bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
More than reproduction: Central gonadotropin‐releasing hormone antagonism decreases maternal aggression in lactating rats
Authors: Bayerl Doris S. , Klampfl Stefanie M. , Bosch Oliver J.
Published: March 2019

Gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) is a major regulator and activator of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal axis. Many studies have demonstrated the importance of GnRH in reproduction and sexual behaviour. However, to date, only a single study shows an involvement of GnRH in maternal behaviour where a 30% reduction of GnRH neurones abolishes a mother's motivation to retrieve pups. On this basis, we aimed to investigate the effects of acute central GnRH receptor blockade in lactating rats on maternal care under non‐stress and stress conditions, maternal motivation in the pup retrieval test, maternal anxiety on the elevated plus maze, and maternal aggression in the maternal defence test. We found that acute central infusion of a GnRH antagonist ([d‐Phe2,6,Pro3]‐luteinising hormone‐releasing hormone; 0.5 ng 5 μL‐1) impaired a mother's attack behaviour against a female intruder rat during the maternal defence test compared to vehicle controls. However, in contrast to the previous study on reduced GnRH neurones, acute central GnRH antagonism did not affect pup retrieval, nor any other parameter of maternal behaviour or maternal anxiety. Taken together, GnRH receptor activation is mandatory for protection of the offspring. These findings shed new light on GnRH as a neuropeptide acting not exclusively on the reproductive axis but, additionally, on maternal behaviour including pup retrieval and maternal aggression.
The mechanism of activated platelet‐rich plasma supernatant promotion of hair growth by cultured dermal papilla cells
Authors: Xiao Shune , Wang Jin , Chen Qian , Miao Yong , Hu Zhiqi
Published: March 2019

Background

Platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) is an innovative treatment of androgenic alopecia in the early stages of development, and its mechanism of action is not well investigated.

Objective

The objective was to investigate the promotion of hair growth by activated PRP supernatant in cultured dermal papilla cells (DPCs).

Methods and Materials

Human DPCs were isolated and grown in culture with or without activated PRP supernatant. The expression of phosphorylated growth factor receptors (GFRs) in cultured DPCs was assayed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Signal pathways mediated by GFRs were identified by a human phosphokinase array.

Results

Activated PRP supernatant enhanced the expression of phosphorylated fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)‐1, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)α, and PDGFRβ in cultured DPCs. Activated PRP supernatant activated mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways that promoted proliferation of DPCs. Downregulation of glycogen synthase kinase‐3 was consistent with the involvement of Wnt signaling. Activated PRP supernatant increased the hair growth promoting ability of DPCs by activating the Wnt signaling pathway.

Conclusion

Autologous activated PRP supernatant promoted signaling in cultured human DPCs via pathways known to be involved in hair growth. The results warrant further study of PRP for the clinical treatment of androgenic alopecia.
The relationship of shammah (Arabian snuff) chewing to the risk of oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders
Authors: Patil Shankargouda , Alamir Abdul Wahab H. , Arakeri Gururaj , Awan Kamran Habib , Bhandi Shilpa H. , Aljabab Abdulsalam , Maddur Nagaraj , Gomez Ricardo S. , Brennan Peter A.
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Shammah is a form of smokeless tobacco commonly used in the Arabian Peninsula. The data on the harmful effects of shammah on oral health, particularly oral malignancies, are scarce. The aim of this review was to explore the association between shammah use and development of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and/or oral cancer.

Materials and methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science and grey literature from January 1990 up to and including April 2018 were searched. Two independent reviewers performed the study selection according to eligibility criteria.

Results

A total of 10 studies that met the eligibility criteria were included. The odds of developing OPMD and/or oral cancer in relation to shammah use varied, with one study reporting a 39 increased risk (39, 95% CI: 14‐105). The associated increased risk was relatively low among those that have stopped using shammah and ranged from threefold (3.65; 95% CI: 1.40‐9.50) to 12‐fold (12.6; 95% CI: 3.3‐48.2).

Conclusion

Shammah use seems to increase the risk of development of OPMD and/or oral cancer.
Convergent evolution of root system architecture in two independently evolved lineages of weedy rice
Authors: Wedger Marshall J. , Topp Christopher N. , Olsen Kenneth M.
Published: March 2019

Root system architecture (RSA) is a critical aspect of plant growth and competitive ability. Here we used two independently evolved strains of weedy rice, a de‐domesticated form of rice, to study the evolution of weed‐associated RSA traits and the extent to which they evolve through shared or different genetic mechanisms.

We characterised 98 two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional RSA traits in 671 plants representing parents and descendants of two recombinant inbred line populations derived from two weed × crop crosses. A random forest machine learning model was used to assess the degree to which root traits can predict genotype and the most diagnostic traits for doing so. We used quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to compare genetic architecture between the weed strains.

The two weeds were distinguishable from the crop in similar and predictable ways, suggesting independent evolution of a ‘weedy’ RSA phenotype. Notably, comparative QTL mapping revealed little evidence for shared underlying genetic mechanisms.

Our findings suggest that despite the double bottlenecks of domestication and de‐domestication, weedy rice nonetheless shows genetic flexibility in the repeated evolution of weedy RSA traits. Whereas the root growth of cultivated rice may facilitate interactions among neighbouring plants, the weedy rice phenotype may minimise below‐ground contact as a competitive strategy.
Crossing the boundaries of the unknown with Jeff VanderMeer
Authors: Ersoy Gözde
Published: March 2019

Annihilation (2014), the first book of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, is significant because it represents a new phase in our relationship with the monstrous. The book was made into a film in 2018 by the acclaimed director Alex Garland, with the same title and starring Natalie Portman. Following a cataclysmic event in a coastal town, the fear that the world beyond the town might also be affected creates tension, and a team of experts is sent to “the Area” to understand the reason behind the disaster. This paper firstly introduces the contemporary “weird” genre, and goes on to give a brief history of its progression to the present day. It then incorporates the weird visionary China Miéville's “abcanny” concept into the analysis, since the story is situated in the abcanny rather than the presumed “uncanny.” The discussion is opened up to include Mark Fisher's distinction between “the weird” and “the eerie” by incorporating examples from the novel. But, most importantly, the paper relates philosopher Slavoj Žižek's concept of “inhuman monsters” to the extraordinary beast that VanderMeer creates, thus suggesting a new reading of the narrative as a moral tale of the need to move beyond the human‐centric in the twenty‐first century.
Comparing phase and electrographic flow mapping for persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Swerdlow M. , Tamboli M. , Alhusseini M.I. , Moosvi N. , Rogers A.J. , Leef G. , Wang P.J. , Rillig A. , Brachmann J. , Sauer W.H. , Ruppersberg P. , Narayan S.M. , Baykaner T.
Published: March 2019

Background

An increasing number of methods are being used to map atrial fibrillation (AF), yet the sensitivity of identifying potential localized AF sources of these novel methods are unclear. Here, we report a comparison of two approaches to map AF based upon (1) electrographic flow mapping and (2) phase mapping in a multicenter registry of patients in whom ablation terminated persistent AF.

Methods

Fifty‐three consecutive patients with persistent AF in whom ablation terminated AF in an international multicenter registry were enrolled. Electrographic flow mapping (EGF) and phase mapping were applied to the multipolar simultaneous electrograms recorded from a 64‐pole basket catheter in the chamber (left vs right atrium) where AF termination occurred. We analyzed if the mapping methods were able to detect localized sources at the AF termination site. We also analyzed global results of mapping AF for each method, patterns of activation of localized sources.

Results

Patients were 64.3 ± 9.4 years old and 69.8% were male. EGF and phase mapping identified localized sources at AF termination sites in 81% and 83% of the patients, respectively. Methods were complementary and in only n = 2 (3.7%) neither method identified a source. Globally, EGF identified more localized sources than phase mapping (5.3 ± 2.8 vs 1.8 ± 0.5, P < 0.001), with a higher prevalence of focal (compared to rotational) activation pattern (49% vs 2%, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

EGF is a novel vectorial‐based AF mapping method, which can detect sites of AF termination, agreeing with, and complementary to, an alternative AF mapping method using phase analysis.
Y75B8A.8 (HC8) protein of Haemonchus contortus: A functional inhibitor of host IL‐2
Authors: Wang Wenjuan , Wang Yujian , Tian Xiaowei , Lu Mingmin , Ehsan Muhammad , Yan RuoFeng , Song XiaoKai , Xu LiXin , Li XiangRui
Published: March 2019

Interleukin 2 (IL‐2) is an important immune regulatory factor in the immune response of the host. However, little is known about the inhibitor of host IL‐2 in Haemonchus contortus infection. In this study, we found that globin domain‐containing protein (HCGB) and Protein Y75B8A.8 (HC8) from H contortus excretory and secretory products are two binding proteins of IL‐2 in goats. The yeast two‐hybrid screening further validated the positive interactions of IL‐2 with HCGB and HC8. Meanwhile, we found that HC8 had inhibitory effects on IL‐2‐induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation, while HCGB did not. Furthermore, transcriptional analysis revealed that HC8 could block the IL‐2‐activated signalling pathway. Our results showed that HC8 was a functional inhibitor of goat IL‐2.
Positive emotional reactions to loved names
Authors: Lucas Ignacio , Sánchez‐Adam Alicia , Vila Jaime , Guerra Pedro
Published: March 2019

Studies concerning personal attachment have successfully used loved familiar faces to prompt positive affective and physiological reactions. Moreover, the processing of emotional words shows similar physiological patterns to those found with affective pictures. The objective of this study was to assess whether the passive viewing of loved names would produce a pattern of subjective and physiological reactivity similar to that produced by the passive viewing of loved faces. The results showed that, compared to neutral (unknown) and famous names, loved names produced a biphasic pattern of heart rate deceleration‐acceleration, heightened skin conductance and zygomaticus muscle activity, inhibition of corrugator muscle activity, and potentiation of the startle reflex response. This pattern of physiological responses was accompanied by subjective reports of higher positive affect and arousal for loved names than for neutral and famous ones. These findings highlight not only the similarity but also the differences between the affective processing of identity recognition by loved faces and names.
Is the model “loans‐plus‐savings” better for microfinance in Eastern Europe and Central Asia? A propensity score matching comparison
Authors: Khachatryan Knar , Baghdasaryan Vardan , Hartarska Valentina
Published: March 2019

Microfinance institutions are gradually evolving into multiservice organizations offering not only loans but also savings, and other financial and nonfinancial services. We contribute to the literature aimed at identifying how combining credit with savings affects outreach and sustainability in microfinance institutions (MFIs). We apply the propensity score matching method as well as its augmented dose–response version to compare the performance of loans‐plus‐savings MFIs with that of lending‐only in a sample of 710 observations from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Owing to our unique capital structure data, we control for the use of subsidized capital, which related work ignores while existing evidence points to tradeoffs between subsidies and savings. We find that financial performance and breadth of outreach are positively associated with savings mobilization, while the evidence on depth of outreach points to a possible mission drift.
A Deleuzian rethinking of time in healthy lifestyle advice and change
Authors: Robson Martine , Riley Sarah
Published: March 2019

Time is a powerful but under‐examined element in healthy lifestyle advice, particularly in the promise of stable states of future health achievable through sustained lifestyle change. But such linear, sequential time frames reinforce notions of rational choice, personal control, and responsibility despite common experiences of diet and exercise regimens as non‐linear, effortful, and difficult to maintain. An over‐simplification of time thus contributes to the logic of blame when people fail to achieve healthy lifestyle goals, producing spoiled health identities and abject bodies as people struggle to sustain what can be unsustainable. Addressing these problems, we argue that Deleuze's philosophy offers tools to develop an alternative approach in health promotion. Deleuze affords a conceptualisation of multidimensional, embodied, and affective temporalities of health, which give rise to plural subjectivities and disrupt linear models of time. This framework affords a recognition of multiple time frames, such as histories and imagined futures that form part of a living present and shape lifestyle behaviours and identities. Deleuzian concepts that tie into his philosophy of time and form his process ontology, including monism and rhizomes, affect, becoming, and assemblages, are discussed in relation to health promotion. The article concludes that Deleuze offers a critical theory of time that enables a mapping of the ways that people embody multiplicity, non‐linearity, and fluidity as they negotiate healthy lifestyle advice. His concepts illuminate ways in which people can be oppressed and limited by discourses of healthy living, but also point to new, more affirmative directions for health promotion and healthy lifestyle advice.
Characterization of the novel KIR3DL1*0150213 and KIR3DL1*112 alleles using sequence‐based typing
Authors: Jia Jie , Lin Ke‐Qin , Huang Kai , Dai Jie‐Jie , Yang Zhao‐Qing
Published: March 2019

KIR3DL1*0150213 differs from KIR3DL1*0150211 at 15 nucleotide positions. KIR3DL1*112 differs from KIR3DL1*03101 at 19 nucleotide substitutions.
Impact of direct‐acting antivirals for hepatitis C virus therapy on tacrolimus dosing in liver transplant recipients
Authors: Bixby Alexandra L. , Fitzgerald Linda , Leek Rachael , Mellinger Jessica , Sharma Pratima , Tischer Sarah
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) have transformed hepatitis C virus (HCV) management post‐liver transplant. As HCV clears during DAA treatment, hepatic metabolism improves, resulting in decreased tacrolimus concentrations that may require dose adjustment. The purpose of this study was to determine appropriate management of immunosuppression in liver transplant recipients during and following treatment of HCV.

Methods

This study was a single‐center retrospective analysis of 71 liver transplant recipients who were treated for HCV with DAAs. The primary outcome was change in dose‐normalized tacrolimus concentrations from the start of DAA treatment to 12 weeks following therapy.

Results

The mean change in log‐transformed dose‐normalized tacrolimus concentrations was a reduction of 0.43 ng/mL/mg (95% CI; 0.26‐0.60, P < 0.0001). The greatest decrease occurred in the first 4 weeks of treatment, after which levels stabilized. The overall mean tacrolimus concentration was 4.8 ng/mL (±2.5). Two patients (3%) developed acute cellular rejection and two patients (3%) had graft loss and died.

Conclusion

From the start of treatment to 12 weeks post‐DAA therapy, liver transplant recipients experienced a significant decrease in dose‐normalized tacrolimus concentrations. In conclusion, close monitoring of tacrolimus concentrations is warranted during and following treatment with DAAs, as dose increases may be indicated in order to maintain therapeutic concentrations to prevent graft rejection.
Delayed spontaneous hepatitis C virus elimination in a renal transplant patient following graft rejection
Authors: Mori Ubaldini Francesca , Stratta Robert J. , Nunez Marina
Published: March 2019

While elimination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) following acute infection is not uncommon, spontaneous clearance once the infection becomes chronic is extremely rare. The mechanisms involved in the clearance of chronic HCV infection without intervening antiviral therapy are not well known. Herein we describe a case of a renal transplant recipient who acquired HCV infection while immunosuppressed, experienced a rapid histological progression, and thereafter cleared the virus spontaneously long after withdrawal of immunosuppression following kidney graft rejection and failure. We review the literature and summarize the reports of spontaneous clearance of chronic HCV infection in various settings.
Clotting factor activity in fresh frozen plasma after thawing with a new radio wave thawing device
Authors: Kuta Piotr , Melling Nathaniel , Zimmermann Robert , Achenbach Susanne , Eckstein Reinhold , Strobel Julian
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Massive hemorrhage usually results in rapid need of blood products. Patients in need of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) might benefit from shorter thawing times using a novel radio wave device. So far, only one study on the prototype has been published. Activities of clotting factors after thawing FFP with the radio wave device and with a system using water cushions were compared. This is the first study analyzing the quality of FFP using the fully developed radio wave thawing device UFT100.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Thirty FFP units were thawed with the UFT100 and the Plasmatherm machine. Various clotting factors and inhibitors were analyzed before freezing, immediately after thawing, and after a 48‐hour storage period at +4°C.

RESULTS

After thawing, all factor activities were within normal ranges regardless of the thawing procedure. We observed significant differences in nearly all clotting factor activities regarding time as effector, whereas thawing with the Plasmatherm machine led to a significant decrease (>10%) only in factor V activity compared to the UFT100.

CONCLUSIONS

Immediately after rapid thawing with the UFT100, all FFP units contained adequate coagulation factor activities to maintain hemostatic activity. The UFT100 does not deteriorate FFP quality compared to a conventional system. Regardless of the thawing system, the postthaw refrigerated storage caused a decrease in several clotting factors and inhibitors (factors V, VIII, and IX; von Willebrand factor activity; protein S and C activity) and a significant increase of factor XI.
Cost–utility analysis comparing hospital‐based intravenous immunoglobulin with home‐based subcutaneous immunoglobulin in patients with secondary immunodeficiency
Authors: Windegger Tanja M. , Nghiem Son , Nguyen Kim‐Huong , Fung Yoke‐Lin , Scuffham Paul A.
Published: March 2019

Background and Objective

Immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IRT) is often used to support patients with primary immunodeficiency disease (PID) and secondary immunodeficiency disease (SID). Home‐based subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) is reported to be a cheaper and more efficient option compared to hospital‐based intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) for PID. In contrast, there is little information on the cost‐effectiveness of IRT in SID. However, patients who develop hypogammaglobulinaemia secondary to other conditions (SID) have different clinical aetiology compared to PID. This study assesses whether SCIg provides a good value‐for‐money treatment option in patients with secondary immunodeficiency disease (SID).

Methods

A Markov cohort simulation model with six health states was used to compare cost‐effectiveness of IVIg with SCIg from a healthcare system perspective. The costs of treatment, infection and quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) for IVIg and SCIg treatment options were modelled with a time horizon of 10 years and weekly cycles. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed around key parameters.

Results

The cumulative cost for IVIg was A$151 511 and for SCIg A$144 296. The QALYs with IVIg were 3·07 and with SCIg 3·51. Based on the means, SCIg is the dominant strategy with better outcomes and at lower cost. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis shows that 88·3% of the 50 000 iterations fall below the nominated willingness to pay threshold of A$50 000 per QALY. Therefore, SCIg is a cost‐effective treatment option.

Conclusion

For SID patients in Queensland (Australia), the home‐based SCIg treatment option provides better health outcomes and cost savings.
Controlled nucleation of monolayer MoSe2 islands on Si (111) by MBE
Authors: May Brelon J. , Hettiaratchy Elline C. , Myers Roberto C.
Published: March 2019

Van der Waals bonding relaxes the constraints of lattice matching, making two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides attractive in the field of epitaxy. Recently, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of MoSe2 was demonstrated on a variety of substrates. Here, the authors use MBE to investigate the early stages of 2D nucleation of MoSe2 grown on Si in pursuit of controlled monolayer island size. The 2D nucleation rate varies by a factor of >2 over a narrow substrate temperature range of 550–560 °C. Above 560 °C, the desorption rate of Se from the surface exceeds the nucleation rate leading to fully suppressed 2D monolayer nucleation. X-ray diffraction confirms (001) oriented MoSe2 on Si (111). Raman spectra are consistent with 1–3 monolayer-thick MoSe2, in agreement with atomic force microscopy measurements of the monolayer height of 2D islands.
Status and prospects of plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition
Authors: Knoops Harm C. M. , Faraz Tahsin , Arts Karsten , Kessels Wilhelmus M. M. (Erwin)
Published: March 2019

Processing at the atomic scale is becoming increasingly critical for state-of-the-art electronic devices for computing and data storage, but also for emerging technologies such as related to the internet-of-things, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. To this end, strong interest in improving nanoscale fabrication techniques such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been present. New ALD processes are being sought continuously and particularly plasma-assisted processes are considered an enabler for a wide range of applications because of their enhanced reactivity. This review provides an update on the status and prospects of plasma-assisted ALD with a focus on the developments since the publication of the review by Profijt et al. [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 29, 050801 (2011)]. In the past few years, plasma ALD has obtained a prominent position in the field of ALD with (i) a strong application base as demonstrated by the breakthrough in high-volume manufacturing; (ii) a large number of established processes, out of which several are being enabled by the plasma step; and (iii) a wide range of plasma ALD reactor designs, demonstrating many methods by which plasma species can be applied in ALD processes. In addition, new fundamental insights have been obtained, for instance, with respect to plasma damage, on the effect of ions on the material properties and on the so-called redeposition effect. Regarding new and emerging developments, plasma ALD is expected to take a prominent position in the atomic-scale processing toolbox and will contribute to ongoing developments in area-selective deposition, controlled growth of 2D materials, and atomic layer etching.
An Osmoregulatory Mechanism Operating through OmpR and LrhA Controls the Motile-Sessile Switch in the Plant Growth-Promoting Bacterium
Pantoea alhagi
Authors: Li Shuyu , Liang Hong , Wei Zhiyan , Bai Haonan , Li Mengyun , Li Qiqi , Qu Meng , Shen Xihui , Wang Yao , Zhang Lei
Published: March 2019

Many motile bacterial populations form surface-attached biofilms in response to specific environmental cues, including osmotic stress in a range of natural and host-related systems. However, cross talk between bacterial osmosensing, swimming, and biofilm formation regulatory networks is not fully understood. Here, we report that the pleiotropic regulator LrhA in
Pantoea alhagi
is involved in the regulation of flagellar motility, biofilm formation, and host colonization and responds to osmotic upshift. We further show that this sensing relies on the EnvZ-OmpR two-component system that was known to detect changes in external osmotic stress. The EnvZ-OmpR-LrhA osmosensing signal transduction cascade is proposed to increase bacterial fitness under hyperosmotic conditions inside the host. Our work proposes a novel regulatory mechanism that links osmosensing and motile-sessile lifestyle transitions, which may provide new approaches to prevent or promote the formation of biofilms and host colonization in
P. alhagi
and other bacteria possessing a similar osmoregulatory mechanism.
Two Coselected Distal Mutations in HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase (RT) Alter Susceptibility to Nonnucleoside RT Inhibitors and Nucleoside Analogs
Authors: Boyer Paul L. , Melody Kevin , Smith Steven J. , Dunn Linda L. , Kline Chris , Fischer Douglas K. , Dwivedi Richa , Clark Pat , Hughes Stephen H. , Ambrose Zandrea
Published: March 2019

Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) is highly successful, drug-resistant variants can arise that blunt the efficacy of ART. New inhibitors that are broadly effective against known drug-resistant variants are needed, although such compounds might select for novel resistance mutations that affect the sensitivity of the virus to other compounds. Compound 13 selects for resistance mutations that differ from traditional NNRTI resistance mutations. These mutations cause increased sensitivity to NRTIs, such as AZT.
Interaction of the Human Papillomavirus E1 Helicase with UAF1-USP1 Promotes Unidirectional Theta Replication of Viral Genomes
Authors: Orav Marit , Gagnon David , Archambault Jacques
Published: March 2019

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are important pathogens that replicate their double-stranded circular DNA genome in the nucleus of infected cells. HPV genomes replicate in infected cells via bidirectional theta replication and a poorly understood unidirectional mechanism, and the onset of viral replication requires the engagement of cellular DNA damage response pathways. In this study, we showed that the previously described interaction between the viral E1 helicase and the cellular UAF1-USP1 complex is necessary for the completion of bidirectional replication and the subsequent initiation of the unidirectional replication mechanism. Our results suggest HPVs may use the cellular Fanconi anemia DNA damage pathway to achieve the separation of daughter molecules generated by bidirectional theta replication. Additionally, our results indicate that the unidirectional replication of the HPV genome is initiated from restarted bidirectional theta replication forks.
Stromal Fibroblasts Drive Host Inflammatory Responses That Are Dependent on Chlamydia trachomatis Strain Type and Likely Influence Disease Outcomes
Authors: Jolly Amber Leah , Rau Sameeha , Chadha Anmol K. , Abdulraheem Ekhlas Ahmed , Dean Deborah
Published: March 2019

Chlamydia trachomatis
is a human pathogen and the leading cause of preventable blindness and sexually transmitted diseases in the world. Certain
C. trachomatis
strains cause ocular disease, while others cause upper genital tract pathology. However, little is known about the cellular or immunologic basis for these differences. Here, we compared the abilities of the strain types to infect, replicate, and initiate an immune response in primary human ocular and urogenital epithelial cells, as well as in fibroblasts from the underlying stroma. While there were no significant differences in infection rates or intracellular growth for any strain in any cell type, proinflammatory responses were driven not by the epithelial cells but by fibroblasts and were distinct between ocular and urogenital strains. Our findings suggest that primary fibroblasts are a novel and more appropriate model for studies of immune responses that will expand our understanding of the differential pathological disease outcomes caused by various
C. trachomatis
strain types.
Escherichia coli
Remodels the Chemotaxis Pathway for Swarming
Authors: Partridge Jonathan D. , Nhu Nguyen T. Q. , Dufour Yann S. , Harshey Rasika M.
Published: March 2019

The fundamental motile behavior of
E. coli
is a random walk, where straight “runs” are punctuated by “tumbles.” This behavior, conferred by the chemotaxis signaling system, is used to track chemical gradients in liquid. Our study results show that when migrating collectively on surfaces,
E. coli
modifies its chemosensory physiology to decrease its tumble bias (and hence to increase run durations) by post-transcriptional changes that alter the levels of a key signaling protein. We speculate that the low tumble bias may contribute to the observed Lévy walk (LW) trajectories within the swarm, where run durations have a power law distribution. In animals, LW patterns are hypothesized to maximize searches in unpredictable environments. Swarming bacteria face several challenges while moving collectively over a surface—maintaining cohesion, overcoming constraints imposed by a physical substrate, searching for nutrients as a group, and surviving lethal levels of antimicrobials. The altered chemosensory behavior that we describe in this report may help with these challenges.
Accountability for funds for Nurturing Care: what can we measure?
Authors: Arregoces Leonardo , Hughes Rob , Milner Kate M , Ponce Hardy Victoria , Tann Cally , Upadhyay Arjun , Lawn Joy E
Published: March 2019

Background

Understanding donor, government and out-of-pocket funding for early child development (ECD) is important for tracking progress. We aimed to estimate a baseline for the WHO, UNICEF and World Bank Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) with a special focus on childhood disability.

Methods

To estimate development assistance spending, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Creditor Reporting System (OECD-CRS) database was searched for 2007–2016, using key words derived from domains of the NCF (good health, nutrition and growth, responsive caregiving, security and safety, and early learning), plus disability. Associated funds were analysed by domain, donor, recipient and region. Trends of ECD/NCF were compared with reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) disbursements. To assess domestic or out-of-pocket expenditure for ECD, we searched electronic databases of indexed and grey literature.

Results

US$79.1 billion of development assistance were disbursed, mostly for health and nutrition (US$61.9 billion, 78% of total) and least for disability (US$0.7 billion, 2% of total). US$2.3 per child per year were disbursed for non-health ECD activities. Total development assistance for ECD increased by 121% between 2007 and 2016, an average increase of 8.3% annually. Per child disbursements increased more in Africa and Asia, while minimally in Latin America and the Caribbean and Oceania. We could not find comparable sources for domestic funding and out-of-pocket expenditure.

Conclusions

Estimated international donor disbursements for ECD remain small compared with RMNCH. Limitations include inconsistent donor terminology in OECD data. Increased investment will be required in the poorest countries and for childhood disability to ensure that progress is equitable.
Variation in use and outcomes related to midline catheters: results from a multicentre pilot study
Authors: Chopra Vineet , Kaatz Scott , Swaminathan Lakshmi , Boldenow Tanya , Snyder Ashley , Burris Rachel , Bernstein Steve J , Flanders Scott
Published: March 2019

Background

While midline vascular catheters are gaining popularity in clinical practice, patterns of use and outcomes related to these devices are not well known.

Methods

Trained abstractors collected data from medical records of hospitalised patients who received midline catheters in 12 hospitals. Device characteristics, patterns of use and outcomes were assessed at device removal or at 30 days. Rates of major (upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis [DVT], bloodstream infection [BSI] and catheter occlusion) and minor complications were assessed. χ2tests were used to examine differences in rates of complication by number of lumens, reasons for catheter removal l, and hospital-level differences in rates of midline use.

Results

Complete data on 1161 midlines representing 5%–72% of all midlines placed in participating hospitals between 1 January 2017 and 1 March 2018 were available. Most (70.8%) midlines were placed in general ward settings for difficult intravenous access (61.4%). The median dwell time of midlines across hospitals was 6 days; almost half (49%) were removed within 5 days of insertion. A major or minor complication occurred in 10.3% of midlines, with minor complications such as dislodgement, leaking and infiltration accounting for 71% of all adverse events. While rates of major complications including occlusion, upper-extremity DVT and BSI were low (2.2%, 1.4% and 0.3%, respectively), they were just as likely to lead to midline removal as minor complications (53.8% vs 52.5%, p=0.90). Across hospitals, absolute volume of midlines placed varied from 100 to 1837 devices, with corresponding utilisation rates of 0.97%–12.92% (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Midline use and outcomes vary widely across hospitals. Although rates of major complications are low, device removal as a result of adverse events is common.
Factors across life associated with remaining free from functional limitations despite lifelong exposure to socioeconomic adversity
Authors: Kok Almar A L , Stafford Mai , Cosco Theodore D , Huisman Martijn , Deeg Dorly , Kuh Diana , Cooper Rachel
Published: March 2019

Background

There are substantial socioeconomic inequalities in functional limitations in old age. Resilience may offer new insights into these inequalities by identifying constellations of factors that protect some individuals from developing functional limitations despite socioeconomic adversity.

Methods

Data from 1973 participants in the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (Great Britain), followed from birth until age 60–64, were used. Functional limitations were defined as reporting difficulty with at least 1 of 16 activities at age 60–64. Lifetime socioeconomic adversity was based on socioeconomic trajectories, categorised into three adversity levels. Analysis of covariance and regression models were used to compare psychosocial factors and health-related behaviours between a ‘Resilient’ group (high adversity but no functional limitations) and five groups with other combinations of adversity and limitations.

Results

Prevalence of functional limitations in high, intermediate and low adversity groups was 44%, 30% and 23% in men, and 61%, 55% and 49% in women, respectively. Compared with the other high adversity group, the resilient group had a lower prevalence of childhood illness (12% vs 19%) and obesity throughout ages 43–64 (70% vs 55%). Partially adjusted models also showed higher adolescent self-management, lower neuroticism, higher prevalence of volunteer work and physical activity (age 60–64) and lower prevalence of smoking (age 43) in the resilient. Marital status and contact frequency were not associated with resilience.

Conclusion

Results suggest protection against childhood illness, health-behavioural factors and self-regulation as targets for interventions across life that may particularly benefit those with long-term exposure to socioeconomic adversity.
Cataract risk in US radiologic technologists assisting with fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Velazquez-Kronen Raquel , Borrego David , Gilbert Ethel S , Miller Donald L , Moysich Kirsten B , Freudenheim Jo L , Wactawski-Wende Jean , Cahoon Elizabeth K , Little Mark P , Millen Amy E , Balter Stephen , Alexander Bruce H , Simon Steven L , Linet Martha S , Kitahara Cari M
Published: March 2019

Objectives

To assess radiation exposure-related work history and risk of cataract and cataract surgery among radiologic technologists assisting with fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures (FGIP).

Methods

This retrospective study included 35 751 radiologic technologists who reported being cataract-free at baseline (1994–1998) and completed a follow-up questionnaire (2013–2014). Frequencies of assisting with 21 types of FGIP and use of radiation protection equipment during five time periods (before 1970, 1970–1979, 1980–1989, 1990–1999, 2000–2009) were derived from an additional self-administered questionnaire in 2013–2014. Multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) for self-reported cataract diagnosis and cataract surgery were estimated according to FGIP work history.

Results

During follow-up, 9372 technologists reported incident physician-diagnosed cataract; 4278 of incident cases reported undergoing cataract surgery. Technologists who ever assisted with FGIP had increased risk for cataract compared with those who never assisted with FGIP (RR: 1.18, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.25). Risk increased with increasing cumulative number of FGIP; the RR for technologists who assisted with >5000 FGIP compared with those who never assisted was 1.38 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.53; p trend <0.001). These associations were more pronounced for FGIP when technologists were located ≤3 feet (≤0.9 m) from the patient compared with >3 feet (>0.9 m) (RRs for >5000 at ≤3 feet vs never FGIP were 1.48, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.74 and 1.15, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.35, respectively; pdifference=0.04). Similar risks, although not statistically significant, were observed for cataract surgery.

Conclusion

Technologists who reported assisting with FGIP, particularly high-volume FGIP within 3 feet of the patient, had increased risk of incident cataract. Additional investigation should evaluate estimated dose response and medically validated cataract type.
Leishmaniosis manifesting as osteomyelitis and monoarthritis in a dog and outcome following treatment with miltefosine and allopurinol
Authors: König Maya Laura , Howard Judith , Schmidhalter Marta , Hentrich Brigitte , Hettlich Bianca
Published: March 2019

A nine‐year‐old male, neutered, mixed‐breed dog was presented with chronic left pelvic limb lameness, moderate muscular atrophy and pain on palpation of the lateral femoral condyle. No other clinical abnormalities were found except for two subcutaneous tarsal nodules. Radiographs and CT revealed severe stifle monoarthropathy and distal femoral osteolysis without periosteal proliferation, mild popliteal lymphadenopathy and several small splenic nodules. Leishmaniosis was diagnosed on cytology of the lymph nodes and spleen, serology and PCR of the synovial membrane, and bone biopsies. Complete clinical remission was achieved with oral miltefosine and allopurinol. The areas of distal femur bone loss remained radiographically and on CT. Monarthritis and osteomyelitis without systemic clinical signs or clinicopathological alterations have rarely been reported with canine leishmaniosis. Leishmaniosis should be considered even if radiographic signs are atypical. Treatment with miltefosine and allopurinol was successful in achieving clinical remission. Previous areas of bone loss remained quiescent without bone infilling.
Analytically Pricing Credit Default Swaps Under a Regime-Switching Model
Authors: Chen Wenting , He Xin-Jiang , Qiu Xinzi
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we consider the valuation of a CDS (credit default swap) contract when the reference asset is assumed to follow a regime-switching model with the volatility allowed to jump among different states. Our motivation originates from empirical evidence demonstrating the existence of regime-switching in real markets. The default probability is analytically derived first, based on which a closed-form formula for the CDS price is obtained so that it can be easily implemented for practical purposes. Finally, numerical experiments are carried out to show quantitatively some properties of the CDS price under the regime-switching model.
Constructions of graded Frobenius algebras
Authors: He Ji-Wei , Xia Xue-Jun
Published: March 2019

It is proved that a connected graded Frobenius algebra is determined by a twisted superpotential, and vice versa. Some examples of connected graded Frobenius are given with few generators.
HILC
Authors: Intharah Thanapong , Turmukhambetov Daniyar , Brostow Gabriel J.
Published: March 2019

Creating automation scripts for tasks involving Graphical User Interface (GUI) interactions is hard. It is challenging because not all software applications allow access to a program’s internal state, nor do they all have accessibility APIs. Although much of the internal state is exposed to the user through the GUI, it is hard to programmatically operate the GUI’s widgets.

To that end, we developed a system prototype that learns by demonstration, called
HILC
(Help, It Looks Confusing). Users, both programmers and non-programmers, train HILC to synthesize a task script by demonstrating the task. A demonstration produces the needed screenshots and their corresponding mouse-keyboard signals. After the demonstration, the user answers follow-up questions.

We propose a user-in-the-loop framework that learns to generate scripts of actions performed on visible elements of graphical applications. Although pure programming by demonstration is still unrealistic due to a computer’s limited understanding of user intentions, we use quantitative and qualitative experiments to show that non-programming users are willing and effective at answering follow-up queries posed by our system, to help with confusing parts of the demonstrations. Our models of events and appearances are surprisingly simple but are combined effectively to cope with varying amounts of supervision.

The best available baseline, Sikuli Slides, struggled to assist users in the majority of the tests in our user study experiments. The prototype with our proposed approach successfully helped users accomplish simple linear tasks, complicated tasks (monitoring, looping, and mixed), and tasks that span across multiple applications. Even when both systems could ultimately perform a task, ours was trained and refined by the user in less time.
Personalised Reranking of Paper Recommendations Using Paper Content and User Behavior
Authors: Li Xinyi , Chen Yifan , Pettit Benjamin , Rijke Maarten De
Published: March 2019

Academic search engines have been widely used to access academic papers, where users’ information needs are explicitly represented as search queries. Some modern recommender systems have taken one step further by predicting users’ information needs without the presence of an explicit query. In this article, we examine an academic paper recommender that sends out paper recommendations in email newsletters, based on the users’ browsing history on the academic search engine. Specifically, we look at users who regularly browse papers on the search engine, and we sign up for the recommendation newsletters for the first time. We address the task of reranking the recommendation candidates that are generated by a production system for such users.

We face the challenge that the users on whom we focus have not interacted with the recommender system before, which is a common scenario that every recommender system encounters when new users sign up. We propose an approach to reranking candidate recommendations that utilizes both paper content and user behavior. The approach is designed to suit the characteristics unique to our academic recommendation setting. For instance, content similarity measures can be used to find the closest match between candidate recommendations and the papers previously browsed by the user. To this end, we use a knowledge graph derived from paper metadata to compare entity similarities (papers, authors, and journals) in the embedding space. Since the users on whom we focus have no prior interactions with the recommender system, we propose a model to learn a mapping from users’ browsed articles to user clicks on the recommendations. We combine both content and behavior into a hybrid reranking model that outperforms the production baseline significantly, providing a relative 13% increase in Mean Average Precision and 28% in Precision@1.

Moreover, we provide a detailed analysis of the model components, highlighting where the performance boost comes from. The obtained insights reveal useful components for the reranking process and can be generalized to other academic recommendation settings as well, such as the utility of graph embedding similarity. Also, recent papers browsed by users provide stronger evidence for recommendation than historical ones.
Exploring High-Order User Preference on the Knowledge Graph for Recommender Systems
Authors: Wang Hongwei , Zhang Fuzheng , Wang Jialin , Zhao Miao , Li Wenjie , Xie Xing , Guo Minyi
Published: March 2019

To address the sparsity and cold-start problem of collaborative filtering, researchers usually make use of side information, such as social networks or item attributes, to improve the performance of recommendation. In this article, we consider the knowledge graph (KG) as the source of side information. To address the limitations of existing embedding-based and path-based methods for KG-aware recommendation, we propose
RippleNet
, an end-to-end framework that naturally incorporates the KG into recommender systems. RippleNet has two versions: (1) The
outward propagation
version, which is analogous to the actual ripples on water, stimulates the propagation of user preferences over the set of knowledge entities by automatically and iteratively extending a user’s potential interests along links in the KG. The multiple “ripples” activated by a user’s historically clicked items are thus superposed to form the preference distribution of the user with respect to a candidate item. (2) The
inward aggregation
version aggregates and incorporates the neighborhood information biasedly when computing the representation of a given entity. The neighborhood can be extended to multiple hops away to model high-order proximity and capture users’ long-distance interests. In addition, we intuitively demonstrate how a KG assists with recommender systems in RippleNet, and we also find that RippleNet provides a new perspective of explainability for the recommended results in terms of the KG. Through extensive experiments on real-world datasets, we demonstrate that both versions of RippleNet achieve substantial gains in a variety of scenarios, including movie, book, and news recommendations, over several state-of-the-art baselines.