bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal variability of lagoon–sea water exchange and seawater circulation through a Mediterranean barrier beach
Authors: Tamborski Joseph , van Beek Pieter , Rodellas Valentí , Monnin Christophe , Bergsma Erwin , Stieglitz Thomas , Heilbrun Christina , Cochran J. Kirk , Charbonnier Céline , Anschutz Pierre , Bejannin Simon , Beck Aaron
Published: April 2019

The subterranean flow of water through sand barriers between coastal lagoons and the sea, driven by a positive hydraulic gradient, is a net new pathway for solute transfer to the sea. On the sea side of sand barriers, seawater circulation in the swash‐zone generates a flux of recycled and new solutes. The significance and temporal variability of these vectors to the French Mediterranean Sea is unknown, despite lagoons constituting ~ 50% of the coastline. A one‐dimensional 224Raex/223Ra reactive‐transport model was used to quantify water flow between a coastal lagoon (La Palme) and the sea over a 6‐month period. Horizontal flow between the lagoon and sea decreased from ~ 85 cm d−1 during May 2017 (0.3 m3 d−1 m−1 of shoreline) to ~ 20 cm d−1 in July and was negligible in the summer months thereafter due to a decreasing hydraulic gradient. Seawater circulation in the swash‐zone varied from 10 to 52 cm d−1 (0.4–2.1 m3 d−1 m−1), driven by short‐term changes in the prevailing wind and wave regimes. Both flow paths supply minor dissolved silica fluxes on the order of ~ 3–10 mmol Si d−1 m−1. Lagoon–sea water exchange supplies a net dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) flux (320–1100 mmol C d−1 m−1) two orders of magnitude greater than seawater circulation and may impact coastal ocean acidification. The subterranean flow of water through sand barriers represents a significant source of new DIC, and potentially other solutes, to the Mediterranean Sea during high lagoon water‐level periods and should be considered in seasonal element budgets.
Controlled Current Transport in Pt/Nb:SrTiO3 Junctions via Insertion of Uniform Thin Layers of TaOx
Authors: Tsurumaki‐Fukuchi Atsushi , Tsuta Yusuke , Arita Masashi , Takahashi Yasuo
Published: April 2019

Systematic control of electronic transport is demonstrated for Pt/Nb‐doped SrTiO3 (Nb:STO) junctions based on interface engineering with uniform thin layers of TaOx. By inserting TaOx layers fabricated via sputter deposition with different O2–Ar ratios (rO2), the current–voltage characteristics and behavior of resistive switching can be well controlled in Pt/Nb:STO junctions. Reduction of the Schottky barrier is also demonstrated via the insertion, and formation of an ideal ohmic contact with a low contact resistance of <3 Ω is achieved for rO2 = 0%. Structural and chemical characterizations show that the resistivity of the TaOx layers depends significantly on rO2 while maintaining a uniform structure independent of the resistivity. This indicates that the insertion of both insulating and metallic interface layers is possible by sputtering TaOx with no need for epitaxial growth, suggesting TaOx's potential as an interface‐layer material. Even with very thin layers (1.0 nm) of TaOx the interfacial properties can be controlled to enhance both ohmic contact formation and resistive switching. These results demonstrate an easy and reliable way to control the characteristics of Pt/Nb:STO junctions and present new insights for their memory and semiconductor device applications.
Polypharmacy in elderly opioid users
Authors: Lam Y. W. Francis
Published: April 2019

The elderly population uses a large number of medications, including those for pain management. According to a national report, approximately 8% of adults over the age of 60 were prescribed an opioid between 2007 and 2012. Over the last decade, adverse health outcomes associated with the use of opioid compounds have become a significant concern in the United States and elsewhere.
Dyspnoea and restrictive lung disease due to mediastinal and pleural lipomatosis in morbid obesity
Authors: Lim Jen Yuh , McAnulty Kim A. , Chang Catherina L.
Published: April 2019

Dyspnoea in obese patients can be multifactorial and complex. Mediastinal and pleural lipomatosis can be associated with obesity and is usually considered asymptomatic and benign. We report an obese 39‐year‐old man who presented with progressive dyspnoea, where in addition to obstructive sleep apnoea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome, was found to have massive mediastinal and pleural lipomatosis causing restrictive lung disease. Pleural lipomatosis are generally slow growing so conservative management is recommended. However, complications such as haemorrhage and compression of adjoining organs can occur in pleural lipomas, so surgical excision can be considered in some instances.
Severe mediastinitis over a month after endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration
Authors: Kurokawa Kana , Asao Tetsuhiko , Ko Ryo , Nagaoka Tetsutaro , Suzuki Kenji , Takahashi Kazuhisa
Published: April 2019

Although endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) has been reported to be a minimally invasive and relatively safe procedure, mediastinitis is a serious complication related to the procedure. The median time of mediastinitis onset is approximately 12 days after EBUS‐TBNA. Here we report two rare cases with mediastinitis onset 40 and 53 days after EBUS‐TBNA. Surgical drainage was performed since systemic treatment with antibiotics was insufficient in both cases. Eikenella corrodens, which is a slow‐growing microorganism, was identified as the causative pathogen in one case. To our knowledge, this is the first report of mediastinitis occurring over a month after EBUS‐TBNA. Clinicians should consider the diagnosis of mediastinitis even if symptoms appear over a month after EBUS‐TBNA.
Graphitic Hollow Nanocarbon as a Promising Conducting Agent for Solid‐State Lithium Batteries
Authors: Park Sang Wook , Oh Gwangseok , Park Jun‐Woo , Ha Yoon‐Cheol , Lee Sang‐Min , Yoon Seog Young , Kim Byung Gon
Published: April 2019

All‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs) have lately received enormous attention for electric vehicle applications because of their exceptional stability by engaging all‐solidified cell components. However, there are many formidable hurdles such as low ionic conductivity, interface instability, and difficulty in the manufacturing process, for its practical use. Recently, carbon, one of the representative conducting agents, turns out to largely participate in side reactions with the solid electrolyte, which finally leads to the formation of insulating side products at the interface. Although the battery community mentioned that parasitic reactions are presumably attributed to carbon itself or the generation of electronic conducting paths lowering the kinetic barrier for reactions, the underlying origin for such reactions as well as appropriate solutions have not been provided yet. In this study, for the first time, it is verified that the functional group on carbon is an origin for causing negative effects on interfacial stability and a graphitized hollow nanocarbon as a promising solution for improving‐electrochemical performance is introduced. This work offers an invaluable lesson that a relatively minor part, such as a conducting agent, in ASSBs sometimes gives more positive impact on improving electrochemical performance than huge efforts for resolving other parts.
Visualizing Nonradiative Mobile Defects in Organic–Inorganic Perovskite Materials
Authors: Hentz Olivia , Singh Akshay , Zhao Zhibo , Gradečak Silvija
Published: April 2019

Organic–inorganic perovskite materials have mobile charged point defects that migrate in response to voltage biasing and illumination, causing device performance variation over time. Improvements in device stability and reliability require methods to visualize point defect migration, estimate ionic mobilities, and identify factors influencing their migration. In this work, a versatile method is demonstrated to track nonradiative point defect migration in situ. Photoluminescence mapping of laterally biased perovskite films is used to track continuous changes in nonradiative recombination as charge‐trapping defects migrate between the device electrodes. A Monte Carlo framework of defect drift and diffusion is developed that is consistent with experimental photoluminescence observations, which combined enables point defect mobility estimation in methylammonium lead iodide films. Furthermore, measurements performed on materials with varied grain sizes demonstrate that point defect mobility is 1500× faster at grain boundaries compared to bulk. These findings imply that grain morphology can be used to tune point defect mobility such that large‐grained or single‐crystal materials inhibit point defect migration. The methods used in this work can be applied to visualize and quantify the migration of charge‐trapping point defects in a wide range of state‐of‐the‐art perovskite materials targeted toward reduced ionic mobilities and superior device stability.
Electroimmobilization as an Alternative Method to Chemical Immobilization of Larval Fish
Authors: Nguyen Phong L. , Yefimov Benjamin A. , Coffin Allison , Cooper Cynthia
Published: April 2019

Electroimmobilization is commonly used in field and hatchery settings for juvenile to adult fish; however, its use in laboratory studies is limited, specifically with larval fish. Here, we describe the use of electroimmobilization for temporary immobilization of larval fish, with Zebrafish Danio rerio as the species of interest. We quantified immobilization duration and survival of larvae for 72 h after exposure to a range of electrical settings and electric waveforms. We also compared effects of electroimmobilization between two wild‐type strains and between larvae 4 days postfertilization (dpf) and 7 dpf. Our results indicate that an electrical power density level of 10,406 μW/cm3 (corresponding to a 10V setting with our experimental parameters) was ineffective at immobilizing fish, regardless of waveform; however, mean immobilization duration increased with an increase in applied power density, which was longest (mean ± SE = 100 ± 11 s) when using a pulsed direct current at a power density of 860,000 μW/cm3. Significant differences in mean immobilization duration and survival between strains were not detected for larvae exposed to the same setting. However, 7‐dpf larvae exposed to the same setting as 4‐dpf larvae had significantly longer immobilization durations across all treatment groups. Survival of 4‐dpf larvae within any given electroimmobilization treatment ranged from 80% to 100%, which was comparable to chemical immobilization with tricaine methanesulfonate or to age‐matched controls. Survival of 7‐dpf larvae ranged from 48% to 90% depending on electroimmobilization treatment, but survival of age‐matched controls was 65%; thus, lower survival of 7‐dpf larvae in treatment groups cannot be attributed specifically to electroimmobilization. These findings indicate that electroimmobilization can be a valuable tool for rapidly immobilizing larval fish in laboratory research, but we caution that it should only be used for short‐duration procedures.
OPE selection rules for Schur multiplets in 4D $$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$ superconformal field theories
Authors: Kiyoshige Kazuki , Nishinaka Takahiro
Published: April 2019

Abstract

We compute general expressions for two types of three-point functions of (semi-)short multiplets in four-dimensional

$$ \mathcal{N}=2 $$

N
=
2

superconformal field theories. These (semi-)short multiplets are called “Schur multiplets” and play an important role in the study of associated chiral algebras. The first type of the three-point functions we compute involves two half-BPS Schur multiplets and an arbitrary Schur multiplet, while the second type involves one stress tensor multiplet and two arbitrary Schur multiplets. From these three-point functions, we read off the corresponding OPE selection rules for the Schur multiplets. Our results particularly imply that there are non-trivial selection rules on the quantum numbers of Schur operators in these multiplets. We also give a conjecture on the selection rules for general Schur multiplets.
Two-loop amplitudes for Higgs plus jet production involving a modified trilinear Higgs coupling
Authors: Gorbahn Martin , Haisch Ulrich
Published: April 2019

Abstract

We calculate the contributions to the two-loop scattering amplitudes h → gg, h → ggg and

$$ h\to q\overline{q}g $$

h
→
q

q
¯

g

that arise from a modified trilinear Higgs coupling λ. Analytic expressions are obtained by performing an asymptotic expansion near the limit of infinitely heavy top quark. The calculated amplitudes are necessary to study the impact of the

$$ \mathcal{O}\left(\lambda \right) $$

O

λ

corrections to the transverse momentum distributions (p

T,h
) in single-Higgs production at hadron colliders for low and moderate values of p

T,h
.
Evaluation of a new goal-directed training curriculum for point-of-care ultrasound in the emergency department: impact on physician self-confidence and ultrasound skills
Authors: Shi Di , Liu Jihai , Xu Jun , Zhu Huadong , Yu Xuezhong
Published: April 2019

Purpose

Developing countries need effective and efficient training curriculum for the point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the emergency department (ED). We have developed a new goal-directed training curriculum focusing on critical POCUS procedures used in ED.

Methods

To evaluate the impact of the new POCUS curriculum on ED physicians’ performance/self-confidence, we carried out a quasi-experimental trial at ED training center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, in which we trained two groups of physicians using either traditional curriculum or the new goal-directed curriculum. We measured the confidence in performing Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma, thoracic, vascular, ultrasound-guided puncture, echocardiography and undifferentiated shock diagnostic ultrasound at baseline, training completion and 1 month after training. We also measured the performance skills at the time of training completion. The relative value of the new curriculum was evaluated by differences in the confidence and performance measurements, with control for baseline measurements and confounding characteristics in univariate analyses and multivariate linear regression models.

Results

After training, both groups of trainees reported significantly increased self-confidence in performing POCUS as compared with baseline. Trainees with the new curriculum had statistically significant higher self-confidence increase and performance scores (p < 0.05), e.g., increase in confidence for diagnosis of undifferentiated shock at training completion = 3.14 vs. 1.85, 1 month after training = 2.22 vs. 1.56, for new and traditional curriculum, respectively. The new curriculum also resulted in a higher number of shock POCUS done within 1 month after training: 1.73 vs. 0, and higher overall performance scores: 165 vs. 113. The findings were robust when controlling for imbalanced baseline characteristics in multivariate regression models.

Conclusion

We conclude that a goal-directed, intensive but brief ED POCUS curriculum significantly increases trainee self-confidence, performance, and promote trainees to perform more procedures.
A Perioperative Small Dose of Dexamethasone Enhances Postoperative Recovery by Reducing Volume and Inflammatory Contents in Wound Drainage After Thyroid Surgery: A Double‐Blinded, Randomized, Prospective Study
Authors: Zhang Huiwen , Lu Jie , Wu Qiang , Wu Bo , Xu Cheng , Fan Youben , Zhou Quanhong
Published: April 2019

Background

The aims of this study were to assess the effect of perioperative dexamethasone on postoperative thyroid surgery recovery using measures of wound drainage volume and C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels and leukocyte counts.

Materials and methods

From January to September 2014, healthy patients, aged between 18 and 65 years, had elective thyroid surgery in the tertiary hospital. Eligible patients were randomized into either group D (dexamethasone 0.1 mg/kg IV) or group S (saline IV) after anesthesia induction. At the end of surgery, a drainage tube was placed at the thyroid bed with a negative pressure ball connected outside the wound. Drainage fluids were collected after thyroid surgery. The fluid volume and the levels of C‐reactive protein and leukocyte counts inside were analyzed. All patients were followed up for 1 month.

Results

The median total drainage in group D (n = 103) was 43 ml (IQR: 21–83 ml), and 68 ml (IQR: 35–104 ml) in group S (n = 111), P = 0.002. More patients in group D were discharged on postoperative day 2 (74.8% vs. 54.1%, P = 0.002). The CRP levels and leukocyte counts were much less in group D than in group S (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). Two patients (one in each group) had wound infections 1 week after surgery that healed one additional week later.

Conclusions

One perioperative small dose of dexamethasone reduced wound drainage volume and inflammatory content after thyroid surgery, thereby possibly contributing to early recovery. The effects of dexamethasone have never been evaluated before under these conditions.

Registration number:

NCT02304250 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Applied phenomenology: why it is safe to ignore the epoché
Authors: Zahavi Dan
Published: April 2019

The question of whether a proper phenomenological investigation and analysis requires one to perform the epoché and the reduction has not only been discussed within phenomenological philosophy. It is also very much a question that has been hotly debated within qualitative research. Amedeo Giorgi, in particular, has insisted that no scientific research can claim phenomenological status unless it is supported by some use of the epoché and reduction. Giorgi partially bases this claim on ideas found in Husserl’s writings on phenomenological psychology. In the present paper, I discuss Husserl’s ideas and argue that while the epoché and the reduction are crucial for transcendental phenomenology, it is much more questionable whether they are also relevant for a non-philosophical application of phenomenology.
Future Demand for Total Joint Arthroplasty Drives Renewed Interest in Arthroplasty Fellowship
Authors: Sloan Matthew , Premkumar Ajay , Sheth Neil P.
Published: April 2019

Background

Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) procedure volume has increased continuously in the USA, but prior reports have suggested that orthopedic surgeon supply may not meet future demand due to retirement and waning interest in arthroplasty fellowships.

Purposes

We sought to evaluate trends in growth in the number of orthopedic surgeons, orthopedic residents, and arthroplasty fellowships, in order to predict changes in future TJA procedure volume per surgeon.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed data from 1995 to 2017 from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the National Residency Matching Program, American Osteopathic Association Residency Match, the San Francisco Match, and the National Inpatient Sample. Annual volume growth in the rate of TJA procedures and in orthopedic surgeons, residents, and fellows was determined.

Results

TJA procedure volume increased 129%, orthopedic surgeon volume increased 15.6%, and orthopedic resident volume increased 29.4%. The percentage of filled arthroplasty fellowship positions increased from 81.9 to 96.4%, and the number of arthroplasty fellowship positions increased 33.5%. Mean surgeon age increased from 50.9 to 56.5 years. By 2030, we estimate 90.1 TJA procedures per surgeon will be performed annually, a 57% increase from 2014. Over the same time period, we project mean orthopedic surgeon age to reach 62.4 years, if current growth rate persists.

Conclusion

During the study period, orthopedic surgeon, resident, and arthroplasty fellow volume have increased, although at a slower rate than TJA procedure growth. Renewed interest in arthroplasty fellowships has been demonstrated by an increase in the number and near complete filling of all available positions.
Is there a positive side to sensation seeking? Trajectories of sensation seeking and impulsivity may have unique outcomes in young adulthood
Authors: Yoneda Tomiko , Ames Megan E. , Leadbeater Bonnie J.
Published: April 2019

Introduction

High levels of sensation seeking and impulsivity in adolescence are typically associated with risky behaviours; limited research has examined the relation of these traits to positive outcomes. Given that adolescence is a sensitive developmental period that can impact success later in life, we adopt the Positive Youth Development Framework to better understand how the development of self‐reported sensation seeking and impulsivity may be differentially related to positive markers of early adulthood.

Method

Data are from the Victoria Healthy Youth Survey (T1 N = 662; 52% female), a six‐wave longitudinal cohort study of Canadian youth. Parallel process latent class growth analysis estimated trajectories of sensation seeking and impulsivity identifying classes of youth (ages 14–28). Controlling for baseline age, sex, and socio‐economic status, linear regression analyses examined how longitudinal patterns (classes) of sensation seeking and impulsivity were related to positive markers of early adulthood.

Results

Three classes of youth were identified. These varied in levels and trajectories of change in sensation seeking (Ss) and impulsivity (I): LowSs‐LowI, 26%; HighSs‐HighI, 35%; ModerateSs‐LowI, 38%. In young adulthood (T6; ages 22–29), youth in the LowSs‐LowI and ModerateSs‐LowI classes had significantly higher educational and occupational achievement, and lower financial strain, compared to youth in the HighSs‐HighI class. Further, the ModerateSs‐LowI class was associated with the highest levels of income and well‐being.

Conclusions

Findings identified differential trajectories of sensation seeking and impulsivity, with youth in the ModerateSs‐LowI class, followed by the LowSs‐LowI class, reporting the most positive outcomes in young adulthood.
Case No. ICC-RoC46(3)-01/18
Authors: Vagias Michail
Published: April 2019

On September 6, 2018, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC or Court) ruled by a majority—Judge Perrin de Brichambaut dissenting—that it has jurisdiction to hear cases concerning crimes that occurred only in part within the territory of a state party to the Rome Statute. In so ruling, the Court granted the ICC prosecutor's request to rule on jurisdiction and confirmed its territorial jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of Rohingya people from the territory of Myanmar (a state not party to the Rome Statute) to Bangladesh (a state party). The Court also affirmed unequivocally its objective international legal personality vis-à-vis non-party states and hinted strongly that the prosecutor should consider the possible prosecution of at least two additional crimes in connection with this situation.
Mandatory Multilateralism
Authors: Criddle Evan J. , Fox-Decent Evan
Published: April 2019

This Article challenges the conventional wisdom that states are always free to choose whether to participate in multilateral regimes. International law often mandates multilateralism to ensure that state laws and practices are compatible with sovereign equality and joint stewardship. The Article maps mandatory multilateralism's domain, defines its requirements, and examines its application to three controversies: the South China Sea dispute, the United States’ withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Agreement, and Bolivia's case against Chile in the International Court of Justice.
Deep chlorophyll-a maximum at one station in the middle Adriatic Sea
Authors: Ninčević Živana , Marasović Ivona , Kušpilić Grozdan
Published: April 2019

Deep or subsurface chlorophyll-a maximum (DCM) was studied at one station in the middle Adriatic from December 1996 to June 1998. Chlorophyll-a concentration, abundance, volume carbon concentration, size-fraction of phytoplankton and phytoplankton community structure were determined. In addition, physical and chemical factors as well as nutrients were determined. The DCM occurs during both the vertical mixing and stratification period in the middle Adriatic Sea. It is most frequent between 50 and 75 m. It is located below the pycnocline and it is associated with the nutricline. Phytoplankton size-fraction and community structure vary seasonally. The DCM is most pronounced during spring phytoplankton blooms with diatom dominance. Procaryotic picoplankton Synechococcus sp. was abundant in DCM during summer stratification. The DCM represents both a biomass maximum and a phytoplankton adaptation to low irradiance.
Long-term variability in the diversity of North Sea zooplankton
Authors: Lindley J.A. , Batten S.D.
Published: April 2019

Results from the Continuous Plankton Recorder survey were used to study long-term changes in the zooplankton of four regularly sampled areas of the North Sea. The trends in α-diversity are described and analysed. Species associated with inflow of oceanic or mixed waters from the Atlantic or shelf to the west and south of Britain have increased in abundance or frequency of occurrence. Meroplankton have also increased but resident holoplankton and those associated with colder oceanic or mixed waters have declined. These changes have resulted in an increase in the species richness in the areas in the north-western North Sea. There was a period of low diversity in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the most southerly area, furthest from the sources of inflow. The evidence for a long-term trend was stronger than relationships between diversity and either the North Atlantic Oscillation or variation in position of the Gulf Stream in the western Atlantic.
Health-related quality of life of coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous transluminal coronary artery angioplasty patients: 1-year follow-up
Authors: Kattainen Eija , Sintonen Harri , Kettunen Raimo , Meriläinen Pirkko
Published: April 2019

Objectives:The aim of the study was to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) before the interventions and 6 and 12 months afterward, and to compare their HRQoL also with that of the general population.

Methods:The sample (n = 615) consisted of consecutive coronary artery disease patients treated with elective CABG (n = 432) or PTCA (n = 183). The baseline data before the treatments were collected by structured interview, the follow-up data mainly by mailed self-administered questionnaires. HRQoL was measured by the 15D. For comparisons, the groups were standardized for differences in socioeconomic and clinical characteristics with a regression analysis.

Results:At baseline, the average 15D scores of the patient groups were 0.752 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.743–0.761) in CABG and 0.730 (95 percent CI, 0.716–0.744) in PTCA. After standardization, the difference between the groups was statistically significant but not clinically important. These scores were significantly worse (statistically and clinically) than the score of 0.883 (95 percent CI, 0.871–0.879) in the general population sample matched with the gender and age distribution of the patients. By 6 months, the CABG and PTCA patients had experienced a statistically significant and clinically important improvement to 0.858 (95 percent CI, 0.844–0.872) and 0.824 (95 percent CI, 0.806–0.842), respectively. No significant change took place in either group from 6 to 12 months.

Conclusions:Both CABG and PTCA produces an approximately similar, clinically important improvement in HRQoL in 1-year follow-up.
Quality appraisal of pediatric health economic evaluations
Authors: Ungar Wendy J. , Santos Maria T.
Published: April 2019

Objectives: This study was undertaken to appraise the quality of published pediatric economic evaluations.

Methods: Two independent reviewers appraised 149 randomly selected pediatric health economic studies. Data were collected from full economic evaluations published between 1980 and 1999. Economic evaluations of interventions, programs, and services aimed at neonates to adolescents were included. The Pediatric Quality Appraisal Questionnaire (PQAQ) was used for appraisal. The PQAQ is a 57-item instrument with 13 domains scored from 0 to 1 and one descriptive domain, each corresponding to a key aspect of health economic methodology. The primary outcome was the score for each domain. Additional analyses examined the global rating, the distribution of analytic technique, and the association between domain score and analytic technique.

Results: A total of 38 percent of publications were very good to excellent, whereas 43 percent were fair or worse. Although the Discounting, Target Population, Economic Evaluation, Conclusions, and Comparators domains exhibited good quality (0.74 to 0.78), the papers were of poor quality for Conflict of Interest, Incremental Analysis, and Perspective (0.32 to 0.39). Analytic technique was a significant predictor of quality for study design-related domains, with cost-utility analyses demonstrating the highest domain scores.

Conclusions: Domains closely related to the elements of economic evaluation demonstrated medium to high quality. However, domains related to analysis fared poorly and are worthy of further methodological research to improve the use of health economic methods in children.
Effects of the increase in co-payments from 20 to 30 percent on the compliance rate of patients with hypertension or diabetes mellitus in the Employed Health Insurance System
Authors: Babazono Akira , Miyazaki Motonobu , Imatoh Takuya , Une Hiroshi , Yamamoto Eiji , Tsuda Toshihide , Tanaka Kiyoshi , Tanihara Shinichi
Published: April 2019

Objectives:How to contain medical expenditures is a universal problem. The Japanese government has increased patient co-payments to control it. The purpose of this study is to clarify whether the increase in co-payments to 30 percent prevented patients with hypertension or diabetes mellitus from receiving necessary care in the Employee Health Insurance System.

Methods:The subjects were 211 patients with hypertension and 66 patients with diabetes mellitus who regularly visited physicians from October 2001 to March 2002 and were defined as a cohort that needed health care, and their medical indicators were examined between April and September 2002 (prestage) and between April and September 2003 (poststage).

Results:In the hypertensive patients with no complications, the compliance rate was 89.9 percent and 88.0 percent in the prestage, and poststage, respectively, showing no significant change. In the hypertensive patients with complications, the compliance rate was 90.5 percent and 92.1 percent in the prestage and poststage, respectively, showing no significant change. In the diabetic patients with complications, the compliance rate was 77.5 percent and 79.2 percent, in the prestage and poststage, respectively, with no significant change. In the diabetic patients with no complications, however, the compliance rate was 83.7 percent and 66.7 percent, in the prestage and poststage, respectively. A significant decrease was observed among diabetic patients without complications.

Conclusions:Increasing co-payments reduced necessary preventive care in diabetic patients without complications.
Economic analysis of the implementation of autologous transfusion technologies throughout England
Authors: Dixon Simon , James Virge , Hind Daniel , Currie Craig J.
Published: April 2019

Objectives:This study aims to provide the first estimates of the costs and effects of the large scale introduction of autologous transfusion technologies into the United Kingdom National Health Service.

Methods:A model was constructed to allow disparate data sources to be combined to produce estimates of the scale, costs, and effects of introducing four interventions. The interventions considered were preparing patients for surgery (PPS) clinics, preoperative autologous donation (PAD), intraoperative cell salvage (ICS), and postoperative cell salvage (PoCS).

Results:The key determinants of cost per operation are the anticipated level of reductions in blood use, the mean level of blood use, mean length of stay, and the cost of the technology. The results show the potential for considerable reductions in blood use. The greatest reductions are anticipated to be through the use of PPS and ICS. Vascular surgery, transplant surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery appear to be the specialties that will benefit most from the technologies.

Conclusions:Several simplifications were used in the production of these estimates; consequently, caution should be used in their interpretation and use. Despite the drawbacks in the methods used in the study, the model shows the scale of the issue, the importance of gathering better data, and the form that data must take. Such preliminary modeling exercises are essential for rational policy development and to direct future research and discussion among stakeholders.
End-user involvement in health technology assessment (HTA) development: A way to increase impact
Authors: McGregor Maurice , Brophy James M.
Published: April 2019

Objectives: A mechanism to increase the influence of Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) on hospital policy decisions was developed.

Methods: We describe the process and results of an experiment in which a local in-hospital HTA unit was created to provide sound evidence on technology acquisition issues, and to formulate locally appropriate policy recommendations. The Unit consists of a small technical staff that accesses and synthesizes the evidence incorporating local health and economic data, and a Policy Committee that develops policy recommendations based on this evidence. It represents administration, health-care professionals, patients, and representatives of the clinical disciplines affected by each issue. The level of success of the Unit was independently evaluated.

Results: To date, 16 reports have been completed, each within 2–4 months. Five recommended unrestricted use, seven recommended rejection, and four recommended very limited use of the technology in question. All have been incorporated into hospital policy. Budget impact is estimated at approximately $3 million of savings per year.

Conclusions: This local in-house HTA agency has had a major impact on the adoption of new technology. Probable reasons for success are (i) relevance (selection of topics by administration with on-site production of HTAs allowing them to incorporate local data and reflect local needs), (ii) timeliness, and (iii) formulation of policy reflecting community values by a local representative committee. Because over one third of all health-care costs are incurred in the hospital, diffusion of this model could have a significant effect on the quantity and quality of health-care spending.
“Impressions of Plants Themselves”: Materializing Eco-Archival Practices with Anna Atkins'sPhotographs of British Algae
Authors: Garascia Ann
Published: April 2019

Three ghostly white plants float suspended atop the Prussian-blue background of a 27 x 21 cm print (fig. 1). Their leafy fronds are so exquisitely fine that in some places the blue bleeds through their tissues to expose delicate quiltings of veins and willowy inflorescences. Opaque white patches mottle each of the plants to signal where multiple layers of plant flesh overlap. The interplay of shapes, color, and textures in the image captures an atmospheric effect of alien beauty, nearly incomprehensible. That is, until the small label at the bottom of the print in meticulous penmanship informs us that we are looking atDelessaria sanguinea,a type of red algae commonly known as “Sea Beech.” This is one in the thousand-plus body of images that comprises Anna Atkins'sPhotographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. Dedicated to documenting England's native seaweed, ferns, and flowering plants, Atkins's photographic botanical project ranged about a decade (October 1843–53) and resulted in multiple editions she would give to friends and cultural institutions. While she primarily helmed the project herself, she occasionally included her father, zoologist and photography enthusiast John Children. For the last couple albums, she enlisted as a co-creator her “like a sister” Anne Dixon, who collected, arranged, and developed the images alongside Atkins.
Illiberalism and the Exception in George Eliot's Early Writing
Authors: Carroll Neal
Published: April 2019

Over the past two decades, studies of the Victorian novel have been enriched significantly by a growing body of scholarship looking to the literature and letters of the period to affirm for the twenty-first century the theoretical and practical value of liberal conceptualizations of critical detachment and communicative decision-making procedures. In the process, the works of George Eliot (1819–1880) have come to be understood not only as modeling forms of critical detachment and rational decision-making but also as important contributors to what Amanda Anderson has identified as “the emergence of the [Habermasian] public sphere in Enlightenment Europe, a historical condition in which critique, argument, and debate inform developing political practices and institutions,” which “helped to consolidate … the legitimating force of public opinion and the rule of law, the successor to now delegitimated forms of absolute sovereignty.” However, I will argue here that Eliot's early writing in particular demonstrates a distinct lack of faith in the power of liberalism and its political procedures and that Eliot's early work in fact exposes the illiberal tendencies embedded in these procedures. Rather than asserting the authority of the public sphere, Eliot's important early novelsAdam Bede(1859) andThe Mill on the Floss(1860) consistently look beyond themselves, so to speak, to a providential authority that exceeds the tenets of realism in their efforts to resolve conflict and provide closure to the novels. For each novel, aesthetic coherence is secured not through “critique, argument, and debate” but through recourse to metaphysics and to extrasocial and/or extraprocedural decisions. In the following pages I align this phenomenon in Eliot's early writing with the controversial German legal scholar Carl Schmitt's concept of the exception in order to argue that, by appealing to the logic of providence to resolve their most intractable legal and ethical problems, these early novels in fact demonstrate Eliot's awareness of the practical limitations of proceduralism as a legitimate decision-making instrument.
Having It Both Ways with Erving Goffman
Authors: Plotz John
Published: April 2019

Historians of social science from Anthony Giddens forward have ably chronicled Erving Goffman's legacy. Goffman's resonant book titles alone hint at the Dickensian acuity of his social close-reading: The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1956), Behavior in Public Places (1963), Interaction Ritual (1967), Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience (1974), and Forms of Talk (1981). I envy newcomers the opportunity to read pieces like “On Cooling the Mark Out” (1952) and “Where the Action Is” (1967) with fresh eyes. Goffman, born in 1922 in Alberta, Canada, to Ukrainian parents, attended the University of Manitoba and the University of Toronto before receiving a PhD in sociology from Chicago. His fieldwork was in the Shetlands, and Asylums: Essays on the Condition of the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates (1961) and Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity (1963) were both written after a period of ethnographic immersion at St. Elizabeth's mental hospital in Washington, DC. It may help first-time readers to know that as an adolescent he had a “special aptitude for noticing details of people's interpersonal conduct”; also that “his Chicago classmates nicknamed him ‘the little dagger’ because of his talent for the pointed personal comment. Sometimes, they felt, he never knew when to stop.”
Bioavailability of naringenin chalcone in humans after ingestion of cherry tomatoes
Authors: Kolot Carina , Rodriguez-Mateos Ana , Feliciano Rodrigo , Bottermann Katharina , Stahl Wilhelm
Published: April 2019

Abstract. Chalcones are a type of flavonoids characterized by an α-β unsaturated structural element which may react with thiol groups to activate pathways such as the Nrf2-Keap-1 system. Naringenin chalcone is abundant in the diet but little is known about its bioavailability. In this work, the bioavailability of naringenin chalcone from tomatoes was investigated in a group of healthy men (n=10). After ingestion of 600 grams of tomatoes providing a single dose of 17.3 mg naringenin chalcone, 0.2 mg of naringenin, and 195 mg naringin plasma levels of free and conjugated naringenin and naringenin chalcone (glucuronide and sulfate) were analyzed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS at 0.5, 1, 3, and 6 h post-consumption. Plasma levels of conjugated naringenin increased to about 12 nmol/L with a maximum at about 3 h. Concentrations of free naringenin hardly elevated above baseline. Plasma levels of free and conjugated naringenin chalcone significantly increased. A maximum of the conjugated chalcone was reached at about 3 h after ingestion with an average concentration of about 0.5 nmol/L. No free chalcone was detectable at baseline but low amounts of the unconjugated compound could be detected with an average maximum of 0.8 nmol/L at about 1 h after ingestion. The data demonstrate that naringenin chalcone is bioavailable in humans from cherry tomatoes as a dietary source. However, availability is poor and intramolecular cyclisation as well as extended metabolism likely contribute to the inactivation of the reactive alpha-beta unsaturated reactive center as well as the excretion of the biologically active molecule, respectively.
The Associations Between Clinical Respiratory Outcomes and Ambient Wildfire Smoke Exposure Among Pediatric Asthma Patients at National Jewish Health, 2012–2015
Authors: Lipner Ettie M. , O'Dell Katelyn , Brey Steven J. , Ford Bonne , Pierce Jeffrey R. , Fischer Emily V. , Crooks James L.
Published: April 2019

Wildfires are a growing threat in the United States. At a population level, exposure to ambient wildfire smoke is known to be associated with severe asthma outcomes such as hospitalizations. However, little work has been done on subacute clinical asthma outcomes, especially in sensitive populations. This study retrospectively investigated associations between ambient wildfire smoke exposure and measures of lung function and asthma control, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV1) and the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Children's Asthma Control Test (CACT) test scores, during nonurgent clinic visits. The study population consisted of pediatric asthma patients (ages 4–21;n = 1,404 for FEV1 andn = 395 for ACT/CACT) at National Jewish Health, a respiratory referral hospital in Denver, Colorado, and therefore represents a more severe asthma phenotype than the general pediatric asthma population. Wildfire smoke‐related PM2.5at patients' residential ZIP codes was characterized using satellite‐derived smoke polygons from NOAA's Hazard Mapping System combined with kriging of ground‐based U.S. EPA monitors. Mixed effect models were used to estimate associations between clinical outcomes and smoke PM2.5exposure, controlling for known risk factors and confounders. Among older children aged 12–21 we found that wildfire PM2.5was associated with lower FEV1 the next day but higher FEV1 the day after. We found no associations between wildfire PM2.5and FEV1 in younger children or between wildfire PM2.5and asthma control measured by the ACT/CACT in all ages. We speculate that rescue medication usage by older children may decrease respiratory symptoms caused by wildfire smoke.
Short‐Fractional Hop Whistler Rate Observed by the Low‐Altitude Satellite DEMETER at the End of the Solar Cycle 23
Authors: Parrot M. , Pinçon J.‐L. , Shklyar D.
Published: April 2019

For the first time an evaluation of the whistler rate around the Earth is performed using results from the neural network aboard the microsatellite DEMETER. It is shown that the rate of whistlers with low dispersion calculated all around the Earth as a function of longitude vary between 1 and 6 s−1 during nighttime (22.30 LT) and between 0.5 and 0.7 s−1 during daytime (10.30 LT). The whistler rate is anticorrelated with the F10.7‐cm solar flux. A decrease by 25% of the solar flux corresponds to an increase of 62% (26%) of the averaged whistler rate calculated for the entire Earth during nighttime (daytime). Using this averaged whistler rate, the global lightning rate is estimated to be of the order of 123 s−1 (27 s−1) during nighttime (daytime). The main conclusion concerns the precipitation of the electrons in the radiation belt by interaction with the whistlers. It is shown that the decrease of the lightning activity at solar minimum (shown with the help of the Schumann resonances) is largely counterbalanced by the increase of the whistler rates in the upper part of the ionosphere due to the decrease of the ionospheric absorption.
Individual and Combined Impacts of Two Eurasian Wave Trains on Intraseasonal East Asian Winter Monsoon Variability
Authors: Jiao Yang , Wu Renguang , Song Lei
Published: April 2019

The present study investigates the intraseasonal wind variations over East Asia during boreal winter. It is shown that the wind variations less than 30 days are the main component of total intraseasonal signal. The intraseasonal variations in this time period are associated with two distinctive wave trains over Eurasia starting from the North Atlantic Ocean. One wave train propagates along the polar front jet eastward over Europe and Siberia and then southeastward after passing the Lake Baikal. The other wave train propagates along the subtropical jet southeastward through the Mediterranean region and the Arabian Peninsula to north India and then eastward to southern China. The East Asian wind and temperature anomalies are determined by the combination of the two wave trains. An anomalous cyclone forms over East Asia with large extent and intensity when the two wave trains work coherently, resulting in strong lower‐level northerly wind anomalies with a large meridional extent. More cold air is transported southward from high latitudes by anomalous northerly winds, causing widespread and large temperature decrease in East Asia. When only a single wave train exists, lower‐level wind and temperature anomalies are reduced. When there is a destructive interference of the two wave trains, the lower‐level wind and temperature anomalies are weak in East Asia. Observational analyses and barotropic model experiments indicate that the formation of the two wave trains may be related to the combination of disturbances at different locations over the North Atlantic Ocean.