bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The economic cost of losing native pollinator species for orchard production
Authors: Pérez‐Méndez Néstor , Andersson Georg K. S. , Requier Fabrice , Hipólito Juliana , Aizen Marcelo A. , Morales Carolina L. , García Nancy , Gennari Gerardo P. , Garibaldi Lucas A.
Published: January 2020

The alarming loss of pollinator diversity world‐wide can reduce the productivity of pollinator‐dependent crops, which could have economic impacts. However, it is unclear to what extent the loss of a key native pollinator species affects crop production and farmer's profits.

By experimentally manipulating the presence of colonies of a native bumblebee species Bombus pauloensis in eight apple orchards in South Argentina, we evaluated the impact of losing natural populations of a key native pollinator group on (a) crop yield, (b) pollination quality, and (c) farmer's profit. To do so, we performed a factorial experiment of pollinator exclusion (yes/no) and hand pollination (yes/no).

Our results showed that biotic pollination increased ripe fruit set by 13% when compared to non‐biotic pollination. Additionally, fruit set and the number of fruits per apple tree was reduced by less than a half in those orchards where bumblebees were absent, even when honeybees were present at high densities. Consequently, farmer's profit was 2.4‐fold lower in farms lacking bumblebees than in farms hosting both pollinator species. The pollination experiment further suggested that the benefits of bumblebees could be mediated by improved pollen quality rather than quantity.

Synthesis and applications. This study highlights the pervasive consequences of losing key pollinator functional groups, such as bumblebees, for apple production and local economies. Adopting pollinator‐friendly practices such as minimizing the use of synthetic inputs or restoring/maintaining semi‐natural habitats at farm and landscape scales, will have the double advantage of promoting biodiversity conservation, and increasing crop productivity and profitability for local farmers. Yet because the implementation of these practices can take time to deliver results, the management of native pollinator species can be a provisional complementary strategy to increase economic profitability of apple growers in the short term.
Perinatal taurine exerts a hypotensive effect in male spontaneously hypertensive rats and down‐regulates endothelial oxide nitric synthase in the aortic arch
Authors: Mensegue Melisa F. , Burgueño Adriana L. , Tellechea Mariana L.
Published: January 2020

Essential hypertension is considered to be a result of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors, including perinatal factors. Different advantageous perinatal factors proved to have beneficial long‐lasting effects against an abnormal genetic background. Taurine is a ubiquitous sulphur‐containing amino acid present in foods such as seafood. The antihypertensive effects of taurine have been reported in experimental studies and in human hypertension. We aimed to investigate the effects of perinatal treatment with taurine in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), a known model of genetic hypertension. Female SHR were administered with taurine (3 g/L) during gestation and lactation (SHR‐TAU). Untreated SHR and Wistar‐Kyoto rats (WKY) were used as controls. Long‐lasting effects in offspring were investigated. Addition of taurine to the mother's drinking water reduced blood pressure in adult offspring. No differences were observed in cardiac hypertrophy. Findings on morphometric evaluations suggest that perinatal treatment with taurine would be partially effective in improving structural alterations of the aorta. Modifications in gene expression of Bcl‐2 family members and upregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the aorta of 22‐week‐old male offspring were found. No differences were observed on relative telomere length in different cardiovascular tissues between SHR and SHR‐TAU. Altogether results suggest that taurine programming, albeit sex specific, is associated with gene expression changes which ultimately may lead to improvement of aortic remodelling and enhanced endothelial function because of augmented nitric oxide (NO) production.
Baseline renal function and renal ultrasound findings in patients with obstetric fistulas (RENFRU): a prospective cohort study
Authors: Chang OH , Stokes MJ , Chalamanda C , Wilkinson J , Pope RJ
Published: January 2020

Objective

To describe and compare baseline renal anatomy and renal function in patients with obstetric fistulas, and to evaluate whether preoperative renal testing and imaging may aid with operative decision making.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Setting

Fistula Care Centre in Malawi.

Population

Women with an obstetric fistula.

Methods

Baseline creatinine testing and renal ultrasounds were performed. Surgeons completed a short questionnaire on the usefulness of creatinine and renal ultrasound on operative decision making.

Main outcome measures

Baseline creatinine and renal ultrasound findings.

Results

Four surgeons performed operations on 85 patients. The mean creatinine in patients with vesicovaginal fistulas (VVF) was 0.60 ng/ml versus patients with uretero‐vaginal fistulas (UVF) (0.79 ng/ml, P = 0.012). When a grade 3 or more hydronephrosis is absent on renal ultrasound, the negative predictive value of the presence of UVF is 93.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 88.6–96.2) with a specificity of 97.2% (95% CI 90.3–99.6). In cases of UVF, surgeons found the renal ultrasound results useful or very useful 87.5% of the time, and the creatinine useful or very useful 75% of the time.

Conclusion

In this pilot study, most patients with obstetric fistulas presented with a normal creatinine. In the absence of a grade 3 hydronephrosis or above on renal ultrasound, the probability of not having a UVF is 93.3%. Surgeons should consider performing preoperative renal ultrasound testing in all patients with an obstetric fistula, particularly in women with a prior laparotomy, as this population has risk factors for ureterovaginal fistula.

Tweetable abstract

Most patients with obstetric fistulas have normal renal function. Preoperative renal ultrasounds should be performed.
Cadmium: Mitigation strategies to reduce dietary exposure
Authors: Schaefer Heather R. , Dennis Sherri , Fitzpatrick Suzanne
Published: January 2020

Cadmium has long been recognized as an environmental contaminant that poses risks to human health. Cadmium is of concern since nearly everyone in the general population is exposed to the metal through the food supply and the ability of the element to accumulate in the body over a lifetime. In support of the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Toxic Element Working Group's efforts to reduce the risks associated with elements in food, this review sought to identify current or new mitigation efforts that have the potential to reduce exposures of cadmium throughout the food supply chain. Cadmium contamination of foods can occur at various stages, including agronomic production, processing, and consumer preparation for consumption. The presence of cadmium in food is variable and dependent on the geographical location, the bioavailability of cadmium from the soil, crop genetics, agronomic practices used, and postharvest operations. Although there are multiple points in the food supply system for foods to be contaminated and mitigations to be applied, a key step to reducing cadmium in the diet is to reduce or prevent initial uptake by plants consumed as food or feed crops. Due to complex interactions of soil chemistry, plant genetics, and agronomic practices, additional research is needed. Support for field‐based experimentation and testing is needed to inform risk modeling and to develop practical farm‐specific management strategies. This study can also assist the FDA in determining where to focus resources so that research and regulatory efforts can have the greatest impact on reducing cadmium exposures from the food supply.

Practical Application

The presence of cadmium in food is highly variable and highly dependent on the geographical location, the bioavailability of cadmium from the soil, crop genetics, and agronomic practices used. This study can assist the FDA in determining where to focus resources so that research and regulatory efforts can have the greatest impact on reducing cadmium exposures from the food supply.
Artificial Intelligence Identification of Multiple Microfossils from the Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Formation in Southern Shaanxi, China
Authors: ZHANG Tao , WANG Bin , LI Dedong , NIU Ben , SUN Jie , SUN Yifei , YANG Xiaoguang , LUO Juan , HAN Jian
Published: January 2020

The Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Formation in southern Shaanxi, China is a critical window for the understanding of the Cambrian explosion, because of abundant and various exceptionally preserved metazoans and embryo fossils yielded. The efficiency of traditional sample manually selecting with microscopes is quite low and hinder the discoveries of new species, thus recognition and classification of microfossils by artificial intelligence (AI) is substantially in the request. In this paper, we develop a procedure for fossil area segmentation in common multi‐typed mixed photos by improved watershed algorithm. And for better fossil recognition, previous histogram of oriented grandient (HOG) algorithm is replaced by scale invariant feature transform (SIFT), which is feasible for the segmented images and increase the accuracy significantly. Thus, the scope of application of AI fossil recognition can be extended form single fossil image to multi‐typed mixed images and the reliability is also secured, as the result of our test presents a high (at least 84%) accuracy of fossil recognition.
Geochemistry and Geochronology of the Cenozoic Zhalaga Granitoids of the Yulong Alkali‐rich Porphyry Belt in Eastern Tibet (Xizang), SW China: Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications
Authors: XU Chi , YUAN Yajuan , XIAO Yang , GUO Feng , XIA Bin , LU Ye
Published: January 2020

Large‐scale Cenozoic magmatic rocks from the interplay between the Indian and Eurasian plate are exposed in the Yulong porphyry copper belt in the northern Jinshajiang–Ailaoshan domain. Alkali‐rich magmas along the Yulong porphyry copper belt can reveal the tectono‐magmatic processes in the Sanjiang region. In this study, we present new zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopes and whole rock geochemistry of Cenozoic granitoids from the Zhalaga area in the northern Yulong porphyry copper belt. The Zircon U–Pb dating results show that the Zhalaga granitic porphyry crystallized at ca. 42–38 Ma. These porphyry deposits are depleted in Nb, Ta, Sr, and Ti enriched in alkaline and rare earth elements (REEs), and exhibit high zircon saturation temperatures, that strongly indicate A‐type affinity. These data and the generally positive ∊Hf(t) values (2.0–4.5) suggest the magmas originated from a hybrid of partial melting of subduction‐modified lithospheric mantle, possibly triggered by upwelling of the asthenospheric mantle. Geochronological and geochemical data of the current and previous studies distinguish three magmatic phases during the Cenozoic in the Jinshajiang–Ailaoshan region: (1) ca. 62–48 Ma; (2) ca. 44–30 Ma; and (3) ca. 28–16 Ma. The strong collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates produced relatively fast convergence rates during the first episode (ca. 62–48 Ma), whereas the subsequent right‐lateral strike‐slip faulting in the Jinshajiang fault zone initiated at ca. 43 Ma is associated with the relatively low India–Eurasia convergence rates during ca. 44–30 Ma. These significantly impacted the nature and spatial distribution of the magmatism and the large‐scale metallogeny during the Cenozoic in the Sanjiang region. We suggest that the Zhalaga alkali‐rich magmas occurred in a transition period from involving soft to hard collisional settings. This remarkable example demonstrates that alkali‐rich magmas with A‐type affinity are also generated in an orogenic tectonic setting.
Impact of migrancy on cancer clinical trial participation: Factors associated with approach and consent in Australian‐born versus migrant groups
Authors: Lim Bee Teng , Butow Phyllis , Sze Ming Lo , Girgis Afaf , Jefford Michael , Goldstein David , Costa Daniel
Published: January 2020

Background/Aims

This study compared rates of clinical trial participation and perceived adequacy of information provided prior to consent in migrant and Australian‐born cancer patients, and explored factors associated with being approached and agreeing to participate.

Methods

We utilized data from a larger cross‐sectional survey assessing disparities in patient‐reported outcomes in Chinese, Arabic, or Greek migrant versus English‐speaking Australian‐born cancer patients. Participants completed a questionnaire eliciting demographic and disease details, communication challenges, whether invited and consented to a clinical trial, and if so, adequacy of information received.

Results

A total of 566 migrants (142 Arabic, 251 Chinese, and 173 Greek) and 270 English‐speaking Australian‐born patients participated. Overall, 25% were approached to participate in clinical trials, and of these, 74% consented. Migrants were significantly less likely to consent if asked to participate in clinical trials (P = .009), and fewer migrants (67.2%) reported receiving sufficient information prior to deciding on trial participation (82.1%; P = .04). Perceived understanding of the health system (odds ratio [OR] = 0.71), confidence in speaking (OR = 0.75), ability to understand English (OR = 0.80), and communicate with doctors in English (OR = 0.81) were significantly related to patients’ likelihood of being approached to participate in clinical trials. Perceived understanding of the health system (OR = 0.66) was significantly associated with patients agreeing to take part in cancer clinical trials.

Conclusions

Our findings identified that barriers to migrants’ self‐reported participation in clinical trials include perceived lack of understanding of the health system and low English proficiency. Strategies that address these barriers are needed to increase migrant patients’ participation in cancer clinical trials.
Robotic surgical procedure for diffuse cavernous hemangioma of the rectum: A case report
Authors: Fujii Yoshiaki , Kobayashi Kenji , Kimura Syo , Tsuji Eri , Miyai Hirotaka , Tanaka Moritsugu , Takiguchi Shuji
Published: January 2020

Diffuse cavernous hemangioma of the rectum (DCHR) is a relatively rare benign vascular disease. DCHR is marked by recurrent bleeding and anemia, and it is difficult to diagnose correctly. Here, we report the case of a 34‐year‐old man diagnosed with DCHR by colonoscopy, CT, and endoscopic ultrasonography. The patient underwent a robot‐assisted anterior abdominal excision and subsequently recovered well from the surgery. Ileostomy closure was performed 3 months after surgery. Eight months after surgery, he had no evidence of rectal bleeding, and his defecation function was good, with no fecal incontinence. Regardless of the characteristics of DCHR and the susceptible age of DCHR, it is important to diagnose DCHR correctly as soon as possible and to treat it without a permanent colostomy. Robot‐assisted resection may be a good option for the treatment of DCHR.
Drug repositioning in cancer: The current situation in Japan
Authors: Masuda Takaaki , Tsuruda Yusuke , Matsumoto Yoshihiro , Uchida Hiroki , Nakayama Keiichi I. , Mimori Koshi
Published: January 2020

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and the incidence continues to increase. Despite major research aimed at discovering and developing novel and effective anticancer drugs, oncology drug development is a lengthy and costly process, with high attrition rates. Drug repositioning (DR, also referred to as drug repurposing), the process of finding new uses for approved noncancer drugs, has been gaining popularity in the past decade. DR has become a powerful alternative strategy for discovering and developing novel anticancer drug candidates from the existing approved drug space. Indeed, the availability of several large established libraries of clinical drugs and rapid advances in disease biology, genomics/transcriptomics/proteomics and bioinformatics has accelerated the pace of activity‐based, literature‐based and in silico DR, thereby improving safety and reducing costs. However, DR still faces financial obstacles in clinical trials, which could limit its practical use in the clinic. Here, we provide a brief review of DR in cancer and discuss difficulties in the development of DR for clinical use. Furthermore, we introduce some promising DR candidates for anticancer therapy in Japan.
Front Cover
Authors: Najafi Arash , Caspar Sylvan M. , Meienberg Janine , Rohrbach Marianne , Steinmann Beat , Matyas Gabor
Published: January 2020

The cover image is based on the Original Article Variant filtering, digenic variants, and other challenges in clinical sequencing: a lesson from fibrillinopathies by Arash Najafi et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/cge.13640.

image
Pharmacogenetics in Practice: Estimating the Clinical Actionability of Pharmacogenetic Testing in Perioperative and Ambulatory Settings
Authors: Smith D. Max , Peshkin Beth N. , Springfield T. Blaise , Brown Ryan P. , Hwang Elizabeth , Kmiecik Susanna , Shapiro Richard , Eldadah Zayd , Lundergan Conor , McAlduff Joel , Levin Bonnie , Swain Sandra M.
Published: January 2020

Most literature describing pharmacogenetic implementations are within academic medical centers and use single‐gene tests. Our objective was to describe the results and lessons learned from a multisite pharmacogenetic pilot that utilized panel‐based testing in academic and nonacademic settings. This was a retrospective analysis of 667 patients from a pilot in 4 perioperative and 5 outpatient cardiology clinics. Recommendations related to 12 genes and 65 drugs were classified as actionable or not actionable. They were ascertained from Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling. Patients displayed a high prevalence of actionable results (88%, 99%) and use of medications (28%, 46%) with FDA or CPIC recommendations, respectively. Sixteen percent of patients had an actionable result for a current medication per CPIC compared with 5% per FDA labeling. A systematic approach by a health system may be beneficial given the quantity and diversity of patients affected.
Are market‐based solutions a viable strategy for addressing micronutrient deficiency? Lessons from case studies in sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia
Authors: Henson Spencer , Agnew Jessica
Published: January 2020

Motivation

While public and civil sector nutrition interventions in low‐ and middle‐income countries have demonstrated positive impacts on nutritional status, micronutrient deficiency remains persistent and severe. Accordingly, there is much debate about the viability of market‐based strategies directed at reducing micronutrient deficiencies among the poor, particularly concerning the role businesses can take.

Purpose

This article explores the potential for both large and micro/small businesses to engage in markets for nutrient‐dense foods. It examines the challenges businesses face in establishing and maintaining sustainable business models and whether these businesses can achieve the scale required to achieve substantive impacts on the nutrition of the poor.

Methodology

This article presents a comprehensive literature review and in‐depth case studies of market‐based initiatives directed at enhancing the access of the poor to nutrient‐dense foods. The case studies involved analysis of secondary data and interviews with stakeholders, including value chain actors, civil society organizations, government officials, etc.

Findings

All bottom of the pyramid (BOP) businesses face considerable challenges in the context of markets for nutrient‐dense foods directed at the poor that relate to the difficulties faced in presenting a viable value proposition to consumers and in distributing products to the places where the poor reside, while achieving sustainable scale. Importantly, the results indicate a critical role for micro/small businesses in promoting the consumption of nutrient‐dense foods by the poor.

Policy implications

The findings raise important questions over the role and focus of public support to businesses looking to enter and/or expand in markets for nutrient‐dense foods directed at the poor, and especially with respect to micro/small businesses as opposed to large/multinational corporations.

Originality

The article presents the first comparative analysis of market‐based strategies of micro/small to large businesses directed at reducing micronutrient deficiencies in the poor.
A class of monotone kernelized classifiers on the basis of the Choquet integral
Authors: Fallah Tehrani Ali , Strickert Marc , Ahrens Diane
Published: January 2020

The key property of monotone classifiers is that increasing (decreasing) input values lead to increasing (decreasing) the output value. Preserving monotonicity for a classifier typically requires many constraints to be respected by modelling approaches such as artificial intelligence techniques. The type of constraints strongly depends on the modelling assumptions. Of course, for sophisticated models, such conditions might be very complex. In this study, we present a new family of kernels that we call it Choquet kernels. Henceforth, it allows for employing popular kernel‐based methods, such as support vector machines. Instead of a naïve approach with exponential computational complexity, we propose an equivalent formulation with quadratic time in the number of attributes. Furthermore, because coefficients derived from kernel solutions are not necessarily monotone in the dual form, different approaches are proposed to monotonize coefficients. Finally, experiments illustrate beneficial properties of the Choquet kernels.
Tree of motility – A proposed history of motility systems in the tree of life
Authors: Miyata Makoto , Robinson Robert C. , Uyeda Taro Q. P. , Fukumori Yoshihiro , Fukushima Shun‐ichi , Haruta Shin , Homma Michio , Inaba Kazuo , Ito Masahiro , Kaito Chikara , Kato Kentaro , Kenri Tsuyoshi , Kinosita Yoshiaki , Kojima Seiji , Minamino Tohru , Mori Hiroyuki , Nakamura Shuichi , Nakane Daisuke , Nakayama Koji , Nishiyama Masayoshi , Shibata Satoshi , Shimabukuro Katsuya , Tamakoshi Masatada , Taoka Azuma , Tashiro Yosuke , Tulum Isil , Wada Hirofumi , Wakabayashi Ken‐ichi
Published: January 2020

Motility often plays a decisive role in the survival of species. Five systems of motility have been studied in depth: those propelled by bacterial flagella, eukaryotic actin polymerization and the eukaryotic motor proteins myosin, kinesin and dynein. However, many organisms exhibit surprisingly diverse motilities, and advances in genomics, molecular biology and imaging have showed that those motilities have inherently independent mechanisms. This makes defining the breadth of motility nontrivial, because novel motilities may be driven by unknown mechanisms. Here, we classify the known motilities based on the unique classes of movement‐producing protein architectures. Based on this criterion, the current total of independent motility systems stands at 18 types. In this perspective, we discuss these modes of motility relative to the latest phylogenetic Tree of Life and propose a history of motility. During the ~4 billion years since the emergence of life, motility arose in Bacteria with flagella and pili, and in Archaea with archaella. Newer modes of motility became possible in Eukarya with changes to the cell envelope. Presence or absence of a peptidoglycan layer, the acquisition of robust membrane dynamics, the enlargement of cells and environmental opportunities likely provided the context for the (co)evolution of novel types of motility.
Research commercialisation and academic performance: A study of doctoral projects in Iran
Authors: Zarghami Hamid Reza , Amrollahi Alireza , Jafari Mostafa
Published: January 2020

This study focuses on how and to what extent factors identified in the literature influence academic and commercial outcomes, as well as the candidates' perception of the success and satisfaction from the results of PhD projects. Based on a survey of 607 PhD graduates and candidates, the relationship between contextual factors and subjective (related to the perception of candidates) and objective (such as publications and patents) outcomes of doctoral projects were examined. The results revealed higher satisfaction among candidates with commercialised research. Also, for the first time the effects of important, yet previously neglected, factors affecting the outcomes of PhD projects (such as the effect of the corresponding industrial sector, and personal economic situation of researchers) were studied. Studying the causal relationships among the variables is beneficial for developing policies aimed at enhancing the commercial and academic outcomes of PhD projects and improving candidate satisfaction.
INFORMATION AND PRICE DISPERSION: THEORY AND EVIDENCE
Authors: Pennerstorfer Dieter , Schmidt‐Dengler Philipp , Schutz Nicolas , Weiss Christoph , Yontcheva Biliana
Published: January 2020

Limited information is the key element generating price dispersion in models of homogeneous‐goods markets. We show that the global relationship between information and price dispersion is an inverse‐U shape. We test this mechanism for the retail gasoline market using a new measure of information based on commuter data from Austria. Commuters sample gasoline prices on their commuting route, providing us with spatial variation in the share of informed consumers. Our empirical estimates are in line with the theoretical predictions. We also quantify how information affects average prices paid and the distribution of surplus in the gasoline market.
He irradiation‐induced lattice distortion and surface blistering of Gd2Zr2O7 defect‐fluorite ceramics
Authors: Huang Zhangyi , Zhou Mao , Cao Zhangkai , Tang Zhe , Zhang Yutong , Duan Junjing , Qi Jianqi , Guo Xiaofeng , Lu Tiecheng , Wu Di
Published: January 2020

Gd2Zr2O7 ceramics with different grain sizes ranging from nanoscale to submicron scale (91, 204, and 634 nm) were irradiated at room temperature using 190 keV He ions with doses ranging from 5 × 1016 to 5 × 1017 ions/cm2. We fully characterized the pre‐ and post‐irradiation samples using grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM) as the grain size and degree of irradiation vary. The results suggested that all three Gd2Zr2O7 samples demonstrate outstanding radiation tolerance to displacement damage by retaining their crystallinity after irradiation at 5 × 1017 ions/cm2. which is equal to 16 displacement per atom (dpa) at peak positions. Although lattice expansion was observed at a He irradiation at 5 × 1016 ions/cm2 and beyond, the lattice remained stable for the nanograin ceramic, while the degree of distortion for the sample with the largest grain size (634 nm) continuously increased. Moreover, a delayed He bubble evolution process was seen for the nanograin ceramic, which did not appear for the submicron‐grained sample. Interestingly, the grain size‐dependent surface blistering was also found to be a function of ion fluence. After He irradiation at 5 × 1017 ions/cm2 the AFM root‐mean‐square(RMS) roughness variation for Gd2Zr2O7 ceramics of 91, 204, and 634 nm were 4.8, 7.0, and 11.1 nm, respectively.
Four New Members of Foliicolous Green Algae Within the Watanabea Clade (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) from China
Authors: Li Shuyin , Sun Hui , Hu Yuxin , Liu Benwen , Zhu Huan , Hu Zhengyu , Liu Guoxiang
Published: January 2020

Members of the Watanabea clade of Trebouxiophyceae are genetically diverse and widely distributed in all kinds of habitats, especially in most terrestrial habitats. Ten new strains of terrestrial algae isolated from the tropical rainforest in China, and four published strains were investigated in this study. Morphological observation and molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the 18S, ITS, rbcL, and tufA genes were used to identify the new strains. Four previously described species were reinvestigated to supplement molecular data and autospores’ morphological photographs. The phylogenetic analyses based on 18S only, the concatenated dataset of 18S and ITS, as well as the concatenated dataset of rbcL and tufA, showed the same phylogenetic positions and relationships of these new strains. According to the phylogenetic analysis and morphological comparisons results, we described these 10 strains as four new members within the Watanabea clade, Polulichloris yunnanensis sp. nov., Polulichloris ovale sp. nov., Massjukichlorella orientale sp. nov., and Massjukichlorella minus sp. nov., and two known species, Massjukichlorella epiphytica, and Mysteriochloris nanningensis. Additionally, we provide strong evidence proving that Phyllosiphon, Mysteriochloris, Polulichloris, and Desertella all reproduce through unequal sized autospores.
The rise of hyper‐virulence
Authors: Aschtgen Marie‐Stéphanie , Henriques‐Normark Birgitta , Normark Staffan
Published: January 2020

Click here to view the Review by Weiss et al.
An Underpinning of School Inequities: Asthma Absences and Lost Revenue in California Schools
Authors: Kreger Mary , Sargent Cairoli Katherine , Brindis Claire D.
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Asthma is epidemic in many locations in the United States. Asthma exacerbations pose serious health and education risks for students through school absences, school dropout, and introduction to the juvenile justice system. Accurate school district‐level asthma data, currently in short supply, would enable early interventions that focus on specific geographic areas and racial and ethnic subgroups that have higher asthma prevalence.

METHODS

To support the development of better local level data systems, we used two California student databases, as well as state education and financial databases, to develop two models to estimate school absences and to extrapolate their economic impact in lost school revenue.

RESULTS

Analysis demonstrated subpopulations that are appropriate for early intervention: African American elementary school boys have 9.4 average absences per year, higher than other primary racial and ethnic groups. Students who miss ≥3 school days due to asthma account for $26 million of lost revenue.

CONCLUSIONS

Accurate local level asthma data can identify subpopulations of students for whom environmental and treatment programs can be employed to reduce asthma absences and other related outcomes, and to reduce currently lost school revenues. Such programs also may diminish other asthma‐related school inequities.
Comparison of methods to determine primary tumour size in canine apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma
Authors: Schlag A. N. , Johnson T. , Vinayak A. , Kuvaldina A. , Skinner O. T. , Wustefeld‐Janssens B. G.
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To assess agreement between measurement of primary apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma tumours using digital palpation, CT and formalin‐fixed tissue and to look for associations with metastasis at presentation.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective study of different methods of measuring primary tumour size in histopathologically‐confirmed canine apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma.

Results

One hundred sixteen tumours from 107 dogs were included. There was moderate agreement between maximal dimension of the primary tumour measured by CT compared to formalin‐fixed tissue and digital palpation. There was no significant difference in median maximum dimension between the measurement methods. Vascular invasion, CT stage, digital rectal examination stage and formalin‐fixed tissue stage were significantly associated with metastasis at presentation, while mitotic index of the primary tumour was not. Dogs with tumours >2.5 cm (tumour‐stage 2) were significantly more likely to present with metastatic disease.

Clinical Significance

In canine apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma, primary tumour size, tumour‐stage and vascular invasion are strong predictors of metastasis at presentation.
When I say … informal conversations
Authors: Thomson Kate
Published: January 2020

The latest instalment of the 'When I Say…' series highlights the importance of informal conversations for health professional education and invites us to reconsider how we initiate and create spaces for students and practitioners to learn.
Comparison of a Novel Tension Band and Patellotibial Tubercle Cerclage in the Treatment of Comminuted Fractures of Inferior Pole of the Patella
Authors: Zhang Zhi‐shan , Li Peng‐fei , Zhou Fang , Tian Yun , Ji Hong‐quan , Guo Yan , Lv Yang , Yang Zhong‐wei , Hou Guo‐jin
Published: January 2020

Objective

To assess the therapeutic effect of a novel tension band using 3.0 mm cannulated screw combined with a titanium cable and specific shims comparatively with patellotibial tubercle cerclage in comminuted fractures of the inferior pole of the patella.

Methods

The retrospective study from March 2012 to July 2017 was conducted in Peking University Third Hospital and comprised 63 patients with comminuted fractures of the inferior pole of the patella: 41 treated with new tension band using 3.0 mm cannulated screw combined with a titanium cable and specific shims (new tension band group) and 22 with patellotibial tubercle cerclage (tubercle cerclage group). Gender, age, AO/OTA fracture type, injury mechanism, inter‐fragmentary gap, and follow‐up time of patients were recorded. Two groups were compared regarding: operation time, blood loss, partial weight‐bearing time, fracture‐healed time, Bostman score and knee mobility at 12‐month follow‐up, and postoperative complications. Continuous and categorical parameters were analyzed by Mann‐Whitney U test and the chi‐squared test, respectively. Fisher's exact test was used for small data subsets.

Results

Between the two groups, no statistically significant difference was found in mean age, gender, AO/OTA fracture type, injury mechanism, mean inter‐fragmentary gap, or mean follow‐up time (P > 0.05). The mean operation time of new tension band group was significantly longer than that of tubercle cerclage group (76.4 min vs 64.2 min, P = 0.006), while there was no significant difference in blood loss. After surgery, new tension band group had a significantly earlier mean partial weight‐bearing time (5.2 weeks vs 7.4 weeks, P < 0.001) and fracture‐healed time (9.6 weeks vs 11.6 weeks, P < 0.001). At 12‐month follow‐up, patients of new tension band group had a significantly higher mean Bostman score (28.5 vs 25.8, P < 0.001) and knee mobility (126.7 vs 117.3, P < 0.001). Ten complications related with internal fixation were found in tubercle cerclage group including two cases of loose internal fixation, two cases of cerclage breakage, and six cases of low patella position who undertook secondary operation. No complications were found in new tension band group (0 in 41 vs 10 in 22, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Patients with comminuted fractures of the inferior pole of the patella treated with a novel tension band experienced a longer operation time, but earlier partial‐weight‐bearing and fracture‐healed time, better clinical outcomes at 12‐month follow‐up, and less complications. It should be considered an alternative therapy for the treatment of distal pole patellar fractures.
The Reliability and Concurrent Validity of PainMAP Software for Automated Quantification of Pain Drawings on Body Charts of Patients With Low Back Pain
Authors: Corrêa Leticia Amaral , Bittencourt Juliana Valentim , Ferreira Arthur de Sá , Reis Felipe José Jandre dos , de Almeida Renato Santos , Nogueira Leandro Alberto Calazans
Published: January 2020

Background

The assessment of painful areas through printed body charts is a simple way for clinicians to identify patients with widespread pain in primary care. However, there is a lack in the literature about a simple and automated method designed to analyze pain drawings in body charts in clinical practice.

Purpose

To test the inter‐ and intra‐rater reliabilities and concurrent validity of software (PainMAP) for quantification of pain drawings in patients with low back pain.

Methods

Thirty‐eight participants (16 [42.10%] female; mean age 50.24 [11.54] years; mean body mass index 27.90 [5.42] kg/m2; duration of pain of 94.35 [96.11] months) with a current episode of low back pain were recruited from a pool of physiotherapy outpatients. Participants were instructed to shade all their painful areas on a body chart using a red pen. The body charts were digitized by separate raters using smartphone cameras and twice for one rater to analyze the intra‐rater reliability. Both the number of pain sites and the pain area were calculated using ImageJ software (reference method). The PainMAP software used image processing methods to automatically quantify the data from the same digitized body charts.

Results

The reliability analyses revealed that PainMAP has excellent inter‐ and intra‐rater reliabilities to quantify the number of pain sites (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]2,1: 0.998 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.996 to 0.999]; ICC2,1: 0.995 [95% CI 0.991 to 0.998]) and the pain area [ICC2,1: 0.998 (95% CI 0.995 to 0.999); ICC2,1: 0.975 (95% CI 0.951 to 0.987)], respectively. The standard error of the measurement was 0.22 (4%) for the number of pain sites and 0.03 cm2 (4%) for the pain area. The Bland‐Altman analyses revealed no substantive differences between the 2 methods for the pain area (mean difference = 0.007 [95% CI −0.053 to 0.067]).

Conclusion

PainMAP software is reliable and valid for quantification of the number of pain sites and the pain area in patients with low back pain.
Analysis of predictive factors for perforated appendicitis in children
Authors: Miyauchi Harunori , Okata Yuichi , Hatakeyama Tadashi , Nakatani Taichi , Nakai Yumiko , Bitoh Yuko
Published: January 2020

Background

The aim of this research was to investigate the diagnostic value of objective factors present at admission for identifying predictive markers of perforated appendicitis in children.

Methods

We performed a retrospective case review of 319 children aged ≤15 years who underwent treatment for acute appendicitis at our institution over a 6‐year period from January 2011 to December 2016. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for perforation of acute appendicitis in children.

Results

In the 6‐year period, 319 patients underwent treatment for acute appendicitis, of whom 72 (22.6%) had perforated appendicitis. Multivariate analysis revealed five independent factors predicting perforated appendicitis at admission: longer symptom duration (≥2 days), fever (axillary temperature ≥38.0 °C), elevated C‐reactive protein level (≥3.46 mg/dL), appendiceal fecalith on imaging, and ascites on imaging. Among patients with all five risk factors, 93.3% had perforated appendicitis. None of the patients without any of these factors had a perforated appendicitis.

Conclusions

Longer symptom duration (≥2 days), fever (axillary temperature ≥38.0 °C), elevated C‐reactive protein level, and the presence of appendiceal fecalith and ascites on imaging are independent and objective factors predicting perforated appendicitis at admission. These risk factors have the potential to be helpful as an ancillary index for physicians determining the severity of appendicitis.
The Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (VIHCS): Study design of a preconception cohort from parent adolescence to offspring childhood
Authors: Spry Elizabeth , Olsson Craig A. , Hearps Stephen J. C. , Aarsman Stephanie , Carlin John B. , Howard Louise M. , Moreno‐Betancur Margarita , Romaniuk Helena , Doyle Lex W. , Brown Stephanie , Borschmann Rohan , Alway Yvette , Coffey Carolyn , Patton George C.
Published: January 2020

Background

There is increasing evidence that parental determinants of offspring early life development begin well before pregnancy.

Objectives

We established the Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study (VIHCS) to examine the contributions of parental mental health, substance use, and socio‐economic characteristics before pregnancy to child emotional, physical, social, and cognitive development.

Population

Men and women were recruited from the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort (VAHCS), an existing cohort study beginning in 1992 that assessed a representative sample of 1943 secondary school students in Victoria, Australia, repeatedly from adolescence (wave 1, mean age 14 years) to adulthood (wave 10, mean age 35 years).

Methods

Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort participants with children born between 2006 and 2013 were recruited to VIHCS and invited to participate during trimester three, at 2 months postpartum, and 1 year postpartum. Parental mental health, substance use and socio‐economic characteristics were assessed repeatedly throughout; infant characteristics were assessed postnatally and in infancy. Data will be supplemented by linkage to routine datasets. A further follow‐up is underway as children reach 8 years of age.

Preliminary Results

Of the 1307 infants born to VAHCS participants between 2006 and 2013, 1030 were recruited to VIHCS. At VIHCS study entry, 18% of recruited parents had preconception common mental disorder in adolescence and young adulthood, 18% smoked daily in adolescence and young adulthood, and 6% had not completed high school. Half of VIHCS infants were female (48%), 4% were from multiple births, and 7% were preterm (<37 weeks' gestation).

Conclusions

Victorian Intergenerational Health Cohort Study is a prospective cohort of 1030 children with up to nine waves of preconception parental data and three waves of perinatal parental and infant data. These will allow examination of continuities of parental health and health risks from the decades before pregnancy to offspring childhood, and the contributions of exposures before pregnancy to offspring outcomes in childhood.
Functional characterization and physiological roles of the single Shaker outward K+ channel in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Drain Alice , Thouin Julien , Wang Limin , Boeglin Martin , Pauly Nicolas , Nieves‐Cordones Manuel , Gaillard Isabelle , Véry Anne‐Aliénor , Sentenac Hervé
Published: January 2020

The model legume Medicago truncatula possesses a single outward Shaker K+ channel, whereas Arabidopsis thaliana possesses two channels of this type, named AtSKOR and AtGORK, with AtSKOR having been shown to play a major role in K+ secretion into the xylem sap in the root vasculature and with AtGORK being shown to mediate the efflux of K+ across the guard cell membrane, leading to stomatal closure. Here we show that the expression pattern of the single M. truncatula outward Shaker channel, which has been named MtGORK, includes the root vasculature, guard cells and root hairs. As shown by patch‐clamp experiments on root hair protoplasts, besides the Shaker‐type slowly activating outwardly rectifying K+ conductance encoded by MtGORK, a second K+‐permeable conductance, displaying fast activation and weak rectification, can be expressed by M. truncatula. A knock‐out (KO) mutation resulting in an absence of MtGORK activity is shown to weakly reduce K+ translocation to shoots, and only in plants engaged in rhizobial symbiosis, but to strongly affect the control of stomatal aperture and transpirational water loss. In legumes, the early electrical signaling pathway triggered by Nod‐factor perception is known to comprise a short transient depolarization of the root hair plasma membrane. In the absence of the functional expression of MtGORK, the rate of the membrane repolarization is found to be decreased by a factor of approximately two. This defect was without any consequence on infection thread development and nodule production in plants grown in vitro, but a decrease in nodule production was observed in plants grown in soil.
ABO‐incompatible kidney transplantation can be successfully conducted by monitoring IgM isoagglutinin titers during desensitization
Authors: Kim Hyungsuk , Choe Wonho , Shin Sung , Kim Young Hoon , Han Duck‐Jong , Park Su‐Kil , Kwon Seog‐Woon , Ko Dae‐Hyun
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Recent advances in desensitization techniques and immunosuppressive therapy have led to improved outcomes after ABO‐incompatible (ABO‐i) kidney transplantation (KT). However, questions remain unanswered, particularly regarding which type of ABO isoagglutinin—immunoglobulin M (IgM) or immunoglobulin M (IgG)—is significantly involved in antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data from 120 patients who underwent ABO‐i KT between 2012 and 2014. Preoperative plasma exchange was performed until the IgM isoagglutinin titer was 4 or less, regardless of the IgG titer. Clinical data were compared between patient groups with pre‐KT IgG isoagglutinin titer 16 or greater (high IgG; titer range, 16‐256; n = 39) and 8 or less (low IgG; titer range, −8; n = 81).

RESULTS

The median follow‐up periods were 59 (high IgG) and 55 (low IgG) months. Patient survival at 5 years (p = 0.314) was 100% (high IgG) and 97.4% (low IgG). Graft survival at 5 years (p = 0.480) was 100% (high IgG) and 98.7% (low IgG). AMR by anti‐ABO antibody occurred in only one patient in the low‐IgG group.

CONCLUSION

Patients with high pre‐KT IgG isoagglutinin titers had equally successful outcomes as those with low IgG titers. ABO‐i KT can be successfully performed by reducing the pre‐KT IgM isoagglutinin titer to 4 or less, as determined by the immediate spin tube method.
Inactivation of yellow fever virus with amotosalen and ultraviolet A light pathogen‐reduction technology
Authors: Girard Yvette A. , Santa Maria Felicia , Lanteri Marion C.
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

The reemergence of yellow fever virus (YFV) in Africa and Brazil, and massive vaccine campaigns triggered to contain the outbreaks, have raised concerns over blood transfusion safety and availability with increased risk of YFV transfusion‐transmitted infections (TTIs) by native and vaccine‐acquired YFV. Blood donor deferral for 2 to 4 weeks following live attenuated YFV vaccination, and deferral for travel to endemic/epidemic areas, may result in blood donor loss and impact platelet component (PC) stocks. This study investigated the efficacy of INTERCEPT Blood System pathogen reduction (PR) with use of amotosalen and ultraviolet A (UVA) light to inactivate high levels of YFV in PCs.

MATERIALS

Four units of apheresis platelets prepared in 35% plasma/65% platelet additive solution (PC‐PAS) and 4 units of PC in 100% human plasma (PC‐Plasma) were spiked with high infectious titers of YFV (YFV‐17D vaccine strain). YFV‐17D infectious titers were measured by plaque assay and expressed as plaque‐forming units (PFU) before and after amotosalen/UVA treatment to determine log reduction.

RESULTS

The mean YFV‐17D infectious titers in PC before inactivation were 5.5 ± 0.1 log PFU/mL in PC‐PAS and 5.3 ± 0.1 log PFU/mL in PC‐Plasma. No infectivity was detected immediately after amotosalen/UVA treatment.

CONCLUSION

The amotosalen/UVA PR system inactivated high titers of infectious YFV‐17D in PC. This PR technology could reduce the risk of YFV TTI and help secure PC supplies in areas experiencing YFV outbreaks where massive vaccination campaigns are required.