bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symptomkontrolle am Lebensende
Authors: Bausewein Claudia , Schildmann Eva
Published: February 2022

Zusammenfassung. Patient_innen in fortgeschrittenen Krankheitsstadien leiden unter vielfältigen physischen und psychischen Beschwerden. Dazu gehören Schmerzen, Schwäche, Energielosigkeit, Gewichtsverlust, Atemnot, Übelkeit, Erbrechen, Verstopfung und Depression. In der Sterbephase können Rasselatmung, Delir und / oder terminale Unruhe hinzukommen. Der Fokus palliativmedizinischer Behandlung liegt auf der Linderung dieser belastenden Symptome unter Berücksichtigung der körperlichen, psychischen, sozialen und spirituellen Dimension. Zu den Grundsätzen der palliativmedizinischen Symptomkontrolle gehören 1) eine angemessene differentialdiagnostische Ursachenklärung des Symptoms zur Behandlung potenziell reversibler Ursachen, 2) der Einsatz von präventiven Massnahmen und 3) die Durchführung einer symptomatischen Therapie – allein oder parallel zu einer ursächlichen Therapie. Bezüglich der medikamentösen Therapiemassnahmen ist Folgendes zu beachten: Bei dauerhaft vorhandenen Symptomen müssen die Medikamente entsprechend ihrer Wirkdauer nach einem festen Zeitschema gegeben werden, um einen möglichst konstanten Wirkspiegel zu erreichen. Zusätzlich zu einer solchen Dauermedikation ist zum Beispiel für Schmerzen, Atemnot und Übelkeit Bedarfsmedikation zu verschreiben. Wenn die orale Gabe nicht möglich ist, können Medikamente intravenös, subkutan oder transdermal mittels Pflaster verabreicht werden. Nichtmedikamentöse Massnahmen können ergänzend oder auch primär zur Symptomlinderung eingesetzt werden. Dieser Beitrag stellt wichtige Aspekte der Symptomkontrolle bei Schmerzen, Atemnot, Übelkeit und Erbrechen, Obstipation, Depression sowie bei Symptomen in der Sterbephase vor und schliesst mit wenigen Worten zum Thema «Sedierung in der Palliativversorgung» als Ultima-Ratio-Massnahme.
Ein gutes Leben macht Sinn
Authors: Schumacher Barbara
Published: February 2022

Wer keinen Sinn im Leben sieht, hat ein Problem, das es ernst zu nehmen gilt. Sinnfragen beschäftigen fast alle ab und zu. Sie sind im weiteren Sinn ein spirituelles Thema. Allerdings können sie sich in psychischen Krisen verschärfen. Dieser Beitrag soll ausgehend von philosophischen und psychologischen Erkenntnissen dazu ermuntern, über das Sinnhafte im Leben nachzudenken und dies auch für die psychiatrische Arbeit mit Betroffenen zu nutzen.
A Pointwise Conservative Method for Thermochemical Convection Under the Compressible Anelastic Liquid Approximation
Authors: Sime Nathan , Wilson Cian R. , van Keken Peter E.
Published: February 2022

In prior work we found that precise approximation of the continuity constraint is crucial for accurate propagation of tracer data when advected through a background incompressible velocity field (Sime et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gc009349). Here we extend this investigation to compressible flows using the anelastic liquid approximation (ALA) and address four related issues: (a) Exact conservation of tracer discretized fields through a background compressible velocity; (b) Exact mass conservation; (c) Addition and removal of tracers without affecting (exact) conservation to preserve a consistent number of tracers per cell; and (d) the diffusion of tracer data, for example, as induced by thermal or chemical effects. In this process we also present an abstract formulation of the interior penalty hybrid discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) finite element formulation for diffusion problems and apply it to the advection‐diffusion and compressible Stokes systems. Finally we present numerical experiments exhibiting the HDG compressible Stokes momentum formulation's superconvergent compressibility approximation and reproduce examples of a community benchmark for the ALA.
Obliquity Influence on Low‐Latitude Coastal Precipitation in Eastern Brazil During the Past ∼850 kyr
Authors: Hou Alicia , Bahr André , Chiessi Cristiano M. , Jaeschke Andrea , Albuquerque Ana Luiza S. , Pross Jörg , Koutsodendris Andreas , Friedrich Oliver
Published: February 2022

Paleoclimate records from tropical South America typically show precession‐paced variability in rainfall, caused by insolation‐driven changes in the South American Monsoon System, however this mechanism may not be responsible for hydroclimate change outside of the core monsoon domain, such as in the coastal zone of tropical eastern Brazil. Our findings are based on a ∼850 kyr‐long multiproxy record from a marine sediment core collected from the eastern Brazilian margin that represents the longest continuous record of South American hydroclimate to date. Utilizing the ln (K/Al) chemical weathering proxy from the core, we determine that past hydroclimate change in the coastal zone was primarily modulated by obliquity forcing. We demonstrate that high obliquity is associated with an increase in the boreal summer interhemispheric insolation contrast which decreases the zonality of the southern trade winds and reduces moisture advection to the coastal zone. Based on the long‐term coherence between the ln (K/Al) record and benthic δ13C records from the Atlantic during Marine Isotope Stages 16–13, we infer that an increase in the strength of the overturning circulation, caused by Northern Hemisphere high‐latitude forcing, may have produced surface cooling in the western tropical South Atlantic which led to reduced moisture advection to the coastal zone. We suggest that this mechanism may have also caused the amplification in millennial‐scale variability in the coastal hydroclimate system, which began after the decoupling of the coastal hydroclimate system from obliquity forcing.
Paleomagnetic Constraints From South Georgia on the Tectonic Reconstruction of the Early Cretaceous Rocas Verdes Marginal Basin System of Southernmost South America
Authors: Beaver Douglas G. , Kent Dennis V. , Dalziel Ian W. D.
Published: January 2022

South Georgia exists as a microcontinent along the North Scotia Ridge ∼1,700 km east of Cape Horn. The tectonostratigraphic units of South Georgia have long been correlated with those of the Fuegian Andes of southernmost South America. Accordingly, South Georgia has been regarded as a continuation of the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous Rocas Verdes marginal basin system, formerly situated south of Burdwood Bank and east of Cape Horn. To test this, paleomagnetic analysis of samples from the Larsen Harbour Complex, Drygalski Fjord Complex, and Annenkov Island Formation of South Georgia showed that 21 sites yield a mean direction of D = 328.5°, I = −62.1° (a95 = 3.5°) and a paleomagnetic pole at 068.2°E, 67.2°N, A95 = 4.7°. The consistency of directions and strong polarity bias, plus indications of a negative differential tilt test, point to a secondary magnetization acquired in the Late Cretaceous. Comparison of predicted versus observed directions for South Georgia relative to stable South America indicate 27.2 ± 11.2° of counter‐clockwise rotation (and 10.5° ± 4.5° of northward tilting) since the acquisition of magnetization. These results are consistent with paleomagnetic studies from the Fuegian Andes and support a paleoposition of the South Georgia microcontinent south of Burdwood Bank as strongly indicated by the geologic evidence. Partitioning this rotation between oroclinal bending during the Rocas Verdes basin collapse in the Late Cretaceous and left‐lateral translation along the North Scotia Ridge is not possible on paleomagnetic grounds, but the co‐linearity of Andean structures between the restored microcontinent and Tierra del Fuego indicates the former.
The DNA methylome of cervical cells can predict the presence of ovarian cancer
Authors: Barrett James E. , Jones Allison , Evans Iona , Reisel Daniel , Herzog Chiara , Chindera Kantaraja , Kristiansen Mark , Leavy Olivia C. , Manchanda Ranjit , Bjørge Line , Zikan Michal , Cibula David , Widschwendter Martin
Published: February 2022

The vast majority of epithelial ovarian cancer arises from tissues that are embryologically derived from the Müllerian Duct. Here, we demonstrate that a DNA methylation signature in easy-to-access Müllerian Duct-derived cervical cells from women with and without ovarian cancer (i.e. referred to as the Women’s risk IDentification for Ovarian Cancer index or WID-OC-index) is capable of identifying women with an ovarian cancer in the absence of tumour DNA with an AUC of 0.76 and women with an endometrial cancer with an AUC of 0.81. This and the observation that the cervical cell WID-OC-index mimics the epigenetic program of those cells at risk of becoming cancerous in BRCA1/2 germline mutation carriers (i.e. mammary epithelium, fallopian tube fimbriae, prostate) further suggest that the epigenetic misprogramming of cervical cells is an indicator for cancer predisposition. This concept has the potential to advance the field of risk-stratified cancer screening and prevention.
PplD is a de-N-acetylase of the cell wall linkage unit of streptococcal rhamnopolysaccharides
Authors: Rush Jeffrey S. , Parajuli Prakash , Ruda Alessandro , Li Jian , Pohane Amol Arunrao , Zamakhaeva Svetlana , Rahman Mohammad M. , Chang Jennifer C. , Gogos Artemis , Kenner Cameron W. , Lambeau Gérard , Federle Michael J. , Korotkov Konstantin V. , Widmalm Göran , Korotkova Natalia
Published: February 2022

The cell wall of the human bacterial pathogen Group A Streptococcus (GAS) consists of peptidoglycan decorated with the Lancefield group A carbohydrate (GAC). GAC is a promising target for the development of GAS vaccines. In this study, employing chemical, compositional, and NMR methods, we show that GAC is attached to peptidoglycan via glucosamine 1-phosphate. This structural feature makes the GAC-peptidoglycan linkage highly sensitive to cleavage by nitrous acid and resistant to mild acid conditions. Using this characteristic of the GAS cell wall, we identify PplD as a protein required for deacetylation of linkage N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). X-ray structural analysis indicates that PplD performs catalysis via a modified acid/base mechanism. Genetic surveys in silico together with functional analysis indicate that PplD homologs deacetylate the polysaccharide linkage in many streptococcal species. We further demonstrate that introduction of positive charges to the cell wall by GlcNAc deacetylation protects GAS against host cationic antimicrobial proteins.
Targeted contrast agents and activatable probes for photoacoustic imaging of cancer
Authors: Zhao Zhenxiang , Swartchick Chelsea B. , Chan Jefferson
Published: January 2022

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging can enable high resolution visualization of biological processes at the molecular level through the application of targeted contrast agents or activatable probes.
Ultrasound-assisted cloud point microextraction of certain preservatives in real samples and determination by HPLC
Authors: Güray Tufan , Akıl Filiz Hümeyra , Uysal Ulku Dilek
Published: February 2022

Ultrasound-assisted cloud point microextraction (UA-CPME) was performed for certain preservatives (p-hydroxy benzoic acid and its alkyl esters, methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl parabens).
Comparative study on the immunomodulatory function of extracellular vesicles from different dairy products
Authors: Li Ying , Zhang Xin , Zhang Chao , Yang Jiajie , Chi Houyu , Li Aili , Li Chun
Published: January 2022

Bovine milk-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been proved to have positive effects on innate immunity and intestinal health.
Size and density measurements of single sickle red blood cells using microfluidic magnetic levitation
Authors: Goreke Utku , Bode Allison , Yaman Sena , Gurkan Umut A. , Durmus Naside Gozde
Published: January 2022

Single cells have unique biophysical signatures that can rapidly change during various disease states.
Cobalt-catalyzed modular assembly toward multi-functionalized furan derivatives
Authors: Guo Peng , Yuan Guo-Cai , Xu Liu-Hui , Ye Ke-Yin
Published: February 2022

A cobalt-catalyzed modular [3 + 2] assembly of unsaturated hydrocarbons and β-dicarbonyls toward multi-functionalized dihydrofuran and furan derivatives has been developed.
2′-O-Methyl modified guide RNA promotes the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discrimination ability of CRISPR–Cas12a systems
Authors: Ke Yuqing , Ghalandari Behafarid , Huang Shiyi , Li Sijie , Huang Chengjie , Zhi Xiao , Cui Daxiang , Ding Xianting
Published: February 2022

This study illustrates that 2′-O-methyl modified gRNAs improve the specificity of the CRISPR–Cas12a system (mg-CRISPR)viasuppressing the Cas12a's affinity to off-target DNA and provides an efficient strategy for high-specificity gRNA design.
Enhancing the long-cycling performance of a LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2@LaNiO3 cathode material by surface modification
Authors: Fan Ju , Hu Guorong , Su Haodong , Shi You , Du Ke , Peng Zhongdong , Sun Qian , Zhang Yinjia , Wu Kaipeng , Cao Yanbing
Published: February 2022

Herein, the introduction of hexagonal LaNiO3 on the surface of LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 provides a protective and adaptable ultrathin layer to stabilize the microstructure of Ni-rich layered cathode materials, enhancing the electrochemical and thermal stability.
Correction: Coordination of o-benzosemiquinonate, o-iminobenzosemiquinonate, 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline anion radicals to oxidovanadium(iv)
Authors: Shit Madhusudan , Maity Suvendu , Bera Sachinath , Weyhermüller Thomas , Ghosh Prasanta
Published: February 2022

Correction for ‘Coordination of o-benzosemiquinonate, o-iminobenzosemiquinonate, 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline anion radicals to oxidovanadium(iv)’ by Madhusudan Shit et al., New J. Chem., 2016, 40, 10305–10315. DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ02220K.
Correction: Are you using the right probe molecules for assessing the textural properties of metal–organic frameworks?
Authors: Islamoglu Timur , Idrees Karam B. , Son Florencia A. , Chen Zhijie , Lee Seung-Joon , Li Peng , Farha Omar K.
Published: February 2022

Correction for ‘Are you using the right probe molecules for assessing the textural properties of metal–organic frameworks?’ by Timur Islamoglu et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 157–173, DOI: 10.1039/D1TA08021K.
Acoustic and Articulatory Characteristics of English Semivowels /ɹ, l, w/ Produced by Adult Second-Language Speakers
Authors: Kim Yunjung , Chung Hyunju , Thompson Austin
Published: February 2022

Purpose:

This study presents the results of acoustic and kinematic analyses of word-initial semivowels (/ɹ, l, w/) produced by second-language (L2) speakers of English whose native language is Korean. In addition, the relationship of acoustic and kinematic measures to the ratings of foreign accent was examined by correlation analyses.

Method:

Eleven L2 speakers and 10 native speakers (first language [L1]) of English read
The Caterpillar
passage. Acoustic and kinematic data were simultaneously recorded using an electromagnetic articulography system. In addition to speaking rate, two acoustic measures (ratio of third-formant [F3] frequency to second-formant [F2] frequency and duration of steady states of F2) and two kinematic measures (lip aperture and duration of lingual maximum hold) were obtained from individual target sounds. To examine the degree of contrast among the three sounds, acoustic and kinematic Euclidean distances were computed on the F2–F3 and
x
–
y
planes, respectively.

Results:

Compared with L1 speakers, L2 speakers exhibited a significantly slower speaking rate. For the three semivowels, L2 speakers showed a reduced F3/F2 ratio during constriction, increased lip aperture, and reduced acoustic Euclidean distances among semivowels. Additionally, perceptual ratings of foreign accent were significantly correlated with three measures: duration of steady F2, acoustic Euclidean distance, and kinematic Euclidean distance.

Conclusions:

The findings provide acoustic and kinematic evidence for challenges that L2 speakers experience in the production of English semivowels, especially /ɹ/ and /w/. The robust and consistent finding of reduced contrasts among semivowels and their correlations with perceptual accent ratings suggests using sound contrasts as a potentially effective approach to accent modification paradigms.
Analysis of visual risk perception model for braking control behaviour of human drivers: A literature review
Authors: Liu Chao , Wang Zheng , Nacpil Edric John Cruz , Hou Wenbin , Zheng Rencheng
Published: January 2022

In the interest of driving safety, it is essential to understand driver risk assessment to develop human‐centred automated driving systems. Visual perception plays a core role in observing, analysing, and predicting driving crash risks. Furthermore, comprehensive progress of visual perception has been achieved in the development of risk perception metrics. However, it is still of interest to understand driver control behaviours, which depend on visual perception. Therefore, the objective of this literature review is to assess the potential of coupling time‐remaining cues for risk perception and braking control behaviour. First, conventional risk perception metrics are classified based on trajectory, contact, and state principles, along with new analysis metrics that have been derived from conventional ones. Then, the analysis metrics are discussed based on visual perception information. Next, driver risk assessment is summarised according to the environment, driver, and object characteristics. Moreover, braking behaviour models are compared in relation to visual perception variables, action affordances, and behaviour dynamics. The current review further discusses the possibility of applying driver behaviour modelling to perception, navigation, and spatial awareness in autonomous vehicles. This human‐centred approach has the potential to improve interaction between drivers and automation.
Two-dimensional simulations of solar-like models with artificially enhanced luminosity
Authors: Le Saux A. , Guillet T. , Baraffe I. , Vlaykov D. G. , Constantino T. , Pratt J. , Goffrey T. , Sylvain M. , Réville V. , Brun A. S.
Published: February 2022

Artificially increasing the luminosity and the thermal diffusivity of a model is a common tactic adopted in hydrodynamical simulations of stellar convection. In this work, we analyse the impact of these artificial modifications on the physical properties of stellar interiors and specifically on internal gravity waves. We perform two-dimensional simulations of solar-like stars with the MUSIC code. We compare three models with different luminosity enhancement factors to a reference model. The results confirm that properties of the waves are impacted by the artificial enhancement of the luminosity and thermal diffusivity. We find that an increase in the stellar luminosity yields a decrease in the bulk convective turnover timescale and an increase in the characteristic frequency of excitation of the internal waves. We also show that a higher energy input in a model, corresponding to a larger luminosity, results in higher energy in high frequency waves. Across our tests with the luminosity and thermal diffusivity enhanced together by up to a factor of 104, our results are consistent with theoretical predictions of radiative damping. Increasing the luminosity also has an impact on the amplitude of oscillatory motions across the convective boundary. One must use caution when interpreting studies of internal gravity waves based on hydrodynamical simulations with artificially enhanced luminosity.
A formation mechanism for the large plumes in the prominence
Authors: Wang Jincheng , Yan Xiaoli , Xue Zhike , Yang Liheng , Li Qiaoling , Chen Hechao , Xia Chun , Liu Zhong
Published: February 2022

Aims.To understand the formation mechanism of large plumes in solar prominences, we investigate the formation process of two such phenomena.

Methods.We studied the dynamic and thermal properties of two large plumes using observations from New Vacuum Solar Telescope, the Solar Dynamic Observatory, and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory-Ahead. We employed the differential emission measures method to diagnose the thermodynamical nature of the bubble and plumes. We calculated the Doppler signals based on observations of Hαblue and red wings.

Results.We find that two large plumes observed with high-resolution data are quite different from previously studied small-scale plumes. They are born at the top of a prominence bubble with a large projected area of 10−20 Mm2. Before the occurrence of each large plume, the bubble expands and takes on a quasi-semicircular appearance. Meanwhile, the emission intensity of extreme-ultra-violet bands increases in the bubble. A small-scale filament is found to erupt in the bubble during the second large plume. At the point at which the height of the bubble is comparable with half the width of the bubble, the bubble becomes unstable and generates the plumes. During the formation of plumes, two side edges of the top of the bubble, which are dominated by opposite Doppler signals, approach each other. The large plume then emerges and keeps rising up with a constant speed of about 13−15 km s−1. These two large plumes have temperatures of ∼1.3 × 106K and densities of ∼2.0 × 109cm−3, two orders hotter and one order less dense than the typical prominence. We also find that the bubble is a hot, low-density volume instead of a void region beneath the cold and dense prominence.

Conclusions.These two large plumes are the result of the breakup of the prominence bubble triggered by an enhancement of thermal pressure; they separate from the bubble, most likely by magnetic reconnection.
Momentum and multiplicity dependence of strangeness and nuclei production
Authors: Calivà Alberto
Published: February 2022

Prominent phenomena observed in high-energy hadronic collisions, such as the strangeness enhancement in small collision systems with increasing multiplicity and the production of loosely bound states in collisions where extreme temperatures are reached, are still mysterious and at the center of the experimental programs of several scientific Collaborations. In this contribution, recent experimental results from the ALICE and STAR Collaborations on these two fronts are presented and discussed.
Thermal model description of the particle spectra in the few-GeV energy regime
Authors: Harabasz Szymon , Florkowski Wojciech , Galatyuk Tetyana , Gumberidze Małgorzata , Ryblewski Radosław , Salabura Piotr , Stroth Joachim
Published: February 2022

It has been demonstrated that Statistical Hadronization Model fits perfectly to particle yields at freeze-out in heavy-ion and hadron collisions at LHC, RHIC and SPS, where quark-gluon plasma is created. It is however entirely not clear if particles emitted in the few-GeV energy regime can be understood as emerging from thermalized hadronic medium. Our recent work suggests that this might be the case. By implementing appropriate fireball geometry and expansion pattern in the THERMINATOR (THERMal heavy IoN generATOR) it was possible to describe not only yields, but also the spectra of most abundant particles measured at GSI SIS18. Most of the latter are pure prediction of the model. We present details of the model and extended comparison with experimental data and discuss further developments.
Assessment of Peak Oxygen Uptake with a Smartwatch and its Usefulness for Training of Runners
Authors: Düking Peter , Van Hooren Bas , Sperlich Billy
Published: January 2022

Peak oxygen uptake (˙VO2peak) is an important factor contributing to running performance. Wearable technology may allow the assessment of ˙VO2peak more frequently and on a larger scale. We aim to i) validate the ˙VO2peak assessed by a smartwatch (Garmin Forerunner 245), and ii) discuss how this parameter may assist to evaluate and guide training procedures. A total of 23 runners (12 female, 11 male; ˙VO2peak: 48.6±6.8 ml∙min−1∙kg−1) visited the laboratory twice to determine their ˙VO2peak during a treadmill ramp test. Between laboratory visits, participants wore a smartwatch and performed three outdoor runs to obtain ˙VO2peak values provided by the smartwatch. The ˙VO2peak obtained by the criterion measure ranged from 38 to 61 ml∙min−1∙kg−1. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between the smartwatch and the criterion ˙VO2peak was 5.7%. The criterion measure revealed a coefficient of variation of 4.0% over the VO2peak range from 38–61 ml∙min−1∙kg−1. MAPE between the smartwatch and criterion measure was 7.1, 4.1 and −6.2% when analyzing ˙VO2peak ranging from 39–45 ml∙min−1∙kg−1, 45–55 ml∙min−1∙kg−1 or 55–61 ml∙min−1∙kg−1, respectively.
Electrophilic (Ethoxycarbonyl)difluoromethylthiolation Using Difluoroalkyl Sulfonium Salts
Authors: Liang Weijian , Li Kaixiao , Zhang Yage , Zhou Lijiang
Published: January 2022

We report a simple protocol for (ethoxycarbonyl)difluoromethylthiolation of nucleophilic compounds using a difluoroalkyl sulfonium salt which can be prepared in situ via Tf2O-triggered electrophilic activation of a benzyl difluoroalkyl sulfoxide. With the protocol, difluoroalkylthiolated arenes, heteroarenes, α-difluoroalkylthiolated carbonyl compounds, etc. were obtained smoothly with good to excellent yields. Merits of the reaction include the readily available difluoroalkylthiolation reagent and substrates, mild conditions, and excellent regioselectivity.
Characteristics of First-Year Residents in Top-Ranked United States Ophthalmology Residency Programs
Authors: Lin John C. , Lokhande Anagha , Chen Allison J. , Scott Ingrid U. , Greenberg Paul B.
Published: January 2022

Objective The aim of the study is to investigate the characteristics of first-year residents associated with attending a top-ranked United States (U.S.) ophthalmology residency program over the past decade.

Methods First-year ophthalmology residents in 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2019 were identified from institutional websites, Doximity, LinkedIn and the Wayback Machine. Publications were obtained from Scopus and Google Scholar; research productivity was measured using the h-index, and medical school region based on U.S. Census Bureau designations. Medical school and ophthalmology training program rankings were based on U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News) rankings and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. One-way ANOVA, Wilcoxon rank sum, χ
2, and t-tests were used to analyze trends, and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression.

Results Data were obtained on 81% (1,496/1,850) of the residents; 43% were female; 5% were international medical graduates (IMGs); and 10% had other graduate degrees. Over the decade, the mean h-index increased (0.87–1.26; p <0.05) and the proportion of residents who attended a top 20 medical school decreased (28–18%; p <0.05). In a multivariate logistic regression model, characteristics associated with being a first-year resident in a top 20 program ranked by U.S. News were female gender [OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.02–1.72], having a Master's degree [OR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.29–4.01] or PhD [OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.32–3.79], attending a top 20 [OR: 5.26, 95% CI: 3.66–7.55] or a top 40 medical school by NIH funding [OR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.70–3.54], attending a medical school with a mean USMLE Step 2 score above 243 [OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.01–2.67] or located in the Northeast [OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.38–2.89] and having an h-index of one or more [OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.47–2.51]. Except for gender, these characteristics were also significantly associated with matching to a top 20 ophthalmology program by NIH funding.

Conclusion Female gender, graduate degrees, research productivity, and attending a medical school with high research productivity, high mean USMLE Step 2 score or in the Northeast were key characteristics of first-year residents in top-ranked U.S. ophthalmology residency programs.
New Insights in the Pathophysiology of Hospital- and Ventilator-Acquired Pneumonia: A Complex Interplay between Dysbiosis and Critical-Illness–Related Immunosuppression
Authors: Bourdiol A. , Roquilly A.
Published: February 2022

Both hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) have long been considered as diseases resulting from the invasion by pathogens of a previously sterile lung environment. Based on this historical understanding of their pathophysiology, our approaches for the prevention and treatment have significantly improved the outcomes of patients, but treatment failures remain frequent. Recent studies have suggested that the all-antimicrobial therapy-based treatment of pneumonia has reached a glass ceiling. The demonstration that the constant interactions between the respiratory microbiome and mucosal immunity are required to tune homeostasis in a state of symbiosis has changed our comprehension of pneumonia. We proposed that HAP and VAP should be considered as a state of dysbiosis, defined as the emergence of a dominant pathogen thriving at the same time from the catastrophic collapse of the fragile ecosystem of the lower respiratory tract and from the development of critical-illness–related immunosuppression. This multidimensional approach to the pathophysiology of HAP and VAP holds the potential to achieve future successes in research and critical care. Microbiome and mucosal immunity can indeed be manipulated and used as adjunctive therapies or targets to prevent or treat pneumonia.
A Novel Method for Teaching Laser Peripheral Iridotomy and Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty Using Video Instruction and Model Eyes
Authors: Palmer Jamie , Nguyen Geoffrey , Alexander Janet , Levin Moran R. , Swamy Ramya
Published: January 2022

Objective The aim of the study is to describe an inexpensive and easily-constructed model eye for the purpose of teaching laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) and selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) to ophthalmology residents.

Methods Easily constructed, inexpensive model eyes were utilized to teach residents SLT and LPI utilizing a remote self-study module. A teaching microscope attachment allowed for video-based instruction and feedback.

Results This model eye, used in conjunction with video modules is an effective low-cost teaching tool for laser surgery among ophthalmology residents. Attending ophthalmologists rated the use of these model eyes using surveys and found them to be appropriate teaching tools that could lead to improved knowledge and translate to better patient care.

Conclusion Our novel method for teaching glaucoma laser surgery allows residents to learn the principles and theory behind common laser procedures while having the opportunity to practice repetitive procedures on low-cost model eyes.
A DFT+U study of site dependent Fe-doped TiO2 diluted magnetic semiconductor material: Room-temperature ferromagnetism and improved semiconducting properties
Authors: Begna Wondimagegnehu Beshah , Gurmesa Gamachis Sakata , Zhang Qinfang , Geffe Chernet Amente
Published: February 2022

This article reports the crystal structure, impurity formation energy, electronic property, magnetic property, and dopant configuration site dependence of ferromagnetic temperature Tc of anatase (Ti15FeO32, Ti14Fe2O32, and Ti13Fe3O32) by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) with Hubbard onsite correction (DFT+U). The estimated formation energy validated the structural stability of the Fe-doped TiO2 with 2.08% (Ti15FeO32), 4.17% (Ti14Fe2O32), and 6.25% (Ti13Fe3O32) concentrations at the Ti sites. The electronic structure analysis reveals that the bandgap in the doped system changed from a wide bandgap of 3.23 eV (pristine TiO2) to slightly lower bandgaps of 3.13, 3.08, and 3.04 eV with Fe concentrations of 2.08%, 4.17%, and 6.25%, respectively. The calculated partial density of states also show the hybridization of O with 2p- and Fe 3d-orbitals near the conduction band minimum and generate the impurity energy level reducing the bandgap. Furthermore, the estimated Curie temperature (Tc) varied depending on the Fe–Fe interactions, the concentration of the Fe dopants, and doping sites. For instance, Tc is calculated to be 343.57 K for 2.08% Fe at the symmetric point of the crystal while estimated to be 323.84 and 393.297 K for 4.17% at the nearest neighbor and the next-nearest neighbor configurations. Due to the increase of the Fe concentration to 6.25%, the calculated Tc monotonically improved to 342.5 and 513.174 K at the nearest neighbor and the next-nearest neighbor of the Fe-site, respectively. These indicate that all the calculated findings estimate the ferromagnetic transition temperature Tc to above room temperature. Moreover, the system’s total magnetization reveals the augmentation of a number of unpaired electrons as a result of rise in oxygen vacancies and, hence, there could be more holes when the Fe content gets higher, perhaps generating more bound magnetic polarons that favor the critical temperature, Tc.
Perspectives on nonlinear optics of graphene: Opportunities and challenges
Authors: Vermeulen Nathalie
Published: February 2022

The first nonlinear-optical experiments with graphene date back over a decade, and a wide range of research breakthroughs has been reported since then, particularly on the third-order nonlinearities of the material. Graphene has been shown to exhibit extraordinary saturable absorption properties as well as extremely strong nonlinear refraction effects, both of which hold promise for practical use in nonlinear-optical devices. In this Perspective, after providing a very brief overview of the state of the art, I elaborate on the most relevant material parameters for future research and development activities in this domain, while also highlighting specific features of graphene’s linear and nonlinear-optical properties that are sometimes overlooked in experiments. Finally, I present my view on what the opportunities and remaining challenges are in the practical exploitation of graphene for nonlinear-optical applications.
Factors affecting length of productive life of Brazilian Holstein cows assessed using survival analysis
Authors: Gomes Vernaschi Lorena Carla , Valotto Altair Antonio , El Faro Zadra Lenira , Teixeira Rodrigo de Almeida , Talarico Dias Laila
Published: February 2022

Context Length of productive life is defined as the number of days from first calving to the last day of milking records, when the cow is no longer sufficiently productive. Although it has economic implications, length of productive life has not yet been included in Brazilian dairy cattle breeding programs because it depends on other traits such as age at first calving, milk production level and disease occurrence. In addition, its evaluation occurs later in life, and heritability coefficients are low. Aims The aim of this study was to identify the effects of both age at first calving and accumulated 305-day milk yield in the first lactation on length of productive life in Holstein cows. Methods Official dairy control data of 31 562 Holstein cows, calved from 2010 to 2014, in 321 herds from Paraná state, Brazil, were analysed by using the Kaplan–Meier estimator and Cox regression model. Key results First calving at <21 months was associated with shortest productive life (1197.01 ± 232.40 days), whereas first calving at 24 months was associated with the lowest hazard ratio (0.572), suggesting that this is the most suitable age of first calving for a longer productive life. Low-yielding cows (first lactation yield <6392 kg) had the second lowest survival probability (47.20%), the shortest productive life (1150.60 ± 234.51 days) and the highest voluntary hazard ratio (1.30) and were prematurely culled from the herds. High-yielding cows (first lactation yield >12 024 kg) had lower culling risk at the first lactation. Conclusions Cows that started their reproductive life ∼16 months of age (first calving at 24 months) had the longest productive life and an average first lactation milk yield ∼9000 kg. Implications Reproductive management practices could affect length of productive life through effects on age at first calving and first lactation milk yield. Most of the Holstein semen used in Brazil comes from countries where longevity has already been included in selection indexes; thus, early identification of cow longevity could be used for culling decisions.
Concordance of Occupational Exposure Assessment between the Canadian Job-Exposure Matrix (CANJEM) and Expert Assessment of Jobs Held by Women
Authors: Xu Mengting , Ho Vikki , Lavoue Jerome , Richardson Lesley , Siemiatycki Jack
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To compare the exposure data generated by using the Canadian job-exposure matrix (CANJEM) with data generated by expert assessment, for jobs held by women.

Methods

We selected 69 occupational agents that had been assessed by experts for each of 3403 jobs held by 998 women in a population-based case–control study of lung cancer. We then assessed the same agents among the same jobs by linking their occupation codes to CANJEM and thereby derived probability of exposure to each of the agents in each job. To create binary exposure variables, we dichotomized probability of exposure using two cutpoints: 25 and 50% (referred to as CANJEM-25% and CANJEM-50%). Using jobs as units of observation, we estimated the prevalence of exposure to each selected agent using CANJEM-25% and CANJEM-50%, and using expert assessment. Further, using expert assessment as the gold standard, for each agent, we estimated CANJEM’s sensitivity, specificity, and kappa.

Results

CANJEM-based prevalence estimates correlated well with the prevalences assessed by the experts. When comparing CANJEM-based exposure estimates with expert-based exposure estimates, sensitivity, specificity, and kappa varied greatly among agents, and between CANJEM-25% and CANJEM-50% probability of exposure. With CANJEM-25%, the median sensitivity, specificity, and kappa values were 0.49, 0.99, and 0.46, respectively. Analogously, with CANJEM-50%, the corresponding values were 0.26, 1.00, and 0.35, respectively. For the following agents, we observed high concordance between CANJEM- and expert-based assessments (sensitivity ≥0.70 and specificity ≥0.99): fabric dust, cotton dust, synthetic fibres, cooking fumes, soldering fumes, calcium carbonate, and tin compounds. We present concordance estimates for each of 69 agents.

Conclusions

Concordance between CANJEM and expert assessment varied greatly by agents. Our results indicate which agents provide data that mimic best those obtained with expert assessment.
Characterization of neuroinflammatory positron emission tomography biomarkers in chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Authors: Varlow Cassis , Knight Ashley C. , McQuade Paul , Vasdev Neil
Published: February 2022

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurological disorder associated with head trauma and is confirmed upon autopsy. PET imaging of chronic traumatic encephalopathy may provide a means to move towards ante-mortem diagnosis and therapeutic intervention following brain injuries. Characterization of the neuroinflammatory PET biomarkers, 18 kDa translocator protein and monoamine oxidase-B was conducted using [3H]PBR-28 and [3H]L-deprenyl, respectively, in post-mortem chronic traumatic encephalopathy brain tissue. [3H]PBR-28 displayed high specific binding in both chronic traumatic encephalopathy (95.40 ± 1.87%; n = 11 cases) and healthy controls (89.89 ± 8.52%, n = 3 cases). Cell-type expression of the 18 kDa translocator protein was confirmed by immunofluorescence to microglia, astrocyte and macrophage markers. [3H]L-deprenyl also displayed high specific binding in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (96.95 ± 1.43%; n = 12 cases) and healthy controls (93.24 ± 0.43%; n = 2 cases), with the distribution co-localized to astrocytes by immunofluorescence. Saturation analysis was performed to quantify the target density of the 18 kDa translocator protein and monoamine oxidase-B in both chronic traumatic encephalopathy and healthy control tissue. Using [3H]PBR-28, the target density of the 18 kDa translocator protein in healthy controls was 177.91 ± 56.96 nM (n = 7 cases; mean ± standard deviation); however, a highly variable target density (345.84 ± 372.42 nM; n = 11 cases; mean ± standard deviation) was measured in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. [3H]L-deprenyl quantified a monoamine oxidase-B target density of 304.23 ± 115.93 nM (n = 8 cases; mean ± standard deviation) in healthy control tissue and is similar to the target density in chronic traumatic encephalopathy tissues (365.80 ± 128.55 nM; n = 12 cases; mean ± standard deviation). A two-sample t-test determined no significant difference in the target density values of the 18 kDa translocator protein and monoamine oxidase-B between healthy controls and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (P > 0.05), albeit a trend towards increased expression of both targets was observed in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. To our knowledge, this work represents the first in vitro characterization of 18 kDa translocator protein and monoamine oxidase-B in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and reveals the variability in neuroinflammatory pathology following brain injuries. These preliminary findings will be considered when designing PET imaging studies after brain injury and for the ultimate goal of imaging chronic traumatic encephalopathy in vivo.
Neurodegenerative and functional signatures of the cerebellar cortex in m.3243A > G patients
Authors: Haast Roy A. M. , De Coo Irenaeus F. M. , Ivanov Dimo , Khan Ali R. , Jansen Jacobus F. A. , Smeets Hubert J. M. , Uludağ Kâmil
Published: February 2022

Mutations of the mitochondrial DNA are an important cause of inherited diseases that can severely affect the tissue’s homeostasis and integrity. The m.3243A > G mutation is the most commonly observed across mitochondrial disorders and is linked to multisystemic complications, including cognitive deficits. In line with in vitro experiments demonstrating the m.3243A > G’s negative impact on neuronal energy production and integrity, m.3243A > G patients show cerebral grey matter tissue changes. However, its impact on the most neuron dense, and therefore energy-consuming brain structure—the cerebellum—remains elusive. In this work, we used high-resolution structural and functional data acquired using 7 T MRI to characterize the neurodegenerative and functional signatures of the cerebellar cortex in m.3243A > G patients. Our results reveal altered tissue integrity within distinct clusters across the cerebellar cortex, apparent by their significantly reduced volume and longitudinal relaxation rate compared with healthy controls, indicating macroscopic atrophy and microstructural pathology. Spatial characterization reveals that these changes occur especially in regions related to the frontoparietal brain network that is involved in information processing and selective attention. In addition, based on resting-state functional MRI data, these clusters exhibit reduced functional connectivity to frontal and parietal cortical regions, especially in patients characterized by (i) a severe disease phenotype and (ii) reduced information-processing speed and attention control. Combined with our previous work, these results provide insight into the neuropathological changes and a solid base to guide longitudinal studies aimed to track disease progression.
The importance of prioritizing politics in Good Governance for Medicines Initiative in Zimbabwe: a qualitative policy analysis study
Authors: Mhazo Alison T , Maponga Charles C
Published: February 2022

In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Good Governance for Medicines (GGM) initiative, with the aim of fighting corruption in the pharmaceutical sector. In the case of Zimbabwe, implementation of the initiative slowed down after the development phase. Often, lack of funding and technical considerations are cited as major reasons for issue de-prioritization whilst ignoring the influence of politics in mediating policy diffusion. Between June and August 2021, we conducted an in-depth document review and interviewed individuals involved with GGM in Zimbabwe to understand the political determinants of GGM prioritization in Zimbabwe. To guide and direct our analysis, we used the Shiffman and Smith framework. We found that the inception of GGM was facilitated by capable leaders, effective guiding institutions and resonance of the idea with the political environment. Prioritization from inception to implementation was constrained by limited citizen engagement, restriction of the issue to the pharmaceutical domain and a political transition that re-oriented policy priorities and reconfigured individual actor power. The portrayal of corruption as a priority problem requiring policy action has been hampered by the political sensitivity of the issue, lack of credible indicators on the prevalence and severity of the problem and challenges to measure the effectiveness of interventions such as the GGM. Despite the slowdown, from 2018 GGM actors have taken advantage of momentous policy windows to reconstitute their power by opportunistically framing GGM within the broader framework of access to essential medicines leading to the creation of new policy alliances and establishment of strategic political structures. To sustain the political prioritization, actors need to lobby for the institutionalization of GGM within the Ministry of Health strategy, sensitize citizens on the initiative, involve multiple stakeholders and frame the issue as a strategic intervention that underpins pharmaceutical sector performance within the national developmental framework.
Effects of in ovo feeding of disaccharide and/or methionine on hatchability, growth performance, blood hematology, and serum antioxidant parameters in geese
Authors: Dang De Xin , Zhou Haizhu , Lou Yujie , Li Desheng
Published: January 2022

A completely randomized design employing a 2 × 2 factorial experiment was designed in this study to evaluate the effects of in ovo injection of disaccharide (DS) and/or methionine (Met) on hatchability, growth performance, blood hematology, and serum antioxidant parameters in geese. A total of 600 fertilized geese’s eggs containing live embryo were randomly assigned into 4 groups with 6 replicates and 25 eggs per replicate. Factors in four groups comprised noninjection, DS injection (25 g/L maltose + 25 g/L sucrose + 7.5 g/L NaCl), Met injection (5 g/L Met + 7.5 g/L NaCl), or DS plus Met injection (25 g/L maltose + 25 g/L sucrose + 5 g/L Met + 7.5 g/L NaCl), respectively. We found that the administration of DS in embryo increased hatching time, yolk sac-free carcass weight, yolk sac-free carcass indexes and decreased assisted hatching ratio, yolk sac weight, yolk sac indexes, but did not affect hatchability and mortality. Moreover, higher body weight and serum glucose concentrations in DS injection group compared with noninjection group were observed on day of hatching. The body weight and average daily gain (ADG) of geese in DS injection group were higher than noninjection group after incubation. In ovo injection of Met increased hatching time and yolk sac-free carcass indexes, but decreased yolk sac indexes. In addition, the strategy of in ovo feeding of Met led to higher body weight, ADG, serum uric acid, glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase concentrations, as well as lower GSSG/GSH ratio, serum glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations than the noninjection group on day of hatching. The post-hatching body weight, ADG, serum total protein, albumin, and uric acid concentrations increased, whereas post-hatching serum GSSG and MDA concentrations and GSSG/GSH ratio decreased when injected with Met. In addition, synergistic effects of in ovo injection of DS plus Met on hatching time as well as post-hatching body weight and ADG were observed. Therefore, in ovo injection of DS plus Met was demonstrated to be a way to improve the development of geese during early incubation stages.
Encephalitis Caused by Jamestown Canyon Virus in a Liver Transplant Patient, North Carolina, USA, 2017
Authors: Ciccone Emily J , Markmann Alena J , Srinivas Megan L , Levinson Kara J , Miller Melissa B , van Duin David , Gay Cynthia L
Published: January 2022

We describe the first documented case of Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) in North Carolina, which occurred in a liver transplant patient who presented acutely with headache, aphasia, and confusion. This is also the first report of recovery from JCV encephalitis following treatment with intravenous immune globulin.