Tag: pubmed

Environ Monit Assess. 2021 May 14;193(Suppl 1):272. doi: 10.1007/s10661-020-08811-3.

ABSTRACT

Regime shifts of major salinity constituents (Ca, Mg, Na, K, SO₄, Cl, HCO₃, and NO₃) in the lower Salinas River, an agricultural ecosystem, can have major impacts on ecosystem services central to continued agricultural production in the region. Regime shifts are large, persistent, and often abrupt changes in the structure and dynamics of social-ecological systems that occur when there is a reorganization of the dominant feedbacks in the system. Monitoring information on changes in the system state, controlling variables, and feedbacks is a crucial contributor to applying sustainability and ecosystem resilience at an operational level. To better understand the factors driving salinization of the lower Salinas River on the central coast of California, we examined a 27-year record of concentrations of major salinity constituents in the river. Although limited in providing an understanding of solute flux behavior during storm events, long-term “grab sampling” datasets with accompanying stream discharges can be used to estimate the actual history of concentrations and fluxes. We developed new concentration-discharge relationships to evaluate the dynamics of chemical weathering, hydrological processes, and agricultural practices in the watershed. Examinations of long-term records of surface water and groundwater salinity are required to provide both understanding and perspective towards managing salinity in arid and semi-arid regions while also enabling determination of the influence of external climatic variability and internal drivers in the system. We found that rock weathering is the main source of Ca, Mg, Na, HCO₃, and SO₄ in the river that further enables ion exchange between Ca, Mg, and Na. River concentrations of K, NO₃, and Cl were associated with human activities while agricultural practices were the major source of K and NO₃. A more direct anthropogenic positive trend in NO₃ that has persisted since the mid-1990s is associated with the lag or memory effects of field cropping and use of flood irrigation. Event to inter-year scale patterns in the lower Salinas River salinity are further controlled by antecedent hydrologic conditions. This study underscores the importance of obtaining long-term monitoring records towards understanding watershed changes-of-state and time constants on the range of driving processes.

PMID:33988750 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-020-08811-3

Environ Monit Assess. 2021 May 14;193(6):339. doi: 10.1007/s10661-021-09114-x.

ABSTRACT

About one-half of the homes on First Nations (FN) reserves in Manitoba, Canada, receive piped water from a water treatment plant (WTP). Many other homes (31%) are equipped with cisterns that are filled by a water truck, and our objective was to determine how the use of cisterns affects drinking water safety relative to drinking water piped directly to homes from the WTP. The study included belowground concrete cisterns, belowground fiberglass cisterns, and aboveground polyethylene cisterns stored in insulated shelters, and all the data collection methods showed that the tap water in homes with cisterns were relatively more contaminated with coliform bacteria than the tap water in piped homes. The frequency and severity of Escherichia coli and total coliform contamination were numerically greater in drinking water samples from belowground concrete and fiberglass cisterns than in piped water samples in each community, and the contamination of belowground cisterns by coliform bacteria was greatest in late spring. As well, data obtained under the Access to Information Act showed no statistical differences in the percent of satisfactory samples (no detects) between 2014 and 2018, suggesting no clear indication of improved water quality in any of the Tribal Councils in which these three and other communities are a member off. Our results point to the need for additional treatment of drinking water in homes supplied by belowground concrete or fiberglass cisterns and replacement of belowground cisterns with aboveground cisterns or piped water to reduce the risk of water-borne illnesses.

PMID:33988761 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-021-09114-x

J Community Health. 2021 May 14. doi: 10.1007/s10900-021-00994-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic brought forward the challenge of dispersing accurate medical information to the public rapidly. Credible and non-credible sources may impact public reactions to the virus. The purpose of this study is to assess those reactions of women located in or near Kansas. A survey was conducted in July 2020 with questions on knowledge of COVID-19, attitudes and behaviors towards COVID-19, and primary sources of information. 305 survey respondents met criteria for further analysis, and descriptive statistical analyses were applied. Participants were generally knowledgeable of the pandemic, with a mean knowledge score of 11.40 out of 13 (SD 1.3). The attitude statement with the highest rate of agreement was that “social distancing is an effective way of controlling COVID-19 spread” (n = 265, 86.9%) and that with the highest rate of disagreement was, “I am not worried about my friends’ and family members health” (n = 253, 83.0%). The most-implemented behaviors as indicated by participants were avoiding contact with sick individuals and washing hands with soap and water often (n = 294, 96.4%), and the least implemented was avoiding meat consumption (n = 257, 84.3%). Finally, most participants indicated that health officials were their primary source of information (n = 215, 70.5%). Participants of this survey had fairly good knowledge of the virus. Attitudes of participants as a whole may be described as cautious without being overly fearful. Reported behaviors also align well with current public health recommendations. These responses may be reflective of where participants are receiving their information, which, for the majority, is from public health officials.

PMID:33988776 | DOI:10.1007/s10900-021-00994-1

Opt Lett. 2021 May 15;46(10):2505-2508. doi: 10.1364/OL.422062.

ABSTRACT

We present a quantitative model to provide robust estimation of the decorrelation time using laser speckle auto-inverse covariance. It has the advantages of independence from the statistical sample size, speckle size, static scattering, and detector noise. We have shown cerebral blood flow imaging through an intact mouse skull using this model. Phantom experiments and two animal models, middle cerebral artery occlusion, and cortical spreading depression were used to evaluate its performance.

PMID:33988621 | DOI:10.1364/OL.422062

JAMA Netw Open. 2021 May 3;4(5):e219627. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.9627.

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Flotation restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) is an emerging therapeutic intervention that, to our knowledge, has never been directly compared with an indistinguishable placebo in patients with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether 5 flotation-REST sessions alleviate chronic pain.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This single-blind, randomized clinical trial compared flotation-REST as an intervention for the treatment of chronic pain with indistinguishable placebo and wait-list control conditions at Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Men and women aged 18 to 75 years who had been diagnosed with chronic pain disorder with psychological and somatic factors (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, German Modification, code F45.41) by physicians at the study center were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 groups. Data were collected from June 26, 2018, to June 18, 2020.

INTERVENTIONS: Patients in the intervention and placebo groups underwent 5 treatment sessions lasting 60 to 90 minutes, each session separated by 4 days. The placebo treatment was delivered in the same floating tank but controlled for effortless floating and environmental stimulus restriction. Patients in the wait-list control group did not receive any additional treatment but were asked to continue any ongoing treatments at the time of enrollment.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was a change in pain intensity 1 week after the last treatment session. The assessment was repeated at 12 and 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes included pain-related disability, pain area, pain widespreadness (number of body regions affected by pain), anxiety, depression, and quality of life, as well as several other short-term outcomes.

RESULTS: A total of 99 patients (mean [SD] age, 51.7 [12.3] years; 80 women [81%]) were included in the study. No differences were found among the groups in the primary outcomes (mean [SD] change in maximum pain: -7.6 [19.7] for the intervention group, -5.8 [12.7] for the placebo group, and 0.4 [14.0] for the wait-list control group; mean [SD] change in mean pain: -2.1 [19.4] for the intervention group,-4.2 [16.2] for the placebo group, and 2.0 [12.6] for the wait-list control group). Long-term secondary outcomes did not show significant differences. In the short term, patients in the intervention group showed significant improvements in pain intensity (-17.0 [17.1]; P < .001), relaxation (23.9 [22.6]; P < .001), anxiety (-10.1 [8.4]; P < .001), pain area (-3.6% [7.4%]; P < .001), and widespreadness (-2.0 [3.0]; P < .001), and similar changes where observed in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Patients with chronic pain experienced no long-term benefits from the 5 flotation-REST interventions. Clinically relevant short-term changes in pain in the placebo group suggest that improvements may not be caused by environmental stimulus restriction or effortless floating as previously thought.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03584750.

PMID:33988708 | DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.9627

Emerg Radiol. 2021 May 14. doi: 10.1007/s10140-021-01940-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The supradental space is a small, predominantly fat-filled recess superior to the atlanto-axial joint and inferior to the basion of the clivus that contains a small venous plexus. The posterior boundary of the supradental space is formed by the tectorial membrane, a stabilizing ligament of the craniocervical junction. The purpose of our study was to examine the imaging appearance of the supradental space in patients with tectorial membrane injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult patients with tectorial membrane injury were identified utilizing keyword searches of radiology reports using Nuance mPower software. Age-matched positive and negative control groups were obtained. Two CAQ-certified neuroradiologists evaluated the cervical CT exams of these patients for supradental fat pad effacement from hematoma formation. The integrity of the osteoligamentous structures of the craniocervical junction was recorded on CT and MRI exams along with demographic information, clinical history, surgical management, and global outcome. Statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS: Sixteen adults were diagnosed with tectorial membrane injury on cervical MRI. All patients with a visible supradental space demonstrated fat pad effacement and Hounsfield units consistent with hematoma formation. The positive and negative control groups demonstrated supradental fat pad effacement in 2/16 and 1/16 patients, respectively. A p-value of < 0.001 was obtained.

CONCLUSION: The “supradental space sign,” defined as hematoma formation in the supradental space with effacement of the supradental fat pad is associated with tectorial membrane injury in adult trauma patients with sensitivity of 93.75% (95% confidence interval 69.77 to 99.84%) and specificity of 90.62% (95% confidence interval 74.98 to 98.02%).

PMID:33988749 | DOI:10.1007/s10140-021-01940-3

J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2021 May 14. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.20.00940. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Spherical periacetabular osteotomy (SPO) is a novel osteotomy involving splitting the teardrop, using patient-specific preoperative planning, and requiring only a 7-cm skin incision. We report preoperative planning methods and short-term results of SPO.

METHODS: In preoperative planning, computed tomography (CT) images were imported into 3-dimensional templating software. The radius of the curved chisel was mapped to pass through the teardrop, the infracotyloid groove of the ischium, and the area between the anterior superior iliac spine and the anterior inferior iliac spine. The osteotomy height and the predicted depth of osteotome insertion were measured, and those values were reproduced during surgery. We performed a retrospective analysis of data on 52 consecutive patients (55 hips) with hip dysplasia who underwent SPO and were followed for at least 2 years: 27 hips had Tönnis grade 0, 21 had grade 1, and 7 had grade 2. The mean age at surgery was 38 years (range, 17 to 56 years). The rotated bone fragment and iliac crest were fixed with absorbable screws. Statistical analysis was performed with the paired t test.

RESULTS: The mean (range) of the lateral center-edge and sourcil angles were 6.0° (-20° to 18°) and 26.0 (13° to 38°), respectively, before surgery and 30.0° (15° to 43°) and 3.8° (-4° to 27°), respectively, after surgery (p < 0.001). However, 11 hips (20%) showed a loss of correction of bone rotation (<3 mm) or the sourcil angle (<3°). Radiographs showed bone union in all hips within 3 months after the surgery. Early second surgery related to absorbable screws was performed in 2 hips. No patient had required conversion to total hip arthroplasty at the time of writing. Clinical scores were significantly improved at the 2-year follow-up (p < 0.001). Paresthesia of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve area was very common but had resolved in 92% of the patients at the 2-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: SPO is a novel minimally invasive periacetabular osteotomy that has the potential disadvantage of early loss of correction (observed in 20% of the hips in the present study) but may provide the benefit of decreasing the risk of nonunion at the pubis osteotomy site.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

PMID:33988546 | DOI:10.2106/JBJS.20.00940

Nat Commun. 2021 May 13;12(1):2781. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23043-w.

ABSTRACT

Elucidating metal oxide growth mechanisms is essential for precisely designing and fabricating nanostructured oxides with broad applications in energy and electronics. However, current epitaxial oxide growth methods are based on macroscopic empirical knowledge, lacking fundamental guidance at the nanoscale. Using correlated in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy, statistically-validated quantitative analysis, and density functional theory calculations, we show epitaxial Cu₂O nano-island growth on Cu is layer-by-layer along Cu₂O(110) planes, regardless of substrate orientation, contradicting classical models that predict multi-layer growth parallel to substrate surfaces. Growth kinetics show cubic relationships with time, indicating individual oxide monolayers follow Frank-van der Merwe growth whereas oxide islands follow Stranski-Krastanov growth. Cu sources for island growth transition from step edges to bulk substrates during oxidation, contrasting with classical corrosion theories which assume subsurface sources predominate. Our results resolve alternative epitaxial island growth mechanisms, improving the understanding of oxidation dynamics critical for advanced manufacturing at the nanoscale.

PMID:33986274 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-021-23043-w

NPJ Vaccines. 2021 May 13;6(1):69. doi: 10.1038/s41541-021-00329-0.

ABSTRACT

Fentanyl is a major contributor to the devastating increase in overdose deaths from substance use disorders (SUD). A vaccine targeting fentanyl could be a powerful immunotherapeutic. Here, we evaluated adjuvant and delivery strategies for conjugate antigen vaccination with fentanyl-based haptens. We tested adjuvants derived from the heat-labile toxin of E. coli including dmLT and LTA1 by intramuscular, sublingual or intranasal delivery. Our results show anti-fentanyl serum antibodies and antibody secreting cells in the bone-marrow after vaccination with highest levels observed with an adjuvant (alum, dmLT, or LTA1). Vaccine adjuvanted with LTA1 or dmLT elicited the highest levels of anti-fentanyl antibodies, whereas alum achieved highest levels against the carrier protein. Vaccination with sublingual dmLT or intranasal LTA1 provided the most robust blockade of fentanyl-induced analgesia and CNS penetration correlating strongly to anti-FEN IgA. In conclusion, this study demonstrates dmLT or LTA1 adjuvant as well as mucosal delivery may be attractive strategies for improving the efficacy of vaccines against SUD.

PMID:33986280 | DOI:10.1038/s41541-021-00329-0

NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2021 May 13;7(1):40. doi: 10.1038/s41531-021-00184-9.

ABSTRACT

Isolated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is a prodromal stage of Lewy-type synucleinopathies (LTS), which can present either with an initial predominant parkinsonism (Parkinson’s disease (PD)) or dementia (dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)). To provide insights into the underlying pathogenic mechanisms, the lipoprotein and protein glycosylation profile of 82 iRBD patients, collected before and/or after their conversion to an overt LTS, and 29 matched control serum samples were assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Data were statistically analyzed to identify altered metabolites and construct predictive models. Univariant analysis detected no differences between iRBD patients with an LTS compared to controls. However, significant differences were found when the analysis distinguished between iRBD patients that manifested initially predominant parkinsonism (pre-PD) or dementia (pre-DLB). Significant differences were also found in the analysis of paired iRBD samples pre- and post-LTS diagnosis. Predictive models were built and distinguished between controls and pre-DLB patients, and between pre-DLB and pre-PD patients. This allowed a prediction of the possible future clinical outcome of iRBD patients. We provide evidence of altered lipoprotein and glycosylation profiles in subgroups of iRBD patients. Our results indicate that metabolic alterations and inflammation are involved in iRBD pathophysiology, and suggest biological differences underlying the progression of LTS in iRBD patients. Our data also indicate that profiling of serum samples by NMR may be a useful tool for identifying short-term high-risk iRBD patients for conversion to parkinsonism or dementia.

PMID:33986284 | DOI:10.1038/s41531-021-00184-9