Geometric, electronic and magnetic structure of Fex_{x}Oy+_{y}^{+} clusters

Correlation between geometry, electronic structure and magnetism of solids is both intriguing and elusive. This is particularly strongly manifested in small clusters, where a vast number of unusual structures appear. Here, we employ density functional theory in combination with a genetic search algorithm, GGA$+U$ and a hybrid functional to determine the structure of gas phase Fe$_{x}$O$_{y}^{+/0}$ clusters. For Fe$_{x}$O$_{y}$ cation clusters we also calculate the corresponding vibration spectra and compare them with experiments. We successfully identify Fe$_{3}$O$_{4}^{+}$, Fe$_{4}$O$_{5}^{+}$, Fe$_{4}$O$_{6}^{+}$, Fe$_{5}$O$_{7}^{+}$ and propose structures for Fe$_{6}$O$_{8}^{+}$. Within the triangular geometric structure of Fe$_{3}$O$_{4}^{+}$ a non-collinear, ferrimagnetic and ferromagnetic state are comparable in energy. Fe$_{4}$O$_{5}^{+}$ and Fe$_{4}$O$_{6}^{+}$ are ferrimagnetic with a residual magnetic moment of 1~\muB{} due to ionization. Fe$_{5}$O$_{7}^{+}$ is ferrimagnetic due to the odd number of Fe atoms. We compare the electronic structure with bulk magnetite and find Fe$_{4}$O$_{5}^{+}$, Fe$_{4}$O$_{6}^{+}$, Fe$_{6}$O$_{8}^{+}$ to be mixed valence clusters. In contrast, in Fe$_{3}$O$_{4}^{+}$ and Fe$_{5}$O$_{7}^{+}$ all Fe are found to be trivalent.Comment: 14 pages, 21 figure

Physiological changes to the swallowing mechanism following (Chemo)radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a systematic review

Emerging research suggests that preventative swallowing rehabilitation, undertaken before or during (chemo)radiotherapy ([C]RT), can significantly improve early swallowing outcomes for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. However, these treatment protocols are highly variable. Determining specific physiological swallowing parameters that are most likely to be impacted post-(C)RT would assist in refining clear targets for preventative rehabilitation. Therefore, this systematic review (1) examined the frequency and prevalence of physiological swallowing deficits observed post-(C)RT for HNC, and (2) determined the patterns of prevalence of these key physiological deficits over time post-treatment. Online databases were searched for relevant papers published between January 1998 and March 2013. A total of 153 papers were identified and appraised for methodological quality and suitability based on exclusionary criteria. Ultimately, 19 publications met the study’s inclusion criteria. Collation of reported prevalence of physiological swallowing deficits revealed reduced laryngeal excursion, base-of-tongue (BOT) dysfunction, reduced pharyngeal contraction, and impaired epiglottic movement as most frequently reported. BOT dysfunction and impaired epiglottic movement showed a collective prevalence of over 75 % in the majority of patient cohorts, whilst reduced laryngeal elevation and pharyngeal contraction had a prevalence of over 50 %. Subanalysis suggested a trend that the prevalence of these key deficits is dynamic although persistent over time. These findings can be used by clinicians to inform preventative intervention and support the use of specific, evidence-based therapy tasks explicitly selected to target the highly prevalent deficits post-(C)RT for HNC

Assessing dysphagia via telerehabilitation: patient perceptions and satisfaction

To gain insight into factors which may infl uence future acceptance of dysphagia management via telerehabilitation, patients’ perceptions were examined before and after a telerehabilitation assessment session. Forty adult patients with dysphagia(M = 66 years, SD = 16.25) completed pre- and post-session questionnaires which consisted of 14 matched questions worded to suit pre- and post-conditions. Questions explored comfort with the use of telerehabilitation, satisfaction with audio and video quality, benefi ts of telerehabilitation assessments and patients’ preferred assessment modality. Questions were rated on a 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 3 = unsure, 5 = strongly agree). Patients’ comfort with assessment via telerehabilitation was high in over 80% of the group both pre- and post-assessment. Pre-assessment, patients were unsure what to expect with the auditory and visual aspects of the videoconference, however there were signifi cant positive changes reported post-experience. In relation to perceived benefits of telerehabilitation services in general, most patients believed in the value of telerehabilitation and post-assessment this increased to 90 – 100% agreement. Although 92% felt they would be comfortable receiving services via telerehabilitation, 45% of patients indicated ultimate preference for a traditional faceto-face assessment. The data highlight that patients are interested in and willing to receive services via telerehabilitation; however, any concerns should be addressed pre-assessment

Egg size and density estimates for three gadoids in Icelandic waters and their implications for the vertical distribution of eggs along a stratified water column

Postponed access: the file will be accessible after 2021-12-20The vertical distribution of fish eggs can have important consequences for recruitment through its influence on dispersal trajectories and thus connectivity between spawning and nursery locations. Egg density and size are key parameters for the modelling of vertical egg distributions, both of which show variation at the species level, as well as between and within individuals (i.e., through ontogeny). We conducted laboratory experiments on the eggs of wild-spawning cod, haddock and saithe from Icelandic waters to estimate these parameters throughout ontogeny. Subsequently, this information was used in a 1-dimensional model to generate vertical distributions for each species along a stratified water column. Saithe eggs were significantly smaller and less dense than cod and haddock eggs. Cod eggs were slightly denser than haddock eggs in the first ontogenetic stage but statistically similar in the later stages. No significant differences were found between the egg diameters of cod and haddock. For each species, both parameters changed significantly through ontogeny. Yet despite these significant results, the 1-d model suggests that neither the interspecific nor ontogenetic differences would have a significant impact on the vertical egg distributions. Only under highly stratified conditions, when buoyancy is minimised due to the freshwater layer, do distributional differences become evident. In such situations, incorporating intraspecific variation in egg density into the model substantially reduced the distributional differences and this is highlighted as an important consideration for the modelling of pelagic vertical egg distributions.acceptedVersio

Multi-level engineering facilitates the production of phenylpropanoid compounds in tomato

Phenylpropanoids comprise an important class of plant secondary metabolites. A number of transcription factors have been used to upregulate-specific branches of phenylpropanoid metabolism, but by far the most effective has been the fruit-specific expression of AtMYB12 in tomato, which resulted in as much as 10% of fruit dry weight accumulating as flavonols and hydroxycinnamates. We show that AtMYB12 not only increases the demand of flavonoid biosynthesis but also increases the supply of carbon from primary metabolism, energy and reducing power, which may fuel the shikimate and phenylalanine biosynthetic pathways to supply more aromatic amino acids for secondary metabolism. AtMYB12 directly binds promoters of genes encoding enzymes of primary metabolism. The enhanced supply of precursors, energy and reducing power achieved by AtMYB12 expression can be harnessed to engineer high levels of novel phenylpropanoids in tomato fruit, offering an effective production system for bioactives and other high value ingredients

Cause of Death and Predictors of All-Cause Mortality in Anticoagulated Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation : Data From ROCKET AF

M. Kaste on työryhmän ROCKET AF Steering Comm jäsen.Background-Atrial fibrillation is associated with higher mortality. Identification of causes of death and contemporary risk factors for all-cause mortality may guide interventions. Methods and Results-In the Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF) study, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were randomized to rivaroxaban or dose-adjusted warfarin. Cox proportional hazards regression with backward elimination identified factors at randomization that were independently associated with all-cause mortality in the 14 171 participants in the intention-to-treat population. The median age was 73 years, and the mean CHADS(2) score was 3.5. Over 1.9 years of median follow-up, 1214 (8.6%) patients died. Kaplan-Meier mortality rates were 4.2% at 1 year and 8.9% at 2 years. The majority of classified deaths (1081) were cardiovascular (72%), whereas only 6% were nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism. No significant difference in all-cause mortality was observed between the rivaroxaban and warfarin arms (P=0.15). Heart failure (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.33-1.70, P= 75 years (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.51-1.90, P Conclusions-In a large population of patients anticoagulated for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, approximate to 7 in 10 deaths were cardiovascular, whereasPeer reviewe

Effects of Therapy in Oropharyngeal Dysphagia by Speech and Language Therapists: A Systematic Review

Medical and paramedical treatments should be evaluated according to current standards of evidence-based medicine. Evaluation of therapy in oropharyngeal dysphagia fits into this growing interest. A systematic review is given of the literature on the effects of therapy in oropharyngeal dysphagia carried out by speech therapists. Thus, the review excludes reports of surgical or pharmacological treatments. The literature search was performed using the electronic databases PubMed and Embase. All available inclusion dates up to November 2008 were used. The search was limited to English, German, French, Spanish, and Dutch publications. MESH terms were supplemented by using free-text words (for the period after January 2005). Fifty-nine studies were included. In general, statistically significant positive therapy effects were found. However, the number of papers was rather small. Moreover, diverse methodological problems were found in many of these studies. For most studies, the conclusions could not be generalized; comparison was hindered by the range of diagnoses, types of therapies, and evaluation techniques. Many questions remain about the effects of therapy in oropharyngeal dysphagia as performed by speech and language therapists. Although some positive significant outcome studies have been published, further research based on randomized controlled trials is needed

Tactile thermal oral stimulation increases the cortical representation of swallowing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dysphagia is a leading complication in stroke patients causing aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and increased mortality. Current strategies of swallowing therapy involve on the one hand modification of eating behaviour or swallowing technique and on the other hand facilitation of swallowing with the use of pharyngeal sensory stimulation. Thermal tactile oral stimulation (TTOS) is an established method to treat patients with neurogenic dysphagia especially if caused by sensory deficits. Little is known about the possible mechanisms by which this interventional therapy may work. We employed whole-head MEG to study changes in cortical activation during self-paced volitional swallowing in fifteen healthy subjects with and without TTOS. Data were analyzed by means of synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) and the group analysis of individual SAM data was performed using a permutation test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared to the normal swallowing task a significantly increased bilateral cortical activation was seen after oropharyngeal stimulation. Analysis of the chronological changes during swallowing suggests facilitation of both the oral and the pharyngeal phase of deglutition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In the present study functional cortical changes elicited by oral sensory stimulation could be demonstrated. We suggest that these results reflect short-term cortical plasticity of sensory swallowing areas. These findings facilitate our understanding of the role of cortical reorganization in dysphagia treatment and recovery.</p