bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historical development
Authors: Baderin Mashood A.
Published: February 2021

‘Historical development’ discusses the historical development of Islamic law, divided into six major periods. These include the formative period, the pre-classical period, the classical period, the post-classical period, the modern period, and an emerging post-modern period. The history of Islamic law is linked with the divine call of Muhammad to prophethood and the consequent emergence of Islam as a religious faith in Arabia in the 7th century. The Qur’an became the main source for guidance for the early Muslims. Thus, faith in God as the divine authority, in Muhammad as a prophet of God, and in the Qur’an as a divine revelation, has served as the cornerstone of Islamic law.
Theory, scope, and practice
Authors: Baderin Mashood A.
Published: February 2021

‘Theory, scope, and practice’ assesses the theoretical, substantive, and procedural aspects of Islamic law. The theoretical aspect engages with the jurisprudential rules relating to the sources, methods, principles, legal hermeneutics, and juristic methodologies of Islamic law. The substantive aspect deals with the scope of Islamic law, covering the textual provisions and juristic rulings on specific substantive issues. The procedural aspect deals with Islamic law in practice, covering its practical application as a functional legal system. Any examination of Islamic legal theory should consider the sources, methods, and principles of law and, in particular in this case, Islamic substantive law. Ijtihād is an important tool of independent juristic reasoning under Islamic legal theory.
Law of financial transactions
Authors: Baderin Mashood A.
Published: February 2021

‘Law of financial transactions’ studies the Islamic law of financial transactions. Islamic banking and finance is based on the general rules of contract and commerce as regulated by relevant provisions of the sharīʻah. Its fundamental principles are based on the legality of trade but prohibition of usury/interest (ribā), predatory/speculative transactions (gharar), gambling (maysir), and dealing in unlawful goods and services under the sharīʻah. Other relevant rules include the principles of partnership and agency, which are employed in devising different ‘sharīʻah-compliant’ products in contemporary Islamic banking and finance. The three main forms of ‘sharīʻah-compliant’ contracts are: the murābahah (‘cost-plus’ sale), mushārakah (equitable partnership), and mudārabah (silent partnership).
Administration of justice
Authors: Baderin Mashood A.
Published: February 2021

‘Administration of justice’ examines the administration of justice under Islamic law, highlighting the importance of adjudication. The processes of administration of justice in Islamic law have never been static or inflexible but leave room for necessary refinement as the needs of substantive justice demand. Such refinements are left to the jurists and the relevant state authorities to decide in accordance with the sharīʻah. The jurisprudential rules relate to the appointment and role of judges, structure of courts and judicial procedure, rules of evidence, and appeals and judicial reviews. Islamic law also recognizes alternative non-judicial means of settling disputes, such as arbitration or mediation (tahkīm) and amicable settlement or conciliation (sulh).
The future of Islamic law
Authors: Baderin Mashood A.
Published: February 2021

‘The future of Islamic law’ assesses the future of Islamic law. Owing to the influence of modern state structures and modern modes of law-making, the form and application of Islamic law as part of state law today is not based strictly on direct reference to classical fiqh manuals, but indirectly through state legislation in the form of codified statutes. Codification raises two questions concerning the future of Islamic law. The first question relates to form, while the second relates to content. One aspect of classical fiqh that may be affected by codified Islamic law is the flexibility of ikhtilāf (differences of juristic opinion), as the codified fiqh becomes the applicable law.
“Something is Said in the Silences”: Gwendolyn Brooks’s Years at Harper’s
Authors: Goldsby Jacqueline
Published: February 2021

This essay draws upon Gwendolyn Brooks’ 49-year correspondence (1944–93) with her editor Elizabeth Lawrence to trace the “publishing knowledges” that Brooks gleaned during her mid-20th-century career with the US firm Harpers & Brothers. First and foremost, their correspondence richly details Brooks’s growth as an experimental poet with a mainstream commercial firm. The aesthetic sociality of their editorial debates fostered also allowed them to explore personal and political intimacies; in this dimension, their correspondence (both the letters’ contents and epistolary form) sheds light on how Brooks and Lawrence navigated the shoals of race, gender, and liberalism in the notoriously patriarchal corporate culture of mid-20th-century US publishing. Finally, the arc of Brooks’s relationship with Lawrence at Harper’s charts is how US publishing transformed from its corporate to conglomerated forms. Taken together, these epistolary threads not only weave African American poetry into the literary history of an era-defining institutional realignment but also they demonstrate how Brooks’ and Lawrence’s cross-racial solidarity and commitment to an anti-corporate poetics comprise a continuum between Brooks’s career in mainstream US publishing and her later years in the Black independent press in the late 1960s.

[P]ublishing at Harper’s was a shrewd, tactical choice [that] . . serve[d] Brooks’s evolving ideologies about art and politics.
Conglomerability, disintegrability and the comparative principle
Authors: Stewart Rush T , Nielsen Michael
Published: February 2021

Our aim here is to present a result that connects some approaches to justifying countable additivity. This result allows us to better understand the force of a recent argument for countable additivity due to Easwaran. We have two main points. First, Easwaran’s argument in favour of countable additivity should have little persuasive force on those permissive probabilists who have already made their peace with violations of conglomerability. As our result shows, Easwaran’s main premiss – the comparative principle – is strictly stronger than conglomerability (and equivalent to disintegrability). Second, with the connections between the comparative principle and other probabilistic concepts clearly in view, we point out that opponents of countable additivity can still make a case that countable additivity is an arbitrary stopping point between finite and full additivity.
DPYD, down-regulated by the potentially chemopreventive agent luteolin, interacts with STAT3 in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Kato Hiroyuki , Naiki-Ito Aya , Suzuki Shugo , Inaguma Shingo , Komura Masayuki , Nakao Kenju , Naiki Taku , Kachi Kenta , Kato Akihisa , Matsuo Yoichi , Takahashi Satoru
Published: February 2021

The 5-year survival rate of pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) patients is <10% despite progress in clinical medicine. Strategies to prevent the development of PDAC are urgently required. The flavonoids Luteolin (Lut) and hesperetin (Hes) may be cancer-chemopreventive, but effects on pancreatic carcinogenesis in vivo have not been studied. Here, the chemopreventive effects of Lut and Hes on pancreatic carcinogenesis are assessed in the BOP-induced hamster PDAC model. Lut but not Hes suppressed proliferation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and reduced the incidence and multiplicity of PDAC in this model. Lut also inhibited the proliferation of hamster and human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. Multi-blot and microarray assays revealed decreased phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD) on Lut exposure. To explore the relationship between DPYD and STAT3 activity, the former was silenced by RNAi or overexpressed using expression vectors, and the latter was inactivated by small molecule inhibitors or stimulated by IL6 in human PDAC cells. DPYD knock-down decreased, and overexpression increased, pSTAT3 and cell proliferation. DPYD expression was decreased by inactivation of STAT3 and increased by its activation. The frequency of pSTAT3-positive cells and DPYD expression was significantly correlated and was decreased in parallel by Lut in the hamster PDAC model. Finally, immunohistochemical analysis in 73 cases of human PDAC demonstrated that DPYD expression was positively correlated with the Ki-67 labeling index, and high expression was associated with poor prognosis. These results indicate that Lut is a promising chemopreventive agent for PDAC, targeting a novel STAT3-DPYD pathway.
Expression of MAdCAM-1 and Gut-homing T Cells in Inflamed Pouch Mucosa
Authors: de Krijger Manon , Wildenberg Manon E , Mookhoek Aart , Verheul Sascha , de Jonge Wouter J , Ponsioen Cyriel Y
Published: February 2021

Background and Aims

Pouchitis is a common complication following formation of an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis [IPAA] after proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis [UC]. Gut-specific lymphocyte trafficking mechanisms have been identified as players in the pathogenesis of UC. In the present study, we aimed to characterise the presence of lymphocyte subsets expressing gut-homing molecules in pouches and peripheral blood of UC patients with and without pouchitis.

Methods

Biopsy samples and peripheral blood were collected from 29 patients with an IPAA [seven with active inflammation, 22 without inflammation]. Expression of adhesion molecule MAdCAM-1 was assessed using immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry was used to characterise expression of integrin α4β7, C-chemokine receptor 9 [CCR9], and CD103 on T cell subsets.

Results

MAdCAM-1 expression was significantly increased in case of active inflammation in the pouch. T cells expressing integrin α4β7 were abundant in the pouch mucosa, but the frequency of integrin α4β7-expressing T cells was decreased on CD4+ lymphocytes during inflammation. Co-expression of gut-homing markers CCR9 and α4β7 was more pronounced in biopsies compared with peripheral blood, but was not enhanced upon active inflammation.

Conclusions

Gut-homing T cells are abundant in pouch mucosa, but the classic hypothesis that the chronic inflammatory state is maintained by an accumulation of α4β7-expressing effector T cells is not supported by our data.
Southern (American) Hospitality: Italians in Argentina and the United States During the Age of Mass Migration
Authors: Pérez Santiago
Published: February 2021

Argentina and the United States were the principal destinations for Italian immigrants during the Age of Mass Migration. I assemble data following Italians from passenger lists to censuses in Argentina and the United States, enabling me to compare the economic outcomes of migrants with similar pre-migration characteristics but who moved to different countries. Italians assimilated faster in Argentina, and this advantage was unlikely to be due to selection. A higher human capital relative to natives and the Italian-Spanish similarity largely explain Italians’ advantage in Argentina. These findings highlight the importance of the fit between migrants’ characteristics and those of the receiving country.
The zone 2 concept and distal stent graft positioning in TH 2–3 are associated with high rates of secondary aortic interventions in frozen elephant trunk surgery
Authors: Liebrich Markus , Charitos Efstratios I , Schlereth Sebastian , Meißner Helfried , Trabold Tobias , Geisbüsch Philipp , Hemmer Wolfgang , Seeburger Joerg , Voth Vladimir
Published: February 2021

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to investigate the association between the localization of the distal anastomosis (zone 2/3), the stent graft length (100–160 mm), the position of the distal end of the hybrid prosthesis and the need for secondary aortic intervention (SAI) in acute and chronic thoracic aortic disease after the frozen elephant trunk procedure.

METHODS

From 2009 through 2020, a total of 232 patients (137 men; mean age, 61.7 ± 13.8 years) were treated with the frozen elephant trunk procedure. The main indications were acute aortic dissection type A (n = 106, 46%), chronic aortic dissection type A (n = 52, 22%) and degenerative thoracic aortic aneurysm (n = 74, 32%).

RESULTS

The rate of SAI was significantly higher when we performed a distal anastomosis in zone 2 rather than in zone 3, whereas the rate of SAI was less frequent if the distal positioning of the hybrid prosthesis was below TH 4–5. Combining the zone 2 concept and the short stent graft length (100 mm) was associated with a significantly higher rate of SAIs. Patients with a distal anastomosis in zone 2 were significantly less likely to have a recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (P < 0.001). However, no association between a specific arch zone of a distal anastomosis and the occurrence of spinal cord injury was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of SAIs are highest in patients who were treated with a distal anastomosis in zone 2 and a short stent graft (100 mm) with the distal end of the hybrid prosthesis at vertebral level TH 2–3.
SOX9 modulates cancer biomarker and cilia genes in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Edelman Hannah E , McClymont Sarah A , Tucker Tori R , Pineda Santiago , Beer Rebecca L , McCallion Andrew S , Parsons Michael J
Published: February 2021

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive form of cancer with high mortality. The cellular origins of PDAC are largely unknown; however, ductal cells, especially centroacinar cells (CACs), have several characteristics in common with PDAC, such as expression of SOX9 and components of the Notch-signaling pathway. Mutations in KRAS and alterations to Notch signaling are common in PDAC, and both these pathways regulate the transcription factor SOX9. To identify genes regulated by SOX9, we performed siRNA knockdown of SOX9 followed by RNA-seq in PANC-1s, a human PDAC cell line. We report 93 differentially expressed (DE) genes, with convergence on alterations to Notch-signaling pathways and ciliogenesis. These results point to SOX9 and Notch activity being in a positive feedback loop and SOX9 regulating cilia production in PDAC. We additionally performed ChIP-seq in PANC-1s to identify direct targets of SOX9 binding and integrated these results with our DE gene list. Nine of the top 10 downregulated genes have evidence of direct SOX9 binding at their promoter regions. One of these targets was the cancer stem cell marker EpCAM. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization to detect epcam transcript in zebrafish larvae, we demonstrated that epcam is a CAC marker and that Sox9 regulation of epcam expression is conserved in zebrafish. Additionally, we generated an epcam null mutant and observed pronounced defects in ciliogenesis during development. Our results provide a link between SOX9, EpCAM and ciliary repression that can be exploited in improving our understanding of the cellular origins and mechanisms of PDAC.
Lymph node dissection in thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine carcinomas
Authors: Hamaji Masatsugu , Omasa Mitsugu , Nakanishi Takao , Nakakura Akiyoshi , Morita Satoshi , Miyamoto Ei , Nakagawa Tatsuo , Miyahara So , Sonobe Makoto , Takahashi Mamoru , Terada Yasuji , Hijiya Kyoko , Sumitomo Ryota , Huang Cheng-Long , Kojima Fumitsugu , Shoji Tsuyoshi , Date Naoki , Miyata Ryo , Suga Michiharu , Nakanobo Ryo , Kawakami Kenzo , Aoyama Akihiro , Date Hiroshi
Published: February 2021

OBJECTIVES

Although lymph node (LN) metastases are not uncommon in thymic carcinomas, preoperative LN evaluation, intraoperative lymph node dissection (LND) and postoperative outcomes remain unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of and outcomes in patients with thymic carcinomas and thymic neuroendocrine carcinomas undergoing LND.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed using our multi-institutional database to identify patients who underwent resection and LND for thymic carcinoma or thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma between 1991 and 2018. An enlarged mediastinal LN was defined as having a short-axis diameter >1 cm. We assessed survival outcomes using the Kaplan–Meier analysis.

RESULTS

N1-level LND was performed in 41 patients (54.6%), N2-level LND in 14 patients (18.7%) and both-level LND in 16 patients (21.3%). Pathological LN metastasis was detected in 20 patients (26.7%) among the 75 patients undergoing LND. There was a significant difference in the number of LN stations (P = 0.015) and metastasis factor (P = 0.0042) between pathologically LN-positive and pathologically LN-negative patients. The sensitivity of enlarged LNs on preoperative computed tomography was 18.2%. There was a tendency towards worse overall survival of pathologically N2-positive patients, although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.15).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CT appears to play a limited role in detecting pathological LN metastases. Our findings suggest that the significance of N1- and N2-level LND should be evaluated in prospective studies to optimize the postoperative management of patients with thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine carcinomas.
On the Liouville Function in Short Intervals
Authors: Chinis Jake
Published: February 2021

Let $\lambda $ denote the Liouville function. Assuming the Riemann Hypothesis, we prove that $\int _X^{2X}\Big |\sum _{x\leq n \leq x+h}\lambda (n) \Big |^2{\textrm{d}} x \ll Xh(\log X)^6,$ as $X\rightarrow \infty $, provided $h=h(X)\leq \exp \left (\sqrt{\left (\frac{1}{2}-o(1)\right )\log X \log \log X}\right ).$ The proof uses a simple variation of the methods developed by Matomäki and Radziwiłł in their work on multiplicative functions in short intervals, as well as some standard results concerning smooth numbers.
The Capacity of Quiver Representations and Brascamp–Lieb Constants
Authors: Chindris Calin , Derksen Harm
Published: February 2021

Let $Q$ be a bipartite quiver, $V$ a real representation of $Q$, and $\sigma $ an integral weight of $Q$ orthogonal to the dimension vector of $V$. Guided by quiver invariant theoretic considerations, we introduce the Brascamp–Lieb (BL) operator $T_{V,\sigma }$ associated to $(V,\sigma )$ and study its capacity, denoted by $\textbf{D}_Q(V, \sigma )$. When $Q$ is the $m$-subspace quiver, the capacity of quiver data is intimately related to the BL constants that occur in the $m$-multilinear BL inequality in analysis. We show that the positivity of $\textbf{D}_Q(V, \sigma )$ is equivalent to the $\sigma $-semi-stability of $V$. We also find a character formula for $\textbf{D}_Q(V, \sigma )$ whenever it is positive. Our main tool is a quiver version of a celebrated result of Kempf–Ness on closed orbits in invariant theory. This result leads us to consider certain real algebraic varieties that carry information relevant to our main objects of study. It allows us to express the capacity of quiver data in terms of the character induced by $\sigma $ and sample points of the varieties involved. Furthermore, we use this character formula to prove a factorization of the capacity of quiver data. We also show that the existence of gaussian extremals for $(V, \sigma )$ is equivalent to $V$ being $\sigma $-polystable and that the uniqueness of gaussian extremals implies that $V$ is $\sigma $-stable. Finally, we explain how to find the gaussian extremals of a gaussian-extremisable datum $(V, \sigma )$ using the algebraic variety associated to $(V,\sigma )$.
Responsibility-Sharing in Refugee Protection: Lessons from Climate Governance
Authors: Lutz Philipp , Stünzi Anna , Manser-Egli Stefan
Published: February 2021

The international governance of asylum requires states to cooperate to provide the public good of humanitarian protection. The need to establish responsibility-sharing resembles the collective action problem in climate change mitigation. While there is a general consensus on the differentiation of state responsibilities in most environmental agreements, states continuously fail to progress on responsibility-sharing in asylum governance. In this article, we compare the collective action challenges in asylum to those in climate governance and identify the similarities and differences in their characteristics as public goods. We then discuss the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” that guides global climate change mitigation and demonstrate how equity principles can be applied to differentiate state responsibilities in the context of humanitarian protection. The subsequent analysis of recent efforts to establish effective responsibility-sharing reveals the trade-offs involved in the design of a responsibility allocation mechanism for refugee protection. Our findings provide important lessons for the prospects and limits of responsibility-sharing in asylum governance.
Nutritional Global Status and Its Impact in Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Prieto Juliana Midori Iqueda , Andrade Adriana Ribas , Magro Daniela Oliveira , Imbrizi Marcello , Nishitokukado Iêda , Ortiz-Agostinho Carmen Lucia , dos Santos Fabiana Maria , Luzia Liania Alves , Rondo Patricia Helen de Carvalho , Leite André Zonetti de Arruda , Carrilho Flair José , Sipahi Aytan Miranda
Published: February 2021

Background

Malnutrition among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) subjects is well documented in literature and may emerge from factors including inadequate dietary intake, malabsorption and disease activity. The aim of this study was to complete a comprehensive nutrition assessment and explore what possibilities may help bring a better quality of life for IBD subjects.

Methods

Nutritional status based on biochemical tests, body composition and body mass index (BMI). Food intake was assessed by an alternate 3-day food record and the adequacy of intake was evaluated according to national and international references. Clinical disease activity was evaluated by the Harvey-Bradshaw index and CRP levels.

Results

The study included 217 patients and 65 controls, where 54.4% of these patients were classified as normal weight with a mean BMI lower than controls (23.8 ± 4.9 versus 26.9 ± 4.8 kg/m2, P = 0.02). Patients with disease activity showed more overweight and obesity than patients with controlled disease. Vitamin B12 deficiency was present in 19% of Crohn’s disease (CD), mainly in patients with ileal commitment and small bowel resections. Anemia was present in 21.7% of patients, being more common in patients with active disease (25%) and bowel resection (23%). Regarding calorie intake (EI), CD group ingested more than controls (1986.3 ± 595.9 kcal versus 1701.8 ± 478.9 kcal; P = 0.003).

Conclusions

CD patients presented micronutrient deficiency when compared with controls, explained for other reasons than intake restrictions. Also, fat excess might have contributed to disease burden as continuously reported in the literature.
Immigrant diversity, integration and worker productivity: uncovering the mechanisms behind ‘diversity spillover’ effects
Authors: Buchholz Maximilian
Published: February 2021

A growing body of research is demonstrating a robust positive relationship between the diversity of a city’s foreign-born population in the USA and worker productivity. Other research has focused on diversity within firms, similarly finding positive effects in many cases. Although it appears that diverse teams within firms are better at problem-solving and are more creative, the exact mechanism(s) that drive the relationship between diversity and productivity at the scale of city-regions are less apparent and underexplored in extant research. Drawing on research from several fields, I describe four mechanisms that might drive the relationship between immigrant diversity and productivity at the urban level. I explore each mechanism with a pseudo panel of workers and fixed effects OLS regressions across U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas between 2011 and 2017. The results most strongly support that at the urban level, diversity enhances productivity through what I call ‘exposure effects’ and ‘interactive problem-solving’, wherein workers become more productive and more creative through exposure to new cultures and ways of thinking and through joint problem-solving. These results suggest that positive externalities arise when coupling rising immigrant diversity with the social integration of people from diverse backgrounds.
Management of the Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Colombian Caribbean: A Conceptual Model
Authors: Burbano-Figueroa Oscar , Sierra-Monroy Alexandra , Grandett Martinez Liliana , Borgemeister Christian , Luedeling Eike
Published: February 2021

The boll weevil [BW; Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)] is the main pest in the cotton-producing regions throughout the Americas from Southern Texas to Argentina. In the Colombian Caribbean, frequent population outbreaks have resulted in cotton planting bans in some localities and in massive applications of insecticides elsewhere (up to 15 insecticide sprays per cotton season). To date, information on boll weevil management strategies in Colombia is only available in the forms of gray literature (technical reports) and informal knowledge held by crop advisors and farmers. This study compiles this information using a standardized protocol for participatory construction of conceptual models for agricultural systems. The conceptual model developed in this study integrates the informal local knowledge of crop advisors and farmers with disciplinary knowledge describing management strategies for boll weevil. The collected data were assessed and organized using a systems approach to facilitate the future development of quantitative models and allow visualization of knowledge gaps. The model includes the description of the biological and technical-decisional subsystems. The latter subsystem explains boll weevil management at two temporal-spatial scales: 1) farm (field) scale management during the cotton season and 2) a regional boll weevil suppression strategy mainly aimed at controlling the insect populations that survived the intercotton season. The development of this conceptual model allowed describing the current management strategies for boll weevil and formulating hypotheses about the effectiveness of these strategies. This conceptual model provides guidelines for future research, and it can serve as a baseline for the development of quantitative models and simulations describing the decision-making process related to the management of boll weevil in the Colombian Caribbean.
Is perioperative chemotherapy recommended in childhood and adolescent patients with synovial sarcoma? A systematic review
Authors: Nakamura Tomoki , Saito Yuya , Tsuchiya Kunihiko , Miyachi Mitsuru , Iwata Shintaro , Sudo Akihiro , Kawai Akira
Published: February 2021

Objective

Synovial sarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcomas among childhood and adolescents, accounting for 8–10% of all soft tissue sarcoma. Synovial sarcoma is considered a relatively chemosensitive tumor compared with other soft tissue sarcomas. However, the role of perioperative chemotherapy in synovial sarcoma remains controversial. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the role of perioperative chemotherapy in childhood and adolescent patients with synovial sarcoma.

Methods

We evaluated studies published between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2017. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, Cochrane database (via PubMed) and Ichushi (in Japanese).

Results

The search yielded 216 articles in English and Japanese. After the initial screening, based on the title and abstract, 160 articles were excluded. As a second screening, we then assessed the full text of the remaining 56 articles for eligibility. Finally, 10 articles were included in the systematic review. Surgical resection with R0 margin alone was recommended because of the excellent results of two prospective studies. Meta-analysis was performed using data from two retrospective studies of 261 patients. Perioperative chemotherapy did not have a significant effect on survival and event-free survival.

Conclusions

We weakly do not recommend perioperative chemotherapy in patients with non-metastatic synovial sarcoma ≤ 5 cm when R0 resection is acquired. There was no consensus concerning the role of perioperative chemotherapy in patients with synovial sarcoma > 5 cm or those with ≤5 cm who undergo R1 or R2 resection.
Patterns and Impact of Electronic Health Records-Defined Depression Phenotypes in Spine Surgery
Authors: Boakye Maxwell , Sharma Mayur , Adams Shawn , Chandler Thomas , Wang Dengzhi , Ugiliweneza Beatrice , Drazin Doniel
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Preoperative depression is a risk factor for poor outcomes after spine surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To understand effects of depression on spine surgery outcomes and healthcare resource utilization.

METHODS

Using IBM’s MarketScan Database, we identified 52 480 patients who underwent spinal fusion. Retained patients were classified into 6 depression phenotype groups based on International Classification of Disease, 9th/10th Revision (ICD-9/10) codes and use/nonuse of antidepressant medications: major depressive disorder (MDD), other depression (OthDep), antidepressants for other psychiatric condition (PsychRx), antidepressants for physical (nonpsychiatric) condition (NoPsychRx), psychiatric condition only (PsychOnly), and no depression (NoDep). We analyzed baseline demographics, comorbidities, healthcare utilization/payments, and chronic opioid use.

RESULTS

Breakdown of groups in our cohort: MDD (15%), OthDep (12%), PsychRx (13%), NonPsychRx (15%), PsychOnly (12%), and NoDep (33%). Postsurgery: increased outpatient resource utilization, admissions, and medication refills at 1, 2, and 5 yr in the NoDep, PsychOnly, NonPsychRx, PsychRx, and OthDep groups, and highest in MDD. Postoperative opioid usage rates remained unchanged in MDD (44%) and OthDep (36%), and reduced in PsychRx (40%), NonPsychRx (31%), and PsychOnly (20%), with greatest reduction in NoDep (13%). Reoperation rates: 1 yr after index procedure, MDD, OthDep, PsychRx, NonPsychRx, and PsychOnly had more reoperations compared to NoDep, and same at 2 and 5 yr. In NoDep patients, 45% developed new depressive phenotype postsurgery.

CONCLUSION

EHR-defined classification allowed us to study in depth the effects of depression in spine surgery. This increased understanding of the interplay of mental health will help providers identify cohorts at risk for high complication rates, and health care utilization.
Is pain associated with premature mortality in patients with psoriatic arthritis? A nested case–control study using the DANBIO Register
Authors: Vela Jonathan , Cordtz Rene Lindholm , Kristensen Salome , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Petersen Kristian Kjær , Arendt-Nielsen Lars , Dreyer Lene
Published: February 2021

Objectives

It has been hypothesized that the presence of chronic pain causes excess mortality. Since chronic pain is prevalent among patients with PsA this potential association should be explored. We aimed to investigate whether higher cumulative pain intensity is associated with an excess mortality risk in patients with PsA.

Methods

A nested case–control study using data from the nationwide DANBIO Register (Danish Database for Biological Therapies in Rheumatology) Register and Danish healthcare registers. Cases were patients who died and corresponding to the date of death, matched on sex, year of birth and calendar period at the time of death with up to five controls. Exposure of interest was mean pain intensity reported during the time followed in routine rheumatology practice. Pain intensity was measured using a visual analogue scale from 0 to 100 and conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds of mortality per 5 unit increase in pain while adjusting for confounders.

Results

The cohort consisted of 8019 patients. A total of 276 cases were identified and matched with 1187 controls. Higher mean pain intensity was associated with increased odds of mortality [odds ratio 1.06 (95% CI 1.02, 1.10)] in the crude model, but there was no association [odds ratio 0.99 (95% CI 0.95, 1.03)] when adjusting for additional confounders. Factors shown to increase the odds of mortality were recent glucocorticoid use, concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Conclusion

These results indicate that experienced pain in itself is not associated with premature mortality in patients with PsA. However, recent glucocorticoid use and concurrent comorbidities were.
Influence of particle size of Enogen Feed corn and conventional yellow dent corn on lactating sow performance1
Authors: Williams Hadley R , Tokach Mike D , Paulk Chad B , Woodworth Jason C , DeRouchey Joel M , Goodband Robert D , Dritz Steve S , Gebhardt Jordan T
Published: February 2021

Enogen Feed corn is a variety developed by Syngenta Seeds (Downers Grove, IL) that has been genetically modified to contain an α-amylase enzyme trait (SYT-EFC). Originally, Enogen feed corn was developed for the ethanol industry due to its properties for reducing the viscosity of its corn mash. There is potential application for Enogen Feed corn to be used in livestock diets due to the potential for the increase in α- amylase enzyme to increase the starch digestibility. Because of this, it may be possible to increase the particle size of ground Enogen Feed corn and maintain the same starch digestibility as finely ground conventional yellow dent corn. Therefore, our hypothesis was that an interaction between corn source and particle size would exist such that the performance of sows fed fine ground conventional yellow dent corn would be similar to sows fed coarse ground Enogen Feed corn. A total of 107 sows (Line 241; DNA, Columbus, NE) across four batch farrowing groups were used to evaluate sow and litter performance. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of corn source (Enogen Feed corn or conventional yellow dent corn) and ground corn particle size (600 or 900 µm). From farrowing to weaning, there was a tendency for a corn source × particle size interaction (P = 0.065) in sow body weight (BW) change. Sows fed 900 µm Enogen Feed corn had decreased BW loss compared to sows fed other treatments, which were similar in weight loss. For sow average daily feed intake from farrowing to weaning, there was a corn source × particle size interaction (P = 0.048) with sows fed 900 µm conventional yellow dent corn having lower feed intake than the sows fed 600 µm conventional yellow dent corn, whereas sows fed 900 µm Enogen Feed corn had greater feed intake compared to the sows fed 600 µm Enogen Feed corn. There was a tendency for a particle size main effect (P < 0.10) for litter average daily gain (ADG) and total litter gain, with sows fed corn ground to 600 µm having increased litter ADG and total litter gain compared to sows fed corn ground to 900 µm. In summary, there were few differences in sow or litter characteristics among those fed Enogen Feed corn or conventional yellow dent corn. Reducing particle size of both corn sources tended to increase litter ADG and weaning weights.
FXR-Deoxycholic Acid-TNF-α Axis Modulates Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity
Authors: Yan Tingting , Yan Nana , Wang Hong , Yagai Tomoki , Luo Yuhong , Takahashi Shogo , Zhao Min , Krausz Kristopher W , Wang Guangji , Hao Haiping , Gonzalez Frank J
Published: February 2021

The idiosyncratic characteristics and severity of acetaminophen (APAP) overdose-induced hepatotoxicity render identifying the predisposing factors and mechanisms of APAP-induced liver toxicity necessary and urgent. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) controls bile acid homeostasis and modulates the progression of various liver diseases. Although global FXR deficiency in mice enhances APAP intoxication, the mechanism remains elusive. In this study, an increased sensitivity to APAP-induced toxicity was found in global Fxr-null (Fxr−/−) mice, but was not observed in hepatocyte-specific or macrophage-specific Fxr-null mice, suggesting that global FXR deficiency enhances APAP hepatotoxicity via disruption of systematic bile acid homeostasis. Indeed, more bile acid accumulation was found in global Fxr−/− mice, while 2% cholestyramine diet feeding decreased serum bile acids and alleviated APAP hepatotoxicity in global Fxr−/− mice, suggesting that bile acid accumulation contributes to APAP toxicity. Bile acids were suspected to induce macrophage to release tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which is known to enhance the APAP hepatotoxicity. In vitro, deoxycholic acid (DCA), a secondary bile acid metabolite, significantly induced Tnfa mRNA and dose-dependently enhanced TNF-α release from macrophage, while the same dose of DCA did not directly potentiate APAP toxicity in cultured primary hepatocytes. In vivo, DCA enhanced TNF-α release and potentiated APAP toxicity, both of which were abolished by the specific TNF-α antagonist infliximab. These results reveal an FXR-DCA-TNF-α axis that potentiates APAP hepatotoxicity, which could guide the clinical safe use of APAP.
Using the Curriculum to Introduce Transferable Skill Sets to Undergraduate Students
Authors: Richardson John
Published: February 2021

The next generation of scientists will be expected to find innovative solutions to problems that are greater in scale and magnitude than we have ever faced before. Since these challenges will be faced early in an academic career, young scientists will not have the opportunity to develop the necessary skills over a lifetime before they are called upon to lead. To address this gap a partnership has been formed between the leadership studies program and the STEM faculty at Austin College to develop a curriculum of integrated skills in order to prepare our graduates to work on these new scientific frontiers. The STEM Teaching and Research (STAR) Leadership Program at Austin College combines transferrable skill sets from leadership studies with STEM education to produce future leaders of the scientific community. This unique pedagogy pioneered at Austin College embraces the liberal arts tradition by teaching and practicing leadership behaviors through seamless integration into STEM disciplines through multiple courses across the entire curriculum, rather than as a separate course of study. We strive to engage all science students in the study and practice of leadership in their personal and professional lives, and to promote personal, team, and organizational effectiveness in both the classroom and through research. This curriculum is rich in intentional instruction of awareness, ability, and commitment through a complete integration into the existing scientific learning environment. Instruction is layered into courses and laboratory components at every level of the curriculum to give the students multiple opportunities to develop their skills from freshman through senior year. The work presented will give specific examples of how the STAR curriculum enhances the awareness of acting responsibly through the recognition of ethical issues in an undergraduate biochemistry course. Preliminary assessment data from the STAR program demonstrate significant increases in all student learning outcomes through their undergraduate experience. Additionally, no gaps in attainment of leadership behaviors by students have been observed from factors that may typically associate with achievement gaps in STEM (i.e. first generation status, race/ethnicity, or gender).

Support or Funding Information

Financial support for this project was provided in part by a grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Program Impact on Nutritional Status among Children Aged 6 to 24 Months in Rural Malawi: Findings from a Longitudinal Cohort Study
Authors: Hurley Kristen , Kang Yunhee , Monclus Assumpta Bou , Ruel‐Bergeron Julie , Oemcke Rachel , Wu Lee Shu Fune , Mitra Maithilee , Phuka John , Klemm Rolf , West Keith , Christian Parul
Published: February 2021

Objective

To evaluate the 18‐month impact of a program providing a daily lipid‐based nutrient supplement (LNS) and social and behavior change communication (SBCC) to promote infant and young child feeding practices from 6–23 months, on undernutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight) and linear‐ and ponderal growth [length‐for‐age z‐score (LAZ), weight‐for‐length (WLZ), weight‐for‐age (WAZ) z‐score] in rural Malawi.

Methods

Two cohorts of infants (n=348), aged 6–7 months, were enrolled in the program (n=176) and comparison (n=172) districts, respectively, and followed‐up at 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Child weight and length were taken at each visit and converted to z‐scores using the WHO child growth standards. Multilevel mixed‐effects linear regression models estimated the program impact on growth, accounting for within individual and village correlations, and adjusted for age, sex, and baseline nutritional status.

Results

Percentages of children stunted and wasted were comparable at enrollment in both districts: 42.4% and 1.5% (districts combined), but underweight was higher in the program district (15.4% vs. 6.5%;p<0.01). A trend toward a higher LAZ emerged in the program district at 12 (+0.13 z;p=0.15) and 18 (+0.14 z; p=0.19) months of age, that was significant at 24 (+0.34 z; p=0.003) months. Similarly, significant program impact on WAZ was noted at 12 (+0.20 Z; p=0.03), continued at 18 months (+016 Z; p=0.08), and became larger at 24 months of age (+0.32 Z; p=0.003) in program over comparison district. No statistically significant differences between groups were notable for WLZ at any visit. Further, at 18 and 24 months of age, the percent of children underweight was lower by 8.3% (p=0.04) and 9.8% (p=0.02), respectively, in the program vs. comparison district. No significant reduction in the percent of children stunted or wasted between groups were found at any visit.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that a daily provision of LNS and SBCC messaging from 6–23 months of age in rural Malawi may improve linear growth and underweight.

Support or Funding Information

This study was funded by the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, UK.
Pain for Greater Than 4 Days Is Highly Predictive of Concomitant Osteomyelitis in Children With Septic Arthritis
Authors: Siddiqui Ali A. , Andras Lindsay M. , Illingworth Kenneth D. , Skaggs David L.
Published: February 2021

Background:

There is no evidence-based consensus on the risk factors for concomitant osteomyelitis and septic arthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical parameters predictive of concomitant osteomyelitis in children with septic arthritis.

Methods:

A retrospective review was conducted on patients with septic arthritis with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between January 2004 and October 2016 at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Medical charts were reviewed for information including symptoms, diagnosis of osteomyelitis, serum laboratory studies, joint fluid analyses, imaging results, and treatment. Positive diagnosis of osteomyelitis was defined as a hyperintense signal of osseous structures on T2-weighted MRI consistent with infection per attending pediatric radiologist final read.

Results:

A total of 71 patients with 73 septic joints were included. The mean age was 6±4 (0.1 to 17) years and the mean follow-up was 14.9±24.1 (1.0 to 133.1) months. Septic arthritis with concomitant osteomyelitis occurred in 43 of 71 (61%) patients, whereas 28 of 71 (39%) patients had septic arthritis alone. Inflammatory markers such as white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein on admission were not associated with concomitant osteomyelitis. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that positive joint fluid bacterial culture (P=0.021) and pain for >4 days before admission (P=0.004) are independent risk factors for concomitant osteomyelitis in children with septic arthritis. Among the 24 septic arthritis patients with pain for >4 days before presentation, 96% (23/24) had concomitant osteomyelitis, whereas 43% (20/47) of patients with pain for ≤4 days had concomitant osteomyelitis.

Conclusion:

Pain for >4 days before presentation is an independent predictor of osteomyelitis in children with septic arthritis. In pediatric septic arthritis, MRI should be considered, particularly in patients presenting with pain for >4 days as 96% of these patients had concomitant osteomyelitis.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—retrospective comparative study.
Three-dimensional Printing in Orthopedic Surgery: Current Applications and Future Developments
Authors: Wixted Colleen M. , Peterson Jonathan R. , Abar Bijan , Adams Samuel B.
Published: February 2021

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has revolutionized how the authors examine, diagnose, and treat various medical conditions across a wide range of specialties. Synonymous with additive manufacturing, 3D printing fuses materials together layer by layer in 2-dimensional cross-sections to build the finished 3D product. This technology has proven superior to other manufacturing methods in certain instances because of its flexibility in the design process to create personalized products on demand. Within the field of orthopedics, 3D printing’s popularity has been driven in part by its capacity to address difficult cases in which the design must meet unique anatomic or pathologic criteria. As its use has become more common, so have the ways in which the field has adapted 3D printing technology to improve patient care. This review outlines the basics of 3D printing technology and its current applications in orthopedics: anatomic models, noncustom implants, patient-specific instrumentation, and patient-specific implants. The authors then briefly summarize 3D bioprinting and how it could impact bone and cartilage restoration in the future.

Editor’s Note: I solicited this paper and have classified it as a Symposium Article after seeing Dr. Peterson present the subject at Duke Orthopaedic Surgery Department Grand Rounds. I thought it was an excellent update to the information contained in the September 2016 TIO symposium “3D Modeling, Printing and Biofabrication in Orthopaedic Surgery,” guest edited by Kevin Tetsworth (vol 31 no 3).
Nuclear Her2 contributes to paclitaxel resistance in breast cancer cells
Authors: Luo Bo , Wu Xin-Hong , Feng Yao-Jun , Zheng Hong-Mei , Zhang Qu , Liang Xin-Jun , Huang Ding-Feng , Xu Juan
Published: February 2021

Translocation of full-length Her2 receptor into nucleus was reported by some studies. Here, we tested whether nuclear Her2 contributes to paclitaxel resistance in Her2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Breast cancer cell was transfected with plasmids containing cDNA of wild-type Her2 or mutant-type Her2 lacking the nuclear localization signal (NLS) sequence which is required for Her2 nuclear transport. Cell resistance to paclitaxel was analyzed. Paclitaxel-resistant breast cancer cell was also developed and nuclear Her2 expression was tested. Then, correlation between nuclear Her2 and resistance to paclitaxel were analyzed. Expression of importin β1 was decreased to downregulate nuclear Her2 level and cell resistance to paclitaxel was tested. We found that Her2 overexpression increases Her2 nuclear expression and cells resistance to paclitaxel in MCF-7 cells. In the paclitaxel resistant cell (SK-BR-3/R), nuclear Her2 expression is upregulated compared with parental SK-BR-3 cells. Increased expression of nuclear Her2 after short-time (48 h) treatment of paclitaxel was also observed in SK-BR-3 cells. Further downregulation of Her2 nuclear expression through blocking expression of importin β1 sensitizes the cells to paclitaxel. The analysis showed that the Her2 nuclear expression increases the survivin expression which leads to resistance to paclitaxel. Her2 nuclear expression decreases paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. However, co-immunoprecipitation was applied, and the physical interaction of nuclear Her2 and survivin was not detected. We show for the first time that nuclear Her2 contributes to paclitaxel resistance in breast cancer cells which suggests that nuclear Her2 as a potential target to sensitize breast cancers to paclitaxel treatment.