The Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons experiment on the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission measures the three-dimensional electron velocity distribution function. We derive the parameters of the ...core, halo, and strahl populations utilizing a combination of fitting to model distributions and numerical integration for ∼100,000 electron distributions measured near the Sun on the first two PSP orbits, which reached heliocentric distances as small as ∼0.17 au. As expected, the electron core density and temperature increase with decreasing heliocentric distance, while the ratio of electron thermal pressure to magnetic pressure (βe) decreases. These quantities have radial scaling consistent with previous observations farther from the Sun, with superposed variations associated with different solar wind streams. The density in the strahl also increases; however, the density of the halo plateaus and even decreases at perihelion, leading to a large strahl/halo ratio near the Sun. As at greater heliocentric distances, the core has a sunward drift relative to the proton frame, which balances the current carried by the strahl, satisfying the zero-current condition necessary to maintain quasi-neutrality. Many characteristics of the electron distributions near perihelion have trends with solar wind flow speed, βe, and/or collisional age. Near the Sun, some trends not clearly seen at 1 au become apparent, including anticorrelations between wind speed and both electron temperature and heat flux. These trends help us understand the mechanisms that shape the solar wind electron distributions at an early stage of their evolution.
ABSTRACT We present the results of ALMA band 7 observations of dust and CO gas in the disks around 7 objects with spectral types ranging between M5.5 and M7.5 in Upper Scorpius OB1, and one M3 star ...in Ophiuchus. We detect unresolved continuum emission in all but one source, and the 12CO J = 3 − 2 line in two sources. We constrain the dust and gas content of these systems using a grid of models calculated with the radiative transfer code MCFOST, and find disk dust masses between 0.1 and 1 M⊕, suggesting that the stellar mass/disk mass correlation can be extrapolated for brown dwarfs (BDs) with masses as low as 0.05 M . The one disk in Upper Sco in which we detect CO emission, 2MASS J15555600, is also the disk with the warmest inner disk, as traced by its H-4.5 photometric color. Using our radiative transfer grid, we extend the correlation between stellar luminosity and mass-averaged disk dust temperature, originally derived for stellar mass objects, to the BD regime to , applicable to spectral types of M5 and later. This is slightly shallower than the relation for earlier spectral type objects and yields warmer low-mass disks. The two prescriptions cross at 0.27 L , corresponding to masses between 0.1 and 0.2 M depending on age.
Donation after circulatory death (DCD) offers a potential additional source of cardiac allografts. We used a porcine asphyxia model to evaluate viability of DCD hearts subjected to warm ischemic ...times (WIT) of 20–40 min prior to flushing with Celsior (C) solution. We then assessed potential benefits of supplementing C with erythropoietin, glyceryl trinitrate and zoniporide (Cs), a combination that we have shown previously to activate ischemic postconditioning pathways. Hearts flushed with C/Cs were assessed for functional, biochemical and metabolic recovery on an ex vivo working heart apparatus. Hearts exposed to 20‐min WIT showed full recovery of functional and metabolic profiles compared with control hearts (no WIT). Hearts subjected to 30‐ or 40‐min WIT prior to C solution showed partial and no recovery, respectively. Hearts exposed to 30‐min WIT and Cs solution displayed complete recovery, while hearts exposed to 40‐min WIT and Cs solution demonstrated partial recovery. We conclude that DCD hearts flushed with C solution demonstrate complete recovery up to 20‐min WIT after which there is rapid loss of viability. Cs extends the limit of WIT tolerability to 30 min. DCD hearts with ≤30‐min WIT may be suitable for transplantation and warrant assessment in a transplant model.
In this study of cardiac donation after circulatory death, supplementation of cardioplegic flush solution with a combination of erythropoietin, glyceryl trinitrate, and zoniporide significantly extends the tolerability of the porcine heart to warm ischemia following withdrawal of life support. See online supporting information for supplemental video content.
High-fidelity single-shot readout of spin qubits requires distinguishing states much faster than the T
time of the spin state. One approach to improving readout fidelity and bandwidth (BW) is ...cryogenic amplification, where the signal from the qubit is amplified before noise sources are introduced and room-temperature amplifiers can operate at lower gain and higher BW. We compare the performance of two cryogenic amplification circuits: a current-biased heterojunction bipolar transistor circuit (CB-HBT), and an AC-coupled HBT circuit (AC-HBT). Both circuits are mounted on the mixing-chamber stage of a dilution refrigerator and are connected to silicon metal oxide semiconductor (Si-MOS) quantum dot devices on a printed circuit board (PCB). The power dissipated by the CB-HBT ranges from 0.1 to 1 μW whereas the power of the AC-HBT ranges from 1 to 20 μW. Referred to the input, the noise spectral density is low for both circuits, in the 15 to 30 fA/Formula: see text range. The charge sensitivity for the CB-HBT and AC-HBT is 330 μe/Formula: see text and 400 μe/Formula: see text, respectively. For the single-shot readout performed, less than 10 μs is required for both circuits to achieve bit error rates below 10
, which is a putative threshold for quantum error correction.
Summary
The probability of initiating with anti-osteoporosis therapy increased from 7 % in 2000 to 46 % in 2010. This improvement was greater for patients over the age of 75 years. Men, those ...overweight, having dementia or exposed to antipsychotics, sedatives/hypnotics or opioid analgesics were significantly less likely to receive anti-osteoporosis drugs.
Introduction
The objective of this study was to examine trends and determinants of anti-osteoporosis drug prescribing after hip fracture in the UK between 2000 and 2010.
Methods
Data were extracted from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink for patients ≥50 years who had a first hip fracture between 2000 and 2010 and who did not currently (≤6 months prior) receive anti-osteoporosis drugs (bisphosphonates, strontium ranelate, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and raloxifene) (
n
= 27,542). The cumulative incidence probability of being prescribed anti-osteoporosis drugs within 1 year after hip fracture was estimated by Kaplan-Meier life-table analyses. Determinants for treatment initiation were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models.
Results
The probability of being prescribed any anti-osteoporosis drug after hip fracture increased from 7 % in 2000 to 46 % in 2010. This trend was more marked in patients ≥75 years. The increase in prescribing of anti-osteoporosis drugs was complemented by a similar increase in vitamin D/calcium provision. Cumulative incidence of receiving anti-osteoporosis therapy was greater at any given point in time in women (8 % in 2000, 51 % in 2010) compared to men (4 % in 2000, 34 % in 2010). In addition to male gender, multivariable Cox regression identified reduced likelihood of receiving anti-osteoporosis drugs for those being overweight, having dementia and exposed to psychotropic drugs (antipsychotics, sedatives/hypnotics) or opioid analgesics.
Conclusion
Although the prescribing of anti-osteoporosis drugs after hip fracture has increased substantially since 2000, the overall rate remained inadequate, particularly in men. With the continuing increase in the absolute number of hip fractures, further research should be made into the barriers to optimise osteoporosis management.
Summary
We studied sex-specific incidence rates in a population 50 years or older in the UK. In the period of 1990–2012, the overall rate of fracture did not change, but there were marked secular ...alterations in the rates of individual fracture types, particularly hip and spine fractures in the elderly.
Introduction
There is increasing evidence of secular changes in age- and sex- adjusted fracture incidence globally. Such observations broadly suggest decreasing rates in developed countries and increasing rates in transitioning populations. Since altered fracture rates have major implications for healthcare provision and planning, we investigated secular changes to age- and sex-adjusted fracture risk amongst the UK population aged 50 years or above from 1990 till 2012.
Methods
We undertook a retrospective observational study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), which contains the health records of 6.9 % of the UK population. Site-specific fracture incidence was calculated by calendar year for men and women separately, with fracture type categorised according to ICD-9 classification. Linear regression analysis was used to calculate mean annualised change in absolute incidence. For presentational purposes, mean rates in the first 5 years and last 5 years of the period were calculated.
Results
Overall fracture incidence was unchanged in both women and men from 1990 to 2012. The incidence of hip fracture remained stable amongst women (1990–1994 33.8 per 10,000 py; 2008–2012 33.5 per 10,000 py;
p
trend annualised change in incidence = 0.80) but rose in men across the same period (10.8 to 13.4 per 10,000 py;
p
= 0.002). Clinical vertebral fractures became more common in women (8.9 to 11.8 per 10,000 py;
p
= 0.005) but remained comparable in men (4.6 to 5.9 per 10,000 py;
p
= 0.72). Similarly, the frequency of radius/ulna fractures did not change in men (9.6 to 9.6 per 10,000 py;
p
= 0.25), but, in contrast, became less frequent in women (50.4 to 41.2 per 10,000 py;
p
= 0.001). Secular trends amongst fractures of the carpus, scapula, humerus, foot, pelvis, skull, clavicle, ankle, patella, and ribs varied according to fracture site and sex.
Conclusion
Although overall sex-specific fracture incidence in the UK population 50 years or over appears to have remained stable over the last two decades, there have been noticeable changes in rates of individual fracture types. Given that the impact of a fracture on morbidity, mortality, and health economy varies according to fracture site, these data inform the provision of healthcare services in the UK and elsewhere.
This study examines arsenic, copper, lead and manganese drinking water contamination at the domestic consumer’s kitchen tap in homes of New South Wales, Australia. Analysis of 212 first draw drinking ...water samples shows that almost 100% and 56% of samples contain detectable concentrations of copper and lead, respectively. Of these detectable concentrations, copper exceeds Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) in 5% of samples and lead in 8%. By contrast, no samples contained arsenic and manganese water concentrations in excess of the ADWG. Analysis of household plumbing fittings (taps and connecting pipework) show that these are a significant source of drinking water lead contamination. Water lead concentrations derived for plumbing components range from 108µg/L to 1440µg/L (n=28, mean – 328µg/L, median – 225µg/L). Analysis of kitchen tap fittings demonstrates these are a primary source of drinking water lead contamination (n=9, mean – 63.4µg/L, median – 59.0µg/L). The results of this study demonstrate that along with other potential sources of contamination in households, plumbing products that contain detectable lead up to 2.84% are contributing to contamination of household drinking water. Given that both copper and lead are known to cause significant health detriments, products for use in contact with drinking water should be manufactured free from copper and lead.
•Copper and lead drinking water contamination is widespread in Australia.•New homes are susceptible to elevated contaminant concentrations.•Lead-brass taps and fittings significantly contribute to copper and lead drinking water contamination.
The shortage of donors in cardiac transplantation may be alleviated by the use of allografts from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors. We have previously shown that hearts exposed to 30 min ...warm ischemic time and then flushed with Celsior supplemented with agents that activate ischemic postconditioning pathways, show complete recovery on a blood‐perfused ex vivo working heart apparatus. In this study, these findings were assessed in a porcine orthotopic heart transplant model. DCD hearts were preserved with either normothermic ex vivo perfusion (NEVP) using a clinically approved device, or with standard cold storage (CS) for 4 h. Orthotopic transplantation into recipient animals was subsequently undertaken. Five of six hearts preserved with NEVP demonstrated favorable lactate profiles during NEVP and all five could be weaned off cardiopulmonary bypass posttransplant, compared with 0 of 3 hearts preserved with CS (p < 0.05, Fisher's exact test). In conclusion, DCD hearts flushed with supplemented Celsior solution and preserved with NEVP display viability before and after transplantation. Viability studies of human DCD hearts using NEVP are warranted.
In this pig study of heart transplantation from donors after circulatory death, the authors demonstrate that normothermic ex vivo perfusion enables assessment of the viability of the donor heart and provides superior preservation compared with cold storage.
Given the expected increase in the number of patients with osteoporosis and fragility fractures it is important to have concise information on trends in prescription rates of anti-osteoporosis drugs ...(AOD).
We undertook a retrospective observational study using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) in the UK between 1990 and 2012 in subjects 50years or older, stratified by age, sex, geographic region and ethnicity. Yearly prescription incidence rates of any AOD and of each specific AOD were calculated as the number of patients first prescribed these AODs per 10,000person-years (py).
In women, yearly rates of first prescription of any AOD increased from 1990 to 2006 (from 2.3 to 169.7 per 10,000py), followed by a plateau and a 12% decrease in the last three years. In men, a less steep increase from 1990 to 2007 (from 1.4 to 45.3 per 10,000py) was followed by a plateau from 2008 onwards. Yearly rates of first prescription of any AOD increased up to the age of 85–89years (248.9 per 10,000py in women and 119.3 in men). There were marked differences between ethnic groups and regions. Bisphosphonates were the most frequently prescribed AODs: etidronate till 2000, and then subsequently alendronate.
We have demonstrated marked secular changes in rates of anti-osteoporosis drug prescription over the last two decades. The plateau (and decrease amongst women) in rates in recent years, set against an ever ageing population, is worrying, suggesting that the well-documented care gap in osteoporosis treatment persists. The differences in prescription rates by geographic location and ethnicity raise intriguing questions in relation to underlying fracture rates, provision of care and health behaviour.
We studied the prescription incidence of anti-osteoporosis drugs (AOD) from 1990 to 2012 in the UK CPRD. Overall AOD prescription incidence showed a strong increase from 1990 to 2006, followed by a plateau in both sexes and a decrease amongst women in the last three years.
•In UK CPRD we documented rates of anti-osteoporosis treatment by age, sex, ethnicity, geographic location and calendar time.•In women, annual rates of first prescription increased from 1990-2006 followed by a plateau and a 12% decrease 2009-2012.•In men, prescription rates increased less steeply from 1990-2007 and then levelled from 2008 onwards.•There were marked differences in anti-osteoporosis treatment rates by ethnicity and geographic location within the UK.
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