bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cryoprecipitate transfusion in bleeding patients
Authors: Nascimento Barto , Levy Jerrold H. , Tien Homer , Da Luz Luis Teodoro
Published: October 2020

Objectives

The management of acquired coagulopathy in multiple clinical settings frequently involves fibrinogen supplementation. Cryoprecipitate, a multidonor product, is widely used for the treatment of acquired hypofibrinogenemia following massive bleeding, but it has been associated with adverse events. We aimed to review the latest evidence on cryoprecipitate for treatment of bleeding.

Methods

We conducted a narrative review of current literature on cryoprecipitate therapy, describing its history, formulations and preparation, and recommended dosing. We also reviewed guideline recommendations on the use of cryoprecipitate in bleeding situations and recent studies on its efficacy and safety.

Results

Cryoprecipitate has a relatively high fibrinogen content; however, as it is produced by pooling fresh frozen donor plasma, the fibrinogen content per unit can vary considerably. Current guidelines suggest that cryoprecipitate use should be limited to treating hypofibrinogenemia in patients with clinical bleeding. Until recently, cryoprecipitate was deemed unsuitable for pathogen reduction, and potential safety concerns and lack of standardized fibrinogen content have led to some professional bodies recommending that cryoprecipitate is only indicated for the treatment of bleeding and hypofibrinogenemia in perioperative settings where fibrinogen concentrate is not available. While cryoprecipitate is effective in increasing plasma fibrinogen levels, data on its clinical efficacy are limited.

Conclusions

There is a lack of robust evidence to support the use of cryoprecipitate in bleeding patients, with few prospective, randomized clinical trials performed to date. Clinical trials in bleeding settings are needed to investigate the safety and efficacy of cryoprecipitate and to determine its optimal use and administration.
Symbiotic embedment structures in Silurian Caryocrinites (Echinodermata, Rhombifera, Hemicosmitida)
Authors: Thomka James R. , Brett Carlton E. , Bissett Donald L.
Published: October 2020

A variety of pits representing symbiotic embedments, sometimes associated with pathological deformation in the host, are known from the skeletons of Paleozoic stalked echinoderms. These structures are well known from multiple genera of crinoids and a limited number of blastozoans but have not previously been described in detail from the skeletons of rhombiferans. This is surprising given the abundance of rhombiferans in certain deposits, the co-occurrence of rhombiferans with frequently infested taxa, including diploporitans, in multiple assemblages, and the morphological similarity between certain rhombiferan taxa and coeval infested crinoids. The common hemicosmitid rhombiferan Caryocrinites Say, 1825 is widespread throughout the middle Silurian of eastern North America and is herein reported to contain symbiotic (potentially parasitic) embedment structures. Specimens were collected from the lower portion of the mudstone lithofacies of the Massie Formation (Wenlock, Sheinwoodian) at the Napoleon quarry of southeastern Indiana, USA. Strong host specificity is indicated by the absence of pits in C. ornatus Say, 1825 and exclusive infestation of a smaller co-occurring species of Caryocrinites. Thecae with embedment structures are consistently smaller than thecae without such structures, with pitted specimens being restricted to a narrow range of thecal heights (20–24 mm). All embedment structures are present only on the proximal portion of thecae, with individual specimens containing between one and 30 pits. No elevated rims or significant swelling were observed on any specimens, and all pits are relatively small (~1 mm in diameter). The presence of symbiotic embedment structures represents an additional example of a crinoid-like aspect to the ecology of Caryocrinites.
Bohr theorems for slice regular functions over octonions
Authors: Xu Zhenghua
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we mainly investigate two versions of the Bohr theorem for slice regular functions over the largest alternative division algebras of octonions $\mathbb {O}$. To this end, we establish the coefficient estimates for self-maps of the unit ball of $\mathbb {O}$ and the Carathéodory class in this setting. As a further application of the coefficient estimate, the 1/2-covering theorem is also proven for slice regular functions with convex image.
The Middle East in World History: Spatial and Temporal Reorderings
Authors: Findley Carter Vaughn
Published: October 2020

In addition to my primary research specialty in Ottoman history, I prepared to teach the history of the Islamic Middle East from my first year in graduate school onward, and I did so throughout my academic career, including preparing graduate students to teach Ottoman and modern Middle Eastern history. My start in world history came later. Around the time I got tenure, my department decided, for comically bad reasons, to create a single world history course on the twentieth century. Having never witnessed creation ex nihilo in a department meeting before, I volunteered for the course. The department's reasons for creating the course were farcical, but I recognized it as a valuable intellectual property. In the existing state of the pedagogical literature, no one had paused to analyze the issues that made the twentieth century into more than the last chapter of a comprehensive world history book. A couple of years later, just as we finished teaching the course for the first time, an editor came along and asked if I had ever thought about writing a textbook. Yes, I had thought about it. Only I had assumed many years would pass before anyone would ask. Such were the origins of my coauthored Twentieth-Century World, having gone through seven editions from 1986 until 2010. It would be an understatement to say that radical revisions were required for each new edition, given not only the lengthening chronology but also the often radical revisions and improvements in the literature. If this presentation sounds more like a memoir than a research paper, the reason is that my dual lives in Middle Eastern and world history interacted in the pedagogical realm, raising issues that redirected my basic research and theoretical inquiries along the way.
A NOTE ON JEŚMANOWICZ’ CONJECTURE CONCERNING NONPRIMITIVE PYTHAGOREAN TRIPLES
Authors: FUJITA YASUTSUGU , LE MAOHUA
Published: October 2020

Jeśmanowicz conjectured that

$(x,y,z)=(2,2,2)$
is the only positive integer solution of the equation

$(*)\; ((\kern1.5pt f^2-g^2)n)^x+(2fgn)^y=((\kern1.5pt f^2+g^2)n)^x$
, where n is a positive integer and f, g are positive integers such that

$f>g$
,

$\gcd (\kern1.5pt f,g)=1$
and

$f \not \equiv g\pmod 2$
. Using Baker’s method, we prove that: (i) if

$n>1$
,

$f \ge 98$
and

$g=1$
, then

$(*)$
has no positive integer solutions

$(x,y,z)$
with

$x>z>y$
; and (ii) if

$n>1$
,

$f=2^rs^2$
and

$g=1$
, where r, s are positive integers satisfying

$(**)\; 2 \nmid s$
and

$s<2^{r/2}$
, then

$(*)$
has no positive integer solutions

$(x,y,z)$
with

$y>z>x$
. Thus, Jeśmanowicz’ conjecture is true if

$f=2^rs^2$
and

$g=1$
, where r, s are positive integers satisfying

$(**)$
.
Documenting – and Rethinking – Liturgy in Early Christianity
Authors: FRANKFURTER DAVID
Published: October 2020

Much current work on early Christianity depends, implicitly or explicitly, on the assumption that lay people actually attended church services (and, hence, listened to and considered sermons by major Church Fathers) more than a few times a year. Whether they attended as ‘Christians’, or simply to engage in various types of material devotion, or out of interest in the religious content to be found in a church, the assumption is that they came.
The Ethics of Narration in Helen Demidenko'sThe Hand That Signed the Paper, 1994 and 2017
Authors: Morgan Peter
Published: October 2020

During the mid-1990s the Australian literary scene was shaken by controversy over issues of antisemitism and Holocaust representation in Helen Demidenko's debut novel,The Hand That Signed the Paper.In 2017, Darville reissued the novel. At a time when debate is raging over the nature and limits of freedom of expression and the status of words and facts, this was a provocative move. This article revisitsThe Handin order to resolve the issues of literary antisemitism and freedom of speech that it raised in 1994 and continues to raise today. I apply Avishai Margalit's notion of an “ethics of memory” to the autofictional text in order to develop a theory of an “ethics of narration” in literary fiction. This narrative ethics enables distinctions to be made in relation to truth claims and fictionality, which were opaque in Demidenko's original autofiction and remain unresolved in the reissued version.
Administering wealth: the concept of “economy” and the epistemic foundations of nationalism in late-imperial China (late-nineteenth–early-twentieth century)
Authors: Blitstein Pablo A.
Published: October 2020

In this paper, I will focus on the emergence and uses of political economy in late-nineteenth–early-twentieth century China. I will discuss how the concept of “economy” came to be conceived as an autonomous sphere of human life, with its own rules and its own order, and how the production of “wealth” was conceptually divorced from ethics, politics, and administration. For this purpose, I will focus on a group which played a key role in reshaping the social and political discourse of the empire: a group of nationalist reformers who wanted to transform the Qing empire into a constitutional monarchy. I will explore how these reformers brought together two different sets of traditions – the Chinese imperial traditions of literati statecraft on the one hand, and mostly British, French, and German traditions of political economy on the other – and how they used them to naturalize a particular idea of what the “Chinese nation” was and should be.
Observations of Stratospheric Gravity Waves Over Europe on 12 January 2016: The Role of the Polar Night Jet
Authors: Bossert Katrina , Vadas Sharon L. , Hoffmann Lars , Becker Erich , Harvey V. Lynn , Bramberger Martina
Published: October 2020

Observations during 12 January 2016 revealed a series of events of significant gravity wave (GW) activity over Europe. Analysis of derived temperatures from the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) provides insight into the sources of these GWs, and include a new observation of stratosphere polar night jet (PNJ) generated GWs. Mountain waves were present during this time as well over the French Alps and the Carpathian Mountains and had maximum temperature perturbations, T′, as large as 27 K over the French Alps. Further investigation of the mountain waves that demonstrated their presence in the stratosphere was determined not only by stratospheric conditions but also by strong winds in the troposphere and at the surface. GWs generated in the stratosphere by the PNJ had maximum T′ of 7 K. These observations demonstrate multiple sources of GWs during a dynamically active period and implicate the role of the PNJ in both the vertical propagation of GWs generated in the troposphere and the generation of GWs from the PNJ itself.
Stratospheric Ozone in the Last Glacial Maximum
Authors: Wang Mingcheng , Fu Qiang , Solomon Susan , White Rachel H. , Alexander Becky
Published: October 2020

Using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model version 6, stratospheric ozone in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is investigated. It is shown that, compared with preindustrial (PI) times, LGM modeled stratospheric temperatures are increased by up to 8 K, leading to faster ozone destruction rates for gas phase reactions, especially via the Chapman mechanism. On the other hand, stratospheric hydroxyl radical (OH) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) concentrations are decreased by 10–20%, which decreases catalytic ozone destruction, thereby decreasing ozone loss rates. The net effect of these two compensating mechanisms in the upper stratosphere (above 15 hPa) is a vertically integrated 1–3 Dobson unit (DU) decrease during the LGM. In the lower stratosphere (tropopause to 15 hPa), changes in the stratospheric overturning circulation and resulting transport dominate changes in ozone. Consistent with a weakening of the residual circulation in the LGM, lower stratospheric ozone is increased by 2–5 DU in the tropics and decreased by 5–10 DU in the extratropics, but the latter is partly compensated by ozone increases due to a lower tropopause. It is found that tropospheric ozone is decreased by about 5 DU in the LGM versus PI. Combined changes in stratospheric and tropospheric ozone lead to a decrease in total ozone column everywhere except over the northeast North America, equatorial Indian and West Pacific Oceans. Surface ultraviolet radiation in the LGM versus PI is increased over the Northern Hemisphere middle and high latitudes, especially over the ice caps, and over the Southern Hemisphere near 60°S.
Ultrafast control of fractional orbital angular momentum of microlaser emissions
Authors: Zhang Zhifeng , Zhao Haoqi , Pires Danilo Gomes , Qiao Xingdu , Gao Zihe , Jornet Josep M. , Longhi Stefano , Litchinitser Natalia M. , Feng Liang
Published: October 2020

On-chip integrated laser sources of structured light carrying fractional orbital angular momentum (FOAM) are highly desirable for the forefront development of optical communication and quantum information–processing technologies. While integrated vortex beam generators have been previously demonstrated in different optical settings, ultrafast control and sweep of FOAM light with low-power control, suitable for high-speed optical communication and computing, remains challenging. Here we demonstrate fast control of the FOAM from a vortex semiconductor microlaser based on fast transient mixing of integer laser vorticities induced by a control pulse. A continuous FOAM sweep between charge 0 and charge +2 is demonstrated in a 100 ps time window, with the ultimate speed limit being established by the carrier recombination time in the gain medium. Our results provide a new route to generating vortex microlasers carrying FOAM that are switchable at GHz frequencies by an ultrafast control pulse.
Influence of plasmon excitations on atomic-resolution quantitative 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Beyer Andreas , Krause Florian F. , Robert Hoel L. , Firoozabadi Saleh , Grieb Tim , Kükelhan Pirmin , Heimes Damien , Schowalter Marco , Müller-Caspary Knut , Rosenauer Andreas , Volz Kerstin
Published: October 2020

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) allows to gain quantitative information on the atomic-scale structure and composition of materials, satisfying one of todays major needs in the development of novel nanoscale devices. The aim of this study is to quantify the impact of inelastic, i.e. plasmon excitations (PE), on the angular dependence of STEM intensities and answer the question whether these excitations are responsible for a drastic mismatch between experiments and contemporary image simulations observed at scattering angles below $$\sim $$
∼
40 mrad. For the two materials silicon and platinum, the angular dependencies of elastic and inelastic scattering are investigated. We utilize energy filtering in two complementary microscopes, which are representative for the systems used for quantitative STEM, to form position-averaged diffraction patterns as well as atomically resolved 4D STEM data sets for different energy ranges. The resulting five-dimensional data are used to elucidate the distinct features in real and momentum space for different energy losses. We find different angular distributions for the elastic and inelastic scattering, resulting in an increased low-angle intensity ($$\sim $$
∼
10–40 mrad). The ratio of inelastic/elastic scattering increases with rising sample thickness, while the general shape of the angular dependency is maintained. Moreover, the ratio increases with the distance to an atomic column in the low-angle regime. Since PE are usually neglected in image simulations, consequently the experimental intensity is underestimated at these angles, which especially affects bright field or low-angle annular dark field imaging. The high-angle regime, however, is unaffected. In addition, we find negligible impact of inelastic scattering on first-moment imaging in momentum-resolved STEM, which is important for STEM techniques to measure internal electric fields in functional nanostructures. To resolve the discrepancies between experiment and simulation, we present an adopted simulation scheme including PE. This study highlights the necessity to take into account PE to achieve quantitative agreement between simulation and experiment. Besides solving the fundamental question of missing physics in established simulations, this finally allows for the quantitative evaluation of low-angle scattering, which contains valuable information about the material investigated.
Sub-clustering in skeletal class III malocclusion phenotypes via principal component analysis in a southern European population
Authors: de Frutos-Valle L. , Martin C. , Alarcón J. A. , Palma-Fernández J. C. , Ortega R. , Iglesias-Linares A.
Published: October 2020

The main aim of this study was to generate an adequate sub-phenotypic clustering model of class III skeletal malocclusion in an adult population of southern European origin. The study design was conducted in two phases, a preliminary cross-sectional study and a subsequent discriminatory evaluation by main component and cluster analysis to identify differentiated skeletal sub-groups with differentiated phenotypic characteristics. Radiometric data from 699 adult patients of southern European origin were analyzed in 212 selected subjects affected by class III skeletal malocclusion. The varimax rotation was used with Kaiser normalization, to prevent variables with more explanatory capacity from affecting the rotation. A total of 21,624 radiographic measurements were obtained as part of the cluster model generation, using a total set of 55 skeletal variables for the subsequent analysis of the major component and cluster analyses. Ten main axes were generated representing 92.7% of the total variation. Three main components represented 58.5%, with particular sagittal and vertical variables acting as major descriptors. Post hoc phenotypic clustering retrieved six clusters: C1:9.9%, C2:18.9%, C3:33%, C4:3.77%, C5:16%, and C6:16%. In conclusion, phenotypic variation was found in the southern European skeletal class III population, demonstrating the existence of phenotypic variations between identified clusters in different ethnic groups.
Synthesis, in vitro, and in vivo evaluation of novel N-phenylindazolyl diarylureas as potential anti-cancer agents
Authors: Solano Lucas N. , Nelson Grady L. , Ronayne Conor T. , Jonnalagadda Shirisha , Jonnalagadda Sravan K. , Kottke Kaija , Chitren Robert , Johnson Joseph L. , Pandey Manoj K. , Jonnalagadda Subash C. , Mereddy Venkatram R.
Published: October 2020

Novel N-phenylindazole based diarylureas have been designed, synthesized and evaluated as potential anticancer agents. In vitro cell viability studies of these derivatives illustrate good potency with IC50 values in the range of 0.4–50 μM in several cancer cell lines including murine metastatic breast cancer 4T1, murine glioblastoma GL261, human triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231, human pancreatic cancer MIAPaCa-2, and human colorectal cancer cell line WiDr. The ester group in the lead compound 8i was modified to incorporate amino-amides to increase solubility and stability while retaining biological activity. Further in vitro studies reveal that lead candidates inhibit tube length in HUVEC cells. In vivo systemic toxicity studies indicate that these candidate compounds are well tolerated in mice without any significant side effects. Anticancer efficacy studies in WiDr tumor xenograft and 4T1 tumor syngraft models demonstrate that the lead candidate 11 exhibits significant antitumor properties as a single agent in these tumor models.
Computational pipeline to probe NaV1.7 gain-of-function variants in neuropathic painful syndromes
Authors: Toffano Alberto A. , Chiarot Giacomo , Zamuner Stefano , Marchi Margherita , Salvi Erika , Waxman Stephen G. , Faber Catharina G. , Lauria Giuseppe , Giacometti Achille , Simeoni Marta
Published: October 2020

Applications of machine learning and graph theory techniques to neuroscience have witnessed an increased interest in the last decade due to the large data availability and unprecedented technology developments. Their employment to investigate the effect of mutational changes in genes encoding for proteins modulating the membrane of excitable cells, whose biological correlates are assessed at electrophysiological level, could provide useful predictive clues. We apply this concept to the analysis of variants in sodium channel NaV1.7 subunit found in patients with chronic painful syndromes, by the implementation of a dedicated computational pipeline empowering different and complementary techniques including homology modeling, network theory, and machine learning. By testing three templates of different origin and sequence identities, we provide an optimal condition for its use. Our findings reveal the usefulness of our computational pipeline in supporting the selection of candidates for cell electrophysiology assay and with potential clinical applications.
Alcohol use in severely injured trauma patients
Authors: Riuttanen Antti , Jäntti Saara J. , Mattila Ville M.
Published: October 2020

Alcohol is a major risk factor for several types of injuries, and it is associated with almost all types and mechanisms of injury. The focus of the study was to evaluate alcohol use in severely injured trauma patients with New Injury Severity Score (NISS) of 16 or over, and to compare mortality, injury severity scores and mechanisms and patterns of injury between patients with positive and negative blood alcohol levels (BAL). Medical histories of all severely injured trauma patients (n = 347 patients) enrolled prospectively in Trauma Register of Tampere University Hospital (TAUH) between January 2016 to December 2017 were evaluated for alcohol/substance use, injury mechanism, mortality and length of stay in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A total of 252 of 347 patients (72.6%) were tested for alcohol with either direct blood test (50.1%, 174/347), breathalyser (11.2%, 39/347), or both (11.2%, 39/347). After untested patients were excluded, 53.5% of adult patients (18–64 years), 20.5% of elderly patients (above 65 years) and 13.3% of paediatric patients (0–17 years) tested BAL positive. The mean measured BAL for the study population was 1.9 g/L. The incidence of injuries was elevated in the early evenings and the relative proportion of BAL positive patients was highest (67.7%) during the night. Injury severity scores (ISS or NISS) and length of stay in ICU were not adversely affected by alcohol use. Mortality was higher in patients with negative BAL (18.2% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.0019). Falls from stairs, and assaults were more common in patients with positive BAL (15.4% vs. 5.4% and 8.7% vs. 2.7%, p < 0.006, respectively). There were no notable differences in injury patterns between the two groups. Alcohol use among severely injured trauma patients is common. Injury mechanisms between patients with positive and negative BAL have differences, but alcohol use will not increase mortality or prolong length of stay in ICU. This study supports the previously reported findings that BAL is not a suitable marker to assess patient mortality in trauma setting.
Biomarker-estimated flavan-3-ol intake is associated with lower blood pressure in cross-sectional analysis in EPIC Norfolk
Authors: Ottaviani Javier I. , Britten Abigail , Lucarelli Debora , Luben Robert , Mulligan Angela A. , Lentjes Marleen A. , Fong Reedmond , Gray Nicola , Grace Philip B. , Mawson Deborah H. , Tym Amy , Wierzbicki Antonia , Forouhi Nita G. , Khaw Kay-Tee , Schroeter Hagen , Kuhnle Gunter G. C.
Published: October 2020

Flavan-3-ols are a group of bioactive compounds that have been shown to improve vascular function in intervention studies. They are therefore of great interest for the development of dietary recommendation for the prevention of cardio-vascular diseases. However, there are currently no reliable data from observational studies, as the high variability in the flavan-3-ol content of food makes it difficult to estimate actual intake without nutritional biomarkers. In this study, we investigated cross-sectional associations between biomarker-estimated flavan-3-ol intake and blood pressure and other CVD risk markers, as well as longitudinal associations with CVD risk in 25,618 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) Norfolk cohort. High flavan-3-ol intake, achievable as part of an habitual diet, was associated with a significantly lower systolic blood pressure (− 1.9 (− 2.7; − 1.1) mmHg in men and − 2.5 (− 3.3; − 1.8) mmHg in women; lowest vs highest decile of biomarker), comparable to adherence to a Mediterranean Diet or moderate salt reduction. Subgroup analyses showed that hypertensive participants had stronger inverse association between flavan-3-ol biomarker and systolic blood pressure when compared to normotensive participants. Flavanol intake could therefore have a role in the maintenance of cardiovascular health on a population scale.
Intrinsic molecular vibration and rigorous vibrational assignment of benzene by first-principles molecular dynamics
Authors: Wang Shaoqing
Published: October 2020

Vibrational assignment, which establishes the correspondence between vibrational modes and spectral frequencies, is a key step in any spectroscopic study. Due to the lack of experimental technique to directly observe the thermal vibration of atoms, the assignment is usually done by empirical trial-and-error method with considerable uncertainty. Here we demonstrate a successful study of intrinsic molecular vibration property based on first-principles molecular dynamics trajectory. A unified approach for calculating and assigning vibrational frequencies is developed and applied to solve some historical issues of benzene vibration. As a major achievement, the experimental frequencies of benzene a2g and b2u vibrations are reassigned, which breaks a deadlock in contemporary spectroscopic science and removes a cloud over the application of density-functional theory in organic chemistry. This work paves the way for the comprehensive realization of the first-principles spectroscopic research, and provides crucial clues to solve the century-old problems of Kekule resonance, π-deformation, and aromaticity.
Specificity of the chromatic noise influence on the luminance contrast discrimination to the color vision phenotype
Authors: Sousa Bruna Rafaela Silva , Loureiro Terezinha Medeiros Gonçalves , Goulart Paulo Roney Kilpp , Cortes Maria Izabel Tentes , Costa Marcelo Fernandes , Bonci Daniela Maria Oliveira , Baran Luiz Claudio Portnoi , Hauzman Einat , Ventura Dora Fix , Miquilini Leticia , Souza Givago Silva
Published: October 2020

Many studies have examined how color and luminance information are processed in the visual system. It has been observed that chromatic noise masked luminance discrimination in trichromats and that luminance thresholds increased as a function of noise saturation. Here, we aimed to compare chromatic noise inhibition on the luminance thresholds of trichromats and subjects with severe deutan or protan losses. Twenty-two age-matched subjects were evaluated, 12 trichromats and 10 with congenital color vision impairment: 5 protanopes/protanomalous, and 5 deuteranopes/deuteranomalous. We used a mosaic of circles containing chromatic noise consisting of 8 chromaticities around protan, deutan, and tritan confusion lines. A subset of the circles differed in the remaining circles by the luminance arising from a C-shaped central target. All the participants were tested in 4 chromatic noise saturation conditions (0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005 u′v′ units) and 1 condition without chromatic noise. We observed that trichromats had an increasing luminance threshold as a function of chromatic noise saturation under all chromatic noise conditions. The subjects with color vision deficiencies displayed no changes in the luminance threshold across the different chromatic noise saturations when the noise was composed of chromaticities close to their color confusion lines (protan and deutan chromatic noise). However, for tritan chromatic noise, they were found to have similar results to the trichromats. The use of chromatic noise masking on luminance threshold estimates could help to simultaneously examine the processing of luminance and color information. A comparison between luminance contrast discrimination obtained from no chromatic and high-saturated chromatic noise conditions could be initially undertaken in this double-duty test.
Individualized fluid administration for critically ill patients with sepsis with an interpretable dynamic treatment regimen model
Authors: Zhang Zhongheng , Zheng Bin , Liu Nan
Published: October 2020

Fluid strategy is the key to the successful management of patients with sepsis. However, previous studies failed to consider individualized treatment strategy, and clinical trials typically included patients with sepsis as a homogeneous study population. We aimed to develop sequential decision rules for managing fluid intake in patients with sepsis by using the dynamic treatment regimen (DTR) model. A retrospective analysis of the eICU Collaborative Research Database comprising highly granular data collected from 335 units at 208 hospitals was performed. The DTR model used a backward induction algorithm to estimate the sequence of optimal rules. 22,868 patients who had sepsis according to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) IV diagnosis group were included. Optimal fluid management (liberal [> 40 ml/kg/d] versus restricted [< 40 ml/kg/d]) strategy were developed on the Day 1, 3 and 5 after ICU admission according to current states and treatment history. Important determinants of optimal fluid strategy included mean blood pressure, heart rate, previous urine output, previous fluid strategy, ICU type and mechanical ventilation. Different functional forms such as quadratic function and interaction terms were used at different stages. The proportion of subjects being inappropriately treated with liberal fluid strategy (i.e. those actually received liberal fluid strategy, but could have longer survival time if they received restricted fluid strategy) increased from day 1 to 5 (19.3% to 29.5%). The survival time could be significantly prolonged had all patients been treated with optimal fluid strategy (5.7 [2.0, 5.9] vs. 4.1 [2.0, 5.0] days; p < 0.001). With a large volume of sepsis data, we successfully computed out a sequence of dynamic fluid management strategy for sepsis patients over the first 5 days after ICU admission. The decision rules generated by the DTR model predicted a longer survival time compared to the true observed strategy, which sheds light for improving patient outcome with the aim from computer-assisted algorithm.
Perioperative fluids and complications after pancreatoduodenectomy within an enhanced recovery pathway
Authors: Gilgien Jérôme , Hübner Martin , Halkic Nermin , Demartines Nicolas , Roulin Didier
Published: October 2020

Optimized fluid management is a key component of enhanced recovery (ERAS) pathways. Implementation is challenging for pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) and clear guidance is missing in the respective protocol. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the influence of perioperative intravenous (IV) fluid administration on postoperative complications. 164 consecutive patients undergoing PD within ERAS between October 2012 and June 2017 were included. Perioperative IV fluid and morbidity (Clavien classification and comprehensive complication index (CCI)) were assessed. A threshold of more than 4400 ml IV fluid during the first 24 h could be identified to predict occurrence of complications (area under ROC curve 0.71), with a positive and negative predictive value of 93 and 23% respectively. More than 4400 ml intravenous fluids during the first 24 h was an independent predictor of overall postoperative complications (adjusted odds ratio 4.40, 95% CI 1.47–13.19; p value = 0.008). Patients receiving ≥ 4400 ml were associated with increased overall complications (94 vs 77%; p value < 0.001), especially pulmonary complications (31 vs 16%; p value = 0.037), as well as a higher median CCI (33.7 vs 26.2; p value 0.041). This threshold of 4400 ml intravenous fluid might be a useful indicator for the management following pancreatoduodenectomy.
TGF-β1 is a regulator of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in fibroblasts
Authors: Smith Edward R. , Hewitson Timothy D.
Published: October 2020

TGF-β1 reprograms metabolism in renal fibroblasts, inducing a switch from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. However, molecular events underpinning this are unknown. Here we identify that TGF-β1 downregulates acetyl-CoA biosynthesis via regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). Flow cytometry showed that TGF-β1 reduced the PDC subunit PDH-E1α in fibroblasts derived from injured, but not normal kidneys. An increase in expression of PDH kinase 1 (PDK1), and reduction in the phosphatase PDP1, were commensurate with net phosphorylation and inactivation of PDC. Over-expression of mutant PDH-E1α, resistant to phosphorylation, ameliorated effects of TGF-β1, while inhibition of PDC activity with CPI-613 was sufficient to induce αSMA and pro-collagen I expression, markers of myofibroblast differentiation and fibroblast activation. The effect of TGF-β1 on PDC activity, acetyl-CoA, αSMA and pro-collagen I was also ameliorated by sodium dichloroacetate, a small molecule inhibitor of PDK. A reduction in acetyl-CoA, and therefore acetylation substrate, also resulted in a generalised loss of protein acetylation with TGF-β1. In conclusion, TGF-β1 in part regulates fibroblast activation via effects on PDC activity.
Evaluation of electrode-sample contact impedance under different curing humidity conditions during measurement of AC impedance of cement-based materials
Authors: Wang Ruipan , He Fuqiang , Chen Changping , Dai Lizong
Published: October 2020

In this study, a simple method was proposed to calculate electrode-sample contact impedance in the cases of two-point and four-point measurements. The results indicated that when using the saturated calcium hydroxide solution (SCH) as conductive medium, the contact impedance in the four-point measurement is negligible for the impedance range of cement-based materials. The SCH can be used as a reference for correction of the contact impedance. A reasonable combination of curing humidity and different conductive media is recommended for the two-point measurement, which is suitable for testing the ACIS of cement-based materials. In a case of contact impedance not being precisely known, it is highly recommended that a four-point measurement with two different ratios of the length of the sample and the center spacing of the voltage electrodes (L/a) should be conducted to evaluate the effect of the contact impedance following the procedure proposed in this study.
Automated video-based heart rate tracking for the anesthetized and behaving monkey
Authors: Froesel Mathilda , Goudard Quentin , Hauser Marc , Gacoin Maëva , Ben Hamed Suliann
Published: October 2020

Heart rate (HR) is extremely valuable in the study of complex behaviours and their physiological correlates in non-human primates. However, collecting this information is often challenging, involving either invasive implants or tedious behavioural training. In the present study, we implement a Eulerian video magnification (EVM) heart tracking method in the macaque monkey combined with wavelet transform. This is based on a measure of image to image fluctuations in skin reflectance due to changes in blood influx. We show a strong temporal coherence and amplitude match between EVM-based heart tracking and ground truth ECG, from both color (RGB) and infrared (IR) videos, in anesthetized macaques, to a level comparable to what can be achieved in humans. We further show that this method allows to identify consistent HR changes following the presentation of conspecific emotional voices or faces. EVM is used to extract HR in humans but has never been applied to non-human primates. Video photoplethysmography allows to extract awake macaques HR from RGB videos. In contrast, our method allows to extract awake macaques HR from both RGB and IR videos and is particularly resilient to the head motion that can be observed in awake behaving monkeys. Overall, we believe that this method can be generalized as a tool to track HR of the awake behaving monkey, for ethological, behavioural, neuroscience or welfare purposes.
A globally threatened shark, Carcharias taurus, shows no population decline in South Africa
Authors: Klein Juliana D. , der Merwe Aletta E. Bester-van , Dicken Matthew L. , Emami-Khoyi Arsalan , Mmonwa Kolobe L. , Teske Peter R.
Published: October 2020

Knowledge about the demographic histories of natural populations helps to evaluate their conservation status, and potential impacts of natural and anthropogenic pressures. In particular, estimates of effective population size obtained through molecular data can provide useful information to guide management decisions for vulnerable populations. The spotted ragged-tooth shark, Carcharias taurus (also known as the sandtiger or grey nurse shark), is widely distributed in warm-temperate and subtropical waters, but has suffered severe population declines across much of its range as a result of overexploitation. Here, we used multilocus genotype data to investigate the demographic history of the South African C. taurus population. Using approximate Bayesian computation and likelihood-based importance sampling, we found that the population underwent a historical range expansion that may have been linked to climatic changes during the late Pleistocene. There was no evidence for a recent anthropogenic decline. Together with census data suggesting a stable population, these results support the idea that fishing pressure and other threats have so far not been detrimental to the local C. taurus population. The results reported here indicate that South Africa could possibly harbour the last remaining, relatively pristine population of this widespread but vulnerable top predator.
Stainless steel weld metal enhanced with carbon nanotubes
Authors: Borges D. J. A. , Cardoso D. C. S. , Braga E. M. , Castro A. A. F. , Dos Reis M. A. L. , Loayza C. R. L.
Published: October 2020

This paper aims to establish the most indicated route to manufacture a nanostructured powder composed of 5 wt% Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes and 304LSS powder. Four specimens were prepared using Mechanical Alloying and Chemical Treatment (CT) with Hydrogen Peroxide ($${\mathrm{H}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$$H2O2) as the main processes. A thermal treatment post-processing was used in half of the samples to remove the remaining amorphous carbon and to evaluate its effects. Regarding the powder analysis, attachment, amorphous carbon degree, crystallinity, and doping of the CNT throughout the metal matrix were investigated. The nanostructured powders were then inserted as a core in a 304LSS tubular rod to perform the arc welding process. The CT route eliminated the amorphous carbon and generated more refiner grains, which provided a cross-section hardness gain of more than 40% regarding the 304LSS joint. In summary, the CT route, combined with the GTAW process, provided a new method for nanocomposite manufacturing by combining shorter preparation steps, obtaining an improvement in the microstructural and hardness performance.
Bioactive effects of nonthermal argon-oxygen plasma on inorganic bovine bone surface
Authors: Wu Chengzan , Ma Kai , Zhao Hongmei , Zhang Qian , Liu Yanshan , Bai Na
Published: October 2020

As a commonly used bone substitute material in the clinic, inorganic bovine bone has the characteristics of osteoconduction but not osteoinduction. This study aimed to treat inorganic bovine bone using nonthermal argon-oxygen plasma (NTAOP) to obtain greater bioreactivity for enhancing adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of mouse preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. In this study, inorganic bovine bone was activated by NTAOP, and the surface characteristics were analyzed. MC3T3-E1 cells were then seeded onto the surface of inorganic bovine bone. Cell morphology, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were examined. There was no obvious change in the surface morphology of specimens between the two groups. Regarding the elemental composition of the material, the amount of surface carbon was reduced, whereas oxygen, phosphorus and calcium levels were increased in the NTAOP group. Further studies showed that the NTAOP groups performed better than their untreated counterparts in terms of supporting cell proliferation and differentiation. Inorganic bovine bone treated with NTAOP can promote preosteoblast adhesion, proliferation and differentiation.
Unique protonation states of aspartate and topaquinone in the active site of copper amine oxidase
Authors: Shoji Mitsuo , Murakawa Takeshi , Boero Mauro , Shigeta Yasuteru , Hayashi Hideyuki , Okajima Toshihide
Published: October 2020

Copper amine oxidases catalyze the oxidative deamination of biogenic amines. We investigated the unique protonation states in the active site using first-principle calculations.
Recovery and separation of phosphorus as dicalcium phosphate dihydrate for fertilizer and livestock feed additive production from a low-grade phosphate ore
Authors: Anawati John , Azimi Gisele
Published: October 2020

A closed loop process was developed to extract phosphorus as dicalcium phosphate dihydrate from a low-grade ore for fertilizers and livestock feed additive production.
Synthesis of novel calix[4]arenep-benzazole derivatives and investigation of their DNA binding and cleavage activities with molecular docking and experimental studies
Authors: Ozkan Seyda Cigdem , Aksakal Fatma , Yilmaz Aydan
Published: October 2020

In this study,p-benzazole-derived calix[4]arene compounds with aromatic structures are synthesized and their DNA cleavage/binding properties are investigated.
Managing in a Crisis: American and Peruvian Professionals' Experiences During COVID-19
Authors: Salas-Provance Marlene B. , Arriola Margot Escobedo , Arrunátegui Patricia Michel Torres
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused significant disruptions in the way we live our lives. This virus has affected individuals worldwide in a similar fashion with few remaining untouched. The way we work also has been transformed and will continue to change in ways we cannot envision today. It was immediately evident that a new way of management was needed in this time of crisis. A framework of crisis management from Nichols et al. (
2020
) is presented to identify four essential behaviors required by leaders. Leaders must be able to (a) decide with speed over precision, (b) adapt boldly, (c) reliably deliver, and (d) engage for impact. The three authors, having worked closely as international partners for over 10 years in the care of children with cleft lip and palate, came together to discuss how individuals around the world have managed during this crisis.

Conclusions

A common observation among the authors was that many new relationships were forged throughout the pandemic while others strengthened. Relationships were tested daily, if not moment by moment. There was an intensity of work effort that ordinarily would not occur. The words “
we have never worked so hard
” were heard often. Although the journey was exhausting and resulted in a sense of fatigue for most people, it has brought people together to accomplish goals in unprecedent ways. The boundaries between work and home were erased with a work constancy that seemed relentless. There will be long-lasting unknown repercussions to our work as a result of the pandemic. To close in the way we began, life as we knew it will forever be changed. The ability to remain engaged and focused will allow professionals around the globe to grow and flourish during and after COVID-19. Across work settings, the authors observed a resiliency in the people that will serve as the foundation to propel a worldwide recovery from this pandemic in the years to come.
Towards a mathematical theory of behavioral swarms
Authors: Bellomo Nicola , Ha Seung-Yeal , Outada Nisrine
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a unified mathematical theory of swarms where the dynamics of social behaviors interacts with the mechanical dynamics of self-propelled particles. The term behavioral swarms is introduced to characterize the specific object of the theory which is subsequently followed by applications. As concrete examples for our unified approach, we show that several Cucker-Smale type models with internal variables fall down to our framework. The second part of the paper shows how the modeling can be developed, beyond the Cucker-Smale approach. This will be illustrated with the aid of numerical simulations in swarms whose movement strategy is sensitive to individual social behaviors. Finally, the presentation looks ahead to research perspectives.
Vermessung des Menschen
Authors: Bös Klaus , Mechling Heinz
Published: October 2020

Nichts ist neu unter der Sonne, könnte man einwenden, wenn ein Beitrag schon wieder mit den alten Philosophen beginnt! Doch, neben der Kenntnis der neuesten Literatur ist es bisweilen hilfreich auch zurückzublicken, um vergleichen zu können, wie viel weiter wir bis heute tatsächlich gekommen sind – und wo es hingehen könnte und hingehen müsste.
Behandlung der allergischen Rhinitis – was gibt es Neues im deutschen Gesundheitssystem?
Authors: Just Maren , Dietz Andreas
Published: October 2020

Die allergische Rhinitis/Rhinokonjunktivitis ist eine der häufigsten chronischen Erkrankungen vor allem im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Aufgrund ihrer Häufigkeit und Chronizität sowie den gesundheitlichen Einschränkungen und den hiermit verbundenen direkten, indirekten und intangiblen Kosten stellt sie ein massives gesellschaftliches Problem dar. Durch strukturierte Versorgungsrichtlinien, wie die ARIA-Leitlinie 2019, sollen wichtige Aspekte der Patientenversorgung, Umsetzung von Leitlinienempfehlungen und deren Anwendung in der Praxis gefördert werden.