bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CONTROL: A randomized phase 2 study of obeticholic acid and atorvastatin on lipoproteins in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients
Authors: Pockros Paul J. , Fuchs Michael , Freilich Bradley , Schiff Eugene , Kohli Anita , Lawitz Eric J. , Hellstern Paul A. , Owens‐Grillo Janet , Van Biene Courtney , Shringarpure Reshma , MacConell Leigh , Shapiro David , Cohen David E.
Published: August 2019

Background & Aims

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic and severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although NASH has no approved treatments, obeticholic acid (OCA), a synthetic bile acid and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, was shown to improve histological features of NASH and fibrosis. Considering that FXR activation influences plasma lipoprotein concentrations, the Combination OCA aNd sTatins for monitoRing Of Lipids (CONTROL) study evaluated how statins can regulate lipoprotein metabolism with OCA treatment in patients with NASH.

Methods

This randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, phase 2 study began with a 5‐week screening/statin washout; 84 patients with NASH were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive placebo or 5 mg, 10 mg or 25 mg OCA once daily during the 16‐week double‐blind phase. Concurrent once daily atorvastatin (10 mg/days) was initiated at Week 4 with subsequent titration. Enrolled patients had biopsy‐confirmed diagnosis of NASH with no evidence of hepatic decompensation. Plasma was collected to analyse lipoprotein parameters.

Results

At Week 4, all OCA groups had an increase from baseline in mean low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) and mean LDL particle concentration (LDLpc), mostly owing to large, less atherogenic LDLc particles. Atorvastatin 10 mg decreased LDLc and LDLpc levels below baseline in all OCA groups by Week 8; higher doses did not provide additional clinical benefits.

Conclusions

The CONTROL study showed that OCA‐induced increases in LDLc in patients with NASH were mitigated with atorvastatin. The combination of OCA and atorvastatin was generally safe and well tolerated (NCT02633956).
Care in Trouble: Ecologies of Support from Below and Beyond
Authors: Duclos Vincent , Criado Tomás Sánchez
Published: August 2019

Over the last decades, care has proliferated as a notion aimed at capturing a vast array of practices, conditions, and sentiments. In this article, we argue that the analytics of care may benefit from being troubled, as it too often reduces the reproduction of life to matters of palliation and repair, fueling a politics of nationalism and identitarianism. Picking up the threads of insight from STS, “new materialisms,” and postcolonial feminist and indigenous scholarship, we discuss care from “below” and “beyond,” thus exposing tensions between the enveloping and the diverging, the enduring and the engendering, that play out in care practices. We propose “ecologies of support” as an analytic that attends to how humans are grounded in, traversed by, and undermined by more‐than‐human and often opaque, speculative, subterranean elements. Our proposal is for anthropology to not simply map life‐sustaining ecologies, but to experimentally engage with troubling modes of inquiry and intervention.
The international anorectal physiology working group (IAPWG) recommendations: Standardized testing protocol and the London classification for disorders of anorectal function
Authors: Carrington Emma V. , Heinrich Henriette , Knowles Charles H. , Fox Mark , Rao Satish , Altomare Donato F. , Bharucha Adil E. , Burgell Rebecca , Chey William D. , Chiarioni Guiseppe , Dinning Philip , Emmanuel Anton , Farouk Ridzuan , Felt‐Bersma Richelle J. F. , Jung Kee Wook , Lembo Anthony , Malcolm Allison , Mittal Ravinder K. , Mion Franҫois , Myung Seung‐Jae , O’Connell P. Ronan , Pehl Christian , Remes‐Troche Jose María , Reveille R. Matthew , Vaizey Carolynne J. , Vitton Veronique , Whitehead William E. , Wong Reuben K. , Scott S. Mark ,   All members of the International Anorectal Physiology Working Group
Published: August 2019

Background

This manuscript summarizes consensus reached by the International Anorectal Physiology Working Group (IAPWG) for the performance, terminology used, and interpretation of anorectal function testing including anorectal manometry (focused on high‐resolution manometry), the rectal sensory test, and the balloon expulsion test. Based on these measurements, a classification system for disorders of anorectal function is proposed.

Methods

Twenty‐nine working group members (clinicians/academics in the field of gastroenterology, coloproctology, and gastrointestinal physiology) were invited to six face‐to‐face and three remote meetings to derive consensus between 2014 and 2018.

Key recommendations

The IAPWG protocol for the performance of anorectal function testing recommends a standardized sequence of maneuvers to test rectoanal reflexes, anal tone and contractility, rectoanal coordination, and rectal sensation. Major findings not seen in healthy controls defined by the classification are as follows: rectoanal areflexia, anal hypotension and hypocontractility, rectal hyposensitivity, and hypersensitivity. Minor and inconclusive findings that can be present in health and require additional information prior to diagnosis include anal hypertension and dyssynergia.

Conclusions and Inferences

This framework introduces the IAPWG protocol and the London classification for disorders of anorectal function based on objective physiological measurement. The use of a common language to describe results of diagnostic tests, standard operating procedures, and a consensus classification system is designed to bring much‐needed standardization to these techniques.
Abdominal distension after eating lettuce: The role of intestinal gas evaluated in vitro and by abdominal CT imaging
Authors: Barba Elizabeth , Sánchez Borja , Burri Emanuel , Accarino Anna , Monclus Eva , Navazo Isabel , Guarner Francisco , Margolles Abelardo , Azpiroz Fernando
Published: August 2019

Background

Some patients complain that eating lettuce, gives them gas and abdominal distention. Our aim was to determine to what extent the patients' assertion is sustained by evidence.

Methods

An in vitro study measured the amount of gas produced during the process of fermentation by a preparation of human colonic microbiota (n = 3) of predigested lettuce, as compared to beans, a high gas‐releasing substrate, to meat, a low gas‐releasing substrate, and to a nutrient‐free negative control. A clinical study in patients complaining of abdominal distention after eating lettuce (n = 12) measured the amount of intestinal gas and the morphometric configuration of the abdominal cavity in abdominal CT scans during an episode of lettuce‐induced distension as compared to basal conditions.

Key Results

Gas production by microbiota fermentation of lettuce in vitro was similar to that of meat (P = .44), lower than that of beans (by 78 ± 15%; P < .001) and higher than with the nutrient‐free control (by 25 ± 19%; P = .05). Patients complaining of abdominal distension after eating lettuce exhibited an increase in girth (35 ± 3 mm larger than basal; P < .001) without significant increase in colonic gas content (39 ± 4 mL increase; P = .071); abdominal distension was related to a descent of the diaphragm (by 7 ± 3 mm; P = .027) with redistribution of normal abdominal contents.

Conclusion and Inferences

Lettuce is a low gas‐releasing substrate for microbiota fermentation and lettuce‐induced abdominal distension is produced by an uncoordinated activity of the abdominal walls. Correction of the somatic response might be more effective than the current dietary restriction strategy.
Auxin abolishes SHI‐RELATED SEQUENCE5‐mediated inhibition of lateral root development in Arabidopsis
Authors: Yuan Ting‐Ting , Xu Heng‐Hao , Li Juan , Lu Ying‐Tang
Published: August 2019

Lateral roots (LRs), which form in the plant postembryonically, determine the architecture of the root system. While negative regulatory factors that inhibit LR formation and are counteracted by auxin exist in the pericycle, these factors have not been characterised.

Here, we report that SHI‐RELATED SEQUENCE5 (SRS5) is an intrinsic negative regulator of LR formation and that auxin signalling abolishes this inhibitory effect of SRS5. Whereas LR primordia (LRPs) and LRs were fewer and less dense in SRS5ox and Pro35S:SRS5‐GFP plants than in the wild‐type, they were more abundant and denser in the srs5‐2 loss‐of‐function mutant. SRS5 inhibited LR formation by directly downregulating the expression of LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES‐DOMAIN 16 (LBD16) and LBD29.

Auxin repressed SRS5 expression. Auxin‐mediated repression of SRS5 expression was not observed in the arf7‐1 arf19‐1 double mutant, likely because ARF7 and ARF19 bind to the promoter of SRS5 and inhibit its expression in response to auxin.

Taken together, our data reveal that SRS5 negatively regulates LR formation by repressing the expression of LBD16 and LBD29 and that auxin releases this inhibitory effect through ARF7 and ARF19.
Dietary patterns of >30,000 adolescents 9–15 years of age in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Thorne‐Lyman Andrew L. , Shaikh Saijuddin , Mehra Sucheta , Wu Lee S.F. , Ali Hasmot , Alland Kelsey , Schultze Kerry J. , Mitra Maithilee , Hur Jinhee , Christian Parul , Labrique Alain B. , West Keith P.
Published: August 2019

Little is known of the usual food intakes of rural adolescents in South Asia. This study describes dietary patterns, based on >91,000 7‐day food frequencies among 30,702 girls and boys, aged 9–15 years in rural northwest Bangladesh. Three intake assessments per child, taken across a calendar year, were averaged to represent individual annual intake patterns for 22 food groups. Latent class analysis was used to assign individuals to dietary patterns based on class membership probabilities. The following five dietary patterns (class membership probabilities) were identified: (1) “least diverse” (0.20); (2) “traditional” (0.28); (3) “low vegetable/low fish” (0.23), (4) “moderately high meat” (0.20); and (5) “most diverse” (0.09). The least diverse pattern had the lowest median consumption of most foods and traditional had a relatively higher intake of most vegetables and fish. The most diverse pattern consumed both healthy and processed foods much more often than other patterns. The two most diverse patterns (4 and 5) were associated with higher socioeconomic status, body mass index, height‐for‐age Z‐score, and male gender, and the least diverse pattern showed inverse associations with these characteristics. The most diverse pattern may represent an early wave of the nutrition transition in rural Bangladesh.
Evidence and impact of neutrophil extracellular traps in malignant melanoma
Authors: Schedel Fiona , Mayer‐Hain Sarah , Pappelbaum Karin Ingrid , Metze Dieter , Stock Martin , Goerge Tobias , Loser Karin , Sunderkötter Cord , Luger Thomas Anton , Weishaupt Carsten
Published: August 2019

Ulceration of melanoma is associated with neutrophil infiltrates and lower survival rates opposite to non‐ulcerated melanoma. Neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that are chromatin structures loaded with antimicrobial proteins. Since NETs have been correlated with tumor progression, we investigated whether NETs appear in melanoma and affect melanoma cells. Indeed, human primary melanoma biopsies revealed neutrophils releasing NETs in all of 27 ulcerated melanomas, whereas NETs were absent in all of 7 non‐ulcerated melanomas. However, the quantity of intratumoral NETs did not correlate with tumor progression of melanoma. Interestingly, in vitro assays showed that melanoma cells attach to NETs via integrin‐mediated adhesion and that NETs inhibit tumor cell migration. Moreover, co‐culturing of NETs and melanoma cells had a cytotoxic effect on melanoma cells resulting in necrosis. Hence, we discovered in vitro an antineoplastic role of NETs in melanoma.
Global nurse/midwife workforce and reproductive health through social ecology lens
Authors: Riner Mary E. , Ofner Susan
Published: August 2019

Objective

To explore how community social ecology factors may be associated with country registered nurse/registered midwife (RN/RM) workforce supply and reproductive health globally.

Design

A cross‐sectional design using a social ecology framework was employed.

Sample

Data were retrieved from publicly available websites for 107 countries.

Measurements

Dependent variables included RN/RM density, maternal mortality ratios (MMR), and adolescent birth rates (ABR). Independent variables included gender inequality, region, country income classification, education, gross domestic product per capita, government expenditure of spending on education and health, life expectancy, percent of female seats in legislature, and labor force participation factors.

Results

The best fit multivariable model of RN/RM density showed that after adjustment for region, country income and the GII, the percent of females with some secondary education explained most of variation in RN/RM density. The best fit models of MMR and ABR showed that gender inequality explained most of the variation. Other factors in the models were the percent of female seats in legislatures, region, country income class, and mean years of schooling.

Conclusions

Employing a social ecology model can useful in RN/RM workforce planning and development as countries seek multisectoral strategies for increasing the RN/RM supply and improving reproductive health outcomes.
How much baseline correction do we need in ERP research? Extended GLM model can replace baseline correction while lifting its limits
Authors: Alday Phillip M.
Published: August 2019

Baseline correction plays an important role in past and current methodological debates in ERP research (e.g., the Tanner vs. Maess debate in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods), serving as a potential alternative to strong high‐pass filtering. However, the very assumptions that underlie traditional baseline also undermine it, implying a reduction in the signal‐to‐noise ratio. In other words, traditional baseline correction is statistically unnecessary and even undesirable. Including the baseline interval as a predictor in a GLM‐based statistical approach allows the data to determine how much baseline correction is needed, including both full traditional and no baseline correction as special cases. This reduces the amount of variance in the residual error term and thus has the potential to increase statistical power.
Threatened vascular plant species in spontaneously revegetated post‐mining sites
Authors: Řehounková Klára , Vítovcová Kamila , Prach Karel
Published: August 2019

The occurrence of threatened vascular plant species has been occasionally reported from some disturbed sites. Nevertheless, almost nothing is known about the conservation potential of post‐mining habitats for vascular plant species at a landscape scale. We asked how much threatened species occur in the artificial habitats, and if the participation of particular threatened species categories differ over the course of succession. We studied 10 successional series running in 321 post‐mining sites across the Czech Republic, Central Europe. In total, 2,597 vegetation samples comprising 935 vascular plant species were analyzed. We found 235 threatened species (14% of the country's threatened flora). The majority of the threatened plants, namely 223, avoided plots overgrown by woody species, in which only 48 species occurred. The importance of spontaneously revegetated habitats for nature conservation differed among successional stages formed by discontinuous vegetation cover (not fully developed and still open, up to approximately 25 years since site abandonment), which harbored especially critically endangered species of open habitats, and continuous vegetation cover (fully developed and closed, over approximately 25 years), which was suitable for specialized threatened species typical of fully established vegetation. A mosaic of various successional stages comprising both categories of vegetation cover should be applied as an effective restoration solution to maintain a variety of habitats for threatened species.
On the Design of Experiments with Ordered Treatments
Authors: Singh Satya Prakash , Davidov Ori
Published: August 2019

There are many situations where one expects an ordering among K ⩾ 2 experimental groups or treatments. Although there is a large body of literature dealing with the analysis under order restrictions, surprisingly, very little work has been done in the context of the design of experiments. Here, a principled approach to the design of experiments with ordered treatments is provided. In particular we propose two classes of designs which are optimal for testing different types of hypotheses. The theoretical findings are supplemented with thorough numerical experimentation and a concrete data example. It is shown that there is a substantial gain in power, or alternatively a reduction in the required sample size, when an experiment is both designed and analysed by using methods which account for order restrictions.
Interaction between lateral sorting in river bends and vertical sorting in dunes
Authors: Baar Anne W. , Weisscher Steven A. H. , Kleinhans Maarten G.
Published: August 2019

Sediment is sorted in river bends under the influence of gravity that pulls the heavier grains downslope and secondary flow that drags the finer grains upslope. Furthermore, when dunes are present, sediment is also sorted vertically at the dune lee side. However, sorting functions are poorly defined, since the relation to transverse bed slope and the interaction between lateral and vertical sorting is not yet understood for lack of data under controlled conditions. The objective of this study is to describe lateral sorting as a function of transverse bed slope and to gain an understanding of the interaction between lateral and vertical sorting in river bends. To this end, experiments were conducted with a poorly sorted sediment mixture in a rotating annular flume in which secondary flow intensity can be controlled separately from the main flow velocity, and therefore transverse bed slope towards the inner bend and dune dimensions can be systematically varied. Sediment samples were taken along cross‐sections at the surface of dune troughs and dune crests, and over the entire depth at the location of dune crests (bulk samples), which enabled comparison of the relative contribution of vertical sorting by dunes to lateral sorting by the transverse bed slope. The data show that lateral sorting is always the dominant sorting mechanism in bends, and bulk samples showed minor effects of vertical sorting by dunes as long as all grain‐size fractions are mobile. An empirical bend sorting model was fitted that redistributes the available sediment fractions over the cross‐section as a function of transverse bed slope. Comparison with field data showed that the model accurately reproduces spatially‐averaged trends in sorting at the bend apex in single‐thread channels. The bend sorting model therefore provides a better definition of bend sorting with conservation of mass by size fraction and adds to current understanding of bend sorting. The implication for numerical modelling is that bend sorting mechanisms can be modelled independently of dunes, allowing the application of the active layer concept.
Type 1 IFN signaling critically regulates influenza‐induced alloimmunization to transfused KEL RBCs in a murine model
Authors: Liu Dong , Gibb David R. , Escamilla‐Rivera Vicente , Liu Jingchun , Santhanakrishnan Manjula , Shi Zhimin , Xu Lan , Eisenbarth Stephanie C. , Hendrickson Jeanne E.
Published: August 2019

BACKGROUND

Only a fraction of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion recipients form alloantibodies, and variables determining responsiveness or nonresponsiveness are poorly understood. We and others have previously shown in animal models that pretreatment with toll‐like receptor agonists that mimic different types of infections impacts the magnitude or frequency of RBC alloantibody responses. We hypothesized that influenza infection, coexistent with transfusion, would impact responses to transfused RBCs in a manner dependent on Type 1(α/β) interferon (IFN) signaling and tested this in a murine model.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Wild‐type mice or mice lacking the ability to respond to Type 1 IFN were infected with influenza prior to the transfusion of transgenic murine RBCs (K1) expressing the human KEL glycoprotein or the triple fusion HOD protein. Alloantibody responses were measured longitudinally after transfusion by flow cytometric crossmatch, and posttransfusion RBC recovery and survival was evaluated.

RESULTS

Influenza‐infected mice transfused with K1 RBCs developed robust anti‐KEL alloantibodies, whereas animals transfused in the absence of infection remained nonresponders; influenza‐associated RBC alloimmunization was also observed after transfusion of HOD RBCs. Recipient Type 1 IFN production was critical to the mechanism of action of influenza‐induced RBC alloimmunization, with alloimmunization being significantly decreased in mice unable to sense Type 1 IFN (through antibody blockade or genetic approaches).

CONCLUSION

These and other data suggest that Type 1 IFN responses to toll‐like receptor agonists or infections regulate RBC alloantibody responses. Studies investigating whether such a correlation exists in humans may be informative.
Preoperative autologous blood donation in adult bone marrow donors: reappraisal of a single‐centre experience
Authors: Teofili Luciana , Valentini Caterina Giovanna , Bianchi Maria , Pellegrino Claudio , Bellesi Silvia , Chiusolo Patrizia , Laurenti Luca , Innocenti Idanna , De Stefano Valerio , Bacigalupo Andrea
Published: August 2019

To avoid risk for allogeneic transfusions in healthy bone marrow (BM) donors, 1–2 preoperative autologous blood donations (PAD) are usually collected before the BM harvest. We analysed the haematological parameters in BM donors before and after the harvest, to assess the efficacy of this practice in limiting the postharvest anaemia. Overall, 102 consecutive donors underwent BM harvest preceded by one (26 cases) or two PAD (76 cases), which were infused during BM collection. We analysed the parameters related to donors, PAD timing and BM graft characteristics. PAD induced a significant decrease in Hb (from 14·6 g/dl, IQ range 13·3–15·5 to12·9 g/dl, IQ range 11·8–13·9; P < 0·0001) in all donors, with a median Hb loss at day −1 of 10·9% (IQ range 6·8–14·2). The PAD‐related Hb decrease was independent of sex or number of PAD, and was inversely related to the time elapsed from first or last PAD. In comparison with values recorded at day‐1, BM harvest produced an additional Hb decrease, accounting for a median Hb loss of 18·9% (IQ range 14·9–24·4). Overall, in comparison with pre‐PAD values, Hb levels at day +1 were reduced of 28·9% (IQ range 23·6–32·2), independently if donors had 1 or 2 PAD reinfused. In conclusion, these data show that two PAD do not carry any advantage over one PAD. An eventual benefit of PAD can be achieved only if an adequate interval between PAD and BM harvest elapses. Prospective randomized studies could be worth to establish if any role for PAD does exist in BM donors.
Willingness‐to‐pay for water resource protection in El Salvador
Authors: Keough Adam , Vásquez William F.
Published: August 2019

Estimates of the economic value that the society assigns to improved water resources may help prioritize public investments in watershed protection. Using a contingent valuation survey, this study elicited household willingness to pay for watershed protection in two poor, semi‐urban communities in El Salvador. Findings indicate that local households have strong preferences for protecting their watershed. The average willingness to pay is estimated at three US dollars per month, equivalent to 1.5% of the average monthly household income. Results also suggest that there is a significant willingness to pay differential between studied communities, and that more educated respondents are willing to pay more for watershed protection than less educated individuals. These estimates have the potential to influence investment decisions regarding watershed conservation in semi‐urban areas.
Mobility of copper and its micro‐structure characteristics in contaminated river sediment through stabilization by using cement and rice husk ash
Authors: Aliyu Mohammed Kabir , Karim Ahmad Tarmizi Abd , Chan Chee‐Ming , Oyekanmi Adeleke Abdulrahman , Hossain Kaizar , Ismail Norli
Published: August 2019

The effectiveness of replacing cement with rice husk ash (RHA) on the leachability of copper from stabilized sediment was studied. RHA was added at 5, 10 15 and 20% and also cement was added at 10% throughout to the total dry weight of mixture, after which curing was undertaken at room atmosphere for 7, 14 and 28 days. The immobilization efficiency of amendments was evaluated using TCLP and SPLP. The high percentage efficiency of treatment was observed for the TCLP as 97.82 and 99.92% at 28 days for the SPLP. Characterization study was carried out using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to study the reaction products and crystalline phases of the treated sediment after 28 days to observe the possible mechanisms responsible for the immobilization of the investigated heavy metal. Results have indicated that partial replacement of cement with RHA in binder system has increased the strength and reduced leachability of copper of the treated sediment compared to untreated sediment.
The impact of parent-targeted eHealth educational interventions on infant procedural pain management: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Richardson Brianna , Benoit Britney , Rutledge Kallen , Dol Justine , Misener Ruth Martin , Latimer Margot , Smit Michael , McGrath Patrick , Campbell-Yeo Marsha
Published: August 2019

Objective:

The objective of this review is to determine if electronic health (eHealth) educational interventions for infant procedural pain and pain management impact parental outcomes (mental health outcomes, knowledge utilization outcomes, and parental involvement in care outcomes) and infant outcomes (morbidity outcomes, pain outcomes, health system outcomes).

Introduction:

Pain in infants is a common concern for parents. Routine postpartum care for infants in early life requires them to endure painful procedures, yet infants often receive little to no pain management. While research has shown that parents can reduce their infant's pain during procedures by breastfeeding or skin-to-skin contact, parents may not be aware of their role in pain management. Despite the recent rapid increase in eHealth resources to educate parents about infant pain management, their impact has yet to be evaluated.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will consider studies that include eHealth educational interventions targeted at parents during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. All experimental study designs will be included. Primary outcomes will include: parental stress and anxiety, self-efficacy, knowledge, attitudes, eHealth intervention usage, acceptance of eHealth intervention, involvement in pain management, and infant pain response.

Methods:

PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO will be searched for studies published in English. Critical appraisal and data extraction will be conducted by two independent reviewers using standardized tools. Quantitative data, where possible, will be pooled in statistical meta-analysis, or if statistical pooling is not possible, the findings will be reported narratively.
Chemical nature and thermal decomposition behavior of tartaric acid multilayers on rutile TiO2(110)
Authors: Meriggio Elisa , Lazzari Rémi , Méthivier Christophe , David Pascal , Chenot Stéphane , Carrier Xavier , Cabailh Gregory , Humblot Vincent
Published: August 2019

R,R-tartaric acid (RR-TA) thermal stability and decomposition on the rutile TiO2(110) surface was investigated by temperature programmed desorption. The authors show that a majority of RR-TA molecules are desorbed intact from multilayers at around 340 K, while they decompose from the first chemisorbed layer between 460 and 480 K. Complementary information on the chemical nature of RR-TA in the multilayer regime was gained by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which shows that biacid molecules form the multilayer while they are monotartrate at the interface.
Interaction of long-lived reactive species from cold atmospheric pressure plasma with polymers: Chemical modification by ozone and reactive oxygen-nitrogen species
Authors: Luan Pingshan , Oehrlein Gottlieb S.
Published: August 2019

Atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) sources are able to generate a variety of reactive species that have different effects on materials, such as functionalization, etching, and deposition. In this article, the authors study the effect of long-lived reactive neutral species on polymers using a model plasma-surface interaction system that consists of ultrathin (∼10 nm) polystyrene (PS) films and a surface microdischarge (SMD) reactor operated with various N2/O2 working gas mixtures. The authors characterized and quantified the reactive species generated by SMD using IR and UV absorption, and they found that O3, N2O5, N2O, and HNO3 are the dominant long-lived reactants near the target surface. When exposing PS films to these reactive species, the authors observed material responses including film thickness expansion, surface and bulk oxidation, and surface organic nitrate formation. The quantity of these changes varied with the N2/O2 working gas composition. By correlating material response with gas phase species, the authors find that the chemical modification of PS strongly depends on the density of O3 in the gas phase, which is indicative of an essential role of O3 in the remote APP treatment of polymers. Authors’ results show that O3 causes polymer surface oxidation, participates in the diffusion-reaction process in the polymer bulk, and results in aromatic ring cleavage and the formation of carbonyl groups. In contrast, they did not find a correlation between surface organic nitrate and individual long-lived reactive species mentioned above. This indicates that the organic nitrate formation on polymer surfaces might result from the interaction of multiple species, including O3 and nitrogen containing reactive species. A model for the interphase mass transfer of reactive species from gas to solid was also described.
Turtles and trail cameras: non-invasive monitoring using artificial platforms
Authors: Unger Shem David , Santana Allison
Published: August 2019

Freshwater turtles often utilize basking habitats, allowing researchers to obtain population estimates and relative abundances from visual observations via spotting scopes in addition to other traditional trapping methods. Emerging technologies, such as camera trapping with wildlife trail cameras have been extensively utilized in other taxa, primarily mammals and in reptiles such as terrestrial tortoises, but to a lesser extent for monitoring freshwater turtles. Given their ability to bask, combining readily available non-invasive camera traps with standardized platforms may aid researchers study freshwater turtle populations and basking behavior. We assessed this method by deploying a novel artificial basking platform design in tandem with camera traps for weekly monitoring of turtles at a small semi-urban pond in central North Carolina for six months (April to September 2018). Basking behavior was documented with 1098 observations, with the number of turtles utilizing platforms varying according to season, and overall peak use during late spring and early fall. We also noted shifts in artificial basking structure use by species, with Painted turtles, Chrysemys picta, replacing Yellow-bellied slider turtles, Trachemys scripta, as the dominant basking species over time. Conservation managers should consider using both platforms and trail cameras, for monitoring of freshwater basking turtle populations and as a metric for turtle presence or for detailed studies of behavior.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 MicroRNA miR-H28 Exported to Uninfected Cells in Exosomes Restricts Cell-to-Cell Virus Spread by Inducing Gamma Interferon mRNA
Authors: Huang Rongquan , Wu Jiaming , Zhou Xusha , Jiang Haifang , Guoying Zhou Grace , Roizman Bernard
Published: August 2019

In this report, we show that IFN-γ is produced by HSV-1 viral miR-H28 and viral replication is blocked in cells exposed to IFN-γ before infection but not during or after infection. The inevitable conclusion is that HSV-1 induces IFN-γ to curtail its spread from infected cells to uninfected cells. In essence, this report supports the hypothesis that HSV-1 encodes functions that restrict the transmission of virus from cell to cell.
Molecular Mimicry of SecA and Signal Recognition Particle Binding to the Bacterial Ribosome
Authors: Knüpffer Lara , Fehrenbach Clara , Denks Kärt , Erichsen Veronika , Petriman Narcis-Adrian , Koch Hans-Georg
Published: August 2019

Bacterial protein transport via the conserved SecYEG translocon is generally classified as either cotranslational, i.e., when transport is coupled to translation, or posttranslational, when translation and transport are separated. We show here that the ATPase SecA, which is considered to bind its substrates posttranslationally, already scans the ribosomal tunnel for potential substrates. In the presence of a nascent chain, SecA retracts from the tunnel but maintains contact with the ribosomal surface. This is remarkably similar to the ribosome-binding mode of the signal recognition particle, which mediates cotranslational transport. Our data reveal a striking plasticity of protein transport pathways, which likely enable bacteria to efficiently recognize and transport a large number of highly different substrates within their short generation time.
Development of a Gold Nanoparticle Vaccine against Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
Authors: Sanchez-Villamil Javier I. , Tapia Daniel , Torres Alfredo G.
Published: August 2019

Enterohemorrhagic
E. coli
O157:H7 is a human pathogen and the causative agent of diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis, which can progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome. These complications represent a serious global public health problem that requires laborious public health interventions and safety control measures to combat recurrent outbreaks worldwide. Today, there are no effective interventions for the control of EHEC infections, and, in fact, the use of antibiotics is counterindicated for EHEC disease. Therefore, a viable alternative for the prevention of human infections is the development of vaccines; however, no such vaccines are approved for human use. In this study, we developed a novel gold nanoparticle platform which acts as a scaffold for the delivery of various antigens, representing a nanovaccine technology which can be applied to several disease models.
Tubey or not tubey: Death beds of Ediacaran macrofossils or microbially induced sedimentary structures?
Authors: Nelson Lyle L. , Smith Emily F.
Published: August 2019

Within the upper Ediacaran Esmeralda Member of the Deep Spring Formation in southeastern California, USA, an ∼3 m stratigraphic interval contains multiple clastic bedding surfaces with enigmatic, three-dimensionally preserved corrugated tubes (<60 cm in length and 6 cm in width). When viewed as fragments and in situ on bedding planes, these resemble larger versions of annulated, tubular soft-bodied macrofossils that are common in late Ediacaran biotic assemblages regionally and globally. Despite superficial similarities to casts and molds of body fossils preserved in correlative strata, we suggest these tubes are instead previously undescribed organosedimentary structures that developed through differential compaction of rippled heterolithic interbeds bound by pyritized microbial mat layers. These distinctive structures formed within peritidal settings in the latest Ediacaran Period as the result of specific ecological and environmental conditions marked by flourishing microbial mat communities and dysoxic sediments. This interpretation may inform the biogenicity of other structures previously reported as macroscopic body or trace fossils.
Modeling petroleum expulsion in sedimentary basins: The importance of igneous intrusion timing and basement composition
Authors: Gardiner David , Schofield Nick , Finlay Alex , Mark Niall , Holt Liam , Grove Clayton , Forster Chris , Moore Julian
Published: August 2019

The concept of a critical moment in a petroleum system (the time of highest probability of entrapment and preservation of oil and gas) has underlain petroleum exploration for over 25 years. However, one area where understanding the critical moment is challenging is the Faroe-Shetland Basin (FSB; offshore UK). Isotopic dating of oils suggests that petroleum generation began between ca. 68 and 90 Ma; however, most basin models invoke an earlier generation beginning in the mid-Cretaceous at ca. 100 Ma, predating deposition of Paleocene and Eocene reservoirs. This time discrepancy has previously been explained by remigration from intermediary accumulations (“motel” hypothesis) and/or overpressure retardation of kerogen maturation. The FSB is characterized by a thick Cretaceous stratigraphic package (up to 5 km) that includes a large net thickness (up to 2 km) of Paleogene igneous material. In our model, separating sedimentary and igneous material and adding the igneous material at the correct time between ca. 58 and 55 Ma shallows the modeled burial depth of the Upper Jurassic source rocks during the Cretaceous sufficiently to delay maturation by 17 m.y. in comparison to results of previous studies. Additionally, previous studies have invoked crustal radiogenic heat production (RHP) based on the Phanerozoic crust averaging ∼2.8 µW/m3 in the North Sea (300 km to the east). However, the FSB basement is composed of significantly older, colder Neoarchean orthogneisses (ca. 2.7–2.9 Ga), reducing RHP by up to 50% to ∼1.6 µW/m3 (σ = 0.74). For the first time, our model unifies geological, geochronological, and geochemical observations, delaying the onset of petroleum expulsion by up to 40 m.y. in comparison to previous models.
Hospital revisits within 30 days after discharge for medical conditions targeted by the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program in the United States: national retrospective analysis
Authors: Wadhera Rishi K , Joynt Maddox Karen E , Kazi Dhruv S , Shen Changyu , Yeh Robert W
Published: August 2019

Objective

To determine any changes in total hospital revisits within 30 days of discharge after a hospital stay for medical conditions targeted by the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP).

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Hospital stays among Medicare patients for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, or pneumonia between 1 January 2012 and 1 October 2015.

Participants

Medicare fee-for-service patients aged 65 or over.

Main outcomes

Total hospital revisits within 30 days of discharge after hospital stays for medical conditions targeted by the HRRP, and by type of revisit: treat-and-discharge visit to an emergency department, observation stay (not leading to inpatient readmission), and inpatient readmission. Patient subgroups (age, sex, race) were also evaluated for each type of revisit.

Results

Our study cohort included 3 038 740 total index hospital stays from January 2012 to September 2015: 1 357 620 for heart failure, 634 795 for acute myocardial infarction, and 1 046 325 for pneumonia. Counting all revisits after discharge, the total number of hospital revisits per 100 patient discharges for target conditions increased across the study period (monthly increase 0.023 visits per 100 patient discharges (95% confidence interval 0.010 to 0.035)). This change was due to monthly increases in treat-and-discharge visits to an emergency department (0.023 (0.015 to 0.032) and observation stays (0.022 (0.020 to 0.025)), which were only partly offset by declines in readmissions (−0.023 (−0.035 to −0.012)). Increases in observation stay use were more pronounced among non-white patients than white patients. No significant change was seen in mortality within 30 days of discharge for target conditions (−0.0034 (−0.012 to 0.0054)).

Conclusions

In the United States, total hospital revisits within 30 days of discharge for conditions targeted by the HRRP increased across the study period. This increase was due to a rise in post-discharge emergency department visits and observation stays, which exceeded the decline in readmissions. Although reductions in readmissions have been attributed to improvements in discharge planning and care transitions, our findings suggest that these declines could instead be because hospitals and clinicians have intensified efforts to treat patients who return to a hospital within 30 days of discharge in emergency departments and as observation stays.
Team-based outpatient early palliative care: a complex cancer intervention
Authors: Zimmermann Camilla , Ryan Suzanne , Hannon Breffni , Saltman Alexandra , Rodin Gary , Mak Ernie , Al-Awamer Ahmed , Lau Jenny
Published: August 2019

Background

Although the effectiveness of early palliative care for patients with advanced cancer has been demonstrated in several trials, there has been no detailed published description of an early palliative care intervention.

Method

In this paper, we delineate the iterative conception and systematic evaluation of a complex intervention called team-based outpatient early palliative care (TO-EPC), and describe the components of the intervention. The intervention was developed based on palliative care theory, review of previous palliative care interventions and practice guidelines. We conducted feasibility testing and piloting of TO-EPC in a phase 2 trial, followed by evaluation in a large cluster randomised trial and qualitative research with patients and caregivers. The qualitative research informed the iterative refinement of the intervention.

Results

Four principles and four domains of care constitute a conceptual framework for TO-EPC. The main domains of care are: coping and support, symptom control, decision-making and future planning. The main principles are that care is flexible, attentive, patient-led and family-centred. The most prominent domain for the initial consultation is coping and support; follow-up visits focus on symptom control, decision-making to maximise quality of life and future planning according to patient readiness. Key tasks are described in relation to each domain.

Conclusion

The description of our intervention may assist palliative care teams seeking to implement it, researchers wishing to replicate or build on it and oncologists hoping to adapt it for their patients.
Cluster randomised control trial for cricket injury prevention programme (CIPP): a protocol paper
Authors: Soomro Najeebullah , Chua Nina , Freeston Jonathan , Ferdinands Rene E D , Sanders Ross
Published: August 2019

Background

Injury prevention programmes (IPPs) are effective in reducing injuries among adolescent team sports. However, there is no validated cricket-specific IPP despite the high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among amateur cricketers.

Objectives

To evaluate whether a cricket injury prevention programme (CIPP) as a pretraining warm-up or post-training cool-down can reduce injury rates in amateur cricket players.

Methods

CIPP is a cluster randomised controlled trial which includes 36 male amateur club teams having cricket players aged 14–40 years to be randomly assigned to three study arms: warm-up, cool-down and control (n=12 teams, 136 players in each arm). The intervention groups will perform 15 min CIPP either as a pretraining warm-up or a post-training cool-down.

Outcome measures

The primary outcome measure will be injury incidence per 1000 player hours and the secondary outcome measures will be whether IPP as a warm-up is better than IPP as a cool-down, and the adherence to the intervention.

Trial registration number

ACTRN 1261700047039.
Achieving engagement in injury and violence prevention research
Authors: Woody Collins Jennifer
Published: August 2019

This paper examines the idea of engaged research and the ways it is conceived and applied in injury and violence prevention. To achieve meaningful engagement, I argue that efforts should be directed to relationships with the people who will be impacted by injury prevention interventions rather than to professional practitioners. Additionally, I call for researchers to avoid predefining injury problems prior to engaging with the people it is intended to affect. Prefiguring problems circumscribes the possibilities for engagement with individuals who do not value risk as a determining factor in problem definition and cuts off and devalues other ways of knowing.
Rotating night shift work and risk of multiple sclerosis in the Nurses’ Health Studies
Authors: Papantoniou Kyriaki , Massa Jennifer , Devore Elizabeth , Munger Kassandra L , Chitnis Tanuja , Ascherio Alberto , Schernhammer Eva S
Published: August 2019

Objectives

Night shift work has been suggested as a possible risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). The objective of the present analysis was to prospectively evaluate the association of rotating night shift work history and MS risk in two female cohorts, the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and NHSII.

Methods

A total of 83 992 (NHS) and 114 427 (NHSII) women were included in this analysis. We documented 579 (109 in NHS and 470 in NHSII) incident physician-confirmed MS cases (moderate and definite diagnosis), including 407 definite MS cases. The history (cumulative years) of rotating night shifts (≥3 nights/month) was assessed at baseline and updated throughout follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs for the association between rotating night shift work and MS risk adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

We observed no association between history of rotating night shift work and MS risk in NHS (1–9 years: HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.54; 10+ years: 1.15, 0.62 to 2.15) and NHSII (1–9 years: HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.09; 10+ years: 1.03, 0.72 to 1.49). In NHSII, rotating night shift work history of 20+ years was significantly associated with MS risk, when restricting to definite MS cases (1–9 years: HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.11; 10–19 years: 0.98, 0.62 to 1.55; 20+ years: 2.62, 1.06 to 6.46).

Conclusions

Overall, we found no association between rotating night shift work history and MS risk in these two large cohorts of nurses. In NHSII, shift work history of 20 or more years was associated with an increased risk of definite MS diagnosis.