bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial Ranking of Porous Packaging Materials (Exposure Chamber Method), ASTM Method: Collaborative Study
Authors: Placencia Ana M ,   Collaborators:, Cogdill Phil , Bauman Linda , Patterson Tim , Taylor Julie , Martin Lynn , Lampe Carol , Hesler George , Anderson Helen , Goff Caroline , Oxborrow Gordon , Domeyer Tina , Jones Lois , Thornburg Robert , Reich Robert , Imburgia Richard , O’Dell Gerry , Scholia Michael , Spitz Joe , Tallentire Allan , Schwab Albert , Duran Anthony , Twohy Christine , May Ramona , Chamberlain Virginia Ross
Published: February 2020

A collaborative study involving 11 laboratories was conducted to measure the microbial barrier effectiveness of porous medical packaging. Two randomly cut samples from each of 6 commercially available porous materials and one positive and one negative control were tested by one operator in each of 11 laboratories. Microbial barrier effectiveness was measured in terms of logarithm reduction value (LRV), which reflects the log10 microbial penetration of the material being tested. The logarithm of the final concentration is subtracted from that of the initial concentration to obtain the LRV. Thus the higher the LRV, the better the barrier. Repeatability standard deviations ranged from 6.42 to 16.40; reproducibility standard deviations ranged from 15.50 to 22.70. Materials B(53), C(50), D(CT), and E(45MF) differ significantly from the positive control. The microbial ranking of porous packaging materials (exposure chamber method), ASTM method, has been adopted First Action by AOAC INTERNATIONAL.
Dietary Intake and Residues of Organochlorine Pesticides in Foods from Hsinchu, Taiwan
Authors: Doong Ruey-An , Lee Chen-Yu , Sun Yuh-Chang
Published: February 2020

The levels of contamination with various organochlorine pesticides (such as total HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, endosulfan, and total DDT) of different foods from 3 traditional markets were determined to estimate Taiwanese daily intake of organochlorine pesticides. Of the 18 organochlorine pesticides investigated, α-HCH, β-HCH, lindane, δ-HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin, endrin, α-endosulfan, p,p′-DDE, and p,p′-DDT were detected at concentrations ranging from 0.26 to 10.2 ng/g wet weight. Contamination with organochlorine pesticides followed the order heptachlor > dieldrin > α-endosulfan > HCH isomers > heptachlor epoxide > DDT. Frequencies of detection of organochlorine pesticide residues ranged from 2.0 to 52.3%. α-Endosulfan was the most frequently detected organochlorine pesticide in the foods analyzed, followed by heptachlor epoxide (47.6%) and α-HCH (38.9%). Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of organochlorine pesticides from foods were 1.137 μg for total HCH, 2.147 μg for heptachlor, 0.702 μg for heptachlor epoxide, 0.624 μg for endosulfan, 0.098 μg for cyclodiene, and 0.541 μg for total DDT. These EDIs were only 0.075% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for lindane, 47.5% of ADI for heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide, 0.045% of ADI for total DDT, and 1.01% of ADI for aldrin and dieldrin. Therefore, consumption of the foods analyzed does not pose a risk to consumer health.
Determination of Haloacetic Acids in Water by Ion Chromatography—Method Development
Authors: Lopez-Avila Viorica , Liu Yan , Charan Chatan
Published: February 2020

The microextraction/ion chromatographic (IC) method developed in this study involves extraction of 9 haloacetic acids (HAAs) from aqueous samples (acidified with sulfuric acid to a pH of <0.5 and amended with copper sulfate pentahydrate and sodium sulfate) with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), back extraction into reagent water, and analysis by IC with conductivity detection. The separation column consists of an Ion Pac AG-11 (2 mm id × 50 mm length) guard column and an Ion Pac AS-11 (2 mm id × 250 mm length) analytical column, and the concentration column is a 4 mm id × 35 mm length Dionex TAC-LP column. Use of the 2 mm id Dionex AS-11 column improved detection limits especially for trichloracetic acid (TCAA), bromodichloroacetic acid (BDCAA), dibromochloroacetic acid (DBCAA), and tribromoacetic acid (TBAA). The peak interfering with BCAA elutes at the same retention time as nitrate; however, we have not confirmed the presence of nitrate. Stability studies indicate that HAAs are stable in water for at least 8 days when preserved with ammonium chloride at 100 mg/L and stored at 4°C in the dark. At day 30, recoveries were still high (e.g., 92.1–106%) for dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), BCAA, dibromoacetic acid (DBAA), trichloroacetic acid (TCAA), BDCAA, and DBCAA. However, recoveries ofmono chloroacetic acid (MCAA), monobromoacetic acid (MBAA), and TBAA were only 54.6,56.8, and 66.8%, respectively. Stability studies of HAAs in H2SO4-saturated MTBE indicate that all compounds except TBAA are stable for 48 h when stored at 4°C in the dark. TBAA recoveriesdropped to 47.1% after 6 h of storage and no TBAA was detected after 48 h of storage. The method described here is only preliminary and was tested in only one laboratory. Additional research is needed to improve method performance.
UV Spectrophotometry and Nonaqueous Determination of Terbinafine Hydrochloride in Dosage Forms
Authors: Cardoso Simone Gonçalves , Schapoval Elfrides E S
Published: February 2020

An ultraviolet spectrophotometric and a nonaqueous volumetric method for determining terbinafine hydrochloride (TH) in pharmaceutical formulations are presented. The UV spectrophotometric procedure was developed for assay of TH in raw materials, tablets, and creams. The method was tested for linearity (0.8–2.8 μg/mL, r = 0.9997), recovery (102.00% for creams and 99.90% for tablets) and precision (101.3%, CV = 0.96%, n = 9, for creams; 100.25%, CV = 1.08%, n = 9, for tablets). The volumetric method involves titration of TH with 0.05M perchloric acid with crystal violet as indicator. This method was used for quantitative determination of TH in raw materials and tablets. Mean recovery and precision were, respectively, 100.41 and 101.18% (CV = 1.64%, n = 9) for TH in tablets. There were no significant differences between the proposed methods and a previously described high-performance liquid chromatographic method. The UV spectrophotometric and titrimetric methods are potentially useful for a routine laboratory because of their simplicity, rapidity, and accuracy.
Sterol and Triterpene Diol Contents of Vegetable Oils by High-Resolution Capillary Gas Chromatography
Authors: Reina Robert J , White Kevin D , Firestone David
Published: February 2020

An in-laboratory validated method for identification and quantitation of sterols and triterpene diols was used to determine the relative composition of identifiable sterols and triterpene diols in 13 vegetable oils and quantitate these components in multiple samples of 6 vegetable oils: extra virgin olive, pomace olive, corn, cottonseed, canola, and evening primrose oils. Erythrodiol, a triterpene diol present in all olive oils, was also found in cottonseed oil.
Determination of Choline in Infant Formula by Ion Chromatography
Authors: Laikhtman Mark , Rohrer Jeffrey S
Published: February 2020

Choline was determined in infant formula by ion chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection. Samples were digested with 1M hydrochloric acid, filtered, diluted, and injected into the chromatographic system. Choline and the alkali and alkaline earth metals were separated on a high-resolution cation-exchange column and detected by suppressed conductivity. The method was linear between 2 and 200 mg/L (r2 = 0.9999), the concentration range of the diluted samples. This method accurately determined choline in powdered, concentrated, and ready-to-feed infant formulas. Recoveries of choline spikes into powdered infant formula at approximately 1, 0.8, 0.5, and 0.2 times the labeled value ranged from 85 to 114%. This method had good agreement for 8 blind duplicates. The values determined for these samples, which were used in an AOAC collaborative study of an enzymatic method, were consistent with the values determined by the enzymatic method.
Determination of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Medicinal Plants Sold in Coimbra, Portugal
Authors: Lino M Celeste , Guarda Lúcia M C , M Irene N Silveira
Published: February 2020

Levels of 14 organochlorine pesticide residues—1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) group (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDT, p,&-DDD, and p,&-DDE), HCH isomers (α-, ß-, and γ-HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, α-endosulfan, and endosulfan sulfate—were evaluated in 127 samples of medicinal plants collected in pharmacies (78 samples) and herb stores (49 samples) in 1996. Samples were divided between 15 national brands and 7 foreign brands. Most samples sold in pharmacies contained residues of γ-HCH (51.3%). All residues were detected in analyzed samples, with exception of endrin in herb store samples. Detection frequency varied between 51.3% for γ-HCH and 1.3% for endrin in pharmacy samples, and between 34.7% for HCB and 4.1 % for endosulfan sulfate in herb store samples. Maximum residue levels were exceeded in 38 (48.7%) pharmacy samples and in 26 (53.1 %) medicinal herb store samples.
Multiresidue Determination of 19 Fungicides in Processed Fruits and Vegetables by Capillary Gas Chromatography after Gel Permeation Chromatography
Authors: Sannino Anna , Bandini Mirella , Bolzoni Luciana
Published: February 2020

A gas chromatographic (GC) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 19 fungicides (chlorothalonil, vinclozolin, dichlofuanid, triadimefon, penconazole, chlozolinate, captan, procymidone, triadimenol, folpet, hexaconazole, myclobutanil, cyproconazole, propiconazole, nuarimol, captafol, iprodione, fenarimol, and bitertanol) and the acaricide tetradifon in tomato puree, peach nectar, orange juice, and canned peas. Samples were extracted with acetone, partitioned with ethyl acetate-cyclohexane (50 + 50, v/v), and cleaned using gel permeation chromatography with ethyl acetate-cyclohexane (50 + 50, v/v) as eluant. The final extract was analyzed by GC with ion trap mass spectrometry (ITMS) using a DB5 capillary column. Recoveries from fortified samples ranged from 74.6 to 99.3%, except for triadimenol and bitertanol. Quantitation limits for most anlytes were between 0.005 and 0.050 mg/kg. The purified extracts were analyzed further by GC with electron capture and nitrogen phosphorus detection, and the results were compared with those obtained by ITMS.
Determination of Sulfamethazine in Milk by Biosensor Immunoassay
Authors: Gaudin Valérie , Pavy Marie-Laure
Published: February 2020

A biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurement was developed for use in an immunoassay for detection of sulfamethazine (SMZ) in milk. The biospecific surface was a carboxymethyl dextran¯modified gold-surface sensor chip to which SMZ was covalently bound. The assay was based on inhibition of the binding of polyclonal antibodies to immobilized SMZ by SMZ in the sample. The SPR response changed inversely in relation to the antibiotic concentration in the sample. Calibration curves were constructed for SMZ in buffer and in milk at a concentration which included the maximum residue limit (0 to 200 μg/kg). The analysis time per sample varied from 8 to 30 min. Different flow rates and antibodies were modified alternatively during the study to assess their influence on the performance of the assay. The active antibody concentration was calculated at approximately 1880 and 180 nM for the antibody anti-SMZ 1 and the antibody anti-SMZ 2, respectively. No cross-reactivity of antibodies with other antibiotics was found. Under optimal conditions, the detection limits in milk for SMZ were 8 and 1.7 μg/kg, respectively, for antibody 1 and antibody 2, at a flow rate of 20 μL/min.
Determination of Oxytetracyciine in Bovine Kidney and Medicated Milk Replacer by Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Kijak Philip James , Cope Carol V , Pedersoli Waldir M
Published: February 2020

Improvements and optimization of AOAC INTERNATIONAL Official Method 995.09 for the detection of oxytetracyciine in bovine kidney at the new U.S. tolerance of 12 ppm are reported. Recoveries from kidney fortified at 4 concentrations over the range of 3-40 ppm averaged 84-98%. Results from the kidney of a calf fed medicated milk replacer containing oxytetracyciine are also reported. Additionally, adaptation of this method to the detection of oxytetracyciine in medicated milk replacer is discussed.
Gas Chromatographic Determination of Volatile Congeners in Spirit Drinks: Interlaboratory Study
Authors: Kelly Janet , Chapman Stephen , Brereton Paul , Bertrand Alain , Guillou Claude , Wittkowski Reiner ,   Collaborators:, Lenartowicz P , Kiddie R , Durante P , Garcia A , Maignial L , Williams M , Low A D , Vidal J P , Richards A T , Bourrier M , Cuatero M , Grimm M , Lees M , Lamoureux T , Smith P , Swanson W , Smith A , Davies R J , Wardle K , Terwel L , Lopes J M S , Clutton D , Williams M , Hampton I J , Maynard P , Hiero J R G , Frank W , Bauer-Christoph C , Klingemann K , Senf D R , Liadouze I , Spyridon Bolkas M , Martin J D , Valcarcel Munoz M J , Conchie E C , Malandain A , Leclerc A , Pineau M , Barboteau P , Lafage M , Laurichesse D , Airchinnigh M Nic An , McGowan S , Cresto B , Bossard A
Published: February 2020

An interlaboratory study of a gas chromatographic (GC) method for the determination of volatile congeners in spirit drinks was conducted; 31 laboratories from 8 countries took part in the study. The method uses GC with flame ionization detection and incorpo rates several quality control measures which permit the choice of chromatographic system and conditions to be selected by the user. Spirit drink samples were prepared and sent to participants as 10 blind duplicate or split-level test materials for the determination of 1,1-diethoxyethane (acetal), 2-methylbutan-1-ol (active amyl alcohol), 3-methylbutan-1-ol (isoamyl alcohol), methanol (methyl alcohol), ethyl ethanoate (ethyl acetate), butan-1-ol (n-butanol), butan-2-ol (sec-butanol), 2-methylpropan-1-ol(isobutyl alcohol), propan-1-ol (n-propanol), and ethanal (acetaldehyde). The precision of the method for 9 of the 10 analytes was well within the range predicted by the Horwitz equation.The precision of the most volatile analyte, ethanal, was just above statistically predicted levels. This method is recommended for official regulatory purposes.
Determination of Regularly Distributed Plant Protectants in Raw and Drinking Waters, Using a Multiresidue Method with Cyclodextrin-Modified Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography
Authors: Stutz Hanno , Malissa Hans
Published: February 2020

Eighteen plant protectant compounds were separated and determined by cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) in a multiclass/multiresidue method. The pesticides included are those dispersed in the greatest amounts today over agricultural acreage, and they represent 8 different classes of compounds (azoles, benzoic acids, chloroacetanilides, phenoxy acids, phenylureas, sulfonylureas, thiocarbamates, and triazines) covering a wide range of chemical reactivities and physicochemical properties. A 500 mL sample of tap water is preconcentrated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) with 300 mg combined polystyrene-divinylbenzene and methacrylate macroporous resins. Trapped analytes are eluted collectively with diethyl ether. Concentration and solvent change yield 250 μL of an acetone “concentrate,” which is further worked up and concentrated 1:10 to produce the MEKC injection solution containing 10 mmol/L sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant. For MEKC,2 phosphate/SDS buffer systems were designed, each allowing complete separation of all pesticides in a single run. Sensitivity was enhanced by a self-etched bubble cell and an injection procedure which employs stacking at reversed polarity. The ability of MEKC to determine plant protectants in raw and drinking waters at the 0.1 μg/L level, as demanded by the guidelines of the European Union, was demonstrated with spiked tap waters. Recoveries were between 75 and 110%, and limits of quantification, evaluated as method detection limits according to guidelines of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ranged between 0.03 and 0.10 μg/L. The precisions of the relative migration times were all below 0.5%.
Enantiomeric and Isomeric Separation of Pesticides by Cyclodextrin-Modified Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography
Authors: Shea Damian , Penmetsa Kumar V , Leidy Ross B
Published: February 2020

Cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography was applied successfully to the enantiomeric and isomeric separation of 7 commonly used pesticides (propiconazole, bioallethrin, fenpropathrin, phenothrin, bitertanol, triadimenol, and dimethomorph). Commercially available surfactants used alone or in combination with cyclodextrins were evaluated for separation of the enantiomers/isomers of the 7 pesticides. The enan-tiomers/isomers of the pesticides used in this study were baseline resolved with resolutions of ≥1.5. The resolution was found to depend on the type of surfactant and cyclodextrin employed in the running buffer. In the case of propiconazole and dimethomorph, baseline resolution was also achieved by adding sodium cholate (a chiral surfactant) alone to the running buffer. Analysis of fortified water samples yielded recoveries ranging from 45 to 89% and method detection limits ranging from 0.18 to 2.1 ppb. The reported capillary electrophoresis methods are simple, rapid, and reproducible.
Leg dominance as a risk factor for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome
Authors: Philippi Matthew T , Kahn Timothy L , Adeyemi Temitope F , Maak Travis G , Aoki Stephen K
Published: February 2020

One etiological factor of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is high impact athletics involving deep hip flexion, axial loading and jumping during skeletal development. Previous work has established that there is physiologic asymmetry of the lower limbs regarding function, with the dominant limb being primarily responsible for propulsion and kicking while the non-dominant limb is responsible for stability and planting. The authors hypothesize that the dominant limb will be more likely to undergo hip arthroscopy for symptomatic FAIS. Four hundred and sixty-nine patients at a single surgical center who underwent primary or revision hip arthroscopy for cam-type FAIS were identified. Patients were asked to identify their dominant lower extremity, defined as the lower extremity preferred for kicking. Sixty patients who indicated bilateral leg dominance were excluded. It was assumed that with no association between limb dominance and the need for surgery, the dominant side would have surgery 50% of the time. Enrichment for surgery in the dominant limb was tested for using a one-sample test of proportions, determining whether the rate differed from 50%. The enrichment for surgery on the dominant side was 57% (95% confidence interval 52–62%) which was significantly different from the rate expected by chance (50%), P = 0.003. No other significant differences were noted between groups. Limb dominance appears to be an etiological factor in the development of cam-type FAIS. Patients are more likely to undergo arthroscopic treatment of FAIS on their dominant lower extremity, although the non-dominant lower extremity frequently develops FAIS as well.
Giant low-surface-brightness dwarf galaxy as a test bench for MOdified Gravity
Authors: de Martino Ivan
Published: February 2020

The lack of detection of supersymmetric particles is leading to look at alternative avenues for explaining dark matter’s effects. Among them, modified theories of gravity may play an important role accounting even for both dark components needed in the standard cosmological model. Scalar–tensor–vector gravity theory has been proposed to resolve the dark matter puzzle. Such a modified gravity model introduces, in its weak field limit, a Yukawa-like correction to the Newtonian potential, and is capable to explain most of the phenomenology related to dark matter at scale of galaxies and galaxy clusters. Nevertheless, some inconsistencies appear when studying systems that are supposed to be dark matter dominated such as dwarf galaxies. In this sense, Antlia II, an extremely diffuse galaxy which has been recently discovered in Gaia’s second data release, may serve to probe the aforementioned theory against the need for invoking dark matter. Our analysis shows several inconsistencies and leads to argue that MOdified Gravity may not be able to shed light on the intriguing nature of dark matter.
New Magmatic Oxybarometer Using Trace Elements in Zircon
Authors: Loucks Robert R , Fiorentini Marco L , Henríquez Gonzalo J
Published: February 2020

We derive a novel method for determining the oxidation state of a magma as zircon crystallized, with a standard error of ±0·6 log unit ƒO2, using ratios of Ce, U, and Ti in zircon, without explicit determination of the ionic charge of any of them, and without independent determination of crystallization temperature or pressure or parental melt composition. It yields results in good agreement with oxybarometry on Fe–Ti oxide phenocrysts and hornblende phenocrysts quenched in eruptive I- and A-type dacites and rhyolites, but our zircon oxybarometer is also applicable to slowly cooled plutonic rocks and applicable to detrital and xenocrystic zircons. Zircon/melt partition coefficients of Ce and U vary oppositely with ƒO2 variation in the silicate melt. The Ce/U ratio in zircon also varies with the Ce/U element ratio in the silicate melt. During mafic-to-felsic magmatic differentiation, Ce and U are incorporated mainly in calcium-dominated lattice sites of clinopyroxene, hornblende, apatite, and occasionally titanite and/or allanite, all of which have a similar degree of preference for Ce over U. We employ the U/Ti ratio in zircon and in silicate melt as a magmatic differentiation index. Convergent- and divergent-plate-margin differentiation series consistently follow the relation log (Ce/U) ≈ –0·5 log (U/Ti) + C' in silicate melts of basaltic to rhyolitic composition. That correlation permits thermodynamic derivation of the oxybarometry relation among those elements in zircon: log fO2(sample)−log fO2(FMQ)≈42n+1log[Ce/(Ui×Ti)z]+C, wherein Ui denotes age-corrected initial U content, FMQ represents the reference buffer fayalite + magnetite + quartz, superscript z denotes zircon, and n varies with the average valence of uranium in the zircon’s parental silicate melt. We empirically calibrate this relation, using 1042 analysed zircons in 85 natural populations having independently constrained log ƒO2 in the range FMQ – 4·9 to FMQ + 2·9, to obtain the equation log fO2(sample)−log fO2(FMQ)=3·998(±0·124) log[Ce/(Ui×Ti)z]+2·284(±0·101) with a correlation coefficient R = 0·963 and standard error of 0·6 log unit ƒO2 in calc-alkalic, tholeiitic, adakitic, and shoshonitic, metaluminous to mildly peraluminous and mildly peralkaline melts in the composition range from kimberlite to rhyolite. Thermodynamic assessment and empirical tests indicate that our formulation is insensitive to varying crystallization temperature and pressure at lithospheric conditions. We present a revised equation for Ti-in-zircon thermometry that accounts appropriately for pressure as well as reduced activity of TiO2 and SiO2 in rutile- and quartz-undersaturated melts. It can be used to retrieve absolute values of ƒO2 from values of ΔFMQ obtained from a zircon analysis.
Legislating Fiscal Imbalance: Using Tax Policy to Protect Fiscal Decentralization in the Argentine Congress
Authors: Bonvecchi Alejandro , Calvo Ernesto , Stein Ernesto
Published: February 2020

Why do common-pool problems persist over time in federations? The literature shows that macro institutional, economic, and political incentives facilitate bailouts through intergovernmental transfers and debt management. Little research, however, explores the legislative mechanisms that prevent common-pool problems from being effectively addressed. This article focuses on a most central mechanism: tax lawmaking. We argue that lawmakers, whose careers rest in the hands of provincial constituencies, administer the legislative process to promote bills that protect the federal transfers that finance vertical fiscal imbalances and to amend proposals that seek to change them. Using an expert-coded dataset designed to assess the direction and magnitude of tax policy change, as described by the amendments proposed by legislators to the full set of tax bills proposed to the Argentine Congress since 1983, we document the legislative dynamics underpinning the common-pool problems of decentralized fiscal federal arrangements.
QUANTIFICATION OF BACK DIFFUSION IN RADON AND THORON EXHALATION RATE MEASUREMENTS
Authors: Chitra N , Sundar S Bala , Subramanian V , Jose M T , Baskaran R , Venkatraman B
Published: February 2020

The radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) fluxes from the soil and building materials are the major contributors to their indoor levels. Hence, the measurement of radon and thoron exhalation rates from the source matrix becomes the foremost step in controlling the indoor radon and thoron exposure. It is a challenge to measure the exhalation rates without disturbing the natural conditions. The back-diffusion phenomenon modifies the exhalation rate. The work presented here is to measure the back-diffusion coefficient and takes it into consideration while estimating the exhalation rate. For radon measurements, the back-diffusion coefficient and the free exhalation rates were simultaneously estimated by adopting a novel methodology. The leak rate of the experimental setup measured by this methodology was agreeable with the value measured by adopting the standard technique. In the case of thoron, the back-diffusion effect was found to be negligible for the present experimental conditions and it is duly explained. The above results were obtained by analyzing two soil samples with high 238U and 232Th content collected from monazite-rich coastal area.
Precarious Childhoods: Childhood Family Income Volatility and Mental Health in Early Adulthood
Authors: Cheng Siwei , Kosidou Kyriaki , Burström Bo , Björkenstam Charlotte , Pebley Anne R , Björkenstam Emma
Published: February 2020

The rise of income volatility in western countries has been extensively documented in the literature, but empirical research has just started to examine how childhood exposure to family income volatility affects subsequent wellbeing. This study takes advantage of several nation-wide, population registers from Sweden with linkages within and across generations to examine the intergenerational impact of childhood family income volatility on psychiatric disorders in early adulthood. In addition to the population-average effects, we also examine the heterogeneity in the impact of family income volatility for families at the top, bottom, and middle of the family income distribution. Our results suggest that after controlling for a set of family- and child-level characteristics, childhood family income volatility has a negative effect on mental wellbeing, and this finding is consistent across a range of psychiatric outcomes. Furthermore, we show that while children from low-income families exhibit the greatest likelihood of psychiatric disorder, children from families in the middle of the income distribution experience the greatest negative impact of income volatility.
Relevance of Artifact Removal and Number of Stimuli for Video Head Impulse Test Examination
Authors: Trinidad-Ruiz Gabriel , Rey-Martinez Jorge , Matiño-Soler Eusebi , Batuecas-Caletrio Angel , Martin-Sanz Eduardo , Perez-Fernandez Nicolas
Published: February 2020

Objective:

To evaluate the effect of artifacts on the impulse and response recordings with the video head impulse test (VHIT) and determine how many stimuli are necessary for obtaining acceptably efficient measurements.

Methods:

One hundred fifty patients were examined using VHIT and their registries searched for artifacts. We compared several variations of the dataset. The first variation used only samples without artifacts, the second used all samples (with and without artifacts), and the rest used only samples with each type of artifact. We calculated the relative efficiency (RE) of evaluating an increasingly large number of samples (3 to 19 per side) when compared with the complete sample (20 impulses per side).

Results:

Overshoot was associated with significantly higher speed (p= 0.005), higher duration (p< 0.001) and lower amplitude of the impulses (p= 0.002), and consequent higher saccades’ latency (p= 0.035) and lower amplitude (p= 0.025). Loss of track was associated with lower gain (p= 0.035). Blink was associated with a higher number of saccades (p< 0.001), and wrong way was associated with lower saccade latency (p= 0.012). The coefficient of quartile deviation escalated as the number of artifacts of any type rose, indicating an increment of variability. Overshoot increased the probability of the impulse to lay on the outlier range for gain and peak speed. Blink did so for the number of saccades, and wrong way for the saccade amplitude and speed. RE reached a tolerable level of 1.1 at 7 to 10 impulses for all measurements except the PR score.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest the necessity of removing artifacts after collecting VHIT samples to improve the accuracy and precision of results. Ten impulses are sufficient for achieving acceptable RE for all measurements except the PR score.
Sepsis Among Medicare Beneficiaries: 3. The Methods, Models, and Forecasts of Sepsis, 2012–2018*
Authors: Buchman Timothy G. , Simpson Steven Q. , Sciarretta Kimberly L. , Finne Kristen P. , Sowers Nicole , Collier Michael , Chavan Saurabh , Oke Ibijoke , Pennini Meghan E. , Santhosh Aathira , Wax Marie , Woodbury Robyn , Chu Steve , Merkeley Tyler G. , Disbrow Gary L. , Bright Rick A. , MaCurdy Thomas E. , Kelman Jeffrey A.
Published: February 2020

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of sepsis, age, and comorbidities on death following an acute inpatient admission and to model and forecast inpatient and skilled nursing facility costs for Medicare beneficiaries during and subsequent to an acute inpatient sepsis admission.

Design:

Analysis of paid Medicare claims via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services DataLink Project (CMS) and leveraging the CMS-Hierarchical Condition Category risk adjustment model.

Setting:

All U.S. acute care hospitals, excepting federal hospitals (Veterans Administration and Defense Health Agency).

Patients:

All Part A/B (fee-for-service) Medicare beneficiaries with an acute inpatient admission in 2017 and who had no inpatient sepsis admission in the prior year.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Logistic regression models to determine covariate risk contribution to death following an acute inpatient admission; conventional regression to predict Medicare beneficiary sepsis costs. Using the Hierarchical Condition Category risk adjustment model to illuminate influence of illness on outcome of inpatient admissions, representative odds ratios (with 95% CIs) for death within 6 months of an admission (referenced to beneficiaries admitted but without the characteristic) are as follows: septic shock, 7.27 (7.19–7.35); metastatic cancer and acute leukemia (Hierarchical Condition Category 8), 6.76 (6.71–6.82); all sepsis, 2.63 (2.62–2.65); respiratory arrest (Hierarchical Condition Category 83), 2.55 (2.35–2.77); end-stage liver disease (Hierarchical Condition Category 27), 2.53 (2.49–2.56); and severe sepsis without shock, 2.48 (2.45–2.51). Models of the cost of sepsis care for Medicare beneficiaries forecast arise approximately 13% over 2 years owing the rising enrollments in Medicare offset by the cost of care per admission.

Conclusions:

A sepsis inpatient admission is associated with marked increase in risk of death that is comparable to the risks associated with inpatient admissions for other common and serious chronic illnesses. The aggregate costs of sepsis care for Medicare beneficiaries will continue to increase.
Urinary trace metals in association with fetal ultrasound measures during pregnancy
Authors: Kim Stephani S. , Meeker John D. , Aung Max T. , Yu Youfei , Mukherjee Bhramar , Cantonwine David E. , McElrath Thomas F. , Ferguson Kelly K.
Published: February 2020

Toxic metals have been associated with lower birth weight while essential metals have been associated with higher birth weight. Evidence for other metals is either inconsistent or limited in terms of number of studies. This study analyzed 17 urinary metals, individually and as a mixture, and their association with measures of fetal growth in the LIFECODES birth cohort. Ultrasound was used to measure the abdominal circumference, head circumference, and femur length and measures were used to calculate estimated fetal weight at ~26 and ~35 weeks. We calculated the z score based on gestational age at scan, and estimated fetal weight (EFW) was combined with birth weight for longitudinal analyses. Metals were measured in samples collected at ~26 weeks. We used linear mixed-effects models to examine associations between metals and repeated measures of each outcome, controlling for covariates. Principal components analysis reduced the biomarkers to predictors that may share some commonality. We found that an interquartile range increase in selenium was inversely associated with femur length z score as well as other growth outcomes. Other essential metals, however, were associated with an increase in growth. Finally, the PCA component comprised of arsenic, mercury, and tin was associated with decreased head circumference z score (−0.14 [95% CI, −0.23, −0.05]).
A prospective cohort study of in utero and early childhood arsenic exposure and infectious disease in 4- to 5-year-old Bangladeshi children
Authors: Ahmed Sharia M. , Branscum Adam , Welch Barrett M. , Megowan Meghan , Bethel Jeffrey W. , Odden Michelle C. , Joya Sakila Afroz , Ibn Hasan M. Omar Sharif , Lin Pi-I , Mostofa Golam , Quamruzzaman Quazi , Rahman Mahmudur , Christiani David C. , Kile Molly L.
Published: February 2020

Background:

Previous research found that infants who were exposed to high levels of arsenic in utero had an increased risk of infectious disease in the first year of life. This prospective study examined the association between arsenic exposures during gestation, and respiratory, diarrheal, and febrile morbidity in children 4–5 years of age.

Methods:

A cohort of pregnant women was recruited in 2008–2011 in Bangladesh. Their children (N = 989) were followed, and household drinking water samples were collected during pregnancy, toddlerhood (12–40 months of age), and childhood (4–5 years of age). We actively surveyed mothers every 2 weeks regarding their children’s infectious diseases symptoms from 4 to 5 years of age. Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between arsenic exposure and respiratory and febrile illness.

Results:

Median drinking water arsenic was 4.6, 8.8, and 4.2 µg/L in pregnancy, toddlerhood, and childhood, respectively. We observed 0.01, 1.2, and 1.0 cases per 100 person-days of diarrhea, respiratory, and febrile illness, respectively. The incident rate ratios (IRRs) for each doubling of drinking water arsenic during pregnancy were 1.10 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00, 1.22) and 0.93 (95% CI = 0.82, 1.05) for respiratory and febrile illness, respectively, after adjusting for covariates. The association between arsenic exposure measured during toddlerhood and childhood was attenuated and not significantly associated with either outcome. Diarrheal disease was too infrequent to assess.

Conclusions:

Drinking water arsenic exposure during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of acute respiratory infections in children 4–5 years old in Bangladesh.
Klebsiella pneumoniae Causing Liver Abscess, Endophthalmitis, and Cavitary Pneumonia
Authors: Doke Purwa , Soman Rajeev , Purandare Bharat , Diwan Arundhati , Mahajan Sumeran , Panchakshari Shweta
Published: February 2020

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common pathogen associated with hospital and healthcare-acquired infections. Hypervirulent K. pneumoniae can cause community-acquired pyogenic liver abscess in patients without previous history of liver disease with metastasis to distant sites. We report a case of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae bacteremia causing hepatic abscess, endophthalmitis, and cavitary pneumonia in a diabetic male.
Epithelial implantation treatment after small-incision lenticule extraction
Authors: Piccinini Paola , Vida Ryan S. , Piccinini Renato , Maiore Irene , Archer Timothy J. , Carp Glenn I. , Reinstein Dan Z.
Published: February 2020

Two cases of epithelial implantation after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) treated by Nd:YAG laser and interface sweeping are described. A 40-year-old woman and 33-year-old man underwent SMILE and subsequently were noted to have epithelial cells implanted into the surgical interface. One case was treated using Nd:YAG laser. The laser was focused to the level of the interface with an energy level of 0.3 mJ. The treatment covered the entire area of epithelial implantation. The second case was treated by opening the original SMILE incision and sweeping the residual epithelial cells from the interface followed by a washout. Both the Nd:YAG laser and interface sweeping proved to be effective in reducing or eliminating the epithelial cells from the SMILE interface. Further studies are needed to report on overall safety and efficacy of these 2 techniques.
Practical Management: Prescribing Subsymptom Threshold Aerobic Exercise for Sport-Related Concussion in the Outpatient Setting
Authors: Bezherano Itai , Haider Mohammad N. , Willer Barry S. , Leddy John J.
Published: February 2020

Exercise intolerance is an objective biomarker of the physiological dysfunction after sport-related concussion (SRC). Several trials have established the safety and clinical efficacy of subsymptom threshold aerobic exercise prescribed within 1 week of injury as treatment for SRC. Clinicians, however, may not be comfortable prescribing aerobic exercise after SRC. This article presents 3 methods of exercise prescription for patients with SRC. The first requires a graded exertion test plus a home-based exercise program requiring a heart rate (HR) monitor. The second requires a graded exertion test but no HR monitor for home-based exercise. The third requires solely an HR monitor to safely progress through the home-based exercise prescription. Patients are encouraged to keep a symptom and exercise diary and return for re-evaluation every 1 to 2 weeks. Delayed recovery should prompt the clinician to evaluate for other potential symptom generators (eg, cervical, vestibular, oculomotor, mood, or migraine disorders).
Regional Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a Czech Pediatric Population
Authors: Jabandziev Petr , Pinkasova Tereza , Kunovsky Lumir , Papez Jan , Jouza Martin , Karlinova Bara , Novackova Martina , Urik Milan , Aulicka Stefania , Slaby Ondrej , Bohosova Julia , Bajerova Katerina , Bajer Milan , Goel Ajay
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is today a global disease, the incidence of which is growing in the pediatric population. This prospective study aims to decipher IBD incidence and its trend in a pediatric population through 16 years in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic.

Methods:

We evaluated data concerning 358 pediatric patients with newly diagnosed IBD at University Hospital Brno, which is a gastroenterology center for the entire pediatric population (0–18 years) and cares for all pediatric IBD patients in the South Moravian Region (1,187,667 inhabitants).

Results:

The study encompassed 3,488,907 children during 16 years. We diagnosed 192 children (53.6%) with Crohn disease (CD), 123 (34.4%) with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 43 (12.0%) with IBD‐unclassified (IBD‐U). The incidence of IBD increased from 3.8 (CD 2.9, UC 0.9, and IBD‐U 0.0) per 100 000/year in 2002 to 14.7 (CD 9.8, UC 4.0, and IBD‐U 0.9) per 100,000/year in 2017 (P < 0.001). The overall IBD incidence per 100,000/year was 9.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.8‐‐10.9). Constituent incidences per 100,000/year were CD 5.2 (95% CI: 4.5‐‐6.0), UC 3.4 (95% CI: 2.8‐‐4.0), and IBD‐U 1.2 (95% CI: 0.9‐‐1.6). IBD incidence was projected to reach 18.9 per 100,000/year in 2022.

Conclusions:

The overall incidence of pediatric IBD in the Czech Republic is increasing, and especially that of CD, whereas trends in UC and IBD‐U appear to be constant. These data highlight the need to identify risk factors involved in the rising incidence of IBD.
Proton Pump Inhibitors, But Not H2-receptor Antagonists, Are Associated With Incident Fractures Among Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Lyu Beini , Jorgenson Margaret R. , Hansen Karen E. , Djamali Arjang , Astor Brad C.
Published: February 2020

Background.

Fractures are a common and burdensome problem among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently used after kidney transplantation and have been associated with increased fracture risk in the general population. This study aimed to determine whether PPI use is associated with incidence of major fractures in KTRs.

Methods.

Using the Wisconsin Allograft Recipient Database, we identified 155 KTRs with a major fracture that occurred at least 12 months after transplantation. Controls were selected using incidence-density sampling. Use of PPIs and histamine 2-receptor antagonists (H2RA) during the year before the index date were identified.

Results.

A total of 155 cases were matched to 685 controls. Within 1 year before the index date, 68% of cases and 52% of controls used a PPI, and 16% of cases and 11% of controls used an H2RA. PPI use was associated with higher incidence of major fractures in unadjusted analysis (odds ratio [OR], 2.4; 95% CI, 1.6-3.5) and in adjusted analyses controlling for demographic and transplant-related covariates and use of corticosteroids, bisphosphonates, vitamin D and calcium supplements (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-3.1). H2RA use was not associated with incidence of major fractures in adjusted analyses (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.5-1.8). The associations between PPI use and fractures remained similar in analyses limited to spine and hip fractures.

Conclusions.

Use of PPIs, but not H2RAs, is associated with a higher risk of major fractures among KTRs. Clinicians should individualize PPI use in KTRs, evaluating the risks and benefits of prescribing and continuing PPIs in KTRs.
The Male Fertility Gene Atlas – A web tool for collecting and integrating data about epi-/genetic causes of male infertility
Authors: Krenz H. , Gromoll J. , Darde T. , Chalmel F. , Dugas M. , Tüttelmann F.
Published: February 2020

Interconnecting results of previous OMICs studies is of major importance for identifying novel underlying causes of male infertility. To date, information can be accessed mainly through literature search engines and raw data repositories. However, both have limited capacity in identifying relevant publications based on aggregated research results e.g. genes mentioned in images and supplements. To address this gap, we present the Male Fertility Gene Atlas (MFGA), a web tool that enables standardised representation and search of aggregated result data of scientific publications. An advanced search function is provided for querying research results based on study conditions/phenotypes, meta information and genes returning the exact tables and figures from the publications fitting the search request as well as a list of most frequently investigated genes. As basic prerequisite, a flexible data model that can accommodate and structure a very broad range of meta information, data tables and images was designed and implemented for the system. The first version of the system is published at the URL https://mfga.uni-muenster.de and contains a set of 46 representative publications. Currently, study data for 28 different tissue types, 32 different cell types and 20 conditions is available. Also, ∼5,000 distinct genes have been found to be mentioned in at least ten of the publications. As a result, the MFGA is a valuable addition to available tools for research on the epi-/genetics of male infertility. The MFGA enables a more targeted search and interpretation of OMICs data on male infertility and germ cells in the context of relevant publications. Moreover, its capacity for aggregation allows for meta-analyses and data mining with the potential to reveal novel insights into male infertility based on available data.
Molecular dissection of neurodevelopmental disorder-causing mutations in CYFIP2
Authors: Schaks Matthias , Rottner Klemens
Published: February 2020

Actin remodelling is frequently regulated by antagonistic activities driving protrusion and contraction downstream of Rac and Rho small GTPases, respectively. WAVE regulatory complex (WRC), which primarily operates downstream of Rac, plays pivotal roles in neuronal morphogenesis. Recently, two independent studies described de novo mutations in the CYFIP2 subunit of WRC, which caused intellectual disability (ID) in humans. Although mutations had been proposed to effect WRC activation, no experimental evidence for this was provided. Here, we made use of CRISPR/Cas9-engineered B16-F1 cell lines that were reconstituted with ID-causing CYFIP variants in the context of compromised WRC activation with or without reduced Rac activities, which established that the majority of CYFIP2 mutations (5 out of 8) indeed cause constitutive WRC activation. Strikingly, activating mutations are positioned in a conserved WAVE- binding region mediating WRC transinhibition. As opposed to such gain-of-function mutations, a truncating mutant represented a loss-of-function variant, because it failed to interact with WRC components, and two mutants displayed no or at best a moderate increase of WRC activation. Collectively, our data show that CYFIP2 mutations frequently but not always coincide with WRC activation and suggest that normal brain development requires a delicate and precisely tuned balance of neuronal WRC activity.
A spatial model of CoVID-19 transmission in England and Wales: early spread and peak timing
Authors: Danon Leon , Brooks-Pollock Ellen , Bailey Mick , Keeling Matt
Published: February 2020

Background

An outbreak of a novel coronavirus, named CoVID-19, was first reported in China on 31 December 2019. As of 9 February 2020, cases have been reported in 25 countries, including probable cases of human-to-human transmission in England.

Methods

We adapted an existing national-scale metapopulation model to capture the spread of CoVID-19 in England and Wales. We used 2011 census data to capture population sizes and population movement, together with parameter estimates from the current outbreak in China.

Results

We predict that a CoVID-19 outbreak will peak 126 to 147 days (∼4 months) after the start of person-to-person transmission in England and Wales in the absence of controls, assuming biological parameters remain unchanged. Therefore, if person-to-person transmission persists from February, we predict the epidemic peak would occur in June. The starting location has minimal impact on peak timing, and model stochasticity varies peak timing by 10 days. Incorporating realistic parameter uncertainty leads to estimates of peak time ranging from 78 days to 241 days after person-to-person transmission has been established. Seasonal changes in transmission rate substantially impact the timing and size of the epidemic peak, as well as the total attack rate.

Discussion

We provide initial estimates of the potential course of CoVID-19 in England and Wales in the absence of control measures. These results can be refined with improved estimates of epidemiological parameters, and permit investigation of control measures and cost effectiveness analyses. Seasonal changes in transmission rate could shift the timing of the peak into winter months, which will have important implications for health-care capacity planning.