuzzy logic in classification
Authors: Caballero Amaury
Published: September 2019

When determining the degree of coincidence of any multi-feature obtained information, received in the form of a fuzzy vector, to a pre-established known pattern, two general steps should be followed. The first step is to eliminate the features that have little or no effect to the final results and to maintain only those that will influence the pattern recognition. This step could be defined as the classification process and is imperative for the simplification of the problem. One example of classification that could considerably reduce system costs is when using sensors distributed along an industrial process to manage information at a central location. Several methods could be used for classification, such as statistical methods, rough sets, fuzzy logic or information theory. The second step is to find out the correlation between the received fuzzy vector and the vector defining the known pattern using the previously selected features. For this part, the use of fuzzy logic is extremely convenient. The present work analyzes some of the methods used for classification and pattern recognition based on concrete and practical examples
Le génie végétal favorise une plus grande diversité de micro-habitats aquatiques et de macro-invertébrés benthiques
Authors: Janssen P. , Cavaillé P. , Vivier A. , Evette A.
Published: September 2019

Le génie végétal est une alternative écologique au génie civil pour contrôler l’érosion des berges des cours d’eau.Vial’introduction active de végétaux vivants, ces techniques d’ingénierie peuvent également faciliter ou accélérer la restauration écologique des zones riveraines en i) améliorant la qualité de l’habitat riverain et en ii) favorisant une recolonisation de la partie émergée et immergée de la berge par des espèces cibles. Notre étude vise à caractériser comment différentes techniques de stabilisation des berges, d’âges différents, influencent la diversité et la composition des micro-habitats aquatiques et des macro-invertébrés benthiques associés. Au total, 37 berges ont été échantillonnées et hiérarchisées selon un indice de qualité de l’habitat riverain croisant le type et l’âge des ouvrages et représentant un gradient de végétalisation croissant de la berge. Nos résultats montrent que la richesse et le potentiel d’habitabilité des micro-habitats aquatiques augmentent significativement avec la qualité de l’habitat riverain. Spécifiquement, le génie végétal permet une meilleure représentation de micro-habitats à forts potentiels biogènes, comme c’est le cas des systèmes racinaires immergés. Cette augmentation de la qualité de l’habitat aquatique se traduit par une plus grande diversité taxinomique de macro-invertébrés benthiques au niveau des berges stabilisées par les techniques de génie végétal. Pris dans leur ensemble, nos résultats pointent la plus-value du génie végétal pour la restauration écologique des compartiments terrestre et aquatique des berges dégradées.
Entscheidungsfindung bei nicht einwilligungsfähigen
Patienten
Authors: Gieselmann Astrid , Gather Jakov , Vollmann Jochen
Published: September 2019

Medizinische Entscheidungen in Situationen zu treffen, in denen Patienten nicht
einwilligungsfähig sind, zählt zu den besonders schwierigen und belastenden
Aufgaben von Ärzten und Pflegenden. In der Psychiatrie sind Professionelle
jedoch besonders häufig in dieser Situation, da psychische Störungen
vorübergehend oder dauerhaft mit Einwilligungsunfähigkeit einhergehen können.
Wie dennoch Entscheidungen über die Behandlung getroffen werden können,
beschreibt unser Autoren-Team.
Utility of Specialized Imaging for Diagnosis of Chronic Wrist Pain
Authors: Dreckmann Stephanie C. , von Schroeder Herbert P. , Novak Christine B. , Baltzer Heather L.
Published: September 2019

Background Patients with chronic wrist pain often undergo imaging (such as magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], computed tomography [CT], or ultrasound [US]) prior to specialist assessment.

Questions Is specialized wrist imaging performed prior to expert consultation necessary? Are there demographic differences between patients who do or do not receive preconsultation imaging?

Patients and Methods A total of 115 patients referred to a tertiary hand center for chronic wrist pain and assessed by a hand surgeon were included. At initial consultation, surgeons were blinded to referral information and previous imaging results. The specialist performed a history, physical examination and reviewed X-rays. They established a clinical diagnosis and whether any additional investigations were needed. Prior MRI, CT, and/or US results were then reviewed and the specialists' clinical diagnosis was compared with the blinded referral diagnosis. Preconsultation imaging was categorized as having no value for diagnosis/management, some value, or high value.

Results A total of 82 patients had imaging prior to specialist referral (69 MRIs, 11 CTs, and 16 ultrasounds). The majority of additional imaging (73%) was classified as unnecessary, including 77% of the MRIs and 100% of the ultrasounds. Of all the investigations performed, two CT scans were labeled highly valuable clinical aids. Older patients and those with radial-sided pain were less likely to receive preconsultation imaging. Six patients required further imaging after consultation.

Conclusion Clinical assessment and X-rays are typically sufficient for a hand specialist to diagnose and manage chronic wrist pain and few patients require additional imaging.

Level of Evidence This is a Level III study.
Novel frontier of photonics for data processing—Photonic
accelerator
Authors: Kitayama Ken-ichi , Notomi Masaya , Naruse Makoto , Inoue Koji , Kawakami Satoshi , Uchida Atsushi
Published: September 2019

In the emerging Internet of things cyber-physical system-embedded society, big data analytics needs huge computing capability with better energy efficiency. Coming to the end of Moore’s law of the electronic integrated circuit and facing the throughput limitation in parallel processing governed by Amdahl’s law, there is a strong motivation behind exploring a novel frontier of data processing in post-Moore era. Optical fiber transmissions have been making a remarkable advance over the last three decades. A record aggregated transmission capacity of the wavelength division multiplexing system per a single-mode fiber has reached 115 Tbit/s over 240 km. It is time to turn our attention to data processing by photons from the data transport by photons. A photonic accelerator (PAXEL) is a special class of processor placed at the front end of a digital computer, which is optimized to perform a specific function but does so faster with less power consumption than an electronic general-purpose processor. It can process images or time-serial data either in an analog or digital fashion on a real-time basis. Having had maturing manufacturing technology of optoelectronic devices and a diverse array of computing architectures at hand, prototyping PAXEL becomes feasible by leveraging on, e.g., cutting-edge miniature and power-efficient nanostructured silicon photonic devices. In this article, first the bottleneck and the paradigm shift of digital computing are reviewed. Next, we review an array of PAXEL architectures and applications, including artificial neural networks, reservoir computing, pass-gate logic, decision making, and compressed sensing. We assess the potential advantages and challenges for each of these PAXEL approaches to highlight the scope for future work toward practical implementation.
Advances and opportunities in ultrafast X-ray crystallography and ultrafast structural optical crystallography of nuclear and electronic protein dynamics
Authors: van Thor Jasper J.
Published: September 2019

Both nuclear and electronic dynamics contribute to protein function and need multiple and complementary techniques to reveal their ultrafast structural dynamics response. Real-space information obtained from the measurement of electron density dynamics by X-ray crystallography provides aspects of both, while the molecular physics of coherence parameters and frequency-frequency correlation needs spectroscopy methods. Ultrafast pump-probe applications of protein dynamics in crystals provide real-space information through direct X-ray crystallographic structure analysis or through structural optical crystallographic analysis. A discussion of methods of analysis using ultrafast macromolecular X-ray crystallography and ultrafast nonlinear structural optical crystallography is presented. The current and future high repetition rate capabilities provided by X-ray free electron lasers for ultrafast diffraction studies provide opportunities for optical control and optical selection of nuclear coherence which may develop to access higher frequency dynamics through improvements of sensitivity and time resolution to reveal coherence directly. Specific selection of electronic coherence requires optical probes, which can provide real-space structural information through photoselection of oriented samples and specifically in birefringent crystals. Ultrafast structural optical crystallography of photosynthetic energy transfer has been demonstrated, and the theory of two-dimensional structural optical crystallography has shown a method for accessing the structural selection of electronic coherence.
Proton beam emittance growth in multipicosecond laser-solid interactions
Authors: Campbell Paul T , Canning D , Hussein A E , Ratnayaka K D W , Thomas A G R , Krushelnick K , Willingale L
Published: September 2019

High intensity laser-solid interactions can accelerate high energy, low emittance proton beams via the target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) mechanism. Such beams are useful for a number of applications, including time-resolved proton radiography for basic plasma and high energy density physics studies. In experiments using the OMEGA EP laser system, we perform the first measurements of TNSA proton beams generated by up to 100 ps, kilojoule-class laser pulses with relativistic intensities. By systematically varying the laser pulse duration, we measure degradation of the accelerated proton beam quality as the pulse length increases. Two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and simple scaling arguments suggest that ion motion during the rise time of the longer pulses leads to extended preformed plasma expansion from the rear target surface and strong filamentary field structures which can deflect ions away from uniform trajectories and therefore lead to large emittance growth.
One-dimensional SU(N) clusters of fermions in optical lattices
Authors: Gordillo M C
Published: September 2019

The behaviour of fermion clusters with SU(N) symmetry loaded in one-dimensional optical lattices and described by continuous Hamiltonians was studied using a diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) technique. The state diagrams of SU(6) and SU(2) arrangements with the same number of particles were calculated and found virtually identical. The only difference was the absence of a band insulator in the SU(N) case in the range of optical lattice depths considered (V
0 = 0–12 E

R
; E

R
, recoil energy of the lattice) in the non-interacting limit for N > 2. The appearance of that state was signalled by a noticeable change in the shape of the momentum distributions in going from a metal to a band insulator.
Oceanic conditions associated with Euro-Atlantic high pressure and UK drought
Authors: Svensson Cecilia , Hannaford Jamie
Published: September 2019

Persistent atmospheric high pressures can lead to long-lasting droughts and heatwaves with severe societal and environmental impacts, as evident in summer 2018 in Europe. It is known that oceanic and atmospheric features connected with the tropical Pacific influence the atmospheric circulation regimes over the North Atlantic/European sector leading to blocking high pressures in the cold season. Here we show that in the warm season, different combinations of sea surface temperatures in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic are associated with distinctly different atmospheric circulation patterns over northwest Europe some three months later. While most studies are restricted to atmospheric variables, for the UK we also investigate the hydrological impact and find that the effect of the preferred seasonal storm tracks is more clearly seen in regional streamflow observations than in precipitation, presumably because streamflows integrate the influences of precipitation and evapotranspiration. These relationships open up the possibility of skilful statistical forecasts for much of spring to autumn, which will usefully complement the currently available skilful winter forecasts based on general circulation models. Our results deliver new understanding of the truly global driving processes of UK droughts and highlight the potential for improved early warning for the wider European domain.
Cytomegalovirus Infection in Solid Organ and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: State of the Evidence
Authors: Haidar Ghady , Boeckh Michael , Singh Nina
Published: September 2019

This review focuses on recent advances in the field of cytomegalovirus (CMV). The 2 main strategies for CMV prevention are prophylaxis and preemptive therapy. Prophylaxis effectively prevents CMV infection after solid organ transplantation (SOT) but is associated with high rates of neutropenia and delayed-onset postprophylaxis disease. In contrast, preemptive therapy has the advantage of leading to lower rates of CMV disease and robust humoral and T-cell responses. It is widely used in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients but is infrequently utilized after SOT due to logistical considerations, though these may be overcome by novel methods to monitor CMV viremia using self-testing platforms. We review recent developments in CMV immune monitoring, vaccination, and monoclonal antibodies, all of which have the potential to become part of integrated strategies that rely on viral load monitoring and immune responses. We discuss novel therapeutic options for drug-resistant or refractory CMV infection, including maribavir, letermovir, and adoptive T-cell transfer. We also explore the role of donor factors in transmitting CMV after SOT. Finally, we propose a framework with which to approach CMV prevention in the foreseeable future.
Extradural Devascularization for Resection of a Lesser Sphenoid Wing Meningioma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Gallardo-Ceja David , Sanchez-Correa Thalia E , Mendez-Rosito Diego
Published: September 2019

We describe the case of a 42-yr-old female patient with a 2-yr history of headache that has progressively worsened. Physical examination revealed no neurological deficit. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large tumor of the left lesser sphenoid wing that enhanced with gadolinium and produced displacement of the midline and the Sylvian fissure. A thorough analysis of the origin of the tumor was done to establish the surgical strategy. With the patient positioned supine with the head slightly turned to the right side, fixed in a 3-pin head clamp, a pterional craniotomy was performed. Since the origin of the tumor is in the lesser wing an early extradural devascularization of the tumor was done with drilling out all the hyperostotic bone of the lesser sphenoid wing, including the lateral base of the anterior clinoid process. Intradural debulking and resection showed the effect of extradural devascularization with an important decrease in bleeding, allowing the total resection of the tumor. An immediate postop magnetic resonance showed a complete removal of the tumor. The patient presented a paresis of the oculomotor nerve that completely resolved in the 3-mo follow-up. In the following video illustration, we narrate this operative case and highlight the nuances of this approach.
1
The patient has given assent and written consent for videos, images, or clinical or genetic information to be published.
Exploring the effect of online banking on bank performance using data envelopment analysis
Authors: Owusu Kwateng Kwame , Osei-Wusu Edna Edwina , Amanor Kofi
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Increased competition in the banking sector coupled with long queues in the banking hall has necessitated the introduction of internet banking among banks in Ghana. As a result, internet banking has attracted a great deal of attention from both academicians and practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of internet banking on the performance of banking institutions in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 20 banks in Ghana were selected from the Bank of Ghana website for the study. The financial information about the banks’ operations was retrieved from the financial statements of the respective banks for the end of the year 2016. The data envelopment analysis-bootstrap approach with principal component analysis and cluster analysis was used to estimate 49 models.

Findings

The findings of the study indicated that the integration of internet banking into traditional banking methods has led to superior bank performance in Ghana. It was observed that while the independent application of internet banking as a strategy to raise performance was not yielding higher returns due to the low patronage of internet services among banking consumers, its integration with possible traditional methods is widely observed among the top performers in the banking industry.

Practical implications

Traditional banking methods, integrated banking service strategies and the internet banking service-oriented strategy emerged as the main banking strategies among the banks.

Originality/value

Extant literature is quite silent on the effect of internet banking on bank performance in Africa. However, this paper is among the first significant attempts to examine the effect of internet banking on bank performance.
Cox regression with survival‐time‐dependent missing covariate values
Authors: Yi Yanyao , Ye Ting , Yu Menggang , Shao Jun
Published: September 2019

Analysis with time‐to‐event data in clinical and epidemiological studies often encounters missing covariate values, and the missing at random assumption is commonly adopted, which assumes that missingness depends on the observed data, including the observed outcome which is the minimum of survival and censoring time. However, it is conceivable that in certain settings, missingness of covariate values is related to the survival time but not to the censoring time. This is especially so when covariate missingness is related to an unmeasured variable affected by the patient's illness and prognosis factors at baseline. If this is the case, then the covariate missingness is not at random as the survival time is censored, and it creates a challenge in data analysis. In this article, we propose an approach to deal with such survival‐time‐dependent covariate missingness based on the well known Cox proportional hazard model. Our method is based on inverse propensity weighting with the propensity estimated by nonparametric kernel regression. Our estimators are consistent and asymptotically normal, and their finite‐sample performance is examined through simulation. An application to a real‐data example is included for illustration.
Comparing Model Performance in Characterizing the PK/PD of the Anti‐Myostatin Antibody Domagrozumab
Authors: Tiwari Abhinav , Bhattacharya Indranil , Chan Phylinda L.S. , Harnisch Lutz
Published: September 2019

Modeling and simulation provides quantitative information on target coverage for dose selection. Optimal model selection often relies on fit criteria and is not necessarily mechanistically driven. One such case is discussed where healthy volunteer data of an anti‐myostatin monoclonal antibody domagrozumab were used to develop different target‐mediated drug disposition models; a quasi‐steady state (QSS) rapid binding approximation model, a Michaelis−Menten (MM)‐binding kinetics (MM‐BK) model, and an MM‐indirect response (MM‐IDR) model. Whereas the MM‐BK model was identified as optimal in fitting the data, with all parameters estimated with high precision, the QSS model also converged but was not able to capture the nonlinear decline. Although the least mechanistic model, MM‐IDR, had the lowest objective function value, the MM‐BK model was further developed as it provided a reasonable fit and allowed simulations regarding growth differentiation factor‐8 target coverage for phase II dose selection with sufficient certainty to allow for testing of the underlying mechanistic assumptions.
Vegetation response to climatic changes in western Amazonia over the last 7,600 years
Authors: Nascimento Majoi N. , Martins Gabriel S. , Cordeiro Renato C. , Turcq Bruno , Moreira Luciane S. , Bush Mark B.
Published: September 2019

Aim

Ongoing and future anthropogenic climate change poses one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, affecting species distributions and ecological interactions. In the Amazon, climatic changes are expected to induce warming, disrupt precipitation patterns and of particular concern, to increase the intensity and frequency of droughts. Yet the response of ecosystems to intense warm, dry events is not well understood. In the Andes the mid‐Holocene dry event (MHDE), c. 9,000 to 4,000 years ago, was the warmest and driest period of the last 100,000 years which coincided with changes in evaporation and precipitation that caused lake levels to drop over most of tropical South America. This event probably approximates our near‐climatic future, and a critical question is: How much did vegetation change in response to this forcing?

Location

Lake Pata, Brazilian Western Amazonia.

Taxon

Terrestrial and aquatic plants.

Methods

We used pollen, charcoal, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), δ13C and δ15N data from a new high‐resolution core that spans the last c. 7,600 years history of Lake Pata.

Results

We found that in the wettest section of Amazonia changes associated with the MHDE were detected in the geochemistry analysis but that vegetation changed very little in response to drought during the Holocene. This is the first high‐resolution core without apparent hiatuses that spans most of the Holocene (last 7,600 cal yr bp) from Lake Pata, Brazil. Changes in the organic geochemistry of sediments indicated that between c. 6,500 and 3,600 cal yr bp lake levels dropped. Vegetation, however, showed little change as near‐modern forests were seen throughout the record, evidencing the substantial resilience of this system. Only a few species replacements and minor fluctuations in abundance were observed in the pollen record.

Main conclusions

The mid‐Holocene warming and reduced precipitation had a limited impact on western Amazonian forests. We attribute much of the resilience to a lack of fire in this system, and that if human‐set fires were to be introduced, the forest destruction from that cause would override that induced by climate alone.