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Land Surface Temperature (LST) is an important parameter for tracing the impact of changing climatic conditions on our environment. Describing the interface between long- and shortwave radiation fluxes, as well as between turbulent heat fluxes and the ground heat flux, LST plays a crucial role in the global heat balance. Satellite-derived LST is an indispensable tool for monitoring these changes consistently over large areas and for long time periods. Data from the AVHRR (Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer) sensors have been available since the early 1980s. In the TIMELINE project, LST is derived for the entire operating period of AVHRR sensors over Europe at a 1 km spatial resolution. In this study, we present the validation results for the TIMELINE AVHRR daytime LST. The validation approach consists of an assessment of the temporal consistency of the AVHRR LST time series, an inter-comparison between AVHRR LST and in situ LST, and a comparison of the AVHRR LST product with concurrent MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) LST. The results indicate the successful derivation of stable LST time series from multi-decadal AVHRR data. The validation results were investigated regarding different LST, TCWV and VA, as well as land cover classes. The comparisons between the TIMELINE LST product and the reference datasets show seasonal and land cover-related patterns. The LST level was found to be the most determinative factor of the error. On average, an absolute deviation of the AVHRR LST by 1.83 K from in situ LST, as well as a difference of 2.34 K from the MODIS product, was observed.
Introduction The fast, precise, and accurate measurement of the new generation of oral anticoagulants such as dabigatran and rivaroxaban in patients' plasma my provide important information in different clinical circumstances such as in the case of suspicion of overdose, when patients switch from existing oral anticoagulant, in patients with hepatic or renal impairment, by concomitant use of interaction drugs, or to assess anticoagulant concentration in patients' blood before major surgery. Methods Here, we describe a quick and precise method to measure the coagulation inhibitors dabigatran and rivaroxaban using ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry in multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode (UPLC-MRM MS). Internal standards (ISs) were added to the sample and after protein precipitation; the sample was separated on a reverse phase column. After ionization of the analytes the ions were detected using electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Run time was 2.5 minutes per injection. Ion suppression was characterized by means of post-column infusion. Results The calibration curves of dabigatran and rivaroxaban were linear over the working range between 0.8 and 800 mu g/L (r > 0.99). Limits of detection (LOD) in the plasma matrix were 0.21 mu g/L for dabigatran and 0.34 mu g/L for rivaroxaban, and lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) in the plasma matrix were 0.46 mu g/L for dabigatran and 0.54 mu g/L for rivaroxaban. The intraassay coefficients of variation (CVs) for dabigatran and rivaroxaban were < 4% and 6%; respectively, the interassay CVs were < 6% for dabigatran and < 9% for rivaroxaban. Inaccuracy was < 5% for both substances. The mean recovery was 104.5% (range 83.8-113.0%) for dabigatran and 87.0%(range 73.6-105.4%) for rivaroxaban. No significant ion suppressions were detected at the elution times of dabigatran or rivaroxaban. Both coagulation inhibitors were stable in citrate plasma at -20 degrees C, 4 degrees C and even at RT for at least one week. A method comparison between our UPLC-MRM MS method, the commercially available automated Direct Thrombin Inhibitor assay (DTI assay) for dabigatran measurement from CoaChrom Diagnostica, as well as the automated anti-Xa assay for rivaroxaban measurement from Chromogenix both performed by ACL-TOP showed a high degree of correlation. However, UPLC-MRM MS measurement of dabigatran and rivaroxaban has a much better selectivity than classical functional assays measuring activities of various coagulation factors which are susceptible to interference by other coagulant drugs. Conclusions Overall, we developed and validated a sensitive and specific UPLC-MRM MS assay for the quick and specific measurement of dabigatran and rivaroxaban in human plasma.
BACKGROUND: Climate change will probably alter the spread and transmission intensity of malaria in Africa. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we assessed potential changes in the malaria transmission via an integrated weather disease model.
METHODS: We simulated mosquito biting rates using the Liverpool Malaria Model (LMM). The input data for the LMM were bias-corrected temperature and precipitation data from the regional model (REMO) on a 0.5 degrees latitude longitude grid. A Plasmodium falciparum infection model expands the LMM simulations to incorporate information on the infection rate among children. Malaria projections were carried out with this integrated weather disease model for 2001 to 2050 according to two climate scenarios that include the effect of anthropogenic land-use and land-cover changes on climate.
RESULTS: Model-based estimates for the present climate (1960 to 2000) are consistent with observed data for the spread of malaria in Africa. In the model domain, the regions where malaria is epidemic are located in the Sahel as well as in various highland territories. A decreased spread of malaria over most parts of tropical Africa is projected because of simulated increased surface temperatures and a significant reduction in annual rainfall. However, the likelihood of malaria epidemics is projected to increase in the southern part of the Sahel. In most of East Africa, the intensity of malaria transmission is expected to increase. Projections indicate that highland areas that were formerly unsuitable for malaria will become epidemic, whereas in the lower-altitude regions of the East African highlands, epidemic risk will decrease.
CONCLUSIONS: We project that climate changes driven by greenhouse-gas and land-use changes will significantly affect the spread of malaria in tropical Africa well before 2050. The geographic distribution of areas where malaria is epidemic might have to be significantly altered in the coming decades.
The 2007 flood in the Sahel: causes, characteristics and its presentation in the media and FEWS NET
(2012)
During the rainy season in 2007, reports about exceptional rains and floodings in the Sahel were published in the media, especially in August and September. Institutions and organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) and FEWS NET put the events on the agenda and released alerts and requested help. The partly controversial picture was that most of the Sahel faced a crisis caused by widespread floodings. Our study shows that the rainy season in 2007 was exceptional with regard to rainfall amount and return periods. In many areas the event had a return period between 1 and 50 yr with high spatial heterogeneity, with the exception of the Upper Volta basin, which yielded return periods of up to 1200 yr. Despite the strong rainfall, the interpretation of satellite images show that the floods were mainly confined to lakes and river beds. However, the study also proves the difficulties in assessing the meteorological processes and the demarcation of flooded areas in satellite images without ground truthing. These facts and the somewhat vague and controversial reports in the media and FEWS NET demonstrate that it is crucial to thoroughly analyze such events at a regional and local scale involving the local population.
Validation of text information as a general mechanism for detecting inconsistent or false information is an integral part of text comprehension. This study examined how the credibility of the information source affects validation processes. Two experiments investigated combined effects of source credibility and plausibility of information during validation with explicit (ratings) and implicit (reading times) measurements. Participants read short stories with a high-credible versus low-credible person that stated a consistent or inconsistent assertion with general world knowledge. Ratings of plausibility and ratings of source credibility were lower when a credible source stated a world-knowledge inconsistent assertion compared with a low-credible source. Reading times on target sentences and on spillover sentences were slower when a credible source stated an assertion inconsistent with world knowledge compared with a low-credible source, suggesting that source information modulated the validation of implausible information. These results show that source credibility modulates validation and suggest a bidirectional relationship of perceived plausibility and source credibility in the reading process.
Background:
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in psychosocial workplace risk assessments in Germany. One of the questionnaires commonly employed for this purpose is the Short Questionnaire for Workplace Analysis (KFZA). Originally, the KFZA was developed and validated for office workers. The aim of the present study was to examine the factorial validity of the KFZA when applied to hospital settings. Therefore, we examined the factorial structure of a questionnaire that contained all the original items plus an extension adding 11 questions specific to hospital workplaces and analyzed both, the original version and the extended version.
Methods:
We analyzed questionnaire data of a total of 1731 physicians and nurses obtained over a 10-year period. Listwise exclusion of data sets was applied to account for variations in questionnaire versions and yielded 1163 questionnaires (1095 for the extended version) remaining for factor analysis. To examine the factor structure, we conducted a principal component factor analysis. The number of factors was determined using the Kaiser criterion and scree-plot methods. Factor interpretation was based on orthogonal Varimax rotation as well as oblique rotation.
Results:
The Kaiser criterion revealed a 7-factor solution for the 26 items of the KFZA, accounting for 62.0% of variance. The seven factors were named: “Social Relationships”, “Job Control”, “Opportunities for Participation and Professional Development”, “Quantitative Work Demands”, “Workplace Environment”, “Variability” and “Qualitative Work Demands”. The factor analysis of the 37 items of the extended version yielded a 9-factor solution. The two additional factors were named “Consequences of Strain” and “Emotional Demands”. Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.63 to 0.87 for these scales.
Conclusions:
Overall, the KFZA turned out to be applicable to hospital workers, and its content-related structure was replicated well with some limitations. However, instead of the 11 factors originally proposed for office workers, a 7-factor solution appeared to be more suitable when employed in hospitals. In particular, the items of the KFZA factor “Completeness of Task” might need adaptation for the use in hospitals. Our study contributes to the assessment of the validity of this popular instrument and should stimulate further psychometric testing.
Background: International disease management guidelines recommend the regular assessment of depression and anxiety in heart failure patients. Currently there is little data on the effect of screening for depression and anxiety on the quality of life and the prognosis of heart failure (HF). We will investigate the association between the recognition of current depression/anxiety by the general practitioner (GP) and the quality of life and the patients' prognosis.
Methods/Design: In this multicenter, prospective, observational study 3,950 patients with HF are recruited by general practices in Germany. The patients fill out questionnaires at baseline and 12-month follow-up. At baseline the GPs are interviewed regarding the somatic and psychological comorbidities of their patients. During the follow-up assessment, data on hospitalization and mortality are provided by the general practice. Based on baseline data, the patients are allocated into three observation groups: HF patients with depression and/or anxiety recognized by their GP (P+/+), those with depression and/or anxiety not recognized (P+/-) and patients without depression and/or anxiety (P-/-). We will perform multivariate regression models to investigate the influence of the recognition of depression and/or anxiety on quality of life at 12 month follow-up, as well as its influences on the prognosis (hospital admission, mortality).
Discussion: We will display the frequency of GP-acknowledged depression and anxiety and the frequency of installed therapeutic strategies. We will also describe the frequency of depression and anxiety missed by the GP and the resulting treatment gap. Effects of correctly acknowledged and missed depression/anxiety on outcome, also in comparison to the outcome of subjects without depression/anxiety will be addressed. In case results suggest a treatment gap of depression/anxiety in patients with HF, the results of this study will provide methodological advice for the efficient planning of further interventional research.
Das Ziel vorliegender Arbeit war die Entwicklung einer HPLC-MS(/MS)-Methode, die im Rahmen der pharmazeutischen Qualitätskontrolle zur direkten Quantifizierung von Aminosäuren (AS) in Infusionslösungen angewendet werden kann. Die Zielset-zung schloss eine Validierung innerhalb der für die Zweckbestimmung vorgesehenen Grenzen ein. Im Rahmen der Methodenentwicklung wurde das ESI-MS/MS-Fragmentierungs-muster von 21 Aminosäuren, von 20 stabil-isotopenmarkierten Aminosäuren, die als interne Standards verwendet wurden, sowie von einigen weiteren Substanzen bestimmt. Nach Kenntnis von Precursor- und Produktionen erstellte man eine SRM-Methode zur spezifischen MS/MS-Analyse. Dabei wurden durch das jeweilige Frag-mentierungsmuster bedingte Interferenzen bei den zu untersuchenden Aminosäuren bestimmt, die bei der zu erarbeitenden HPLC-MS-Methode beachtet werden mussten. Die Methodenentwicklung zur HPLC-MS-Analytik von underivatisierten AS umfasste mit der RP-HPLC unter Verwendung eines Ionenpaarreagenzes (IP) und der hydrophilen Interaktionschromatographie (HILIC) zwei verschiedene chromatographi-sche Ansätze. Bei der Anwendung der RP-HPLC ergaben sich Probleme. Die Verwendung eines IP, im vorliegenden Fall TDFHA (Tridecafluorheptansäure), führte zu langen Equilibrierungs-, Re-Equilibrierungs- und Spülzeiten und damit bei zwar relativ kurzer HPLC-Laufzeit zu einem aber insgesamt hohen Zeitaufwand. Gleich-zeitig war die LC-MS-Anlage auf diese Anwendung fixiert, da das Ionenpaarreagenz das Gerät stark verschmutzte und dadurch andere Analysen erheblich störte. Zudem waren die Retentionszeiten der Analyten trotz langer Equilibrierungszeiten schlecht reproduzierbar, so dass eine solche Methode im Rahmen der pharmazeutischen Qualitätskontrolle schwer validierbar wäre. Weiterführende Untersuchungen erfolgten daher nicht. In nachfolgenden Studien mit der HILIC wurden verschiedene Einflussparameter (Anteil organischer Phase im Fließmittel, pH-Wert des Fließmittels, Temperatur der Säule, Pufferkonzentration im Fließmittel, Gradientenelution) auf die Trennung der AS an einer ZIC®-HILIC-Säule untersucht. Durch Optimierung der Parameter wurde so eine HILIC-HPLC-Methode entwickelt, bei der 21 AS und 20 ihrer isotopen-markierten Referenz-AS innerhalb von 20 min eluierten. Diejenigen AS, bei denen im Rahmen der Fragmentierungsstudien Interferenzen aufgrund gleicher bzw. ähnlicher Massen der Precursor- bzw. Produktionen aufgetreten waren, wurden chroma-tographisch getrennt. Gleichzeitig hat sich die SIM-Analyse als anwendbar erwiesen. Die Anwendung des spezifischeren SRM-Modus und damit der Tandem-Massenspektrometrie war nicht erforderlich. Im Rahmen der nachfolgenden Studien zur Validierung ergab sich, dass die entwickelte Methode über einen weiten Bereich eine lineare Abhängigkeit zwischen Konzentrations- und Messwerten zeigte. Für drei der 21 AS (NAcCys, NAcTyr, Pro) wurde die quadratische Regression mit dem Anpassungstest nach Mandel als geeig-neteres Regressionsmodell ermittelt. Bei Untersuchungen zur Wiederfindung wurde ein Einfluss der Matrix-Lösung der Infusionslösung festgestellt, der zu Abweichungen hinsichtlich des Quotienten AreaAS / AreaIS führte, so dass eine Quantifizierung innerhalb der geforderten Grenzen bei Kalibrierung über reine Standardlösungen nicht möglich war. Die Validierung wurde daher nachfolgend in der Matrixlösung durchgeführt. Dabei wurde gezeigt, dass mit der entwickelten HILIC-HPLC-MS-Methode Aminosäuren in Infusionslösungen mit hoher Präzision und Richtigkeit bestimmt werden können. Neun der 21 untersuchten AS konnten im Bereich von 30% - 350%, zehn weitere im Bereich von 50% - 350% innerhalb der zur Gehaltsbestimmung von pharmazeutischen Formulierungen vorgeschriebenen Grenzen (Wiederfindung Einzelbestimmung: 98% -102.0%, Mittelwert einer Dreifachbestimmung: 98.5% – 101.5%) quantifiziert werden. Für His und Phe gelang allerdings keine Quantifizierung innerhalb der Akzeptanzkriterien, wobei der Grund hierfür in weiteren Studien geklärt werden müsste. Mit der entwickelten Methode ist damit eine gleichzeitige Quantifizierung verschiedener AS-Infusionslösungsformulierungen möglich, die sich bei gleicher Matrix in der Konzentration an AS unterscheiden. Beispielsweise seien hier die Formulierungen „Aminoplasmal® E 5% / 10% /15%“ genannt, die mit der validierten Methode erfassbar sind. Die Probenvorbereitung beschränkt sich dabei auf den Zusatz der IS-Formulierung zur Infusionslösung und einen Verdünnungsschritt. Die Quanti-fizierung erfolgt über eine 5-Punkt-Kalibriergerade, die aus einer AS- und IS-Standardmischung, nach Zusatz der einfach herzustellenden Elektrolyt-Matrix, erstellt wird. Die Analysenzeit der HPLC-MS-Methode beträgt einschließlich Equilibrie-rungszeit 35 min und ist damit deutlich kürzer als die 120 min, die bei der nach wie vor zur AS-Analytik allgemein gebräuchlichen Ionenaustauschchromatographie mit Ninhydrin-Nachsäulenderivatisierung anzusetzen sind.
Background: Recently published results of quality of life (QoL) studies indicated different outcomes of palliative radiotherapy for brain metastases. This prospective multi-center QoL study of patients with brain metastases was designed to investigate which QoL domains improve or worsen after palliative radiotherapy and which might provide prognostic information.
Methods: From 01/2007-01/2009, n=151 patients with previously untreated brain metastases were recruited at 14 centers in Germany and Austria. Most patients (82 %) received whole-brain radiotherapy. QoL was measured with the EORTC-QLQ-C15-PAL and brain module BN20 before the start of radiotherapy and after 3 months.
Results: At 3 months, 88/142 (62 %) survived. Nine patients were not able to be followed up. 62 patients (70.5 % of 3-month survivors) completed the second set of questionnaires. Three months after the start of radiotherapy QoL deteriorated significantly in the areas of global QoL, physical function, fatigue, nausea, pain, appetite loss, hair loss, drowsiness, motor dysfunction, communication deficit and weakness of legs. Although the use of corticosteroid at 3 months could be reduced compared to pre-treatment (63 % vs. 37 %), the score for headaches remained stable. Initial QoL at the start of treatment was better in those alive than in those deceased at 3 months, significantly for physical function, motor dysfunction and the symptom scales fatigue, pain, appetite loss and weakness of legs. In a multivariate model, lower Karnofsky performance score, higher age and higher pain ratings before radiotherapy were prognostic of 3-month survival.
Conclusions: Moderate deterioration in several QoL domains was predominantly observed three months after start of palliative radiotherapy for brain metastases. Future studies will need to address the individual subjective benefit or burden from such treatment. Baseline QoL scores before palliative radiotherapy for brain metastases may contain prognostic information.
The prosocial tendencies measure (PTM; Carlo and Randall, 2002) is a widely used measurement for prosocial tendencies in English speaking participants. This instrument distinguishes between six different types of prosocial tendencies that partly share some common basis, but also can be opposed to each other. To examine these constructs in Germany, a study with 1067 participants was conducted. The study investigated the structure of this German version of the PTM-R via exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, correlations with similar constructs in subsamples as well as via measurement invariance test concerning the original English version. The German translation showed a similar factor structure to the English version in exploratory factor analysis and in confirmatory factor analysis. Measurement invariance was found between the English and German language versions of the PTM and support for the proposed six-factor structure (altruistic, anonymous, compliant, dire, emotional and public prosocial behavior) was also found in confirmatory factor analysis. Furthermore, the expected interrelations of these factors of prosocial behavior tendencies were obtained. Finally, correlations of the prosocial behavior tendencies with validating constructs and behaviors were found. Thus, the findings stress the importance of seeing prosocial behavior not as a single dimension construct, but as a factored construct which now can also be assessed in German speaking participants.