bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
À quel âge est-on sénior ?
Authors: Pourrat Frank
Published: February 2020

Dans la littérature socio-économique, un grand nombre de termes est aujourd’hui utilisé pour décrire ceux qui autrefois, était dénommés « les vieux ».

Notre société a créé une nouvelle catégorie d’âge : celle des 55 -75 ans, de part la transformation du parcours de vie.

Notre activité orthodontique voit apparaître aujourd’hui un grand nombre d’adultes, dont plus particulièrement la catégorie du troisième âge : les séniors. Les séniors sont-ils vraiment ceux du troisième âge ?

Nous essayerons de catégoriser sous les différents noms qui apparaîssent dans la littérature, la catégorie des séniors : Combien sont-ils ? Qui sontils ? Quels problèmes rencontrent-ils ? Pourquoi sont-ils dans nos cabinets ?
Zu viel des Guten
Authors: Schlutt Uwe
Published: February 2020

Der Aderlass wird seit rund 2500 Jahren angewandt und entstammt der griechischen und später der mittelalterlichen Säftelehre. Man unterscheidet je nach Entnahmevolumen und Vorgehen den großen und kleinen Aderlass sowie die Variante nach Hildegard von Bingen und den Mikroaderlass. Zu den wichtigsten Indikationen zählen Hypertonie, chronisch entzündliche Prozesse, Füllezustände, Krampfaderbeschwerden, Migräne, allergische Reaktionslage und therapieresistente chronische Prozesse.
Kardiologische Anforderungen an die Nuklearmedizinische Untersuchung
Authors: Buechel Ronny R.
Published: February 2020

Die nuklearmedizinische Bildgebung ist und bleibt in vielen Fällen ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der nicht invasiven kardiologischen Diagnostik. Wichtig ist dabei eine enge und partnerschaftliche interdisziplinäre Kommunikation. So muss der Nuklearmediziner, gerade auch vor dem Hintergrund der sich stetig weiterentwickelnden bildgebenden Techniken, aber auch aufgrund neuartiger Tracer und neuer Anwendungsgebiete, in der Lage sein, der Kardiologie als beratender Kollege und Experte zur Verfügung zu stehen. Dabei gilt es nicht nur, bezogen auf die jeweilige Fragestellung, über Stärken und Schwächen verschiedener Modalitäten und Techniken zu informieren. Es müssen auch die Befunde innerhalb eines übergeordneten klinischen Kontexts interpretiert werden, um möglichst klare Empfehlungen geben zu können. Nur so kann für die Patienten schließlich aus hochstehender Diagnostik ein maximaler klinischer Benefit erreicht werden. Um dies zu erreichen, ist umgekehrt auch für den Nuklearmediziner ein grundlegendes Verständnis für die kardiologische Sicht unverzichtbar. Der nachfolgende Artikel versucht daher, die Anforderungen an nuklearmedizinische Untersuchungen im Kontext der kardiologischen Tätigkeit und die damit verbundenen Überlegungen aufzuzeigen. Der Fokus liegt dabei aufgrund der sozioökonomischen und gesundheitspolitischen Relevanz auf dem Krankheitsbild der koronaren Herzkrankheit. Weiter werden die Anforderungen an nuklearmedizinische Untersuchungen im Kontext von myokardialer Inflammationsabklärung und schließlich bei kardialer Amyloidose betrachtet.
Stoffwechsel in Schieflage
Authors: Grafen Keren
Published: February 2020

Das lebensstilbedingte Metabolische Syndrom betrifft rund ein Viertel der Bevölkerung und ist durch das Zusammenwirken von Adipositas, Diabetes, Dyslipidämie und Hypertonie charakterisiert. Für die Einschätzung und Therapie der Krankheitsrisiken und -entwicklung liefert das Blutlabor die entscheidenden Informationen, insbesondere über den Fett- und Glukosestoffwechsel sowie den oxidativen Status. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf der Frühdiagnostik mit Markern wie Adiponektin, C-Peptid, Lipoprotein a, Glutathion sowie kardialen Parametern wie hsCRP, BNP und Homocystein.
Morphing as a Selection Tool in the Rhinoplasty Consult: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Lekakis Garyfalia , Sykes Jonathan , Hens Greet , Hellings Peter William
Published: February 2020

Despite the recognized value of morphing in the literature, this preoperative tool has never been studied in the context of selection process in rhinoplasty. The main purpose of this article is to identify the use of morphing as a filter for unsuitable patients, the attrition rate from the initial consultation to surgery, and whether patients' appreciation on morphing influence their decision-making process. Three-hundred thirty-four consecutive patients, seeking rhinoplasty, underwent two-dimensional computer imaging and completed a 14-question survey about their opinion on morphing. Based on the presence or absence of patient/physician consensus on the expected outcomes during simulation, patients were divided into accepted or rejected candidates for surgery. Accepted candidates were scheduled for rhinoplasty and subdivided into those who underwent surgery, those who postponed their surgery (static), and those who cancelled their procedure. Their responses to the survey were compared between different patients' categories. Forty-four patients (13.2%) were rejected for rhinoplasty since consensus was not achieved during morphing. From 290 accepted patients, 178 underwent their operation (53.3%), 74 patients (22.1%) postponed their rhinoplasty, and 38 (11.4%) cancelled their surgery. Fifty-seven percent of rejected patients and 42% of the static group were not satisfied with the proposed results of morphing, in contrast with 16% of the operated group. Sixty-four percent of rejected patients, and 47% of the static group were not reassured after morphing, compared with 26% of the operated group. Presence or absence of consensus during morphing can guide the surgeon regarding a given patients' suitability for surgery. Patient satisfaction and reassurance with the morphed images can be a good predictor of patients who will proceed to surgery, calling attention to the value of morphing as a selection tool for surgeons and patients alike.
Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Outcomes—Can We REDUCE-IT ?
Authors: Pradhan Akshyaya , Bhandari Monika , Vishwakarma Pravesh , Sethi Rishi
Published: February 2020

The causal linkage between triglycerides and coronary artery disease has been controversial. Most of the trials hitherto have shown marginal or no beneficial effects of reduction of triglycerides (with fibrates) on top of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) reduction. But a significant residual cardiovascular risk remains even after use of high dose of statins. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce triglyceride levels and some old trials have shown the benefits of fish oils in reducing cardiovascular events. However, barring a few trials most of the large trials of omega-3 fatty acids are negative. Recently, few large trials have been conducted to see the effects of high dose omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular outcomes and some of them have shown promising results on top of LDL reduction.
Civil liability for damages related to germline and embryo editing against the legal admissibility of gene editing
Authors: Krekora-Zając Dorota
Published: February 2020

The creators of CRISPR-Cas9 method have turned to the world community, including lawyers, to undertake a public discussion on the implications that it can create. One of the most important problems to be resolved in the future, will be the issue of establishing very clear legal principles of compensatory liability for damages resulting from the editing of genes in human embryos and reproductive cells. It is necessary to show possible legal problems that may arise and—what is more—the fact that they will certainly appear in future legislative work in the world. Questions must be asked to which world legal experts will seek answers. And this is the goal of this paper was set—showing possible legal problems and asking questions related to liability for damages resulting from the editing of genes in human embryos and reproductive cells that will be answered in the future. The most important research questions are therefore: what is the genetic nature of the genes edition—is it a treatment whose aim is to treat infertility of parents or the future child? How to determine the scope of responsibility in the situation when it comes to the “cure” of one mutation, but there is a tendency to develop a disease in the future? What then is the scope of the doctor’s duty to inform? How to qualify the editing of a gene that is not intended to cure the existing disease, but to obtain a certain specific immunity? What legal obligations will weigh on parents who decide to edit the genes of the embryo or in the preconception phase? Finally, the question arises about the time limits of this gene-editing responsibility. If we make genetic modification of hereditary nature, then will the children or grandchildren subjected to gene editing be able to make claims? In this paper, the provisions of international European law, common law and continental law on the example of Polish law have been analysed. The key findings of this paper are to show that legal problems in gene editing are not limited to answering the question whether it should be admissible or not. For this reason, the role of legal discourse, and in particular of private law, should focus on the reinterpretation of traditional compensation structures, so that they also protect the rights of people whose genome has been modified.
Gender and Arctic climate change science in Canada
Authors: Natcher David , Maria Bogdan Ana , Lieverse Angela , Spiers Kent
Published: February 2020

There is growing recognition that gender diversity within research organizations can result in innovative research outcomes. It has also been recognized that gender homogeneity can undermine the quality and breadth of the research and may allow some to cast doubt on the legitimacy of scientific findings. In this paper, we present the results of a gender-based analysis of Canada’s ArcticNet Networks Centers of Excellence. Representing Canada’s single largest commitment to climate change science, ArcticNet has involved 761 researchers who have published >2400 peer-reviewed publications on the impacts of climate change in the Canadian Arctic. Our results indicate that, despite outnumbering their male peers at the graduate levels, the representation of women within ArcticNet exhibits a marked decline to only 21% (N = 51) of all ArcticNet investigators (N = 246). In addition to being numerically under-represented, female investigators in ArcticNet have fewer research collaborators and are generally less integrated into the network as compared to their male colleagues. Male investigators tend to form homophilious ties—publishing predominately with other males, whereas female investigators have heterophilious collaborations, with fewer peer-reviewed journal articles. Given the complexities of climate change research, particularly in the Arctic where the impacts of climate change are projected to be most extreme, the equitable inclusion of female scientists and other under-represented groups is crucial if sustainable solutions are to be found.
Toward non-Hermitian quantum statistical thermodynamics
Authors: Bebiano N. , da Providência J. , da Providência J. P.
Published: February 2020

Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians possessing a discrete real spectrum motivated remarkable research activity in quantum physics and new insights have emerged. In this paper, we formulate concepts of statistical thermodynamics for systems described by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with real eigenvalues. We mainly focus on the case where the energy and another observable are the conserved quantities. The notion of entropy and entropy inequalities is central in our approach, which treats equilibrium thermodynamics.
Energy transformation on flow-induced motions of multiple cylindrical structures with various corner shapes
Authors: Liang Yibo , Tao Longbin , Xiao Longfei
Published: February 2020

A comprehensive numerical study on flow-induced motions (FIMs) of a deep-draft semi-submersible, a typical multiple cylindrical structure in offshore engineering, was carried out to investigate the energy transformation of the vortex shedding process. In addition, the corner shape effect on the flow characteristics, the hydrodynamic forces, and the FIM responses are presented for a multiple cylindrical structure with various corner shapes (sharp, rounded, and chamfered) under 45° current incidence. Different energy transformations, hydrodynamic characteristics, and FIM responses were observed due to the slight variation of the corner shape. The galloping at 45° incidence for a square-section shape column was observed when the corner shape modified as a chamfered corner. A “re-attached vortex shedding” phenomenon is discovered when the “lock-in” happened for a chamfered corner design. Further insights of the fluid physics into the flow characteristics due to the difference of the corner shape are revealed. In addition, the energy transformation and the mechanism for reducing the hydrodynamic forces and the FIM responses are analyzed.
Grain growth and superconductivity of rhenium electrodeposited from water-in-salt electrolytes
Authors: Sides William D. , Hassani Ehsan , Pappas David P. , Hu Yang , Oh Tae-Sik , Huang Qiang
Published: February 2020

The relationship between superconductivity and the film preparation conditions, i.e., the thickness and annealing process, in electrodeposited rhenium (Re) films is studied in order to understand the effect of grain size and impurities on the film's superconducting transition temperature, Tc. A water-in-salt electrolyte was used to mitigate embrittlement by reducing hydrogen evolution at the cathode where Re is deposited. The as-deposited films exhibit a highly disordered atomic structure and superconductivity up to a temperature of Tc > 5.8 K, consistent with that expected from amorphous films. A reduction of the critical temperature of superconductivity is found to accompany grain growth. However, for film thicknesses less than 300 nm the grain growth is inhibited. This leads to a retention of the critical temperature upon annealing these thin films. A reduction of impurities in Re films is found to accompany annealing, and significant grain growth is found to proceed rapidly at temperatures of 220 °C in inert atmospheres. The introduction of hydrogen in the annealing ambient further facilitates this grain growth.
Enhanced P,T-violating nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment effects in laser-coolable molecules
Authors: Denis Malika , Hao Yongliang , Eliav Ephraim , Hutzler Nicholas R. , Nayak Malaya K. , Timmermans Rob G. E. , Borschesvky Anastasia
Published: February 2020

Nuclear magnetic quadrupole moments (MQMs), such as intrinsic electric dipole moments of elementary particles, violate both parity and time-reversal symmetry and, therefore, probe physics beyond the standard model. We report on accurate relativistic coupled cluster calculations of the nuclear MQM interaction constants in BaF, YbF, BaOH, and YbOH. We elaborate on estimates of the uncertainty of our results. The implications of experiments searching for nonzero nuclear MQMs are discussed.
Dielectrophoresis of air
Authors: Soffer Lucas , Rendos Abigail , Zosuls Aleksandrs L. , Walsh Brian M. , Brown Keith A.
Published: February 2020

Dielectrophoresis describes neutral particles moving in non-uniform electric fields. We experimentally observe the dielectrophoresis of gas generated by macroscopic electrodes and show that this effect can be large enough to generate audible sound. The observed sound agrees with a multiscale model of dielectrophoresis of gas. The compositional dependence of this effect is shown through experiments on mixtures of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, as well as volatile molecules in air.
Timing of fungal spore release dictates survival during atmospheric transport
Authors: Lagomarsino Oneto Daniele , Golan Jacob , Mazzino Andrea , Pringle Anne , Seminara Agnese
Published: February 2020

Significance

Fungi move between habitats by dispersing small spores through the atmosphere. We ask what causes some species to release spores at a specific time every day versus irregularly. We find that timing of spore release dictates how long spores remain in the atmosphere before returning to the ground: Spores released at night are likely to travel for hours while spores released during the day may linger for days. Drivers are stronger in lower, warmer latitudes. Because spores in the open atmosphere are likely to die from prolonged exposure to light and air, the timing of spore release will impact survival. We have discovered a constraint likely to shape observed patterns of spore liberation.
Nitrogen pollution interacts with heat stress to increase coral bleaching across the seascape
Authors: Donovan Mary K. , Adam Thomas C. , Shantz Andrew A. , Speare Kelly E. , Munsterman Katrina S. , Rice Mallory M. , Schmitt Russell J. , Holbrook Sally J. , Burkepile Deron E.
Published: February 2020

Climate change is increasing the frequency and magnitude of temperature anomalies that cause coral bleaching, leading to widespread mortality of stony corals that can fundamentally alter reef structure and function. However, bleaching often is spatially variable for a given heat stress event, and drivers of this heterogeneity are not well resolved. While small-scale experiments have shown that excess nitrogen can increase the susceptibility of a coral colony to bleaching, we lack evidence that heterogeneity in nitrogen pollution can shape spatial patterns of coral bleaching across a seascape. Using island-wide surveys of coral bleaching and nitrogen availability within a Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework, we tested the hypothesis that excess nitrogen interacts with temperature anomalies to alter coral bleaching for the two dominant genera of branching corals in Moorea, French Polynesia. For both coral genera,
Pocillopora
and
Acropora
, heat stress primarily drove bleaching prevalence (i.e., the proportion of colonies on a reef that bleached). In contrast, the severity of bleaching (i.e., the proportion of an individual colony that bleached) was positively associated with both heat stress and nitrogen availability for both genera. Importantly, nitrogen interacted with heat stress to increase bleaching severity up to twofold when nitrogen was high and heat stress was relatively low. Our finding that excess nitrogen can trigger severe bleaching even under relatively low heat stress implies that mitigating nutrient pollution may enhance the resilience of coral communities in the face of mounting stresses from global climate change.
Massively parallel variant characterization identifiesNUDT15alleles associated with thiopurine toxicity
Authors: Suiter Chase C. , Moriyama Takaya , Matreyek Kenneth A. , Yang Wentao , Scaletti Emma Rose , Nishii Rina , Yang Wenjian , Hoshitsuki Keito , Singh Minu , Trehan Amita , Parish Chris , Smith Colton , Li Lie , Bhojwani Deepa , Yuen Liz Y. P. , Li Chi-kong , Li Chak-ho , Yang Yung-li , Walker Gareth J. , Goodhand James R. , Kennedy Nicholas A. , Klussmann Federico Antillon , Bhatia Smita , Relling Mary V. , Kato Motohiro , Hori Hiroki , Bhatia Prateek , Ahmad Tariq , Yeoh Allen E. J. , Stenmark Pål , Fowler Douglas M. , Yang Jun J.
Published: February 2020

Significance

Pharmacogenetics is a prototype of genomics-guided precision medicine. While there is a rapid expansion of novel pharmacogenetic variants discovered by genome sequencing, the lack of variant interpretation in a scalable fashion is a formidable barrier in this field.NUDT15polymorphism is a major genetic cause for hematopoietic toxicity during thiopurine therapy. Motivated by the need to understandNUDT15variant effects for clinical actions, we developed a massively parallel assay to preemptively characterize 91.8% of all possible missense variants inNUDT15. Our function-based variant classification accurately predicted thiopurine toxicity risk alleles in patients. These results vastly improved the ability to implement genotype-guided thiopurine therapy and illustrated the value and potential of a high-throughput variant effect screen in general.
Momentum-resolved superconducting energy gaps of Sr
2
RuO
4
from quasiparticle interference imaging
Authors: Sharma Rahul , Edkins Stephen D. , Wang Zhenyu , Kostin Andrey , Sow Chanchal , Maeno Yoshiteru , Mackenzie Andrew P. , Davis J. C. Séamus , Madhavan Vidya
Published: February 2020

Sr
2
RuO
4
has long been the focus of intense research interest because of conjectures that it is a correlated topological superconductor. It is the momentum space (
k
-space) structure of the superconducting energy gap

Δ
i

(
k
)

on each band
i
that encodes its unknown superconducting order parameter. However, because the energy scales are so low, it has never been possible to directly measure the

Δ
i

(
k
)

of Sr
2
RuO
4
. Here, we implement Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference (BQPI) imaging, a technique capable of high-precision measurement of multiband

Δ
i

(
k
)

. At
T
= 90 mK, we visualize a set of Bogoliubov scattering interference wavevectors

q
j

:
j
=
1
−
5

consistent with eight gap nodes/minima that are all closely aligned to the

(

±
1
,
±
1

)

crystal lattice directions on both the α and β bands. Taking these observations in combination with other very recent advances in directional thermal conductivity [E. Hassinger
et al.
,
Phys. Rev. X
7, 011032 (2017)], temperature-dependent Knight shift [A. Pustogow
et al.
,
Nature
574, 72–75 (2019)], time-reversal symmetry conservation [S. Kashiwaya
et al.
,
Phys. Rev B
, 100, 094530 (2019)], and theory [A. T. Rømer
et al.
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
123, 247001 (2019); H. S. Roising, T. Scaffidi, F. Flicker, G. F. Lange, S. H. Simon,
Phys. Rev. Res.
1, 033108 (2019); and O. Gingras, R. Nourafkan, A. S. Tremblay, M. Côté,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
123, 217005 (2019)], the BQPI signature of Sr
2
RuO
4
appears most consistent with

Δ
i

(
k
)

having

d

x
2

−

y
2

(

B

1
g

)

symmetry.
Representation of distinct reward variables for self and other in primate lateral hypothalamus
Authors: Noritake Atsushi , Ninomiya Taihei , Isoda Masaki
Published: February 2020

Significance

Motivation is affected by rewards to both oneself and others. Which brain regions separately monitor self-rewards and other-rewards? It has been thought that higher-order, neocortical regions, such as the medial prefrontal cortex, monitor behavioral information in agent-selective manners. Here, we show that a subcortical region called the lateral hypothalamus (LH), an evolutionarily old structure in the vertebrate brain, also contains agent-specific reward information and further integrates it into a subjective reward value. This other-reward–dependent value signal is causally used for adaptive behavior, because deactivation of LH cells totally eliminates the motivational impact of other-rewards. Our findings indicate that the LH is an integral component of social brain networks and shapes socially motivated behavior via functional coordination with neocortical regions.
Angry tweets
Authors: Breeze Ruth
Published: February 2020

The rise of populism has turned researchers’ attention to the importance of affect in politics. This is a
corpus-assisted study investigating lexis in the semantic domain of anger and violence in tweets by radical-right campaigner Nigel
Farage in comparison with four other prominent British politicians. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses of discourse show
that Farage cultivates a particular set of affective-discursive practices, which bring anger into the public sphere and offer a
channel to redirect frustrations. Rather than expressing his own emotions, he presents anger as generalised throughout society,
and then performs the role of defending ‘ordinary people’ who are the victims of the elites. This enables him to legitimise violent
emotions and actions by appealing to the need for self-assertion and self-defence.
Leptin promotes the fat preference associated with low-temperature acclimation in mice
Authors: Nagasaka Reiko , Nakachi Hazuki , Onodera Yuka , Ishikawa Yuki , Ohshima Toshiaki
Published: February 2020

Although fluctuations in energy metabolism are known to influence intake as well as nutrient selection, there are no definitive reports on how food preferences change with changes in habitat temperature. We investigated the effects of habitat temperature on appetite and food preference and elucidated the underlying mechanism by conducting a feeding experiment and a leptin administration test on mice reared at low temperatures. Our results showed that the increased food intake and HFD preference observed in the 10°C group were induced by decrease in plasma leptin concentration. Then, a leptin administration experiment was conducted to clarify the relationship between leptin and food preference with low-temperature acclimation. The control group reared in 10°C significantly preferred the HFD, but the leptin-administered group did not. These results show that the peripheral system appetite-regulating hormone leptin not only acts to suppress appetite but also might inhibit preference for lipids in low-temperature acclimation.
The German perspective on the Transcaucasian Federation and the influence of the Committee for Georgia’s Independence
Authors: Bakradze Lasha
Published: February 2020

At the onset of the First World War in August 1914, a group of Georgian émigrés in Europe and the Ottoman Empire offered their cooperation to the German side. Intent on weakening the Entente through supporting uprisings among those states’ colonized nations, the German government was interested in such cooperation. In September 1914 the “Committee for Georgia’s Independence” was formed, which up until 1918 maintained close relations with various state agencies of Germany and its allies, as well as with the anti-Russian forces of the Caucasus and the Russian Empire. The Committee for Georgia’s Independence aspired to present itself as a firm pillar for Germany among what the Germans referred to officially as the “revolutionizing” of the Caucasus. What vision of the future for Georgia and the Caucasus did this Georgian Committee harbour? To what extent did these visions influence German policies? And did the Committee play any role in the events that unfolded in the Caucasus in 1917–1918?
NK cell–derived GM-CSF potentiates inflammatory arthritis and is negatively regulated by CIS
Authors: Louis Cynthia , Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes Fernando , Yang Yuyan , D’Silva Damian , Kratina Tobias , Dagley Laura , Hediyeh-Zadeh Soroor , Rautela Jai , Masters Seth Lucian , Davis Melissa J. , Babon Jeffrey J. , Ciric Bogoljub , Vivier Eric , Alexander Warren S. , Huntington Nicholas D. , Wicks Ian P.
Published: February 2020

Despite increasing recognition of the importance of GM-CSF in autoimmune disease, it remains unclear how GM-CSF is regulated at sites of tissue inflammation. Using GM-CSF fate reporter mice, we show that synovial NK cells produce GM-CSF in autoantibody-mediated inflammatory arthritis. Synovial NK cells promote a neutrophilic inflammatory cell infiltrate, and persistent arthritis, via GM-CSF production, as deletion of NK cells, or specific ablation of GM-CSF production in NK cells, abrogated disease. Synovial NK cell production of GM-CSF is IL-18–dependent. Furthermore, we show that cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CIS) is crucial in limiting GM-CSF signaling not only during inflammatory arthritis but also in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of multiple sclerosis. Thus, a cellular cascade of synovial macrophages, NK cells, and neutrophils mediates persistent joint inflammation via production of IL-18 and GM-CSF. Endogenous CIS provides a key brake on signaling through the GM-CSF receptor. These findings shed new light on GM-CSF biology in sterile tissue inflammation and identify several potential therapeutic targets.
Teukolsky formalism for nonlinear Kerr perturbations
Authors: Green Stephen R , Hollands Stefan , Zimmerman Peter
Published: February 2020

We develop a formalism to treat higher order (nonlinear) metric perturbations of the Kerr spacetime in a Teukolsky framework. We first show that solutions to the linearized Einstein equation with nonvanishing stress tensor can be decomposed into a pure gauge part plus a zero mode (infinitesimal perturbation of the mass and spin) plus a perturbation arising from a certain scalar (‘Debye–Hertz’) potential, plus a so-called ‘corrector tensor’. The scalar potential is a solution to the spin  −2 Teukolsky equation with a source. This source, as well as the tetrad components of the corrector tensor, are obtained by solving certain decoupled ordinary differential equations involving the stress tensor. As we show, solving these ordinary differential equations reduces simply to integrations in the coordinate r in outgoing Kerr–Newman coordinates, so in this sense, the problem is reduced to the Teukolsky equation with source, which can be treated by a separation of variables ansatz. Since higher order perturbations are subject to a linearized Einstein equation with a stress tensor obtained from the lower order perturbations, our method also applies iteratively to the higher order metric perturbations, and could thus be used to analyze the nonlinear coupling of perturbations in the near-extremal Kerr spacetime, where weakly turbulent behavior has been conjectured to occur. Our method could also be applied to the study of perturbations generated by a pointlike body traveling on a timelike geodesic in Kerr, which is relevant to the extreme mass ratio inspiral problem.
Accelerating the formation of the conjugated ladder structure of Poly(acrylonitrile-co-vinyl acetate) by cross-linked poplar lignin doped with boron phosphate
Authors: Shi Hui , Ouyang Qin , Wang Jing-yu , Zhu Pin-lei , Hao Jian-wei , Huang Xian-bo
Published: February 2020

Utilizing renewable resources and accelerating thermal stabilization have been two main effective technical means to reduce the cost of poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) based carbon fibre (CF). In this work, cross-linked poplar lignin (CPPL) with higher carbon content and 15 times the weight-average molecular weight of poplar lignin (PPL) was formed by doping boron phosphate (BP) in situ composites, which was blended with poly(acrylonitrile-co-vinyl acetate) (PANVA) to prepare a low-cost partially bio-based composite PANVA/CPPL-BP. During thermal stabilization, the C1s curve-fitting of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra showed that the conjugated ladder structure of PANVA/CPPL-BP started to form at 230 °C, which was 20 °C lower than PANVA. And the acceleration in forming conjugated ladder structures was further confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric (TG), and TG-FTIR. During simulated low-temperature carbonization for composites stabilized at 230 °C in advance, the addition of CPPL-BP greatly improved the order of graphitic structure for PANVA. The mechanical property of CF mats has also been obviously improved by CPPL-BP. The possible mechanism that CPPL-BP accelerating the formation of conjugated ladder structures for PANVA/CPPL-BP during thermal stabilization was proposed. With such improvement on accelerating thermal stabilization and utilizing cheap bio-material at the same time, this PANVA/CPPL-BP composite has a great potential in developing low-cost CF.
Surviving the Nakba: On Palestinians’ Political Possibilities and Limitations in 1948
Authors: Dallasheh Leena
Published: February 2020

Adel Manna’s Nakba and Survival: The Story of the Palestinians Who Remained in Haifa and the Galilee, 1948–1956 appeared in Arabic and Hebrew in 2016–2017. Manna’s book gives voice to the experience of the first generation of Palestinians living within the State of Israel. Here, four scholars of Palestinian and Israeli history review Nakba and Survival and weigh its importance for reckoning with the entangled history of the creation of Israel and the related dispossession of Palestinians during and after 1948.
Hierarchy of Connectivity–Function Relationship of the Human Cortex Revealed through Predicting Activity across Functional Domains
Authors: Wu Dongya , Fan Lingzhong , Song Ming , Wang Haiyan , Chu Congying , Yu Shan , Jiang Tianzi
Published: February 2020

Many studies showed that anatomical connectivity supports both anatomical and functional hierarchies that span across the primary and association cortices in the cerebral cortex. Even though a structure–function relationship has been indicated to uncouple in the association cortex, it is still unknown whether anatomical connectivity can predict functional activations to the same degree throughout the cortex, and it remains unclear whether a hierarchy of this connectivity–function relationship (CFR) exists across the human cortex. We first addressed whether anatomical connectivity could be used to predict functional activations across different functional domains using multilinear regression models. Then, we characterized the CFR by predicting activity from anatomical connectivity throughout the cortex. We found that there is a hierarchy of CFR between sensory–motor and association cortices. Moreover, this CFR hierarchy was correlated to the functional and anatomical hierarchies, respectively, reflected in functional flexibility and the myelin map. Our results suggest a shared hierarchical mechanism in the cortex, a finding which provides important insights into the anatomical and functional organizations of the human brain.
A Two-Step Optimization Approach: Validated RP-HPLC Method for Determination of Gatifloxacin and Dexamethasone in Ophthalmic Formulation
Authors: Saad Martin N , Essam Hebatallah M , Elzanfaly Eman S , Amer Sawsan M
Published: February 2020

The growing technology of stationary phase chemistry has a great impact on the chromatographic system performance and analysis economics. In this context, a simple rapid reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography method development is presented for the analysis of gatifloxacin (GFN) and dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) in their ophthalmic formulation. A two-step optimization approach has been conducted using optimum chromatographic conditions as well as proper selection of stationary phase. The chromatographic separation was carried out using sodium phosphate buffer pH 3.0 ± 0.1 and acetonitrile 72:28 v/v, respectively, with flow rate 1 mL min−1 and simultaneous detection at 243 nm. Three different column technologies were investigated at the optimum set of the chromatographic conditions: Xbridge® bridged ethylene hybrid silica, Kinetex™ Core-Shell and the Onyx™ Monolithic stationary phase. The monolithic column has shown better chromatographic separation, based on system suitability testing as well as shorter analysis time and sensitivity. The proposed method was validated according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The linearity was achieved for GFN and DSP in the range 0.58–120 μg mL−1 and 0.50–120 μg mL−1, respectively, with acceptable accuracy, precision and selectivity.
Risk Factors for Weight Gain Following Switch to Integrase Inhibitor–Based Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Lake Jordan E , Wu Kunling , Bares Sara H , Debroy Paula , Godfrey Catherine , Koethe John R , McComsey Grace A , Palella Frank J , Tassiopoulos Katherine , Erlandson Kristine M
Published: February 2020

Background

Treatment initiation with integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) has been associated with excess weight gain. Whether similar gains are seen after switch to INSTIs among virologically suppressed persons is less clear. We assessed pre/post-INSTI weight changes from AIDS Clinical Trials Group participants (A5001 and A5322).

Methods

Participants who were in follow-up from 1997–2017 and switched to INSTI-based antiretroviral regimens were included. Piecewise linear mixed-effects models adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, baseline BMI, nadir and current CD4+ T-cell count, smoking, diabetes and follow-up time with suppressed HIV-1 RNA examined weight and waist circumference change before and after first switch to INSTIs. Linear spline models with a single knot at time of switch accounted for nonlinear trends.

Results

The 972 participants who switched to INSTIs were 81% male and 50% nonwhite with a median age at switch of 50 years, CD4+ T-cell count 512 cells/μL, and BMI 26.4 kg/m2. Restricting to persons with suppressed HIV-1 RNA at switch (n = 691), women, blacks, and persons ≥60 years experienced greater weight gain in the 2 years after versus before switch. In adjusted models, white or black race, age ≥60, and BMI ≥30 kg/m2 at switch were associated with greater weight gain following switch among women; age ≥60 was the greatest risk factor among men. Trends for waist circumference were similar.

Conclusions

Yearly weight gain increased following switch to INSTIs, particularly for women, blacks, and persons aged ≥60. Concomitant increases in waist circumference suggest that this weight gain is associated with an increase in fat mass.
Risk Factors for Extended-Spectrum β-lactamase–Producing Enterobacterales Bloodstream Infection Among Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients
Authors: Anesi Judith A , Lautenbach Ebbing , Tamma Pranita D , Thom Kerri A , Blumberg Emily A , Alby Kevin , Bilker Warren B , Werzen Alissa , Tolomeo Pam , Omorogbe Jacqueline , Pineles Lisa , Han Jennifer H
Published: February 2020

Background

Approximately 40% of all Enterobacterales (EB) bloodstream infections (BSIs) among solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) are due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing organisms, but risk factors for such infections remain ill defined in this population. We sought to determine the risk factors for ESBL-EB BSIs among SOTRs.

Methods

A multicenter case-control study was performed. All SOTRs with an EB BSI at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and University of Maryland Medical Center between 1 January 2007 and 30 June 2018 and at The Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2015 were included. Cases were those with an ESBL-EB BSI. Controls were those with a non–ESBL-EB BSI. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors for ESBL-EB BSI.

Results

There were 988 episodes of EB BSI, of which 395 (40%) were due to an ESBL-EB. On multivariable analysis, the independent risk factors for ESBL-EB BSI included: ESBL-EB on prior culture (aOR, 12.75; 95% CI, 3.23–50.33; P < .001), a corticosteroid-containing immunosuppression regimen (aOR 1.30; 95% CI 1.03–1.65; P = .030), acute rejection treated with corticosteroids (aOR 1.18; 95% CI 1.16–1.19; P < .001), and exposure to third-generation cephalosporins (aOR 1.95; 95% CI 1.48–2.57; P < .001), echinocandins (aOR 1.61; 95% CI 1.08–2.40; P = .020), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (aOR 1.35; 95% CI 1.10–1.64; P = .003).

Conclusions

We identified several novel risk factors that are uniquely important to the SOTR population, including exposure to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and corticosteroid-containing immunosuppressive regimens. Further studies exploring these associations and testing interventions aimed at these modifiable risk factors among SOTRs are needed.
Concomitant Bacteremia in Adults With Severe Falciparum Malaria
Authors: Phu Nguyen Hoan , Day Nicholas P J , Tuan Phung Quoc , Mai Nguyen Thi Hoang , Chau Tran Thi Hong , Van Chuong Ly , Vinh Ha , Loc Pham Phu , Sinh Dinh Xuan , Hoa Nguyen Thi Tuyet , Waller Deborah J , Wain John , Jeyapant Atthanee , Watson James A , Farrar Jeremy J , Hien Tran Tinh , Parry Christopher M , White Nicholas J
Published: February 2020

Background

Approximately 6% of children hospitalized with severe falciparum malaria in Africa are also bacteremic. It is therefore recommended that all children with severe malaria should receive broad-spectrum antibiotics in addition to parenteral artesunate. Empirical antibiotics are not recommended currently for adults with severe malaria.

Methods

Blood cultures were performed on sequential prospectively studied adult patients with strictly defined severe falciparum malaria admitted to a single referral center in Vietnam between 1991 and 2003.

Results

In 845 Vietnamese adults with severe falciparum malaria admission blood cultures were positive in 9 (1.07%: 95% confidence interval [CI], .37–1.76%); Staphylococcus aureus in 2, Streptococcus pyogenes in 1, Salmonella Typhi in 3, Non-typhoid Salmonella in 1, Klebsiella pneumoniae in 1, and Haemophilus influenzae type b in 1. Bacteremic patients presented usually with a combination of jaundice, acute renal failure, and high malaria parasitemia. Four bacteremic patients died compared with 108 (12.9%) of 836 nonbacteremic severe malaria patients (risk ratio, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.62–7.29). In patients with >20% parasitemia the prevalence of concomitant bacteremia was 5.2% (4/76; 95% CI, .2–10.3%) compared with 0.65% (5/769; 0.08–1.2%) in patients with <20% parasitemia, a risk ratio of 8.1 (2.2–29.5).

Conclusions

In contrast to children, the prevalence of concomitant bacteremia in adults with severe malaria is low. Administration of empirical antibiotics, in addition to artesunate, is warranted in the small subgroup of patients with very high parasitemias, emphasizing the importance of quantitative blood smear microscopy assessment, but it is not indicated in most adults with severe falciparum malaria.
Clinical outcomes of prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy after coronary drug-eluting stent implantation in dialysis patients
Authors: Park Seokwoo , Kim Yaerim , Jo Hyung Ah , Lee Soojin , Kim Mi-Sook , Yang Bo Ram , Lee Joongyub , Han Seung Seok , Lee Hajeong , Lee Jung Pyo , Joo Kwon Wook , Lim Chun Soo , Kim Yon Su , Kim Dong Ki
Published: February 2020

Background

End-stage renal disease yields susceptibility to both ischemia and bleeding. The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is not established in dialysis patients, who are usually excluded from randomized studies. Since recent studies implied the benefits of prolonged DAPT >12 months in chronic kidney disease, we investigated the effectiveness and safety of prolonged DAPT in dialysis patients with higher cardiovascular risks.

Methods

In this nationwide population-based study, we analyzed dialysis patients who underwent DES implantation from 2008 to 2015. Continued DAPT was compared with discontinued DAPT using landmark analyses, including free-of-event participants at 12 (n = 2246), 15 (n = 1925) and 18 months (n = 1692) after DES implantation. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs): a composite of mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization and stroke. Major bleeding was a safety outcome. Inverse probability of treatment weighting Cox regression was performed.

Results

Mean follow-up periods were 278.3–292.4 days, depending on landmarks. Overall, incidences of major bleeding were far lower than those of MACE. Continued DAPT groups showed lower incidences of MACE and higher incidences of major bleeding, compared with discontinued DAPT groups. In Cox analyses, continued DAPT reduced the hazards of MACE at the 12- [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61–0.90; P = 0.003], 15- (HR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.64–0.96; P = 0.019) and 18-month landmarks (HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.63–0.99; P = 0.041), but without a significant increase in major bleeding at 12 (HR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.90–2.16; P = 0.14), 15 (HR = 1.13, 95% CI 0.75–1.70; P = 0.55) or 18 months (HR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.83–1.95; P = 0.27).

Conclusions

Prolonged DAPT reduced MACE without significantly increasing major bleeding in patients who were event-free at 12 months after DES implantation. In deciding on DAPT duration, prolonged DAPT should be considered in dialysis patients.
SMART: security model adversarial risk-based tool for systems security design evaluation
Authors: Wortman Paul A , Chandy John A
Published: February 2020

As development and deployment of secure systems continue to grow at scale, there is an equal need to evaluate these systems for vulnerabilities and other problems. However, the process of evaluating these designs is complicated and mainly proprietary to the group performing the evaluation. Generally, one follows the generic risk equation of probability and impact. In addition, one should examine the costs related to the adversary and the defender of a system. Without accounting for all of these different aspects, one cannot expect to properly assess the security of a system model or design. This work presents a security model adversarial risk-based tool (SMART) for systems security design evaluation. Our tool reads in a systems security model an attack graph and collects the necessary information for the purpose of determining the best solution based on a calculated security risk represented as a monetary amount. The advantage of the tool is the level of automation provided in the evaluation of security attack trees while providing meaningful metrics that are effortless to compare and contrast.
A structured approach to native mitral valve infective endocarditis: Is repair better than replacement?
Authors: Defauw Rufin J , Tomšič Anton , van Brakel Thomas J , Marsan Nina Ajmone , Klautz Robert J M , Palmen Meindert
Published: February 2020

OBJECTIVES

Mitral valve repair in native active infective endocarditis is technically challenging. The survival benefit over valve replacement is poorly established and possibly absent because of the high risk of repair failure and reoperation. In this study, we explore the results of our structured approach in these patients.

METHODS

Between January 2000 and January 2017, 149 patients underwent surgery for native mitral infective endocarditis. Among them, 97 (66%) patients underwent valve repair and 52 (34%) underwent valve replacement. Our structured approach consisted of early surgery, radical resection of infected tissue, liberal use of prosthetic materials and ‘patch’ repair techniques. A critical assessment of expected repair durability was made intraoperatively and repair was not performed if concerns of long-term durability existed. To study the effects of valve repair on overall survival, landmark analysis was performed.

RESULTS

In-hospital mortality was 15.4% (14 repair vs 9 replacement patients; P = 0.642). There were no residual infective endocarditis cases or early reoperations. On Cox proportional hazards analysis, valve replacement was not inferior to repair within 1-year post-surgery [hazard ratio (HR) 1.134, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.504–2.540; P = 0.76]. Beyond 1 year post-surgery, replacement was associated with decreased survival (HR 2.534, 95% CI 1.002–6.406; P = 0.049). There were no differences in freedom from recurrent infective endocarditis (P = 0.47) and mitral valve reintervention (P = 0.52).

CONCLUSIONS

Active mitral valve endocarditis remains a complex disease with significant early and late morbidity and mortality. A structured approach allows valve repair in two-thirds of patients. Clinical results could be improved by focussing on early surgery, prior to extensive valve destruction, to enable durable repairs and improve late outcomes.
Current challenges in three-dimensional bioprinting heart tissues for cardiac surgery
Authors: Roche Christopher D , Brereton Russell J L , Ashton Anthony W , Jackson Christopher , Gentile Carmine
Published: February 2020

Previous attempts in cardiac bioengineering have failed to provide tissues for cardiac regeneration. Recent advances in 3-dimensional bioprinting technology using prevascularized myocardial microtissues as ‘bioink’ have provided a promising way forward. This review guides the reader to understand why myocardial tissue engineering is difficult to achieve and how revascularization and contractile function could be restored in 3-dimensional bioprinted heart tissue using patient-derived stem cells.