Dissociation Between the Growing Opioid Demands and Drug Policy Directions Among the U.S. Older Adults with Degenerative Joint Diseases

We aim to examine temporal trends of orthopedic operations and opioid-related hospital stays among seniors in the nation and states of Oregon and Washington where marijuana legalization was accepted earlier than any others. As aging society advances in the United States (U.S.), orthopedic operations and opioid-related hospital stays among seniors increase in the nation. A serial cross-sectional cohort study using the healthcare cost and utilization project fast stats from 2006 through 2015 measured annual rate per 100,000 populations of orthopedic operations by age groups (45–64 vs 65 and older) as well as annual rate per 100,000 populations of opioid-related hospital stays among 65 and older in the nation, Oregon and Washington states from 2008 through 2017. Orthopedic operations (knee arthroplasty, total or partial hip replacement, spinal fusion or laminectomy) and opioid-related hospital stays were measured. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) was used to quantify temporal trends of orthopedic operations by age groups as well as opioid-related hospital stays and was tested by Rao–Scott correction of χ2 for categorical variables. The CAGR (4.06%) of orthopedic operations among age 65 and older increased (P...) (See full abstract in article

Prophylactic and Therapeutic Efficacy of Avian Antibodies against Influenza Virus H5N1 and H1N1 in Mice

Background: Pandemic influenza poses a serious threat to global health and the world economy. While vaccines are currently under development, passive immunization could offer an alternative strategy to prevent and treat influenza virus infection. Attempts to develop monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been made. However, passive immunization based on mAbs may require a cocktail of mAbs with broader specificity in order to provide full protection since mAbs are generally specific for single epitopes. Chicken immunoglobulins (IgY) found in egg yolk have been used mainly for treatment of infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Because the recent epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) strain H5N1 has resulted in serious economic losses to the poultry industry, many countries including Vietnam have introduced mass vaccination of poultry with H5N1 virus vaccines. We reasoned that IgY from consumable eggs available in supermarkets in Vietnam could provide protection against infections with HPAIV H5N1. Methods and Findings: We found that H5N1-specific IgY that are prepared from eggs available in supermarkets in Vietnam by a rapid and simple water dilution method cross-protect against infections with HPAIV H5N1 and related H5N2 strains in mice. When administered intranasally before or after lethal infection, the IgY prevent the infection or significantly reduce viral replication resulting in complete recovery from the disease, respectively. We further generated H1N1 virus-specific IgY by immunization of hens with inactivated H1N1 A/PR/8/34 as a model virus for the current pandemic H1N1/09 and found that such H1N1-specific IgY protect mice from lethal influenza virus infection. Conclusions: The findings suggest that readily available H5N1-specific IgY offer an enormous source of valuable biological material to combat a potential H5N1 pandemic. In addition, our study provides a proof-of-concept for the approach using virus-specific IgY as affordable, safe, and effective alternative for the control of influenza outbreaks, including the current H1N1 pandemic

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Review of PAR parameterizations in ocean ecosystem models

Commonly-used empirical equations for calculating downward \u2018photosynthetically available radiation\u2019 or PAR were reviewed in order to identify a more theoretically-sound parameterization for application to ocean biogeochemical models. Three different forms of broadband PAR parameterization are currently employed in biogeochemical models, each of them originating from the downward irradiance formulations normally applied to ocean circulation models, which produce poor attenuation estimates for PAR. Two of the PAR formulations, a single-exponential function and a double-exponential function, are parameterized by multiplying surface irradiance by a coefficient determining the portion of underwater PAR. The third formulation uses the second term of the double-exponential function. After elucidating the theoretical problems of modeling PAR using these parameterizations, we suggest an improved, Rmodified double-exponential PAR formulation, including Paulson and Simpson's (1977) parameter values. We also newly estimate PAR penetration via least-squares fitting of values digitized from Jerlov's (1976) observations in different oceanic water types, and compare this PAR-observation derived parameterization with our new, theoretical, R-modified parameterization. Finally, we discuss a universal limitation inherent in current theoretical approaches to PAR parameterization

Tidal Current Energy Resources off the South and West Coasts of Korea: Preliminary Observation-Derived Estimates

In this study we estimate the prospective tidal current energy resources off the south and west coasts of Korea and explore the influence of modeling tidal current energies based on 15-day versus month-long data records for regimes with pronounced perigean/apogean influences. The tidal current energy resources off southern and western Korea were calculated using 29-day in situ observation data from 264 stations. The resultant annual energy densities found at each station were categorized into six groups, with a greater percentage of sites falling into the lower-energy groups: 1.1% for >10 MWh·m−2; 2.7% for 5 to 10 MWh·m−2; 6.8% for 3 to 5 MWh·m−2; 9.1% for 2 to 3 MWh·m−2 and 80.3% for <2 MWh·m−2. Analysis shows that the greatest concentration of high annual energy densities occurs in the Jeonnam Province coastal region on the western tip of southwest Korea: 23 MWh·m−2 at Uldolmok, 15 MWh·m−2 at Maenggol Sudo, 9.2 MWh·m−2 at Geocha Sudo and 8.8 MWh·m−2 at Jaingjuk Sudo. The second highest annual energy density concentration, with 16 MWh·m−2, was found in Gyudong Suro, in Gyeonggi Province’s Gyeonggi Bay. We then used data from the 264 stations to examine the effect of perigean and apogean influences on tidal current energy density evaluations. Compared to derivations using month-long records, mean annual energy densities derived using 15-day perigean spring-neap current records alone overestimate the annual mean energy by around 10% whereas those derived using only the apogean records underestimate energy by around 12%. In particular, accuracy of the S2 contribution to the energy density calculations is significantly affected by use of the 15-day data sets, compared to the M2 component, which is relatively consistent. Further, annual energy density estimates derived from 29-day records but excluding the N2 constituent underestimate the potential resource by about 5.4%. Results indicate that one month of data is required to accurately estimate tidal current energy in regimes showing pronounced perigean and apogean differences in spring-neap tidal current patterns and that inclusion of the N2 constituent in calculations is preferable. This finding has widespread applicability for green energy resource assessments, for example, in regions of the Unites States Atlantic coast and in New Zealand

Determination of Long-Term (1993-2019) Sea Level Rise Trends Around the Korean Peninsula Using Ocean Tide-Corrected, Multi-Mission Satellite Altimetry Data

It is vital to improve estimations of long-term trends in global and regional sea level rise to help mitigate and adapt to climate change. Satellite altimetry data have been widely used for this purpose; however, data collected in regions with strong tidalmotions often suffer from significant aliasing effects unless they are sufficiently corrected using accurate ocean tide models.Long-term trends estimated from altimetry data are often also considerably affected by regional circulation changes, and by artificial effects arising from inconsistencies between different satellite missions. Here, we focused on two regions with high (>5 mm.yr(-1)) rates of long-term linear trend in sea level rise (LTSLR) around the Korean Peninsula (KP). We addressed the impacts of tidal correction and mission inconsistency in satellite altimetry data, and discussed the potential impacts of circulation changes on LTSLR. Because the LTSLR estimation is affected by the aliasing effects of altimetry data when the tidal motions are not corrected sufficiently, yet the correction depends on the performance of ocean tide models, we employed eight ocean tide models to correct altimetry data for comparison and validated the results against observations from 13 tide gauge (TG) stations around the KP. We also estimated LTSLR from 1993 to 2019 using annual mean sea level anomalies (SLAs) from two satellite (two-sat) and all 21 satellite (all-sat) missions, with corrections for ocean tides. The TPXO9 model showed the most reasonable spatial LTSLR rate pattern (similar to 3 mm.yr(-1)), with the smallest difference from TG observations. It performed best near the west coast where the tidal range was the largest and when using two-sat data, because of inconsistencies in all-sat altimetry data. In contrast, off the east coast, where the impact of tidal correction is negligible, the high (similar to 7 mm.yr(-1)) LTSLR rates were robust regardless of ocean tide models and altimetry missions, potentially driven by long-term changes in regional circulation. Our results highlight the importance of tidal correction and mission inconsistency for improving LTSLR estimations around the KP. They also have significant implications for determining regional sea level rise under changing circulation patterns, within and beyond the region.N

Ocean and Atmospheric Observations at the Remote Ieodo Ocean Research Station in the Northern East China Sea

For open ocean environments, it is rare to find continuous, simultaneous air and sea observation records due to the challenges of instrument installation and maintenance. The Ieodo Ocean Research Station (Ieodo ORS), a remote ocean site located in the northern East China Sea with its harsh oceanic and atmospheric environment, provides a platform for the concurrent monitoring of air and sea environments. Since 2014, the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency has run the "Ieodo ORS field trip program," via which researchers are able to stay at the station for a week or more. This work reports technical lessons learned over 5 years from five Ieodo ORS research projects launched in 2016. Over the course of these projects, Ieodo ORS has monitored sea surface temperature, temperature and salinity in the water column, seawater pH, air pollutants, and solar radiation. The purpose of this paper is to facilitate the success of future research activities in similar environments by sharing our experiences and "best practices.11Nsciescopu