bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Taxonomic study of subfamily Nepetoideae (Lamiaceae) by polynomorphological approach
Authors: Gul Saba , Ahmad Mushtaq , Zafar Muhammad , Bahadur Saraj , Sultana Shazia , Begum Najla , Shah Syed Nasar , Zaman Wajid , Ullah Fazal , Ayaz Asma , Hanif Uzma
Published: March 2019

The present study is insight into pollen morphology for characterizing species and their utility in the taxonomic separation of certain taxa of subfamily Nepetoideae (Lamiaceae) from Pakistan. The pollen micromorphology of 11 species of the Nepetoideae was analyzed and documented using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for both qualitative and quantitative characteristics. Most species have hexazonocolpate pollen grains but trizonocolpate and tetrazonocolpate pollen with circular and oval amb were also rarely observed in Mentha spicata. The basic pollen shape in most of the studied species was subspheroidal but prolate grains were also observed in M. spicata, S. coccinea, and S. plebeia. The exine sculpturing of Nepetoideae pollen was taxonomically very informative particularly at subfamily level. Observations of exine sculpturing with SEM revealed various types of pollen grains: reticulate, bireticulate, microreticulate, perforate, aerolate, and gammate. The bireticulate type further subdivided into three subtypes based on the number of secondary lumina in each primary lumen and is characterized by varying characteristics of the secondary reticulum and primary muri. A significant variation was observed in colpus surface ornamentation. The maximum polar diameter was found in O. americanum (58 ± 5.8 μm) and the maximum equatorial diameter observed in O. basilicum (50.25 ± 1.37 μm). Pollen features of the studied species were discussed and compared based on the current taxonomical concepts. The results showed that pollen traits of the subfamily Nepetoideae was found significant to classify the taxa. Furthermore, pollen features provide additional evidence to distinguish macromorphologically similar taxa from each other.
Change in serum levels of inflammatory markers reflects response of percutaneous catheter drainage in symptomatic fluid collections in patients with acute pancreatitis
Authors: Mallick Bipadabhanjan , Tomer Shallu , Arora Sunil K , Lal Anupam , Dhaka Narendra , Samanta Jayanta , Sinha Saroj K , Gupta Vikas , Yadav Thakur Deen , Kochhar Rakesh
Published: March 2019

Background

Percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) is used as the first step in the management of symptomatic fluid collections in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). There are limited data on the effect of PCD on inflammatory markers.

Aim

To study the effects of PCD on serum levels of C‐reactive protein (CRP), IL‐6, and IL‐10 and its correlation with the outcome.

Methods

Consecutive patients of AP with symptomatic fluid collections undergoing PCD were evaluated for serum levels of CRP, IL‐6, and IL‐10 before PCD and at 3 and 7 days after PCD. Resolution of organ failure (OF), sepsis, and pressure symptoms was considered to demonstrate the success of PCD. Changes in levels following PCD were correlated with outcome.

Results

Indications of PCD in 59 patients (age 38.9 ± 13.17 years, 49 male) were suspected/documented infected pancreatic necrosis (n = 45), persistent OF (n = 40), and pressure symptoms (n = 7). A total of 49 (83.1%) patients improved with PCD, five patients required surgery, and six died. A significant difference was noted between baseline levels of CRP (P = 0.026) and IL‐6 (P = 0.013) among patients who improved compared to those who worsened following PCD. Significant decrease (P < 0.01) of all three markers on day 3 of PCD insertion, with further decrease (P < 0.01) on day 7, was noted. The percentage of the decrease of IL‐6 levels on day 3 and of CRP on day 7 correlated with the outcome.

Conclusion

PCD is associated with a significant decrease in CRP, IL‐6, and IL‐10 levels. Percentage decrease in IL‐6 on day 3 and CRP on day 7 correlated with the outcome of patients managed with PCD.
Endoscopic retrieval of two proximally migrated plastic pancreatic duct stents
Authors: Rana Surinder S , Sharma Ravi , Gupta Rajesh
Published: March 2019

Plastic stent migration is an important complication of pancreatic duct (PD) stenting, with distal (downstream) migration being more common than proximal (upstream) migration. While the distal stent migration into the duodenum is rarely of any clinical consequence, proximal stent migration can cause serious complications, including obstructive pancreatitis. The endoscopic removal of proximally migrated stents is difficult because of the small diameter of PD, the bended and sometimes tortuous course of PD, the presence of strictures, and a lack of dedicated endoscopic accessories. We report a rare case of endoscopic retrieval of two proximally migrated plastic stents from PD.
A survey on the study of real zeros of flow polynomials
Authors: Dong Fengming
Published: March 2019

For a bridgeless graph , its flow polynomial is defined to be the function , which counts the number of nonwhere‐zero ‐flows on an orientation of whenever is a positive integer and is an additive Abelian group of order . It was introduced by Tutte in 1950, and the locations of zeros of this polynomial have been studied by many researchers. This paper gives a survey on the results and problems on the study of real zeros of flow polynomials.
Thiazolidinones: Synthesis, Reactivity, and Their Biological Applications
Authors: Nirwan Sonam , Chahal Varun , Kakkar Rita
Published: March 2019

Thiazolidinone is a biologically important five‐membered heterocyclic ring having almost all types of biological activities. This review covers various types of thiazolidinones, such as 2‐thiazolidinones, 4‐thiazolidinones, 5‐thiazolidinones, 2‐thioxo‐4‐thiazolidinones, and thiazolidiene‐2,4‐dione. The literature related to the physical properties, chemical reactions, and synthesis for these derivatives has been included. Recent advances in the biological activities reported for 4‐thiazolidinone derivatives, such as peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ binders, follicle‐stimulating hormone agonists, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator inhibitors, and antioxidants, have been covered in this review. Thus, this study may help in further optimizing these thiazolidinone derivatives as more effective drug agents.
Biophysical regulation of macrophages in health and disease
Authors: Meli Vijaykumar S , Veerasubramanian Praveen K , Atcha Hamza , Reitz Zachary , Downing Timothy L , Liu Wendy F
Published: March 2019

Macrophages perform critical functions for homeostasis and immune defense in tissues throughout the body. These innate immune cells are capable of recognizing and clearing dead cells and pathogens, and orchestrating inflammatory and healing processes that occur in response to injury. In addition, macrophages are involved in the progression of many inflammatory diseases including cardiovascular disease, fibrosis, and cancer. Although it has long been known that macrophages respond dynamically to biochemical signals in their microenvironment, the role of biophysical cues has only recently emerged. Furthermore, many diseases that involve macrophages are also characterized by changes to the tissue biophysical environment. This review will discuss current knowledge about the effects of biophysical cues including matrix stiffness, material topography, and applied mechanical forces, on macrophage behavior. We will also describe the role of molecules that are known to be important for mechanotransduction, including adhesion molecules, ion channels, as well as nuclear mediators such as transcription factors, scaffolding proteins, and epigenetic regulators. Together, this review will illustrate a developing role of biophysical cues in macrophage biology, and also speculate upon molecular targets that may potentially be exploited therapeutically to treat disease.
Short‐duration post CT‐guided thoracic biopsy monitoring‐ clinical experience with 440 patients
Authors: Frimpong George Asafu Adjaye , Aboagye Evans , Amankwah Pierre , Coleman Nana E. , Abaidoo Nakao K.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

With several studies recording a higher percentage of complications in the first hour of post‐biopsy, this study sought to evaluate the safety in the reduction in post‐biopsy patient monitoring time after computed tomography (CT)‐guided thoracic biopsies, providing a basis for further research.

Materials and Methods

This was a retrospective study involving patients who were referred to our centre for CT‐guided thoracic biopsies from January 2010 to December 2017. Patients who presented with no complications immediately after the post‐biopsy CT scan were given 30 min of post‐biopsy care after which they were discharged, and given a hot line to call in case of any complication. There was also a follow‐up call by a nurse after 24 h to inquire about any complication and general condition of the patients.

Results

A total of 440 core needle thoracic biopsies were performed within the period of the study. The most common thoracic region indicated for biopsy was mediastinal (n = 240, 54.5%), followed by lung (n = 185, 42.0%). Complications were recorded at a rate of 6.4% (n = 28), with 4.1% (n = 18) been pneumothorax and pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis accounting for 2.3% (n = 10). No relevant complications were recorded in patients who presented with no complications immediately after the post‐biopsy CT scan (n = 374, 85%).

Conclusions

Findings from this initial study have shown that thirty minutes of post‐biopsy care could be sufficient for patients present with no complications immediately after a post‐procedural scan in CT‐guided thoracic biopsies; providing a basis for similar algorithms to be explored in a randomised control study to substantiate the observation.
Moving From Classical Test Theory to the Evaluation of Usefulness: A Theoretical and Practical Examination of Alternative Approaches to the Development of Career Tools for Job Seekers
Authors: Englert Paul , Plimmer Geoff
Published: March 2019

This article critiques the common use of principles of classical test theory (CTT) as the key means of assessing the effectiveness of career instruments for employment counseling. The authors argue that excessive reliance on CTT has hindered the development of career assessment tools that better meet the diverse and changing needs of those seeking guidance in their career choice. The authors argue for an alternative paradigm based on notions of usefulness. A computerized career tool is evaluated to illustrate the limitations of CTT and the benefit of alternative methodologies for the assessment of instruments designed to provide effective career guidance.
Long‐Term Use of Mixed‐Oil Lipid Emulsion in Soybean Oil–Intolerant Home Parenteral Nutrition Patients
Authors: Mundi Manpreet S. , Kuchkuntla Aravind R. , Salonen Bradley R. , Bonnes Sara , Hurt Ryan T.
Published: March 2019

Background: Although home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is lifesaving for patients with chronic intestinal failure (IF), long‐term use can be associated with complications such as infections, metabolic abnormalities, and IF–associated liver disease (IFALD). The key to treatment of many of these complications is prevention. Guidelines recommend avoidance of overfeeding, use of oral/enteral nutrition if possible, cyclic PN, and maintaining dose of soybean oil (SO) intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) <1 g/kg/day as preventive strategies for IFALD. Additionally, with development of IFALD, ω‐6/ω‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio should be decreased in ILE. The newly available mixed‐oil (MO) ILE offers such an opportunity; however, there is a paucity of long‐term data available. Methods: The current study reports our long‐term experience with MO ILE use in HPN patients. Results: Seventeen patients (8 female and 9 male) with an average age of 47 ± 12 years and median HPN duration of 4.6 years (1.1–32.1 years) have utilized MO ILE for >12 months after being transitioned from SO ILE because of intolerance. Use of MO ILE allowed an increase in ILE energy from 8% ± 8% to 22% ± 8% while reducing dextrose energy from 66% ± 8% to 54% ± 5%, maintaining stability in alkaline phosphatase and triglyceride levels, and achieving improvement in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and α‐tocopherol levels. Conclusion: In this HPN cohort with SO ILE intolerance, MO ILE was well tolerated and allowed an improvement in macronutrient composition while improving some liver parameters over a 12‐month period.
Coffee‐husk biochar application increased AMF root colonization, P accumulation, N2fixation, and yield of soybean grown in a tropical Nitisol, southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Asfaw Eskedar , Nebiyu Amsalu , Bekele Eshetu , Ahmed Milkiyas , Astatkie Tessema
Published: March 2019

Low soil fertility and soil acidity are among the major bottlenecks that limit agricultural productivity in the humid tropics. Soil management systems that enhance soil fertility and biological cycling of nutrients are crucial to sustain soil productivity. This study was, therefore, conducted to determine the effects of coffee‐husk biochar (0, 2.7, 5.4, and 16.2 g biochar kg−1soil), rhizobium inoculation (with and without), and P fertilizer application (0 and 9 mg P kg−1soil) on arbuscular mycorrhyzal fungi (AMF) root colonization, yield, P accumulation, and N2fixation of soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merrill cv. Clark 63‐K] grown in a tropical Nitisol in Ethiopia. ANOVA showed that integrated application of biochar and P fertilizer significantly improved soil chemical properties, P accumulation, and seed yield. Compared to the seed yield of the control (without inoculation, P, and biochar), inoculation, together with 9 and 16.2 g biochar kg−1soil gave more than two‐fold increment of seed yield and the highest total P accumulation (4.5 g plant−1). However, the highest AMF root colonization (80%) was obtained at 16.2 g biochar kg−1soil without P and declined with application of 9 mg P kg−1soil. The highest total N content (4.2 g plant−1) and N2fixed (4.6 g plant−1) were obtained with inoculation, 9 mg P kg−1, and 16.2 g biochar kg−1soil. However, the highest %N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) (> 98%) did not significantly change between 5.4 and 16.2 g kg−1soil biochar treatments at each level of inoculation and P addition. The improved soil chemical properties, seed yield, P accumulation and N2fixation through combined use of biochar and P fertilizer suggest the importance of integrated use of biochar with P fertilizer to ensure that soybean crops are adequately supplied with P for nodulation and N2‐fixation in tropical acid soils for sustainable soybean production in the long term.
Improving dryland cropping system nitrogen balance with no‐tillage and nitrogen fertilization
Authors: Sainju Upendra M. , Ghimire Rajan , Pradhan Gautam P.
Published: March 2019

Studies on N balance due to N inputs and outputs and soil N retention to measure cropping system performance and environmental sustainability are limited due to the complexity of measurements of some parameters. We measured N balance based on N inputs and outputs and soil N retention under dryland agroecosystem affected by cropping system and N fertilization from 2006 to 2011 in the northern Great Plains, USA. Cropping systems were conventional tillage barley (Hordeum vulgaris L.)–fallow (CTB‐F), no‐tillage barley–fallow (NTB‐F), no‐tillage barley–pea (Pisum sativum L.) (NTB‐P), and no‐tillage continuous barley (NTCB). In these cropping systems, N was applied to barley at four rates (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg N ha−1), but not to pea and fallow. Total N input due to N fertilization, pea N fixation, soil N mineralization, atmospheric N deposition, nonsymbiotic N fixation, and crop seed N and total N output due to grain N removal, denitrification, volatilization, N leaching, gaseous N (NOx) emissions, surface runoff, and plant senescence were 28–37% greater with NTB‐P and NTCB than CTB‐F and NTB‐F. Total N input and output also increased with increased N rate. Nitrogen accumulation rate at the 0–120 cm soil depth ranged from –32 kg N ha−1 y−1 for CTB‐F to 40 kg N ha−1 y−1 for NTB‐P and from –22 kg N ha−1 y−1 for N rates of 0 kg N ha−1 to 45 kg N ha−1 y−1 for 120 kg N ha−1. Nitrogen balance ranged from 1 kg N ha−1 y−1 for NTB‐P to 74 kg N ha−1 y−1 for CTB‐F. Because of increased grain N removal but reduced N loss to the environment and N fertilizer requirement as well as efficient N cycling, NTB‐P with 40 kg N ha−1 may enhance agronomic performance and environmental sustainability while reducing N inputs compared to other management practices.
Effect of fiber microstructure studied by Raman spectroscopy upon the mechanical properties of carbon fibers
Authors: Qian Xin , Wang Xuefei , Zhong Junjun , Zhi Jianhai , Heng Fangfang , Zhang Yonggang , Song Shulin
Published: March 2019

The microstructure of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)‐based high‐performance carbon fibers, including high‐strength carbon fibers (HSCFs), high‐modulus carbon fibers (HMCFs), and ultrahigh‐modulus carbon fibers (UHMCFs), was systematically characterized by the Raman spectroscopy. Two characteristic bands, D‐line and G‐line, showed up in the Raman spectra of HSCFs, HMCFs, and UHMCFs. However, the wavenumber of the G‐line peak of HSCFs shifted to higher wavenumber (about 1,595 cm−1) and that of the D‐line peak of HMCFs and UHMCFs shifted to lower wavenumber (about 1,350 cm−1). The relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties of carbon fibers was also studied in detail. It was of significant relevance between surface disordered structure and the mechanical properties of HSCFs, and decreases in the full width at half maximum values of the disorder‐induced D‐line and A‐line could result in higher tensile strength and tensile modulus of HSCFs. As for HMCFs and UHMCFs, the disorder‐induced D′‐line more easily affected the tensile strength. A higher tensile modulus of HMCF and UHMCF was obtained as a result of decreases in the disordered structure and increases in the graphite structure. An increase of the intensity ratio ID/IG together with IA/IG (HSCFs) or ID′/IG (HMCFs and UHMCFs) could result in increases in the tensile strength and tensile modulus of carbon fibers.
Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering platform operating over wide pH range with minimal chemical enhancement effects: Test case of tyrosine
Authors: Moronshing Maku , Bhaskar Seemesh , Mondal Sudeshna , Ramamurthy Sai Sathish , Subramaniam Chandramouli
Published: March 2019

Decoupling the contributions of electromagnetic and chemical enhancements in surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) would lead to greater reliability and applicability in biological systems that involve large, localized pH gradients. However, suppressing short‐range, chemical enhancement effects in SERS has proved challenging due to unavoidable charge‐transfer interactions between analyte and the SERS platforms. This extends to both lithographically fabricated top‐down and self‐assembled bottom‐up SERS platforms. Here, we employ a Soret effect‐driven monodisperse nanoparticle assembly (Soret colloids [SCs]) with negligible surface charge (ξ < 16 mV) that provides exceptional SERS enhancement (analytical enhancement factor ~106) contributed predominantly by excitation of localized surface plasmon resonance (electromagnetic enhancement) with minimal electrostatic or charge‐transfer–based short‐range interactions. Significantly, the low ξ of SCs is invariant over a wide pH range (pH 4–7) indicating minimal electrostatic surface charge. The interaction of such SCs with ionic analytes such as tyrosine leads to uniform SERS dictated by electromagnetic enhancement mechanism. The absence of contribution from chemical enhancement is clearly established by the vibrational fingerprints of tyrosine that are devoid of any spectral shifts originating from charge transfer between tyrosine and SCs. Accordingly, all features of the tyrosine that are independent of pH such as C―H stretch (2,700–3,000 cm−1) and C―C stretch (1,440 cm−1) and C―C―C bending (1,010 cm−1) are completely preserved without any spectral shifts. Simultaneously, pH‐dependent vibrational features of tyrosine such as N―H stretch (1,545 cm−1), CO stretch (1,700 cm−1), COO− stretch (1,640 cm−1), C―O stretch (1,240 cm−1), and amide III bands (1,246 and 1,260 cm−1) are clearly observed. The intensities of such bands correspond exactly to the ionic state of tyrosine as dictated by the pH of the medium. This is reinforced by the crossover in the intensity of the pH‐dependent vibrational modes (C―O vs. COO‐ stretch, COO− vs. NH3+ stretch) that coincides with the isoelectric pH of tyrosine. Finally, reliable quantification of the charge and concentration of tyrosine using SCs are established, enabling its use for studying intrinsic cellular pathways using SERS.
The pressure effects and vibrational properties of energetic material: Hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine (α‐RDX)
Authors: Fan Junyu , Su Yan , Zheng Zhaoyang , Zhang Qingyu , Zhao Jijun
Published: March 2019

Hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine (RDX) is a secondary high‐explosive material with thermal stability and high‐detonation velocity. It has been widely utilized for military and civilian purposes. Using systematic first‐principle calculations, we comprehensively explore structural, mechanical, electronic, and vibrational properties of α‐RDX modulated by pressure loading. The evolutions of structure, elastic modulus, and band gap are examined. A near‐linear pressure response and strong anisotropy are shown preliminarily. Further, pressure response and strong anisotropy are exhibited by Raman spectra analysis under hydrostatic and uniaxial compressions. Calculated Raman spectrum is well in accordance with experimental data at ambient conditions. Under uniaxial compression, the anisotropic vibration properties of α‐RDX in different lattice directions are presented. The discontinuity in b axis and red shift along c axis, which is related to the modification of the strength of noncovalent interactions, is highlighted. Our results exhibit the comprehensive pressure responses and anisotropy of α‐RDX on the atomic level.
Raman spectroscopy: A tool to investigate alpha decay damage in a PuO2 crystal lattice and determining sample age since calcination
Authors: Villa‐Aleman Eliel , Houk Amanda L. , Bridges Nicholas J. , Shehee Thomas C.
Published: March 2019

Raman microspectroscopy can be used to measure local physical properties of materials, such as the lattice parameter. Alpha decay induced lattice damage of plutonium dioxide (PuO2) results in the growth of new bands and broadening of the T2g band. A relationship between the change in the lattice parameter and storage time has been established in the literature using X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Our measured time‐dependent Raman spectra of PuO2 particulates matches the XRD results. This new Raman spectroscopic technique can provide dating information on the time elapsed since the last calcination of PuO2 using a single >5 μm particulate in contrast to 50 mg of 10–50 μm particles required by XRD.
Electrocatalytic activity of the metallic silver electrode for thiamethoxam reduction: application for the detection of a neonicotinoid in tomato and orange samples
Authors: Ajermoun Nourddine , Farahi Abdelfattah , Lahrich Sara , Bakasse Mina , Saqrane Sana , El Mhammedi Moulay Abderrahim
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Thiamethoxam (3‐[(2‐chloro‐5‐thiazolyl)methyl]tetrahydro‐5‐methyl‐N‐nitro‐4H‐1,3,5‐oxadiazin‐4‐imine) belongs to a relatively new class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids, which can block irreversibly nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of the nervous system of insects. Its determination at trace levels is an acute analytical problem. Therefore, chromatography, spectroscopy, and electrochemical technics were reported. These last have several advantages (simple sensitive and less expensive). This work investigated the electro‐reduction of Thiamethoxam using simple and rapid method in real samples using metallic silver electrode.

RESULTS

Silver particles, known as effective catalysts in the reduction of nitro groups, were studied to explore their roles in the shift of thiamethoxam peak potential. Cyclic voltammetry, Tafel plot and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis suggest that metallic silver electrodes have a significantly greater electrocatalytic activity in thiamethoxam electroreduction than glassy carbon electrodes and carbon paste electrodes. The electrocatalytic activity of metallic silver electrodes in thiamethoxam reduction was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. A linear variation in cathodic current with the square root of the scan rate was observed, suggesting that the process is diffusion controlled. Several supporting electrolytes were tested, and the best results were obtained with Britton‐Robinson (BR) buffer, pH 10.4. A linear relationship between peak current and concentration was found in the range from 1.0 × 10−5 to 1.0 × 10−4 mol L−1 using square wave voltammetry (SWV) with a correlation coefficient of 0.994. The detection limit and quantification limit were 5.49 × 10−6 and 1.83 × 10−5 mol L−1, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Silve metallic electrode exhibits efficient catalytic activity towards the Thiamethoxam reduction. The proposed electrode was then used for the determination of thiamethoxam in tomato anad orage juice samples. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Moral Injury and Spiritual Struggles in Military Veterans: A Latent Profile Analysis
Authors: Currier Joseph M. , Foster Joshua D. , Isaak Steven L.
Published: March 2019

War‐related traumas can lead to emotional, relational, and spiritual suffering. Drawing on two community samples of war zone veterans from diverse military eras (Study 1, N = 616 and Study 2, N = 300), the purpose of this study was to examine patterns of constellations between outcomes related to moral injury (MI) and common ways in which veterans may struggle with religion or spirituality, defined as divine, morality, meaning, interpersonal, and doubt. Results from latent profile analyses revealed three distinct classes across the samples, based on psychometrically validated instruments: (a) no MI‐related outcomes or spiritual struggles (nondistressed group; Study 1 = 72.7%, Study 2 = 75.0%); (b) MI‐related outcomes and equivalent or lower degrees of spiritual struggles relative to MI‐related outcomes (psychological MI group; Study 1 = 19.2%, Study 2 = 17.0%); and (c) MI‐related outcomes and salient struggles with religious faith or spirituality, both within their own profiles and compared to other groups (spiritual MI group; 8.1% and 8.0% in the two samples). When we compared severity of spiritual struggles within MI groups, turmoil with God or a higher power emerged as a defining feature of the spiritual MI group in both samples. In addition, secondary analyses revealed membership in this third group was linked with greater importance of religion or spirituality before military service, χ2(1, N = 616 and 300) = 4.468–8.273. Overall, although more research is needed, these findings highlight the possible utility of differentiating between psychological and spiritual subtypes of MI according to war zone veterans’ religious or spiritual backgrounds.
Practice patterns of reflux medication prescriptions in otolaryngology compared to other specialties
Authors: Luetzenberg Friederike S. , Jiang Nancy
Published: March 2019

Objectives/Hypothesis

To describe the trends in proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescription rates and durations and compare them to those of H2‐receptor antagonists (H2RAs) between 2013 and 2016 in otolaryngology, gastroenterology, and family practice, following the increasing publications on PPI adverse effects and inappropriate prescribing.

Study Design

Retrospective review of publicly available Medicare Part D prescribing data.

Methods

PPI and H2RA prescription and beneficiary data were obtained through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website. For prescription rates, 30‐day fill counts were analyzed nationally and regionally per 10,000 Medicare members. Days supply per beneficiary was examined to show average prescription durations. Results were compared between otolaryngology, gastroenterology, and family practice. Medication‐related economic burden per year was calculated based on reported drug cost.

Results

From 2013 to 2016, PPI 30‐day fill counts remained stable, whereas H2RA prescription rates increased by up to 62% per 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The South consistently prescribed two to three times as much antireflux medication as the lowest prescribing region over time and across all three specialties. The days supply per beneficiary remained stable and ranged from an average of 128 to 203 days depending on the specialty. Antireflux medication‐related healthcare cost decreased steadily.

Conclusions

Despite numerous publications describing a multitude of adverse events and inappropriate prescribing patterns of PPIs in the past decade, prescription rates and durations per beneficiary have remained stable in the fields of otolaryngology, gastroenterology, and family practice. Additionally, H2RA prescriptions have increased from 2013 to 2016.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 130:321–327, 2020
Improved ultraviolet photo‐oxidation system yields estimates for deep‐sea dissolved organic nitrogen and phosphorus
Authors: Foreman Rhea K. , Björkman Karin M. , Carlson Craig A. , Opalk Keri , Karl David M.
Published: March 2019

Photolysis of dissolved organic matter using high‐intensity, ultraviolet (UV) light has been utilized since the 1960s as a method for the oxidation and subsequent quantification of dissolved organic nitrogen and phosphorus (DON and DOP) in both freshwater and marine water. However, conventional UV systems yielded variable and sometimes unreliable results; consequently, the method fell out of favor throughout much of the oceanographic community. Researchers turned to other oxidation methods such as persulfate oxidation or high‐temperature combustion, even though they have difficulty when DON and DOP are <10% of the total dissolved N and P (for example, in the deep sea and in surface waters at high latitudes). Here, we revive the UV oxidation method using modernized light‐generating equipment and high‐precision colorimetric analysis of the oxidation products, resulting in the most well‐constrained full ocean depth profiles of DON and DOP that are available to date. At Station ALOHA, in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, in the depth range of 900–4800 m, we find that DON is 2.2 ± 0.2 μmol L−1 (n  = 49), DOP is 0.049 ± 0.004 μmol L−1 (n  = 19), and the DOC : DON : DOP molar stochiometric relationship is 759 : 45 : 1. Preliminary estimates for the global ocean inventories of refractory DON and DOP are placed at 43.6 Pg N and 2.14 Pg P.
Experimental evaluation on the applicability of necrobiome analysis in forensic veterinary science
Authors: Tuccia Fabiola , Zurgani Emad , Bortolini Sara , Vanin Stefano
Published: March 2019

Despite the wide usage of animals as models in forensic studies, the investigations of fundamental legal questions involving domesticated and nondomesticated animals were always given marginal attention compared to “human forensic,” and only recently the interest in the discipline is increasing. Our research focuses on the effect of the fur coat on the activity and development of microbial decomposers. In order to test this variable never assessed before, rabbit carcasses were used and results show that: (i) distinct and significant temporal changes in terms of metabolic activity and taxa distribution can be tracked over the decomposition process; (ii) the richness and the diversity of the bacterial communities does not significantly vary over time, but it does not mean that the species Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) do not change; (iii) the presence/absence of the fur on the carcasses does not significantly affect either the bacterial communities’ functional activity or the diversity intra‐ and intercommunity, neither at phylum nor at family resolution; (iv) the functional activity and the ecological diversity of the bacterial communities are significantly affected by the body region, while the relative abundance is not. Obtained data confirm previous observations and provide new insight in the Forensic Veterinary field in terms of equally using them in order to derive a statistical model for the PMI estimation. As a future perspective, a contribution to the Forensic Entomology approach will be given in legal investigations when domestic or wild animals are involved, regardless of the presence of a hair layer.
Receptor tyrosine kinase recepteur d'origine nantais as predictive marker for aggressive prostate cancer in African Americans
Authors: Bedolla Roble G. , Shah Dimpy P. , Huang Shih‐Bo , Reddick Robert L. , Ghosh Rita , Kumar Addanki P.
Published: March 2019

Published evidence shows a correlation between several molecular markers and prostate cancer (PCa) progression including in African Americans (AAs) who are disproportionately affected. Our early detection efforts led to the identification of elevated levels of antiapoptotic protein, c‐FLIP and its upstream regulatory factors such as androgen receptor (AR), recepteur d'origine nantais (RON), a receptor tyrosine kinase in human prostate tumors. The primary objective of this study was to explore whether these markers play a role in racial disparities using immunohistochemistry in prostatectomy samples from a cohort of AA, Hispanic Whites (HWs), and non‐Hispanic Whites (NHWs). Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify a statistical association between molecular markers, possible correlation with risk factors including race, obesity, prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and disease aggressiveness. Further, changes in the levels and expression of these molecular markers were also evaluated using human PCa cell lines. We found significantly elevated levels of RON (
P = 0.0082), AR (
P = 0.0001), c‐FLIP (
P = 0.0071) in AAs compared with HWs or NHWs. Furthermore, a higher proportion of HW and NHWs had a high Gleason score (>6) but not PSA as compared to AAs (
P = 0.032). In summary, our findings suggest that PSA was important in predicting aggressive disease for the cohort overall; however, high levels of RON may play a role in predisposing AA men to develop aggressive disease. Future research is needed using large datasets to confirm these findings and to explore whether all or any of these markers could aid in race‐specific stratification of patients for treatment.
Economic Evaluation of Interventions in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Afentou Nafsika , Jarl Johan , Gerdtham Ulf‐G , Saha Sanjib
Published: March 2019

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) management comprises of drug treatments, surgery, and physical activity/occupational therapies to relieve PD's symptoms. The aim of this study is twofold; first, to appraise recent economic evaluation studies on PD management in order to update the existing knowledge; and second, to facilitate decision making on PD management by assessing the cost‐effectiveness of all types of PD interventions.

Methods

A systematic search for studies published between 2010 and 2018 was conducted. The inclusion and exclusion of the articles were based on criteria relevant to population, intervention, comparison, outcomes, and study design (PICO). The reporting quality of the articles was assessed according to Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards.

Results

Twenty‐eight articles were included, 10 of which were evaluations of drug treatments, 10 deep brain stimulation (DBS), and eight physical/occupational therapies. Among early‐stage treatments, Ti Ji dominated all physical activity interventions; however, its cost‐effectiveness should be further explored in relation to its duration, intensity, and frequency. Multidisciplinary interventions of joint medical and nonmedical therapies provided slightly better health outcomes for the same costs. In advanced PD patients, adjunct drug treatments could become more cost‐effective if introduced during early PD and, although DBS was more cost‐effective than adjunct drug therapies, the results were time‐bound.

Conclusions

Conditionally, certain PD interventions are cost‐effective. However, PD progression differs in each patient; thus, the cost‐effectiveness of individually tailored combinations of interventions that could provide more time in less severe disease states and improve patients’ and caregivers’ quality of life, should be further explored.
General decay rate for a class of weakly dissipative second‐order systems with memory
Authors: Hassan Jamilu Hashim , Messaoudi Salim A.
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we study an abstract class of weakly dissipative second‐order systems with finite memory. We establish a new general decay rate for the solution of the system under some appropriate conditions on the memory kernel (relaxation function). Our result improves and generalizes many existing results in the literature. We also give some examples to illustrate our abstract result.
Stability of the fractional Volterra integro‐differential equation by means of ψ‐Hilfer operator
Authors: Sousa José Vanterler da C. , Rodrigues Fabio G. , Capelas de Oliveira Edmundo
Published: March 2019

In this paper, using the Riemann‐Liouville fractional integral with respect to another function and the ψ−Hilfer fractional derivative, we propose a fractional Volterra integral equation and the fractional Volterra integro‐differential equation. In this sense, for this new fractional Volterra integro‐differential equation, we study the Ulam‐Hyers stability and, also, the fractional Volterra integral equation in the Banach space, by means of the Banach fixed‐point theorem. As an application, we present the Ulam‐Hyers stability using the α‐resolvent operator in the Sobolev space
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Technical Note: A new method to rapidly identify benign and malignant breast lumps through bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Wu Jian , Wang Pin , Tang Yan , Liu Hong , Wang Haobin , Zhang Wenjie , Zhang Yan , Chen Liping , Xu Zhangbo , Yao Xinmin
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To evaluate the effectiveness of Bioelectrical Impedance Spectroscopy (BIS) in order to rapidly distinguish malignant vs benign breast masses.

Methods

A total of 622 breast masses from 489 patients were collected from January 2015 to June 2017. Every specimen was evaluated by a breast tissue bioimpedance analyzer (MScan1.0B) followed by morphological examination by pathologists. The results from BIS were compared with the morphological results from pathology (as a gold standard). The specificity and sensitivity of BIS were evaluated and the consistency test was performed.

Results

Compared with the pathology standard, BIS had good sensitivity (92.4%), specificity (96.0%), false positive rate (3.96%), and false negative rate (7.58%). The positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values of BIS were 23.36, 0.0789, 73.49%, 99.07%, respectively. The kappa value of BIS was 0.794 ± 0.038 in the consistency test.

Conclusion

Compared with the pathology standard, the BIS is an effective, convenient, and economical detection method to quickly differentiate benign and malignant breast masses with high accuracy. It may serve as a potential supplement of intraoperative pathological examinations.
A nondestructive and noninvasive method to determine water content in lyophilized proteins using low‐field time‐domain NMR
Authors: Abraham Anuji , Elkassabany Omar , Krause Mary E. , Ott Andrew
Published: March 2019

Determining the moisture content in lyophilized solids is a fundamental step towards predicting the quality and stability of lyophilized products, but conventional methods are time‐consuming, invasive, and destructive. High levels of residual moisture in a lyophilized product can lead to cake collapse, product degradation, and reduced shelf life. The aim of this study was to develop a fast, noninvasive, nondestructive, and inexpensive method for determining the moisture content in a lyophilized monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulation using benchtop low‐field time‐domain nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Fat‐water separation based on Transition REgion Extraction (TREE)
Authors: Peng Hao , Zou Chao , Cheng Chuanli , Tie Changjun , Qiao Yangzi , Wan Qian , Lv Jianxun , He Qiang , Liang Dong , Liu Xin , Liu Wenzhong , Zheng Hairong
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To develop a method based on fat‐water transition region extraction (TREE) for robust fat‐water separation and quantification in challenging scenarios, including low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), fast changing B0 field, and disjointed anatomies.

Theory and Methods

In TREE method, the phasor solutions of each pixel were categorized into fat‐dominant and water‐dominant groups. The fat‐water transition region was then extracted by detecting sudden changes in the phasor maps. The phasor solutions of the pixels in the transition region were solved by choosing the smoothest phasor combinations. For the remaining subregions, the phasor solution was then determined by all the surrounding transition region pixels. The proposed method was validated using various datasets, including some from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) 2012 Challenge.

Results

Quantitative score of proposed method (9936.8 of 10,000) is comparable to the winner (9951.9) of ISMRM 2012 Challenge. The total processing time was 179.3 s for 15 datasets. Sagittal spine data with ~400 mm field of view in head‐foot direction were used to compare TREE with several representative region‐growing methods. Results showed that the proposed method was robust under fast changing B0 field, disjointed anatomies and low SNR area. No apparent fat‐water swap was observed in the low SNR (SNR ~ 10) dataset. Accurate proton density fat fraction results were also produced from the proposed method.

Conclusion

A method based on fat‐water transition region extraction was proposed for robust water‐fat separation and fat fraction quantification. The method worked well in spatially disjointed objects, fast changing B0 field, and low SNR application.
Motion‐robust and blood‐suppressed M1‐optimized diffusion MR imaging of the liver
Authors: Zhang Yuxin , Peña‐Nogales Óscar , Holmes James H. , Hernando Diego
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To develop motion‐robust, blood‐suppressed diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) of the liver with optimized diffusion encoding waveforms and evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of quantitative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements.

Methods

A novel approach for the design of diffusion weighting waveforms, termed M1‐optimized diffusion imaging (MODI), is proposed. MODI includes an echo time‐optimized motion‐robust diffusion weighting gradient waveform design, with a small nonzero first‐moment motion sensitivity (M1) value to enable blood signal suppression. Experiments were performed in eight healthy volunteers and five patient volunteers. In each case, DW images and ADC maps were compared between acquisitions using standard monopolar waveforms, motion moment‐nulled (M1‐nulled and M1–M2‐nulled) waveforms, and the proposed MODI approach.

Results

Healthy volunteer experiments using MODI showed no significant ADC bias in the left lobe relative to the right lobe (p < .05) demonstrating robustness to cardiac motion, and no significant ADC bias with respect to monopolar‐based ADC measured in the right lobe (p < .05), demonstrating blood signal suppression. In contrast, monopolar‐based ADC showed significant bias in the left lobe relative to the right lobe (p < .01) due to its sensitivity to motion, and both M1‐nulled and M1–M2‐nulled‐based ADC showed significant bias (p < .01) due to the lack of blood suppression. Preliminary patient results also suggest MODI may enable improved visualization and quantitative assessment of lesions throughout the entire liver.

Conclusions

This novel method for diffusion gradient waveform design enables DWI of the liver with high robustness to motion and suppression of blood signals, overcoming the limitations of conventional monopolar waveforms and moment‐nulled waveforms, respectively.
The impact of a familiarization session on the magnitude and stability of active and passive pelvic floor muscle forces measured through intravaginal dynamometry
Authors: Czyrnyj Catriona S. , Bérubé Marie‐Ève , Varette Kevin , McLean Linda
Published: March 2019

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of task familiarization on (1) the magnitude and (2) the repeatability of active and passive properties of the female pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) measured using automated intra‐vaginal dynamometry.

Methods

Women attended three laboratory sessions at one‐week intervals. After receiving initial task instruction and feedback at the start of the first session, standardized instructions were given while women performed maximal effort voluntary contractions of their PFMs with the dynamometer arms open at two different diameters and kept their PFMs relaxed while the dynamometer arms opened to 40 mm at two speeds. Outcomes included baseline force, peak force, relative peak forces (N), rate of force development (N/s) and stiffness. Between session effects were tested for all outcomes using one‐way ANOVAs. Intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and minimal detectable change values were computed within each session and between sessions 1 and 2 and sessions 2 and 3.

Results

Twenty nulliparous women (mean age = 35 ± 15 years) participated. No differences in the mean values were found across the three visits for any outcomes. Within sessions, neither ICC nor minimal detectable change differed among sessions and between‐session ICC values were not different between visits 1 and 2 and visits 2 and 3.

Conclusions

There is no evidence of a familiarization effect over a two‐week period on the amplitude nor repeatability of dynamometric measures of active or passive PFM properties recorded from nulliparous women.
A coarse–fine‐mesh stabilization for an alternating Schwarz domain decomposition method
Authors: Axelsson Owe , Gustafsson Ivar
Published: March 2019

Domain decomposition methods can be solved in various ways. In this paper, domain decomposition in strips is used. It is demonstrated that a special version of the Schwarz alternating iteration method coupled with coarse–fine‐mesh stabilization leads to a very efficient solver, which is easy to implement and has a behavior nearly independent of mesh and problem parameters. The novelty of the method is the use of alternating iterations between odd‐ and even‐numbered subdomains and the replacement of the commonly used coarse‐mesh stabilization method with coarse–fine‐mesh stabilization.
A steady barycentric Lagrange interpolation method for the 2D higher‐order time‐fractional telegraph equation with nonlocal boundary condition with error analysis
Authors: Yi Shi‐Chao , Yao Lin‐Quan
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we consider the numerical solution of the time‐fractional telegraph equation with a nonlocal boundary condition. A novel barycentric Lagrange interpolation collocation method is developed to solve this equation. Two difficulties have been sorted: the singularity of the integration and the higher accuracy. At the same, we put forward a steady barycentric Lagrange interpolation technique to overcome the new “Runge” phenomenon in computation. Error estimates of the barycentric Lagrange interpolation and the time‐fractional telegraph system for the present method are presented in Sobolev spaces. High convergence rates of the proposed method are obtained and are consisted with the numerical values. Especially in the time dimension, we get the error bound, for h‐refinement and for nt‐density in the L2 norms. The numerical results obtained show that the proposed numerical algorithm is accurate and computationally efficient for solving time‐fractional telegraph equation. Experiments demonstrate the high convergence rates of the proposed method are consisted with the theoretical values.