bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting bacterial infections among pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia: External validation of the PICNICC model
Authors: Ojha Rohit P. , Asdahl Peter H. , Steyerberg Ewout W. , Schroeder Henrik
Published: December 2017

Introduction

The Predicting Infectious Complications in Neutropenic Children and Young People with Cancer (PICNICC) model was recently developed for antibiotic stewardship among pediatric cancer patients, but limited information is available about its clinical usefulness. We aimed to assess the performance of the PICNICC model for predicting microbiologically documented bacterial infections among pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia.

Materials and methods

We used data for febrile neutropenia episodes at a pediatric cancer center in Aarhus, Denmark between 2000 and 2016. We assessed the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration, and clinical usefulness (i.e., net benefit). We also recalibrated the model using statistical updating methods.

Results

We observed 306 microbiologically documented bacterial infections among 1,892 episodes of febrile neutropenia. The AUC of the model was 0.73 (95% confidence limits [CL]: 0.71–0.75). The calibration intercept (calibration‐in‐the‐large) was −0.69 (95% CL: −0.86 to −0.51) and the slope was 0.77 (95% CL: 0.65–0.89). Modest net benefit was observed at a decision threshold of 5%. Recalibration improved calibration but did not improve net benefit.

Conclusions

The PICNICC model has potential for reducing unnecessary antibiotic exposure for pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia, but continued validation and refinement is necessary to optimize clinical usefulness.
Methods for time‐varying exposure related problems in pharmacoepidemiology: An overview
Authors: Pazzagli Laura , Linder Marie , Zhang Mingliang , Vago Emese , Stang Paul , Myers David , Andersen Morten , Bahmanyar Shahram
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Lack of control for time‐varying exposures can lead to substantial bias in estimates of treatment effects. The aim of this study is to provide an overview and guidance on some of the available methodologies used to address problems related to time‐varying exposure and confounding in pharmacoepidemiology and other observational studies. The methods are explored from a conceptual rather than an analytical perspective.

Methods

The methods described in this study have been identified exploring the literature concerning to the time‐varying exposure concept and basing the search on four fundamental pharmacoepidemiological problems, construction of treatment episodes, time‐varying confounders, cumulative exposure and latency, and treatment switching.

Results

A correct treatment episodes construction is fundamental to avoid bias in treatment effect estimates. Several methods exist to address time‐varying covariates, but the complexity of the most advanced approaches—eg, marginal structural models or structural nested failure time models—and the lack of user‐friendly statistical packages have prevented broader adoption of these methods. Consequently, simpler methods are most commonly used, including, for example, methods without any adjustment strategy and models with time‐varying covariates. The magnitude of exposure needs to be considered and properly modelled.

Conclusions

Further research on the application and implementation of the most complex methods is needed. Because different methods can lead to substantial differences in the treatment effect estimates, the application of several methods and comparison of the results is recommended. Treatment episodes estimation and exposure quantification are key parts in the estimation of treatment effects or associations of interest.
Quantitative confocal imaging method for analyzing cellulose dynamics during cell wall regeneration in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts
Authors: Kuki Hiroaki , Higaki Takumi , Yokoyama Ryusuke , Kuroha Takeshi , Shinohara Naoki , Hasezawa Seiichiro , Nishitani Kazuhiko
Published: December 2017

The network structure of cellulose fibrils provides mechanical properties to the primary cell wall, thereby determining the shapes and growth patterns of plant cells. Despite intensive studies, the construction process of the network structure in muro remains largely unknown, mainly due to the lack of a robust, straightforward technique to evaluate network configuration. Here, we developed a quantitative confocal imaging method for general use in the study of cell wall dynamics in protoplasts derived from Arabidopsis leaf mesophyll cells. Confocal imaging of regenerating cell walls in protoplasts stained with Calcofluor allowed us to visualize the cellulose network, comprising strings of bundled cellulosic fibrils. Using image analysis techniques, we measured several metrics including total length, which is a measure of the spread of the cellulose network. The total length increased during cell wall regeneration. In a proof‐of‐concept experiment using microtubule‐modifying agents, oryzalin, an inhibitor of microtubule polymerization, inhibited the increase in total length and caused abnormal orientation of the network, as shown by the decrease in the average angle of the cellulose with respect to the cell long axis. Taxol, a microtubule stabilizer, stimulated the bundling of cellulose fibrils, as shown by the increase in skewness in the fluorescence intensity distribution of Calcofluor, and inhibited the increase in total length. These results demonstrate the validity of this method for quantitative imaging of the cellulose network, providing an opportunity to gain insight into the dynamic aspects of cell wall regeneration.
Systemic immune‐inflammation index predicts the combined clinical outcome after sequential therapy with abiraterone and docetaxel for metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer patients
Authors: Fan Liancheng , Wang Rui , Chi Chenfei , Cai Wen , Zhang Yong , Qian Hongyang , Shao Xiaoguang , Wang Yanqing , Xu Fan , Pan Jiahua , Zhu Yinjie , Shangguan Xun , Zhou Lixin , Dong Baijun , Xue Wei
Published: December 2017

Objective

To compare the antitumor effect of abiraterone (AA) followed by docetaxel‐prednisone (DP) or vice versa in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients, and explored factors that might predict combined PSA‐PFS, combined rPFS and OS.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed mCRPC patients treated with sequential therapy using DP followed by AA or vice versa. Patients who had received enzalutamide or cabazitaxel were excluded. The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS). The combined PSA progression‐free survival (PSA‐PFS), combined radiographic PFS (rPFS), and OS of AA‐to‐DP were compared to the reverse sequence using Kaplan‐Meier curves with log‐rank statistics. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to determine prognostic factors that were associated with combined PSA‐PFS, combined rPFS and OS.

Results

A total of 104 mCRPC patients who began treatment between 2013 and 2017 were identified: 42 were in the DP‐to‐AA group and 62 were in the AA‐to‐DP group. There was no significant difference of baseline clinical characteristics between AA‐to‐DP and DP‐to‐AA group. In addition, there was no significant difference in combined PSA‐PFS (AA‐to‐DP: 12.5 [11.4‐13.6] vs DP‐to‐AA: 13.2 [10.9‐15.5] months [P = 0.127]), combined rPFS (AA‐to‐DP: 12.2 [10.9‐13.4] vs DP‐to‐AA: 11.2 [8.9‐13.5] months [P = 0.183]) and OS (AA‐to‐DP: 23.3 [19.7‐26.9] vs DP‐to‐AA: 22.9 [22.1‐23.7] months [P = 0.213]) between the two treatment sequences in Kaplan‐Meier analysis. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high systematic Immune‐Inflammation Index (SII) level, which was calculated by P (platelet) × N (neutrophil)/L(lymphocyte), remained significant predictors of OS, combined rPFS and combined PSA‐PFS.

Conclusion

In this study, we did not observe differences in clinical outcomes based on alternative sequencing of AA and DP in mCRPC patients. The ability to tolerate side effects and patient preference may be used to determine the treatment sequencing. In addition, high pretreatment SII level is a negative independent prognosticator of survival outcomes in mCRPC with sequential therapy using DP followed by AA or vice versa, which might guide clinicians select the best treatment.
Chemical Valence‐Dependent Electrocatalytic Activity for Oxygen Evolution Reaction: A Case of Nickel Sulfides Hybridized with N and S Co‐Doped Carbon Nanoparticles
Authors: Yang Hongchao , Wang Changhong , Zhang Yejun , Wang Qiangbin
Published: December 2017

Exploration of the relationship between electrocatalytic activities and their chemical valence is very important in rational design of high‐efficient electrocatalysts. A series of porous nickel sulfides hybridized with N and S co‐doped carbon nanoparticles (NixSy‐NSCs) with different chemical valences of Ni, Ni9S8‐NSCs, Ni9S8‐NiS1.03‐NSCs, and NiS1.03‐NSCs are successfully fabricated, and their electrocatalytic performances as oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts are systematically investigated. The NixSy‐NSCs are obtained via a two‐step reaction including a low‐temperature synthesis of Ni‐Cys precursor followed by thermal decomposing of the precursor in Ar atmosphere. By controlling the sulfidation process during the formation of NixSy‐NSCs, Ni9S8‐NSCs, Ni9S8‐NiS1.03‐NSCs, and NiS1.03‐NSCs are obtained, respectively, giving rise to the increase of high‐valence Ni component, and resulting in gradually enhanced oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalytic activities. In particular, the NiS1.03‐NSCs show an exceptional low overpotential of ≈270 mV versus reversible hydrogen electrode at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 68.9 mV dec−1 with mass loading of 0.25 mg cm−2 in 1 m KOH and their catalytic activities remained for at least 10 h, which surpass the state‐of‐the‐art IrO2, RuO2, and Ni‐based electrocatalysts.
Understanding inclusive STEM high schools as opportunity structures for underrepresented students: Critical components
Authors: Lynch Sharon J. , Burton Erin Peters , Behrend Tara , House Ann , Ford Michael , Spillane Nancy , Matray Shari , Han Edmund , Means Barbara
Published: December 2017

Inclusive STEM high schools (ISHSs) can be viewed as opportunity structures for students underrepresented in STEM. By opportunity structures, we mean an education that provides not only access to high quality STEM curriculum and instruction or “opportunity to learn,” but also the capacity to create learning environments where students can build STEM social capital and the dispositions, knowledge, skills, and networks to be successful in STEM college majors and careers. This is a cross‐case analysis of case studies that describe the design and implementation of eight “exemplar” ISHSs. Beginning with 10 hypothesized critical components, we found evidence for all 10, but present in unique patterns of prominence, depending on the school context. Further inductive analysis located an additional four emergent critical components that complete the picture of how these successful ISHSs were able to achieve their goals. Importantly, across schools, four components stood out as foundational: a flexible and autonomous administrative structure; a college‐preparatory, STEM‐focused curriculum for all; well‐prepared STEM teachers and professionalized teaching staffs; and supports for students in underrepresented groups. Although many of the critical components found in the ISHSs are also found in the school reform literature, these schools also had characteristics unique to STEM education. This paper is important in understanding STEM high schools as opportunity structures and as a school reform alternative that can help solve equity and social mobility gaps in STEM.
Students as curriculum critics: Standpoints with respect to relevance, goals, and science
Authors: Morales‐Doyle Daniel
Published: December 2017

This article presents the findings of an ethnographic interview study that examined the ways students experienced a justice‐centered AP chemistry course at an urban neighborhood high school. Justice‐centered science pedagogy is an approach to teaching science that treats inequity in science education as one component of larger systems of oppression. The analysis of interview transcripts, which included pattern matching and coding, revealed variation in the ways students' viewed the relevance of the curriculum, the goals of science education, and science itself. These results underscore the importance of researchers and teachers taking seriously students' ideas about the means and ends of their own science education. Three standpoints with respect to science curriculum are proposed to explain the variations in students' perspectives and suggest implications for science educators. These standpoints trouble recent research that examines motivation in high school science classes and add nuance to research that investigates relationships between science learning and social agency by reframing these problems in terms of curriculum and issues of oppression.
Power in/of/as water: Revisiting the hydrologic cycle in the Peruvian Andes
Authors: Paerregaard Karsten
Published: December 2017

Water is important not only as a natural resource but also as an object of political empowerment, social meaning, and cultural imagination. To unpack the social nature of water, the article examines it as “a total human‐material fact” which implies enquiring into water's fundamental properties, that is, itstransgressive, transmutable, transparentcharacteristics, and exploring how the different forms of powers they engender impinge on human life. One such power is the powerinwater (its physical force), another the powerofwater (its social and political bearings), and a third the poweraswater (its cultural and imaginary potential). The article argues that regions suffering from chronic water scarcity are particularly pertinent to the study of water's agentive powers. The Peruvian Andes constitutes such a field site. Reviewing regional literature on Andean history and contemporary culture the article explores how water's multiple forces impact Peru's current water crisis and shape Andean people's struggle for social recognition. Moreover, the article employs the notion of the hydrosocial cycle to examine the author's own ethnographic data discussing two cases that in opposite ways illustrate people's perceptions of water and the way the convergence of its agentive powers constitutes a “total fact” in the Andes. It concludes that even though the discussion is focused on the regional context that shapes Andean water struggles, the two cases document something universal about water: its unique quality to represent raw physical power, malleable social and political power, and soft imaginative power at one and the same time.WIREs Water2018, 5:e1270. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1270

This article is categorized under:

Human Water > Water Governance

Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented

Science of Water > Water Extremes
Numerical modeling and analysis of plasmonic flying head for rotary near-field lithography technology
Authors: Hu Yueqiang , Meng Yonggang
Published: December 2017

Rotary near-field lithography (RNFL) technology provides a route to overcome the diffraction limit with a high throughput and low cost for nanomanufacturing. Utilizing the advantage of the passive flying of a plasmonic head, RNFL can achieve a 10 m/s processing speed with a perfect near-field condition at dozens of nanometers. The flying performance of the plasmonic flying head (PFH) is the pivotal issue in the system. The linewidth has a strong correlation with the near-field gap, and the manufacturing uniformity is directly influenced by the dynamic performance. A more serious issue is that the unexpected contact between the PFH and substrate will result in system failure. Therefore, it is important to model and analyze the flying process of the PFH at the system level. In this study, a novel full-coupled suspension-PFH-air-substrate (SPAS) model that integrates a six-degree of freedom suspension-PFH dynamics, PFH-air-substrate air bearing lubrication, and substrate vibration, is established. The pressure distribution of the air bearing is governed by the molecular gas lubrication equation that is solved by the finite element method (FEM) with a local pressure gradient based adaptive mesh refinement algorithm using the COMSOL Multiphysics software. Based on this model, three designs of the air bearing surface are chosen to study the static, dynamic, and load/unload performance to verify whether it satisfies the design requirements of RNFL. Finally, a PFH analysis solver SKLY.app is developed based on the proposed model.
AF710B, an M1/sigma‐1 receptor agonist with long‐lasting disease‐modifying properties in a transgenic rat model of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Hall Hélène , Iulita Maria Florencia , Gubert Palma , Flores Aguilar Lisi , Ducatenzeiler Adriana , Fisher Abraham , Cuello Augusto Claudio
Published: December 2017

Introduction

AF710B (aka ANAVEX 3‐71) is a novel selective allosteric M1 muscarinic and sigma‐1 receptor agonist. In 3×Tg‐AD mice, AF710B attenuates cognitive deficits and decreases Alzheimer‐like hallmarks. We now report on the long‐lasting disease‐modifying properties of AF710B in McGill‐R‐Thy1‐APP transgenic (Tg) rats.

Methods

Chronic treatment with AF710B (10 μg/kg) was initiated in postplaque 13‐month‐old Tg rats. Drug or vehicle was administered orally daily for 4.5 months and interrupted 5 weeks before behavioral testing.

Results

AF710B long‐term treatment reverted the cognitive deficits associated with advanced Alzheimer‐like amyloid neuropathology in Tg rats. These effects were accompanied by reductions in amyloid pathology and markers of neuroinflammation and increases in amyloid cerebrospinal fluid clearance and levels of a synaptic marker. Importantly, these effects were maintained following a 5‐week interruption of the treatment.

Discussion

With M1/sigma‐1 activity and long‐lasting disease‐modifying properties at low dose, AF710B is a promising novel therapeutic agent for treating Alzheimer's disease.
List Experiment Design, Non-Strategic Respondent Error, and Item Count Technique Estimators
Authors: Ahlquist John S.
Published: December 2017

The item count technique (ICT-MLE) regression model for survey list experiments depends on assumptions about responses at the extremes (choosing no or all items on the list). Existing list experiment best practices aim to minimize strategic misrepresentation in ways that virtually guarantee that a tiny number of respondents appear in the extrema. Under such conditions both the “no liars” identification assumption and the computational strategy used to estimate the ICT-MLE become difficult to sustain. I report the results of Monte Carlo experiments examining the sensitivity of the ICT-MLE and simple difference-in-means estimators to survey design choices and small amounts of non-strategic respondent error. I show that, compared to the difference in means, the performance of the ICT-MLE depends on list design. Both estimators are sensitive to measurement error, but the problems are more severe for the ICT-MLE as a direct consequence of the no liars assumption. These problems become extreme as the number of treatment-group respondents choosing all the items on the list decreases. I document that such problems can arise in real-world applications, provide guidance for applied work, and suggest directions for further research.
The 2017 Seventh World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery: Week in Review: heart failure, transplantation, and pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Johnson Jonathan N. , Ivy D. Dunbar
Published: December 2017

The heart failure, heart transplantation, and pulmonary hypertension workgroups of the Scientific Committee were honoured to be asked to plan a full slate of sessions at the 2017 World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. In all there were 35 oral platform presentations, a further 14 oral platform presentations in “Bridging Together” sessions with other workgroups/specialties, a terrific debate about transplant listing in adult CHD patients, and a further 23 oral abstract presentations. The speakers were clear and concise, the research presented was ground-breaking, and the global representation was evident.
Nomenclature for congenital and paediatric cardiac disease: the International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) and the Eleventh Iteration of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11)
Authors: Franklin Rodney C. G. , Béland Marie J. , Colan Steven D. , Walters Henry L. , Aiello Vera D. , Anderson Robert H. , Bailliard Frédérique , Boris Jeffrey R. , Cohen Meryl S. , Gaynor J. William , Guleserian Kristine J. , Houyel Lucile , Jacobs Marshall L. , Juraszek Amy L. , Krogmann Otto N. , Kurosawa Hiromi , Lopez Leo , Maruszewski Bohdan J. , St. Louis James D. , Seslar Stephen P. , Srivastava Shubhika , Stellin Giovanni , Tchervenkov Christo I. , Weinberg Paul M. , Jacobs Jeffrey P.
Published: December 2017

An internationally approved and globally used classification scheme for the diagnosis of CHD has long been sought. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC), which was produced and has been maintained by the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease (the International Nomenclature Society), is used widely, but has spawned many “short list” versions that differ in content depending on the user. Thus, efforts to have a uniform identification of patients with CHD using a single up-to-date and coordinated nomenclature system continue to be thwarted, even if a common nomenclature has been used as a basis for composing various “short lists”. In an attempt to solve this problem, the International Nomenclature Society has linked its efforts with those of the World Health Organization to obtain a globally accepted nomenclature tree for CHD within the 11th iteration of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The International Nomenclature Society has submitted a hierarchical nomenclature tree for CHD to the World Health Organization that is expected to serve increasingly as the “short list” for all communities interested in coding for congenital cardiology. This article reviews the history of the International Classification of Diseases and of the IPCCC, and outlines the process used in developing the ICD-11 congenital cardiac disease diagnostic list and the definitions for each term on the list. An overview of the content of the congenital heart anomaly section of the Foundation Component of ICD-11, published herein in its entirety, is also included. Future plans for the International Nomenclature Society include linking again with the World Health Organization to tackle procedural nomenclature as it relates to cardiac malformations. By doing so, the Society will continue its role in standardising nomenclature for CHD across the globe, thereby promoting research and better outcomes for fetuses, children, and adults with congenital heart anomalies.
The 2017 Seventh World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery: “The Olympics of our Profession”
Authors: Cohen Mitchell I. , Jacobs Jeffrey P. , Cicek Sertac
Published: December 2017

The 1st World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology was held in London, United Kingdom, in 1980, organised by Dr Jane Somerville and Prof. Fergus Macartney. The idea was that of Jane Somerville, who worked with enormous energy and enthusiasm to bring together paediatric cardiologists and surgeons from around the world. The 2nd World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology took place in New York in 1985, organised by Bill Rashkind, Mary Ellen Engle, and Eugene Doyle. The 3rd World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1989, organised by Chompol Vongraprateep. Although cardiac surgeons were heavily involved in these early meetings, a separate World Congress of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery was held in Bergamo, Italy, in 1988, organised by Lucio Parenzan. Thereafter, it was recognised that surgeons and cardiologists working on the same problems and driven by a desire to help children would really rather meet together. A momentous decision was taken to initiate a Joint World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. A steering committee was established with membership comprising the main organisers of the four separate previous Congresses and additional members were recruited in an effort to achieve numerical equality of cardiologists and surgeons and a broad geographical representation. The historic 1st “World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery” took place in Paris in June, 1993, organised by Jean Kachaner. The next was to be held in Japan, but the catastrophic Kobe earthquake in 1995 forced relocation to Hawaii in 1997. Then followed Toronto, Canada, 2001, organised by Bill Williams and Lee Benson; Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2005, organised by Horatio Capelli and Guillermo Kreutzer; Cairns, Australia, 2009, organised by Jim Wilkinson; Cape Town, South Africa, 2013, organised by Christopher Hugo-Hamman; and Barcelona, Spain, 2017, organised by Sertac Cicek. With stops in Europe (1993), Asia-Pacific (1997), North America (2001), South America (2005), Australia (2009), Africa (2013), and Europe again (2017), in 2021, The World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery will be held for the first time in the continental United States.1 The 8th World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery will be held in Washington DC, United States of America, 19–24 September, 2021, and will be organised by Jeffrey P. Jacobs and Gil Wernovsky. Mitchell I. Cohen served as the Scientific Program Co-Chair for the 2017 World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, and he will again serve as the Scientific Program Co-Chair for the 2021 World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery along with Kathyrn Dodds RN, MSN, CRNP. Information about the upcoming 8th World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery can be found at www.WCPCCS2021.org
Validation of a photographic seafood portion guide to assess fish and shrimp intakes
Authors: Mathews Anne E , Al-Rajhi Ali , Kane Andrew S
Published: December 2017

Objective

To validate a novel photographic portion guide as a tool to estimate consumption of fish and shrimp. Application of such a validated tool can facilitate accurate individual and community seafood intake assessments and provide meaningful data relative to health benefits and hazard assessment, particularly in response to environmental contamination and disasters.

Design

A photographic fish and shrimp portion guide presenting a stepped range of cooked portion sizes was used by participants to estimate their typical portion sizes. Participants selected their typical portion size from the photographic guide and also from a selection of freshly cooked reference meals. Photographic portions selections were compared with plated reference portions for each participant.

Setting

Academic sensory testing laboratory in the USA.

Subjects

Separate groups of adults (25–64 years) contributed to fish (n54) and shrimp (n53) portion size comparison studies.

Results

In the fish study, there was no difference between photographic portion selections (6·59 (sd2·65) oz (186·8 (sd75·1) g)) and reference plate selections (7·04 (sd2·63) oz (199·6 (sd74·6) g);P=0·384). Similarly in the shrimp study, there was no difference between photographic portion selections (6·88 (sd3·40) oz (195·0 (sd96·4) g)) and reference plate selections (6·06 (sd2·65) oz (171·8 (sd75·1) g);P=0·159). Photographic portions predicted plated reference portions for both fish and shrimp based on linear regression (P<0·001). Bland–Altman plot analyses showed good agreement between the two methods, <1 oz (<28·3 g) bias, in both fish and shrimp studies.

Conclusions

This validated photographic seafood portion guide provides a utilitarian tool for accurately assessing fish and shrimp intake in a community setting.
The Curious Case of the Ultradeep 2015 Ogasawara Earthquake
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: December 2017

Unusual ground motion associated with the deepest major earthquake in the seismological record is due to both its great depth and its origin away from the subducting slab.
Acetylacetone photodynamics at a seeded free-electron laser
Authors: Squibb R. J. , Sapunar M. , Ponzi A. , Richter R. , Kivimäki A. , Plekan O. , Finetti P. , Sisourat N. , Zhaunerchyk V. , Marchenko T. , Journel L. , Guillemin R. , Cucini R. , Coreno M. , Grazioli C. , Di Fraia M. , Callegari C. , Prince K. C. , Decleva P. , Simon M. , Eland J. H. D. , Došlić N. , Feifel R. , Piancastelli M. N.
Published: December 2017

The first steps in photochemical processes, such as photosynthesis or animal vision, involve changes in electronic and geometric structure on extremely short time scales. Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is a natural way to measure such changes, but has been hindered hitherto by limitations of available pulsed light sources in the vacuum-ultraviolet and soft X-ray spectral region, which have insufficient resolution in time and energy simultaneously. The unique combination of intensity, energy resolution, and femtosecond pulse duration of the FERMI-seeded free-electron laser can now provide exceptionally detailed information on photoexcitation–deexcitation and fragmentation in pump-probe experiments on the 50-femtosecond time scale. For the prototypical system acetylacetone we report here electron spectra measured as a function of time delay with enough spectral and time resolution to follow several photoexcited species through well-characterized individual steps, interpreted using state-of-the-art static and dynamics calculations. These results open the way for investigations of photochemical processes in unprecedented detail.
C9ORF72 GGGGCC repeat-associated non-AUG translation is upregulated by stress through eIF2α phosphorylation
Authors: Cheng Weiwei , Wang Shaopeng , Mestre Alexander A. , Fu Chenglai , Makarem Andres , Xian Fengfan , Hayes Lindsey R. , Lopez-Gonzalez Rodrigo , Drenner Kevin , Jiang Jie , Cleveland Don W. , Sun Shuying
Published: December 2017

Hexanucleotide repeat expansion inC9ORF72is the most frequent cause of both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here we demonstrate that the repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of (GGGGCC)n-containing RNAs into poly-dipeptides can initiate in vivo without a 5′-cap. The primary RNA substrate for RAN translation of C9ORF72 sense repeats is shown to be the spliced first intron, following its excision from the initial pre-mRNA and transport to the cytoplasm. Cap-independent RAN translation is shown to be upregulated by various stress stimuli through phosphorylation of the α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor-2 (eIF2α), the core event of an integrated stress response (ISR). Compounds inhibiting phospho-eIF2α-signaling pathways are shown to suppress RAN translation. Since the poly-dipeptides can themselves induce stress, these findings support a feedforward loop with initial repeat-mediated toxicity enhancing RAN translation and subsequent production of additional poly-dipeptides through ISR, thereby promoting progressive disease.
Iron diapirs entrain silicates to the core and initiate thermochemical plumes
Authors: Fleck J. R. , Rains C. L. , Weeraratne D. S. , Nguyen C. T. , Brand D. M. , Klein S. M. , McGehee J. M. , Rincon J. M. , Martinez C. , Olson P. L.
Published: December 2017

Segregation of the iron core from rocky silicates is a massive evolutionary event in planetary accretion, yet the process of metal segregation remains obscure, due to obstacles in simulating the extreme physical properties of liquid iron and silicates at finite length scales. We present new experimental results studying gravitational instability of an emulsified liquid gallium layer, initially at rest at the interface between two glucose solutions. Metal settling coats liquid metal drops with a film of low density material. The emulsified metal pond descends as a coherent Rayleigh−Taylor instability with a trailing fluid-filled conduit. Scaling to planetary interiors and high pressure mineral experiments indicates that molten silicates and volatiles are entrained toward the iron core and initiate buoyant thermochemical plumes that later oxidize and hydrate the upper mantle. Surface volcanism from thermochemical plumes releases oxygen and volatiles linking atmospheric growth to the Earth’s mantle and core processes.
Diversity of crystal structures and physicochemical properties of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin salts with fumaric acid
Authors: Surov Artem O. , Voronin Alexander P. , Drozd Ksenia V. , Churakov Andrei V. , Roussel Pascal , Perlovich German L.
Published: December 2017

The crystallization of norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin – antibacterial fluoroquinolone compounds – with fumaric acid resulted in the isolation of six distinct solid forms of the drugs with different stoichiometries and hydration levels.
Dissolution induced self-selective Zn- and Ru-doped TiO2 structure for electrochemical generation of KClO3
Authors: Saha Sulay , Kishor Koshal , Pala Raj Ganesh S.
Published: December 2017

We demonstrate an electrochemical approach to prepare a highly active and stable (Zn, Ru)-doped TiO2 (Ru0.26Ti0.73Zn0.01Ox) for electrochemical generation of KClO3.
Frustrated Lewis pairs incorporating the bifunctional Lewis acid 1,1′-fc{B(C6F5)2}2: reactivity towards small molecules
Authors: Tirfoin Rémi , Gilbert Jessica , Kelly Michael J. , Aldridge Simon
Published: December 2017

Applications of the bifunctional Lewis acid 1,1′-fc{B(C6F5)2}2in FLP chemistry are described, including reactions towards H2O, NH3, CO2and cyclohexylisocyanate.
Diverse silver(i) coordination chemistry with cyclic selenourea ligands
Authors: Perras Justin H. , Mezibroski Stefan M. J. , Wiebe Matthew A. , Ritch Jamie S.
Published: December 2017

The reactions of cyclic selenoureas with silver(i) salts yield new coordination complexes with sterically-controlled solid state aggregation.
Synthesis and crystal structure of Sr3Bi2O6 and structural change in the strontium–bismuth-oxide system
Authors: Yang Yanquan , Li Jian , Yuan Youyou , Pan Fengjuan , Shi Dier , Lin Cong , Du Xin , Sun Junliang
Published: December 2017

The crystal structure of Sr3Bi2O6 and the structural change in the SrO–Bi2O3 system are elucidated, benefiting to the development of the related systems.
NICS values scan in three-dimensional space of the hoop-shaped π-conjugated molecules [6]8cyclacene and [16]trannulene
Authors: Li Qing , Xu Hong-Liang , Su Zhong-Min
Published: December 2017

In this work, [6]8cyclacene and [16]trannulene are used as representative molecules to further study the aromaticity from a new research perspective by using the NICS values scan in three-dimensional space methodology. A huge difference of aromaticity has been observed in three-dimensional space through the method.
A nanopaper-based artificial tongue: a ratiometric fluorescent sensor array on bacterial nanocellulose for chemical discrimination applications
Authors: Abbasi-Moayed Samira , Golmohammadi Hamed , Hormozi-Nezhad M. Reza
Published: December 2017

We have used the interesting photoluminescence properties of carbon dot-RhodamineB (CD-RhB) nanohybrids to develop a simple and efficient nanopaper-based ratiometric fluorescent sensor array (NRFSA) for visual analysis.
808 nm excited energy migration upconversion nanoparticles driven by a Nd3+–Trinity system with color-tunability and superior luminescence properties
Authors: Guo Shuai , Tsang Ming-Kiu , Lo Wai-Sum , Hao Jianhua , Wong Wing-Tak
Published: December 2017

A novel nanostructure is fabricated with an 808 nm excited/Nd3+-sensitized EMU system to avoid over-heating effects, gained with favourable luminescence properties.
Transformative piezoelectric enhancement of P(VDF-TrFE) synergistically driven by nanoscale dimensional reduction and thermal treatment
Authors: Ico G. , Myung A. , Kim B. S. , Myung N. V. , Nam J.
Published: December 2017

P(VDF-TrFE) nanofibers show exceptional piezoelectricity through a synergistic enhancement by dimensional reduction to a 30 nm scale and thermal treatment.
Oxygen vacancies on TiO2 promoted the activity and stability of supported Pd nanoparticles for the oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Li Jing , Zhou Hu , Zhuo Han , Wei Zhongzhe , Zhuang Guilin , Zhong Xing , Deng Shengwei , Li Xiaonian , Wang Jianguo
Published: December 2017

The electron transfer from TiO2-VO to Pd NPs plays a crucial role in promoting ORR performance of Pd-based electrocatalysts.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of alkyne-conjugated MoS2: a comparative study between metallic and semiconductor phases
Authors: Anbazhagan Rajeshkumar , Vadivelmurugan Adhisankar , Tsai Hsieh-Chih , Jeng Ru-Jong
Published: December 2017

Raman enhancement on nonmetallic flat two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial surfaces has attracted a great deal of attention since the discovery of graphene-enhanced Raman scattering.
Sensitive fluorescence detection of Ni2+ions using fluorescein functionalized Fe3O4nanoparticles
Authors: Shah M. T. , Balouch A. , Alveroglu E.
Published: December 2017

This study describes a very sensitive fluorescence sensor for the selective nanomolar detection of Ni2+ions.
Brain Abscesses: An Overview in Children
Authors: Zangari Paola , De Luca Maia , Villani Alberto , Krzysztofiak Andrzej
Published: December 2017

Brain abscesses in infants and children might be life threatening if not managed properly. They occur more frequently in the first two decades of life despite the reduced incidence of sinus and ear infections in pediatrics. The features of brain abscess in terms of location, pathogens, and symptoms depend on age and thus on predisposing factors. In infants and toddlers, bacterial meningitis or bacteremia is the major cause, and in older children, immunosuppression and cyanotic congenital heart diseases are common predisposing factors. The therapeutic management of brain abscesses involves a multidisciplinary team, including infectious disease specialist, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, and neurology. A prompt and long-term antimicrobial therapy is the mainstay of treatment, often associated with surgical drainage. These changes in the management have significantly improved the prognosis of patients with brain abscesses over the past 50 years.
Die ärztliche Kommunikation als Auslöser von Schlichtungsverfahren
Authors: Binter Isabell , Herold Christian , Allert Sixtus
Published: December 2017

Einleitung Die Grundlage einer vertrauensvollen Arzt-Patient-Beziehung wird unter anderem durch eine funktionierende Kommunikation
gebildet. Gute ärztliche Kommunikation ist in Zeiten von zunehmender Personal- und Zeitknappheit wichtiger denn je. Ziel dieser Arbeit war
zu prüfen, inwieweit ärztliche Kommunikation Einfluss auf die Auslösung von Schlichtungsverfahren hat.

Material und Methoden Analysiert wurden alle plastisch-chirurgischen Schlichtungsfälle, die die Norddeutschen Schlichtungsfälle für
Arzthaftpflichtfragen zwischen 2005 und 2015 abschließend bearbeitet hat. Nach Ausschluss der Fälle mit unvollständiger Datenlage wurden 280
Fälle ausgewertet. Die vorliegenden Unterlagen wurden auf Kommunikationsfehler und andere mögliche Auslöser des Verfahrens geprüft. Lagen
Kommunikationsfehler vor, wurden diese näher ausgewertet. Ferner wurde geprüft ob z. B. nachbehandelnde Ärzte Patienten Behandlungsfehler
suggerierten.

Ergebnisse 53,6 % aller Fälle ergaben Kommunikationsfehler in der Primärbehandlung. Kritischer Zeitraum ist die ambulante
Nachbehandlung (48,7 %), Hauptverursacher ist der behandelnde Arzt (93,7 %). In 30,9 % dieser Fälle fühlten sich die Patienten nicht ernst
genommen. Weitere Aspekte sind Nichtverfügbarkeit des behandelnden Arztes (12,2 %), Beleidigungen oder respektloser Umgang (8,5 %),
inadäquate Informationsbereitstellung (8,5 %) und fehlende Sicherungsaufklärung (8,1 %). In 43,9 % der Fälle wurde Patienten ein
Behandlungsfehler suggeriert. Vorrangiger Verursacher ist hier der nachbehandelnde Arzt (70,3 %).

Diskussion Es zeigt sich, dass eine fehlerhafte ärztliche Kommunikation erheblichen Einfluss auf die Gesamtzufriedenheit der Patienten
hat. Aussagen, die dem behandelnden Arzt ggf. normal erscheinen, können bei Patienten erhebliche emotionale Reaktionen hervorrufen. Die
vorliegende Arbeit zeigt, dass nicht nur „echte“ Behandlungsfehler und Schäden, sondern auch Kommunikationsprobleme Schlichtungsverfahren
auslösen. Gute Kommunikation und einfühlsamer Umgang helfen Unzufriedenheit zu mindern und senken das Risiko für mögliche juristische
Auseinandersetzungen.
Laudatio zur Salomon Neumann-Medaille 2017 an Herrn Prof. Dr. med. Bernt-Peter Robra, MPH
Authors: Raspe Heiner
Published: December 2017

Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sozialmedizin und Prävention (DGSMP) verleiht die Salomon-Neumann-Medaille für besondere Verdienste um die Präventiv- und Sozialmedizin. Die Salomon Neumann-Medaille 2017 wurde an Bernt-Peter Robra, Institut für Sozialmedizin und Gesundheitsökonomie (ISMG) der Otto von Guericke Universität Magdeburg verliehen. Sie ehrt einen Sozialmediziner, in dessen Person und Institut die essentiellen Problemkreise der Sozialmedizin ebenso wie die Kompetenzen der 3 in Lübeck versammelten Fachgesellschaften - Epidemiologie, Medizinsoziologie und Sozialmedizin - und das sozialpolitische Engagement Salomon Neumanns zusammenkommen.
Tuning of thermally induced first-order semiconductor-to-metal transition in pulsed laser deposited VO2 epitaxial thin films
Authors: Behera Makhes K. , Pradhan Dhiren K. , Pradhan Sangram K. , Pradhan Aswini K.
Published: December 2017

Vanadium oxide (VO2) thin films have drawn significant research and development interest in recent years because of their intriguing physical origin and wide range of functionalities useful for many potential applications, including infrared imaging, smart windows, and energy and information technologies. However, the growth of highly epitaxial films of VO2, with a sharp and distinct controllable transition, has remained a challenge. Here, we report the structural and electronic properties of high quality and reproducible epitaxial thin films of VO2, grown on c-axis oriented sapphire substrates using pulsed laser deposition at different deposition pressures and temperatures, followed by various annealing schedules. Our results demonstrate that the annealing of epitaxial VO2 films significantly enhances the Semiconductor to Metal Transition (SMT) to that of bulk VO2 transition. The effect of oxygen partial pressure during the growth of VO2 films creates a significant modulation of the SMT from around room temperature to as high as the theoretical value of 68 °C. We obtained a bulk order transition ≥104 while reducing the transition temperature close to 60 °C, which is comparatively less than the theoretical value of 68 °C, demonstrating a clear and drastic improvement in the SMT switching characteristics. The results reported here will open the door to fundamental studies of VO2, along with tuning of the transition temperatures for potential applications for multifunctional devices.
Theoretical solution to second-harmonic generation of ultrashort laser pulse
Authors: Hu Chen-Yang , He Hui-Jun , Chen Bao-Qin , Wei Zhi-Yi , Li Zhi-Yuan
Published: December 2017

We propose a theoretical method called the broadband nonlinear coupled wave theory (BNCWT) to evaluate the second harmonic generation (SHG) process of ultrashort laser pulse transporting in nonlinear media. Because of the broadband nature of the pulse laser, all the relevant second-order nonlinear interactions for different frequency components are considered in the analysis and simulation, including sum-frequency generation (SFG) and SHG. The SHG of an ultrashort pulse can be regarded as a series of self-SFG and self-SHG processes for different frequency components, and their mutual coupling. The solution of the problem traces back to the solution of a set of nonlinear coupled wave equations satisfied by all frequency components involved within the laser pulse. Numerical simulations show great consistency with experimental results, indicating that the proposed BNCWT is instructive and efficient and can have great practical value for experimental prediction.
Absolute and convective instabilities in combined Couette-Poiseuille flow past a neo-Hookean solid
Authors: Patne Ramkarn , Shankar V.
Published: December 2017

Temporal and spatio-temporal stability analyses are carried out to characterize the occurrence of convective and absolute instabilities in combined Couette-Poiseuille flow of a Newtonian fluid past a deformable, neo-Hookean solid layer in the creeping-flow limit. Plane Couette flow of a Newtonian fluid past a neo-Hookean solid becomes temporally unstable in the inertia-less limit when the parameter Γ = V η/(GR) exceeds a critical value. Here, V is the velocity of the top plate, η is the fluid viscosity, G is the shear modulus of the solid layer, and R is the fluid layer thickness. The Kupfer-Bers method is employed to demarcate regions of absolute and convective instabilities in the Γ-H parameter space, where H is the ratio of solid to fluid thickness in the system. For certain ranges of the thickness ratio H, we find that the flow could be absolutely unstable, and the critical Γ required for absolute instability is very close to that for temporal instability, thus making the flow absolutely unstable at the onset of temporal instability. In some cases, there is a gap in the parameter Γ between the temporal and absolute instability boundaries. The present study thus shows that absolute instabilities are possible, even at very low Reynolds numbers in flow past deformable solid surfaces. The presence of absolute instabilities could potentially be exploited in the enhancement of mixing at low Reynolds numbers in flow through channels with deformable solid walls.
Nonlinear structures and anomalous transport in partially magnetized E×B plasmas
Authors: Janhunen Salomon , Smolyakov Andrei , Chapurin Oleksandr , Sydorenko Dmytro , Kaganovich Igor , Raitses Yevgeni
Published: December 2017

Nonlinear dynamics of the electron-cyclotron instability driven by the electron E×B current in a crossed electric and magnetic field is studied. In the nonlinear regime, the instability proceeds by developing a large amplitude coherent wave driven by the energy input from the fundamental cyclotron resonance. Further evolution shows the formation of the long wavelength envelope akin to the modulational instability. Simultaneously, the ion density shows the development of a high-k content responsible for wave focusing and sharp peaks on the periodic cnoidal wave structure. It is shown that the anomalous electron transport (along the direction of the applied electric field) is dominated by the long wavelength part of the turbulent spectrum.