47 research outputs found
On Kaluza's sign criterion for reciprocal power series
T. Kaluza has given a criterion for the signs of the power series of a
function that is the reciprocal of another power series. In this note the
sharpness of this condition is explored and various examples in terms of the
Gaussian hypergeometric series are given. A criterion for the monotonicity of
the quotient of two power series due to M. Biernacki and J. Krzy\.z is applied.Comment: 13 page
The contribution of insects to global forest deadwood decomposition
The amount of carbon stored in deadwood is equivalent to about 8âper cent of the global forest carbon stocks. The decomposition of deadwood is largely governed by climate with decomposer groupsâsuch as microorganisms and insectsâcontributing to variations in the decomposition rates. At the global scale, the contribution of insects to the decomposition of deadwood and carbon release remains poorly understood. Here we present a field experiment of wood decomposition across 55 forest sites and 6 continents. We find that the deadwood decomposition rates increase with temperature, and the strongest temperature effect is found at high precipitation levels. Precipitation affects the decomposition rates negatively at low temperatures and positively at high temperatures. As a net effectâincluding the direct consumption by insects and indirect effects through interactions with microorganismsâinsects accelerate the decomposition in tropical forests (3.9% median mass loss per year). In temperate and boreal forests, we find weak positive and negative effects with a median mass loss of 0.9âper cent and â0.1âper cent per year, respectively. Furthermore, we apply the experimentally derived decomposition function to a global map of deadwood carbon synthesized from empirical and remote-sensing data, obtaining an estimate of 10.9â±â3.2âpetagram of carbon per year released from deadwood globally, with 93âper cent originating from tropical forests. Globally, the net effect of insects may account for 29âper cent of the carbon flux from deadwood, which suggests a functional importance of insects in the decomposition of deadwood and the carbon cycle
Recurrent prescription of sleep medication among primary care patients with type 2 diabetes:an observational study of real-world registry data
Abstract
Background: Little knowledge exists on the prevalence of recurrent sleep medication prescriptions among primary care patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Our aims were to examine the prevalence of recurrent sleep medication prescriptions and to elucidate the most often prescribed sleep medications in a Finnish primary care T2D population.
Methods: The study examined 4,508 T2D patients who consulted a primary health care center between 2011 and 2019 in Rovaniemi, Finland. All the data were retrieved from patient records, and recurrent sleep medication was defined as two or more prescriptions within the study period. We used the Chi-square and KruskalâWallis tests to compare patients who did and did not have recurrent sleep medication prescriptions.
Results: Altogether 28.1% of the T2D patients had been prescribed recurrent sleep medication. Benzodiazepine-like medication, melatonin, and mirtazapine were most often prescribed (to 56.9%, 44.4%, and 35.8%, respectively). Only 22.0% of the patients with recurrent sleep medication prescriptions had been diagnosed with a sleep disorder.
Conclusions: Recurrent sleep medication prescriptions are frequent among primary care T2D patients. It seems that sleep disorders are underdiagnosed in relation to this. Primary care clinicians should carefully estimate the need for sleep medication when treating T2D patientsâ sleep problems and emphasize the diagnostic patterns of sleep problems
Multimorbidity and achievement of treatment goals among patients with type 2 diabetes:a primary care, real-world study
Abstract
Background:
Type 2 diabetes (T2D), with its prevalence and disability-causing nature, is a challenge for primary health care. Most patients with T2D are multimorbid, i.e. have one or more long-term diseases in addition to T2D. Multimorbidity may play a role in the achievement of T2D treatment targets, but is still not fully understood. The aims of the present cross-sectional, register-based study were to evaluate the prevalence and the most common patterns of multimorbidity among patients with T2D; and to study the potential associations between multimorbidity and treatment goal achievement, including measurements of glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and systolic blood pressure (sBP).
Methods:
The study population consisted of 4545 primary care patients who received a T2D diagnosis between January 2011 and July 2019 in Rovaniemi Health Centre, Finland. Data on seven long-term concordant (T2D-related) diseases, eight long-term discordant (non-T2D-related) diseases, potential confounders (age, sex, body mass index, prescribed medication), and the outcomes studied were collected from patientsâ records. Logistic regression models with odds ratios (ORs) and 95â% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed to determine the associations between multimorbidity and the achievement of treatment targets.
Results:
Altogether, 93â% of the patients had one or more diseases in addition to T2D, i.e. were considered multimorbid. Furthermore, 21â% had only concordant disease(s) (Concordant subgroup), 8â% had only discordant disease(s) (Discordant subgroup) and 64â% had both (Concordant and discordant subgroup). As either single diseases or in combination with others, hypertension, musculoskeletal (MS) disease and hyperlipidaemia were the most prevalent multimorbidity patterns. Being multimorbid in general (OR 1.32, CI 1.01â1.70) and belonging to the Concordant (OR 1.45, CI 1.08â1.95) and Concordant and discordant (OR 1.31, CI 1.00â1.72) subgroups was associated with achievement of the HbA1c treatment target. Belonging to the Concordant and discordant subgroup was related to meeting the LDL treatment target (OR 1.31, CI 1.00â1.72).
Conclusions:
Multimorbidity, including cardiovascular risk and the musculoskeletal disease burden, was extremely prevalent among the T2D patients who consulted primary health care. Primary care clinicians should survey the possible co-existence of long-term diseases among T2D patients to help maintain adequate treatment of T2D
The effect of tempering temperature on microstructure, mechanical properties and bendability of direct-quenched low-alloy strip steel
Abstract
The tempering of re-austenized, quenched and tempered (RAQT) martensitic steels is an extensively studied and well understood field of metallurgy. However, a similar understanding of the effect of tempering on direct-quenched (DQ) high-strength steels has been lacking. Now, for the first time, the effect of tempering in the range of 250â650âŻÂ°C on the strength, toughness, bendability, microstructure, crystallography and dislocation density of a DQ steel is reported. In the case of tempering at 570âŻÂ°C, the effects of having a RAQ or DQ starting condition are compared. For the composition and thermal cycles studied, it was found that a peak tempering temperature in the range of 570â600âŻÂ°C resulted in a DQT steel with an optimal balance of strength, bendability and toughness, i.e. a yield strength greater than 960âŻMPa, a minimum usable bending radius of 2 times the sheet thickness and T28J of ââŻ50 to ââŻ75âŻÂ°C depending on the test direction. Crystallographic texture, dislocation density and the distribution of carbides are important factors affecting the bendability of DQT strip. Tempering had no effect on texture, but strongly influenced the size and distribution of carbides thereby resulting in differences in bendability and impact toughness transition temperature
Association between family history of surgically treated low back pain and adolescent low back pain
Abstract
Study Design: Cross-sectional.
Objective: To study the associations between a family history of surgically treated low back pain (LBP) and adolescent LBP.
Summary of Background Data: A family history of LBP is related to adolescent LBP, but whether a family history of back surgery is relevant to adolescent LBP is not known.
Methods: A subpopulation of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 was contacted when they were aged between 18 and 19years. The postal questionnaire asked the participants to report their LBP and a relativeâs (mother, father, sibling) LBP and back surgery, and to provide data on potential covariates. The association between a family history of LBP (âno family history of LBP,â âfamily history of LBP but no surgery,â and âfamily history of LBP and surgeryâ) and adolescent LBP (no LBP, occasional LBP, and frequent LBP) were evaluated using logistic regression analysis with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for sex, smoking, and psychological distress.
Results: Of the 1374 adolescents in the study, 33% reported occasional LBP and 9% frequent LBP. Both the âfamily history of LBP but no surgeryâ and âfamily history of LBP and surgeryâ categories were associated with frequent LBP (adjusted OR [aOR] 2.09, 95% CI 1.38â3.16; aOR 2.23, 95% CI 1.02â4.90, respectively). Occasional LBP was associated with the âfamily history of LBP and surgeryâ category. A subgroup analysis of adolescents with a family history of LBP found no statistically significant associations between family history of back surgery and adolescent LBP.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that adolescents who report a family history of LBP have higher odds of frequent LBP irrespectively of a family history of back surgery