bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulation‐based education: A narrative review of the use of VERT in radiation therapy education
Authors: Kane Paul
Published: April 2018

Simulation has a long history in medical and health science training and education. The literature describing this history is extensive. The role simulation plays in many health disciplines has evolved, as has the focus of the literature around it. The Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training (VERT) system is a relative newcomer to radiation therapy education and, similar to the literature around radiation therapy (RT) education, is still in its infancy. This narrative review sets the scene of simulation‐based education within the health sciences and considers the lessons learned from published work on VERT to date. The evidence suggests that future inquiry involving VERT should explore different ways in which VERT can be used to contribute to the skillset required by the radiation therapist of tomorrow.
Precipitation anomalies in the Pan‐Asian monsoon region during El Niño decaying summer 2016
Authors: Gao Ya , Wang Huijun , Chen Dong
Published: April 2018

The El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has an intimate relationship with Asian summer monsoon precipitation. Previous study pointed out that the most recent 2015–2016 El Niño event is tied with the 1997–1998 and 1982–1983 El Niño events as the strongest event since 1950, which may result in catastrophe in Asian monsoon region. Therefore, in this article, we mainly focus on the anomalous precipitation pattern in the Pan‐Asian monsoon region during MJJ 2016 and its impact factors. Results show that the summer precipitation anomalies display a meridional tripole pattern from north to south in the Pan‐Asian monsoon region during 2016. This pattern indicates that the anomalous increased rainfall is located over the middle–lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley–East China Sea (ECS) and the tropical eastern Indian Ocean–western Maritime Continent, while the anomalous decreased rainfall is located over the South China Sea (SCS)–Philippine Sea.

Results suggest that the preceding winter and spring ENSO and the simultaneous summer Maritime Continent sea surface temperature (SST) are the primary impact factors of the pattern of tripole precipitation anomalies in the Pan‐Asian monsoon region during MJJ 2016. The preceding ENSO can intensify the western North Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), which results in the anomalous decrease in precipitation over the Indo‐China Peninsula–Philippine Sea. Meanwhile, more moisture is transported from the northwestern flank of WPSH to the Yangtze River valley–ESC to increase rainfall. In the ENSO decaying summer, the Maritime Continent SST anomalous warming induces an anomalous convergence in situ, which increases the local precipitation. Later, this warming can intensify the WPSH through the local meridional circulation. The north Indian Ocean SST, including Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, also has a high relationship with tripole precipitation pattern, but it cannot induce this tripole rainfall pattern, which establishes the linkage through the extending WPSH.
A 30‐year convection‐permitting regional climate simulation over the interior western United States. Part I: Validation
Authors: Wang Yonggang , Geerts Bart , Liu Changhai
Published: April 2018

A 30‐year high‐resolution (4 km) regional climate simulation (October 1981 to September 2011) is conducted in the interior western United States (IWUS) using the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model. The high spatial resolution is motivated by the IWUS complex terrain environment and the high spatial variability of atmospheric and land surface variables. The simulation, driven by the NCEP climate forecast system reanalysis, is convection‐permitting and uses the Noah multi‐physics land surface model. Modelled surface temperature, precipitation, and snow water equivalent (SWE) are evaluated against snowpack telemetry (SNOTEL) data and against the parameter‐elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM) data set. The modelled daily minimum and maximum surface temperatures match the 4‐km resolution PRISM data, with spatial correlation coefficients close to 1. The simulation accurately captures the observed distribution and amount of seasonal precipitation and the mountain snowpack in the IWUS, although discrepancies exist, especially over the high‐elevation ridges. Simulated seasonal precipitation correlates well with observations, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.85 for PRISM over the whole domain and 0.88 for SNOTEL over the mountain ranges. The simulation also replicates the spatial pattern of extreme precipitation events well, although it overestimates precipitation intensity and maximum duration of dry spells and underestimates the frequency of wet days. The simulated seasonal mountain snowpack and its spring melt‐off timing show a negative bias at most SNOTEL sites. This validation justifies the use of the 30‐year IWUS data set as a high‐resolution data source, almost equivalent to a reanalysis.
Possible contribution of the inter‐annual Tibetan Plateau snow cover variation to the Madden–Julian oscillation convection variability
Authors: Lyu Mengxia , Wen Min , Wu Zhiwei
Published: April 2018

The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is the major mode of intra‐seasonal variability in the Tropics, yet researches about factors related to this oscillation have not been well understood, particularly on an inter‐annual timescale. As a crucial index of the thermal condition of the plateau, the Tibetan Plateau snow cover (TPSC) has attracted great attention with its potential climatic effects. In this paper, observational evidences present that the inter‐annual variation in the wintertime TPSC can exert influence on the convection variability associated with the MJO. For the excessive TPSC winters, the MJO convection tends to be stronger in the Indian Ocean (phases 2–3), while it is more vigorous over the western Pacific (phases 6–7) during the reduced TPSC winters. Furthermore, the South Asia High (SAH) is found to be the key system in the potential physical mechanism. A reduced (excessive) TPSC can excite upper‐level anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) over the Tibetan Plateau and eastern China, which is in favour of westwards extension (eastwards withdrawal) and enhancing (weakening) of the SAH over tropical oceans. Through an anomalous tropical zonal‐vertical circulation, the intensified ascending (descending) motions over the tropical western Pacific may subsequently depress (enhances) the convection over the Indian Ocean. Over the Indian Ocean (phases 2–3) and the western Pacific (phases 6–7), the zonal‐vertical circulation associated with the MJO is exactly superposed with the inter‐annual anomalous vertical circulation linked with the TPSC, so the according changes of MJO convection are most significant in these two categorized phases.
Spatio‐temporal trends in daily precipitation extremes and their connection with North Atlantic tropical cyclones for the southeastern United States
Authors: Dhakal Nirajan , Tharu Bhikhari
Published: April 2018

Changes in extreme precipitation are associated with changes in their probability distributions and the characteristics of quantiles derived from fitted distributions. In this study, the linear quantile regression method is employed to analyse spatio‐temporal trends of extreme precipitation and to study the impact of North Atlantic tropical cyclones in the distribution of extreme precipitation for the southeastern United States. Daily annual maximum precipitation over the period of 64 years (1950–2013) for 107 sites was used for the analysis. Our results show that changes in upper quantiles of the distributions of the extreme precipitation have occurred in the southeastern United States. Analysis of the potential changes in the distribution of the extreme precipitation by separating the historical record into two periods, that is, before and after 1981, reveals that upper‐quantile trends have increasing magnitude in most of the sites for the latest time period. Analysis of the impact of tropical cyclones in the extreme precipitation distribution shows that overall the heavy rainfall events in the recent decades may have been caused by tropical cyclones. Such results are particularly useful for water managers who are more concerned with extreme values rather than the averaged one. Hence, our study has significant implication in environmental and infrastructural assessment as well as disaster risk management.
Stone forest as a small‐scale field model for the study of urban climate
Authors: Wang Kai , Li Yuguo , Li Yuhui , Lin Borong
Published: April 2018

Reduced‐scale physical models of real cities are a useful approach to studying the physical processes of urban climate. Here, we consider a stone forest as a small‐scale field model of urban climate. The study was conducted in the scenic area of stone forest (24.81°N, 103.32°E), located in Yunnan Province in southwest China. The stone forest is a set of limestone formations with heights ranging from 10 to 30 m. These stones are thought to be similar to buildings in cities because the thermal properties of the stones are similar to those of the concrete of human‐made structures in cities. The thermal environment of the stone forest can thus be considered to simulate that of cities. Our field measurements were conducted over 2 years in four different areas to simulate typical urban morphology and environment scenarios, that is, high‐rise compact, low‐rise sparse, garden, and isolated single‐stone areas. The field measurements in the stone forest demonstrated several phenomena common to cities—higher mean temperature, smaller amplitude, and delayed phase lag—as opposed to rural areas. Unlike cities, air pollution and anthropogenic heat are limited in the stone forest; hence, we attribute the differences between the four areas to the effects of stone forest morphology. With increasing compactness, the daily amplitude is reduced and the daily phase delayed. Rather than the mean temperature alone, the daily amplitude and phase may be better indicators of the effects of urban morphology on the daily temperature cycle.
Modelling high‐latitude summer temperature patterns using physiographic variables
Authors: Sadoti Giancarlo , McAfee Stephanie A. , Roland Carl A. , Fleur Nicklen E. , Sousanes Pamela J.
Published: April 2018

Recent investigations of high‐resolution temperature patterns employing dense observational networks have improved our understanding of fine‐scale climatic influences on hydrological and ecological processes. Few of these investigations, however, have focused on high‐latitude environments. In this study—one of the first to evaluate drivers of fine‐scale temperature patterns in a non‐glaciated high‐latitude environment—we evaluated physiographic controls on summer temperature while accounting for free‐air temperature conditions along a north–south transect of temperature sensors on Mt. Healy, at the eastern edge of Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, United States. Although the study was limited to summer, when near‐surface temperature inversions are rare, we identified average daily minimum temperature (Tmin) lapse rates shallower than −2 °C/km over five summers. Lapse rates of average temperature (Tavg) were steeper (−5.3 °C/km), but still did not approach the global average lapse rate of −6.5 °C/km. We also identified positive effects of solar radiation on both Tmin and Tavg, variation in Tmin and Tavg lapse rates across a range of synoptic temperature conditions, and variation in Tmin lapse rates across terrain convergence values. Finally, we compared relationships between elevation and temperature from transect sensors and a gridded product. Over 15 months of comparison, sensor Tavg was 0.6 °C cooler than gridded data at similar elevations. Sensor lapse rates were on average 0.5 °C steeper than those from gridded data but only significantly so in the cool month of June 2014. These differences highlight the need for additional instrumentation across this remote and topographically variable region to improve accuracy and reduce biases in gridded climate products.
Evaluation of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 historical simulations in the Colorado River basin
Authors: Gautam Jenita , Mascaro Giuseppe
Published: April 2018

The Colorado River basin (CRB) is the primary source of water in the southwestern United States. A key step to reduce the uncertainty of future streamflow projections in the CRB is to evaluate the performance of historical simulations of general circulation models (GCMs). In this study, this challenge is addressed by evaluating the ability of 19 GCMs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) and four nested regional climate models (RCMs) in reproducing the statistical properties of the hydrologic cycle and temperature in the CRB. To capture the transition from snow‐dominated to semi‐arid regions, analyses are conducted by spatially averaging the climate variables in four nested sub‐basins. Most models overestimate the mean annual precipitation (P) and underestimate the mean annual temperature (T) at all locations (up to +140% and −4.9 °C, respectively). A group of models capture the mean annual run‐off at all sub‐basins with different strengths of the hydrological cycle, depending on the level of P overestimation. Another set of models overestimate the mean annual run‐off, due to a weak cycle in the evaporation channel. An abrupt increase in the mean annual T of ~0.8 °C is detected at all locations around 1980 from the observed and most of the simulated time series. However, no statistically significant monotonic trends emerge for both P and T. All models simulate the seasonality of T quite well. The phasing of the seasonal cycle of P is reproduced fairly well in one of the upper, snow‐dominated sub‐basins. Model performances degrade in the larger sub‐basins that include semi‐arid areas, because several GCMs are not able to capture the effect of the North American monsoon. Finally, the relative performances of the climate models in reproducing the climatologies of P and T are quantified to support future impact studies in the basin.
Regulation of mycorrhiza development in durum wheat by P fertilization: Effect on plant nitrogen metabolism
Authors: Di Martino Catello , Palumbo Giuseppe , Vitullo Domenico , Di Santo Patrick , Fuggi Amodio
Published: April 2018

The aim of this work was to study the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae on growth and nitrogen (N) metabolism of durum wheat (Tritcum durum) under various P soil contents. The analyses were extended to macro and micronutrient tissue concentrations, nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activities, as well as protein, aminoacids, pyridine dinucleotides and adenine nucleotides. Arbuscular mycorrhiza increased wheat growth in soil in which P availability was low and nitrate was the dominant N form. The root colonization occurred at the highest level in plants grown in limiting soil P and was inversely related to soil P content. The micorrhizal wheat plants contained also the highest concentrations of macro (P, K, Ca, N) and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn) as well as free amino acids, protein, NAD, NADP, AMP, ADP, ATP in roots and leaves. In particular, the micronutrient tissue concentrations (Zn, Mn) supported that mycorrhiza actively modulated their uptake limiting interferences and optimizing growth better than the plant roots, like a very efficient “rootstock”. Control plants grown at the highest soil P did not reach the same concentration as the mycorrhizal plants. Nitrate reductase activities in the roots of mycorrhizal plants were higher than in the control ones, while glutamine synthetase activities were highest in the leaves. Protein and amino acids concentrations, as well as AMP, ADP, ATP, NAD(P), and NAD(P)H were also higher than in the control. Among the free amino acids in the roots, the high levels of glutamine, asparagine, arginine, support the view that ammonium was transferred through the arbuscules to the root cells where it was re‐assimilated in the cortical cells, forming high N : C ratio‐amino acids. They were transferred to the leaves where all the other N compounds could be largely synthesized using the carbon skeletons supplied by photosynthesis.
Investigation on Foam Self‐Generation Using In Situ Carbon Dioxide (CO2) for Enhancing Oil Recovery
Authors: Jin Fayang , Wei Peng , Pu Wanfen , Zhang Lan , Qian Zhen , Wu Guangsheng
Published: April 2018

In situ carbon dioxide (CO2) foam flooding has proved to be economically feasible in the oil field, but its self‐generation behavior in the bulk scale/porous media is far from understood. In this study, the optimum in situ CO2‐foaming agent was first screened, and then in situ foam was investigated in the bulk. In situ foam flooding was conducted to evaluate the displacement characteristics and enhanced oil recovery of this system. The results showed that the foaming agent comprising 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) + 0.5% lauramido propyl hydroxyl sultaine (LHSB) gave the best foam properties and that the in situ CO2 foam with a slow releasing rate is effective both in bulk scale and in porous media, allowing a considerable enhancement of oil recovery in sand packs with different permeabilities.
Synthesis, Surface Activity, and Antimicrobial Efficacy of Diaryliodonium Salt‐Derived Amphiphiles
Authors: Huang Mengen , Xu Shujia , Wu Xunshen , Zhao Min , Wang Limin
Published: April 2018

Two sets of 19 amphiphiles derived from diaryliodonium salt in the form of 4‐methylbenzenesulfonate salts and trifluoromethanesulfonate salts were synthesized in good yields through the oxidation of 17 different aryl iodides using oxone (potassium peroxymonosulfate) as the oxidation agent in Route I and meta‐chloroperoxybenzoic acid as the oxidation agent in Routes II and III, followed by Friedel–Crafts reaction with (2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)benzene to obtain the target compounds (1–19). Their structures were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR, and high‐resolution mass spectrometry studies. Their surface activities were evaluated on the basis of surface tension and critical micelle concentration measurements by the Wilhelmy plate method at 25 °C. With their good water solubility, diaryliodonium salts (1–19) have excellent short‐term bactericidal efficacy against Bacillus cereus in the concentration of 600 ppm at 20 °C. After compounding 1 or 18 with the broad‐spectrum but skin‐irritating antibacterial agent Kathon CG (methylchloroisothiazolinone in combination with methylisothiazolinone) in the ratio of 1:1 by mass, both formulations maintained lethality rate of >90% after 48 h.
Effects of the Polypropylene Oxide Number on the Surface Properties of a Type of Extended Surfactant
Authors: Lv Mengdie , Zhou Yawen , Wang Shan , Han Fu , Xu Baocai
Published: April 2018

The surface properties of 5 extended surfactant C12–14P
mE2S solutions in pure water and 0.1 M NaCl were investigated through surface tension and electrical conductivity measurements. The surface properties measured include the critical micelle concentration (CMC), critical surface tension (γcmc), maximum surface excess concentration (Γmax), minimum area occupied per surfactant molecule (Amin), and efficiency in surface tension reduction (pC20). The CMC values of the 5 surfactants decreased with increasing polypropylene oxide number (PON) and were higher than those obtained in 0.1 M NaCl. The Γmax values showed a downward trend whereas the Amin values exhibited an upward trend with increasing PON without NaCl. The Γmax values were higher and the Amin values were lower than those obtained without 0.1 M NaCl. The CMC values increased at elevated temperatures. The CMC values of C12–14P3E2S, C12–14P5E2S, and C12–14P8E2S were similar but were markedly lower than those of C12–14E2S at different temperatures. When PON was less than 12, the log CMC value decreased linearly with increasing PON in the absence of salt, and the relationship between pC20 and PON was linear. But in the presence of 0.1 M NaCl, the log CMC value decreased exponentially with increasing PON.
A Review and Proposed Rationale for the use of Ultrasonography as a Diagnostic Modality in the Identification of Bone Stress Injuries
Authors: Fukushima Yaeko , Ray Jeremiah , Kraus Emily , Syrop Isaac P. , Fredericson Michael
Published: April 2018

Bone stress injuries are common in military personnel and athletes. The delayed diagnosis of a bone stress injury can lead to a more severe injury that requires a longer period of treatment. The early detection of bone stress injuries is a central part of management. Currently, the reference standard for detecting bone stress injuries is magnetic resonance imaging. However, the expanding use of point‐of‐care ultrasonography (US) may enable the early detection of bone stress injuries in the clinical setting. In this article, we review the US detection of bone stress injuries, as well as discuss the rationale for the use of US in the diagnosis of these injuries.
Ultrasound‐Assisted Assessment of Medial Elbow Stability
Authors: DeMoss Andrew , Millard Nathaniel , McIlvain Gary , Beckett Joseph A. , Jasko John J. , Timmons Mark K.
Published: April 2018

Objectives

An assessment of medial elbow stability is essential to the patient with an ulnar collateral ligament injury. Ultrasound imaging can be used to assess medial elbow stability. This study determined the effect of the elbow flexion angle on the medial elbow joint space during clinical tests of medial elbow stability.

Methods

Ultrasound images of the nondominant elbow were collected during 3 tests of medial elbow stability: valgus stress test, weighted valgus test, and milking maneuver. The elbow flexion angle increased between the valgus stress test and milking maneuver. The width of the medial joint space was measured on ultrasound images collected in unstressed and stressed conditions.

Results

Across test conditions, the medial joint width was greater in the stressed condition (mean ± SD, 3.7 ± 0.1 mm) than in the unstressed condition (2.9 ± 0.09 mm). The medial elbow joint space width was less (mean difference, 0.16 ± 0.01 mm; P = .01) in the milking maneuver position compared to the valgus stress test positions.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence that changes in the width of the medial elbow during clinical evaluation of the unimpaired elbow can be detected by ultrasound. Changing the elbow flexion angle did not affect the change in width of the medial elbow during valgus loading.
Growth Hormone Secretagogue (A233) Improves Growth and Changes the Tissue Fatty Acid Profile in Juvenile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Martínez Rebeca , Morales Carmen , Arenal Amilcar , Morales Antonio , Herrera Fidel , González Víctor , Estrada Mario Pablo
Published: April 2018

Growth hormone (GH) release is a process that is well regulated by several factors, including GH secretagogues. GH can mediate the regulation of the fatty acid level and composition. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a synthetic GH secretagogue peptide (A233) on the growth and fatty acid composition in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). To address this objective, we administrated a diet supplemented with A233 to juvenile tilapia for 60 days. The group fed with a diet supplemented with 600 μg of A233 per kg of feed increased in weight (4.81 ± 0.09 g) and specific growth rate (2.49 ± 0.03%/day) compared to the control diet group (3.63 ± 0.08 g, 2.07 ± 0.04%/day; respectively) (p < 0.001). In the muscle, the total lipids for the control diet group were higher than that in the group fed with 600 μg of A233 per kg feed; however, no differences were detected in the liver. In both tissues, the patterns of fatty acid composition and content were generally similar, with some exceptions. Tilapia fed with 600 μg of A233 per kg of feed showed, in liver and muscle, a significantly higher composition and content of n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as 20:5n‐3, 22:5n‐3, 22:6n‐3) and n‐3/n‐6 PUFA than animals fed with the control diet. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the the effects of natural or synthetic GH secretagogues (GHS) on fatty acid composition, implying an increase in the nutritional quality of the tilapia.
Pregnancy outcomes following single and repeat liver transplantation: An international 2‐center cohort
Authors: Zaffar Nusrat , Soete Elisabeth , Gandhi Shital , Sayyar Parastoo , Van Mieghem Tim , D'Souza Rohan
Published: April 2018

Due to advances in obstetric and transplant medicine, women with a history of liver transplantation can have successful pregnancies. However, data on pregnancy outcomes is still limited, especially for women who have had a repeat liver transplant following graft rejection. This retrospective study compares pregnancy outcomes in women with single and repeat liver transplants managed at 2 tertiary hospitals in Toronto, Canada and Leuven, Belgium. We identified 41 pregnancies in 28 transplanted women, 6 of whom conceived following a second liver transplant after the first was rejected. Mean maternal age at delivery was 30 ± 7 years, and transplant‐to‐pregnancy interval was 8.5 ± 5.1 years. All women had normal liver function upon conception. Immunosuppressants included tacrolimus ± azathioprine (n = 26), cyclosporine (n = 4), and prednisone with immunosuppressants (n = 11). There were no maternal deaths. Maternal complications included hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (n = 10), deterioration in renal function (n = 6), gestational diabetes (n = 4), graft deterioration (n = 2), and anemia requiring blood transfusion (n = 1). Fetal/neonatal adverse outcomes included 2 miscarriages, 3 stillbirths, 1 neonatal death, 5 small‐for‐gestational‐age infants, and 1 minor congenital anomaly. Mean gestational age at delivery was 36.7 ± 4.2 weeks. There were 14 (38.9%) preterm births. Outcomes in women with a second transplant were similar to those with a single transplant, except for a higher incidence of hypertensive disorders. In conclusion, with appropriate multidisciplinary care, stable graft function at pregnancy onset, and adherence to immunosuppressive regimens, women with single and repeat liver transplants have low rates of graft complications but remain at increased risk for pregnancy complications. Immunosuppressants and high‐dose glucocorticoids can be safely used for maintenance of graft function and management of graft deterioration in pregnancy. Liver Transplantation 24 769–778 2018 AASLD.
Noncontiguous finished genome sequence and description of Intestinimonas massiliensis sp. nov strain GD2T, the second Intestinimonas species cultured from the human gut
Authors: Afouda Pamela , Durand Guillaume A. , Lagier Jean‐Christophe , Labas Noémie , Cadoret Fréderic , Armstrong Nicholas , Raoult Didier , Dubourg Grégory
Published: April 2018

Intestinimonas massiliensis sp. nov strain GD2T is a new species of the genus Intestinimonas (the second, following Intestinimonas butyriciproducens gen. nov., sp. nov). First isolated from the gut microbiota of a healthy subject of French origin using a culturomics approach combined with taxono‐genomics, it is strictly anaerobic, nonspore‐forming, rod‐shaped, with catalase‐ and oxidase‐negative reactions. Its growth was observed after preincubation in an anaerobic blood culture enriched with sheep blood (5%) and rumen fluid (5%), incubated at 37°C. Its phenotypic and genotypic descriptions are presented in this paper with a full annotation of its genome sequence. This genome consists of 3,104,261 bp in length and contains 3,074 predicted genes, including 3,012 protein‐coding genes and 62 RNA‐coding genes. Strain GD2T significantly produces butyrate and is frequently found among available 16S rRNA gene amplicon datasets, which leads consideration of Intestinimonas massiliensis as an important human gut commensal.
Identification of four TMC1 variations in different Chinese families with hereditary hearing loss
Authors: Wang Hongyang , Wu Kaiwen , Guan Jing , Yang Ju , Xie Linyi , Xiong Fen , Lan Lan , Wang Dayong , Wang Qiuju
Published: April 2018

Background

Variants in TMC1 (transmembrane channel‐like 1) can cause both autosomal dominant and recessive hearing loss in human population. Mice with Tmc1 variants have been shown to be ideal animal models for gene therapy. In this article, we report four TMC1 variants in four different Chinese families and the follow‐up auditory phenotype of a previously reported family.

Methods

Four families with TMC1 variants, as well as a previously described family with TMC1 variant orthologous to the Beethoven mouse, were recruited in this study. A comprehensive auditory evaluation was performed on all ascertained family members. High‐throughput sequencing was conducted using genomic DNA from the probands and other family members to identify probable deafness genes.

Results

We identified four TMC1 (NM_138691.2) variations, including two pathogenic variants, c.1714G>A, and c.1253T>A, one likely pathogenic variant, c.[797T>C];[797T>C], and one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), c.2276G>A. Among these variants, c.[797T>C];[797T>C] is a novel likely pathogenic variant, and c.1714G>A and c.1253T>A are known pathogenic variants at the DFNB7/11 (DFNA36) locus. Phenotype‐genotype correlation analysis of TMC1 variants showed that the TMC1 dominant variation‐related phenotype was late‐onset, progressive, high frequency to all frequency sensorineural hearing loss, while the TMC1 recessive variant was related to congenital all frequency sensorineural hearing impairment.

Conclusions

Two pathogenic, one likely pathogenic variants and one SNP of TMC1 were identified in four Chinese families with hereditary hearing loss, indicating that TMC1 may be a more frequent cause of hearing loss than expected. TMC1 variants related to hearing loss result in specific phenotypes. The TMC1 c.1253T>A (p.M418K) variation, homologous to the Tmc1 c. 1235 T> A (p.M412K) variant in Beethoven mice, was the second report of this variant in human patients with hearing loss, suggesting the possibility to translational gene therapy from Beethoven mice to human patients.
Computational continua for linear elastic heterogeneous solids on unstructured finite element meshes
Authors: Fafalis Dimitrios , Fish Jacob
Published: April 2018

The computational continua framework, which is a variant of higher‐order computational homogenization theories that is free of scale separation, does not require higher‐order finite element continuity, and is free of higher‐order boundary conditions, has been generalized to unstructured meshes. The salient features of the proposed generalization are (i) a nonlocal quadrature scheme for distorted elements that accounts for unit cell distortion in the parent element domain and (ii) an approximate variant of the nonlocal quadrature that eliminates the cost of computing positions of the quadrature points in the preprocessing stage. The performance of the computational continua framework on unstructured meshes has been compared to the first‐order homogenization theory and the direct numerical simulation.
How do Tanzanian hospital nurses perceive their professional role? A qualitative study
Authors: Tjoflåt Ingrid , John Melissa Theodotha , Mduma Estomih , Hansen Britt S. , Karlsen Bjørg , Søreide Eldar
Published: April 2018

Aim

To describe the experiences of Tanzanian nurses, how they perceive their role as a professional nurse and their experience with nursing care in a general hospital.

Design

This study is explorative, descriptive and qualitative.

Methods

The data were collected in 2015 by means of 10 semi‐structured interviews and was analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The data analysis revealed two themes with corresponding sub‐themes related to Tanzanian nurses' perception with their professional role and experiences with nursing care: (1) Feeling professional pride; (2) Experiencing limitations and inadequacy. The findings indicate that the Tanzanian nurses possess a strong professional pride and commitment to serve and care for their patients. The nurses do their best to provide high ‐quality nursing care but are faced with staffing shortages and limited materials that are beyond their control. Such limitations leave them feeling unable to fulfil their role and responsibilities.
Application and analysis of spline approximation for time fractional mobile–immobile advection‐dispersion equation
Authors: Ravi Kanth A.S.V. , Deepika Sirswal
Published: April 2018

In this article, a numerical technique is proposed for the solution of time fractional mobile–immobile advection‐dispersion equation. Time fractional derivative is considered in the Caputo sense. The spatial and temporal derivatives are approximated based on parametric cubic spline and quadrature formula, respectively. The proposed technique is unconditionally stable and convergence is analyzed using Fourier series method. Numerical evidences confirm the efficiency of the proposed numerical technique.
Infant and childhood diet at the passage tomb of Alto de la Huesera (north‐central Iberia) from bone collagen and sequential dentine isotope composition
Authors: Fernández‐Crespo T. , Czermak A. , Lee‐Thorp J. A. , Schulting R. J.
Published: April 2018

During the Late Neolithic (ca. 3500–2900 cal BC), the Rioja Alavesa region of north‐central Spain witnessed great demographic pressure and social unrest, manifested as widespread violent conflict. Drawing upon the ethnographic literature, it is possible that this situation impacted upon child‐rearing practices, both through food shortages and differential parental investment, favouring male infants. Here, carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope measurements from bone collagen of 17 juveniles and from 163 serial microsamples of dentine from first and second molars of seven adults from the site of Alto de la Huesera are used to examine breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diets. Bone and dentine collagen δ13C and δ15N isotope values both decrease from infancy to early childhood and increase slightly towards adolescence, but dentine provides a more time‐sensitive means of monitoring dietary changes. High δ13C and δ15N values compatible with exclusive breastfeeding are detected up to ca. 1 year, with a significantly shorter duration among males, suggesting differential sex‐related parental strategies from infancy. This is tentative given the small number of individuals being compared, but does suggest that further work would be worthwhile. A gradual decline in both δ13C and δ15N, compatible with the weaning process, is then observed up to ca. 4 years in both sexes. This delayed cessation of nursing is interpreted as a possible response to food shortage. With regard to postweaning patterns, shifts to lower δ13C and δ15N values in females at around age 9–11, and a general progressive increase in both isotope values from childhood to adolescence, are detected. These could be linked either with differential protein intake due to social age‐related nutritional practices or to physiological demand. The comparison between bone and dentine values shows differences between survivors and nonsurvivors in both isotopes, so that assessments based on deceased children may be biased by their potentially compromised health status.
H∞ model reduction for T‐S fuzzy systems over finite frequency ranges
Authors: El‐Amrani Abderrahim , Boukili Bensalem , El Hajjaji Ahmed , Hmamed Abdelaziz
Published: April 2018

This paper investigates the H∞ model reduction problem over finite frequency ranges for continuous time Takagi‐Sugeno (T‐S) fuzzy systems. Given an asymptotically stable system, our aim is to find a stable reduced‐order system in such a way that the error of the transfer function between the original system and the reduced‐order one is bounded over a finite frequency range. By using the Finsler's lemma, new sufficient conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities are derived in different frequency ranges. These conditions provide extra degrees of freedom in the optimization of the H∞ performance when the frequency range of noises is known beforehand. Finally, we demonstrate via numerical examples that our method can achieve much smaller approximation error than existing approaches.
Four‐Color Laser Engine for Efficient Confocal Microscopy
Authors: Paasch‐Colberg Tim , Birngruber Konstantin
Published: April 2018

Frequency‐doubled diode laser technology (FDDL) enables direct modulation of 561 nm lasers with unprecedented speeds. It also reaches an ultimate high on/off contrast with zero photons in the off state, which is favorable for laser scanning microscopes and multicolor microscopy techniques.
Virtual Prototyping of High‐Power Fiber Lasers
Authors: Schüttler Jens
Published: April 2018

Lasers used in industrial environment do not only have to be powerful, reliable and economic, but are also expected to work properly and within the specified range over hundreds of thousands of hours. Regarding a short time‐to‐market, the time‐consuming lifetime testing of early prototypes and components is a major drawback in the development of new products. In this article we demonstrate a way to reduce the testing effort dramatically by use of simulations.
Unseen Possibilities of F‐Theta Lenses
Authors: Ozga Cornelia
Published: April 2018

F‐theta lenses are important components of machines for laser material processing. They are the part which enables cutting steel by focusing the laser beam. For even machining surfaces, a couple of lenses are necessary, because the curved image plane of a single lens would create a high unwanted field curvature. The field curvature decreases the homogeneity of the spot size depending on its position which is necessary for high precision laser material processing.
Balancing Cost and Specifications
Authors: Adams Daniel
Published: April 2018

When specifying an optic, even something as simple as a single spherical lens, it is very important to have a clear understanding of what each specification is and how it could affect your system. At high precision, there is usually a cost‐benefit trade‐off and the goal should be to try to optimize that. This article will look at the key specifications in a spherical lens system and explore the cost‐benefit considerations when working at high levels of precision.
Monolithic Micro‐Optics for Single Mode Diode Bars
Authors: Hambücker Stefan
Published: April 2018

Diode lasers are characterized by their compact design, high efficiency, long maintenance intervals and a long service life. However, their brightness and beam quality are not yet sufficient for some applications – for example in material processing or medical technology. Thanks to their large number of single emitters, single‐mode diode bars have the potential to generate high levels of output power, but they are not yet widely used. Micro‐optics allow the brightness of diode lasers to be significantly increased by collimation of the emitted light. This opens up new applications, while at the same time providing laser manufacturers with benefits in terms of cost.
More Powerful Than Ever
Authors: Stroh‐Vasenev Olga
Published: April 2018

Industrial use of UV radiation requires powerful artificial sources. More than 15 years ago, the introduction of UV LED technology presented an alternative solution to high‐pressure mercury‐vapor lamps, which had been the main source for almost a century. With their many obvious advantages, they soon led to new applications – most of them in the low‐power sector. Innovations in chip technology now allow for a new generation of high‐power UVC diodes.
The Photonics Market in France
Authors: d'Humières Benoît
Published: April 2018

The last exhaustive study on Photonics in France was done in the first half of 2014. It resulted in a manufacturing revenue of 10.8 billion euros, equalling 13.5 percent of European photonics industry, as Germany counted for 35 percent.
Machine Vision in France
Authors: Breyer Andreas
Published: April 2018

Throughout Europe, the national machine vision markets are far from being homogenous and show their own characteristics depending on factors such as the economic structure in the given country, the domestic customer industries for machine vision technology and the research intensity on machine vision and computer vision. In its latest market report “Machine Vision in France” the European Machine Vision Association identified the market players in France and investigated the characteristics of the French machine vision market.
Noninvasive fetal sex determination by analysis of cell‐free fetal DNA in maternal capillary blood obtained by fingertip puncture
Authors: Santa Rita Ticiane Henriques , Nobre Camila Santos , Jácomo Rafael Henriques , Nery Lídia Freire Abdalla , Barra Gustavo Barcelos
Published: April 2018

What's already known about this topic?

Noninvasive fetal sex determination searches for Y‐chromosome sequences in maternal plasma isolated from venous blood drawn by venipuncture to indicate fetal sex in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Capillary blood collection is much less invasive than venipuncture, thereby offering the possibility of sampling in geographical areas where there is no phlebotomist present.

What does this study add?

Fetal DNA is present in maternal capillary blood allowing for noninvasive fetal sex determination.

Exogenous male DNA may be present, and detectable, on the fingertips of pregnant women.

The elimination of the exogenous male DNA is critical for a reliable fetal sex determination using maternal capillary blood.

A diluted buffered sodium hypochlorite (0.5%‐1%) can be used to eliminate exogenous male DNA from the fingertips of pregnant women.
Short‐term effects of heat and cold on respiratory drug use. A time‐series epidemiological study in A Coruña, Spain
Authors: Royé Dominic , Figueiras Adolfo , Taracido Margarita
Published: April 2018

The consumption of medication, especially over‐the‐counter drugs, can reflect environmental exposure with a lesser degree of severity in terms of morbidity. The non‐linear effects of maximum and minimum apparent temperature on respiratory drug sales in A Coruña from 2006 to 2010 were examined using a distributed lag nonlinear model. In particular, low apparent temperatures proved to be associated with increased sales of respiratory drugs. The strongest consistent risk estimates were found for minimum apparent temperatures in respiratory drug sales with an increase of 33.4% (95% CI, 12.5%‐58.0%) when the temperature changed from 2.8°C to −1.4 °C. These findings may serve to guide the planning of public health interventions to predict and manage the health effects of exposure to the thermal environment for lower degrees of morbidity. More precisely, significant increases in the use of measured over‐the‐counter medication could be used to identify and anticipate influenza outbreaks due to a more sensitive degree of the data source.
Classifying medical histories in US Medicare beneficiaries using fixed vs all‐available look‐back approaches
Authors: Conover Mitchell M. , Stürmer Til , Poole Charles , Glynn Robert J. , Simpson Ross J. , Pate Virginia , Jonsson Funk Michele
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Evaluate use of fixed and all‐available look‐backs to identify eligibility criteria and confounders among Medicare beneficiaries.

Methods

We identified outpatient visits (2007‐2012) with recently documented (≤180 days) cardiovascular risk and classified patients according to whether the exposure (statin) was initiated within 14 days. We selected each beneficiary's first eligible visit (in each treatment group) that met criteria during the respective look‐backs: continuous enrollment (1 or 3 years for fixed look‐back; 180 days for all‐available), no cancer history, and no statin claims. We estimated crude and standardized mortality ratio weighted hazard ratios (HRs) for the effect of statin initiation on incident 6‐month cancer (a known null effect) and 2‐year mortality, separately, adjusting for covariates assessed by using each look‐back.

Results

Analyzing short‐term cancer, the estimated HR from the all‐available approach (HR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.98) was less biased than the 1‐year look‐back (HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.84), which included beneficiaries with prevalent cancer. The 3‐year look‐back (HR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.90, 1.21) was somewhat less biased than the all‐available estimate but less precise due the exclusion of a large proportion of observations without sufficient continuous enrollment (62.0% and 59.9% of initiators and non‐initiators, respectively). All approaches produced similar estimates of the effect on all‐cause mortality. Alternative look‐backs did not differ in their ability to control confounding.

Conclusions

The all‐available look‐back performed nearly as well as the 3‐year fixed, which produced the least biased point estimate. If 3‐year look‐backs are infeasible (eg, due to power/sample), all‐available look‐backs may be preferable to short (1‐year) fixed look‐backs.
Cardiovascular safety signals with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors: A disproportionality analysis among high‐risk patients
Authors: Baksh Sheriza N. , McAdams‐DeMarco Mara , Segal Jodi B. , Alexander G. Caleb
Published: April 2018

Purpose

In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Draft Guidance on investigating cardiovascular risk with oral diabetic drugs, including dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors (DPP‐4i). In 2014, underpowered, post hoc analyses of clinical trials suggested an increased risk of heart failure with the use of these products. As such, we assessed disproportionate reporting of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) among reports for DPP‐4i submitted to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from 2006 to 2015.

Methods

We assessed the empirical Bayes geometric mean (EBGM) and its lower bound (EB05) of the relative reporting ratio for MACE among DPP‐4i reports in the full FAERS database and in a subset of reports limited to cardiovascular and diabetic drugs. We then compared the EB05 in these 2 analyses and calculated the percent positive agreement for signals of disproportional reporting (SDRs) involving MACE.

Results

Of 180.3 million adverse event reports, 13.4 million were for diabetic and cardiovascular drugs. In the cardiovascular subset, there was an SDR for heart failure with linagliptin (EB05 = 2782.47) and saxagliptin (EB05 = 2.40), myocardial infarction with alogliptin (EB05 = 290.11), and cerebral infarction with sitagliptin (EB05 = 2.80). Of the 14 MACE, 8 had a percent positive agreement ≥50% for an SDR in both analyses. Overall, the cardiovascular subset elicited 11 more SDRs for DPP‐4i than the full dataset.

Conclusions

Postmarketing surveillance of DPP‐4i through FAERS suggest increased reporting of MACE, supporting the current FDA warning of heart failure risk. This suggests the need for additional longitudinal, observational research into the association of DPP‐4i and other MACE.
Disordered epitopes as peptide vaccines
Authors: MacRaild Christopher A. , Seow Jeffrey , Das Sreedam C. , Norton Raymond S.
Published: April 2018

The development of clinically useful peptide‐based vaccines remains a long‐standing goal. This review highlights that intrinsically disordered protein antigens, which lack an ordered three‐dimensional structure, represent excellent starting points for the development of such vaccines. Disordered proteins represent an important class of antigen in a wide range of human pathogens, and, contrary to widespread belief, they are frequently targets of protective antibody responses. Importantly, disordered epitopes appear invariably to be linear epitopes, rendering them ideally suited to incorporation into a peptide vaccine. Nonetheless, the conformational properties of disordered antigens, and hence their recognition by antibodies, frequently depend on the interactions they make and the context in which they are presented to the immune system. These effects must be considered in the design of an effective vaccine. Here we discuss these issues and propose design principles that may facilitate the development of peptide vaccines targeting disordered antigens.