bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost-Effectiveness of the Transmural Trauma Care Model (TTCM) for the Rehabilitation of Trauma Patients
Authors: Wiertsema Suzanne H , van Dongen Johanna M , Geleijn Edwin , Huijsmans Rosalie J , Bloemers Frank W , de Groot Vincent , Ostelo Raymond WJG
Published: July 2019

Objectives

To assess the societal cost-effectiveness of the Transmural Trauma Care Model (TTCM), a multidisciplinary transmural rehabilitation model for trauma patients, compared with regular care.

Methods

The economic evaluation was performed alongside a before-and-after study, with a convenience control group measured only afterward, and a 9-month follow-up. Control group patients received regular care and were measured before implementation of the TTCM. Intervention group patients received the TTCM and were measured after its implementation. The primary outcome was generic health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Secondary outcomes included disease-specific HR-QOL, pain, functional status, and perceived recovery.

Results

Eighty-three trauma patients were included in the intervention group and fifty-seven in the control group. Total societal costs were lower in the intervention group than in the control group, but not statistically significantly so (EUR-267; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], EUR-4,175–3011). At 9 months, there was no statistically significant between-group differences in generic HR-QOL (0.05;95 percent CI, −0.02–0.12) and perceived recovery (0.09;95 percent CI, −0.09–0.28). However, mean between-group differences were statistically significantly in favor of the intervention group for disease-specific HR-QOL (−8.2;95 percent CI, −15.0–−1.4), pain (−0.84;95CI, −1.42–−0.26), and functional status (−20.1;95 percent CI, −29.6–−10.7). Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves indicated that if decision makers are not willing to pay anything per unit of effect gained, the TTCM has a 0.54–0.58 probability of being cost-effective compared with regular care. For all outcomes, this probability increased with increasing values of willingness-to-pay.

Conclusions

The TTCM may be cost-effective compared with regular care, depending on the decision-makers willingness to pay and the probability of cost-effectiveness that they perceive as acceptable.
A Non-inferiority Framework for Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Xie Xuanqian , Falk Lindsey , Brophy James M. , Tu Hong Anh , Guo Jennifer , Gajic-Veljanoski Olga , Sikich Nancy , Dhalla Irfan A. , Ng Vivian
Published: July 2019

Background

Traditional decision rules have limitations when a new technology is less effective and less costly than a comparator. We propose a new probabilistic decision framework to examine non-inferiority in effectiveness and net monetary benefit (NMB) simultaneously. We illustrate this framework using the example of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for treatment-resistant depression.

Methods

We modeled the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) associated with the new intervention (rTMS), an active control (ECT), and a placebo control, and we estimated the fraction of effectiveness preserved by the new intervention through probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA). We then assessed the probability of cost-effectiveness using a traditional cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC) and our new decision-making framework. In our new framework, we considered the new intervention cost-effective in each simulation of the PSA if it preserved at least 75 percent of the effectiveness of the active control (thus demonstrating non-inferiority) and had a positive NMB at a given willingness-to-pay threshold (WTP).

Results

rTMS was less effective (i.e., associated with fewer QALYs) and less costly than ECT. The traditional CEAC approach showed that the probabilities of rTMS being cost-effective were 100 percent, 39 percent, and 14 percent at WTPs of $0, $50,000, and $100,000 per QALY gained, respectively. In the new decision framework, the probabilities of rTMS being cost-effective were reduced to 23 percent, 21 percent, and 13 percent at WTPs of $0, $50,000, and $100,000 per QALY, respectively.

Conclusions

This new framework provides a different perspective for decision making with considerations of both non-inferiority and WTP thresholds.
Brazil’s new president and ‘ruralists’ threaten Amazonia’s environment, traditional peoples and the global climate
Authors: Ferrante Lucas , Fearnside Philip M
Published: July 2019

Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil’s new president) and “ruralists” (large landholders and their representatives) have initiated a series of measures that threaten Amazonia’s environment and traditional peoples, as well as global climate. These include weakening the country’s environmental agencies and forest code, granting amnesty to deforestation, approving harmful agrochemicals, reducing protected areas, and denying the existence of anthropogenic climate change. Both the measures themselves and the expectation of impunity they encourage have spurred increased deforestation, which contributes to climate change and to land conflicts with traditional peoples. Countries and companies that import Brazilian beef, soy and minerals are stimulating these impacts.
THE LIMITS OF MERCANTILE ADMINISTRATION: ADAM SMITH AND EDMUND BURKE ON BRITAIN’S EAST INDIA COMPANY
Authors: Collins Gregory M.
Published: July 2019

It is often claimed that Adam Smith and Edmund Burke held similar views on matters relating to political economy. One area of tension in their thought, however, was the institutional credibility of Britain’s East India Company. They both argued that the Company corrupted market order in India, but while Smith supported the termination of the firm’s charter, Burke aspired to preserve it. This article examines why they arrived at such divergent conclusions. It argues that the source of Burke and Smith’s friction arose from the dissimilar frames of reference through which they assessed the credibility of the Company. Burke examined the corporation’s legitimacy through the lens of British prescriptive, imperial, and constitutional history, yet Smith evaluated it as part of his larger attack on the mercantile system. These different frames of reference were responsible for the further incongruities in their thought on the Company relating to the role of prescription and imperial honor in political communities, the qualifications of traders to rule, and the appropriate tempo of policy reform. This article concludes that, even with such differences, the two thinkers’ respective criticisms of the Company illustrate the threat that monopolies pose to the liberal order.
THE DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIST AS HISTORIAN OF ECONOMICS: THE CASE OF WILLIAM J. BARBER
Authors: Boianovsky Mauro
Published: July 2019

The paper shows how William Barber’s background as a development economist influenced his research agenda in the history of economic thought, in terms of the questions he asked and the way he approached them. The links between the history of economic theory and of policy-making are highlighted, as well as Barber’s investigation of the engagement of British economists with India’s economic matters throughout the time span of the British East India Company.
Identitätsentwicklung und Bewältigung weiterer Entwicklungsaufgaben bei Kindern alkoholkranker Eltern im Übergang zum Erwachsenenalter
Authors: Maurach Lena-Marie , Wolstein Jörg
Published: July 2019

Zusammenfassung. Zielsetzung: Die Entwicklung junger Menschen, vor allem ihre Identitätsentwicklung, wird durch das familiäre Umfeld beeinflusst. Gerade junge erwachsene Kinder alkoholkranker Eltern (ACOA = adult children of alcoholics) könnten daher in ihrer Entwicklung gefährdet sein. Es wurde deshalb untersucht, inwieweit sie bei der Identitätsentwicklung und weiteren altersspezifischen Entwicklungsaufgaben (Ablösung von Eltern, eigener Haushalt, Partnerschaften, Freundschaften, berufliche Orientierung) beeinträchtigt sind. Bei jungen ACOA wurde außerdem ein Zusammenhang zwischen Identitätsentwicklung und der Bewältigung der anderen genannten Entwicklungsaufgaben angenommen. Methodik: Online erhobene und mittels Propensity Scores gematchte ACOA und Non-ACOA (105 je Gruppe, 18–28 Jahre) wurden durch t-Tests miteinander verglichen. Bei ACOA wurden bivariate Korrelationen zwischen der Identitätsentwicklung und weiteren Entwicklungsaufgaben berechnet. Ergebnisse: ACOA waren in allen Entwicklungsbereichen stärker beeinträchtigt mit mittleren bis hohen Effekten (Ausnahme: kleiner Effekt bei beruflicher Orientierung). Dabei zeigten sich mittlere bis starke Zusammenhänge zwischen Problemen der Identitätsentwicklung und der Bewältigung weiterer Entwicklungsaufgaben. Schlussfolgerung: ACOA scheinen im Übergang zum Erwachsenenalter mit spezifischen Belastungen zu kämpfen, die in Präventions- und Unterstützungsangeboten zur Resilienzförderung beachtet werden sollten.
Timescales of Birkeland Currents Driven by the IMF
Authors: Coxon John C. , Shore Robert M. , Freeman Mervyn P. , Fear Robert C. , Browett Stephen D. , Smith Andrew W. , Whiter Daniel K. , Anderson Brian J.
Published: July 2019

We obtain current densities from the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE), alongside By and Bz from the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) for March 2010. For each AMPERE spatial coordinate, we cross‐correlate current density with By and Bz, finding the maximum correlation for lags up to 360 min. The patterns of maximum correlation contain large‐scale structures consistent with the literature. For the correlation with By, the lags on the dayside are 10 min at high latitudes but up to 240 min at lower latitudes. Lags on the nightside are 90–150 min. For Bz, the shortest lags on the dayside are 10–20 min; on the equatorward edge of the current oval, 60–90 min; and on the nightside, predominantly 90–150 min. This novel approach enables us to see statistically the timescales on which information is electrodynamically communicated to the ionosphere after magnetic field lines reconnect on the dayside and nightside.
Summer Carbonate Chemistry in the Dalton Polynya, East Antarctica
Authors: Arroyo M. C. , Shadwick E. H. , Tilbrook B.
Published: July 2019

The carbonate chemistry in the Dalton Polynya in East Antarctica (115°–123°E) was investigated in summer 2014/2015 using high‐frequency underway measurements of CO2 fugacity (fCO2) and discrete water column measurements of total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2) and total alkalinity. Air‐sea CO2 fluxes indicate this region was a weak net source of CO2 to the atmosphere (0.7 ± 0.9 mmol C m−2 day−1) during the period of observation, with the largest degree of surface water supersaturation (ΔfCO2 = +45 μatm) in ice‐covered waters near the Totten Ice Shelf (TIS) as compared to the ice‐free surface waters in the Dalton Polynya. The seasonal depletion of mixed‐layer TCO2 (6 to 51 μmol/kg) in ice‐free regions was primarily driven by sea ice melt and biological CO2 uptake. Estimates of net community production (NCP) reveal net autotrophy in the ice‐free Dalton Polynya (NCP = 5–20 mmol C m−2 day−1) and weakly heterotrophic waters near the ice‐covered TIS (NCP = −4–0 mmol C m−2 day−1). Satellite‐derived estimates of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and sea ice coverage suggest that the early summer season in 2014/2015 was anomalous relative to the long‐term (1997–2017) record, with lower surface Chl a concentrations and a greater degree of sea ice cover during the period of observation; the implications for seasonal primary production and air‐sea CO2 exchange are discussed. This study highlights the importance of both physical and biological processes in controlling air‐sea CO2 fluxes and the significant interannual variability of the CO2 system in Antarctic coastal regions.
Less Remineralized Carbon in the Intermediate‐Depth South Atlantic During Heinrich Stadial 1
Authors: Lacerra Matthew , Lund David C. , Gebbie Geoffrey , Oppo Delia W. , Yu Jimin , Schmittner Andreas , Umling Natalie E.
Published: July 2019

The last deglaciation (~20–10 kyr BP) was characterized by a major shift in Earth's climate state, when the global mean surface temperature rose ~4 °C and the concentration of atmospheric CO2 increased ~80 ppmv. Model simulations suggest that the initial 30 ppmv rise in atmospheric CO2 may have been driven by reduced efficiency of the biological pump or enhanced upwelling of carbon‐rich waters from the abyssal ocean. Here we evaluate these hypotheses using benthic foraminiferal B/Ca (a proxy for deep water [CO32−]) from a core collected at 1,100‐m water depth in the Southwest Atlantic. Our results imply that [CO32−] increased by 22 ± 2 μmol/kg early in Heinrich Stadial 1, or a decrease in ΣCO2 of approximately 40 μmol/kg, assuming there were no significant changes in alkalinity. Our data imply that remineralized phosphate declined by approximately 0.3 μmol/kg during Heinrich Stadial 1, equivalent to 40% of the modern remineralized signal at this location. Because tracer inversion results indicate remineralized phosphate at the core site reflects the integrated effect of export production in the sub‐Antarctic, our results imply that biological productivity in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean was reduced early in the deglaciation, contributing to the initial rise in atmospheric CO2.
Detection of Strong Precession Cycles from the Late Pliocene Sedimentary Records of Northeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Su Qingda , Nie Junsheng , Luo Zeng , Li Mingsong , Heermance Richard , Garzione Carmala
Published: July 2019

Recent studies demonstrate that aridification is sensitive to eccentricity forcing based on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau Cenozoic fluvio‐lacustrine stratigraphic records. However, it is unknown whether this is a bias associated with the fact that higher frequency periods normally have larger age model uncertainties, which tend to decrease spectral power of higher frequency orbital cycles (precession and obliquity) and enlarge lower frequency ones (eccentricity). Here we detect strong and well‐resolved (~23 and ~19 kyr) precession cycles in the magnetic susceptibility record of late Pliocene fluvio‐lacustrine sediments from the Qaidam Basin, northwestern China. We interpret the magnetic susceptibility as a proxy for the degree of chemical weathering in this region, based on the positive correlation between low‐frequency magnetic susceptibility and frequency‐dependent magnetic susceptibility. The different responses of magnetic susceptibility and a halite content proxy to orbital forcing suggest that aridification is more sensitive to eccentricity forcing than precipitation, but precipitation is more sensitive to precession forcing. This study indicates that different climatic aspects have different sensitivity to orbital forcing. Furthermore, a comparison of the magnetic susceptibility variations in the western Qaidam Basin and global ice volume proxy records suggests ice volume control of Qaidam Basin precipitation and chemical weathering at million‐year timescales.
Effects of Swell Waves on Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence: A Low Wind Field Study
Authors: Zou Zhongshui , Song Jinbao , Li Peiliang , Huang Jian , Zhang Jun A. , Wan Zhanhong , Li Shuiqing
Published: July 2019

The effect of swell waves on atmospheric boundary layer turbulence under low winds was explored using data from a fixed platform located in the South China Sea. The wind spectra, cospectra, and Ogive curve measured at a height of 8 m above the mean sea surface provided direct evidence that wind stress was affected by swell waves. To interpret such phenomena, an improved approach was derived based on the fact that the total wind stress was the vector sum of turbulent stress and wave‐coherent stress. Different from the approaches of earlier studies, our approach did not align the turbulent stress with the mean wind speed. The influence of swell waves on the magnitude and direction of the total wind stress was analyzed using our approach. The results showed that the wave‐coherent stress derived from our data accounted for 32% of the total wind stress. The magnitude and angle of the wind stress changed by swell waves depended on the relative angle between the turbulent stress and swell direction.
The Spectral Dimension of Arctic Outgoing Longwave Radiation and Greenhouse Efficiency Trends From 2003 to 2016
Authors: Peterson Colten A. , Chen Xiuhong , Yue Qing , Huang Xianglei
Published: July 2019

Fourteen years of spectral fluxes derived from collocated Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) observations are used in conjunction with AIRS retrievals to examine the trends of zonal mean spectral outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and greenhouse efficiency (GHE) in the Arctic. AIRS retrieved profiles are fed into a radiative transfer model to generate synthetic clear‐sky spectral OLR. Trends are derived from the simulated clear‐sky spectral OLR and GHE and then compared with their counterparts derived from collocated observations. Spectral trends in different seasons are distinctively different. March and September exhibit positive trends in spectral OLR over the far‐IR dirty window and mid‐IR window region for most of the Arctic. In contrast, spectral OLR trends in July are negative over the far‐IR dirty window and can be positive or negative in the mid‐IR window depending on the latitude. Sensitivity studies reveal that surface temperature contributes much more than atmospheric temperature and humidity to the spectral OLR and GHE trends, while the contributions from the latter two are also discernible over many spectral regions (e.g., trends in the far‐IR dirty window in March). The largest increase of spectral GHE is seen north of 80°N in March across the water vapor v2 band and far‐IR. When the secular fractional change of spectral OLR is less than that of surface spectral emission, an increase of spectral GHE can be expected. Spectral trend analyses reveal more information than broadband trend analyses alone.
Impacts of Expanding Impervious Surface on Specific Conductance in Urbanizing Streams
Authors: Baker M. E. , Schley M. L. , Sexton J. O.
Published: July 2019

Long‐term analysis indicates that progressive salinization of freshwaters is widespread. Although increases are often associated with urbanization, knowledge of chemical dynamics during urbanization is limited and typically drawn from space‐for‐time studies. Thus, the potential role of stream chemistry in sharp biodiversity losses observed at low levels of urbanization is difficult to distinguish from other concurrent factors such as temperature, flow, or sediment. We used a 25‐year annual time series of impervious cover for the Baltimore‐Washington, DC, metropolitan area to interpret long‐term records from 12 watershed‐monitoring stations in the Mid‐Atlantic Piedmont USA from 1986 to 2010 and explore stream conductivity under progressive urbanization. All 12 watersheds experienced variable but monotonic increases in impervious cover, which ranged from <1% to nearly 25% of contributing area. All monitoring stations exhibited elevated specific conductance relative to background concentrations. Proliferation of impervious cover led to seasonal shifts in monthly conductivity maxima, with progressive dominance of winter pulses and diminishing signal from evapotranspirative concentration in late summer. We found consistently steep increases in stream conductivity across years and seasons associated with incremental increases in low (0‐4.5%) levels of watershed impervious cover; moderate to low rates of increase, but distinct seasonal concentrations from 4.5 to 13.8% impervious cover; and increasing predominance of pulses at high levels of impervious cover (>13.8%), particularly when conditioned on winter storm events. Observed patterns may suggest distinct sources and different degrees of hydrologic connection. Despite ubiquitous increases, variability in conductivity trends across space and time underscores the need for more intensive monitoring as urbanization progresses.
Capillary Effects on Groundwater Response to Earth Tides
Authors: Wang Chi‐Yuen , Zhu Ai‐Yu , Liao Xin , Manga Michael , Wang Lee‐Ping
Published: July 2019

The response of unconfined aquifers to Earth's solid tides (Earth tides) has been used to study a number of hydrogeological, environmental, and ecological processes. The traditional interpretation of such responses has been based on a model that assumes free flow of groundwater to the water table, even though capillary effects have long been recognized to influence the response of coastal aquifers to ocean tides. Here we study the capillary effect on the response of unconfined aquifers to Earth tides, using a numerical procedure that couples groundwater flow and poroelastic strain in both the saturated and the unsaturated zones. We show that when the water table rises to the surface and the capillary zone disappears, the predicted tidal response is identical to that predicted by the traditional model. But when the capillary zone is present when the water table falls below the surface, the predicted amplitude ratio and phase shift depart notably from those predicted by the traditional model. We apply the model to a field case where large seasonal changes of tidal response have been documented. We show that the large seasonal changes in the tidal response may be due to the change of the water table from a capillary‐affected state to a capillary‐free state when the water table rises annually to the ground surface. Thus, the omission of the capillary effects in the interpretation of the response of unconfined aquifers to Earth tides may lead to incorrect inference of subsurface processes and properties.
Programmable coupled oscillators for synchronized locomotion
Authors: Dutta Sourav , Parihar Abhinav , Khanna Abhishek , Gomez Jorge , Chakraborty Wriddhi , Jerry Matthew , Grisafe Benjamin , Raychowdhury Arijit , Datta Suman
Published: July 2019

The striking similarity between biological locomotion gaits and the evolution of phase patterns in coupled oscillatory network can be traced to the role of central pattern generator located in the spinal cord. Bio-inspired robotics aim at harnessing this control approach for generation of rhythmic patterns for synchronized limb movement. Here, we utilize the phenomenon of synchronization and emergent spatiotemporal pattern from the interaction among coupled oscillators to generate a range of locomotion gait patterns. We experimentally demonstrate a central pattern generator network using capacitively coupled Vanadium Dioxide nano-oscillators. The coupled oscillators exhibit stable limit-cycle oscillations and tunable natural frequencies for real-time programmability of phase-pattern. The ultra-compact 1 Transistor-1 Resistor implementation of oscillator and bidirectional capacitive coupling allow small footprint area and low operating power. Compared to biomimetic CMOS based neuron and synapse models, our design simplifies on-chip implementation and real-time tunability by reducing the number of control parameters.
Power law relations in earthquakes from microscopic to macroscopic scales
Authors: Meng Fanzhen , Wong Louis Ngai Yuen , Zhou Hui
Published: July 2019

Understanding the physics of earthquakes is a crucial step towards improving the prediction accuracy of earthquakes. Scale invariance or fractal features are often reported in earthquakes, such as the size distribution of earthquakes, the spatial distribution of hypocenters, and the frequency of aftershocks. Here we assess whether other key parameters and quantities involved in earthquakes also conform to the power law. By analyzing a large amount of data collected from the laboratory experiments and field monitoring of earthquakes, we find that the crack density on the two sides of small scale fracture or large scale fault decreases with increasing distance following the power law, and the crack number-crack length distribution is also scale invariant like natural faults. Besides, the earthquake b-value is found to decrease with increasing stress in a power law in the brittle regime of the Earth’s crust. The friction coefficient for dry fault and gouges or for partially saturated gouges decreases with the increasing effective normal stress in a power law. The stress dependency of b-value and friction coefficient is dictated by different mechanisms. Our findings will advance the understanding of earthquake physics, and will enable us to better model, predict and conduct hazard assessment of earthquakes.
Uncovering mechanisms of global ocean change effects on the Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) through metabolomics analysis
Authors: Wanamaker Shelly A. , McElhany Paul , Maher Michael , Perez Danielle , Busch D. Shallin , Nichols Krista M.
Published: July 2019

The Dungeness crab is an economically and ecologically important species distributed along the North American Pacific coast. To predict how Dungeness crab may physiologically respond to future global ocean change on a molecular level, we performed untargeted metabolomic approaches on individual Dungeness crab juveniles reared in treatments that mimicked current and projected future pH and dissolved oxygen conditions. We found 94 metabolites and 127 lipids responded in a condition-specific manner, with a greater number of known compounds more strongly responding to low oxygen than low pH exposure. Pathway analysis of these compounds revealed that juveniles may respond to low oxygen through evolutionarily conserved processes including downregulating glutathione biosynthesis and upregulating glycogen storage, and may respond to low pH by increasing ATP production. Most interestingly, we found that the response of juveniles to combined low pH and low oxygen exposure was most similar to the low oxygen exposure response, indicating low oxygen may drive the physiology of juvenile crabs more than pH. Our study elucidates metabolic dynamics that expand our overall understanding of how the species might respond to future ocean conditions and provides a comprehensive dataset that could be used in future ocean acidification response studies.
Age, sex, adult and larval diet shape starvation resistance in the Mediterranean fruit fly: an ecological and gerontological perspective
Authors: Gerofotis Christos D. , Kouloussis Nikos A. , Koukougiannidou Christiana , Papadopoulos Nikos T. , Damos Petros , Koveos Dimitris S. , Carey James R.
Published: July 2019

The ability of an animal to withstand periods of food deprivation is a key driver of invasion success (biodiversity), adaptation to new conditions, and a crucial determinant of senescence in populations. Starvation resistance (SR) is a highly plastic trait and varies in relation to environmental and genetic variables. However, beyond Drosophila, SR has been studied poorly. Exploiting an interesting model species in invasion and ageing studies-the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata)- we investigated how age, food and gender, shape SR in this species. We measured SR in adults feeding in rich and poor dietary conditions, which had been reared either on natural hosts or artificial larval diet, for every single day across their lifespan. We defined which factor is the most significant determinant of SR and we explored potential links between SR and ageing. We found that SR declines with age, and that age-specific patterns are shaped in relation to adult and larval diet. Females exhibited higher SR than males. Age and adult diet were the most significant determinants of SR, followed by gender and the larval diet. Starvation resistance proved to be a weak predictor of functional ageing. Possible underlying mechanisms, ecological and gerontological significance and potential applied benefits are discussed.
Etiology and Outcome of non-immune Hydrops Fetalis in Southern China: report of 1004 cases
Authors: Meng Dahua , Li Qifei , Hu Xuehua , Wang Lifang , Tan Shuyin , Su Jiasun , Zhang Yue , Sun Weijia , Chen Biyan , He Sheng , Lin Fei , Xie Bobo , Chen Shaoke , Agrawal Pankaj B. , Luo Shiyu , Fu Chunyun
Published: July 2019

Non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) is a complex condition with a high mortality and morbidity rate. Here we report the etiology and outcome of 1004 fetuses with NIHF, in a large single Maternal and Children’s hospital of Southern China, since the year of 2009 to 2016. Among these 1004 fetuses with NIHF, the etiology was identified prenatally in 722 of them (72%). The most common ones were hematologic diseases and chromosomal abnormalities. There were eight spontaneous abortions, 18 intrauterine fetal demise, 672 pregnancy terminations and 87 were lost to follow-up. 219 of the 1004 fetuses were live-born and the overall survival rate was 21.8% at this point. After birth 16 perinatal or early neonatal deaths were encountered and five lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 198 newborns, 153 thrived without apparent morbidity. The most significant factors associated with mortality were prematurity and low birthweight. In conclusion, we described the largest report of underlying causes and outcome of NIHF in Southern China. Etiologies were identified for 72% of 1004 fetuses with NIHF. And two poor prognostic factors for survival are preterm birth at less than 36.5 weeks and birthweight lower than 2575 g respectively.
Investigation of the effects of electromagnetic field treatment of hot spring water for scale inhibition using a fibre optic sensor
Authors: Okazaki Takuya , Umeki Senshin , Orii Tatsuya , Ikeya Ryusuke , Sakaguchi Aya , Yamamoto Takamichi , Watanabe Tomoaki , Ueda Akira , Kuramitz Hideki
Published: July 2019

Treatment with an electromagnetic field, one of the potential techniques to inhibit scale deposition from water, has the advantage of not requiring the addition of any chemicals. Field tests using a fibre optic sensor were conducted to evaluate the effect that the treatment of hot spring water in Matsushiro, Japan with an electromagnetic field had on calcium carbonate scale formation. The optical response to scale deposition recorded by the fibre optic sensor decreased as a consequence of the application of an electromagnetic field, and the effectiveness of scale formation inhibition depended on the frequency of the electromagnetic field. This evidence was compared with results from changes in scale mass measured using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. Mass increases of the scale formed on the quartz crystal surface in hot spring water were inhibited by electromagnetic field treatment. These results were verified performing a column flow test, whereby the flow rate of hot spring water through a column was measured.
Heart Rhythm Complexity Impairment in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Tsai Cheng-Hsuan , Ma Hsi-Pin , Lin Yen-Tin , Hung Chi-Sheng , Hsieh Mi-Chia , Chang Ting-Yu , Kuo Ping-Hung , Lin Chen , Lo Men-Tzung , Hsu Hsao-Hsun , Peng Chung-Kang , Lin Yen-Hung
Published: July 2019

Pulmonary hypertension is a fatal disease, however reliable prognostic tools are lacking. Heart rhythm complexity analysis is derived from non-linear heart rate variability (HRV) analysis and has shown excellent performance in predicting clinical outcomes in several cardiovascular diseases. However, heart rhythm complexity has not previously been studied in pulmonary hypertension patients. We prospectively analyzed 57 patients with pulmonary hypertension (31 with pulmonary arterial hypertension and 26 with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension) and compared them to 57 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Heart rhythm complexity including detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and multiscale entropy (MSE) and linear HRV parameters were analyzed. The patients with pulmonary hypertension had significantly lower mean RR, SDRR, pNN20, VLF, LF, LF/HF ratio, DFAα1, MSE slope 5, scale 5, area 1–5 and area 6–20 compared to the controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that heart rhythm complexity parameters were better than traditional HRV parameters to predict pulmonary hypertension. Among all parameters, scale 5 had the greatest power to differentiate the pulmonary hypertension patients from controls (AUC: 0.845, P < 0.001). Furthermore, adding heart rhythm complexity parameters significantly improved the discriminatory power of the traditional HRV parameters in both net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement models. In conclusion, the patients with pulmonary hypertension had worse heart rhythm complexity. MSE parameters, especially scale 5, had excellent single discriminatory power to predict whether or not patients had pulmonary hypertension.
Soluble and membrane-bound protein carrier mediate direct copper transport to the ethylene receptor family
Authors: Hoppen Claudia , Müller Lena , Hänsch Sebastian , Uzun Buket , Milić Dalibor , Meyer Andreas J. , Weidtkamp-Peters Stefanie , Groth Georg
Published: July 2019

The plant hormone ethylene is a key regulator of plant growth, development and stress adaption. Ethylene perception and response are mediated by a family of integral membrane receptors (ETRs) localized at the ER-Golgi network. The biological function of these receptors relies on a protein-bound copper cofactor. Nonetheless, molecular processes and structures controlling assembly and integration of the metal into the functional plant hormone receptor are still unknown. Here, we have explored the molecular pathways of copper transfer from the plant cytosol to the ethylene receptor family by analyzing protein–protein interactions of receptors with soluble and membrane-bound plant copper carriers. Our results suggest that receptors primarily acquire their metal cofactor from copper transporter RESPONSIVE-TO-ANTAGONIST-1 (RAN1) which has been loaded with the transition metal beforehand by soluble copper carriers of the ATX1-family. In addition, we found evidence for a direct interaction of ETRs with soluble chaperones ANTIOXIDANT-1 (ATX1) and COPPER TRANSPORT PROTEIN (CCH) raising the possibility of a direct copper exchange between soluble chaperones and receptors.
Administration of Tramadol or Buprenorphine via the drinking water for post-operative analgesia in a mouse-osteotomy model
Authors: Jirkof Paulin , Durst Mattea , Klopfleisch Robert , Palme Rupert , Thöne-Reineke Christa , Buttgereit Frank , Schmidt-Bleek Katharina , Lang Annemarie
Published: July 2019

Adequate analgesia is essential whenever pain might occur in animal experiments. Unfortunately, the selection of suitable analgesics for mice in bone-linked models is limited. Here, we evaluated two analgesics – Tramadol [0.1 mg/ml (Tlow) vs. 1 mg/ml (Thigh)] and Buprenorphine (Bup; 0.009 mg/ml) – after a pre-surgical injection of Buprenorphine, in a mouse-osteotomy model. The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of these opioids in alleviating pain-related behaviors, to provide evidence for adequate dosages and to examine potential side effects. High concentrations of Tramadol affected water intake, drinking frequency, food intake and body weight negatively in the first 2–3 days post-osteotomy, while home cage activity was comparable between all groups. General wellbeing parameters were strongly influenced by anesthesia and analgesics. Model-specific pain parameters did not indicate more effective pain relief at high concentrations of Tramadol. In addition, ex vivo high-resolution micro computed tomography (µCT) analysis and histology analyzing bone healing outcomes showed no differences between analgesic groups with respect to newly formed mineralized bone, cartilage and vessels. Our results show that high concentrations of Tramadol do not improve pain relief compared to low dosage Tramadol and Buprenorphine, but rather negatively affect animal wellbeing.
Illusory agency attribution to others performing actions similar to one’s own
Authors: Nomura Osamu , Ogata Taiki , Miyake Yoshihiro
Published: July 2019

When people observe others performing actions similar to their own while dancing or playing musical instruments, they sometimes feel as if their actions were subsumed into others’ actions or others’ actions led their own actions. Many studies have been conducted to investigate agency attribution. However, these studies have mainly examined agency attribution in cases where people do not know the true agent. Few studies have focused on how people attribute agency to others despite knowing that they themselves are actual agents. This study investigates agency attribution to others performing actions similar to one’s own when one knows who the actual agent is. We evaluated agency attribution when participants manipulated a mouse to control a cursor while observing another person performing similar actions. Our findings demonstrated that participants could attribute agency to others despite knowing that they themselves were actual agents. We refer to this illusory sense as “illusory agency attribution to others.” We suggest that illusory agency attribution to others is determined by multiple factors including a bottom-up process with a subjective feeling of agency in addition to a top-down process with an interpretative judgement of agency.
Clinical characteristics and disease-specific prognostic nomogram for primary gliosarcoma: a SEER population-based analysis
Authors: Feng Song-Shan , Li Huang-bao , Fan Fan , Li Jing , Cao Hui , Xia Zhi-Wei , Yang Kui , Zhu Xiao-San , Cheng Ting-Ting , Cheng Quan
Published: July 2019

Because the study population with gliosarcoma (GSM) is limited, the understanding of this disease is insufficient. In this study, the authors aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and independent prognostic factors influencing the prognosis of GSM patients and to develop a nomogram to predict the prognosis of GSM patients after craniotomy. A total of 498 patients diagnosed with primary GSM between 2004 and 2015 were extracted from the 18 Registries Research Data of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The median disease-specific survival (DSS) was 12.0 months, and the postoperative 0.5-, 1-, and 3-year DSS rates were 71.4%, 46.4% and 9.8%, respectively. We applied both the Cox proportional hazards model and the decision tree model to determine the prognostic factors of primary GSM. The Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that age at presentation, tumour size, metastasis state and adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) were independent prognostic factors for DSS. The decision tree model suggested that age <71 years and adjuvant CT were associated with a better prognosis for GSM patients. The nomogram generated via the Cox proportional hazards model was developed by applying the rms package in R version 3.5.0. The C-index of internal validation for DSS prediction was 0.67 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63 to 0.70). The calibration curve at one year suggested that there was good consistency between the predicted DSS and the actual DSS probability. This study was the first to develop a disease-specific nomogram for predicting the prognosis of primary GSM patients after craniotomy, which can help clinicians immediately and accurately predict patient prognosis and conduct further treatment.
Pyrometamorphic process of ceramic composite materials in pottery production in the Bronze/Iron Age of the Northern Caucasus (Russia)
Authors: Park Ki Suk , Milke Ralf , Efthimiopoulos Ilias , Pausewein Regine-Ricarda , Reinhold Sabine
Published: July 2019

Pyrotechnology for the prehistoric pottery has been an important subject for the study of ancient production technology and technological styles. However, heterogeneous characteristics in chemical and mineralogical compositions and massive amounts of ceramic sherds at most archaeological sites make it difficult to identify production technologies. In this study, SEM-EDS/WDS, XRD and transmittance and reflectance FT-IR techniques were employed step by step, in order to overcome these limitations. The serial combination of each method covers a macro-, meso- and micro-scale and it enabled us to identify the relationship between firing temperature, reducing or oxidizing atmosphere and thermally induced mobility of Ca and Fe. Numerous ceramic pottery sherds from two archaeological sites in the North Caucasus, Ransyrt 1 (Middle-Late Bronze Age) and Kabardinka 2 (Late Bronze/Early Iron Age) were investigated and compared to the ceramics found at Levinsadovka and Saf’janovo around the Sea of Azov, Russia (Late/Final Bronze Age) for this purpose. Morphological changes by sintering and transformation of indicator minerals such as calcite, hematite, spinel, gehlenite, quartz and cis/trans-vacant 1M illite provide temperature thresholds at 675, 700, 750, 950, 1050, 1100, 1300 °C. With the laboratory based FT-IR, vibrational changes in shape, wavenumber and intensity corresponding to Si-O stretching bands yield an order and classification of the ceramics with regard to firing conditions between the samples as well as the unraveling of temperature profiles within a single sample in a 100 µm scale. With this approach, the number of archaeological ceramics could be classified according to the pyrometamorphic transformation of heterogeneous ceramic composite materials. Combined with the archaeological contexts of each site, these results will contribute to the reconstruction of local technological styles.
Electro-chromic structure with a high degree of dielectric tunability
Authors: Bulja S. , Kopf R. , Tate A. , Hu T. , Cahill R. , Norooziarab M. , Kozlov D. , Rulikowski P. , Templ W.
Published: July 2019

In conjunction with their electronically reconfigurable optical properties, inorganic, WO3/LiNbO3/NiO Electro-Chromic materials (EC) have recently been shown to exhibit a degree of electric field induced dielectric tunability at radio frequencies, to the level comparable with more mature bulk-tuneable technologies. However, the full extent of their dielectric tunability remains fully unexplored, due to a fundamental lack of understanding of its intricate tuning mechanisms. The unveiling of their tuning principles is paramount towards a comprehension of not only their optical and radio frequency dielectric tunability, but also for the creation of EC structures with substantial permittivity tuning ratios. Here, we report on an inorganic, WO3 and LiNbO3 – based EC structure with perturbed constituent layers. We developed and synthesised a new EC structure by inserting the chromic layers in the interior of the device and partitioning the electrolyte layer and assigning it to the device’s peripheries. This new arrangement allows for an increase in the dielectric tunability of over three times compared to previously reported standard EC structures in the frequency range from 1–20 GHz.
Synthesis and modification of uniform PEG-neridronate-modified magnetic nanoparticles determines prolonged blood circulation and biodistribution in a mouse preclinical model
Authors: Patsula Vitalii , Horák Daniel , Kučka Jan , Macková Hana , Lobaz Volodymyr , Francová Pavla , Herynek Vít , Heizer Tomáš , Páral Petr , Šefc Luděk
Published: July 2019

Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with uniform sizes of 10, 20, and 31 nm were prepared by thermal decomposition of Fe(III) oleate or mandelate in a high-boiling point solvent (>320 °C). To render the particles with hydrophilic and antifouling properties, their surface was coated with a PEG-containing bisphosphonate anchoring group. The PEGylated particles were characterized by a range of physicochemical methods, including dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and magnetization measurements. As the particle size increased from 10 to 31 nm, the amount of PEG coating decreased from 28.5 to 9 wt.%. The PEG formed a dense brush-like shell on the particle surface, which prevented particles from aggregating in water and PBS (pH 7.4) and maximized the circulation time in vivo. Magnetic resonance relaxometry confirmed that the PEG-modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles had high relaxivity, which increased with increasing particle size. In the in vivo experiments in a mouse model, the particles provided visible contrast enhancement in the magnetic resonance images. Almost 70% of administrated 20-nm magnetic nanoparticles still circulated in the blood stream after four hours; however, their retention in the tumor was rather low, which was likely due to the antifouling properties of PEG.
Excipient-excipient interactions in the development of nanocarriers: an innovative statistical approach for formulation decisions
Authors: Beraldo-de-Araújo Viviane Lucia , Beraldo-de-Araújo Anderson , Costa Juliana Souza Ribeiro , Pelegrine Ana Carolina Martins , Ribeiro Lígia Nunes Moraes , Paula Eneida de , Oliveira-Nascimento Laura
Published: July 2019

Excipient interaction has become essential knowledge for rational formulation design of nanoparticles. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) include at least three types of excipient, which enhance excipient interaction possibilities and relevance. The present article introduces an alternative approach for evaluating a great number of excipients with few samples, using NLC as a model delivery system. This approach is based on two sequential experiments using Hall-2 experimental design and analysis of excipient interactions in respect to their physicochemical properties by multilevel statistics. NLCs were prepared using a hot emulsification-ultrasonication method with lidocaine and nine excipients (solid lipids, oils and surfactants). The evaluated parameters were z-average size (DLS), dispersity (DLS), zeta potential (electrophoretic mobility) and entrapment efficiency (HPLC). Cetyl palmitate, beeswax, castor oil, capric/caprylic acid and polysorbate 80 all presented larger effects amongst the studied factors as well as a clear pattern of synergistic interactions. Following the verified trends, we produced an optimized NLC that exhibited all desirable physicochemical characteristics and a modified drug release profile. Our results demonstrate the methodology’s robustness, which can be applied to other nanoparticles and establish a cost-effective excipient evaluation.
Terbium ion as RNA tag for slide-free pathology with deep-ultraviolet excitation fluorescence
Authors: Kumamoto Yasuaki , Matsumoto Tatsuya , Tanaka Hideo , Takamatsu Tetsuro
Published: July 2019

Deep-ultraviolet excitation fluorescence microscopy has enabled molecular imaging having an optical sectioning capability with a wide-field configuration and its usefulness for slide-free pathology has been shown in recent years. Here, we report usefulness of terbium ions as RNA-specific labeling probes for slide-free pathology with deep-ultraviolet excitation fluorescence. On excitation in the wavelength range of 250–300 nm, terbium ions emitted fluorescence after entering cells. Bright fluorescence was observed at nucleoli and cytoplasm while fluorescence became weak after RNA decomposition by ribonuclease prior to staining. It was also found that the fluorescence intensity at nucleoplasm increased with temperature during staining and that this temperature-dependent behavior resembled temperature-dependent hypochromicity of DNA due to melting. These findings indicated that terbium ions stained single-stranded nucleic acid more efficiently than double-stranded nucleic acid. We further combined terbium ions and DNA-specific dyes for dual-color imaging. In the obtained image, nucleolus, nucleoplasm, and cytoplasm were distinguished. We demonstrated the usefulness of dual-color imaging for rapid diagnosis of surgical specimen by showing optical sectioning of unsliced tissues. The present findings can enhance deep-ultraviolet excitation fluorescence microscopy and consequently expand the potential of fluorescence microscopy in life sciences.
Native cardiac environment and its impact on engineering cardiac tissue
Authors: Schwach Verena , Passier Robert
Published: July 2019

In this review, we describe the progressive build-up of the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) during embryonic development, the ECM of the adult human heart and the application of natural and synthetic biomaterials for cardiac tissue engineering using hPSC-CMs.