bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trypanosoma cruzisenses intracellular heme levels and regulates heme homeostasis by modulatingTcHTE protein expression
Authors: Pagura Lucas , Tevere Evelyn , Merli Marcelo L. , Cricco Julia A.
Published: January 2020

Heme is an essential cofactor for many biological processes in aerobic organisms. Unlike most organisms, which can synthesize itde novothrough a conserved pathway, the etiological agent of Chagas disease,Trypanosoma cruzi, as well as other trypanosomatids relevant for human health, are heme auxotrophs; thereby they must import it from the hosts.TcHTE protein is involved inT. cruziheme transport, although its specific role remains elusive. In the present work we studied endogenousTcHTE in the different life cycle stages of the parasite in order to gain insight in its function in heme transport and homeostasis. We have confirmed thatTcHTE is predominantly detected in replicative stages (epimastigote and amastigote). We have also demonstrated thatT. cruziepimastigotes can sense intracellular heme content by an unknown mechanism and regulates heme transport to adapt to changing conditions. Based on these results, we propose a model in whichT. cruzisenses intracellular heme and regulates heme transport activity adjusting the expression ofTcHTE. The elucidation and characterization of heme transport and homeostasis will contribute to a better understanding ofT. cruzibiology as well as other trypanosomatids, pointing out this pathway as a novel drug target for therapeutics.
PIE-FLIM measurements of two different FRET-based biosensor activities in the same living cells
Authors: Reissaus C.A. , Day K.H. , Mirmira R.G. , Dunn K.W. , Pavalko F.M. , Day R.N.
Published: January 2020

We report the use of pulsed interleaved excitation-fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (PIE-FLIM) to measure the activities of two different biosensor probes simultaneously in single living cells. Many genetically encoded biosensors rely on the measurement of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to detect changes in biosensor conformation that accompany the targeted cell signaling event. One of the most robust ways of quantifying FRET is to measure changes in the fluorescence lifetime of the donor fluorophore using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). The study of complex signaling networks in living cells demands the ability to track more than one of these cellular events at the same time. Here, we demonstrate how PIE-FLIM can separate and quantify the signals from different FRET-based biosensors to simultaneously measure changes in the activity of two cell signaling pathways in the same living cells in tissues. The imaging system described here uses selectable laser wavelengths and synchronized detection gating that can be tailored and optimized for each FRET pair. Proof-of-principle studies showing simultaneous measurement of cytosolic calcium and protein kinase A activity are shown, but the PIE-FLIM approach is broadly applicable to other signaling pathways.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Here, we demonstrate that PIE-FLIM can separate and quantify the signals from two different FRETbased biosensors expressed in the same cells in intact tissues. PIE imaging excites the sample with two pulsed lasers of different wavelengths. The individual excitation pulses are delayed relative to one-another so that they are interleaved at the sample, and the detection channels are synchronized to the laser pulses to permit the discrete measurement of two different probe lifetimes. This enables the independent quantification of changing signals from two FRET-based biosensors. The advantage of PIE-FLIM for multiplexed imaging of FRET-based biosensor probes is that the different donor emission signals are separated in time as well as in spectral space minimizing the problem of crosstalk.
Plasticity and habitat choice match colour to function in an ambush bug
Authors: Boyle Julia , Start Denon
Published: January 2020

Individuals aim to maximize their fitness by matching their own phenotype to the optimum phenotype in their environment. Individuals can achieve matching through several mechanisms including habitat choice and adaptive plasticity.

A key trait of interest to biologists is colour, with background matching reciprocally camouflaging predators and prey. However, the multiple mechanisms matching an individual's colour to their background, and its consequences for function (e.g. species interactions), are rarely explored simultaneously.

Here we investigate colour variation in ambush bugs, Phymata americana, that feed on insects visiting white and yellow flowers. We conducted surveys of wild populations to establish phenotype–environment matching and its effects on prey capture, then performed habitat choice and plasticity (colour change) trials to test for the mechanisms underlying putative patterns of habitat matching.

Ambush bugs matched their background—yellower ambush bugs were found on yellow flowers and whiter ambush bugs on white flowers, and matching increased prey capture. This pattern was seemingly driven by a combination of plasticity and habitat choice.

Our study highlights how organisms can optimize trait values through a combination of plasticity and habitat choice with tangible effects on individual performance. We suggest that multiple mechanisms interactively shape phenotypes, optimizing function and fitness in the wild.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Language ability and adult homelessness
Authors: Pluck Graham , Barajas Brittany M. , Hernandez‐Rodriguez José L. , Martínez María A.
Published: January 2020

Background

People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of neurological disorder due to multiple factors such as substance abuse, infection, and higher rates of serious mental illness and traumatic brain injury. This could affect cognitive and language skills. Indeed, past research has suggested that certain language‐related skills tend to be lower in people experiencing homelessness. However, that research has compared homeless samples with age‐matched normative samples and not with samples of people from similar socio‐economic backgrounds. Therefore, it is unclear whether homelessness is even a relevant factor, or if adults who are homeless tend to have appropriate linguistic skills relative to their social and educational background.

Aims

To compare the language skills of a group of adults with histories of homelessness with an education‐matched control group. It was hypothesized that participants with histories of homelessness would have worse language performance than their matched controls.

Methods & Procedures

A quasi‐experimental design was employed involving 17 adults with histories of homelessness, mainly rough sleeping, in the city of Quito in Ecuador, and a sample of 16 adults who had never been homeless. All were assessed with measures of head injury, substance dependence, affective disorder and language skills. A paired‐sample analysis was performed on homeless and control participants matched for educational background, used as an index of socio‐economic background.

Outcomes & Results

The mean years of formal education was low in both the homeless sample (mean = 5.82 years) and the control sample (mean = 6.75 years). There were no differences between the groups for any demographic or clinical factors, nor for a measure of expected or ‘premorbid’ ability based on single‐word reading, nor for current non‐verbal cognitive functioning. In contrast, the homeless group scored significantly worse than the control group on measures of auditory comprehension and oral expression.

Conclusions & Implications

Adults with histories of homelessness may have worse language skills than would be expected based on their educational backgrounds and non‐verbal cognitive abilities. It is possible that some of this lower language ability is pathological, in the form of either a developmental language disorder or an acquired impairment. As such, some adults who are homeless may benefit from therapy directed at clinical language disorders.
The Dog that Did Not Bark: Limited Price Efficiency and Strategic Nondisclosure
Authors: ZHOU FRANK S. , ZHOU YUQING
Published: January 2020

Theory posits that investors can rationally infer the implications of strategic nondisclosure for firm value, pressuring managers to disclose information voluntarily. This study documents that the lack of an earnings guidance predicts an abnormal return of −41 basis points around the subsequent quarterly earnings announcement, suggesting that investors do not fully incorporate the implications of nonguidance. Further analyses demonstrate that limitations in price efficiency, driven by investors' limited attention and short‐selling constraints, explain the mispricing of nonguidance and are associated with less guidance issuance. Our results collectively highlight limited price efficiency as another friction when studying managers' strategic disclosure decisions.
Salvage surgery using simultaneous clamshell thoracotomy with median sternotomy for mediastinal growing teratoma syndrome
Authors: Kao Chieh‐Ni , Chou Shah‐Hwa , Huang Chien‐Lin , Lin Chih‐Hung , Chiang Hung‐Hsing , Lee Jui‐Ying , Li Hsien‐Pin , Chang Po‐Chih , Liu Yu‐Wei
Published: January 2020

This report describes the case of a 17‐year‐old man who developed mediastinal growing teratoma syndrome following two cycles of chemotherapy, after an initial diagnosis of primary mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumor. The large, rapidly‐growing mediastinal tumor was completely resected in conjunction with right pneumonectomy, using simultaneous clamshell thoracotomy and median sternotomy. The salvage surgery with perioperative management involved in mediastinal growing teratoma syndrome is presented here.

Key points

Significant findings of the study

The diagnosis and surgical management are challenging for patients with mediastinal growing teratoma syndrome. Nevertheless, with proper operative planning, favorable outcomes can be attained with complete resection despite the characteristic rapid growth and massive size of these neoplasms.

What this study adds

In spite of postoperative sternal dehiscence, we believe that a simultaneous clamshell thoracotomy with median sternotomy approach remains a viable option for an extremely large mediastinal growing teratoma, when tumor size prevents safe resection using other approaches due to limited visualization.
Nursing Diagnosis Risk for Delayed Surgical Recovery (00246) in Adult and Elderly: A Case‐Control Study
Authors: Rembold Simone Martins , Santana Rosimere Ferreira , de Oliveira Lopes Marcos Venicios , Melo Uyara Garcia
Published: January 2020

PURPOSE

The study's objective was the clinical validation of the nursing diagnosis Risk for delayed surgical recovery (00246).

METHOD

Case control study was conducted in a university hospital; the charts of 239 patient, 71 cases and 168 controls. Odds ratio was calculated for the association between each risk factor and the outcome of delayed surgical recovery.

RESULTS

Risk factors with higher odds of association were malnutrition, pain, and postoperative emotional response. The associated conditions were perioperative surgical site infection, psychological disorder in the postoperative period, and surgical site contamination.

CONCLUSION

Risk factors have different impact on the postoperative recovery.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Knowing the magnitude of the risk factors allows a decision making best interventions for a fast surgical recovery.
LD scores are associated with differences in allele frequencies between populations but LD score regression can still distinguish confounding from polygenicity
Authors: Alexander Mason , Curtis David
Published: January 2020

The linkage disequilibrium (LD) score regression method tests whether there is an association between the LD score and allele frequency differences between cases and controls. It makes the assumption that there is no association between LD score and allele frequency differences among populations and hence that any observed association is the result of a polygenic effect rather than population stratification. This assumption was previously tested only using European cohorts. In comparisons among more diverse HapMap populations, we observe that there is indeed an association between the LD score and allele frequency differences. However, this effect is small and when we carry out simulations of large case‐control samples, the effect becomes negligible. We conclude that if the intercept is small then any increase in mean chi‐squared does indeed reflect a polygenic effect rather than population stratification.
Outcomes for patients with delirium receiving hospital‐in‐the‐home treatment: An Australian perspective
Authors: Chia June , Eeles Eamonn Michael , Tattam Kym , Yerkovich Stephanie
Published: January 2020

Objective

To evaluate the safety (mortality and readmissions) and efficiency (length of stay) of the hospital‐in‐the‐home delirium pathway (THDP) compared with hospital‐based care.

Methods

Patients admitted to THDP were compared against an age‐matched cohort of patients with delirium managed entirely in hospital. Outcome data were obtained through retrospective chart review, and hospital coding was used to identify controls.

Results

Ninety‐six patients were included in this study, of which 46 were managed on THDP. There was a significant frailty and co‐morbidity burden with no differences in the demographic profile between groups. Inpatient length of stay was shorter on THDP (THDP mean 8 days, control 11 days; P = .02). One‐month mortality was 13% in THDP compared with 24% in the control group (P = .2). One‐month readmission was 30% in THDP and 18% in the control group (P = .23).

Conclusion

The hospital‐in‐the‐home delirium pathway is a promising alternative to in‐hospital delirium care for selected patients.
Genetic and pharmacological inactivation of astroglial connexin 43 differentially influences the acute response of antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs
Authors: Portal Benjamin , Delcourte Sarah , Rovera Renaud , Lejards Camille , Bullich Sebastien , Malnou Cécile E. , Haddjeri Nasser , Déglon Nicole , Guiard Bruno P.
Published: January 2020

Aim

Astroglial connexins (Cxs) 30 and 43 are engaged in gap junction and hemichannel activities. Evidence suggests that these functional entities contribute to regulating neurotransmission, thereby influencing brain functions. In particular, preclinical and clinical findings highlight a role of Cx43 in animal models of depression. However, the role of these proteins in response to currently available psychotropic drugs is still unknown.

Methods

To investigate this, we evaluated the behavioural effects of the genetic and pharmacological inactivation of Cx43 on the antidepressant‐ and anxiolytic‐like activities of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine and the benzodiazepine diazepam, respectively.

Results

A single administration of fluoxetine (18 mg/kg; i.p.) produced a higher increase in hippocampal extracellular serotonin levels, and a greater antidepressant‐like effect in the tail suspension test in Cx43 knock‐down (KD) mice bred on a C57BL/6 background compared to their wild‐type littermates. Similarly, in outbred Swiss wild‐type mice, the intra‐hippocampal injection of a shRNA‐Cx43 or the acute systemic injection of the Cxs inhibitor carbenoxolone (CBX: 10 mg/kg; i.p.) potentiated the antidepressant‐like effects of fluoxetine. Evaluating the effects of such strategies on diazepam (0.5 mg/kg; i.p.), the results indicate that Cx43 KD mice or wild‐types injected with a shRNA‐Cx43 in the amygdala, but not in the hippocampus, attenuated the anxiolytic‐like effects of this benzodiazepine in the elevated plus maze. The chronic systemic administration of CBX mimicked the latter observations.

Conclusion

Collectively, these data pave the way to the development of potentiating strategies in the field of psychiatry based on the modulation of astroglial Cx43.
A comparison of asparaginase activity in generic formulations of E.coli derived L‐ asparaginase: In‐vitro study and retrospective analysis of asparaginase monitoring in pediatric patients with leukemia
Authors: Sankaran Hari , Sengupta Soumika , Purohit Vaitashi , Kotagere Anand , Moulik Nirmalya Roy , Prasad Maya , Dhamne Chetan , Narula Gaurav , Banavali Shripad , Gota Vikram
Published: January 2020

Aims

L‐asparaginase is an essential medicine in the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the quality of generic formulations is an area of concern. We compared nine generic formulations of L‐asparaginase available in India with the innovator.

Methods

The quality of formulations was assessed by measuring 72‐hour trough asparaginase activity in children with ALL during induction following administration of 10,000 IU/m2 of L‐asparaginase. In‐vitro analysis of the label claim was assessed by measuring activity of three generic formulations. Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was used to determine the amount of host contaminant proteins (HCPs) in the formulations.

Results

Between March 2015 to June 2018, 240 samples from 195 patients were analyzed. The number of samples analyzed ranged from 7–66 per generic brand (median: 18) and seven of the innovator. The proportion of generic formulations that failed to achieve a predefined clinical threshold activity of 50 IU/L ranged from 16.7% (2/12) to 84.9% (28/33) in the highest activity to lowest activity generic respectively. On other hand, all innovator samples had activity greater than 50 IU/L. In‐vitro asparaginase activity in the three generic formulations tested ranged from 71.4–74.6% of the label claim (10,000 IU) compared to 93.5% for the innovator. LC/MS analysis of generic 5 identified 25 HCPs with a relative peptide count of 27.1% of the total peptides.

Conclusions

Generic formulations had lower asparaginase activity which raises serious clinical concerns regarding their quality. Until stringent regulatory enforcement improves the quality of these generics, dose adaptive strategies coupled with therapeutic drug monitoring need to be considered.
Interstitial chromosomal deletion of the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 locus is a signature for radiation‐associated renal tumors in Eker rats
Authors: Inoue Tatsuya , Kokubo Toshiaki , Daino Kazuhiro , Yanagihara Hiromi , Watanabe Fumiko , Tsuruoka Chizuru , Amasaki Yoshiko , Morioka Takamitsu , Homma‐Takeda Shino , Kobayashi Toshiyuki , Hino Okio , Shimada Yoshiya , Kakinuma Shizuko
Published: January 2020

Ionizing radiation can damage DNA and, therefore, is a risk factor for cancer. Eker rats, which carry a heterozygous germline mutation in the tumor‐suppressor gene tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (Tsc2), are susceptible to radiation‐induced renal carcinogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in Tsc2 inactivation are unclear. We subjected Fischer 344 × Eker (Long Evans Tsc2+/−) F1 hybrid rats to gamma‐irradiation (2 Gy) at gestational day 19 (GD19) or postnatal day 5 (PND5) and investigated the patterns of genomic alterations in the Tsc2 allele of renal tumors that developed at 1 year after irradiation (N = 24 tumors for GD19, N = 10 for PND5), in comparison with spontaneously developed tumors (N = 8 tumors). Gamma‐irradiation significantly increased the multiplicity of renal tumors. The frequency of LOH at the chromosome 10q12 region, including the Tsc2 locus, was 38%, 29% and 60% in renal carcinomas developed from the nonirradiated, GD19 and PND5 groups, respectively. Array comparative genomic hybridization analysis revealed that the LOH patterns on chromosome 10 in renal carcinomas were classified into chromosomal missegregation, mitotic recombination and chromosomal deletion types. LOH of the interstitial chromosomal deletion type was observed only in radiation‐associated carcinomas. Sequence analysis for the wild‐type Tsc2 allele in the LOH‐negative carcinomas identified deletions (nonirradiated: 26%; GD19: 21%) and base‐substitution mutations (GD19: 4%). Reduced expression of Tsc2 was also observed in the majority of the LOH‐negative carcinomas. Our results suggest that interstitial chromosomal deletion is a characteristic mutagenic event caused by ionizing radiation, and it may contribute to the assessment of radiation‐induced cancer risk.
Response of FcεRI‐bearing leucocytes to omalizumab in chronic spontaneous urticaria
Authors: Alizadeh Aghdam Mehran , Knol Edward F. , van den Elzen Mignon , den Hartog Jager Constance , van Os‐Medendorp Harmieke , Knulst André C. , Otten Henny G. , Röckmann Heike
Published: January 2020

Background

The pathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and the mechanism of action of omalizumab in CSU remain unclear.

Objective

In this study, we assessed the responsiveness and FcεRI expression of various subsets of leucocytes in patients with CSU treated with omalizumab.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, 30 patients were treated with 6 administrations of 300 mg omalizumab every 4 weeks, followed by a follow‐up period of 12 weeks. FcεRI expression and the percentage of basophils, monocytes, and dendritic cell subsets were analysed before and during treatment, and after follow‐up. In addition, anti‐IgE– and C5a‐induced basophil degranulation was measured. The results were correlated with disease activity and response to omalizumab.

Results

In addition to a rapid and significant reduction in FcεRI on basophils, we demonstrated a reduction in FcεRI on plasmacytoid dendritic cells during omalizumab treatment, which persisted until 3 months after discontinuation. FcεRI expression on basophils and its reduction did not correlate with the treatment response. Omalizumab led to an increased percentage of basophils in blood but not of the other FcεRI‐bearing leucocytes. Basophil responsiveness was differentially affected; anti‐IgE–, but not C5a‐induced basophil degranulation increased during the treatment. Apart from clinical non‐responders showing a stronger increase in anti‐IgE–induced basophil degranulation over a period time, no differences were found in omalizumab responders vs non‐responders.

Conclusions/Clinical Relevance

FcεRI expression on basophils decreased rapidly, while anti‐IgE–induced degranulation significantly increased due to omalizumab treatment in patients with CSU, persisting at least for 3 months after stopping the treatment. None of the markers were able to predict the effectiveness of treatment. Whether basophils play a role in omalizumab responsiveness in CSU remains unclear.
Influence of abutment disconnection on peri‐implant marginal bone loss: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Praça Luciano de Freitas Guimarães , Teixeira Renata Cordeiro , Rego Rodrigo Otavio
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the influence of abutment disconnections and reconnections on peri‐implant marginal bone loss.

Material and methods

Twenty‐four participants received single‐unit implants and were randomly assigned into one of the two groups: the definitive abutment group (DEF), in which the definitive abutments were connected at the same time as the implant was inserted; and as a control, the healing abutment group (HEA), in which the healing abutments were disconnected and reconnected three times, at 8, 10, and 12 weeks after surgery. Peri‐implant marginal bone level was measured through radiographic follow‐up performed immediately after the surgery (baseline), at 8 weeks and after 6, 12, and 24 months. Implant stability and peri‐implant health were assessed by resonance frequency analysis and peri‐implant probing, respectively.

Results

At the end of 2 years, the mean bone level was −0.18 ± 0.12 mm for the DEF group and −0.13 ± 0.13 mm for the HEA group, resulting in a cumulative bone loss of −0.61 ± 0.10 mm and −0.81 ± 0.15 mm, respectively, with no statistical difference between groups. Bone level changes showed statistically significant differences only between 0 and 2 months (DEF: −0.70 ± 0.12 mm; HEA: −0.36 ± 0.10 mm) and between 2 and 6 months (DEF: −0.11 ± 0.11 mm; HEA: −0.65 ± 0.14 mm). No differences were observed between the groups for implant stability, probing depth, and bleeding on probing.

Conclusion

Immediate connection of the prosthetic abutments did not reduce bone loss in comparison with three disconnections of the healing abutments.
Crosstalk between tubular epithelial cells and glomerular endothelial cells in diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Chen Si‐Jie , Lv Lin‐Li , Liu Bi‐Cheng , Tang Ri‐Ning
Published: January 2020

In recent years, although the development of clinical therapy for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has made great progress, the progression of DKD still cannot be controlled. Therefore, further study of the pathogenesis of DKD and improvements in DKD treatment are crucial for prognosis. Traditional studies have shown that podocyte injury plays an important role in this process. Recently, it has been found that glomerulotubular balance and tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) may be involved in the progression of DKD. Glomerulotubular balance is the specific gravity absorption of the glomerular ultrafiltrate by the proximal tubules, which absorbs only 65% to 70% of the ultrafiltrate. This ensures that the urine volume will not change much regardless of whether the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) increases or decreases. TGF is one of the significant mechanisms of renal blood flow and self‐regulation of GFR, but how they participate in the development of DKD in the pathological state and the specific mechanism is not clear. Injury to tubular epithelial cells (TECs) is the key link in DKD. Additionally, injury to glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) plays a key role in the early occurrence and development of DKD. However, TECs and GECs are close to each other in anatomical position and can crosstalk with each other, which may affect the development of DKD. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to summarize the current knowledge on the crosstalk between TECs and GECs in the pathogenesis of DKD and to highlight specific clinical and potential therapeutic strategies.
Politics of Social Policy in a Late Industrializing Country: The Case of Turkey
Authors: Buğra Ayşe
Published: January 2020

This article approaches social policy as an integral component of a capitalist society and, by drawing on the notion of the double movement introduced by Karl Polanyi, argues that social policy intervention both limits and contributes to market expansion. While this argument could be generally applied to recent social policy changes in the current context of economic globalization, these changes were shaped against different histories of social policy development in early and late industrializing countries. This article examines the increasing importance of social policy in late industrializing countries by focusing on the case of Turkey. It is argued that social policy transformation in Turkey has involved the expansion of social security coverage along with the privatization and marketization of health and pension systems. A new system of labour market regulation has contributed to the commodification of labour while the ‘state‐supported familialism’, which forms an important aspect of current trends in the area of social care, has served to integrate women in the prevailing flexible employment relations by simultaneously sustaining their position in the gender division of roles within traditional family relations. The populist strategy of polarization pursued by the ruling government is discussed to show how opposition to these trends toward privatization, marketization and labour commodification has been isolated.
Engineering approaches to control and design the in vitro environment towards the reconstruction of organs
Authors: Hagiwara Masaya , Koh Isabel
Published: January 2020

In vitro experimental models pertaining to human cells are considered essential for most biological experiments, such as drug development and analysis of disease mechanisms, because of their genetic consistency and ease for detailed and long‐term analysis. Recent development of organoid cultures, such as intestine, liver, and kidney cultures, greatly promotes the potential of in vitro experiments. However, conventional culture methods that use manual pipetting have limitations in regenerating complex biosystems. Our body autonomously organizes cells to form a specific tissue shape, and the self‐organization process occurs in an extremely systematic manner. In order to emulate this sophisticated process in vitro; first, methodologies for cell culture and organization of in vitro systems need to be updated; second, understanding the self‐organizing system is a crucial issue. In this review, recent advancements in engineering technologies to control the microenvironment during cell culture are introduced. Both static and dynamic control have been developed for decades in engineering fields, and the means by which such technologies can help to elucidate and design a biosystem is discussed.
An evolutionary lion optimization algorithm‐based image compression technique for biomedical applications
Authors: Geetha Karuppaiah , Anitha Veerasamy , Elhoseny Mohamed , Kathiresan Shankar , Shamsolmoali Pourya , Selim Mahmoud M.
Published: January 2020

Recently, medical image compression becomes essential to effectively handle large amounts of medical data for storage and communication purposes. Vector quantization (VQ) is a popular image compression technique, and the commonly used VQ model is Linde–Buzo–Gray (LBG) that constructs a local optimal codebook to compress images. The codebook construction was considered as an optimization problem, and a bioinspired algorithm was employed to solve it. This article proposed a VQ codebook construction approach called the L2‐LBG method utilizing the Lion optimization algorithm (LOA) and Lempel Ziv Markov chain Algorithm (LZMA). Once LOA constructed the codebook, LZMA was applied to compress the index table and further increase the compression performance of the LOA. A set of experimentation has been carried out using the benchmark medical images, and a comparative analysis was conducted with Cuckoo Search‐based LBG (CS‐LBG), Firefly‐based LBG (FF‐LBG) and JPEG2000. The compression efficiency of the presented model was validated in terms of compression ratio (CR), compression factor (CF), bit rate, and peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR). The proposed L2‐LBG method obtained a higher CR of 0.3425375 and PSNR value of 52.62459 compared to CS‐LBG, FA‐LBG, and JPEG2000 methods. The experimental values revealed that the L2‐LBG process yielded effective compression performance with a better‐quality reconstructed image.
Relevance of the disposition effect on the options market: New evidence
Authors: Chiang Mi‐Hsiu , Chiu Hsin‐Yu , Chou Robin K.
Published: January 2020

A moneyness‐based propensity to sell (MPS) measure, at the aggregate level, determines the propensity of option holders to exercise their winning relative to losing positions. Using data on individual stock and S&P 500 Index options, we find that the MPS measure has significant predictive power over the cross section of delta‐hedged option returns. We test the disposition effect in the options market based on a long–short strategy that exploits price distortions induced by the disposition bias. More pronounced evidence of the disposition bias is found for individual at‐the‐money call options than put options where the significance of abnormal returns remains robust across different subsamples even after we control for the portfolio option greeks and market‐based risk factors. The profitability of the long–short strategy is related to limit‐to‐arbitrage proxies suggesting that behavioral explanations help explain the positive relation between the MPS measure and delta‐hedged option returns.
Association between polygenic liability for schizophrenia and substance involvement: A nationwide population‐based study in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Shi‐Heng , Lai Rou‐Yi , Lee Ya‐Chin , Su Mei‐Hsin , Chen Chia‐Yen , Hsiao Po‐Chang , Yang Albert C , Liu Yu‐Li , Tsai Shih‐Jen , Kuo Po‐Hsiu
Published: January 2020

Schizophrenia and substance involvement frequently co‐occur in individuals, and a bidirectional relationship between the two has been proposed; shared underlying genetic factors could be an alternative explanation. This study investigated the genetic overlap between schizophrenia and substance involvement, including tobacco, alcohol and betel nut use. The study subjects were recruited from the Taiwan Biobank, and genome‐wide genotyping data was available for 18 327 participants without schizophrenia. We calculated the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium‐derived polygenic risk score (PRS) for schizophrenia in each participant. The significance of the schizophrenia PRS associated with substance involvement was evaluated using a regression model with adjustments for gender, age and population stratification components. The modified effect of gender or birth decade was also explored. The schizophrenia PRS was positively associated with lifetime tobacco smoking in women (OR in per SD increase in PRS = 1.12 with 95% CI 1.04‐1.20, P = .002), but not in men (OR = 0.99 with 95% CI 0.95‐1.04, P = .74), and the gender‐PRS interaction reached significance (P = .006). The OR between PRS and lifetime tobacco smoking increased with the birth decade (P of birth decade‐PRS interaction = .0002). In women, OR increased from 0.97 (P = .85) for subjects with a birth decade before 1950 to 1.21 (P = .04) for subjects with a birth decade after 1980; in men, the corresponding OR increased from 0.88 (P = .04) to 1.13 (P = .11). There was no association between schizophrenia PRS and alcohol/betel nut use phenotypes. This study provides evidence for the genetic overlap between schizophrenia and tobacco use in women, and this overlap was stronger in the younger population.
Polygenic impact of morningness on the overnight dynamics of sleep spindle amplitude
Authors: Pesonen Anu‐Katriina , Merikanto Ilona , Halonen Risto , Ujma Peter , Makkonen Tommi , Räikkönen Katri , Lahti Jari , Kuula Liisa
Published: January 2020

Sleep spindles are thalamocortical oscillations that contribute to sleep maintenance and sleep‐related brain plasticity. The current study is an explorative study of the circadian dynamics of sleep spindles in relation to a polygenic score (PGS) for circadian preference towards morningness. The participants represent the 17‐year follow‐up of a birth cohort having both genome‐wide data and an ambulatory sleep electroencephalography measurement available (
N = 154, Mean age = 16.9, SD = 0.1 years, 57% girls). Based on a recent genome‐wide association study, we calculated a PGS for circadian preference towards morningness across the whole genome, including 354 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms. Stage 2 slow (9‐12.5 Hz, N = 186 739) and fast (12.5‐16 Hz, N = 135 504) sleep spindles were detected using an automated algorithm with individual time tags and amplitudes for each spindle. There was a significant interaction of PGS for morningness and timing of sleep spindles across the night. These growth curve models showed a curvilinear trajectory of spindle amplitudes: those with a higher PGS for morningness showed higher slow spindle amplitudes in frontal derivations, and a faster dissipation of spindle amplitude in central derivations. Overall, the findings provide new evidence on how individual sleep spindle trajectories are influenced by genetic factors associated with circadian type. The finding may lead to new hypotheses on the associations previously observed between circadian types, psychiatric problems and spindle activity.
Projections of global and UK bioenergy potential from Miscanthus × giganteus—Feedstock yield, carbon cycling and electricity generation in the 21st century
Authors: Shepherd Anita , Littleton Emma , Clifton‐Brown John , Martin Mike , Hastings Astley
Published: January 2020

In this article, we modify bioenergy model MiscanFor investigating global and UK potentials for Miscanthus × giganteus as a bioenergy resource for carbon capture in the 21st century under the RCP 2.6 climate scenario using SSP2 land use projections. UK bioenergy land projections begin in the 2040s, 60 year average is 0.47 Mega ha rising to 1.9 Mega ha (2090s). Our projections estimate UK energy generation of 0.09 EJ/year (60 year average) and 0.37 EJ/year (2090s), under stable miscanthus yields of 12 t ha−1 year−1. We estimate aggregated UK soil carbon (C) increases of 0.09 Mt C/year (60 year average) and 0.14 Mt C/year (2090s) with C capture plus sequestration rate of 2.8 Mt C/year (60 year average) and 10.49 Mt C/year (2090s). Global bioenergy land use begins in 2010, 90 year average is 0.13 Gha rising to 0.19 Gha by the 2090s, miscanthus projections give a 90 year average energy generation of 16 EJ/year, rising to 26.7 EJ/year by the 2090s. The largest national capabilities for yield, energy and C increase are projected to be Brazil and China. Ninety year average global miscanthus yield of 1 Gt/year will be 1.7 Gt/year by the 2090s. Global soil C sequestration increases less with time, from a century average of 73.6 Mt C/year to 42.9 Mt C/year by the 2090s with C capture plus sequestration rate of 0.54 Gt C/year (60 year average) and 0.81 Gt C/year (2090s). M. giganteus could provide just over 5% of the bioenergy requirement by the 2090s to satisfy the RCP 2.6 SSP2 climate scenario. The choice of global land use data introduces a potential source of error. In reality, multiple bioenergy sources will be used, best suited to local conditions, but results highlight global requirements for development in bioenergy crops, infrastructure and support.
Reconceptualising the drinking waterscape through a grounded perspective
Authors: Lavie Emilie , Crombé Laure , Marshall Anaïs
Published: January 2020

While water networks were built at the same time as modern cities to avoid epidemics, today urban water studies seldom take into account the criterion of quality, which, however, remains essential in characterising drinking waterscapes. Papers defining drinking waterscapes focus on the importance of certain factors – topography, socio‐economic levels, cultural or political aspects, among others – to explain how water access affects the urban fabric, especially in urban peripheries. A new conceptualisation of what a drinking waterscape is, must take into account consumers' confidence in a healthy water supply. This is what this paper seeks to highlight. Drawing on personal fieldwork in Sudan and Argentina, and a review of the literature, this paper provides testimonies of the representations that water users construct of drinking water quality in their everyday practices. Considering three of the fields of enquiry used to evaluate access to water in the literature – cultural habits, daily practices, and politics – this paper highlights the crucial part played by the confidence people have in water quality in affecting the everyday drinking waterscape. The paper proposes a new conceptualisation of the drinking waterscape, with a major consideration of views on water quality in its definition, and an argument for a stronger interdisciplinary approach in water studies.
Continuation of emtricitabine/lamivudine within combination antiretroviral therapy following detection of the M184V/I HIV‐1 resistance mutation
Authors: Stirrup OT , Asboe D , Pozniak A , Sabin CA , Gilson R , Mackie NE , Tostevin A , Hill T , Dunn DT ,   the UK HIV Drug Resistance Database and the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort
Published: January 2020

Objectives

The aim of the study was to investigate whether lamivudine (3TC) or emtricitabine (FTC) use following detection of M184V/I is associated with better virological outcomes.

Methods

We identified people with viruses harbouring the M184V/I mutation in UK multicentre data sets who had treatment change/initiation within 1 year. We analysed outcomes of viral suppression (< 200 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL) and appearance of new major drug resistance mutations (DRMs) using Cox and Poisson models, with stratification by new drug regimen (excluding 3TC/FTC) and Bayesian implementation, and estimated the effect of 3TC/FTC adjusted for individual and viral characteristics.

Results

We included 2597 people with the M184V/I resistance mutation, of whom 665 (25.6%) were on 3TC and 458 (17.6%) on FTC. We found a negative adjusted association between 3TC/FTC use and viral suppression [hazard ratio (HR) 0.84; 95% credibility interval (CrI) 0.71–0.98]. On subgroup analysis of individual drugs, there was no evidence of an association with viral suppression for 3TC (n = 184; HR 0.94; 95% CrI 0.73–1.15) or FTC (n = 454; HR 0.99; 95% CrI 0.80–1.19) amongst those on tenofovir‐containing regimens, but we estimated a reduced rate of viral suppression for people on 3TC amongst those without tenofovir use (n = 481; HR 0.71; 95% CrI 0.54–0.90). We found no association between 3TC/FTC and detection of any new DRM (overall HR 0.92; 95% CrI 0.64–1.18), but found inconclusive evidence of a lower incidence rate of new DRMs (overall incidence rate ratio 0.69; 95% CrI 0.34–1.11).

Conclusions

We did not find evidence that 3TC or FTC use is associated with an increase in viral suppression, but it may reduce the appearance of additional DRMs in people with M184V/I. 3TC was associated with reduced viral suppression amongst people on regimens without tenofovir.
Visible light active heterostructured photocatalyst system based on CuO plate‐like particles and SnO2 nanofibers
Authors: Dursun Sami , Kaya İsmail C. , Kocabaş Mustafa , Akyildiz Hasan , Kalem Volkan
Published: January 2020

In this study, CuO–SnO2 p‐n type heterostructures were produced and tested for the degradation of methylene blue and 4‐nitrophenol under visible light irradiation. CuO particles were produced in plate‐like morphology using hydrothermal synthesis. SnO2 nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning. Structural, morphological, optical and semiconducting property characterization of heterostructured CuO–SnO2 and individual phases were performed. The photocatalytic activity was found to change depending on the amount of CuO particles in heterostructured samples. Among others, the sample with 0.35 wt.% CuO–SnO2 showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency with a degradation rate constant ~2 h−1. Active specie scavenger tests revealed that the decomposition reaction occurs through direct oxidation mechanism by the holes in the valence band of SnO2 in pure samples whereas in CuO–SnO2 samples and radicals also form and involve in the reactions. Further, the photocatalytic degradation mechanism was revealed using relative band potentials and p‐n junctions of the heterostructured photocatalyst.
A review of acellular immersion tests on bioactive glasses––influence of medium on ion release and apatite formation
Authors: Nommeots‐Nomm Amy , Hupa Leena , Rohanová Dana , Brauer Delia S.
Published: January 2020

When evaluating new bioactive glass compositions for their suitability as a biomaterial, one of the first steps is the study of their behavior in contact with aqueous solutions. Ion release, pH changes, and apatite precipitation are investigated during immersion experiments, and a wide variety of solutions is used, including simulated body fluid, Tris buffer solution, various cell culture medium formulations or deionized water. This paper reviews the different parameters used for immersion experiments on bioactive glasses. Results show that, depending on solution composition, pH, and buffering capacity, the experimental outcome is likely to vary. In addition, bioactive glass particle size and solution volume/glass surface area ratio affect the resulting ion concentration in solution, and, thus, the rate at which apatite is formed. It is, therefore, important to consider these effects when planning experiments, interpreting results or comparing the results of experiments performed in different laboratories.
Selection of a versatile Lactobacillus plantarum for wine production and identification and preliminary characterisation of a novel histamine‐degrading enzyme
Authors: Sun Shuyang , Jiang Dongqi , Fan Minting , Li Huamin , Jin Chengwu , Liu Wenli
Published: January 2020

In this study, a desirable and versatile Lactobacillus plantarum strain possessing great ability of L‐malic acid consumption, biogenic amine degradation and resistance to wine harsh environment was obtained through successive screenings. Malolactic fermentation (MLF) in contaminated grape wine and cherry wine (supplemented with histamine, tyramine and cadaverine) conducted by this strain was finished within 24 and 18 days, respectively, and the concentration of histamine, tyramine and cadaverine was decreased by over 57% following MLF. The enzyme from L. plantarum responsible for the amine degradation was purified to homogeneity by four steps including cell disruption, ammonium sulphate fractionation, an anion chromatography and a gel filtration chromatography. Such enzyme was identified as glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) after N‐terminal sequence analysis and protein Blast, a tetramer enzyme with a subunit molecular weight of 36 kDa. The optimum values of pH and temperature of this enzyme were at pH 7.5 and 40 °C, and stable between pH 5.5–8.5 and 30–50 °C.
Sex differences in the associations of physical activity and macronutrient intake with child body composition: A cross‐sectional study of 3‐ to 7‐year‐olds in Samoa
Authors: Thompson Avery A. , Duckham Rachel L. , Desai Mayur M. , Choy Courtney C. , Sherar Lauren B. , Naseri Take , Soti‐Ulberg Christina , Reupena Muagatutia S. , Wetzel Abigail I. , Hawley Nicola L.
Published: January 2020

Background

Overweight/obesity is prevalent among children in the Pacific Islands, but its aetiology is poorly understood. Few studies have considered body composition in addition to body mass index–based measures.

Objectives

To describe body composition among Samoan children and determine sex‐specific associations among dietary intake, physical activity, and body composition.

Methods

Body composition (percent body fat [%BF], lean mass, and trunk‐to‐peripheral fat ratio) of n = 83 Samoan children (3‐7 y) was assessed using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Children completed 7 days of objective physical activity monitoring. Mothers reported child nutritional intake using a 115‐item food frequency questionnaire. Stepwise generalized linear regression was used to determine independent associations of nutritional intake and physical activity with body composition.

Results

Samoan children had higher average %BF than reported among other ethnic groups but lower trunk‐to‐peripheral fat ratios. In sex‐stratified analyses, quartile of carbohydrate intake was negatively associated with %BF (β = −2.02 SE = 0.58; P < .001) in girls only. Among boys, physical activity (quartile of accelerometer counts per minute) was negatively associated with %BF (β = −1.66 SE = 0.55; P < .01).

Conclusions

Sex differences in the associations among nutritional intake, physical activity, and body composition may be important to consider as interventions are developed to address overweight/obesity among Samoan children.
Should we be more cre‐tical? A cautionary tale of recombination
Authors: Andrusaite Anna , Milling Simon
Published: January 2020

The cre‐loxP system has been revolutionary in the field of immunology. The technology enables genetic deletion in mice with unprecedented precision. It is therefore now widely used to investigate gene functions in animal models of disease, and in fundamental studies of the immune response. This widespread adoption of cre‐loxP technology has allowed a thorough investigation of its strengths and weaknesses. Here we highlight an important paper which not only describes potential problems with the commonly‐used screening procedures used when identifying offspring of the correct genotype, but also describes how this screening can be improved to ensure that the right animals are produced.