bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous phytoremediation of Cu2+ and bioelectricity generation in a plant-microbial fuel cell assembly growing Azolla pinnata and Lemna minor
Authors: Pamintuan K R S , Virata M M D , Yu M F C
Published: November 2019

The relationship between power generation in a Plant-Microbial Fuel Cell (PMFC) and phytoremediation were observed in this paper. It is hypothesized that both power generation and metal uptake capacity will be enhanced synergistically upon the combination of the two processes. To test the hypothesis, the experiment was composed of three set-ups: (A) PMFC only, (B) phytoremediation only, and (C) PMFC combined with phytoremediation. A maximum power density for set-up A of 3.43 μW/m2 and 247.11 μW/m2 for Azolla pinnata and Lemna minor, respectively, while a maximum power density for set-up C of 17.82 μW/m2 and 1076.16 μW/m2 for the two plants were observed. The values showed a significant increase in power density for set-ups where copper ions are present (set-up C). The internal resistance of the PMFCs were also investigated. It was observed that internal resistance continuously decreased through time and the presence of copper ions in set-up C of both plants resulted to a lower internal resistance, equating to higher power densities. In terms of phytoremediation potential, the results showed that the presence of electrodes in the hybrid set-up induced the plants to absorb more copper ions than the control. The copper ion uptake increased by about 18% for A. pinnata and 38% for L. minor in phytoremediation tests in PMFCs. Overall, the combination of PMFC technology and the concept of phytoremediation has been shown to benefit both power generation and metal uptake capacity. The results of this study can be used to enhance the clean-up of metal contaminants while simultaneously providing power in-situ.
Estimation of water requirement of Banana crop under drip irrigation with and without plastic mulch using dual crop coefficient approach
Authors: Santosh D T , Tiwari K N
Published: November 2019

Field experiments were conducted on the lateritic sandy loam soil and sub-humid climate of Kharagpur, West Bengal, India during 2014-2018 for two consecutive crop seasons to determine the optimum water requirement of the Banana crop under drip irrigation with and without plastic mulch. Reference evapotranspiration for the Banana crop was estimated using FAO-56 Penman-Monteith approach. The dual crop coefficient approach was used to improve the estimates of the crop coefficient (Kc) values for the irrigation treatments with black plastic mulch and without mulch. Plants treated with black plastic mulch consume about 12% less water for the main crop and about 22% less water for ratoon crop compared to non-mulch plants. The effect of black plastic mulch was studied to determine the soil moisture distribution in different soil depths (0-20, 20-40, 40-60, and 60-90 cm), and also loss of water through deep drainage. Net irrigation requirement under black plastic mulch was found to be lesser than without mulch. The deep percolation was found 50.4 % more under black plastic mulch in comparison to non-mulch treatment.
Elevated sodium concentrations in Australian drinking water supplies
Authors: Wright I A , Morrison K G , Ryan M M , Cusbert S , Reynolds J K
Published: November 2019

Salt in the drinking water of many Australian water supplies could be adversely contributing to the ill-health of many people. Health care professionals often recommend low-sodium diets for patients with kidney disease, heart disease and cardiovascular disease. It is recommended that people on a low-sodium diet drink water with less than 20 mg/L of sodium. The sodium concentration of water supplies in many regional and remote regions of Australia often had water with elevated sodium (more than 20 mg/L) in their water supplies. In NSW 17 of the 21 regional water supplies tested had higher than 20 mg/L sodium. The issue of elevated sodium in many Australian drinking water supplies needs to be recognised more prominently. Sodium needs to be sampled more frequently and the results shared openly with consumers and health professionals. All water authorities that provide drinking water with sodium concentrations higher than 20 mg/L should be advising their customers of this fact as a high priority. People on low-sodium diets that have >20 mg/L sodium in their water supply should consider options to obtain low-sodium water.
Integrated waste management through symbiotic culture: A holistic approach
Authors: RoyChoudhury A , Kumar N A , Arutchelvan V
Published: November 2019

Unsegregated heterogeneous mass of solid waste is a potential threat towards the safe processing and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW), which is cumbersome and ancillary, elevates the expenditure. The absence of any pertinent technique, to handle these bulky mass in an eco-friendly way, makes it even more hectic for the MSW processing plants. But, this substantial mass constitutes a huge potential, which can be valorized through the larval digestion of a symbiotic macro culture, to create new economic niches for small-scale entrepreneurship in developing and under-developed nations. The present study incorporates a symbiotic waste reduction system with the efficient functionalism of micro and macro conversion agents which is attributed to the synthesis of waste derived co-products from the same platform. This study is solely a novel approach, which is capable of addressing a wide fraction of solid waste, domestic sewage, and bio-leachate and converts them into value-added co-products within the magnificent period of time. Multiple experiments have been conducted under the controlled feeding environment with an established symbiosis between the BSF larvae, Wax Moth larvae (Galleria melonella), and effective microorganism culture. An initiation period of 5 days was allocated for the macro conversion agents and during the tenure, the larvae were supplied with synthetic diet to accelerate the body growth index. The entire experiments have been conducted in a newly formulated novel bioreactor namely, Integral Larval Grub Composting Reactor which is capable of performing automated pupal segregation and address solid and liquid waste under a single platform. The system enforces the zero liquid discharge concepts and also helps in an indirect suppression of house fly growth. The novel approach only required 14-16 days in order to convert the solid waste into nutrient-rich manure, having significantly high-quality component. The operation has been executed in a number of batch processes and each process valorized a quantity of approx 30 kg. The targeted larval period has been prolonged by means of maintaining higher moisture content with the help of sewage supply and once the maturation period arrives the further addition of moisture has been restricted for 3 days. Overall it’s an ultimate and wholesome biological waste management technique, which is capable of standing solely to strengthen the sustainable waste management strategy.
Assessment of the impact of open waste dumpsite on groundwater quality: A case study of the Payatas dumpsite in Quezon City, Philippines
Authors: Belen M A , Jacinto J L , Go N , Santos L T , Zagala A J C , Santos R A , Apodaca D C
Published: November 2019

Open dumpsites such as Payatas dumpsite situated in Quezon City, Philippines could pose environmental and health risk. This is in addition to the fact that Payatas dumpsite is located at the edge of the hydrologic divide between the Novaliches Reservoir and Marikina River System. A series of groundwater samplings were conducted in eighteen water well sites peripheral to both the old and new dumpsites of Payatas. Physico-chemical analyses were performed and results were compared to Philippines’ National Standards for Drinking Water and to Environmental Water Quality Guidelines. The levels of heavy metals with the exception of lead (Pb) from residential wells were found to be generally below the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2016-08 threshold guideline levels and below tolerable values for drinking water standard set by the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH). The low heavy metal contents on adjacent residential wells maybe attributed to probable nondispersionl in a halo-like pattern of the leachate from its source. Characterization of leachate samples indicated unusually high metals content and transport of the leachate through groundwater flow have been detected on nearby springs and well. Further, an unusually high Pb background (> 0.01 mg/L) relative to groundwater quality standard was inferred from the series of samples collected from residential wells around Payatas dumpsite. The very linear correlation between Zn and Pb contents in these water samples imply its inherent presence in groundwater. Experimentally calculated groundwater quality indices showed the groundwater samples collected from residential wells around Payatas dumpsite were unsuitable for human consumption. Based on the assessment findings, implications for policy and decision-making suggestions for sustainable management of Philippines’ groundwater resources are put forward.
Multi-objective model of irrigation water distribution based on particle swarm optimization
Authors: Wu J J , Huang R , Fang T Y , Han Y
Published: November 2019

Developing the high-efficiency agriculture is the strategy of agricultural sustainable development, and rational allocation of irrigation water resources is an important way in improving the efficiency of agricultural resources utilization. In this paper, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize the irrigation water distribution schedule. This model focuses on decreasing the leakage loss and increasing allocation efficiency of irrigation water distribution. The transition process verified the rationality of the water distribution scheme and effectively satisfied the actual demand.
Analysis of crack propagation in longitudinal beam of high- pile wharf during winter temperature decrease period
Authors: Huang Z L , Huo Z Y , Huang Z Y
Published: November 2019

Ports play an increasingly important role in economic development and are the core strategic advantages that drive regional economic development. As hydraulic structure, the working environment of the wharf is relatively complicated. There are many factors affecting its normal use. Visible or invisible cracks are common in wharf components. Temperature stress change is the main factor for the formation of cracks on the surface of concrete beams. When affected by temperature changes, existing fine cracks will connect, expand, and even penetrate the entire component. It will not only affect the aesthetics of the wharf, but also affect its service life, and bring considerable economic losses to later maintenance. Therefore, it has certain reference value and significance to study on crack propagation for assessment of safety, reliability and durability of engineering structures. In view of this, this paper carries out numerical analysis on crack propagation of reinforced concrete longitudinal beams of a high-piled wharf in China with ABAQUS software and extended finite element method (XFEM). In the simulation process, only temperature drop factor is considered. At the same time, this paper introduces the research progress and some basic theories of XFEM at home and abroad. The results show that the numerical simulation results are similar to the crack opening degree measured by the seam gauge. XFEM can effectively describe the crack propagation in concrete, which is more accurate and feasible than the conventional finite element method (CFEM).
Reasonable determination of the utilizable capacity of water conservancy project based on prediction
Authors: Wang G , Wang N , Xiu Y
Published: November 2019

With the rapid development of society and economy in Danfeng county, the contradiction between supply and demand of water resources has become increasingly prominent. In order to meet its growing water demand, it is proposed to build the Qingfeng Reservoir and realize joint water supply with the original Longtan Reservoir. Establishing a combined model of wavelet artificial neural network to predict runoff can increase the sequence length, which aims to construct a longer inflow sequence. Draw up different scales of utilizable capacity to carry out the joint water supply adjustment calculation of the two reservoirs. It is finally determined that the optimal utilizable capacity of Qingfeng Reservoir is 2 million m3, which meets the design assurance rate requirements of urban life and industry production. This method improves the reliability and rationality of the calculation result, and can provide some reference for the determination of the utilizable capacity of other water conservancy projects.
Variation of microbial community structure in a simulated remediation process of BDE-47-contaminated soil
Authors: Guan J F , Wang J H
Published: November 2019

As a kind of persistent organic matter, it is important to study the effects of 2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromobiphenyl ether (BDE-47) on microbial ecology in soil. The Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technique was used to study the effects of pollutants and degrading bacteria on the microbial community structures in indoor simulated remediation of BDE-47-contaminated soil. The correlation between the microbial community structures and physiochemical properties of the soil was analyzed. The results showed that the addition of pollutant BDE-47 no significant effect on the number of microbial species, and the diversity of species reduced slightly. In contrast, the addition of degrading bacteria led to a dramatic decrease of both the species number and diversity. After the simulation, the degree of variation in microbial community structural composition was ranked as: simulation system E > C > A. The simulated systems included 27 microbial phyla, among which Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the most dominant with a relative abundance of greater than 10%. Firmicutes was the common phylum in simulated systems A and C and was dominant in the system E. The distributions of Nitrospirae, Bacteroidetes, Saccharibacteria, Proteobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes were similar. The distribution of Firmicutes was irrelevant to the physicochemical properties of soil.
Calculation of the instream ecological flow of Shifengxi River in Zhejiang Province, China using hydrology and section morphology analysis method
Authors: Tian C C , Zhou F , Huang D J
Published: November 2019

The instream ecological flow is one of the most important obligatory targets of water resources development and utilization, as it is the premise and basis for sustainable water resources development and water ecological environment protection. This paper proposed an instream ecological flow calculation method based on hydrology and section morphology analysis. The method had a certain concept of guarantee rate, and also considered the hydrological habitat requirements of the river section. The application of the method in Shifengxi river basin located in Taizhou city shows that the instream ecological flow of the Shaduan section is 14.0 m3/s during the spawning period and 3.1 m3/s during the normal period.
An integrative modeling approach for compromising between water saving and environment protection based on the water footprint theory
Authors: Zhang S , Tan Q , Liu S , Zhang T , Zhao W Q
Published: November 2019

In this study, an interval optimization programming based on water footprint (IOMWF) method was developed for supporting the optimal use of land and water resources in agricultural. The developed IOMWF model not only provided optimal planting scheme considering the whole process of agriculture water consumption to save water, increase benefits and control pollution, but also effectively dealt with the uncertainties in the process of allocation. This method was applied to address a case in Hetao Irrigation Districts. The obtained solution demonstrated that corn would be the best crop with lower water consumption and nitrogen pollution, being followed by sunflowers and wheat. In addition, the utilization rate of green water would be lower than 0.5 and have a larger potential room to improve.
Diagnostic analysis of waterlogging in Zhenjiang City by using PCSWMM
Authors: Yang Q Q , Bao Z D , Fu Y , She N , Deng Z Y
Published: November 2019

Urban flood becomes a more and more serious problem in China now resulting from the urbanization. Compared with traditional methods, numerical model simulation is a better approach to analyse and evaluate the urban flood risk, waterlogging area and flooding depth. Taking a historical flooding area in Zhenjiang as an example, this paper analysed the operational causes of the waterlogging in an observed 4-day precipitation event by PCSWMM. The results showed that the waterlogging area was reduced up to 77% when the drainage pump was operated appropriately. With the pump turned on, the discharge rate increased from 0.2 to 2.04 m3/s and maximum water depth in flood area dropped from 0.9 m to 0.66 m. It indicated that the severe waterlogging in the study area was primarily resulted from the improper pump operation in the 4-day event. However, simulation resulted that even with appropriate pump operation; there was still 0.5 hectares of waterlogging area. In addition, the effectiveness of the drainage pipe system on the waterlogging reduction was evaluated with existing and planned conditions. The results showed that updated pipe system with a diameter of 1000-2800 mm could hold a discharge flow rate up to 3.5 m3/s. The study imply that combined of appropriate pump operation and pipe system updating may effectively improve the drainage capacity of the whole pipe system and reduce the waterlogging risk around crossroads.
An overview of methods of calculating storage volume for low impact development and other stormwater facilities
Authors: Chen H , Chang X Y , She N
Published: November 2019

This review compares the methods of calculating storage volume in “Technical Guide for Sponge City Construction – Construction of Low Impact Development Stormwater System (Trial)” with other volumetric methods in BMPs, Water Quality Volume (WQv) capture and low impact development (LID) in the United States. The purposes of the comparison are to extend the methodologies relating to the evolution of stormwater management and to provide broad references to establish a reasonable design and evaluation standard for Sponge City Construction in China.
Preparation of two nanometer magnetic flocculants and treatment of slime wastewater
Authors: Wang Bing , Xu Weijun , Fu Jia , Wang Wei , Xiao Xueting
Published: November 2019

Nano Fe3O4 was prepared by co-precipitation method and loaded into cellulose and biochar to prepare Fe3O4-chitosan-cellulose and Fe3O4-chitosan-biochar.XRD, ft-ir, SEM and energy spectrum showed that the target product was obtained. Fe3O4-chitosan-cellulose and Fe3O4-chitosan-biochar flocculant used in coal slime water treatment respectively. The results showed that water turbidity and COD removal rate of Fe3O4-chitosan-cellulose were 96.90% and 78.34% respectively and the water turbidity and COD removal rates of Fe3O4-chitosan-biochar on slurry water were 94.05% and 73.89% respectively. Fe3O4-chitosan-biochar treatment is better.
Monte Carlo calculated kilovoltage x-ray arc therapy plans for three lung cancer patients
Authors: Breitkreutz Dylan Yamabe , Renaud Marc-Andre , Weil Michael David , Zavgorodni Sergei , Han Jaeyoung , Baxter Henry , Seuntjens Jan , Song Samuel , Boyd Douglas , Bazalova-Carter Magdalena
Published: November 2019

Purpose: The intent of this work was to evaluate the ability of our 200 kV kilovoltage arc therapy (KVAT) system to treat realistic lung tumors without exceeding dose constraints to organs-at-risk (OAR). Methods and Materials: Monte Carlo (MC) methods and the McO optimization framework generated and inversely optimized KVAT treatment plans for 3 SABR lung cancer patients. The KVAT system was designed to treat deep-seated lesions with kilovoltage photons. KVAT delivers dose to roughly spherical PTVs and therefore non-spherical PTVs were divided into spherical sub-volumes. A prescription dose of 12 Gy/fx × 4 fractions was planned to 90% of the PTV volume. KVAT plans were compared to VMC++ calculated, 6 MV stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) treatment plans. Dose distributions, dose volume histograms, gradient index (GI), planned mean doses and plan treatment times were calculated. Dose constraints for organs-at-risk (OAR) were taken from RTOG 101. Results: All plans, with the exception of the rib dose calculated in one of the KVAT plans for a peripheral lesion, were within dose-constraints. In general, KVAT plans had higher planned doses to OARs. KVAT GI values were 5.7, 7.2 and 8.9 and SABR values were 4.6, 4.1, and 4.7 for patient 1, 2 and 3, respectively. KVAT plan treatment times were 49, 65 and 17 min for patients 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Conclusions: Inverse optimization and MC methods demonstrated the ability of KVAT to produce treatment plans without exceeding TG 101 dose constraints to OARs for 2 out of 3 investigated lung cancer patients.
Multi-kernel linear mixed model with adaptive lasso for prediction analysis on high-dimensional multi-omics data
Authors: Li Jun , Lu Qing , Wen Yalu
Published: November 2019

Motivation

The use of human genome discoveries and other established factors to build an accurate risk prediction model is an essential step toward precision medicine. While multi-layer high-dimensional omics data provide unprecedented data resources for prediction studies, their corresponding analytical methods are much less developed.

Results

We present a multi-kernel penalized linear mixed model with adaptive lasso (MKpLMM), a predictive modeling framework that extends the standard linear mixed models widely used in genomic risk prediction, for multi-omics data analysis. MKpLMM can capture not only the predictive effects from each layer of omics data but also their interactions via using multiple kernel functions. It adopts a data-driven approach to select predictive regions as well as predictive layers of omics data, and achieves robust selection performance. Through extensive simulation studies, the analyses of PET-imaging outcomes from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study, and the analyses of 64 drug responses, we demonstrate that MKpLMM consistently outperforms competing methods in phenotype prediction.

Availability and implementation

The R-package is available at https://github.com/YaluWen/OmicPred.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Impact of a Multiplexed Polymerase Chain Reaction Panel on Identifying Diarrheal Pathogens in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients
Authors: Rogers Wesley S , Westblade Lars F , Soave Rosemary , Jenkins Stephen G , van Besien Koen , Singh Harjot K , Walsh Thomas J , Small Catherine B , Shore Tsiporah , Crawford Carl V , Satlin Michael J
Published: November 2019

Background

Diarrhea is common and associated with substantial morbidity among hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, but the etiology is often not identified. Multiplexed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays increase the detection of diarrheal pathogens, but the impact of this technology in this population has not been evaluated.

Methods

Our center replaced stool cultures and other conventional microbiologic methods with the FilmArray Gastrointestinal Panel (GI PCR) in June 2016. We reviewed all adult patients who received an HCT from June 2014–May 2015 (pre–GI PCR, n = 163) and from June 2016–May 2017 (post–GI PCR, n = 182) and followed them for 1 year after transplantation. Clostridioides difficile infection was diagnosed by an independent PCR test in both cohorts.

Results

The proportion of patients with ≥1 identified infectious diarrheal pathogen increased from 25% to 37% after implementation of GI PCR (P = .01). Eight patients (5%) in the pre–GI PCR cohort tested positive for a pathogen other than C. difficile versus 49 patients (27%) in the post–GI PCR cohort (P < .001). The most common non–C. difficile diarrheal pathogens in the post–GI PCR cohort were enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (n = 14, 8%), norovirus (n = 14, 8%), and Yersinia enterocolitica (n = 7, 4%). The percentage of diarrheal episodes with an identified infectious etiology increased from 14% to 23% (P = .001). Median total costs of stool testing per patient did not increase (pre: $473; post: $425; P = .25).

Conclusions

Infectious etiologies of diarrhea were identified in a higher proportion of HCT recipients after replacing conventional stool testing with a multiplexed PCR assay, without an increase in testing costs.
Rationale, experimental data, and emerging clinical evidence on early and preventive use of levosimendan in patients with ventricular dysfunction
Authors: Cosentino Nicola , Niccoli Giampaolo , Fracassi Francesco , Rebuzzi Antonio , Agostoni Piergiuseppe , Marenzi Giancarlo
Published: November 2019

Acute ventricular dysfunction (AVD) is a complex condition with substantial morbidity and mortality, still featuring unique therapeutic challenges. Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer and ATP-dependent potassium channel opener that was developed as an inodilating drug for the treatment of acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Differently from other more widely used inotropic agents, levosimendan has some exclusive characteristics, in terms of mechanisms of action, pharmacodynamic profile, and haemodynamic effects. This may have important clinical implications. In particular, in patients with AVD or in patients with pre-existing severe ventricular impairment undergoing planned myocardial stress, the administration of levosimendan before the onset of overt symptoms or before cardiovascular therapeutic procedures may have the potential to bridge the patient through the critical phase. In this review, we will focus on the rationale, the existing experimental data, and the emerging clinical experience supporting an early, even preventive use of levosimendan in severe ventricular dysfunction, beyond its recognized indications.
Limited DNA repair gene repertoire in Ascomycete yeast revealed by comparative genomics
Authors: Milo Shira , Misgav Reut Harari , Hazkani-Covo Einat , Covo Shay
Published: November 2019

Ascomycota is the largest phylogenetic group of fungi that includes species important to human health and wellbeing. DNA repair is important for fungal survival and genome evolution. Here, we describe a detailed comparative genomic analysis of DNA repair genes in Ascomycota. We determined the DNA repair gene repertoire in Taphrinomycotina, Saccharomycotina, Leotiomycetes, Sordariomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes. The subphyla of yeasts, Saccharomycotina and Taphrinomycotina, have a smaller DNA repair gene repertoire comparing to Pezizomycotina. Some genes were absent from most, if not all, yeast species. To study the conservation of these genes in Pezizomycotina, we used the GLOOME algorithm that provides the expectations of gain or loss of genes given the tree topology. Genes that were absent from most of the species of Taphrinomycotina or Saccharomycotina showed lower conservation in Pezizomycotina. This suggests that the absence of some DNA repair in yeasts is not random; genes with a tendency to be lost in other classes are missing. We ranked the conservation of DNA repair genes in Ascomycota. We found that Rad51 and its paralogs were less conserved than other recombinational proteins, suggesting that there is a redundancy between Rad51 and its paralogs, at least in some species. Finally, based on the repertoire of UV repair genes, we found conditions that differentially kill the wine pathogen Brettanomyces bruxellensis and not Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In summary, our analysis provides testable hypotheses to the role of DNA repair proteins in the genome evolution of Ascomycota.
Using Patient- and Family-Reported Outcome and Experience Measures Across Transitions of Care for Frail Older Adults Living at Home: A Meta-Narrative Synthesis
Authors: Schick-Makaroff Kara , Karimi-Dehkordi Mehri , Cuthbertson Lena , Dixon Duncan , Cohen S Robin , Hilliard Neil , Sawatzky Richard
Published: November 2019

Background and Objectives

Our aim was to create a “storyline” that provides empirical explanation of stakeholders’ perspectives underlying the use of patient- and family-reported outcome and experience measures to inform continuity across transitions in care for frail older adults and their family caregivers living at home.

Research Design and Methods

We conducted a meta-narrative synthesis to explore stakeholder perspectives pertaining to use of patient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs and PREMs) across micro (patients, family caregivers, and healthcare providers), meso (organizational managers/executives/programs), and macro (decision-/policy-makers) levels in healthcare. Systematic searches identified 9,942 citations of which 40 were included based on full-text screening.

Results

PROMs and PREMS (54 PROMs; 4 PREMs; 1 with PROM and PREM elements; 6 unspecified PROMs) were rarely used to inform continuity across transitions of care and were typically used independently, rarely together (n = 3). Two overarching traditions motivated stakeholders’ use. The first significant motivation by diverse stakeholders to use PROMs and PREMs was the desire to restore/support independence and care at home, predominantly at a micro-level. The second motivation to using PROMs and PREMs was to evaluate health services, including cost-effectiveness of programs and hospital discharge (planning); this focus was rarely at a macro-level and more often split between micro- and meso-levels of healthcare.

Discussion and Implications

The motivations underlying stakeholders’ use of these tools were distinct, yet synergistic between the goals of person/family-centered care and healthcare system-level goals aimed at efficient use of health services. There is a missed opportunity here for PROMs and PREMs to be used together to inform continuity across transitions of care.
The Importance of User Involvement: A Systematic Review of Involving Older Users in Technology Design
Authors: Fischer Björn , Peine Alexander , Östlund Britt
Published: November 2019

Background and Objectives

There is a lack of understanding of how older adults’ involvement and participation matters in actual design practice. This systematic literature review investigates existing empirical studies involving older users during the design of technologies and explores the nature and consequences of involving older people.

Research Design and Methods

Our literature review is informed by the guidelines of the PRISMA statement. We examined the included studies by means of thematic content analysis to identify the nature of older users’ involvement and existing evidence on what consequences it has.

Results

In total, 40 empirical studies published in the period 2014–2018 are included in the review. Most empirical studies involve older people from local networks, with underlying stereotypical images and at lower levels of participation. The results reveal three main consequences of involving older users: learning, adjusted design, and an increased sense of participation. Furthermore, we found that user involvement is a structured process whose outcomes are contingent on a range of premises.

Discussion and Implications

Synthesizing the results, we develop the concept of user involvement and present an analytical framework. Our results have implications for researchers and policy makers, since they throw into question the widely held assumption that involving older people inevitably yields beneficial outcomes.
Examining the processes and effects of an exemplar school-based well-being approach on student competency, autonomy and relatedness
Authors: Vella-Brodrick Dianne A , Chin Tan-Chyuan , Rickard Nikki S
Published: November 2019

As the application of positive education becomes more prevalent in schools, the importance of gathering information on optimal processes and outcomes associated with the programs, increases. The fulfillment of psychological needs such as competence, relatedness and autonomy, have seldomly been explored, yet they seem inextricably linked with well-being. It is also important to examine program qualities relating to delivery, relevance and practice opportunities. The current study examines (i) psychological need satisfaction as an outcome, using a quasi-experimental design and (ii) the processes involved in program delivery, using an explanatory sequential design. Year 9 students participating in the Geelong Grammar School (GGS) Timbertop well-being experience in Australia (n = 119) and 79 best matched well-being as usual (WBAU) students completed a psychological need satisfaction survey. A subgroup of 46 students also participated in focus groups. Mixed design analyses of variance indicated that the Timbertop Positive Education students experienced improved competence, relatedness and autonomy after the school year compared with ‘WBAU’ students. Findings from student focus groups also support the importance of well sequenced, active, focused and explicit learning processes for program success. This study provides support for building psychological need satisfaction with a positive education program that adopts practical, interactive and goal-oriented well-being learnings. This is encouraging and supports a context adapted replication and evaluation of the general Positive Education approach adopted by GGS in other schools.
The economic costs of seal presence in Swedish small-scale fisheries
Authors: Waldo Staffan , Paulrud Anton , Blomquist Johan
Published: November 2019

Growing seal populations are examples of successful marine management, and the seals are often seen as a symbol of a thriving ecosystem. However, seals are well known to interact with local small-scale fisheries by feeding from the gears. This causes both lost catches and broken gear, which negatively affect the economic viability of the small-scale fisheries. While lost catches are known to be substantial, no information is currently available on costs for mending gear, searching for fishing grounds with less seals, etc. This article estimates these costs from a questionnaire sent to Swedish fishers. The total cost due to seals for small-scale fisheries is about €690 000, which corresponds to 7% of the expenditure for purchased goods (not labour and capital). The total time spent on seal-related work corresponds to ∼8% of total working time. Combining additional costs with revenue losses due to decreased catches, it is shown that the economic viability of the small-scale fisheries becomes low due to the seal interaction, which affects the economic and social sustainability of the sector.
Genotoxicity assessment of four novel quinazoline-derived trypanocidal agents in the Drosophila wing somatic mutation and recombination test
Authors: Santos-Cruz Luis Felipe , Ramírez-Cruz Bertha Guadalupe , García-Salomé Miguel , Olvera-Romero Zaira Yuriria , Hernández-Luis Francisco , Hernández-Portilla Luis Barbo , Durán-Díaz Ángel , Dueñas-García Irma Elena , Castañeda-Partida Laura , Piedra-Ibarra Elías , Mendoza-Martínez César , Heres-Pulido María Eugenia
Published: November 2019

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, has increased in the world due to migration, travelling and climate change; at present, the principal problem is that common trypanocidal agents have resulted in toxic or inconvenient side effects. We tested for genotoxicity in the standard (ST) and high bioactivation (HB) crosses of Drosophila wing somatic mutation and recombination test, four novel trypanocidal agents derived from 2, 4, 6-triaminquinazoline (TAQ): 2,4-diamino-6 nitro-1,3 diazonaftalene (S-1QN2-1), 2,4-diacetamino-6-amino 1,3 diazonaftalene (D-1), N6-(4,methoxybenzyl)quinazoline-2,4,6-triamine (GHPM) and N6-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)benzyl]quinazoline-2,4,6-triamine (GHPMF) at 1.9, 3.9, 7.9 and 15 µM, respectively. Also, high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was run to determine the remanence of either drug in flare, and Oregon R(R)-flare flies emerged from treated larvae. S-1QN2-1 showed genotoxicity only in the ST cross, increasing the small, large and total spot frequencies at all concentrations and twin spots only at 1.9 µM; D-1 and GHPM showed significant increments of large spots only at 15 µM in the ST cross; GHPMF was not genotoxic at any concentration or either cross. In the mwh clones accumulated distribution frequencies analysis, associated with disrupted cell division, S-1QN2-1 caused alterations in the ST cross at all concentrations but only at 15 µM in the HB cross; D-1 caused alterations at 3.9, 7.9 and 15 µM in the ST cross and at 1.9 and 15 µM in the HB cross; GHPM caused alterations at 7.9 and 15 µM in the ST cross and also at 1.9, 3.9 and 7.9 µM in the HB cross; GHPMF caused those alterations at all concentrations in the ST cross and at 1.9, 3.9 and 7.9 µM in the HB cross. The HPLC results indicated no traces of either agent in the flare and Oregon R(R)-flare flies. We conclude that S-1QN2-1 is clearly genotoxic, D-1 and GHPM have an unclear genotoxicity and GHPMF was not genotoxic; all quinazoline derivatives disrupted cell division. GHPMF is a good candidate to be tested in other genotoxicity and cytotoxic bioassays. The differences in the genotoxic activity of these trypanocidal agents are correlated with differences in their chemical structure.
Invasive Genitourinary Aspergillosis in a Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Venetoclax: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Albin Owen R , Soper Nathaniel , Khurana Irina , Kauffman Carol A
Published: November 2019

Novel targeted pharmacotherapies have ushered in a new era in the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Postmarketing surveillance indicates that some of these agents are associated with unexpected increases in opportunistic infections. In this report, we present a case of primary genitourinary invasive aspergillosis in a patient with CLL treated with venetoclax. We briefly review both genitourinary aspergillosis and infection risks associated with venetoclax treatment for CLL.
Massage therapy for paediatric procedural pain: A rapid review
Authors: Bernstein Kylie , Karkhaneh Mohammad , Zorzela Liliane , Jou Hsing , Vohra Sunita
Published: November 2019

Background

Pain is a common paediatric problem, and procedural pain, in particular, can be difficult to manage. Complementary therapies are often sought for pain management, including massage therapy (MT). We assessed the evidence for use of MT for acute procedural pain management in children.

Methods

We searched five main databases for (i) primary studies in English, (ii) included children 0 to 18 years of age, (iii) compared MT for procedural pain management to standard care alone or placebo, and (iv) measured pain as the primary or secondary outcome. The data were extracted by one author and verified by a second author. Randomized controlled trials were evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Results

Eleven paediatric trials of procedural pain in neonatal, burn, and oncology populations, a total of 771 participants, were identified. Eight reported statistically significant reductions in pain after MT compared to standard care. Pain was measured using validated pain scales, or physiologic indicators. The studies were heterogeneous in population, techniques, and outcome measures used. No adverse events associated with MT were identified.

Conclusion

MT may be an effective nonpharmacologic adjunct for management of procedural pain in children.
Deformed K− nuclei in the Skyrme–Hartree–Fock approach
Authors: Jin Yun , Chen Chao Feng , Zhou Xian-Rong , Cheng Yi-Yuan , Schulze H-J
Published: November 2019

The properties of kaonic nuclei are studied using a two-dimensional Skyrme–Hartree–Fock model with a $KN$ Skyrme force. We focus in particular on the instability of the solutions for a too strong $KN$ interaction, which determines a maximum value of the kaon binding in this approach. We then analyze the change of the deformation properties of several core-deformed nuclei caused by the added kaon, and find a shrinking of the core and in some cases a complete loss of deformation.
Volatile anesthetics isoflurane and sevoflurane directly target and attenuate Toll‐like receptor 4 system
Authors: Okuno Toshiaki , Koutsogiannaki Sophia , Hou Lifei , Bu Weiming , Ohto Umeharu , Eckenhoff Roderic G. , Yokomizo Takehiko , Yuki Koichi
Published: November 2019

General anesthesia has been the requisite component of surgical procedures for over 150 yr. Although immunomodulatory effects of volatile anesthetics have been growingly appreciated, the molecular mechanism has not been understood. In septic mice, the commonly used volatile anesthetic isoflurane attenuated the production of 5‐lipoxygenase products and IL‐10 and reduced CD11b and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expression on neutrophils, suggesting the attenuation of TLR4 signaling. We confirmed the attenuation of TLR4 signaling in vitro and their direct binding to TLR4‐myeloid differentiation‐2 (MD‐2) complex by photolabeling experiments. The binding sites of volatile anesthetics isoflurane and sevoflurane were located near critical residues for TLR4‐MD‐2 complex formation and TLR4‐MD‐2‐LPS dimerization. Additionally, TLR4 activation was not attenuated by intravenous anesthetics, except for a high concentration of propofol. Considering the important role of TLR4 system in the perioperative settings, these findings suggest the possibility that anesthetic choice may modulate the outcome in patients or surgical cases in which TLR4 activation is expected.—Okuno, T., Koutsogiannaki, S., Hou, L., Bu, W., Ohto, U., Eckenhoff, R. G., Yokomizo, T., Yuki, K. Volatile anesthetics isoflurane and sevoflurane directly target and attenuate Toll‐like receptor 4 system. FASEB J. 33, 14528‐14541 (2019). www.fasebj.org
Retinoic acid accelerates the specification of enteric neural progenitors fromin vitro-derived neural crest
Authors: Frith Thomas J.R , Gogolou Antigoni , Hackland James O.S , Barbaric Ivana , Thapar Nikhil , Burns Alan J. , Andrews Peter W , Tsakiridis Anestis , McCann Conor J.
Published: November 2019

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is derived primarily from the vagal neural crest, a migratory multipotent cell population emerging from the dorsal neural tube between somites 1-7. Defects in the development and function of the ENS give rise to a range of disorders, termed enteric neuropathies and include conditions such as Hirschsprung’s disease. Little is known about the signalling that specifies early ENS progenitors. This has, thus far, limited progress in the generation of enteric neurons from human Pluripotent Stem Cells (hPSCs) that could provide a useful tool for disease modelling and regenerative medicine. We describe the efficient and accelerated generation of ENS progenitors from hPSCs, revealing that retinoic acid is critical for the acquisition of both vagal axial identity and early ENS progenitor specification. These ENS progenitors generate enteric neuronsin vitroand followingin vivotransplantation, achieving long-term colonisation of the ENS in adult mice. Thus, hPSC-derived ENS progenitors may provide the basis for cell therapy for defects in the ENS.
Purification, identification, and characterization of two benzophenanthridine alkaloids fromCorydalis longicalcaratarhizomes with anti-mitotic and polyploidy-inducing activities
Authors: Li Jinhua , Yan Ziqi , Li Hongmei , Shi Qiong , Huang Linfang , Allen Thaddeus D. , Yang Dun , Zhang Jing
Published: November 2019

Mitosis has long been a therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer. After conducting a phenotypic screen for anti-mitotic activity in a crude extract library of more than 2000 medicinal plants, we identified the rhizomes ofCorydalis longicalcarata. Guided by the bioactivity-based assay, two benzophenanthridine alkaloids were purified and subsequently identified as corynoline and its close analog acetylcorynoline. This study uncovers a previously unknown antimitotic activity for these two phytochemicals, discovers their potential to be developed as anticancer drugs, and highlights their pleiotropic effects on cell division, including prevention of chromosome congression, compromise of spindle checkpoint response, and blockage of cytokinesis.
Molecules to Mankind: Bridging Laboratory and Population Training
Authors: Burke Rachel M. , Gazmararian Julie A. , McCarty Nael A. , Rambo-Martin Benjamin L. , Shaw Kelly A.
Published: November 2019

Aim/Purpose

Today’s biomedical researchers are expected to apply understanding of basic biology to improve human health. Meeting this goal requires mastery of both laboratory and population sciences, each of which has its own knowledge base, techniques, and training paradigms.

Background

Emory University’s “Molecules-to-Mankind” (M2M) doctoral pathway was established in 2009 to be an evolving model of interdisciplinary PhD education. M2M supplements fellows’ home programs, ensuring they receive training in both population and laboratory sciences.

Methodology

The present paper describes the M2M program in detail. Surveys of faculty and fellows were also carried out, and the results are presented herein.

Contribution

The M2M program follows a unique model by which doctoral students receive training in both population and laboratory sciences. The present paper describes this model, such that the information can be disseminated to other educational institutions interested in implementing similar programs.

Findings

This unique model facilitates engagement of stakeholders including the fellow’s home program, dissertation advisor, and Emory’s professional schools. Recruited across biomedical PhD and MD/PhD programs, fellows have diverse research experiences and represent “spokes” bound together by the M2M “hub.” This hub’s central feature is a weekly seminar class where fellows and faculty members gather for open discussion with interdisciplinary speakers with successful research careers, emphasizing speakers who have tied laboratory and population sciences in their own work. This forum provides an encouraging environment for dialogue on all aspects of biomedical research from the science itself, to the speaker’s career path, and the logistics of garnering institutional support and building transdisciplinary collaborations. A decade since its inception, M2M has a proven track record of shaping early-stage careers for its 49 alumni to date.

Recommendations for Practitioners

Engaging trainees outside their home doctoral programs can have positive implications on overall quality of education.

Recommendation for Researchers

As interdisciplinary models grow ever more important in biomedical sciences, it is important to further examine the best teaching methods for training the next generation of scientists.

Impact on Society

Interdisciplinary training at the doctoral level is important to produce future cohorts of engaged and versatile scientific leaders.

Future Research

Future research should continue to explore novel methods of training graduate students at the doctoral level.
Calling differential DNA methylation at cell-type resolution: an objective status-quo
Authors: Jing Han , Zheng Shijie C. , Breeze Charles E. , Beck Stephan , Teschendorff Andrew E.
Published: November 2019

Due to cost and logistical reasons, Epigenome-Wide-Association Studies (EWAS) are normally performed in complex tissues, resulting in average DNA methylation profiles over potentially many different cell-types, which can obscure important cell-type specific associations with disease. Identifying the specific cell-types that are altered is a key hurdle for elucidating causal pathways to disease, and consequently statistical algorithms have recently emerged that aim to address this challenge. Comparisons between these algorithms are of great interest, yet here we find that the main comparative study so far was substantially biased and potentially misleading. By using this study as an example, we highlight some of the key issues that need to be considered to ensure that future assessments between methods are more objective.