bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of slurry erosion-corrosion behavior of Ta(Si1−xAlx)2 nanocrystalline coatings
Authors: Xu Jiang , Xie Qingwen , Peng Shuang , Li Zhengyang , Jiang Shuyun
Published: January 2020

To enhance the erosion-corrosion resistance of titanium alloys, two Ta(Si1−xAlx)2 coatings with different Al content were deposited on Ti−6Al−4V alloy by double cathode glow discharge method. The coatings consist of single hexagonal C40 structured TaSi2 phase, which forms an equiaxed grain structure with an average diameter of ∼5 nm. Al addition was found to enhance the values of H/E and adhesive strength between the substrate and coating. The erosion–corrosion behavior of the coatings was studied in a liquid–solid acid slurry flow (specifically a medium of 5 wt% HCl solution that contained a 10 wt% concentration of silica-based sand) using electrochemical measurements, weight loss tests and SEM observation. The results indicated that the ternary Ta(Si0.875Al0.125)2 coating provided better protection, compared to the binary TaSi2 coating, against the combined attack of mechanical erosion and electrochemical corrosion in a liquid–solid acid slurry flow. This is attributable to high self-healing ability of the surface passive film and a higher H/E ratio.
Remarkable photocatalytic degradation of Remazol Brilliant Blue R dye using bio-photocatalyst ‘nano-hydroxyapatite’
Authors: Begum Sumayya , Narwade Vijaykiran N , Halge Devidas I , Jejurikar Suhas M , Dadge Jagdish W , Muduli Subas , Mahabole Megha P , Bogle Kashinath A
Published: January 2020

Nanostructured bio-photocatalyst hydroxyapatite (HAp) was synthesized by a simple and productive wet chemical precipitation method to explore the photocatalytic performance of the material for degradation of Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) dye. Wet chemically synthesized nano-HAp was characterized through x-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, N2-adsorption–desorption, thermo gravimetric analyzer, Fourier transform infrared and UV–vis absorption techniques. Photocatalytic degradation of RBBR under ultraviolet irradiation was examined and ∼80% degradation was achieved in 120 min by using nano-HAp. The photocatalytic degradation followed Parabolic Diffusion kinetics. Fast degradation kinetics and removal of RBBR dye was achieved by nano-HAp due to modification of surface entities leading to suppression of photo-generated electron-hole recombination. This makes nano-HAp a remarkable bio-photocatalyst material for removing dyes from water.
Design and construction of a microporous

CO

3

2
−

-containing HA/β-TCP biphasic ceramic as a novel bone graft material
Authors: Dou Wenxue , Chen Haiwen , Chen Tong , Zhu Qingfeng , Jiang Danyu , Xue Zhenhai , Wang Shuang , Wang Shaohai , Tang Weizhong
Published: January 2020

Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramics, viewed as the first-line therapeutic materials in clinical practice, are still confronted with challenges such as undesirable biocompatibility and bioactivity given their structural and chemical deficiency. In this study, we designed a novel microporous

CO

3

2
−

-containing BCP ceramic from Salmo salar bone in a CO2 atmosphere via two-step high-temperature sintering, and its physicochemical properties and biocompatibility were explored. A without

CO

3

2
−

- BCP bioceramic material prepared in a single gas atmosphere was used as a comparison. The two scaffolds were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , measured the size of its porosity and specific surface area by an instrument and in vitro cell experiment was used to test its biocompatibility. Such synthetic strategy endowed the BCP products with increased β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) percentage from 37.18wt% to 45.3wt% (compared to BCP without

CO

3

2
−

), with the

CO

3

2
−

content calculated to be 1.98wt%, which is close to that in human bone tissue. The amount of

CO

3

2
−

incorporation, the a-axes of the lattice parameters have decreased significantly from 9.4845 nm to 9.2942 nm by Rietveld structure refinement. Especially, the novel

CO

3

2
−

containing BCP exhibits a lower degree of crystallinity than that without CO32-. In addition, the natural microporosity remarkably increased from 49.6% for BCP without

CO

3

2
−

to 64.06% for

CO

3

2
−

-containing BCP, and the specific surface area increased from 5.829 m2g−1 to 17.161 m2g−1. Besides, two materials were non-toxic to human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs), and the

CO

3

2
−

-containing BCP had more factor expression in the early stage of osteogenesis induction, such as Runx2 and Smad 4. Overall, microporous

CO

3

2
−

-containing BCP were prepared via a simple preparation method from natural bone, combining the structural and chemical preponderance, as well as in vitro performance it should be considered as a promising biomaterial for further explorations in the fields of bone graft materials from natural bone to satisfy versatile clinical requirements.
Finite element model based on an efficient layerwise theory for dynamics and active vibration control of smart functionally graded beams
Authors: Yasin M Yaqoob , Prakash Bhanu , Khan Arshad Hussain
Published: January 2020

In this work, we present a two-noded efficient finite element (FE) model incorporating the layer-wise mechanics for the dynamics and active vibration control of smart functionally graded (FG) beams. The material properties in the FG beam are assumed to vary smoothly in the thickness direction according to power law variation. The effective properties are computed using Mori-Tanaka homogenization scheme. Electric potential profile in the electroded piezoelectric layers/patches is assumed quadratic across its thickness. The equations of motion are derived using extended Hamilton’s principle. Due to the complex algebraic expressions involved in the effective properties of FG system, the inertia and stiffness parameters are computed numerically using six point Gauss integration method. To fulfill the convergence requirements for weak integration of various energy terms in the variational formulation, the transverse displacement is interpolated with Hermite interpolation function possessing C1-continuity while the inplane displacement, shear rotation and quadratic component of the electric potential are interpolated with linear Lagrangian functions of C0-continuity. The equipotential condition of the electroded piezoelectric sensors and actuators is conveniently modelled using electric node concept. The control system is designed for constant gain velocity feedback (CGVF), and optimal LQR and LQG control strategies for a reduced order model using state space approach. The control performance is studied for single-input-single-output (SISO) and multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) configurations under various excitations. The effect of material inhomogeneity on stability/instability of the closed-loop response in the CGVF control has been discussed.
Microstructural, mechanical and tribological characterization on the Al based functionally graded material fabricated powder metallurgy
Authors: Srinivas P Naga Sudhakar , Babu P Ravindra , B Balakrishna
Published: January 2020

The characteristics of composite materials can be enhanced by using it as functionally graded composites (FGM). In this work, four-layer FGMs are produced by using aluminum, silicon carbide,and magnesium peroxide. The entire fabrication process has been performed through the sintering process, in which, the powder methodology is used to blend the particles of each material. During the fabrication of FGM, three parameters such as sintering time, sintering temperature and compacting pressure are considered. Four layers of the FGM are formulated as 100% of pure aluminum, 90%Al + 10%SiC, 90%Al + 5%SiC + 5%MgO2, and 85%Al + 5%SiC + 10%MgO2 respectively. The created FGMs have been analyzed to find out the mechanical, tribological and microstructural characteristics. The microstructure and worn-out surface of the FGM layers are analyzed via the scanning electron microscopy. In the mechanical analysis, the compressive strength and hardness characteristics of FGM material are investigated. The outcomes of the mechanical analysis are exhibited that the FGMs deliver the finest compressive strength,microhardness,and macro hardness as 315 Mpa, 1.26 Gpa,and 1.87 Gpa which are higher than the composite materials. Finally, Taguchi optimization has been performed to determine the optimum process parameters in terms of mechanical characteristics. The results of the Taguchi optimization exhibited that the mechanical characteristics of FGM are highly depending upon the sintering temperature and slightly on compacting pressure and sintering time.
Effect of Ni-based cathodic layer on intermediate temperature tubular electrolysis cell using LaGaO3-based electrolyte thin film
Authors: Tan Zhe , Ishihara Tatsumi
Published: January 2020

NiO-YSZ tubular-type supported solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) was prepared by dip-coating and co-sintering process for intermediate temperature steam electrolysis. To achieve a small overpotential, infiltration of Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ
(SSC) powder into porous La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3−δ
(LSGM) layer on dense LSGM electrolyte film was performed for the air electrode. In this study, the effect of the Ni-Sm0.2Ce0.8O2−δ
(Ni-SDC) and Ni-Fe2O3 (Ni-Fe) cathodic layer on steam electrolysis was further investigated. It was found that the Ni-based layer was effective for increasing electrolysis performance of the cell at low temperature in particular, but Ni-Fe layer was more effective. Impedance analysis suggests that this increased electrolysis performance of the cell using Ni-Fe layer was attributed to the decrease both in cathodic IR loss and overpotential. Electrolysis current density at 1.5 V was achieved to current density of 0.69, 0.47 and 0.28 A cm−2 at 873, 823 and 773 K, respectively. In addition, the overpotential was also decreased by the insertion of Ni-SDC layer, which shows the mixed conductivity. The long-term stability of the cell when using Ni-SDC layer was also measured up to 150 h and stable electrolysis performance was demonstrated (degradation rate: around 1.9%/100 h).
Prohibition: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Rorabaugh W. J.
Published: January 2020

Prohibition: A Very Short Introduction traces the origins of prohibition back to the evangelical-based voluntary abstinence temperance movement in the early 1800s. It makes clear that public support for prohibition collapsed due to gangster violence and the need for local, state, and federal government alcohol revenue during the Great Depression. Americans have always been a hard-drinking people, but from 1920 to 1933 the country went dry. After decades of pressure from rural Protestants, the states ratified the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution meaning alcohol could no longer be produced, imported, transported, or sold. How and why did prohibition come about? How did it work? And how did prohibition give way to strict governmental regulation of alcohol?
Introduction
Authors: Rorabaugh W. J.
Published: January 2020

From 1920 to 1933 the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution banned the production, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages. The Introduction explains that this VSI is about both prohibition and the century-long campaign that led to that result. The American dry movement was part of a global effort to ban or control alcohol and other drugs, which began with the Enlightenment, gained strength during religious-based moral uplift and industrialization in the 1800s, and peaked after 1900 amid rising concerns about public health, family problems, and the power of producers to entice overuse. How and why was prohibition adopted? What kind of alcohol policies were adopted when prohibition ended in 1933?
4. Repeal
Authors: Rorabaugh W. J.
Published: January 2020

By the late Twenties, Americans increasingly recognized that prohibition could not work, but getting the political system to tackle the issue was hard. ‘Repeal’ explains that it would take another national crisis, the Great Depression, to end prohibition. As the economy declined in the early Thirties, government officials faced falling revenues while the demand for public services increased. This appetite for revenue, along with changing public opinion, forced reconsideration of alcohol policy. The Twenty-first Amendment was ratified in December 1933. Alcohol became widely available, but high taxes kept the price high enough to reduce consumption, state governments determined where alcohol was sold or consumed, and control boards decided the circumstances under which it was drunk.
7. Dissension: September 1872–April 1877
Authors: Guelzo Allen C.
Published: January 2020

Revulsion fed the Liberal Republican insurrection in 1872, and it paved the way for Democrats to regain control of the House of Representatives in the 1874 elections, for the first time in twenty years. ‘Dissention, September 1872–April 1877’ explains how this increased Democratic power reduced the support for Republican enforcement against corruption and disorder in the South. The non-emergence of a single commanding leader who could bind together the disparate shards of African American identity into a single movement also hindered progress for the black population. The Reconstruction governments contributed mightily to their own demise by their incessant, self-weakening infighting.
Epilogue
Authors: Guelzo Allen C.
Published: January 2020

The Epilogue considers what the Reconstruction accomplished and where and why it failed. Principally, it did, for better or worse, achieve the political re-union of the rebellious South with the rest of the nation, and did so with the basic shape of constitutional federalism reasonably intact and the chief object of the war—the elimination of legalized slavery—put beyond challenge. However, the tidal return of white Democratic rule to the South by 1877 allowed the disfranchisement of black Southerners through the imposition of literacy tests, poll taxes (starting with Georgia in 1871), physical segregation, property requirements, and sheer intimidation.
1. The Jewish matrix (1200 bce–70 ce)
Authors: Cohen Charles L.
Published: January 2020

“The Jewish matrix (1200 BCE–70 CE)” outlines the period from 1200 BCE to 70 CE, describing the importance of the Tanakh, which preserves and interprets the historical, cultural, and religious heritage of Israel and Judah. Ancient Israel’s discovery of the One God and the religion that developed around that awareness were deeply influenced by Israel’s political and cultural relationships with its neighbors. The texts that would constitute the Jewish sacred scriptures embed theological interpretations of this history. As the religion evolved, it was affected by Jews’ dispersion from their heartland, their engagement with Hellenism, and their implication in the eastern Mediterranean’s imperial conflicts. By the time of Jesus, Judaism had assumed multiple forms.
4. Islam
Authors: Cohen Charles L.
Published: January 2020

“Islam” looks at the origins of this religion. Islam arose in an area contested by empires and populated by diverse religious groups. Muhammad’s revelations, recorded in the Quran, drew loosely on Jewish and Christian ideas, but they pointedly situated him within the biblical prophetic tradition, and Muslims asserted that they had recovered the original religion of Abraham. At its inception, the umma (Muslim religious community) was also a political body, but the difficulties inherent in investing spiritual and civil headship in one person manifested themselves quickly. Clashes about who should guide the umma inflected Islamic religious identity—particularly its division into two major sects: Sunnis and Shiites.
6. Reform and Enlightenment (1500–1900)
Authors: Cohen Charles L.
Published: January 2020

“Reform and Enlightenment (1500–1900)” begins in the year 1500 as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam started to define themselves within spaces shaped by the global expansion of the, mostly Christian, European empires, growing skepticism of revealed religion, and the emergence of nation-states. Since 1500, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have defined themselves within spaces shaped by the global expansion of (Christian) European empires, growing skepticism of revealed religion, and the emergence of nation-states. These changes unsettled the familiar ways in which Jews, Christians, and Muslims understood their traditions, spurring reform and renewal. The Reformation divided the Western Church, further complicating Christian identity. The Enlightenment elevated reason and empirical evidence over revelation and received wisdom as the preeminent means for knowing the world, challenging religion’s stature. As European power and influence expanded, Muslims sought to preserve Islam’s fundamentals. The Jewish Enlightenment birthed a movement that challenged some of Judaism’s long-standing foundations.
1. Why?
Authors: Van Brummelen Glen
Published: January 2020

‘Why?’ considers some of the mathematical problems faced by scientists in the past: Hipparchus of Rhodes trying to predict the times of eclipses; Maurice Bressieu, the 16th-century French mathematician and humanist, calculating the height of a tower; and Lord Kelvin trying to predict ocean tide behaviour. Each of these scientists was faced with the same difficulty: the mathematical tools they had at their disposal were not up to the task of quantifying the phenomenon they were studying. This is the problem at the heart of trigonometry: how can we bring together geometry and computation to solve real physical problems? Today, examples of bridges between geometry and measurement are everywhere.
6. and beyond, to complex things
Authors: Van Brummelen Glen
Published: January 2020

‘ … and beyond, to complex things’ first considers the Taylor series for the exponential function. One of the most famous, yet enigmatic, numbers in mathematics, e is an irrational number equal to 2.718281828. … Exponential functions deal with the phenomena of growth and decay. As calculus was starting to become established, curious parallels between the apparently disparate worlds of trigonometry and exponential functions were starting to appear. Imaginary numbers, Euler’s formula, and Euler’s identity are discussed along with the Argand diagram, De Moivre’s formula, hyperbolic trigonometric functions, and the catenary curve. Imaginary numbers are now at the heart of science and technology, and are used in the study of electromagnetic waves, cellular and wireless technologies, and fluid dynamics.
2. Religious superstition
Authors: Vyse Stuart
Published: January 2020

Under Theodosius I (r. 379–95) Christianity became the Roman Empire’s official religion and the word superstitio was now used against those who once used it against Christians. ‘Religious superstition’ describes the rising concerns over magic and superstition during the last centuries of the first millennium ce. A number of edicts against superstition, magic, and pagan religious practices were produced and working magicians and sorcerers were forced to renounce their practices or face death. Fears about demonic magic swelled during the 14th century, but a much more ominous threat emerged that would be a considerable worry for the next four centuries: conspiratorial groups of demon-worshipping black magicians alleged secret societies of witches.
3. The secularization of superstition
Authors: Vyse Stuart
Published: January 2020

The five centuries beginning with the 14th and ending with the 18th took European history from the Middle Ages, through the Enlightenment, and into the first two centuries of the scientific age, which would mark the final turn in the meaning of superstition. ‘The secularization of superstition’ explains that this passage involved the flourishing of the humanities associated with the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and great advances in science—as well as deadly wars, plagues, inquisitions, and witch hunts. But the culmination of this period would produce the Enlightenment, a new age of reason, and a different form of attack on superstition and magic.
4. Superstition in the modern world
Authors: Vyse Stuart
Published: January 2020

After the years of rapid scientific progress that followed the Enlightenment, the label ‘superstitious’, with rare exceptions, was now applied to unscientific beliefs that defied reason. Despite the growing dominance of scientific reasoning, superstition, pseudoscience, and magical thinking did not go away. ‘Superstitions in the modern world’ first considers 19th-century spiritualism, a social movement that kept supernatural beliefs alive before science became a more mature enterprise. It then turns to the kinds of popular superstitions that survive today from lucky and unlucky numbers and colours to certain objects and behaviours and discusses their origins. It also looks at some more elaborate systems of superstition.
6. The future of superstition
Authors: Vyse Stuart
Published: January 2020

People have been fascinated with superstition for a very long time, and that fascination is unlikely to end soon. ‘The future of superstition’ looks at the various areas of superstition research undertaken by psychologists and sociologists. Perhaps the most popular area of research today is the role of superstition in consumer choice. This effort has probably been encouraged by the rapid growth of the Chinese consumer market. Superstition is a transactional concept. It has no inherent meaning of its own and only gains meaning in relation to some different, more accepted world-view. Today that more accepted view is most often the accumulated knowledge of science, but, as we have seen, fashions can change.
1. A richly furnished mind
Authors: Heilbron J. L.
Published: January 2020

Niels Bohr was born in Copenhagen in 1885. ‘A richly furnished mind’ describes the Christian and Jewish elements of his childhood and upbringing, and his relationship with his fiancée Margrethe Nørlund. It also discusses the influence of the philosophers Kierkegaard and Høffding and the physicists J. J. Thompson, Lord Kelvin, Max Planck, and Albert Einstein on Bohr’s early work and enduring beliefs. This rich background prepared him for the analysis and results of his doctoral thesis of 1911, which exposed serious faults in the largely successful electron theory of metals. He concluded that the faults could not be fixed without fundamental departures from ‘ordinary physics’.
5. The Institute
Authors: Heilbron J. L.
Published: January 2020

‘The Institute’ describes the work undertaken at Bohr’s headquarters in Copenhagen. It prospered under the ‘Copenhagen Spirit’, as Heisenberg called Bohr’s approach to quantum problems, and money from the Rockefeller, Carlsberg, and Rask-Ørsted Foundations and the Danish government. The Institute saw a decline in the early 1930s owing to Bohr’s doubts about certain productive ideas in nuclear physics that his philosophy seemed to rule out. Their productivity changed his mind and he raised money to build the large apparatus for experimental investigation of the nucleus. At the same time, he applied complementarity to biology and other domains outside of physics, to the dismay of Einstein, who continued to try to find ways to contravene what he called Bohr’s ‘tranquilizing philosophy’.
2. A Confucian society
Authors: Seth Michael J.
Published: January 2020

For five centuries from 1392 to the arrival of modern imperialism in the late 1800s Korea underwent a continual process of cultural change and integration under the Chosǒn state and its Yi dynasty. ‘A Confucian society’ explains how Confucian-based cultural norms pervaded every social class, giving a greater uniformity and unity to Korean society. The state’s territorial boundaries stabilized to where they are today, its population became ethnically homogeneous, and its culture became profoundly Confucian. The process by which the inhabitants of the peninsula developed into a single people with a shared culture and identity, one clearly recognizable today as ‘Korean’, had begun long before. Under Chosǒn it was largely completed.
5. Thinking about art history
Authors: Arnold Dana
Published: January 2020

The relationship between art and thought can be a complex one. ‘Thinking about art history’ discusses the impact various philosophical schools and psychoanalytic theory have had on the way in which we think about art history and the role, meaning, and interpretation of art. It introduces the ideas of such key thinkers as G. W. F. Hegel, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Michel Foucault, and Jacques Derrida in order to show how they have interacted with art history, not least in regard to the emergence of social histories of art and feminist art history.
7. Looking at art
Authors: Arnold Dana
Published: January 2020

The physical properties of artworks have an important influence on how we understand them as objects. ‘Looking at art’ outlines some examples of the different mediums and techniques of producing art, to show how an awareness of these factors can help our understanding of art history. It considers sketches and drawing; tempera painting; oil painting; and the modelling, carving, and casting of sculpture. Each example acts as a kind of vignette to show how the physical properties of an artwork can add another layer of meaning to its history. This very brief survey shows that artists are not always confined by the medium in which they work.
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of burns in the older person: a seven-year retrospective analysis of 693 cases at a burn center in south-west China
Authors: Qian Wei , Wang Song , Wang Yangping , Zhang Xiaorong , Liu Mian , Zhan Rixing , Huang Yong , He Weifeng , Luo Gaoxing
Published: January 2020

Background

Burns are one of the major traumas that may affect older individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of geriatric burns at a major center in south-west China.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted at the Institute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University between 2010 and 2016, and the data collected from medical records included admission date, age, gender, premorbid disease, burn etiology, injured anatomical location, burn area and depth, inhalation injury, number of surgeries, length of stay (LOS), clinical outcome, and medical cost.

Results

Of the 693 older burn patients included, 60.75% were male and 56.85% were aged 60–69 years. Burns peaked in December–March and June. Flame was the most common cause of burns, making up 51.95% of all cases, and also dominated in the burn patients aged 60–69 years. Limbs were the most common anatomical sites of burns (69.41%), and the median total body surface area (TBSA) was 5% (interquartile range [IQR]: 2%–15%). The percentage of the patients who underwent surgeries and number of surgeries significantly increased in the cases of contact burns, younger age and full-thickness burns. Six deaths resulted in a mortality of 0.9%. The median LOS was 16 days (IQR: 8–29 days), and the main risk factors were more surgeries, better outcomes, and full-thickness burns. The median cost was 20,228 CNY (IQR: 10,457– 46,581.5 CNY), and major risk factors included longer LOS, larger TBSA, and more surgeries. Furthermore, compared to the earlier data from our center, the proportion of older adults among all burns (7.50% vs. 4.15%), proportion of flame burns (51.95% vs. 33.90%), and mean age (69.05 years vs. 65.10 years) were significantly higher, while the proportion of premorbidities (16.9% vs. 83.9%), mortality (0.9% vs. 7.5%) and median TBSA (5% vs. 21%) were significantly lower.

Conclusions

This study suggested that closer attention should be paid to prevent burn injuries in older people aged 60–69 years, especially males, regarding incidents in the summer and winter, and flame burns. Moreover, tailored intervention strategies based on related risk factors should be under special consideration.
“We Act as One Lest We Perish Alone”: A Case Study in Mediated White Nationalist Activism
Authors: Feshami Kevan A
Published: January 2020

This article provides a case study of mediated white nationalist activism, focusing on how white nationalists circulate affects to reinforce and grow the movement. The article examines a group called EuropeanUnity565 (EU565) which maintained several social media accounts, most prominently a YouTube channel, to distribute white nationalist video content which they subtitled in English and other European languages. Intended to foster racial harmony across ethno-linguistic lines in order to resist perceived racial imperilment—a sentiment captured in their motto, “We act as one lest we perish alone”—EU565’s activism fits into a larger tradition of urging the importance of racial community and belonging. The article thus also situates EU565 within a broader tradition of white nationalist activism called metapolitics. The potential for this networked activism, of which EU565 is only a part, to reach larger publics makes research in this area important, a task to which this case study contributes.
Dabigatran overload in acute kidney injury: haemodialysis or idarucizumab? A case report and proposal for a decisional algorithm
Authors: Galassi Andrea , Podda Gianmarco , Monciino Paola , Stucchi Andrea , Del Nero Alberto , Cozzolino Mario
Published: January 2020

Dabigatran overload has been reported in acute kidney injury (AKI), leading to occasional major bleeding. Haemodialysis (HD) was the method used for reversing dabigatran anticoagulant effects before the approval of idarucizumab, which is now indicated for dabigatran reversal in major bleeding or surgical emergencies. There have been reports of rebound of dabigatran levels following idarucizumab administration in AKI, requiring HD to achieve effective dabigatran clearance. However, a decisional algorithm to individualize treatments for dabigatran overload seems lacking. We present a case of dabigatran accumulation in obstructive AKI with minor bleeding that was successfully treated with HD and tranexamic acid without using idarucizumab, and propose a decision-making algorithm including different pathways in the management of suspected dabigatran overload in AKI.
Effect of assay methodology on pharmacokinetic differences between cyclosporine Neoral® and Sandimmune® formulations
Authors: Aspeslet Launa J , LeGatt Donald F , Murphy Gerard , Yatscoff Randall W
Published: January 2020

The new oral formulation of cyclosporine (CsA), Neoral® (CsA-N), results in increased area under the curve (AUC) and decreased intra- and interindividual variation in blood concentrations and other pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters when compared with the current Sandimmune® (CsA-S) formulation. The present study examines the effect of assay methodology on variability in blood concentrations and PK parameters for renal transplant patients receiving CsA-N and CsA-S and whether this variation is reduced with CsA-N. The results show that interindividual variations in PK parameters for patients receiving CsA-N were less than those for patients receiving CsA-S. Both blood concentrations and dose of CsA better correlated with abbreviated (4-h) AUC after administration of CsA-N. For both CsA-S and CsA-N, blood concentrations at 4 h postdose exhibited the best correlation with AUC. All samples were analyzed by three common procedures: HPLC, RIA, and fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA). There were no significant differences observed in blood concentrations or PK parameters obtained from FPIA and RIA. HPLC results, however, were lower because of specificity of this method for the parent drug. The assay methodology did not have an effect on interindividual variability, indicating that the cross-reactivity of metabolites in commonly used immunoassays for CsA does not contribute to the PK variability observed in renal transplant patients.
Development and validation of a particle-enhanced turbidimetric inhibition assay for urine albumin on the Dade aca® analyzer
Authors: Thakkar Hansa , Newman David J , Holownia Peter , Davey Carol L , Wang Chi-Chin , Lloyd Joseph , Craig Alan R , Price Christopher P
Published: January 2020

The measurement of urine albumin now has a well-established role in the monitoring of patients with diabetes mellitus. We have developed a particle-enhanced immunoturbidimetric inhibition assay for urine albumin on the Dade aca® analyzer. The inhibition approach removes any of the potential antigen excess difficulties that could be expected from the wide clinical range of urine albumin, but retains the sensitivity advantages of latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetry. Human serum albumin (HSA) is covalently attached to 40-nm poly(chloromethyl)styrene-modified latex particles. This reagent, along with monoclonal antibody to HSA, is aliquoted into the aca reagent pack along with polyethylene glycol 8000 in a tablet form (giving a final reaction concentration of 15 g/L). A 150 mmol/L phosphate buffer, pH 7.8, is used to fill the reagent pack in the instrument and the agglutination reaction is monitored at 340 nm. The sample volume is 100 μL and the calibration curve covers the range 2–250 mg/L. Evaluation of commercial scale reagents against the Beckman Array nephelometric immunoassay system gave a Deming regression correlation of aca = 0.87 × Beckman + 8.5,r = 0.995, n = 145. Mean analytical recovery was 104 ± 4.5%, n = 20, and there was no evidence of a lack of parallelism. Interassay precision was 8.8% at 10.0 mg/L and <2.5% at >65 mg/L. Calibrator stability was in excess of 60 days. A small reference range study (24-h urine collections, n = 27) gave a mean of 5.6 mg/L with a range of 0.5–16.2 mg/L. Analytical sensitivity (2.5 SD from zero) was 0.40 mg/L.
Reference values for plasma concentrations of vitamin E and A and carotenoids in a Swiss population from infancy to adulthood, adjusted for seasonal influences
Authors: Winklhofer-Roob Brigitte M , Hof Martin A van’t , Shmerling David H
Published: January 2020

In a cross-sectional survey, plasma concentrations of α- and γ-tocopherol, α- and β-carotene (cis and trans isomers), lycopene, and retinol were determined by reversed-phase HPLC, and ratios of plasma α-tocopherol to cholesterol were calculated in 208 Swiss individuals ages 0.4–38.7 years. The influence of age, sex, and season of sampling was studied. Age was a significant predictor of all plasma concentrations except α-carotene. No sex-related differences were observed. Season of sampling affected α-tocopherol and retinol (higher in winter) and γ-tocopherol and cholesterol concentrations (higher in winter and spring than in the other seasons). After correction for seasonal influences, age differences were 0.24 μmol/L per year for α-tocopherol, 0.04 μmol/L per year for retinol, and 0.04 μmol/L per year for cholesterol concentrations; ratios of plasma α-tocopherol to cholesterol were not affected by age. We constructed age-specific reference intervals from the regression line and a multiple of the standard deviation. Separate regression equations are presented for seasons with low and high values.
Standards of laboratory practice: evaluation of fetal lung maturity
Authors: Ashwood Edward R
Published: January 2020

In this standard of laboratory practice I recommend guidelines for fetal lung maturity (FLM) testing. If possible, obtain a 10-mL uncontaminated sample by amniocentesis. Keep the amniotic fluid at 4 °C and mix well before testing. If centrifugation is required, strictly adhere to the protocol. Most laboratories should offer a rapid test, such as fluorescence polarization, phosphatidylglycerol, or foam stability index, daily on both a routine and emergency basis. Requests for lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio may be referred to a reference laboratory. Communicate immediately the results of any FLM test to the ordering location. The report should contain the result, sample contamination, and reference information. Separate reference intervals for diabetic patients are not recommended.
Evaluation of the newborn’s blood gas status
Authors: Brouillette Robert T , Waxman David H
Published: January 2020

Blood gas measurements and complementary, noninvasive monitoring techniques provide the clinician with information essential to patient assessment, therapeutic decision making, and prognostication. Blood gas measurements are as important for ill newborns as for other critically ill patients, but rapidly changing physiology, difficult access to arterial and mixed venous sampling sites, and small blood volumes present unique challenges. This paper discusses considerations for interpretation of blood gases in the newborn period. Blood gas measurements and noninvasive estimations provide important information about oxygenation. The general goals of oxygen therapy in the neonate are to maintain adequate arterial PaO2 and SaO2, and to minimize cardiac work and the work of breathing. Pulse oximetry and transcutaneous oxygen monitoring are extraordinarily useful techniques of estimating and noninvasively monitoring the neonate’s oxygenation, but each method has limitations. Arterial blood gas determinations of pCO2 provide the most accurate determinations of the adequacy of alveolar ventilation, but capillary, transcutaneous, and end-tidal techniques are also useful. An approach to and examples of acid-base disorders are presented. Three hemoglobin variants relevant to the newborn are considered: fetal hemoglobin, carboxyhemoglobin, and methemoglobin. Blood gases obtained in the immediate perinatal period can help assess perinatal asphyxia, but particular attention must be paid to the sampling site, the time of life, and the possible and proven diagnoses.
Therapeutic drug monitoring principles in the neonate
Authors: Koren Gideon
Published: January 2020

Therapeutic drug monitoring in the newborn infant is necessary because dose requirements differ greatly from those for older children. These differences stem from major changes in kinetic disposition at the absorption, distribution, and elimination phases. The small blood volume of neonates makes them sensitive to iatrogenic blood loss. Similarly, the small size of these patients means that medication errors frequently lead to morbidity and even mortality. The clinical laboratory must set up strict, high-standard, carefully updated guidelines to ensure the safety of infants who need drug therapy at this very vulnerable phase of their lives.
Development of ELISA to estimate thymosin α1, the N terminus of prothymosin α, in human tumors
Authors: Loidi Lourdes , Vidal Anxo , Zalvide Juan B , Puente José L , Reyes Francisco , Domínguez Fernando
Published: January 2020

We reported that tumor content of prothymosin α (ProT α) is a proliferation index of human breast tumors that might be used to identify patients at high risk for distant metastasis (Dominguez et al., Eur J Cancer 1993;29A:893–7). In that study ProT α concentrations were measured by a RIA; here we present an alternative nonisotopic assay that could be used in a standard clinical laboratory. Main features of the ELISA are: (a) A recombinant fusion protein glutathione S-transferase (GST)–human ProT α was used to coat the microtiter plates; (b) we used a polyclonal antiserum raised in rabbits that detects thymosin α1, the NH2-terminal fragment of ProT α; (c) it is as sensitive as the RIA; (d) it is faster than the RIA. ProT α concentrations in various human tumors (skin, esophagus, colorectal, and breast) as assessed by ELISA were comparable with, although twofold greater than, the values previously estimated by RIA.
Direct detection of multiple point mutations in mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Wong Lee-Jun C , Senadheera Dinithi
Published: January 2020

Mitochondrial defects can be caused by mutations in nuclear or mitochondrial DNA. Large deletion/duplication and point mutations are the two major types of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations. Comprehensive molecular diagnosis requires the analysis of multiple point mutations. We developed an effective multiplex PCR/allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) method to simultaneously screen multiple point mutations in mtDNA. The system involved three pairs of primers to amplify mutation “hot spots” at tRNAleu(UUR), tRNAlys/ATPase, and ND4 regions, followed by detection of point mutations with ASO probes. Over 2000 specimens were analyzed and the results were compared with those from previous studies with the PCR/restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Our data demonstrate that the multiplex PCR/ASO method is much more sensitive in the detection of low mutant heteroplasmy. It is simple and cost effective, especially if a large number of samples are to be screened for multiple point mutations.
Determination of total cholesterol in serum by liquid chromatography–isotope dilution mass spectrometry
Authors: Kock Ruediger , Delvoux Bert , Greiling Helmut
Published: January 2020

We have developed a liquid chromatography–isotope dilution mass spectrometry procedure to quantify total cholesterol in serum. A particle-beam interface was used for coupling the liquid chromatograph and the mass spectrometer. After electron impact ionization the ions m/z = 386 and m/z = 389 were used for selective ion monitoring of cholesterol and the internal standard [25,26,27-13C]cholesterol. The sample preparation steps required for serum materials are alkaline hydrolysis and an extraction of the cholesterol into the cyclohexane phase. Imprecision for the determination of cholesterol in control materials is typically <1.0%. The deviation from the certified reference values was <0.75% for all control materials tested. A method comparison of the results obtained by this method with those obtained by gas chromatography–isotope dilution mass spectrometry for n = 28 pooled human sera derived from samples analyzed in our routine laboratory did not show differences >2.5%.
Quality assessment of blood glucose testing in general practitioners’ offices improves quality
Authors: Stahl Marta , Brandslund Ivan , Iversen Steffen , Filtenborg Jens Anton
Published: January 2020

Measurement of blood glucose is a frequent test in Danish physicians’ offices. We describe here a new design of external quality assessment wherein fresh, unstabilized whole-blood samples were analyzed by the physicians’ office methods and by a hospital laboratory comparison method (glucose dehydrogenase assay, calibrated against NIST 909a). This approach was used in the offices of 171 general practitioners in our county during a 5-year period. The first survey, in 1992, revealed unsatisfactory performance in terms of our criterion that no difference between the physician’s office and the hospital laboratory’s single result should exceed ±20% of the laboratory result. After initiation of a program of consultation and assistance, the proficiency testing rounds of 1994 and 1996 showed considerable improvement. Thus, whereas in 1992 12% of the values were outside the acceptance limits, in 1994 and 1996 the respective values were 4% and 3%. We believe the effect was mainly related to improvements in choice of technology, procedures, and handling of specimens. We conclude that the use of bedside instruments should be restricted to diagnosis of only severe hypo- or hyperglycemia and to monitoring glucose >5 mmol/L in already diagnosed diabetics. Our program differs from previous approaches to quality assessment and could also be useful for large hospitals’ in-house proficiency testing.
Improved detection of minor ischemic myocardial injury with measurement of serum cardiac troponin I
Authors: Apple Fred S , Falahati Alireza , Paulsen Pamela R , Miller Elizabeth A , Sharkey Scott W
Published: January 2020

This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of the measurement of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) with creatine kinase (CK) MB mass in patients with minor myocardial injury whose measured total CK activity did not exceed twice the upper reference limit (300 U/L for men; 200 U/L for women). Forty-eight consecutive patients presenting with chest pain and with in-hospital documentation of myocardial injury were enrolled. Electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and serial serum CK-MB mass, cTnI, and total CK were measured over 36 h after admission. Peak total CK activity was within normal limits in 28 patients (58%). The mean (±SD) peak CK-MB mass and cTnI concentrations were: 16.4 (11.8) μg/L and 132 (13.0) μg/L; respectively. The peak biochemical marker index (defined as CK-MB or cTnI divided by its respective upper reference limit) was significantly (P <0.05) higher for cTnI than for CK-MB from 7 to 36 h. The clinical sensitivity for detection of myocardial injury for cTnI was 100% [95% confidence interval (CI): 87.2% to 100%], compared with 81.8% (CI: 67.3% to 91.8%) for CK-MB. Thus, cTnI was more sensitive than CK-MB mass for detection of myocardial injury in patients with small increases of total CK.
Direct comparison of performance characteristics of two immunoassays for bone isoform of alkaline phosphatase in serum
Authors: Price Christopher P , Milligan Thomas P , Darte Claude
Published: January 2020

A clinical need exists for a sensitive and specific assay for the quantitation of the bone isoform of alkaline phosphatase in serum. The majority of methods do not meet this requirement; however, the recent development of immunoassays for this isoform may provide a solution. In a detailed evaluation of two immunoassays, we found a degree of imprecision that enables the discrimination of changes within the reference range. The cross-reactivity of the liver isoform was found to be between 7.1% and 12.7% when two different methods of assessment were used. The comparison of results with an electrophoretic procedure showed that the immunocapture method recovered less of the bone isoform in samples from children than in samples from patients with Paget disease; no such difference was found with the immunometric method. This suggests that the immunocapture antibody may discriminate between different bone isoforms in children whereas the immunometric assay does not.
Clinical evaluation of Toxi · Prep™: a semiautomated solid-phase extraction system for screening of drugs in urine
Authors: Steinberg David M , Sokoll Lori J , Bowles Kathy C , Nichols James H , Roberts Roger , Schultheis Stephen K , O’Donnell C Michael
Published: January 2020

A prototype Toxi · Prep (TP) system that utilizes solid-phase extraction (SPE) has been developed as a method for broad-spectrum drug screening and identification of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) metabolites in urine. TP can simultaneously extract up to seven specimens while automating the process of sample extraction, washing, and elution onto a chromatogram. TP was compared with the Toxi · Lab A (TL-A) system for extraction of basic drugs only. In a blind study, 33 distinct drugs and metabolites were detected in 55 urines over 13 runs. Of the drug occurrences, 68.8% (141 of 205) were detected on both TP and TL-A. Of the 13 runs, quinidine and quinine, nortriptyline metabolites, and diphenhydramine were noted more frequently on TP than TL-A, whereas nicotine and metabolites, morphine, and methadone metabolites were more frequently noted on TL-A. Twenty specimens were analyzed for THC metabolites. Of the cases positive for THC metabolites, 100% (16 of 16) were positive by both methods. Time and motion studies for all runs proved an overall labor reduction for extraction and spotting by ∼40%.