The Food and Drug Administration approved the first direct oral anticoagulant nearly a decade ago. Since then, antithrombotic therapy has evolved swiftly, with research systematically addressing the ...use of these agents for the treatment of common medical conditions, such as atrial fibrillation. Of particular concern in recent years has been the question of how to manage atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease when they occur together in the same patient. Yasuda and colleagues
1
now report in the
Journal
the results of the AFIRE (Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Events with Rivaroxaban in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease) trial. This multicenter, . . .
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) presents a promising technology to recover energy from sewage sludge and manure as bio-crude oil. The liquid and solid phases after HTL are considered as byproducts; ...however, the latter is rich in nutrients, which offers a possibility for nutrient recovery and manufacturing of valuable products. This study focuses on the simultaneous recovery of phosphate and ammoniacal nitrogen as struvite by combining the liquid HTL byproduct and leachate from the solid HTL byproduct. To implement a flexible struvite-producing unit, the effect of an inlet-mixed solution composition on the struvite precipitation was investigated on a laboratory scale and preferable operating conditions were identified. These operating conditions were used afterward to evaluate and adapt an air-agitated system for struvite precipitation subsequent to the HTL production chain. Moreover, the precipitation process in the air-agitated system was evaluated using synthetic model solutions compared to real HTL byproducts to offer insight into the effect of impurities on the product quality. The product, which has a struvite content of more than 75 wt %, was manufactured from the HTL byproducts of manure and sewage sludge as well. It has potential for use as a fertilizer based on its elemental composition but the use of citric acid was found to be effective to improve the quality of the product, especially of sewage sludge. The results showed that the air-agitated system could be effectively implemented in the HTL production chain. It has the potential to enhance features of the product, leading to a ready-to-use fertilizer in shape (particle size) and quality (struvite content).
In blood-feeding dipterans, olfaction plays a role in finding hosts and, hence, in spreading pathogens. Several pathogens are known to alter olfactory responses and behavior in vectors. As a ...mosquito-borne pathogen, Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV) can affect humans and cause great losses in livestock. We test the influence of RVFV infection on sensory perception, olfactory choice behavior and activity on a non-biting insect,
, using electroantennograms (EAG), Y-maze, and locomotor activity monitor. Flies were injected with RVFV MP12 strain. Replication of RVFV and its persistence for at least seven days was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR). One day post injection, infected flies showed weaker EAG responses towards 1-hexanol, vinegar, and ethyl acetate. In the Y-maze, infected flies showed a significantly lower response for 1-hexanol compared to uninfected flies. At days six or seven post infection, no significant difference between infected and control flies could be found in EAG or Y-maze anymore. Activity of infected flies was reduced at both time points. We found an upregulation of the immune-response gene, nitric oxide synthase, in infected flies. An infection with RVFV is able to transiently reduce olfactory perception and attraction towards food-related odors in
, while effects on activity and immune effector gene expression persist. A similar effect in blood-feeding insects could affect vector competence in RVFV transmitting dipterans.
This pilot study investigated feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a high‐intensity functional training (HIFT) group‐exercise programme among adult cancer survivors within 5 years of last cancer ...treatment. Eight participants were assigned to a 5‐week, 3 days/week HIFT intervention with four testing sessions and 12 workouts along with mobility and stretching exercises. Feasibility was assessed by initiation, adherence, and acceptability. Efficacy was determined by changes from baseline to post‐test in health‐related quality of life, body composition and functional movement. The recruitment rate was 80% and the adherence rate was 75%. Significant improvements were found for emotional functioning (P = 0.042) and body composition (lean mass +3.8 ± 2.1 kg, P = 0.008; fat mass −3.3 ± 1.0 kg, P = 0.001; body fat percentage −4.7 ± 1.2%, P < 0.001). Participants also significantly improved on five of seven functional movements: balance (P = 0.032), carrying a weighted object (P = 0.004), lower body strength and power (P = 0.009), aerobic capacity and endurance (P = 0.039), and perceived difficulty for flexibility (P = 0.012). Five weeks of HIFT training was well‐received and feasible for most cancer survivors, and effective for improving emotional functioning, body composition and functional movement.
•Uses Open Source Software as a setting to test hypotheses on distributed innovation.•Finds that presence of initial artefacts limits distributed contributors’ divergence in product ...representations.•Finds that initial artefacts work as a coordination mechanism, fostering project survival.•Tests the hypotheses with an original econometric technique on 5703 open source projects.
This paper offers insights on how digital artefacts foster coordination of individuals in distributed innovation projects by limiting the divergence of team members’ representations of the project. This role is particularly important when coordination mechanisms such as leadership and modularity show some limits. Using distributed innovation in open-source software as a setting, we develop and test the hypotheses that (1) the release of initial code in open-source software projects limits the divergence of team members’ representations and (2) limiting divergence of team members’ representations triggered by initial code release implies a higher probability of project survival, a non-trivial goal in such a setting. To test our hypotheses, we draw on a dataset of 5,703 open-source software projects registered on SourceForge.net. Both our hypotheses are supported, pointing towards fruitful directions for expanding research on the way distributed innovation processes are carried out when digital artefacts are involved.
Parents, especially mothers, and young women without children, face a subtle threat in job interviews: being asked inappropriate questions about parental status. In three vignette experiments ...(N = 760), we compared personal (perceived likability and likelihood of being hired) and social consequences (perceived chances that the interviewer will ask the inappropriate question again) of different response strategies. Results suggest that deflection (i.e., responding with another question) is a superior strategy at the personal level, as it increases the perceived chances to be hired in comparison to truth‐telling (Study 1) and confrontation (Studies 1–3) without hurting likability (Study 1). Confrontation (i.e., saying that the question is inappropriate) is a superior strategy at the social level, decreasing the perceived probability that the interviewer will keep asking inappropriate questions in comparison to deflection (Studies 2 and 3) and truth‐telling (Study 3). No gender differences were apparent. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Traditional definitions of political ideology state that right‐wingers support system stability, whereas left‐wingers support social change. However, during the last decade many right‐wing movements ...have been on the rise and demanded far‐reaching changes. We argue that both left‐, and right‐wing protestors reject the status quo, and are motivated to change it – albeit in opposing directions: either to increase equality (progressive social change), or inequality (reactionary social change). In two studies (NStudy1 = 453, NStudy2 = 614), both left‐, and right‐wingers scored lower on system justification than moderates. Further, latent profile analyses showed that supporters of progressive social change were characterized by low system justification and left‐wing ideology, whereas supporters of reactionary social change were characterized by low system justification and right‐wing ideology. This indicates that right‐wingers do not necessarily support system stability – instead, they reject the status quo and promote change in the direction of greater inequality.
Resection margins in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) are a predictive marker for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free interval (RFI). Adjuvant therapy is influenced ...by TNM status, extracapsular extension (ECE), and resection margin status (R) of the primary tumor. The R status can be directly influenced by the head and neck surgeon. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of R status on treatment decisions, RFI, and OS.
All patients with OPSCC who underwent surgery (with/without adjuvant therapy) between 2001 and 2011 were enrolled. Clinical data, survival parameters, histologic data such as ECE, resection margin status, and tumor size were retrospectively collected and analyzed.
A total of 208 patients were enrolled. Survival parameters showed that patients with microscopically clear (R0) resection margins had an RFI/OS of 89/87 months. These values decreased in patients with R1 (65/65 months), R2 (38/33 months), and Rx (unclear) resections (59/45 months; p = 0.036/p = 0.001). In patients with ECE and R1 resection, but also in those with R0 resections achieved by follow-up resection and those with Rx resections, adjuvant therapy was escalated.
Unclear resection status reduces OS and RFI in patients with OPSCC. Therefore, in surgical therapy, clear resection status in the first pass should be strived for to avoid escalation of adjuvant therapy due to an unclear R status.
PDF
