bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clash of Trade and National Public Interest in WTO Law: The Illusion of ‘Weighing and Balancing’ and the Theory of Reservation
Authors: Nagy Csongor István
Published: August 2019

In the last two decades, World Trade Organization law’s public interest exceptions (Article XX GATT, Article XIV GATS, Article 2.2 of the TBT Agreement, and Article 20 TRIPS) have seen the emergence and evolution of the doctrine of ‘weighing and balancing.’ This paper provides a criticism of this doctrine through a comparative ontological analysis and demonstrates three propositions. First, it shows that the concept of ‘weighing and balancing’ results from the ill-considered reception of a doctrine pertaining to federal systems. Second, the paper demonstrates through the analysis of the case law that the role of ‘weighing and balancing’ is rather poetical and, in reality, the Appellate Body does not engage in balancing. Third, it proposes that an outspoken ‘necessity’ analysis should be carried out that is tailored to arrangements based on contractual promises and is guided by the notion of quasi-reservation. The paper re-conceptualizes the Appellate Body’s case law and elaborates a doctrinal framework warranted by the function of World Trade Organization law’s public interest exceptions.
Hybrid laparoscopic/open mesh repair of combined bilateral arcuate line and ventral hernias
Authors: Berney Christophe R
Published: August 2019

Arcuate line hernia (ALH) is a rare entity with only few cases reported in the literature. ALH is difficult to diagnose clinically and is most of the time asymptomatic, and there is no real consensus on how to better surgically approach this condition. We hereby present the case of a female patient with a symptomatic partly reducible ventral hernia. At laparoscopy, bilateral ALHs were incidentally identified and simultaneously treated, using a safe hybrid technique. The postoperative outcome was uneventful and she is still symptom-free with no clinical evidence of hernia recurrence at 2-year postsurgery. ALH is an uncommon interstitial parietal hernia and its diagnosis is often incidentally made peri-operatively, thus reinforcing the benefit of laparoscopy. In a most complex situation of combined bilateral ALHs with ventral hernia, a hybrid laparoscopic/anterior approach is a safe alternative and we recommend mesh reinforcement of all defects.
Impacts of the review of the Brazilian local content policy on the attractiveness of oil and gas projects
Authors: Clavijo William , de Almeida Edmar , Losekann Luciano , Rodrigues Niágara
Published: August 2019

The study assesses the relevance of the recent local content policy (LCP) reforms for the oil sector in Brazil on the attractiveness of investments in exploration and production (E&P), and in terms of employment and income generation. For this, a cash flow of a typical E&P project was simulated in the Brazilian pre-salt environment in a field with reserves of 5 billion barrels of oil equivalent, under the regime of production sharing, adopting the assumptions of government participation of the tender protocol of the Libra field. In addition, in order to estimate the impact of the LCP on the generation of employment and income, the methodology of the Input–Output Model (IOM) was applied. The results indicated that high commitments of local content (LC), in contexts of restricted oil prices, compromise the profitability of E&P projects. In addition, the results showed that a greater volume of investments can more than offset the impact of higher levels of LC in generating employment and income for the country. Finally, the article concludes by arguing that the LCP reforms, undertaken since 2016, were necessary to guarantee the competitiveness of the Brazilian upstream in the current context of the international oil market.
Multiple populations in integrated light spectroscopy of intermediate-age clusters
Authors: Bastian Nate , Usher Christopher , Kamann Sebastian , Lardo Carmela , Larsen Søren S , Cabrera-Ziri Ivan , Chantereau William , Martocchia Silvia , Salaris Maurizio , Schiavon Ricardo P , Asa’d Randa , Hilker Michael
Published: August 2019

The presence of star-to-star light-element abundance variations (also known as multiple populations, MPs) appears to be ubiquitous within old and massive clusters in the Milky Way and all studied nearby galaxies. Most previous studies have focused on resolved images or spectroscopy of individual stars, although there has been significant effort in the past few years to look for multiple population signatures in integrated light spectroscopy. If proven feasible, integrated light studies offer a potential way to vastly open parameter space, as clusters out to 10s of Mpc can be studied. We use the Na D lines in the integrated spectra of two clusters with similar ages (2–3 Gyr) but very different masses: NGC 1978 (∼3 × 105 M⊙) in the Large Magellanic Cloud and G114 (1.7 × 107 M⊙) in NGC 1316. For NGC 1978, our findings agree with resolved studies of individual stars that did not find evidence for Na spreads. However, for G114, we find clear evidence for the presence of multiple populations. The fact that the same anomalous abundance patterns are found in both the intermediate age and ancient globular clusters lends further support to the notion that young massive clusters are effectively the same as the ancient globular clusters, only separated in age.
HyPhy 2.5—A Customizable Platform for Evolutionary Hypothesis Testing Using Phylogenies
Authors: Kosakovsky Pond Sergei L , Poon Art F Y , Velazquez Ryan , Weaver Steven , Hepler N Lance , Murrell Ben , Shank Stephen D , Magalis Brittany Rife , Bouvier Dave , Nekrutenko Anton , Wisotsky Sadie , Spielman Stephanie J , Frost Simon D W , Muse Spencer V
Published: August 2019

HYpothesis testing using PHYlogenies (HyPhy) is a scriptable, open-source package for fitting a broad range of evolutionary models to multiple sequence alignments, and for conducting subsequent parameter estimation and hypothesis testing, primarily in the maximum likelihood statistical framework. It has become a popular choice for characterizing various aspects of the evolutionary process: natural selection, evolutionary rates, recombination, and coevolution. The 2.5 release (available from www.hyphy.org) includes a completely re-engineered computational core and analysis library that introduces new classes of evolutionary models and statistical tests, delivers substantial performance and stability enhancements, improves usability, streamlines end-to-end analysis workflows, makes it easier to develop custom analyses, and is mostly backward compatible with previous HyPhy releases.
Structural consequences of the interaction of RbgA with a 50S ribosomal subunit assembly intermediate
Authors: Seffouh Amal , Jain Nikhil , Jahagirdar Dushyant , Basu Kaustuv , Razi Aida , Ni Xiaodan , Guarné Alba , Britton Robert A , Ortega Joaquin
Published: August 2019

Bacteria harbor a number GTPases that function in the assembly of the ribosome and are essential for growth. RbgA is one of these GTPases and is required for the assembly of the 50S subunit in most bacteria. Homologs of this protein are also implicated in the assembly of the large subunit of the mitochondrial and eukaryotic ribosome. We present here the cryo-electron microscopy structure of RbgA bound to a Bacillus subtilis 50S subunit assembly intermediate (45SRbgA particle) that accumulates in cells upon RbgA depletion. Binding of RbgA at the P site of the immature particle stabilizes functionally important rRNA helices in the A and P-sites, prior to the completion of the maturation process of the subunit. The structure also reveals the location of the highly conserved N-terminal end of RbgA containing the catalytic residue Histidine 9. The derived model supports a mechanism of GTP hydrolysis, and it shows that upon interaction of RbgA with the 45SRbgA particle, Histidine 9 positions itself near the nucleotide potentially acting as the catalytic residue with minimal rearrangements. This structure represents the first visualization of the conformational changes induced by an assembly factor in a bacterial subunit intermediate.
Two case reports of corticosteroid administration-prolonged and pulsed therapy-in treatment of pruritus in cholestatic hepatitis A patients
Authors: Daghman Daad , Rez Mohamad Saeed , Soltany Amjad , Alsaleh Almotaman
Published: August 2019

Cholestasis following hepatitis A affects around 0.8% of hepatitis A patients. It is considered a distressing complication in spite of its good prognosis. Despite being subject to multiple studies, causes of cholestasis are still controversial. Many treatments (discussed later) have shown some improvements of the accompanied pruritus. In the following article, we present two cholestatic hepatitis A patients who suffered from severe pruritus. Prednisolone was administered via two different methods: prolonged and pulsed. Both showed great improvement of the pruritus in a short time frame. To the best of our knowledge, our management using pulsed corticosteroid therapy in treatment of pruritus in cholestatic hepatitis A is considered the first experimental management in medical literature. The importance of this experimental case lies in reducing the doses and the duration of steroid intake, thus reducing steroid side effects as far as possible.
Looking after Constituency Interests: The Utilisation of MP Expenses and Early Day Motions to Craft Constituency Service Home Styles
Authors: Parker David C W
Published: August 2019

Taking advantage of the new data available from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I examine whether members of the House of Commons can craft a reputation for constituency service with how they allocate their office allowances and the types of Early Day Motions (EDMs) they sponsor. Combining information on the costs of holding surgeries and the sponsorship of constituency service EDMs with the fourth wave of the 2015 British Election Study, I find that increased attention to constituency service through more spending on surgeries and sponsoring constituency EDMs helps MPs build positive reputations among citizens as constituent servants.
Detections of [O iii] 88 μm in two quasars in the reionization epoch
Authors: Hashimoto Takuya , Inoue Akio K , Tamura Yoichi , Matsuo Hiroshi , Mawatari Ken , Yamaguchi Yuki
Published: August 2019

We report on detections with the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array of the far-infrared [O iii] 88 μm line and the underlying dust continuum in two quasars in the reionization epoch, J205406.48−000514.8 (hereafter J2054−0005) at z = 6.0391 ± 0.0002 and J231038.88+185519.7 (hereafter J2310+1855) at z = 6.0035 ± 0.0007. The [O iii] luminosities of J2054−0005 and J2310+1855 are L[O iii] = (6.8 ± 0.6) × 109 and $(2.4 \pm 0.6) \times 10^{9}\,$L⊙, corresponding to ∼0.05% and 0.01% of the total infrared luminosity, LTIR, respectively. Combining these [O iii] luminosities with [C ii] 158 μm luminosities in the literature, we find that J2054−0005 and J2310+1855 have [O iii]-to-[C ii] luminosity ratios of 2.1 ± 0.4 and 0.3 ± 0.1, respectively, the latter of which is the lowest among objects so far reported at z > 6. Combining [O iii] observations at z ≈ 6–9 from our study and the literature, we identify the [O iii] line deficit: objects with a larger LTIR (total infrared luminosity) have lower L[O iii]-to-LTIR ratios. Furthermore, we also find that the anti-correlation is shifted toward a higher LTIR value when compared with the local [O iii] line deficit.
Letters of the Labouring Poor: The Art of Letter Writing in Colonial India*
Authors: Kumar Arun
Published: August 2019

This article examines the emergence of mass letter-writing in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century colonial north India, a region marked by the growth of an unprecedented labour mobility, postal expansion, vernacular print, and workers' literacy. It narrates how workers' and their family members' abilities and failures to read and write letters shaped their experiences of the emerging transnational labour mobility and explains how the letter-writing by the subaltern produced new sociabilities and anxieties that both colonial and indigenous elites feared and attempted to discipline and control through letter-writing manuals. It argues that the letter-writing culture in India did not merely sustain new mobilities but also produced a dominant social world which ensured that the hierarchies of caste, gender, and class were clearly mapped onto the domain of letter-writing. Hitherto unexplored (Hindi) letter-writing manuals and educational, postal, and labour records are used to challenge the rigidities of labour, communication, and literary histories of modern South Asia where the illiteracy of the labouring poor is an assumed fact.
Persistent and Chronic Postoperative Opioid Use in a Cohort of Patients with Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Cata Juan P , Patino Miguel , Gorur Aysegul , Du Kim N , Uhelski Megan L , Myers Jeffrey , Lai Stephen , Rubin M Laura , Dougherty Patrick M , Owusu-Agyemang Pascal
Published: August 2019

Background

Recently, the concept of persistent postsurgical opioid use has been described for patients undergoing cancer surgery. Our hypothesis was based on the premise that patients with oral tongue cancer require high dosages of opioids before, during, and after surgery, and thus a large percentage of patients might develop persistent postsurgical opioid use.

Methods

After institutional review board approval, we conducted a retrospective study that included a cohort of patients with oral tongue cancers who underwent curative-intent surgery in our institution. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit to study the association of the characteristics of several patients with persistent (six months after surgery) and chronic (12 months after surgery) postoperative opioid use.

Results

A total of 362 patients with oral tongue malignancies were included in the study. The rate of persistent use of opioids after surgery was 31%. Multivariate analysis showed that patients taking opioids before surgery and those receiving adjuvant therapy were 2.9 and 1.78 times more likely to use opioids six months after surgery. Fifteen percent of the patients were taking opioids 12 months after surgery. After adjusting for clinically relevant covariates, patients complaining of moderate tongue pain before surgery and those taking opioids preoperatively had at least three times higher risk of still using these analgesics one year after surgery.

Conclusions

Patients with oral tongue cancers have a high risk of developing persistent and chronic postsurgical opioid use.
Continuum limit in numerical simulations of the $\mathcal{N}=2$ Landau–Ginzburg model
Authors: Morikawa Okuto
Published: August 2019

The $\mathcal{N}=2$ Landau–Ginzburg description provides a strongly interacting Lagrangian realization of an $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal field theory. It is conjectured that one such example is given by the two-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ Wess–Zumino model. Recently, the conjectured correspondence has been studied by using numerical techniques based on lattice field theory; the scaling dimension and the central charge have been directly measured. We study a single superfield with a cubic superpotential, and give an extrapolation method to the continuum limit. Then, on the basis of a supersymmetric-invariant numerical algorithm, we perform a precision measurement of the scaling dimension through a finite-size scaling analysis.
Family-Centered Care Enhanced Neonatal Neurophysiological Function in Preterm Infants: Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Yu Yen-Ting , Huang Wan-Chi , Hsieh Wu-Shiun , Chang Jui-Hsing , Lin Chyi-Her , Hsieh Shulan , Lu Lu , Yao Nai-Jia , Fan Pi-Chuan , Lee Chia-Lin , Tu Yu-Kang , Jeng Suh-Fang
Published: August 2019

Background

Family-centered intervention for preterm infants has shown short- to medium-term developmental benefits; however, the neurological effects of intervention have rarely been explored.

Objective

The objectives of this study were to examine the effect of a family-centered intervention program (FCIP) on neurophysiological functions in preterm infants with very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight of < 1500 g) in Taiwan, to compare the effect of the FCIP with that of a usual-care program (UCP), and to explore the FCIP-induced changes in neurobehavioral and neurophysiological functions.

Design

This was a multicenter, single-blind randomized controlled trial.

Setting

The study took place in 3 medical centers in northern and southern Taiwan.

Participants

Two hundred fifty-one preterm infants with VLBW were included.

Intervention

The FCIP group received a family-centered intervention and the UCP group received standard care during hospitalization.

Measurements

Infants were assessed in terms of neurobehavioral performance using the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Examination–Chinese version, and their neurophysiological function was assessed using electroencephalography/event-related potentials during sleep and during an auditory oddball task during the neonatal period.

Results

The FCIP promoted more mature neurophysiological function than the UCP, including greater negative mean amplitudes of mismatch negativities in the left frontal region in the oddball task in all infants, lower intrahemispheric prefrontal-central coherence during sleep in infants who were small for gestational age, and higher interhemispheric frontal coherence during sleep in those who were appropriate for gestational age. Furthermore, interhemispheric coherence was positively associated with the total neurobehavioral score in preterm infants who were appropriate for gestational age (r = 0.20).

Limitations

The fact that more parental adherence strategies were used in the FCIP group than in the UCP group might have favored the intervention effect in this study.

Conclusions

Family-centered intervention facilitates short-term neurophysiological maturation in preterm infants with VLBW in Taiwan.
Predictors of Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction Among Women With Lumbopelvic Pain
Authors: Keizer Alexzandra , Vandyken Brittany , Vandyken Carolyn , Yardley Darryl , Macedo Luciana , Kuspinar Ayse , Fagahani Nelly , Forget M-J , Dufour Sinéad
Published: August 2019

Background

There is evidence to suggest that a large proportion of individuals seeking care for lumbopelvic pain also have pelvic floor muscle dysfunction (PFMD). Because the majority of physical therapists do not have the requisite training to adequately assess pelvic floor musculature, determining predictors of PFMD could be clinically useful.

Objective

The objective was to establish a combination of factors (self-report and physical) predictive of PFMD in women with lumbopelvic pain.

Design

This was a cross-sectional study.

Methods

Participants completed a battery of self-report and physical assessments (masked assessors). Three clinical findings characterized PFMD: weakness of the pelvic floor, lack of coordination of the pelvic floor, and pelvic floor muscle tenderness on palpation (bilateral obturator internus). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the extent to which different predictors were associated with PFMD.

Results

One hundred eight women with self-reported lumbopelvic pain (within the past week) were included in the study (mean age = 40.4 years; SD = 12.6 years). None of the examined factors predicted pelvic floor muscle weakness. Two factors independently predicted pelvic floor muscle tenderness on palpation: very strong and/or uncontrollable urinary urges (odds ratio [OR] = 2.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13–7.59) and Central Sensitization Inventory scores of 40 or greater (OR = 3.13; 95% CI = 1.08–9.10).

Limitations

The sample consisted of young women, some of whom were not actively seeking care. Additionally, the technique for assessing pelvic floor muscle tenderness on palpation requires further validation.

Conclusions

Women who have lumbopelvic pain, uncontrollable urinary urgency, and central sensitization were, on average, 2 times more likely to test positive for pelvic floor muscle tenderness on palpation. Further studies are needed to validate and extend these findings.
The role of scientific reasoning and religious beliefs in use of complementary and alternative medicine
Authors: Čavojová Vladimíra , Ersoy Selin
Published: August 2019

Background

While previous research has shown that trust in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is linked with other unfounded beliefs (e.g. paranormal phenomena or pharmaceutical conspiracies) and that analytic thinking can help alter these beliefs, the role of the ability to evaluate evidence as a protective factor has not been established yet.

Methods

A cross-sectional design with a hundred participants was used with self-report data from questionnaires and performance test. The dependent variables were the belief in CAM and use of CAM. Predictor variables were scientific reasoning (measured by Scientific Reasoning Scale), critical thinking dispositions (measured by Critical Thinking Disposition Instrument; UF-EMI), religious beliefs (measured by Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire), gender and age.

Results

Scientific reasoning and religious faith independently predicted belief in alternative medicine, while the role of scientific reasoning in actual reported use of CAM diminished after religious faith, gender and age were introduced to the model.

Conclusion

The results highlight the fact that it is not enough to appeal to the general critical thinking of people, but we need to teach them some practical skills that would help them to evaluate evidence in other, health-unrelated, contexts as well.
Lucy Hutchinson’s Theological Writings
Authors: Gribben Crawford
Published: August 2019

Lucy Hutchinson’s religious commitments inform her writing across its variety of genres. Critics and historians have tended to identify her as a Baptist, following the rejection of infant baptism that she records in her biography of her husband, John Hutchinson. But the recent publication of her theological writings allows for a more complicated account of her changing religious views. In the Life, Lucy Hutchinson showed how her husband’s theological commitments radicalized after the Restoration. His turn away from Protestant scholasticism towards a more independent engagement with the Bible facilitated his investigation of millennial theory. After his death, Lucy Hutchinson continued this autonomous theological exploration, and moved further from the orthodox mainstream. After the mid-1660s, she prepared a sequence of theological writings that evidence her increasingly eclectic religious style. These documents suggest that she did not resolve some of her most dramatic movements away from Reformed orthodoxy. In these writings, Hutchinson negotiated a critical distance from her husband’s legacy, the Reformed confessional tradition, and the options available in any of the available dissenting congregations.
Keep calm and carry on: electrophysiological evaluation of emotional anticipation in the second language
Authors: Jończyk Rafał , Korolczuk Inga , Balatsou Evangelia , Thierry Guillaume
Published: August 2019

Investigations of the so-called ‘foreign language effect’ have shown that emotional experience is language-dependent in bilingual individuals. Response to negative experiences, in particular, appears attenuated in the second language (L2). However, the human brain is not only reactive, but it also builds on past experiences to anticipate future events. Here, we investigated affective anticipation in immersed Polish–English bilinguals using a priming paradigm in which a verbal cue of controlled affective valence allowed making predictions about a subsequent picture target. As expected, native word cues with a negative valence increased the amplitude of the stimulus preceding negativity, an electrophysiological marker of affective anticipation, as compared with neutral ones. This effect was observed in Polish–English bilinguals and English monolinguals alike. The contrast was non-significant when Polish participants were tested in English, suggesting a possible reduction in affective sensitivity in L2. However, this reduction was not validated by a critical language × valence interaction in the bilingual group, possibly because they were highly fluent in English and because the affective stimuli used in the present study were particularly mild. These results, which are neither fully consistent nor inconsistent with the foreign language effect, provide initial insights into the electrophysiology of affective anticipation in bilingualism.
Increased neural reactivity to emotional pictures in men with high hair testosterone concentrations
Authors: Klein Sanja , Kruse Onno , Tapia León Isabell , Stalder Tobias , Stark Rudolf , Klucken Tim
Published: August 2019

Testosterone has been linked to alterations in the activity of emotion neurocircuitry including amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and insula and diminished functional amygdala/prefrontal coupling. Such associations have only ever been studied using acute measures of testosterone, thus little is known about respective relationships with long-term testosterone secretion. Here, we examine associations between hair testosterone concentration (HTC), an index of long-term cumulative testosterone levels and neural reactivity during an emotional passive viewing task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Forty-six men viewed negative, positive and neutral pictures in the MRI. HTCs were assessed from 2 cm hair segments. The emotional paradigm elicited neural activation in the amygdala, insula and OFC. HTCs were associated with increased reactivity to negative pictures in the insula and increased reactivity to positive pictures in the OFC. We show an association of long-term testosterone levels with increased emotional reactivity in the brain. These results suggest a heightened emotional vigilance in individuals with high trait testosterone levels.
Potato virus Y; the Andean connection
Authors: Fuentes Segundo , Jones Roger A C , Matsuoka Hiroki , Ohshima Kazusato , Kreuze Jan , Gibbs Adrian J
Published: August 2019

Potato virus Y (PVY) causes disease in potatoes and other solanaceous crops. The appearance of its necrogenic strains in the 1980s made it the most economically important virus of potatoes. We report the isolation and genomic sequences of 32 Peruvian isolates of PVY which, together with 428 published PVY genomic sequences, gave an alignment of 460 sequences. Of these 190 (41%) were non-recombinant, and 162 of these provided a dated phylogeny, that corresponds well with the likely history of PVY, and show that PVY originated in South America which is where potatoes were first domesticated. The most basal divergences of the PVY population produced the N and C: O phylogroups; the origin of the N phylogroup is clearly Andean, but that of the O and C phylogroups is unknown, although they may have been first to establish in European crops. The current PVY population originated around 156 CE. PVY was probably first taken from South America to Europe in the 16th century in tubers. Most of the present PVY diversity emerged in the second half of the 19th century, after the Phytophthora infestans epidemics of the mid-19th century destroyed the European crop and stimulated potato breeding. Imported breeding lines were shared, and there was no quarantine. The early O population was joined later by N phylogroup isolates and their recombinants generated the R1 and R2 populations of damaging necrogenic strains. Our dating study has confirmed that human activity has dominated the phylodynamics of PVY for the last two millennia.
18Popular Culture
Authors: Potts Tracey
Published: August 2019

This year’s chapter explores themes of consumption, popular culture, and sustainability in publications from 2018. Starting with the biggest issue we face today—climate change—the aim is to survey and complicate the picture of the consumer and consumer culture by way of refusing some of the more glib accounts of over-consumption. The heavy lifting of the discussion is accomplished by an article that dissects recent scholarship around consumer practice and the environment. This article then forms a framework for looking at books on souvenirs, pop music heritage, digital music, and American popular culture, ending with a sustained look at the cultural anatomy of the hamburger.
Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) crocodyliforms from north-eastern Iberia: a first attempt to explain the crocodyliform diversity based on tooth qualitative traits
Authors: Blanco Alejandro , Puértolas-Pascual Eduardo , Marmi Josep , Moncunill-Solé Blanca , Llácer Sergio , Rössner Gertrud E
Published: August 2019

During recent years, knowledge about crocodyliform diversity of the uppermost Cretaceous from Europe has been substantially improved. Palaeontological efforts have also been focused on microvertebrate diversity and its palaeoecological implications. Isolated crocodylomorph teeth are, by far, one of the most frequently recovered elements in microvertebrate samples. In the present paper, morphological features of crocodylomorph teeth collected throughout the complete Maastrichtian series of the southern Pyrenean basin (north-eastern Spain), together with several mandibular remains, are described and analysed. Teeth were grouped in morphotypes and their taxonomic significance is discussed. The results highlight a diverse crocodylomorph assemblage in this area throughout the Maastrichtian. In addition, feeding habits and environmental preferences are inferred for the identified taxa according to dental features, occurrences and taphonomy.
The VirAnnot Pipeline: A Resource for Automated Viral Diversity Estimation and Operational Taxonomy Units Assignation for Virome Sequencing Data
Authors: Lefebvre Marie , Theil Sébastien , Ma Yuxin , Candresse Thierry
Published: August 2019

Viral metagenomics relies on high-throughput sequencing and on bioinformatic analyses to access the genetic content and diversity of entire viral communities. No universally accepted strategy or tool currently exists to define operational taxonomy units (OTUs) and evaluate viral alpha or beta diversity from virome data. Here we present a new bioinformatic resource, the VirAnnot (automated viral diversity estimation) pipeline, which performs the automated identification of OTUs. Reverse-position-specific BLAST (RPS-Blastn) is used to detect conserved viral protein motifs. The corresponding contigs are then aligned and a clustering approach is used to group in the same OTU contigs sharing more than a set identity threshold. A 10% threshold has been validated as producing OTUs that reasonably approach, in many families, the International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses taxonomy and can therefore be used as a proxy to viral species.
Changes in Winter Squash Fruit Exocarp Structure Associated with Age-Related Resistance to Phytophthora capsici
Authors: Alzohairy Safa A. , Hammerschmidt Raymond , Hausbeck Mary K.
Published: August 2019

Phytophthora capsici is a destructive pathogen of cucurbits that causes root, crown, and fruit rot. Winter squash (Cucurbita spp.) production is limited by this pathogen in Michigan and other U.S. growing regions. Age-related resistance (ARR) to P. capsici occurs in C. moschata fruit but is negated by wounding. This study aimed to determine whether structural barriers to infection exist in the intact exocarp of maturing fruit exhibiting ARR. Five C. moschata cultivars were evaluated for resistance to P. capsici 10, 14, 16, 18, and 21 days postpollination (dpp). Scanning electron microscopy imaging of Chieftain butternut fruit exocarp of susceptible fruit at 7 dpp and resistant fruit at 14 and 21 dpp revealed significant increases in cuticle and epidermal thicknesses as fruit aged. P. capsici hyphae penetrated susceptible fruit at 7 dpp directly from the surface or through wounds before 6 h postinoculation (hpi) and completely degraded the fruit cell wall within 48 hpi. Resistant fruit remained unaffected at 14 and 21 dpp. The high correlation between the formation of a thickened cuticle and epidermis in maturing winter squash fruit and resistance to P. capsici indicates the presence of a structural barrier to P. capsici as the fruit matures.
Activated Thiol Sepharose‐based proteomic approach to quantify reversible protein oxidation
Authors: Xu Yang , Andrade Joshua , Ueberheide Beatrix , Neel Benjamin G.
Published: August 2019

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can act as second messengers in various signaling pathways, and abnormal oxidation contributes to multiple diseases, including cancer. Detecting and quantifying protein oxidation is crucial for a detailed understanding of reduction‐oxidation reaction (redox) signaling. We developed an Activated Thiol Sepharose‐based proteomic (ATSP) approach to quantify reversible protein oxidation. ATSP can enrich H2O2‐sensitive thiol peptides, which are more likely to contain reactive cysteines involved in redox signaling. We applied our approach to analyze hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC), a type of kidney cancer that harbors fumarate hydratase (FH)‐inactivating mutations and has elevated ROS levels. Multiple proteins were oxidized in FH‐deficient cells, including many metabolic proteins such as the pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2). Treatment of HLRCC cells with dimethyl fumarate or PKM2 activators altered PKM2 oxidation levels. Finally, we found that ATSP could detect Src homology region 2 domain‐containing phosphatase‐2 and PKM2 oxidation in cells stimulated with platelet‐derived growth factor. This newly developed redox proteomics workflow can detect reversible oxidation of reactive cysteines and can be employed to analyze multiple physiologic and pathologic conditions.—Xu, Y., Andrade, J., Ueberheide, B., Neel, B. G. Activated Thiol Sepharose‐based proteomic approach to quantify reversible protein oxidation. FASEB J. 33, 12336–12347 (2019). www.fasebj.org
CK19 stabilizes CFTR at the cell surface by limiting its endocytic pathway degradation
Authors: Hou Xia , Wu Qingtian , Rajagopalan Carthic , Zhang Chunbing , Bouhamdan Mohamad , Wei Hongguang , Chen Xuequn , Zaman Khalequz , Li Chunying , Sun Xiaonan , Chen Song , Frizzell Raymond A. , Sun Fei
Published: August 2019

Protein interactions that stabilize the cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) at the apical membranes of epithelial cells have not yet been fully elucidated. We identified keratin 19 (CK19 or K19) as a novel CFTR‐interacting protein. CK19 overexpression stabilized both wild‐type (WT)‐CFTR and Lumacaftor (VX‐809)–rescued F508del‐CFTR (where F508del is the deletion of the phenylalanine residue at position 508) at the plasma membrane (PM), promoting Cl– secretion across human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. CK19 prevention of Rab7A‐mediated lysosomal degradation was a key mechanism in apical CFTR stabilization. Unexpectedly, CK19 expression was decreased by ~40% in primary HBE cells from homogenous F508del patients with CF relative to non‐CF controls. CK19 also positively regulated multidrug resistance–associated protein 4 expression at the PM, suggesting that this keratin may regulate the apical expression of other ATP‐binding cassette proteins as well as CFTR.—Hou, X., Wu, Q., Rajagopalan, C., Zhang, C., Bouhamdan, M., Wei, H., Chen, X., Zaman, K., Li, C., Sun, X., Chen, S., Frizzell, R. A., Sun, F. CK19 stabilizes CFTR at the cell surface by limiting its endocytic pathway degradation. FASEB J. 33, 12602–12615 (2019). www.fasebj.org
A Novel Anatomic Landmark to Assess Adequate Decompression in Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery
Authors: Aleem Ilyas S. , Alder Jason , Popper Joseph , Freedman Brett , Nassr Ahmad , Bydon Mohamad , Yaszemski Michael J. , Currier Bradford L.
Published: August 2019

Study Design:

A retrospective study.

Objectives:

(1) To assess the reliability of using the posterior endplate valley (PEV) to predict the cranial-caudal location of the cervical pedicle intraoperatively; (2) to assess the impact of age on the cervical PEV-pedicle relationship, interpedicular distance, and foraminal height.

Summary of Background Data:

The cervical pedicle, which is the anatomic landmark defining the boundaries of the foramen, is hidden from view intraoperatively in the anterior cervical approach, potentially leading to incomplete foraminal decompression. An intraoperative landmark which heralds the location of the pedicle and therefore can be relied upon as a guide for decompression has not been previously described.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed cervical computed tomography images of younger (<50 y) and older (>50 y) patients. Using the coronal reconstructed image taken at the posterior margin of the vertebral body, we constructed a line between the superior aspect of the pedicles and measured the distance from this line to the PEV. Interpedicular distance and foraminal height were also measured.

Results:

One hundred patients were included in the final analysis. The mean distance (mm) from the pedicular line to the PEV from C3 to C7 respectively was 1.0±0.99, 0.01±0.76, 0.09±0.70, 0.20±0.71, and 0.27±0.79. No significant difference between young and elderly patients was noted (P<0.05). Intervertebral foraminal size was significantly greater in younger compared with elderly patients at all levels except C2–C3. The mean interpedicular distance was 23.05±1.76 mm.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates, for the first time, that the PEV is an accurate surgical landmark that is consistently at most 1 mm from the superior aspect of the cervical pedicle in the subaxial spine. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that foraminal height was significantly larger in younger compared with elderly patients at all cervical levels below C3.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.
Spinal Epidural Venous Plexus Pathology in Hirayama Disease
Authors: Macey Mathew B. , Ho Doreen T. , Parres Christopher M. , Small Juan E.
Published: August 2019

Hirayama disease is a rare juvenile amyotrophy that is often misdiagnosed as an unrelated, relentlessly progressive disease. We present the case of an 18-year-old man who presented with weakness and atrophy of the right forearm and hand. Dynamic cervical magnetic resonance imaging was used, revealing the classic findings of epidural venous plexus dilation and anterior displacement of the dural sac. In addition, dilation of the external vertebral venous plexus was visualized. We discuss the clinical utility of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging and the underlying pathophysiology of these findings in Hirayama disease.
Phenotypic Differences in 2 Unrelated Cases Carrying Identical DOK7 Mutations
Authors: Bissay Véronique , Maselli Ricardo A.
Published: August 2019

Introduction:

Mutations in the Dok-7 gene (DOK7) underlie a congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) with a characteristic limb-girdle (LG) pattern of muscle weakness. Multiple clinical findings and a wide clinical heterogeneity have been identified in this form of CMS.

Methods:

We describe here 2 unrelated adult patients who presented with a LG CMS, caused by 2 compound heterozygous pathogenic sequence variants in DOK7: c.1124_1127dupTGCC (P.Ala378Serfs*30) and c.480C> A (p.Tyr160*).

Results:

Although both patients presented with severe proximal weakness consistent with LG myasthenia, one of the patients presented with additional distal muscle involvement in the lower extremities. By contrast, the other patient had severe bulbar and respiratory deficit requiring gastric tube feeding and mechanical ventilatory support for most parts of the day.

Discussion:

These 2 cases illustrate the lack of phenotype–genotype correlation and the absence of geographic, genetic, and ethnic association in cases of LG CMS caused by DOK7 mutations.
LIFELONG PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHIC LESIONS IN A PATIENT WITH PARTIAL ACQUIRED LIPODYSTROPHY (BARRAQUER–SIMONS SYNDROME)
Authors: Gaboriau Thibaut , Rigalleau Vincent , Rougier Marie-Bénédicte , Korobelnik Jean-François , Delyfer Marie-Noëlle
Published: August 2019

Purpose:

To report a case of lifelong progressive retinal atrophic lesions in a patient with partial acquired lipodystrophy, that is, Barraquer–Simons syndrome.

Methods:

Case report.

Results:

A 67-year-old female patient with Barraquer–Simons syndrome was referred for progressive visual loss. Barraquer–Simons syndrome is a rare acquired partial lipodystrophy characterized by a loss of subcutaneous fat in the upper half of the body. Fundus examination disclosed posterior atrophic lesions, particularly evident on autofluorescence images, and their progression as compared to a previous examination performed nine years earlier. Multimodal imaging confirmed the posterior atrophic lesions without any associated exudative signs and highlighted the extension of atrophic areas in the periphery.

Conclusion:

We here report for the first time a documented progressive retinal atrophy associated with Barraquer–Simons syndrome. Drusen and neovascular complications have already been described in previous reports, but no long-term follow-up was available until the present case to observe such dramatic evolution of the retinal lesions.
Characteristics of Infectious Keratitis in Bandage Contact Lens Wear Patients
Authors: Zhu Binbin , Liu Yunfang , Lin Lin , Huang Xiaodan , Zhang Yue , Zheng Jiao , Jin Xiuming
Published: August 2019

Objective:

The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of infectious keratitis in patients wearing bandage contact lenses (BCLs).

Methods:

The BCL-related infectious keratitis cases were reviewed at the eye center of the Second Affiliated Hospital at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2015 to August 2018. Detailed information about the patients with infectious keratitis was collected, including the age, gender, clinical characteristics, culture results, and other measures. All the data analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows version 24.0.

Results:

From January 2015 until August 2018, 6,385 eyes of 6,188 patients, including 3,410 males and 2,778 females, received BCLs at our hospital. The mean age of these patients was 48.10±20.81 years (range=15–78 years). The mean BCL wearing time was 18.98±23.72 days (range=1–58 days). Eight patients (0.13%) with infectious keratitis were identified, and the mean age of these patients was 54.33±28.14 years (range=16–75 years). Seven of the infectious keratitis patients were older than 50 years, and one patient was 16 years old. The infectious keratitis incidence rate of the older patients (≥50 years) was significantly higher than that of the young patients (<50 years) (χ2=9.647, P=0.002). There was a higher postkeratoplasty risk of BCL-related infectious keratitis than that in the corneal epithelial defect (χ2=21.371, P=0.000) and pterygium surgery (χ2=16.037, P=0.000) cases, but not in the corneal collagen cross-linking cases (χ2=1.792, P=0.181). The mean onset time of BCL-related infectious keratitis was 22.63±18.72 days (range=3–58 days) after wearing the BCLs. Among these 8 infected patients, 3 were noncompliant with their eye drop use and 2 extended their BCL wearing time past 30 days.

Conclusion:

Bandage CL–related infectious keratitis is more likely to occur in older patients. The most common risk factor for BCL-related infectious keratitis was postkeratoplasty use. Overall, appropriate indications, good compliance, and close follow-up attention are required for BCL wearers.
Comparison of Biomechanically Corrected Intraocular Pressure Obtained by Corvis ST and Goldmann Applanation Tonometry in Patients With Open-angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension
Authors: Ye Yiming , Yang Yangfan , Fan Yanmei , Lan Min , Yu Keming , Yu Minbin
Published: August 2019

Precis:

Biomechanically corrected intraocular pressure (bIOP) measurements provided by the new Corvis ST (CST) were higher than measurements obtained with Goldman applanation tonometry (GAT) in eyes with ocular hypertension (OHT) or open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Purpose:

To compare bIOP obtained with a new version of CST with GAT measurements in patients with OAG and OHT, and to identify factors affecting IOP measurement differences between these methods.

Methods:

A total of 122 eyes with OAG or OHT were enrolled. Sixty eyes were treated with prostaglandin analogs (PGA) and 62 eyes with selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). IOP was measured with CST, followed by GAT. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured with ultrasound pachymetry. Measurements obtained with these 2 approaches were compared.

Results:

The overall mean IOP was 15.2±3.0 mm Hg and 14.1±3.2 mm Hg with the CST and GAT, respectively (r=0.74; P<0.0001). There was a 1.17 mm Hg bias between tonometers, with 95% limits of agreement of −2.66 to 5.01 mm Hg. According to multivariate regression analysis, differences between bIOP and GAT-IOP were associated with CCT (P=0.001) and age (P=0.007) in the PGA group, but only with CCT in the SLT group (P=0.002). bIOP and GAT-IOP values were influenced by age (PGA: P=0.014; SLT: P=0.006) and CCT (PGA: P=0.007; SLT: P=0.032), respectively.

Conclusions:

BIOP values were higher and less affected by CCT than GAT-IOP values in eyes with OAG and OHT. However, these measurements may not be interchangeable in the clinic.
Understanding patient motivations for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis initiation and adherence
Authors: Chu Minseung , Cotler Karen , Yingling Charles
Published: August 2019

Consistent dosing of tenofovir/emtricitabine-based HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce HIV infection risk by up to 92%. However, clinical trials have shown low PrEP adherence (34–71%), resulting in reduced effectiveness. To improve PrEP's effectiveness, adherence to a daily PrEP regimen is essential. This report explores patients' patterns of PrEP initiation and use and their PrEP-related perceptions to provide greater understanding of patient motivations for beginning and adhering to PrEP. At two urban primary care clinics, individual coaching sessions that included semistructured interviews were offered to 10 PrEP patients. Regarding PrEP initiation, 30% of patients were advised to use PrEP by their nurse practitioners (NPs), while the remaining patients requested PrEP themselves. Before they initiated PrEP, all patients were familiar with it through social contacts or internet-based research. Patients' PrEP-related perceptions were identified, including perceived pros and cons of PrEP use, and degrees of PrEP knowledge, uncertainty, and fear. Primary care NPs should take detailed sexual histories to avoid overlooking PrEP candidates. In addition, primary care NPs should introduce easy-to-access, Internet-based resources to reinforce patient education. Last, PrEP promotional campaigns should be focused at the community level in gay, bisexual, transgender and queer populations.