bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Liquid-chromatographic determination of an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, CGS 13945, and its active metabolite (CGS 13934) in plasma.
Authors: Rakhit A , Tipnis V
Published: January 2020

An assay for a new orally active angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, CGS 13945, and its active metabolite, CGS 13934, in plasma is described. The compounds are extracted from plasma at pH 3 into methylene chloride. The organic layer is evaporated and the reconstituted residue is chromatographed on a reversed-phase column, with ultraviolet detection. The ratios of peak height of both compounds to internal standard are linearly related to their respective concentrations over the concentration range 0.05 to 10 mg/L. As little as 50 ng of drug or metabolite can be measured in 1 mL of plasma. With use of an automated chromatographic system, samples can be analyzed overnight in a continuous unattended run.
Diazo-based assay for total bilirubin in a coated thin film evaluated.
Authors: Weiss J S , Sundberg M W , Dappen G M , Spayd R W , Wu T W , Jatlow P , Seligson D
Published: January 2020

We compared results for total bilirubin as measured on a coated thin film and by the Evelyn-Malloy and Jendrassik-Gróf methods. We examined serum samples from patients and studied the effects of protein, hemoglobin, and lipids on bilirubin measurement. Results from the thin-film assay compared favorably with those of the other methods. Total and within-day precision (CV), assessed over a one-year period, were better than 6% and 3%, respectively, at all concentrations. Analytical recovery was 99 +/- 3%. Samples from individuals having a wide range of liver diseases demonstrated, by linear regression, good correlation between the thin-film method and the two wet-chemistry methods (correlation coefficients of 0.990 and 0.994). We conclude that the thin-film method offers a valid alternative assay for total bilirubin.
Estimation of unconjugated, conjugated, and "delta" bilirubin fractions in serum by use of two coated thin films.
Authors: Sundberg M W , Lauff J J , Weiss J S , Dappen G M , Wu T W , Spayd R W , Seligson D
Published: January 2020

We used two coated thin films to measure the concentrations of unconjugated, conjugated, and total bilirubin as well as bilirubin covalently bound to albumin ("delta" bilirubin) in more than 400 serum samples. We measured the unconjugated and conjugated species by determining their reflection densities at two wavelengths (400 and 460 nm) on a coating designed for the enhanced spectral measurement of bilirubin but which does not register the delta form. Total bilirubin was measured by use of a diazo-based thin film (Clin Chem 29: 37-41, 1983). We estimated the concentration of delta bilirubin by subtracting the sum of unconjugated and conjugated bilirubin from the concentration of total bilirubin. All measurements agree well with those by comparative methods, as shown by linear regression. Slopes ranged from 0.92 to 1.02, correlation coefficients from 0.935 and 0.998. Linear combinations of these values can also be used to compute other results; e.g., the sum of conjugated and delta bilirubin can be considered to be an estimate of "direct"-reacting bilirubin.
Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in serum of patients suffering burns, blunt trauma, or myocardial infarction.
Authors: Shahangian S , Ash K O , Wahlstrom N O , Warden G D , Saffle J R , Taylor A , Green L S
Published: January 2020

Medical records of 53 burn and trauma patients were reviewed to assess the possibility of myocardial damage. Except for electrophoretically detectable creatine kinase MB isoenzyme, none showed evidence of myocardial injury. Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme tests, electrocardiograms, myocardial pyrophosphate scans, clinical course, and results of (two) autopsies were all negative for myocardial necrosis or ischemia. Types of patient, number, mean peak value (U/L) for serum creatine kinase, and ranges of percentage MB isoenzyme were as follows. Burns from direct electrical contact: 28, 16 600, 0-29; electrical flash or other thermal burns: 10, 4340, 0-22; blunt trauma (mostly from automobile accidents): 15, 3430, 0-18; myocardial infarction: 57, 1520, 4-46. Evidently creatine kinase MB isoenzyme is nonspecific in burn and trauma patients and should not be the only test result used to assess myocardial involvement.
Concentrations of Ag, Al, Au, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Se in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with cerebral neoplasms.
Authors: El-Yazigi A , Al-Saleh I , Al-Mefty O
Published: January 2020

We measured the concentrations of nine trace elements in cerebrospinal fluid of 11 patients with malignant brain tumors, 11 with benign brain tumors, and 10 control patients, using flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean and standard deviation for these concentrations (microgram/L) in the control group were 5.1 +/- 2.9 (silver), 326.6 +/- 171.2 (aluminum), 38.5 +/- 32.2 (gold), 36.6 +/- 23.7 (bismuth), 1.5 +/- 1.3 (cadmium), 39.8 +/- 24.7 (copper), 15.7 +/- 11.5 (lead), 20.9 +/- 3.8 (antimony), and 19.1 +/- 13.3 (selenium). Concentrations of silver and lead were markedly increased in patients with malignant cerebral neoplasms. The malignant-tumor/control patient concentration ratios were 2.31 for silver and 2.11 for lead. We observed no significant differences between the results for the benign tumor patients and the control group.
A tableted enzymic reagent for salicylate, for use in a discrete multiwavelength analytical system (Paramax).
Authors: Longenecker R W , Trafton J E , Edwards R B
Published: January 2020

A fully enzymic reagent for determination of salicylate in serum has been developed for use in the Paramax analytical system. The assay, run as an equilibrium determination, is based on the reaction of salicylate with NADPH and oxygen in the presence of salicylate hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.1) to form catechol, NADP+, carbon dioxide, and water. The reaction is complete within 7 min, after which time the resulting absorbance change at 340/405 nm is measured. The sample:reagent ratio is 1:60 (5 microL of sample in a 300 microL final reaction volume). A single 30-mg tablet contains all of the reactants with tableting excipients. The use of NADPH eliminates interferences from reactions involving NADH. The large sample:reagent ratio, high sensitivity, and choice of bichromatic wavelengths minimize sample error. Results are linearly related to salicylate concentration to 1500 mg/L. Precision (CV) is 1.7% at 540 mg/L and 2.4% at 280 mg/L.
Gas-chromatographic quantification of methylphenidate in plasma with use of solid-phase extraction and nitrogen-sensitive detection.
Authors: Potts B D , Martin C A , Vore M
Published: January 2020

The gas-chromatographic assay for methylphenidate described here involves isolation by solid-phase extraction and quantification by thermionic nitrogen-phosphorus detection. Methylphenidate and the internal standard, ethylphenidate, are extracted from plasma by partition onto C2 reversed-phase packing. Methylphenidate and ethylphenidate are eluted, dried, derivatized with trifluoroacetic anhydride, and gas-chromatographed, with nitrogen-sensitive detection. The standard curve for the assay is linear in the range 5-100 micrograms/L. The within-run CV is less than 4%, the between-run CV less than 6%. Mean analytical recovery of methylphenidate was greater than 90%. The smallest measurable concentration is 2 micrograms/L. The sensitivity, reproducibility, and economy of this assay make it suitable for clinical monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies.
Diagnostic efficacy of a new enzyme immunoassay for creatine kinase MB isoenzyme.
Authors: Fenton J J , Brunstetter S , Gordon W C , Rippe D F , Bell M L
Published: January 2020

A new commercial enzyme immunoassay kit for quantification of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) isoenzyme was compared with its electrophoretic determination with respect to efficacy in diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Enzygnost CK-MB (Behring Diagnostics) is a solid-phase "sandwich"-type enzyme immunoassay with antibodies to the B-subunit coated on plastic tubes and peroxidase-conjugated antibodies to the M-subunit added after incubation with sample. This kit is designed to measure only CK-MB and not CK-MM, CK-BB, adenylate kinase, or atypical CK molecules. The linear-regression equation comparing the two methods was: Enzygnost = 0.98 . electrophoresis - 0.72, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.967 (n = 143). For 51 patients admitted for diagnosis of possible acute myocardial infarction, the Enzygnost kit achieved 100% sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency in predicting the correct diagnosis. Corresponding values for the electrophoretic assay were: 95.5% sensitivity, 93.1% specificity, and 94.1% efficiency. We conclude that this kit method provides an excellent alternative to electrophoresis.
Effect of calibration material lot changes on results for the "SMAC".
Authors: Robertson E A , Csako G , Faust A , Elin R J
Published: January 2020

The effect of two changes of calibration material (separated by five months) for the SMAC continuous-flow analyzer was followed by means of five quality-control indices: three normal and abnormal control sera, the mean of the central 50th percentile of patients' results, and the mean value for normal individuals. After the first and second changes of calibration materials, eight and six, respectively, of the 20 different tests exhibited statistically significant changes as shown by the indices. The cumulative shift for two of the 20 tests was considered medically significant. Prospective studies on split samples of patients' sera before the change in calibration material only predicted half the significant changes in test results later evidenced by the above-mentioned indices.
Hyperkalemia in the elderly.
Authors: Walmsley R N , White G H , Cain M , McCarthy P J , Booth J
Published: January 2020

Hyperkalemia is a common and potentially dangerous condition in elderly patients. These subjects are more likely to have a disease or be taking medications that may induce this disorder. We describe three such cases where the increased concentration of potassium in plasma resulted from decreased renal excretion of this ion, and suggest a simple approach to the etiological diagnosis of hyperkalemia.
Ultrasound-accelerated immunoassay, as exemplified by enzyme immunoassay of choriogonadotropin.
Authors: Chen R , Weng L , Sizto N C , Osorio B , Hsu C J , Rodgers R , Litman D J
Published: January 2020

The rate-limiting step in many solid-phase immunoassays is associated with the slow kinetics of binding of macro-molecular antigen and conjugate to the immobilized phase. We demonstrate that the use of ultrasonic energy to enhance mass transport across liquid/solid interfaces can dramatically accelerate antigen binding to immobilized antibodies. We use an ultrasound-accelerated procedure with an enzyme-channelling test strip containing glucose oxidase and specific antibody to the alpha-subunit of human choriogonadotropin (HCG) co-immobilized onto a cellulose support. A horseradish peroxidase conjugate of monospecific antibody to the beta-subunit of HCG is used in the liquid phase to complete the immune "sandwich." Use of ultrasound to accelerate binding and of enzyme channelling to eliminate wash steps result in a simple two-incubation protocol by which 25 int. units of urinary HCG per liter can be detected visually in less than 20 min of assay time.
Immunogold staining: adaptation of a cell-labeling system for analysis of human leukocyte subsets.
Authors: Rosenberg J S , Weiss E , Wilding P
Published: January 2020

We have assessed the Immunogold Cell-Labeling System (IGS) for potential use in the clinical laboratory. In this technique, cell suspensions incubated with monoclonal mouse antibodies are reacted with anti-mouse antibodies labeled with colloidal gold. Surface marker cells, bearing dark blue-black granules, are easily distinguished by light microscopy. The percentages of T cells, T cell subsets, B cells, monocytes, or granulocytes identified by IGS corresponds with numbers obtained by flow cytometry analysis or immunofluorescence studies. Results by IGS and flow cytometry were similar for samples from patients with aberrant lymphocyte populations (e.g., leukemias) or from transplant recipients. IGS may thus be a useful diagnostic technique for studying neoplasias or other immunologically mediated disorders. This technique can also be used to characterize the surface phenotype of leukemic cell lines. The sensitivity and accuracy of IGS can be evaluated by measurements of different cell lines mixed in predetermined ratios.
Direct solid-phase enzyme immunoassay of progesterone in saliva.
Authors: Tallon D F , Gosling J P , Buckley P M , Dooley M M , Cleere W F , O'Dwyer E M , Fottrell P F
Published: January 2020

We have developed a rapid enzyme immunoassay for progesterone in saliva. This solid-phase assay is carried out on microtitre plates with no extraction or centrifugation steps. The detection limit of the assay is 200 fg per well (3.2 pmol/L). Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation for low, medium, and high concentrations of progesterone were 7.5, 16.0; 9.1, 8.3; and 8.7, 6.7%, respectively. Correlation between total plasma progesterone (assayed by enzyme immunoassay with extraction) and salivary progesterone concentrations was good (r = 0.848, p less than 0.001, n = 56). We found the assay useful for monitoring ovarian function. The analytical procedure is convenient, and one person can assay more than 200 saliva samples per working day. The turnaround time for 36 samples is 2 h, including 1.5 h of incubation time, when previously coated plates are used. We conclude that such assays are very suitable for measuring progesterone in serial saliva samples and could become the preferred method for monitoring ovarian function.
Specificity considerations in cooperative immunoassays.
Authors: Ehrlich P H , Moyle W R
Published: January 2020

Mixtures of some monoclonal antibodies form circular antibody-antigen complexes, which facilitates their ability to bind antigen. This effect forms the basis of a potentially very sensitive assay procedure, the cooperative immunoassay (CIA). Unlike other immunoassays, in which binding can be characterized by a simple "binding constant," the binding of antigen by two antibodies in a CIA depends on several binding parameters, including the affinity of each antibody for antigen as well as the tendency of the reactants to form a circular complex. The ability of the CIA to distinguish between two similar molecules depends on the relative affinity of the antibodies for each antigen and on the ability of the antigens to participate in forming a circular complex. To study the binding of antibody mixtures to cross-reacting antigens, we devised a mathematical model to account for all possible antibody-antigen complexes, including those composed of circular complexes; however, we limited this model to the case in which one antibody was adsorbed to a solid phase. We illustrate here both theoretically and experimentally that a mixture of two antibodies in a CIA may have increased or decreased specificity, if circular complexes containing one or two molecules of cross-reacting antigen are formed. We discuss simple practical considerations that can help optimize specificity and sensitivity of solid-phase assays involving two monoclonal antibodies.
Lymphokines and monokines as regulators of human lymphoproliferation.
Authors: Kouttab N M , Mehta S , Morgan J , Tannir N , Sahasrabuddhe C , Maizel A L
Published: January 2020

The development of a competent immunoregulatory response in the face of an antigenic challenge is modulated by soluble proteins of relatively low molecular mass. Lymphokines and monokines, secreted by cells of T lineage and cells of the monocyte/microphage series, respectively, function in a bimodal amplification network that results in the proliferation and differentiation of the immunoregulatory cells. Interleukin 1 is typically assayed by its effect on thymocytes or by its ability to promote the T cell-dependent release of interleukin 2. Interleukin 2 is routinely measured by its ability to support the long-term growth of cultured T cells, whereas B cell growth factor is measured by its ability to support the long-term growth of cultured B lymphocytes. The availability of homogeneous purified factors and the subsequent availability of monoclonal antibodies against these reagents should allow for the development of rapid quantitative assays for these analytes in diverse biological fluids. In addition, large quantities of purified reagents will promote studies to determine therapeutic efficacy in several immunodeficiency syndromes.
Sulfur specifically inhibits adenylate kinase in assays for creatine kinase.
Authors: Russell P J , Conner J , Sisson S
Published: January 2020

Elemental sulfur is a specific and potent inhibitor of the muscle-type isoenzyme of adenylate kinase (EC 2.7.4.3). We find inhibition by sulfur and by diadenosine pentaphosphate to be similarly potent and specific. Some properties of inhibition of adenylate kinase isoenzymes by sulfur are given. The adenylate kinase isoenzymes from skeletal muscle, brain, and heart muscle are inhibited by sulfur; those from liver and kidney are not. Other enzymes not inhibited by sulfur include the isoenzymes of creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2). We show that creatine kinase can be measured in serum when adenylate kinase is inhibited by sulfur, and that the sensitivity and specificity of this inhibition are of the same order as the inhibition of serum adenylate kinase activity by AMP plus diadenosine pentaphosphate.
Two methods compared for measuring lipase activity in plasma after heparin administration.
Authors: Ehnholm C , Nikkilä E A , Nilsson-Ehle P
Published: January 2020

We compared two methods for the direct selective measurement of hepatic lipase and lipoprotein lipase activities in human plasma after intravenous administration of heparin. Except for the emulsifier (gum arabic vs lecithin), the two assay media for hepatic lipase are essentially similar. Results for hepatic lipase by these two assays correlate well (r = 0.99). The assays for lipoprotein lipase in the two procedures differ in the way that hepatic lipase activity is eliminated (immunological inhibition vs a specific substrate emulsion), and also with regard to the emulsifier. The substrate emulsion stabilized by gum arabic (immunological assay) consistently yielded about three times higher enzymic activity than the specific substrate stabilized by lecithin. Experiments in which purified enzymes were used demonstrated that this systematic difference can be accounted for by the different emulsifiers. The satisfactory correlation (r = 0.92) between the two lipoprotein lipase assays, however, demonstrates that they measure the same enzymic activity.
Balancing Power And Performance In HPC Clouds
Authors: Chen Lixia , Li Jian , Ma Ruhui , Guan Haibing , Jacobsen Hans-Arno
Published: January 2020

With energy consumption in high-performance computing clouds growing rapidly, energy saving has become an important topic. Virtualization provides opportunities to save energy by enabling one physical machine (PM) to host multiple virtual machines (VMs). Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) is another technology to reduce energy consumption. However, in heterogeneous cloud environments where DVFS may be applied at the chip level or the core level, it is a great challenge to combine these two technologies efficiently. On per-core DVFS servers, cloud managers should carefully determine VM placements to minimize performance interference. On full-chip DVFS servers, cloud managers further face the choice of whether to combine VMs with different characteristics to reduce performance interference or to combine VMs with similar characteristics to take better advantage of DVFS. This paper presents a novel mechanism combining a VM placement algorithm and a frequency scaling method. We formulate this VM placement problem as an integer programming (IP) to find appropriate placement configurations, and we utilize support vector machines to select suitable frequencies. We conduct detailed experiments and simulations, showing that our scheme effectively reduces energy consumption with modest impact on performance. Particularly, the total energy delay product is reduced by up to 60%.
Sentiment Classification Using Two Effective Optimization Methods Derived From The Artificial Bee Colony Optimization And Imperialist Competitive Algorithm
Authors: Osmani Amjad , Mohasefi Jamshid Bagherzadeh , Gharehchopogh Farhad Soleimanian
Published: January 2020

Artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization and imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA) are two famous metaheuristic methods. In ABC, exploration is good because each bee moves toward random neighbors in the first and second phases. In ABC, exploitation is poor because it does not try to examine a promising region of search space carefully to see if it contains a good local minimum. In this study, ICA is considered to improve ABC exploitation, and two novel swarm-based hybrid methods called ABC–ICA and ABC–ICA1 are proposed, which combine the characteristics of ABC and ICA. The proposed methods improve the evaluations results in both continuous and discrete environments compared to the baseline methods. The second method improves the first optimization method as well. Feature selection can be considered to be an optimization problem because selecting the appropriate feature subset is very important and the action of appropriate feature selection has a great influence on the efficiency of classifier algorithms in supervised methods. Therefore, to focus on feature selection is a key issue and is very important. In this study, different discrete versions of the proposed methods have been introduced that can be used in feature selection and feature scoring problems, which have been successful in evaluations. In this study, a problem called cold start is introduced, and a solution is presented that has a great impact on the efficiency of the proposed methods in feature scoring problem. A total of 16 UCI data sets and 2 Amazon data sets have been used for the evaluation of the proposed methods in feature selection problem. The parameters that have been compared are classification accuracy and the number of features required for classification. Also, the proposed methods can be used to create a proper sentiment dictionary. Evaluation results confirm the better performance of the proposed methods in most experiments.
The LINC00961 transcript and its encoded micropeptide, small regulatory polypeptide of amino acid response, regulate endothelial cell function
Authors: Spencer Helen L , Sanders Rachel , Boulberdaa Mounia , Meloni Marco , Cochrane Amy , Spiroski Ana-Mishel , Mountford Joanne , Emanueli Costanza , Caporali Andrea , Brittan Mairi , Rodor Julie , Baker Andrew H
Published: January 2020

Aims

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play functional roles in physiology and disease, yet understanding of their contribution to endothelial cell (EC) function is incomplete. We identified lncRNAs regulated during EC differentiation and investigated the role of LINC00961 and its encoded micropeptide, small regulatory polypeptide of amino acid response (SPAAR), in EC function.

Methods and results

Deep sequencing of human embryonic stem cell differentiation to ECs was combined with Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) RNA-seq data from vascular cells, identifying 278 endothelial enriched genes, including 6 lncRNAs. Expression of LINC00961, first annotated as an lncRNA but reassigned as a protein-coding gene for the SPAAR micropeptide, was increased during the differentiation and was EC enriched. LINC00961 transcript depletion significantly reduced EC adhesion, tube formation, migration, proliferation, and barrier integrity in primary ECs. Overexpression of the SPAAR open reading frame increased tubule formation; however, overexpression of the full-length transcript did not, despite production of SPAAR. Furthermore, overexpression of an ATG mutant of the full-length transcript reduced network formation, suggesting a bona fide non-coding RNA function of the transcript with opposing effects to SPAAR. As the LINC00961 locus is conserved in mouse, we generated an LINC00961 locus knockout (KO) mouse that underwent hind limb ischaemia (HLI) to investigate the angiogenic role of this locus in vivo. In agreement with in vitro data, KO animals had a reduced capillary density in the ischaemic adductor muscle after 7 days. Finally, to characterize LINC00961 and SPAAR independent functions in ECs, we performed pull-downs of both molecules and identified protein-binding partners. LINC00961 RNA binds the G-actin sequestering protein thymosin beta-4x (Tβ4) and Tβ4 depletion phenocopied the overexpression of the ATG mutant. SPAAR binding partners included the actin-binding protein, SYNE1.

Conclusion

The LINC00961 locus regulates EC function in vitro and in vivo. The gene produces two molecules with opposing effects on angiogenesis: SPAAR and LINC00961.
Risk factors and outcomes associated with anastomotic leaks following esophagectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kamarajah Sivesh K , Lin Aaron , Tharmaraja Thahesh , Bharwada Yashvi , Bundred James R , Nepogodiev Dmitri , Evans Richard P T , Singh Pritam , Griffiths Ewen A
Published: January 2020

Anastomotic leaks (AL) are a major complication after esophagectomy. This meta-analysis aimed to determine identify risks factors for AL (preoperative, intra-operative, and post-operative factors) and assess the consequences to outcome on patients who developed an AL. This systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines, and eligible studies were identified through a search of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases up to 31 December 2018. A meta-analysis was conducted with the use of random-effects modeling and prospectively registered with the PROSPERO database (Registration CRD42018130732). This review identified 174 studies reporting outcomes of 74,226 patients undergoing esophagectomy. The overall pooled AL rates were 11%, ranging from 0 to 49% in individual studies. Majority of studies were from Asia (n = 79). In pooled analyses, 23 factors were associated with AL (17 preoperative and six intraoperative). AL were associated with adverse outcomes including pulmonary (OR: 4.54, CI95%: 2.99–6.89, P < 0.001) and cardiac complications (OR: 2.44, CI95%: 1.77–3.37, P < 0.001), prolonged hospital stay (mean difference: 15 days, CI95%: 10–21 days, P < 0.001), and in-hospital mortality (OR: 5.91, CI95%: 1.41–24.79, P = 0.015). AL are a major complication following esophagectomy accounting for major morbidity and mortality. This meta-analysis identified modifiable risk factors for AL, which can be a target for interventions to reduce AL rates. Furthermore, identification of both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors will facilitate risk stratification and prediction of AL enabling better perioperative planning, patient counseling, and informed consent.
Chest discomfort at night and risk of acute coronary syndrome: cross-sectional study of telephone conversations
Authors: Wouters Loes T , Zwart Dorien L , Erkelens Daphne C , Cheung Noël S , de Groot Esther , Damoiseaux Roger A , Hoes Arno W , Rutten Frans H
Published: January 2020

Background

During telephone triage, it is difficult to assign adequate urgency to patients with chest discomfort. Considering the time of calling could be helpful.

Objective

To assess the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in certain time periods and whether sex influences this risk.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of 1655 recordings of telephone conversations of patients who called the out-of-hours services primary care (OHS-PC) for chest discomfort. Call time, patient characteristics, symptoms, medical history and urgency allocation of the triage conversations were collected. The final diagnosis of each call was retrieved at the patient’s general practice. Absolute numbers of patients with and without ACS were plotted and risks per hour were calculated. The risk ratio of ACS at night (0 to 9 am) was calculated by comparing to the risk at other hours and was adjusted for gender and age.

Results

The mean age of callers was 58.9 (standard deviation ±19.5) years, 55.5% were women and, in total, 199 (12.0%) had an ACS. The crude risk ratio for an ACS at night was 1.80 (confidence interval 1.39–2.34, P < 0.001): 2.33 (1.68–3.22, P < 0.001) for men and 1.29 (0.83–1.99, P = 0.256) for women. The adjusted risk ratio for ACS of all people at night was 1.82 (1.07–3.10, P = 0.039).

Conclusions

Patients calling the OHS-PC for chest discomfort between 0 and 9 am have almost twice a higher risk of ACS than those calling other hours, a phenomenon more evident in men than in women. At night, dispatching ambulances more ‘straightaway’ could be considered for these patients with chest discomfort.

Trial number

NTR7331.
Comparing GPS-Based Community Mobility Measures with Self-report Assessments in Older Adults with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Zhu Lynn , Duval Christian , Boissy Patrick , Montero-Odasso Manuel , Zou Guangyong , Jog Mandar , Speechley Mark
Published: January 2020

Background

Real-life community mobility (CM) measures for older adults, especially those with Parkinson’s disease (PD), are important tools when helping individuals maintain optimal function and quality of life. This is one of the first studies to compare an objective global positioning system (GPS) sensor and subjective self-report CM measures in an older clinical population.

Methods

Over 14 days, 54 people in Ontario, Canada with early to mid-stage PD (mean age = 67.5 ± 6.3 years; 47 men; 46 retired) wore a wireless inertial measurement unit with GPS (WIMU-GPS), and completed the Life Space Assessment and mobility diaries. We assessed the convergent validity, reliability and agreement on mobility outcomes using Spearman’s correlation, intraclass correlation coefficient, and Bland-Altman analyses, respectively.

Results

Convergent validity was attained by the WIMU-GPS for trip frequency (rs = .69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52–0.81) and duration outside (rs = .43, 95% CI = 0.18–0.62), but not for life space size (rs = .39, 95% CI = 0.14–0.60). The Life Space Assessment exhibited floor and ceiling effects. Moderate agreements were observed between WIMU-GPS and diary for trip frequency and duration (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.51–0.82; 0.67, 95% CI = 0.42–0.82, respectively). Disagreement was more common among nonretired individuals.

Conclusions

WIMU-GPS could replace diaries for trip frequency and duration assessments in older adults with PD. Both assessments are best used for retired persons. However, the Life Space Assessment may not reflect actual mobility.
Are Biological Consequences of Childhood Exposures Detectable in Telomere Length Decades Later?
Authors: Kemp Blakelee R , Ferraro Kenneth F
Published: January 2020

Negative early-life exposures have been linked to a host of poor adult health outcomes, but are such early exposures associated with cellular senescence decades later? This study uses data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the association between six childhood exposure domains (eg, socioeconomic disadvantage, risky parental behavior) and a biomarker of aging, telomere length, among 4,935 respondents. Telomere length is obtained from DNA of cells found in saliva and is measured as the telomere repeat copy number to single gene copy number ratio (T/S). Men who as children were exposed to risky parental behaviors or who reported risky adolescent behaviors have shorter telomeres (b = −0.031, p = .052; b = −0.041, p = .045, respectively); however, these relationships are attenuated after adjusting for adult risks and resources. Among women, parental substance abuse is associated with shorter telomeres even after adjusting for adult risks and resources (b = −0.041, p = .005). In addition, men and women whose mother lived at least until the age of 85 have longer telomeres than those without a long-lived mother (b = 0.021, p = .045; b = 0.032, p = .005, respectively). Taken together, the ways in which early-life exposures are associated with adult telomeres vary for men and women.
Associations Between Declining Physical and Cognitive Functions in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
Authors: Okely Judith A , Deary Ian J
Published: January 2020

Background

The ageing process is characterized by declines in physical and cognitive function. However, the relationship between these trajectories remains a topic of investigation.

Methods

Using four data waves collected triennially between ages 70 and 79, we tested for associations between multiple cognitive ability domains (verbal memory, processing speed, and visuospatial ability) and physical functions (walking speed, grip strength, and lung function). We first tested for associations between linear declines in physical and cognitive functions over the entire 9-year study period, and then, for lead-lag coupling effects between 3-year changes in cognitive and physical functions.

Results

Steeper linear decline in walking speed was moderately correlated with steeper linear declines in each cognitive domain. Steeper linear decline in grip strength was moderately correlated with steeper linear declines in verbal memory and processing speed. Lead-lag coupling models showed that decline in verbal memory was preceded by declines in walking speed and grip strength. By contrast, decline in grip strength was preceded by declines in processing speed and visuospatial ability, and decline in walking speed was preceded by decline in visuospatial ability. Following additional adjustment for covariates, only coupling effects from earlier decline in processing speed to later decline in grip strength remained significant (β = 0.545, p = .006).

Conclusion

Our findings provide further evidence of an association between cognitive and physical declines and point to the potential order in which these changes occur. Decline in processing speed in particular may serve as a unique early marker of declining upper body strength.
Evaluation of a biocompatible sealant for on-demand repair of vascular defects—a chronic study in a large animal model
Authors: Wussler Desiree , Kiefer Selina , Naumann Susanne , Hackner Danilo , Nadjiri Jonathan , Meckel Stephan , Haberstroh Jörg , Kubicki Rouven , Seifert Andreas , Siepe Matthias , Ewert Peter , Stiller Brigitte , Lang Nora
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES

Existing surgical sealants fail to combine design requirements, such as sealing performance, on-demand activation and biocompatibility. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of the SETALIUM™ Vascular Sealant (SVS), a novel, on-demand activatable sealant, with the commercial sealant, BioGlue®, for the repair of vascular defects.

METHODS

In an in vivo porcine model, the use of SVS was compared with BioGlue, for sealing 2-mm defects of the carotid artery and jugular vein. Animals were followed for 7 days and 5 weeks (each time point and per experimental group, n = 4), respectively. The degree of stenosis and flow velocity was determined, and the local tissue response was evaluated.

RESULTS

In vivo incision closure succeeded in all cases, and SVS was superior in clinical usability, enabled by its on-demand activation. Unlike BioGlue, SVS use did not induce stenosis and was associated with physiological blood flow in all cases. Moreover, closure with SVS was associated with a low inflammatory reaction and no thrombus formation or intima proliferation, in contrast to BioGlue.

CONCLUSIONS

SVS demonstrated effective and rapid sealing of 2-mm vascular defects, with favourable biocompatibility compared to BioGlue. Thus, SVS seems to be an effective and safe vascular sealant.
Electric field and air ion exposures near high voltage overhead power lines and adult cancers: a case control study across England and Wales
Authors: Toledano Mireille B , Shaddick Gavin , de Hoogh Kees , Fecht Daniela , Sterrantino Anna Freni , Matthews James , Wright Matthew , Gulliver John , Elliott Paul
Published: January 2020

Background

Various mechanisms have been postulated to explain how electric fields emitted by high voltage overhead power lines, and the charged ions they produce, might be associated with possible adult cancer risk, but this has not previously been systematically explored in large scale epidemiological research.

Methods

We investigated risks of adult cancers in relation to modelled air ion density (per cm3) within 600 m (focusing analysis on mouth, lung, respiratory), and calculated electric field within 25 m (focusing analysis on non-melanoma skin), of high voltage overhead power lines in England and Wales, 1974–2008.

Results

With adjustment for age, sex, deprivation and rurality, odds ratios (OR) in the highest fifth of net air ion density (0.504–1) compared with the lowest (0–0.1879) ranged from 0.94 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82–1.08] for mouth cancers to 1.03 (95% CI 0.97–1.09) for respiratory system cancers, with no trends in risk. The pattern of cancer risk was similar using corona ion estimates from an alternative model proposed by others. For keratinocyte carcinoma, adjusted OR in the highest (1.06–4.11 kV/m) compared with the lowest (<0.70 kV/m) thirds of electric field strength was 1.23 (95% CI 0.65–2.34), with no trend in risk.

Conclusions

Our results do not provide evidence to support hypotheses that air ion density or electric fields in the vicinity of power lines are associated with cancer risk in adults.
Interoceptive Awareness: The ‘Being’ Dimension of ‘Being There’ in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Heeter Carrie , Day Tom , Cherchiglia Leticia
Published: January 2020

We conducted an exploratory study to introduce, operationalize and test a theoretical conceptualization of interoceptive awareness (IA) in virtual worlds that aligns with neurobiological explanations of interoception. We examined the relationship between IA and the self-location subdimension of spatial presence. Experimental subjects experienced either a 10-min meditation designed to activate IA or a control condition designed to encourage mind wandering. Participants either wore a virtual reality (VR) headset (Samsung Gear VR or HTC Vive) or had their eyes closed. Results suggest that (i) IA was not different between eyes closed or eyes open in VR; (ii) VR display technology did not influence IA; and (iii) higher IA and visual clarity were associated with significantly stronger feelings of spatial presence, whereas display technology had no relationship to spatial presence. Further examination of the role of IA in virtual worlds experiences is warranted.
Supplementation of a water-soluble zinc–AA complex to reduce stress in broilers, pullets, and layers1
Authors: Nelson Jill R , Sobotik Eric B , Rebollo Marco A , Archer Gregory S
Published: January 2020

This study consisted of three 5-wk experiments to test the effects of administering Zinpro-LQ (Zinpro-LQ, Zinpro Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN) for different time intervals in stressed broilers, pullets, and layers. Treatments included: nonstressed control (NC), stressed control (SC), stressed and supplemented Zinpro-LQ for 14 d prior to stressor (S1), 10 d prior (S2), 7 d prior to and 7 d during stressor (S3), and 5 d prior (S4). Birds included 1-d-old Cobb 500 male broilers (Experiment 1), 7-wk-old white Leghorn pullets (Experiment 2), and 50-wk-old white Leghorn layers (Experiment 3). All stressed birds were vaccinated against Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) on day 28 and exposed to random feed and water withdrawal days 28 to 35 for 6 h/d. Pullets were beak trimmed on day 21, and layers were heat stressed days 28 to 35. Blood was sampled on day 35 to determine plasma chemistry, corticosterone (CORT), anti-NDV antibody titer, and heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio. Mortality, feed and water consumption, and BW were also recorded. In Experiment 1, CORT and H/L ratio were highest in SC (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, CORT was higher in SC than S4 (P < 0.05) while all other treatments were statistically intermediate. NDV titer was lower in SC than S4 while all other treatments were statistically intermediate. Treatment differences were also observed for H/L ratio, and plasma uric acid and cholesterol in Experiment 2. In Experiment 3, treatment differences were observed for H/L ratio, plasma glucose, sodium, and chloride. H/L ratio was lower in NC, S1, and S4 compared with SC (P < 0.05); and NC and S1 were lower than S2 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary inclusion of zinc AA complex for any length of time prior to a stressor helped reduce measures of stress in broilers. The S1 and S4 treatments helped reduce stress and improve humoral immune response in pullets and layers.
Potential for Use of Erythritol as a Socially Transferrable Ingested Insecticide for Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: Barrett Meghan , Caponera Virginia , McNair Cheyenne , O’Donnell Sean , Marenda Daniel R
Published: January 2020

Ants are significant structural and agricultural pests, generating a need for human-safe and effective insecticides for ant control. Erythritol, a sugar alcohol used in many commercial food products, reduces survival in diverse insect taxa including fruit flies, termites, and mosquitos. Erythritol also decreases longevity in red imported fire ants; however, its effects on other ant species and its ability to be transferred to naïve colony members at toxic doses have not been explored. Here, we show that erythritol decreases survival in Tetramorium immigrans Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a concentration-dependent manner. Access to ad-libitum water reduced the toxic effects of erythritol, but worker mortality was still increased over controls with ad-lib water. Foraging T. immigrans workers transferred erythritol at lethal levels to nest mates that had not directly ingested erythritol. Similar patterns of mortality following erythritol ingestion were observed in Formica glacialis Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Camponotus subarbatus Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and Camponotus chromaiodes Bolton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). These findings suggest that erythritol may be a highly effective insecticide for several genera of ants. Erythritol’s potential effectiveness in social insect control is augmented by its spread at lethal levels through ant colonies via social transfer (trophallaxis) between workers.
Iterative deblending using the POCS algorithm in the approximate flattened domain
Authors: Chen Hongling , Cao Siyuan , Zu Shaohuan , Yang Bo , Shen Shian , Sun Xiaoming
Published: January 2020

We proposed an improved method to eliminate the interference generated by simultaneous-source acquisition, which can help shorten the acquisition period and improve the quality of seismic data. An iterative mathematical framework is devised, which uses the projection onto convex sets algorithm to estimate the blending noise subtracted from the pseudo-deblended data to separate the blended data in an iterative way. Differently to the conventional method using the coherent-promoting operator only based on the curvelet transform, we combine the curvelet transform and the approximate flattened operator (AFO) to improve the deblended result, which can flatten seismic events approximately to preserve the details of useful signals. This is the first time that the AFO and the curvelet transform are combined to enhance the effect of the coherent-promoting operator and improve the performance of deblending. To display the advantages of the improved method, we use both simulated synthetic data and field data examples to compare and analyse the deblended results using our method and the conventional method, and confirm that the improved method can perform better.
Analysis of cardiac toxicity after definitive chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer using a biological dose–volume histogram
Authors: Takeuchi Yuki , Murakami Yuji , Kameoka Tsubasa , Ochi Masanori , Imano Nobuki , Takahashi Ippei , Nishibuchi Ikuno , Kimura Tomoki , Kawahara Daisuke , Saito Akito , Nagata Yasushi
Published: January 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between cardiac toxicity after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for esophageal cancer and the dose–volume histogram (DVH) of organs at risk (OARs) [using biological effective dose (BED)]. We analyzed the data of 83 patients with esophageal cancer treated using definitive CRT between 2001 and 2016. Furthermore, we evaluated pericardial effusion (PE) as a measure of cardiac toxicity. The median total irradiation dose was 60 (50.4–71) Gy. Symptomatic PE was observed in 12 (14%) patients. The heart and pericardium V5–V100-BED were significantly higher in patients with symptomatic PE than in those without symptomatic PE (heart: V5–V95-BED, P < 0.001; V100-BED, P = 0.0053, and pericardium: V5–V40-BED, V55–V95-BED, P < 0.001; V45–50-BED, V100-BED, P < 0.05, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the dose–volume parameter of the pericardium and the heart that was most strongly associated with an adverse cardiac event was V80-BED, and the mean dose and the cut-off value were 27.38% and 61.7 Gy-BED, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the pericardium V80-BED and the mean heart dose-BED were risk factors for symptomatic PE (P < 0.001, respectively). We revealed the relationship between the irradiated dose of the OARs and symptomatic PE using a BED-based dose–volume histogram. Pericardium V80-BED and mean heart dose-BED were the most relevant risk factors for symptomatic PE.
The ionic composition of the local absorber towards 3C 273
Authors: Gissis Itay , Peretz Uria , Behar Ehud
Published: January 2020

Hot ionized gas is observed in the local vicinity of our galaxy through spectral absorption features. The most common hypothesis is that this gas forms a halo surrounding our Milky Way, in collisional ionization equilibrium. In this paper, we investigate the elemental abundance of this hot and ionized local gas. We use a 2.4 Ms stacked X-ray spectrum of the bright blazar 3C 273 and probe the local absorption features. Using ion-by-ion fitting of the X-ray absorption lines, we derive the column density of each ionization species. Based on the column densities, we reconstruct the absorption measure distribution, namely the hydrogenic column density as a function of temperature. We report the elemental abundances of C, N, Ne, and Fe relative to solar O. Previous measurements of local X-ray emission lines in conjunction with the present column densities indicate a scale height of 1–80 kpc and hydrogen number density of 10−4–10−3 cm−3 for the hot ionized gas. Additionally, we detect He-like O lines from the quasar broad line region with velocities of 6400 ± 1500 km s−1.
QSO photometric redshifts from SDSS, WISE, and GALEX colours
Authors: Curran S J
Published: January 2020

Machine learning techniques, specifically the k-nearest neighbour algorithm applied to optical band colours, have had some success in predicting photometric redshifts of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs): Although the mean of differences between the spectroscopic and photometric redshifts, Δ$z$, is close to zero, the distribution of these differences remains wide and distinctly non-Gaussian. As per our previous empirical estimate of photometric redshifts, we find that the predictions can be significantly improved by adding colours from other wavebands, namely the near-infrared and ultraviolet. Self-testing this, by using half of the 33 643 strong QSO sample to train the algorithm, results in a significantly narrower spread in Δ$z$ for the remaining half of the sample. Using the whole QSO sample to train the algorithm, the same set of magnitudes return a similar spread in Δ$z$ for a sample of radio sources (quasars). Although the matching coincidence is relatively low (739 of the 3663 sources having photometry in the relevant bands), this is still significantly larger than from the empirical method (2 per cent) and thus may provide a method with which to obtain redshifts for the vast number of continuum radio sources expected to be detected with the next generation of large radio telescopes.