bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indigenous Nations in Postracial America: Rethinking Social Inclusion
Authors: Cornell Stephen , Jorgensen Miriam
Published: October 2020

This article presents the concept of social inclusion as a means of addressing problems of poverty and social welfare and reviews the place of social inclusion in U.S. policies toward Indigenous peoples within U.S. boundaries. We argue that there are a number of problems with the present policy application of social inclusion to Indigenous peoples in the United States, including external conceptions of needs, individualization, an orientation to distributional as opposed to positional politics, and the conditionality of inclusion. We review some of the ways that Indigenous peoples are challenging the assumptions that underlie inclusionary policy goals. We then consider how a revised concept of social inclusion that comprehends the distinctiveness of Indigenous aspirations for self-determination, nationhood, and collective self-government might benefit not only Native Americans but the United States itself and how it might contribute to a postracial America. Our argument throughout is not with social inclusion as an ideal but with the particular version of it that has characterized late 20th and early 21st century policy toward Native peoples in the United States.
Defining Conditional Belonging: The Case of Female Science Fiction Fans
Authors: Yodovich Neta
Published: October 2020

This article offers a rigorous conceptualisation of an undeveloped sociological concept: conditional belonging. It implements and develops conditional belonging in the setting of everyday life by examining female fans of science fiction. Based on 30 in-depth interviews with female fans of Doctor Who and Star Wars, this study defines conditional belonging as a liminal state in which new members are constructed as a threatening ‘other’ and required to demonstrate conformity to the community. Having to align with values established by veteran members disrupts the ability of those who conditionally belong to perceive their identities as authentic. Conditional belonging is explored in offline and online settings, exposing the tactics used online by female fans to ensure their belonging. Through demonstrating the ways in which conditional belonging is cultivated and enforced, this article contributes to a nuanced understanding of belonging, not as a binary condition, but a multi-layered, complex one.
The Transformation of Private Space in the Later Middle Ages: Rooms and Living Standards in the Kingdom of Valencia (1280-1450)
Authors: Almenar Fernández Luis , Belenguer González Antonio
Published: October 2020

This article undertakes a quantitative and qualitative analysis of probate inventories from a selection of towns and highly urbanized areas from the kingdom of Valencia in the period 1280-1460, which are used to explore the inner distribution of more than 300 housings. Agreeing with the historiographical statement that this period was one of general improvement as to living standards and housing, this article reveals Valencian dwellings were provided with more specialized rooms since the late fourteenth century. This phenomenon was present particularly in the residences of townspeople living in large urban centers. Despite the predominant spatial simplicity of most late medieval housings, this article suggests more people enjoyed a more complex private space, which agreed with the needs of ostentation and privacy that characterized the new domestic culture that developed in the period.
Doing More With Less: Interactive Effects of Cognitive Resources and Mindfulness Training in Coping With Mental Fatigue From Multitasking
Authors: Kudesia Ravi S. , Pandey Ashish , Reina Christopher S.
Published: October 2020

To cope with ever-increasing work demands, people often turn to multitasking. Although it is known that multitasking harms objective task performance, we know relatively little about how multitasking influences subjective experience. In this article, we develop hypotheses about the subjective experience of multitasking. Namely, we hypothesize that people multitask more often in the presence of challenge stressors (like workload, responsibility, and time pressure), that multitasking is one of the reasons why challenge stressors produce feelings of mental fatigue, and that multitasking feels especially mentally fatiguing for people with fewer cognitive resources—as people with fewer cognitive resources paradoxically must use particularly resource-demanding self-regulation processes to multitask. Using an experience sampling design, in Study 1 (N = 248 participants; 5,191 responses), we find support for these hypotheses. Given the increasing prevalence of multitasking, we then ask what can be done to reduce its negative consequences. Drawing on recent findings that mindfulness training increases the efficacy of self-regulation, we hypothesize that mindfulness training will compensate for cognitive resources by empowering people with fewer cognitive resources to multitask without feeling mentally fatigued. Pairing experience sampling with a long-term mindfulness training, in Study 2 (N = 114 participants; 1,197 responses), we replicate our initial findings and extend them: multitasking feels mentally fatiguing for people with fewer cognitive resources in the control condition but not in the mindfulness training condition. Taken together, these findings shed new light on the interface of work design, self-regulation, and mental fatigue.
Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Adolescents: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Grover Sandeep , Raju Venkatesh , Chakrabarti Subho , Sharma Akhilesh , Shah Ruchita , Avasthi Ajit
Published: October 2020

Background:

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical profile of adolescents aged up to 19 years who had received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was carried out to identify adolescents aged up to 19 years who had received ECT during the period 2012–2018. Details regarding their sociodemographic and clinical variables and ECT data were extracted from the records.

Results:

During the study period, a total of 51 adolescents received ECT, and complete records of 50 patients were available for analysis. 4.04% (51 out of 1260) of the patients who received ECT were aged up to 19 years. There was a decreasing trend of use of ECT over the years. The most common diagnosis was schizophrenia (42%), and this was followed by bipolar disorder (22%) and unipolar depression (20%). The mean number of ECTs administered per patient was 8.84 (SD: 5.34; range: 1–21). On the various rating scales, the percentage improvement in patients with psychotic disorders was 77.4%. For patients with depression, the percentage improvement was 77.2%, and that for mania was 80.3%. The percentage improvement in organic catatonia was 64.6%. The number of patients achieving ≥50% response ranged from 87.5% to 100%, and when the response was defined as ≥75% improvement, the proportion of patients varied from 50% to 76.9%. The majority of patients with depression (72.7%) and mania (77.8%) achieved remission. Immediate complications associated with the use of ECT included acute blood pressure changes (18%).

Conclusion: ECT is effective and safe in adolescents with severe mental disorders. The clinician should not hesitate and delay the use of ECT in adolescents who require it.
Evaluation of serum AFP and DCP levels in the diagnosis of early-stage HBV-related HCC under different backgrounds
Authors: Song Ting , Wang Lili , Xin Ruopei , Zhang Liping , Tian Yun
Published: October 2020

Objective

This study compared the diagnostic performance of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) in early-stage hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) under different backgrounds.

Methods

Patients were enrolled and divided in four groups: chronic HBV infection (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), early-stage CHB-HCC, and early-stage LC-HCC. Serum AFP and DCP levels were measured. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) analyses were applied to compare the diagnostic performance of DCP and AFP for HCC.

Results

In total, 200 patients were enrolled, including 48, 64, 33, and 55 patients with CHB, LC, CHB-HCC, and LC-HCC, respectively. ROC curve analysis revealed that the AUCs of AFP, DCP, and their combination in differentiating early-stage LC-HCC from LC were 0.776, 0.758, and 0.786, respectively. The values of these markers in discriminating early-stage CHB-HCC from CHB were 0.828, 0.731, and 0.862, respectively.

Conclusions

DCP was inferior to AFP in differentiating early-stage CHB-HCC from CHB. However, AFP and DCP displayed similar performance in distinguishing early-stage LC-HCC and LC.
Strategic approaches to learning sight-singing at college level: An investigation using Q Methodology
Authors: Fournier Guillaume , O’Neill Susan , Moreno Sala Maria Teresa
Published: October 2020

This research investigates the main strategic approaches used by students for learning sight-singing in aural skills training. Using Q method, 41 college-level music students were invited to think about the importance of a wide range of strategies for their sight-singing acquisition. Factor analysis revealed three main strategic approaches: the pragmatic approach, the analytic approach, and the sound-first approach. Post hoc analyses indicated that these strategic approaches do not provide a valid typology of music students; rather, they reveal underlying conceptions about the purposes of sight-singing, which are likely to evolve according to an individual’s musical training. For sight-singing strategy instruction, these findings offer new insights for understanding better the influence of students’ prior musical knowledge on their use of sight-singing strategies. The discussion highlights the need for (re)establishing clear educational expectations that are capable of fulfilling teachers’ musical ideals.
Material Practices of Ethnographic Presence
Authors: Laube Stefan
Published: October 2020

Ethnographic research is a thoroughly material matter, but the involvement of material things in performing ethnographic methods is hardly investigated. Referring to my own research in various fields of digitalized work, I offer a reflexive analysis of the material production of ethnographic presence. In particular, I reflect on how clothing, field notes, and a camera contribute to making ethnographic research noticeable for and accessible to participants. Taking a practice theory perspective, the article conceptualizes ethnographic presence as a situated performance based on the dramaturgical and embodying contributions of material things. My analysis challenges the idea of openness as an ideal of research ethics that could be realized independently of the material and situated circumstances of fieldwork. It also shows that the material making of ethnographic presence offers particular methodological benefits including epistemic partnerships, insights from staged behavior, and the facilitation of ethnographic data collection.
Are Disability Rates among People with Diabetes Increasing in Germany? A Decomposition Analysis of Temporal Change between 2004 and 2015
Authors: Sperlich Stefanie , Beller Johannes , Epping Jelena , Safieddine Batoul , Tetzlaff Juliane , Geyer Siegfried
Published: October 2020

Objectives: We investigated changes in the prevalence of disabilities among individuals with type 2 diabetes and analyzed the contribution of comorbidities on this change. Methods: Data were drawn from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). We estimated predicted probabilities of impaired (instrumental) activities of daily living (IADL and ADL) by means of logistic regression. Multivariate decomposition was employed for analyzing the impact of comorbidities on changes in disability rates. Results: Among people with diabetes, ADL difficulties rose significantly from 11.3% (2004) to 19.1% (2015), while IADL difficulties increased among younger diabetics from 11.5% to 18.3%. Decomposition analysis revealed that the parallel increase in comorbidities contributed to the rise in disabilities. Discussion: We found disability rates among people with diabetes in Germany to be increasing over time, pointing toward a growing demand of tertiary prevention for these individuals to maintain functional health and quality of life.
An Alternative Framing of Organ Donation Registration: The Collective Donor Behavioral Model
Authors: Tinning Emma , Bednall Timothy C. , Bove Liliana L. , Jordan Helen
Published: October 2020

Notwithstanding the prevalent use of donor registration prediction models grounded by the theory of planned behavior (TPB), registration behavior continues to remain low. A collective donor behavior (CDB) model underpinned by social exchange theory is introduced and its predictive ability is tested against a baseline TPB model using an online survey of adults ( n = 1,055). Individuals who indicated they were not registered donors were contacted 3 months later to track their registration status. The CDB model was found to explain 45% of variance in registration intentions which was comparable in performance to TPB. Normative commitment was found to be strongly associated with registration intentions, and both institutional trust and trust in others fostered this commitment. The CDB model provides different insights on how to increase donor registration intentions. Namely, interventions need to facilitate individual positive experiences with institutions such as hospitals and strengthen social inclusion perceptions.
Dialogic borders: Interculturality from Vološinov and Bakhtin
Authors: Haye Andrés , González Ramiro
Published: October 2020

We elaborate on the relationships between the notions of border, discourse, and culture. Vološinov and Bakhtin offer a theory of discursive practices that entails a conception of culture as dialogic transformation of both objective and subjective life through the folding and crossing of borders. Based on the theoretical elaborations of Vološinov and Bakhtin, we begin discussing classical and contemporary theories of culture, and end by discussing theoretical issues in applied research fields to show some implications of our reconstruction of these authors’ dialogical theory of discourse. We propose that this theory gives to borders and borderworks a crucial role in the process of becoming of discourse and gives a special relevance to discursive processes in the more general social processes involving the establishment and trespassing of power-related boundaries.
(Mis)recognition in the Therapeutic Alliance: The Experience of Mental Health Interpreters Working With Refugees in U.K. Clinical Settings
Authors: Hassan Hibah , Blackwood Leda
Published: October 2020

Mental health interpreters play a crucial role in clinical support for refugees by providing a bridge between client and clinician. Yet research on interpreters’ experiences and perspectives is remarkably sparse. In this study, semi-structured interviews with mental health interpreters explored the experience of working in clinical settings with refugees. We conducted inductive analysis informed by a reflexive thematic analytic approach. Our analysis identifies interpreters’ pleasure in being part of people’s recovery, offset by the pain of misrecognition by clinicians that signals low self-worth and invisibility. Three sites of tension that create dilemmas for interpreters are identified: maintaining professional boundaries, managing privately shared information, and recognizing cultural norms. These findings are discussed in terms of the implications for clinicians working with interpreters, with a focus on the importance of a relationship of trust founded on recognition of the interpreters’ role and the unique challenges they face.
Boundaries, Roles and Identities in an Online Organization
Authors: Bange Saara , Järventie-Thesleff Rita , Tienari Janne
Published: October 2020

Understanding what ties precarious workers to online organizations and what makes them drift away is a key issue in today’s digitalized world. In this article, we present a study of a blog portal developed for commercial purposes and show how professional and amateur bloggers engage in this emerging online community and organization. We develop new understandings of dynamic relationships between boundaries, roles and identities, and offer an analysis of how identities are (re)constructed in interaction with others in fluid online spaces. We theorize boundary work as a form of identity work, elucidate how roles influence the way individual and collective identity constructions are intertwined, and highlight the importance of emotions in conformist and resistant identity work online. Our study has broader implications for understanding identities in the age of technology and precarity.
Pacemaker-Associated Post-cardiac Injury Syndrome Presenting with Tamponade and Recurrent Pleural Effusion
Authors: Lee Young Ju , Mubasher Mahmood , Zainal Abir , Syed Tausif , Mohamed Mouhand F.H. , Ferrantino Matthew , Hoefen Ryan
Published: October 2020

Post-cardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) is presumed to be an immune-mediated process. It affects the pericardium and, to a lesser extent, the epicardium, myocardium, and pleura. It has been rarely reported following pacemaker insertion with an estimated incidence of 1% to 2%. We present the case of a 62-year-old female who developed PCIS 8 weeks following pacemaker insertion. She presented with impending cardiac tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis; recurrent pleural effusions subsequently complicated her condition. The pleural effusion recurred despite trials of steroids, eventually requiring talc pleurodesis. This case highlights the need to consider PCIS as a possible etiology of recurrent pleural effusion following pacemaker insertion.
Factors influencing nurse retention within children’s palliative care
Authors: Whiting Lisa , O’Grady Michele , Whiting Mark , Petty Julia
Published: October 2020

Retention of staff presents major challenges within children’s palliative care; this has substantial implications for children, families and the nursing workforce. To address this, a programme was undertaken that provided pathways of professional development for senior nurses working in this field. This study reports the views of nurses completing this programme, the overall project manager (PM) and the day-to-day programme lead (PL) as well as factors that influence nurse retention within children’s palliative care nursing. The study drew on an Appreciative Inquiry approach that comprised of interviews with the PM and PL as well as focus groups and questionnaires with senior nurses from the children’s palliative care sector, who participated in the training programme. Thematic analysis of data from interviews and focus groups revealed factors influencing nurse retention: speciality, positivity and making a difference, support, provision of adequate resources, tailored education/professional development and resilience. These themes were supported by the questionnaire findings. The programme was perceived as having a positive influence on nurse retention within the children’s palliative care workforce. In addition, it was felt to be very beneficial in terms of shared learning and development. Participants highlighted the need for similar opportunities in the future.
Study on the lateral and torsional vibration of single rotor-system using an integrated multi-body dynamics and finite element analysis
Authors: Eisa Abdelrahman I A , Shusen Li , Helal Wasim M K
Published: October 2020

Due to rapid development in the industry, operating speeds and eccentricity produced undesirable vibrations which may lead to damage in bearings, seals, and lubrication systems. In the proposed paper, a novel analytical method was presented using an integrated multi-body dynamics and finite element analysis to simulate the lateral and torsional vibration. This method was applied to a proposed model of single rotor-system. In order to study the lateral and torsional vibration of the system profoundly, three markers were placed on the locations of the left and right bearings and the mass center of the shaft. The effects of bearing force caused by lateral and torsional vibrations were also analyzed. The results showed that the lateral vibration has a great effect on the dynamic of single rotor-system when lowering motor speed. It was found that, as motor speed increased, the motion of the system becomes more stable with steady fluctuates of the displacement response. The calculated natural frequency of SRS is compared with theoretical results to verify the transient solver. This novel method is practical in analyzing the lateral and torsional vibration of the SRS under various speeds and eccentricities.
An effective similarity determination model for case-based reasoning in support of low-carbon product design
Authors: Ren Shedong , Gui Fangzhi , Zhao Yanwei , Zhan Min , Wang Wanliang
Published: October 2020

In the initial stage of low-carbon product design, design information is always uncertain and incomplete, as well as the coupling properties between design attributes, thus it requires retrospective coordination for design conflicts resulting from the inclusion of low-carbon requirements. Reusing the prior design knowledge can promote design efficiency, however, the acquisition of similar cases knowledge not only needs to consider the similarity of design problems, but also the adaptability of candidate cases. This study presents an effective similarity determination model to support low-carbon product design, and targets of the proposed model are (1) to reasonably determine design ranges of attribute values for product cases retrieval by representing the uncertain design attributes with fuzzy set theory; (2) to construct an efficient indexing structure to generate the index set of similar cases based on the improved discretized highest similarity method by proposing two effective strategies; and, (3) to establish similarity estimation models for different types of attributes, and it calculates the information content of each attribute to evaluate the adaptability of cases based on the Information Axiom. The applicability of the proposed model is demonstrated through a case study of similar cases retrieval for the vacuum pump low-carbon design.
ERCC1 expression and platinum chemosensitivity in patients with ovarian cancer: A meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Chunjie , Gao Shan , Hou Jingwen
Published: October 2020

Objective:

This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the correlation of ERCC1 expression and chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer.

Methods:

The literature on the relationship between the excision repair cross complementary gene 1 (ERCC1) and the chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer published in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, and the China Wanfang database from the establishment of the databases to June 2020 were searched. Chemosensitivity is evaluated by clinical effective rate (complete remission plus partial remission). Statistical analysis was carried out by using Stata 15.1 software.

Results:

A total of 11 articles met the inclusion criteria, consisting of 758 patients with ovarian cancer. The results showed a significant difference in chemosensitivity between the low expression group and the high expression group of ERCC1 (odds ratio 4.23; 95% confidence interval 2.96, 6.06; P < 0. 01). The same result was shown in the ethnicity subgroup.

Conclusion:

The chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer patients with a low expression of ERCC1 is better than that of patients with a high expression.
Potential role of fecal microbiota in patients with constipation
Authors: Tian Yan , Zuo Luo , Guo Qin , Li Jun , Hu Zhangyong , Zhao Kui , Li Can , Li Xiaohui , Zhou Jinggang , Zhou Yan , Li Xiao-an
Published: October 2020

Background

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for chronic functional constipation (CFC) ineffectively treated by conventional constipation medication.

Methods

Thirty-four patients with CFC underwent FMT treatment (three rounds, via gastroscopy). Clinical scales, including the Wexner constipation score as the main index of efficiency, were completed at baseline; after each treatment, and at 2 and 3 months of follow up. Secondary evaluation indices included the self-assessment of constipation symptoms, patient assessment constipation quality-of-life questionnaire, Bristol stool form scale, and Zung’s self-rating depression and anxiety scales. Gastrointestinal motility, motilin, gastrin, nitric oxide (NO), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were assessed before and after treatment. Intestinal flora changes were assessed by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequencing.

Results

There were no serious adverse reactions. The clinical cure rate was 73.5% (25/34), clinical remission rate was 14.7% (5/34), and the inefficiency rate was 11.8% (4/34). Clinical scale data indicated that the FMT treatment was effective. Furthermore, FMT treatment promoted intestinal peristalsis, increased gastrointestinal motility, and increased serum NO and 5-HT levels. The 16S rRNA sequencing data indicated that high abundances of Bacteroides, Klebsiella, Megamonas, Erysipelotrichaceae and Epulopiscium may be the cause of constipation, and high abundances of Prevotella, Acidaminococcus and Butyricimonas may be the main factors in curing constipation.

Conclusion

Treatment with FMT regulates the intestinal microflora and changes the abundance of CFC-associated bacterial flora to improve constipation.
CEA and CYFRA 21-1 as prognostic biomarker and as a tool for treatment monitoring in advanced NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Dall’Olio Filippo G. , Abbati Francesca , Facchinetti Francesco , Massucci Maria , Melotti Barbara , Squadrilli Anna , Buti Sebastiano , Formica Francesca , Tiseo Marcello , Ardizzoni Andrea
Published: October 2020

Aims:

To assess prognostic value of pre-therapy carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin-19 fragments (CYFRA 21-1) blood levels in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and their early change as predictor of benefit.

Materials and methods:

This is a retrospective cohort study including patients with stage IIIB–IV NSCLC who received anti PD-1/PD-L1 in first or advanced lines of therapy in two institutions. A control cohort of patients treated only with chemotherapy has been enrolled as well.

Results:

A total of 133 patients treated with nivolumab or atezolizumab were included in the test set, 74 treated with pembrolizumab first line in the validation set and 89 in the chemotherapy only cohort. CYFRA 21-1 >8 ng/mL was correlated with overall survival (OS) in the test set, validation set and in univariate and multivariate analysis (pooled cohort hazard ratio (HR) 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24–2.93, p 0.003). Early 20% reduction after the third cycle was correlated with OS for CEA (HR 0.12; 95% CI 0.04–0.33; p < 0.001), and for CYFRA 21-1 (HR 0.19; 95% CI 0.07–0.55; p 0.002)

Conclusions:

CYFRA 21-1 pre-therapy assessment provides clinicians with relevant prognostic information about patients treated with ICI. CEA and CYFRA 21-1 repeated measures could be useful as an early marker of benefit.
Hypothesis generative head-to-head study comparing efficacy of afatinib and osimertinib based on immunological biomarkers in Japanese NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations (Heat on Beat study)
Authors: Morikawa Kei , Tanaka Hisashi , Itani Hidetoshi , Takata Saori , Watanabe Satoshi , Kishi Kazuma , Soejima Kenzo , Kaira Kyoichi , Kagamu Hiroshi , Yoshimura Kenichi , Matsutani Noriyuki , Seki Nobuhiko
Published: October 2020

Background:

In the FLAURA trial, superiority of osimertinib over the standard of care (SOC) was not demonstrated in Asian patients; SOC seemed favorable among Japanese patients (hazard ratio 1.39, 95% confidence interval 0.82–2.33). Three reasons are suggested: since rechallenge with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is covered by health insurance in Japan, EGFR-TKI rechallenge rate was higher in SOC than in the osimertinib group, which resulted in a long-term sequential administration of EGFR-TKIs; treatment discontinuation rate was high in the osimertinib group due to adverse events such as interstitial pneumonia among Japanese patients. EGFR-TKIs enhance tumor antigen-specific cytotoxicity of T cells, especially first- and second-generation EGFR-TKIs, which are more active against various cells with wild-type EGFR, including regulatory T cells. Consequently, subsequent immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy seemed more promising in the SOC group. Therefore, optimal first-line EGFR-TKI for EGFR-mutant advanced lung cancer may not have been identified in Japanese patients.

Methods:

The Heat on Beat study is a randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase II study to compare OS between initial treatment with afatinib and osimertinib in treatment-naïve patients with advanced or recurrent EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Exploration of immunomonitoring through peripheral blood mononuclear cells will also be performed, before, during, and after treatment. Treatment-naïve EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients ( N = 100) will be randomized to two groups in a 1:1 ratio. The co-primary endpoints are 3-year survival rate and characterization of immune environment associated with response to afatinib, osimertinib, or immune checkpoint inhibitors. Enrollment will start in May 2020 at 28 sites in Japan and continue for 1 year, with 3-year follow-up.

Discussion:

Because there is no clinical trial comparing second- with third-generation EGFR-TKI for advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC, our study would provide a major impact on clinical practice. Trial registration Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, jRCTs031190221, registered date: 25 February 2020, https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs031190221
Christianity in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Authors: DeWitt Emily
Published: October 2020

This article documents the spread of Christianity throughout the Pacific, with a focus on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The project begins first with the pre-Christian Pacific, narrowing in on the pre-Christian CNMI, and follows the arrival and establishment of Christianity into the twenty-first century, noting the Spanish, German, and Japanese occupation of the islands and World War II. Through investigating secondary sources and conducting interviews with current leaders of churches of various denominations in the CNMI, I explore the ways in which Christianity has developed and grown since the time of its introduction to the islands.
Potential of sugi wood diterpenes as an Alzheimer's disease preventive and therapeutic drug by the β-amyloid toxicity reduction effect
Authors: Yamaji Yoshie , Wakabayashi Tokumitsu , Kofujita Hisayoshi
Published: October 2020

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and neurological disorder from beta amyloid (Aβ) peptide is regarded as a cause of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the authors evaluate Aβ toxicity reduction effects of major diterpenes isolated from sugi wood by bioassay using Caenorhabditis elegans and examined its relationship with the antioxidative activity. Among the six kinds of sugi wood diterpenes: ferruginol, 6,7-dehydroferruginol, sandaracopimarinal, sandaracopimarinol, abietadiene, abietatriene and phyllocladenes, prominent Aβ toxicity reduction effects were found in ferruginol and 6,7-dehydroferruginol, and their activity was almost equivalent to that of the four kinds of anti-Alzheimer active agents that have been reported so far: ginkgolide A, morin, rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid. Antioxidative activity similar to other anti-Alzheimer active agents was found in ferruginol and 6,7-dehydroferruginol in a 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity test, which suggested that antioxidative activity is concerned with expression of the Aβ toxicity reduction effect of sugi wood diterpenes.
An overview of occupational noise-induced hearing loss among workers: epidemiology, pathogenesis, and preventive measures
Authors: Chen Kou-Huang , Su Shih-Bin , Chen Kow-Tong
Published: October 2020

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world. The goal of this study was to review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and preventive measures of ONIHL among workers and provide evidence for the implementation of control measures. Literature studies were identified from the MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using the search terms “noise-induced hearing loss” “prevalence”, “pathogenesis”, and “preventive measures”. The articles reviewed in this report were limited from 2000 to 2020. Articles that were not published in the English language, manuscripts without an abstract, and opinion articles were excluded. After a preliminary screening, all of the articles were reviewed and synthesized to provide an overview of the current status of ONIHL among workers. The mechanism of ONIHL among workers is a complex interaction between environmental and host factors (both genetic and acquired factors). The outcomes of noise exposure are different among individual subjects. Clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the treatment effect of antioxidants on ONIHL. Noise exposure may contribute to temporary or permanent threshold shifts; however, even temporary threshold shifts may predispose an individual to eventual permanent hearing loss. Noise prevention programs are an important preventive measure in reducing the morbidity of ONIHL among workers.
Flow velocity and nutrients affect CO2 emissions from agricultural drainage channels in the North China Plain
Authors: Leng Peifang , Li Fadong , Du Kun , Li Zhao , Gu Congke , Koschorreck Matthias
Published: October 2020

Background

Groundwater is typically over-saturated in CO2 with respect to atmospheric equilibrium. Irrigation with groundwater is a common agricultural practice in many countries, but little is known about the fate of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in irrigation groundwater and its contribution to the CO2 emission inventory from land to the atmosphere. We performed a mesocosm experiment to study the fate of DIC entering agricultural drainage channels in the North China Plain. Specifically, we aimed to unravel the effect of flow velocity and nutrient on CO2 emissions.

Results

All treatments were emitting CO2. Approximately half of the DIC in the water was consumed by TOC production (1–16%), emitted to the atmosphere (14–20%), or precipitated as calcite (CaCO3) (14–20%). We found that DIC depletion was stimulated by nutrient addition, whereas more CO2 evasion occurred in the treatments without nutrients addition. On the other hand, about 50% of CO2 was emitted within the first 50 h under high flow velocity. Thus, in the short term, high nutrient levels may counteract CO2 emissions from drainage channels, whereas the final fate of the produced biomass (burial versus mineralization to CO2 or even CH4) determines the duration of the effect.

Conclusion

Our study reveals that both hydrology and biological processes affect CO2 emissions from groundwater irrigation channels. The estimated CO2 emission from total groundwater depletion in the North China Plain is up to 0.52 ± 0.07 Mt CO2 year−1. Thus, CO2 emissions from groundwater irrigation should be considered in regional CO2 budgets, especially given that groundwater depletion is expected to acceleration in the future.
Moesin is involved in microglial activation accompanying morphological changes and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton
Authors: Okazaki Tomonori , Saito Daichi , Inden Masatoshi , Kawaguchi Kotoku , Wakimoto Sayuri , Nakahari Takashi , Asano Shinji
Published: October 2020

Moesin is a member of the ezrin, radixin and moesin (ERM) proteins that are involved in the formation and/or maintenance of cortical actin organization through their cross-linking activity between actin filaments and proteins located on the plasma membranes as well as through regulation of small GTPase activities. Microglia, immune cells in the central nervous system, show dynamic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in their process elongation and retraction as well as phagocytosis and migration. In microglia, moesin is the predominant ERM protein. Here, we show that microglial activation after systemic lipopolysaccharide application is partly inhibited in moesin knockout (Msn-KO) mice. We prepared primary microglia from wild-type and Msn-KO mice, and studied them to compare their phenotypes accompanying morphological changes and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton induced by UDP-stimulated phagocytosis and ADP-stimulated migration. The Msn-KO microglia showed higher phagocytotic activity in the absence of UDP, which was not further increased by the treatment with UDP. They also exhibited decreased ADP-stimulated migration activities compared with the wild-type microglia. However, the Msn-KO microglia retained their ability to secrete tumor necrosis factor α and nitric oxide in response to lipopolysaccharide.
Effectiveness of impedance parameters for muscle quality evaluation in healthy men
Authors: Sato Hiroki , Nakamura Takao , Kusuhara Toshimasa , Kenichi Kobara , Kuniyasu Katsushi , Kawashima Takaki , Hanayama Kozo
Published: October 2020

We investigated the relationship between impedance parameters and skeletal muscle function in the lower extremities, as well as the effectiveness of impedance parameters in evaluating muscle quality. Lower extremity impedance of 19 healthy men (aged 23–31 years) measured using the direct segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis were arc-optimized using the Cole–Cole model, following which phase angle (PA), $${R}_{i}/{R}_{e}$$

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R
e

, and β were estimated. Skeletal muscle function was assessed by muscle thickness, muscle intensity, and isometric knee extension force (IKEF). IKEF was positively correlated with PA (r = 0.58, p < 0.01) and β (r = 0.34, p < 0.05) was negatively correlated with $${R}_{i}/{R}_{e}$$

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(r = − 0.43, p < 0.01). Stepwise multiple regression analysis results revealed that PA, β, and $${R}_{i}/{R}_{e}$$

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were correlated with IKEF independently of muscle thickness. This study suggests that arc-optimized impedance parameters are effective for evaluating muscle quality and prediction of muscle strength.
BIOCOM-PIPE: a new user-friendly metabarcoding pipeline for the characterization of microbial diversity from 16S, 18S and 23S rRNA gene amplicons
Authors: Djemiel Christophe , Dequiedt Samuel , Karimi Battle , Cottin Aurélien , Girier Thibault , El Djoudi Yassin , Wincker Patrick , Lelièvre Mélanie , Mondy Samuel , Chemidlin Prévost-Bouré Nicolas , Maron Pierre-Alain , Ranjard Lionel , Terrat Sébastien
Published: October 2020

Background

The ability to compare samples or studies easily using metabarcoding so as to better interpret microbial ecology results is an upcoming challenge. A growing number of metabarcoding pipelines are available, each with its own benefits and limitations. However, very few have been developed to offer the opportunity to characterize various microbial communities (e.g., archaea, bacteria, fungi, photosynthetic microeukaryotes) with the same tool.

Results

BIOCOM-PIPE is a flexible and independent suite of tools for processing data from high-throughput sequencing technologies, Roche 454 and Illumina platforms, and focused on the diversity of archaeal, bacterial, fungal, and photosynthetic microeukaryote amplicons. Various original methods were implemented in BIOCOM-PIPE to (1) remove chimeras based on read abundance, (2) align sequences with structure-based alignments of RNA homologs using covariance models, and (3) a post-clustering tool (ReClustOR) to improve OTUs consistency based on a reference OTU database. The comparison with two other pipelines (FROGS and mothur) and Amplicon Sequence Variant definition highlighted that BIOCOM-PIPE was better at discriminating land use groups.

Conclusions

The BIOCOM-PIPE pipeline makes it possible to analyze 16S, 18S and 23S rRNA genes in the same packaged tool. The new post-clustering approach defines a biological database from previously analyzed samples and performs post-clustering of reads with this reference database by using open-reference clustering. This makes it easier to compare projects from various sequencing runs, and increased the congruence among results. For all users, the pipeline was developed to allow for adding or modifying the components, the databases and the bioinformatics tools easily, giving high modularity for each analysis.
Directional divergence of Ep300 duplicates in teleosts and its implications
Authors: Wang Xianzong , Yan Junli
Published: October 2020

Background

EP300 is a conserved protein in vertebrates, which serves as a key mediator of cellular homeostasis. Mutations and dysregulation of EP300 give rise to severe human developmental disorders and malignancy.Danio reriois a promising model organism to study EP300 related diseases and drugs; however, the effect of EP300 duplicates derived from teleost-specific whole genome duplication should not just be neglected.

Results

In this study, we obtained EP300 protein sequences of representative teleosts, mammals and sauropsids, with which we inferred a highly supported maximum likelihood tree. We observed that Ep300 duplicates (Ep300a and Ep300b) were widely retained in teleosts and universally expressed in a variety of tissues. Consensus sequences of Ep300a and Ep300b had exactly the same distribution of conserved domains, suggesting that their functions should still be largely overlapped. We analyzed the molecular evolution of Ep300 duplicates in teleosts, using branch-site models, clade models and site models. The results showed that both duplicates were subject to strong positive selection; however, for an extant species, generally at most one copy was under positive selection. At the clade level, there were evident positive correlations between evolutionary rates, the number of positively selected sites and gene expression levels. In Ostariophysi, Ep300a were under stronger positive selection than Ep300b; in Neoteleostei, another species-rich teleost clade, the contrary was the case. We also modeled 3D structures of zf-TAZ domain and its flanking regions of Ep300a and Ep300b ofD. rerioandOryzias latipesand found that in either species the faster evolving copy had more short helixes.

Conclusions

Collectively, the two copies of Ep300 have undoubtedly experienced directional divergence in main teleost clades. The divergence of EP300 between teleosts and mammals should be greater than the divergence between different teleost clades. Further studies are needed to clarify to what extent the EP300 involved regulatory network has diverged between teleosts and mammals, which would also help explain the huge success of teleosts.
Identification of diverse cell populations in skeletal muscles and biomarkers for intramuscular fat of chicken by single-cell RNA sequencing
Authors: Li Jinghui , Xing Siyuan , Zhao Guiping , Zheng Maiqing , Yang Xinting , Sun Jiahong , Wen Jie , Liu Ranran
Published: October 2020

Background

The development of skeletal muscle is closely related to the efficiency of meat production and meat quality. Chicken skeletal muscle development depends on myogenesis and adipogenesis and occurs in two phases—hyperplasia and hypertrophy. However, cell profiles corresponding to the two-phase muscle development have yet to be determined. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) can elucidate the cell subpopulations in tissue and capture the gene expression of individual cells, which can provide new insights into the myogenesis and intramuscular adipogenesis.

Results

Ten cell clusters at the post-hatching developmental stage at Day 5 and seven cell clusters at the late developmental stage at Day 100 were identified in chicken breast muscles by scRNA-seq. Five myocyte-related clusters and two adipocyte clusters were identified at Day 5, and one myocyte cluster and one adipocyte cluster were identified at Day 100. The pattern of cell clustering varied between the two stages. The cell clusters showed clear boundaries at the terminal differentiation stage at Day 100; by contrast, cell differentiation was not complete at Day 5. APOA1 and COL1A1 were selected from up-regulated genes in the adipocyte cluster and found to be co-expressed with the ADIPOQ adipocyte marker gene in breast muscles by RNA in situ hybridization.

Conclusions

This study is the first to describe the heterogeneity of chicken skeletal muscle at two developmental stages. The genes APOA1 and COL1A1 were identified as biomarkers for chicken intramuscular fat cells.
Short chain fatty acids induced the type 1 and type 2 fimbrillin-dependent and fimbrillin-independent initial attachment and colonization of Actinomyces oris monoculture but not coculture with streptococci
Authors: Suzuki Itaru , Shimizu Takehiko , Senpuku Hidenobu
Published: October 2020

Background

Actinomyces orisis an early colonizer and has two types of fimbriae on its cell surface, type 1 fimbriae (FimP and FimQ) and type 2 fimbriae (FimA and FimB), which contribute to the attachment and coaggregation with other bacteria and the formation of biofilm on the tooth surface, respectively. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are metabolic products of oral bacteria includingA. orisand regulate pH in dental plaques. To clarify the relationship between SCFAs and fimbrillins, effects of SCFAs on the initial attachment and colonization (INAC) assay usingA. oriswild type and fimbriae mutants was investigated. INAC assays usingA. orisMG1 strain cells were performed with SCFAs (acetic, butyric, propionic, valeric and lactic acids) or a mixture of them on human saliva-coated 6-well plates incubated in TSB with 0.25% sucrose for 1 h. The INAC was assessed by staining live and dead cells that were visualized with a confocal microscope.

Results

Among the SCFAs, acetic, butyric and propionic acids and a mixture of acetic, butyric and propionic acids induced the type 1 and type 2 fimbriae-dependent and independent INAC by liveA. oris, but these cells did not interact with streptococci. The main effects might be dependent on the levels of the non-ionized acid forms of the SCFAs in acidic stress conditions. GroEL was also found to be a contributor to the FimA-independent INAC by liveA. oriscells stimulated with non-ionized acid.

Conclusion

SCFAs affect the INAC-associated activities of theA. orisfimbrillins and non-fimbrillins during ionized and non-ionized acid formations in the form of co-culturing with other bacteria in the dental plaque but not impact the interaction ofA. oriswith streptococci.