bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical MEG passes another milestone
Authors: Burgess Richard C
Published: September 2019

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Magnetoencephalography for epileptic focus localization in a series of 1000 cases’, by Rampp et al. (doi:10.1093/brain/awz231).
Fixed Dosing of Liposomal Amphotericin B in Morbidly Obese Individuals
Authors: Wasmann Roeland E , Smit Cornelis , van Dongen Eric P H , Wiezer René M J , Adler-Moore Jill , de Beer Yvo M , Burger David M , Knibbe Catherijne A J , Brüggemann Roger J M
Published: September 2019

In this prospective study, we examined the pharmacokinetics of 1 and 2 mg/kg liposomal amphotericin B in 16 morbidly obese individuals (104–177 kg). Body size had no effect on clearance. We recommend a fixed dose in patients ≥100 kg (ie, 300 or 500 mg rather than the current dose of 3 and 5 mg/kg, respectively).

Clinical Trials Registration NCT02320604.
Second-growth and small forest clearings have little effect on the temporal activity patterns of Amazonian phyllostomid bats
Authors: Rocha Ricardo , López-Baucells Adrià , Farneda Fábio Z , Ferreira Diogo F , Silva Inês , Acácio Marta , Palmeirim Jorge M , Meyer Christoph F J
Published: September 2019

Secondary forests and human-made forest gaps are conspicuous features of tropical landscapes. Yet, behavioral responses to these aspects of anthropogenically modified forests remain poorly investigated. Here, we analyze the effects of small human-made clearings and secondary forests on tropical bats by examining the guild- and species-level activity patterns of phyllostomids sampled in the Central Amazon, Brazil. Specifically, we contrast the temporal activity patterns and degree of temporal overlap of 6 frugivorous and 4 gleaning animalivorous species in old-growth forest and second-growth forest and of 4 frugivores in old-growth forest and forest clearings. The activity patterns of frugivores and gleaning animalivores did not change between old-growth forest and second-growth, nor did the activity patterns of frugivores between old-growth forest and clearings. However, at the species level, we detected significant differences for Artibeus obscurus (old-growth forest vs. second-growth) and A. concolor (old-growth forest vs. clearings). The degree of temporal overlap was greater than random in all sampled habitats. However, for frugivorous species, the degree of temporal overlap was similar between old-growth forest and second-growth; whereas for gleaning animalivores, it was lower in second-growth than in old-growth forest. On the contrary, forest clearings were characterized by increased temporal overlap between frugivores. Changes in activity patterns and temporal overlap may result from differential foraging opportunities and dissimilar predation risks. Yet, our analyses suggest that activity patterns of bats in second-growth and small forest clearings, 2 of the most prominent habitats in humanized tropical landscapes, varies little from the activity patterns in old-growth forest.
Tritrophic Interactions Between an Invasive Weed (Lepidium latifolium), an Insect Herbivore (Bagrada hilaris), and a Plant Pathogenic Fungus (Albugo lepidii)
Authors: Tofangsazi Nastaran , Hogg Brian N , Portman Scott L , Pratt Paul D
Published: September 2019

Perennial pepperweed, Lepidium latifolium L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae), is an invasive weed that can form dense stands and displace native species. Bagrada hilaris Burmeister (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a serious economic pest of Brassicaceae vegetable crops. Bagrada bug also feeds on L. latifolium and may interact with the plant fungal pathogen Albugo lepidii S.I. (Peronosporales: Albuginaceae) to affect biological control of L. latifolium. A series of laboratory experiments, including Y-tube olfactometer and host-choice tests, were conducted to investigate B. hilaris host-preference behavior. Adults were attracted to the odor of healthy L. latifolium compared with A. lepidii-infected leaves. Bagrada hilaris consistently preferred to feed on healthy L. latifolium when offered both healthy and A. lepidii-infected plants. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of A. lepidii-infected L. latifolium on B. hilaris survival and development. Survival of all B. hilaris immature stages and adults was markedly reduced for those reared on A. lepidii-infected leaves. Total development time and stage-specific development were faster on healthy L. latifolium leaves compared with A. lepidii-infected leaves. In addition, the ability of B. hilaris adults to passively transmit the rust was studied. Our data demonstrated that B. hilaris could acquire the rust spores while feeding, but it did not passively transmit the pathogen to healthy plants.
The Influence of Fathers and Mothers Equally Sharing Childcare Responsibilities on Children’s Cognitive Development from Early Childhood to School Age: An Overlooked Mechanism in the Intergenerational Transmission of (Dis)Advantages?
Authors: Keizer Renske , van Lissa Caspar J , Tiemeier Henning , Lucassen Nicole
Published: September 2019

There is increasing awareness that the intergenerational transmission of (dis)advantages is filtered through intra-familial dynamics, in particular, parenting practices. Surprisingly, few studies have investigated what role the extent to which fathers and mothers equally share childcare responsibilities plays in this transmission. Using data from 2,027 families in a Dutch prospective cohort study, our structural equation modelling analyses showed direct effects of equally sharing responsibilities for playful activities on children’s cognitive development. Additionally, our study yielded some evidence for the hypothesis that equally sharing responsibilities for playful activities mediates the impact of parents’ educational attainment on children’s cognitive development. This suggests that the extent to which fathers and mothers equally share childcare responsibilities functions as an underlying mechanism for maintaining social class disparities in children’s cognitive development. Our findings also suggest that policies and programmes that encourage fathers and mothers to equally share playful activities may help promote children’s cognitive development.
Macrophage NCOR1 protects from atherosclerosis by repressing a pro-atherogenic PPARγ signature
Authors: Oppi Sara , Nusser-Stein Stefanie , Blyszczuk Przemyslaw , Wang Xu , Jomard Anne , Marzolla Vincenzo , Yang Kangmin , Velagapudi Srividya , Ward Liam J , Yuan Xi-Ming , Geiger Martin A , Guillaumon Ana T , Othman Alaa , Hornemann Thorsten , Rancic Zoran , Ryu Dongryeol , Oosterveer Maaike H , Osto Elena , Lüscher Thomas F , Stein Sokrates
Published: September 2019

Aims

Nuclear receptors and their cofactors regulate key pathophysiological processes in atherosclerosis development. The transcriptional activity of these nuclear receptors is controlled by the nuclear receptor corepressors (NCOR), scaffolding proteins that form the basis of large corepressor complexes. Studies with primary macrophages demonstrated that the deletion of Ncor1 increases the expression of atherosclerotic molecules. However, the role of nuclear receptor corepressors in atherogenesis is unknown.

Methods and results

We generated myeloid cell-specific Ncor1 knockout mice and crossbred them with low-density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr) knockouts to study the role of macrophage NCOR1 in atherosclerosis. We demonstrate that myeloid cell-specific deletion of nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCOR1) aggravates atherosclerosis development in mice. Macrophage Ncor1-deficiency leads to increased foam cell formation, enhanced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and atherosclerotic lesions characterized by larger necrotic cores and thinner fibrous caps. The immunometabolic effects of NCOR1 are mediated via suppression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) target genes in mouse and human macrophages, which lead to an enhanced expression of the CD36 scavenger receptor and subsequent increase in oxidized low-density lipoprotein uptake in the absence of NCOR1. Interestingly, in human atherosclerotic plaques, the expression of NCOR1 is reduced whereas the PPARγ signature is increased, and this signature is more pronounced in ruptured compared with non-ruptured carotid plaques.

Conclusions

Our findings show that macrophage NCOR1 blocks the pro-atherogenic functions of PPARγ in atherosclerosis and suggest that stabilizing the NCOR1–PPARγ binding could be a promising strategy to block the pro-atherogenic functions of plaque macrophages and lesion progression in atherosclerotic patients.
Polyphasic taxonomic analysis of Paracoccus ravus sp. nov., an alphaproteobacterium isolated from marine sediment
Authors: Yoon Jaewoo , Maharjan Sailesh , Choi Hyukjae
Published: September 2019

Polyphasic taxonomic analysis was performed on a novel marine bacterium, designated as strain YJ057T, isolated from marine sediment collected in the Republic of Korea. The strain was Gram-negative, beige-colored, facultatively anaerobic, coccoid or ovoid-shaped and nonmotile. Preliminary 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analysis indicated that this novel marine isolate belongs to the family Rhodobacteraceae of the class Alphaproteobacteria, and has the greatest (96.2%) sequence similarity to Paracoccus aestuariivivens GHD-30T. Major (>10%) fatty acids of strain YJ057T were C16:0 and C18:1 ω7c, G+C content in the genomic DNA of the strain was 63.6 mol% and the sole respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10. It had phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and some unidentified components (three aminolipids, a glycolipid, a phospholipid and two lipids). As per the distinct phylogenetic position and combination of phenotypic and genotypic traits, the strain is considered a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, and the name Paracoccus ravus sp. nov. is proposed.
Maternal and neonatal outcome of asymptomatic bacteriuria at term pregnancy
Authors: Perlitz Yuri , Saffoury Enas , Shabso Nora , Labai Aminat , Namatiyof Jennifer Fathy , Nitzan Orna , Ben-Shlomo Izhar , Azrad Maya , Ben-Ami Moshe , Peretz Avi
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Guidelines recommend antibiotic treatment for every episode of asymptomatic bacteriuria throughout pregnancy in order to reduce maternal and fetal complications. We evaluated intra- and post-partum, as well as puerperal maternal and neonatal outcomes of an untreated group of pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria at term.

Methods

This was a single center prospective cohort study. We enrolled women who came for labor or checkups, 37–42 weeks gestation, with singleton, vertex presentation. On admission, women gave a urine sample; we compared maternal, obstetric and neonatal data from the positive culture group to the negative culture.

Results

Among 248 pregnant women recruited, 205 negative and 32 positive urine cultures were collected. None of the women that participated in this study developed pyelonephritis during hospitalization or during the puerperium. No significant differences were detected between the two groups in terms of age, nulliparity, gestational age at delivery, length of hospitalization, birth type, intra- or post-partum fever, antibiotic treatment during labor or post-partum.

Conclusions

No increased maternal or neonatal adverse effects were observed in women with untreated ASB detected at term.
Interaction Between Physical Activity and Genes Related to Neurotrophin Signaling in Late-Life Cognitive Performance: The Cache County Study
Authors: Sanders Chelsea L , Rattinger Gail B , Deberard M Scott , Hammond Alexandra G , Wengreen Heidi , Kauwe John S K , Buhusi Mona , Tschanz Joann T
Published: September 2019

Research indicates that lifestyle and genetic factors influence the course of cognitive impairment in aging, but their interactions have not been well-examined. This study examined the relationship between physical activity and genotypes related to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in predicting cognitive performance in a sample of older adults with up to 12 years of follow-up. Physical activity levels (sedentary, light, and moderate/vigorous) were determined for the sample of 3,591 participants (57% female) without dementia. The genotypes examined included BDNF gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs6265 and rs56164415) and receptor gene SNPs (NTRK2 rs2289656 and NGFR rs2072446). Cognition was assessed triennially using the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam. Unadjusted linear mixed models indicated that sedentary (β = −5.05) and light (β = −2.41) groups performed worse than moderate–vigorous (p < .001). Addition of interaction effects showed significant differences in rate of decline between activity levels, particularly among males (p = .006). A three-way interaction with sex, NGFR SNP rs2072446, and physical activity suggested that the C/C allele was associated with better cognitive performance among males engaging in light activity only (p = .004). Physical activity and sex, but not BDNF-related SNPs, predicted rate of cognitive decline in older adults, while NGFR rs2072446 may modify main effects.
Accelerometer-Measured Sleep Duration and Clinical Cardiovascular Risk Factor Scores in Older Women
Authors: Full Kelsie M , Malhotra Atul , Gallo Linda C , Kerr Jacqueline , Arredondo Elva M , Natarajan Loki , LaMonte Michael J , Stefanick Marcia L , Stone Katie L , LaCroix Andrea Z
Published: September 2019

Background

Evidence suggests that short and long sleep durations are potential lifestyle factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Research on sleep duration and CVD risk is limited by use of self-report sleep measures, homogeneous populations, and studies on individual CVD risk factors. For women, risk of CVD and inadequate sleep duration increases with age. We hypothesized that accelerometer-measured sleep duration was associated with 10-year predicted probability of future CVD risk in a cohort of aging women.

Methods

This cross-sectional analysis included 3,367 older women (mean age 78.9 years; 53.3% White), from the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Study, ancillary study to the Women’s Health Initiative. Women wore ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers on the hip for 24 hours/7 days. A 10-year predicted probability of future CVD risk, the Reynolds Risk Score (RRS), was computed using age, systolic blood pressure, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), total and HDL cholesterol, diabetes mellitus status, smoking status, and family history of CVD. Average nightly sleep duration was derived from accelerometer data. Adjusted linear regression models investigated the association between sleep duration and RRS.

Results

Results suggested a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and RRS, with both short and long sleep associated with higher RRS (p < .001). The association remained significant after adjustments for race/ethnicity, education, lifestyle factors, and health status indicators.

Conclusion

In older women, actigraphy-ascertained sleep duration was associated with a 10-year predicted probability of future CVD risk. This study supports sleep duration as a modifiable risk factor for CVD in older women.
High-quality Schistosoma haematobium genome achieved by single-molecule and long-range sequencing
Authors: Stroehlein Andreas J , Korhonen Pasi K , Chong Teik Min , Lim Yan Lue , Chan Kok Gan , Webster Bonnie , Rollinson David , Brindley Paul J , Gasser Robin B , Young Neil D
Published: September 2019

Background

Schistosoma haematobium causes urogenital schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease affecting >100 million people worldwide. Chronic infection with this parasitic trematode can lead to urogenital conditions including female genital schistosomiasis and bladder cancer. At the molecular level, little is known about this blood fluke and the pathogenesis of the disease that it causes. To support molecular studies of this carcinogenic worm, we reported a draft genome for S. haematobium in 2012. Although a useful resource, its utility has been somewhat limited by its fragmentation.

Findings

Here, we systematically enhanced the draft genome of S. haematobium using a single-molecule and long-range DNA-sequencing approach. We achieved a major improvement in the accuracy and contiguity of the genome assembly, making it superior or comparable to assemblies for other schistosome species. We transferred curated gene models to this assembly and, using enhanced gene annotation pipelines, inferred a gene set with as many or more complete gene models as those of other well-studied schistosomes. Using conserved, single-copy orthologs, we assessed the phylogenetic position of S. haematobium in relation to other parasitic flatworms for which draft genomes were available.

Conclusions

We report a substantially enhanced genomic resource that represents a solid foundation for molecular research on S. haematobium and is poised to better underpin population and functional genomic investigations and to accelerate the search for new disease interventions.
A constant-Q model for general viscoelastic media
Authors: Wang Yanghua
Published: September 2019

When seismic waves propagate through viscoelastic media, the viscoelastic response can be presented as a fractional-order derivative of the strain. This fractional order $\beta $ controlling the degree of viscoelasticity of subsurface media is referred to as the viscoelastic parameter. However, the viscoelasticity is conventionally quantified by the quality factor Q, and there is a gap between the viscoelastic parameter $\beta $ and the Q factor. Here this paper bridges the gap by establishing a relationship between these two parameters. An exact Q model is derived analytically based on the viscoelastic parameter $\beta $. Since the exact Q model is frequency dependent, a constant-Q model which is frequency independent is proposed under a small-dissipation assumption. This constant-Q model is applicable to seismic data with a narrow frequency band and is consistent with Kolsky's attenuation model. Furthermore, an inverse function of the constant-Q model is presented for evaluating the viscoelastic parameter $\beta $ from any given Q factor. Thus, the viscoelastic parameter $\beta $ has an intuitive physical meaning that is directly linked to the Q factor.
Inversions of time-domain spectral induced polarization data using stretched exponential
Authors: Kang Seogi , Oldenburg Douglas W
Published: September 2019

We provide a two-stage approach to extract spectral induced polarization (SIP) information from time-domain IP data. In the first stage we invert dc data to recover the background conductivity. In the second, we solve a linear inverse problem and invert all time channels simultaneously to recover the IP parameters. The IP decay curves are represented by a stretched exponential (SE) rather than the traditional Cole–Cole model, and we find that defining the parameters in terms of their logarithmic values is advantageous. To demonstrate the capability of our simultaneous SIP inversion we use synthetic data simulating a porphyry mineral deposit. The challenge is to image a mineral body that is hosted within an alteration halo having the same chargeability but a different time constant. For a 2-D problem, we were able to distinguish the body using our simultaneous inversion but we were not successful in using a sequential (or conventional) SIP inversion approach. For the 3-D problem we recovered 3-D distributions of the SIP parameters and used those to construct a 3-D rock model having four rock units. Three chargeable units were distinguished. The compact mineralization zone, having a large time constant, was distinguished from the circular alteration halo that had a small time constant. Finally, to promote the use of the SIP technique, and to have further development of SIP inversion, all examples presented in this paper are available in our open source resources (https://github.com/simpeg-research/kang-2018-spectral-inducedpolarization).
Evaluating the accuracy of hybrid finite element/particle-in-cell methods for modelling incompressible Stokes flow
Authors: Gassmöller Rene , Lokavarapu Harsha , Bangerth Wolfgang , Puckett Elbridge Gerry
Published: September 2019

Combining finite element methods for the incompressible Stokes equations with particle-in-cell methods is an important technique in computational geodynamics that has been widely applied in mantle convection, lithosphere dynamics and crustal-scale modelling. In these applications, particles are used to transport along properties of the medium such as the temperature, chemical compositions or other material properties; the particle methods are therefore used to reduce the advection equation to an ordinary differential equation for each particle, resulting in a problem that is simpler to solve than the original equation for which stabilization techniques are necessary to avoid oscillations.

On the other hand, replacing field-based descriptions by quantities only defined at the locations of particles introduces numerical errors. These errors have previously been investigated, but a complete understanding from both the theoretical and practical sides was so far lacking. In addition, we are not aware of systematic guidance regarding the question of how many particles one needs to choose per mesh cell to achieve a certain accuracy.

In this paper we modify two existing instantaneous benchmarks and present two new analytic benchmarks for time-dependent incompressible Stokes flow in order to compare the convergence rate and accuracy of various combinations of finite elements, particle advection and particle interpolation methods. Using these benchmarks, we find that in order to retain the optimal accuracy of the finite element formulation, one needs to use a sufficiently accurate particle interpolation algorithm. Additionally, we observe and explain that for our higher-order finite-element methods it is necessary to increase the number of particles per cell as the mesh resolution increases (i.e. as the grid cell size decreases) to avoid a reduction in convergence order.

Our methods and results allow designing new particle-in-cell methods with specific convergence rates, and also provide guidance for the choice of common building blocks and parameters such as the number of particles per cell. In addition, our new time-dependent benchmark provides a simple test that can be used to compare different implementations, algorithms and for the assessment of new numerical methods for particle interpolation and advection. We provide a reference implementation of this benchmark in aspect (the ‘Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth’s ConvecTion’), an open source code for geodynamic modelling.
Structural and functional analysis of four family 84 glycoside hydrolases from the opportunistic pathogen Clostridium perfringens
Authors: Pluvinage Benjamin , Massel Patricia M , Burak Kristyn , Boraston Alisdair B
Published: September 2019

The opportunistic pathogen Clostridium perfringens possesses the ability to colonize the protective mucin layer in the gastrointestinal tract. To assist this, the C. perfringens genome contains a battery of genes encoding glycoside hydrolases (GHs) that are likely active on mucin glycans, including four genes encoding family 84 GHs: CpGH84A (NagH), CpGH84B (NagI), CpGH84C (NagJ) and CpGH84D (NagK). To probe the potential advantage gained by the expansion of GH84 enzymes in C. perfringens, we undertook the structural and functional characterization of the CpGH84 catalytic modules. Here, we show that these four CpGH84 catalytic modules act as β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidases able to hydrolyze N- and O-glycan motifs. CpGH84A and CpGH84D displayed a substrate specificity restricted to terminal β-1,2- and β-1,6-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc). CpGH84B and CpGH84C appear more promiscuous with activity on terminal β-1,2-, β-1,3- and β-1,6-linked GlcNAc; both possess some activity toward β-1,4-linked GlcNAc, but this is dependent upon which monosaccharide it is linked to. Furthermore, all the CpGH84s have different optimum pHs ranging from 5.2 to 7.0. Consistent with their β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase activities, the structures of the four catalytic modules revealed similar folds with a catalytic site including a conserved −1 subsite that binds GlcNAc. However, nonconserved residues in the vicinity of the +1 subsite suggest different accommodation of the sugar preceding the terminal GlcNAc, resulting in subtly different substrate specificities. This structure–function comparison of the four GH84 catalytic modules from C. perfringens reveals their different biochemical properties, which may relate to how they are deployed in the bacterium’s niche in the host.
Phenome-wide investigation of health outcomes associated with genetic predisposition to loneliness
Authors: Abdellaoui Abdel , Sanchez-Roige Sandra , Sealock Julia , Treur Jorien L , Dennis Jessica , Fontanillas Pierre , Elson Sarah ,   The 23andme Research Team, Nivard Michel G , Ip Hill Fung , van der Zee Matthijs , Baselmans Bart M L , Hottenga Jouke Jan , Willemsen Gonneke , Mosing Miriam , Lu Yi , Pedersen Nancy L , Denys Damiaan , Amin Najaf , M van Duijn Cornelia , Szilagyi Ingrid , Tiemeier Henning , Neumann Alexander , Verweij Karin J H , Cacioppo Stephanie , Cacioppo John T , Davis Lea K , Palmer Abraham A , Boomsma Dorret I
Published: September 2019

Humans are social animals that experience intense suffering when they perceive a lack of social connection. Modern societies are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. Although the experience of loneliness is universally human, some people report experiencing greater loneliness than others. Loneliness is more strongly associated with mortality than obesity, emphasizing the need to understand the nature of the relationship between loneliness and health. Although it is intuitive that circumstantial factors such as marital status and age influence loneliness, there is also compelling evidence of a genetic predisposition toward loneliness. To better understand the genetic architecture of loneliness and its relationship with associated outcomes, we extended the genome-wide association study meta-analysis of loneliness to 511 280 subjects, and detect 19 significant genetic variants from 16 loci, including four novel loci, as well as 58 significantly associated genes. We investigated the genetic overlap with a wide range of physical and mental health traits by computing genetic correlations and by building loneliness polygenic scores in an independent sample of 18 498 individuals with EHR data to conduct a PheWAS with. A genetic predisposition toward loneliness was associated with cardiovascular, psychiatric, and metabolic disorders and triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins. Mendelian randomization analyses showed evidence of a causal, increasing, the effect of both BMI and body fat on loneliness. Our results provide a framework for future studies of the genetic basis of loneliness and its relationship to mental and physical health.
Intrathecal AAVrh10 corrects biochemical and histological hallmarks of mucopolysaccharidosis VII mice and improves behavior and survival
Authors: Pagès G , Giménez-Llort L , García-Lareu B , Ariza L , Navarro M , Casas C , Chillón M , Bosch A
Published: September 2019

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type VII is a lysosomal storage disease caused by ß-glucuronidase deficiency, prompting glycosaminoglycan accumulation in enlarged vesicles, leading to peripheral and neuronal dysfunction. Here, we present a gene therapy strategy using lumbar puncture of AAVrh10 encoding human β-glucuronidase (AAVrh10-GUSB) to adult MPS VII mice. This minimally invasive technique efficiently delivers the recombinant vector to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with a single intrathecal injection. We show that AAVrh10 delivery to the CSF allows global, stable transduction of CNS structures. In addition, drainage of AAVrh10-GUSB from the CSF to the bloodstream resulted in the transduction of somatic organs such as liver, which provided a systemic β-glucuronidase source sufficient to achieve serum enzyme activity comparable to wild type mice. ß-glucuronidase levels were enough to correct biochemical and histopathological hallmarks of the disease in the CNS and somatic organs at short and long term. Moreover, the progression of the bone pathology was also reduced. Importantly, the biochemical correction led to a significant improvement in the physical, cognitive and emotional characteristics of MPS VII mice, and doubling their life span. Our strategy may have implications for gene therapy in patients with lysosomal storage diseases.
Sexuality and Gender Identity in Transitional Societies: Peacebuilding and Counterhegemonic Politics
Authors: Ashe Fidelma
Published: September 2019

Abstract∞

This article contributes to a developing field of scholarship that has been concerned with exploring the impacts of conflict and its transformation on sexual and gender minorities. Drawing on extant analysis, the article explores the marginalization of issues pertaining to sexuality and gender in international law and peace agreements. It then moves on to an assessment of the effects of the integration of sexual orientation and gender identity equality provisions into a limited number of peace agreements. The article contends that attempts to implement and extend sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) equality provisions in peace agreements in meaningful ways typically become cast as justifiable, residual or reprehensible by agonistic groups at local levels during transition. It claims that this fracturing of standpoints on SOGI equality can strengthen counterhegemonic articulations of sexual and gender minorities’ identities that provoke radical versions of peacebuilding.
Social Divisions and International Reconciliation: Domestic Backlash against Foreign Policymaking between Japan and South Korea
Authors: Chun Jahyun
Published: September 2019

The so-called “Comfort Women” Agreement, ratified in December 2015, was intended to bring closure to South Korea's historic grievances against Japan regarding the issue of wartime sexual slavery. However, tensions were reignited when the process and content of the deal were heavily criticized, exacerbating the strained relations between the two countries, as well as divisions within them. Little attention has been given to what happened after the Asian Women's Fund was established in 1995, how bilateral relations shifted, and how the politics changed within South Korea and Japan. This study examines the domestic divisions and conflicts in Japan and South Korea following the introduction of institutions intended to achieve reconciliation. More specifically, it analyzes the factors underlying these divisions and suggests some solutions. In order to do so, this study studies the 1995 Asian Women's Fund and the 2015 “Comfort Women” Agreement, analyzing the implications of these cases in the domestic politics of and bilateral relationship between Japan and South Korea.
Using clinical reasoning ontologies to make smarter clinical decision support systems: a systematic review and data synthesis
Authors: Dissanayake Pavithra I , Colicchio Tiago K , Cimino James J
Published: September 2019

Objective

The study sought to describe the literature describing clinical reasoning ontology (CRO)–based clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) and identify and classify the medical knowledge and reasoning concepts and their properties within these ontologies to guide future research.

Methods

MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched through January 30, 2019, for studies describing CRO-based CDSSs. Articles that explored the development or application of CROs or terminology were selected. Eligible articles were assessed for quality features of both CDSSs and CROs to determine the current practices. We then compiled concepts and properties used within the articles.

Results

We included 38 CRO-based CDSSs for the analysis. Diversity of the purpose and scope of their ontologies was seen, with a variety of knowledge sources were used for ontology development. We found 126 unique medical knowledge concepts, 38 unique reasoning concepts, and 240 unique properties (137 relationships and 103 attributes). Although there is a great diversity among the terms used across CROs, there is a significant overlap based on their descriptions. Only 5 studies described high quality assessment.

Conclusion

We identified current practices used in CRO development and provided lists of medical knowledge concepts, reasoning concepts, and properties (relationships and attributes) used by CRO-based CDSSs. CRO developers reason that the inclusion of concepts used by clinicians’ during medical decision making has the potential to improve CDSS performance. However, at present, few CROs have been used for CDSSs, and high-quality studies describing CROs are sparse. Further research is required in developing high-quality CDSSs based on CROs.
Structural and functional characterization of a glycoside hydrolase family 3 β-N-acetylglucosaminidase from Paenibacillus sp. str. FPU-7
Authors: Itoh Takafumi , Araki Tomomitsu , Nishiyama Tomohiro , Hibi Takao , Kimoto Hisashi
Published: September 2019

Chitin, a β-1,4-linked homopolysaccharide of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc), is one of the most abundant biopolymers on Earth. Paenibacillus sp. str. FPU-7 produces several different chitinases and converts chitin into N,N′-diacetylchitobiose ((GlcNAc)2) in the culture medium. However, the mechanism by which the Paenibacillus species imports (GlcNAc)2 into the cytoplasm and divides it into the monomer GlcNAc remains unclear. The gene encoding Paenibacillus β-N-acetyl-d-glucosaminidase (PsNagA) was identified in the Paenibacillus sp. str. FPU-7 genome using an expression cloning system. The deduced amino acid sequence of PsNagA suggests that the enzyme is a part of the glycoside hydrolase family 3 (GH3). Recombinant PsNagA was successfully overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. As assessed by gel permeation chromatography, the enzyme exists as a 57-kDa monomer. PsNagA specifically hydrolyses chitin oligosaccharides, (GlcNAc)2–4, 4-nitrophenyl N-acetyl β-d-glucosamine (pNP-GlcNAc) and pNP-(GlcNAc)2–6, but has no detectable activity against 4-nitrophenyl β-d-glucose, 4-nitrophenyl β-d-galactosamine and colloidal chitin. In this study, we present a 1.9 Å crystal structure of PsNagA bound to GlcNAc. The crystal structure reveals structural features related to substrate recognition and the catalytic mechanism of PsNagA. This is the first study on the structural and functional characterization of a GH3 β-N-acetyl-d-glucosaminidase from Paenibacillus sp.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Delirium in Elderly Patients With Severe Burns: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: van Yperen Daan T , Raats Jelle W , Dokter Jan , Ziere Gijsbertus , Roukema Gert R , van Baar Margriet E , van der Vlies Cornelis H
Published: September 2019

Little is known about delirium in elderly burn center patients. The aim of this study is to provide information on the prevalence of delirium and risk factors contributing to the onset of delirium. All patients aged 70 years or older admitted with burn injuries to the Burn Center, Maasstad Hospital, in 2011 to 2017 were eligible for inclusion. We retrospectively collected data regarding the presence of delirium, potential risk factors contributing to the onset of delirium and outcome after delirium. We included elderly 90 patients in this study. The prevalence of delirium in our population was 13% (N = 12). Risk factors for delirium were advanced age, increased American Society for Anesthesiologists score, physical impairment and the use of anticholinergic drugs during admission. Patients with delirium had a poorer outcome, with prolonged hospital stay and increased mortality 6 and 12 months after discharge. Delirium is diagnosed in 13% of the elderly patients admitted to our burn center. Risk factors for delirium found in this study are advanced age, poor physical health status, physical impairment, and the use of anticholinergic drugs. Delirium is related to poor outcomes, including prolonged hospital stay and mortality after discharge.
The Secrecy Effect: Secret Consumption Increases Women’s Product Evaluations and Choice
Authors: Rodas Maria A , John Deborah Roedder
Published: September 2019

Advertisers often depict their products being consumed in a social setting, but they also depict people secretly consuming their products. Will consumers like a product more if they are prompted to consume it in secret? We report eight studies, where women consumed and evaluated products such as cookies, chocolate, and apple chips. Women in secret consumption conditions were instructed to imagine eating the food in secret, instructed to hide the food from others while consuming it, or shown an advertisement encouraging eating the food in secret. These secret consumption prompts resulted in more positive product evaluations and increased product choice, compared to evaluations in non-secret conditions. We identify preoccupation and attitude polarization as the primary drivers for these outcomes. When women consume a product in secret, they become preoccupied with the product, as thoughts about the product continually pop into mind. Increased thinking leads to attitude polarization, where evaluations for products they like become even more positive. Finally, we also identify moderators of these secrecy effects.
The IT Revolution and Southern Europe’s Two Lost Decades
Authors: Schivardi Fabiano , Schmitz Tom
Published: September 2019

Since the middle of the 1990s, productivity growth in Southern Europe has been substantially lower than in other developed countries. We argue that this divergence was partly caused by inefficient management practices, which limited Southern Europe’s gains from the IT Revolution. To quantify this effect, we build a multi-country general equilibrium model with heterogeneous firms and workers. In our model, the IT Revolution generates divergence for three reasons. First, inefficient management limits Southern firms’ productivity gains from IT adoption. Second, IT increases the aggregate importance of management, making its inefficiencies more salient. Third, IT-driven wage increases in other countries stimulate Southern high-skill emigration. We calibrate our model using firm-level evidence, and show that it can account for 35% of Italy’s, 47% of Spain’s, and 81% of Portugal’s productivity divergence with respect to Germany between 1995 and 2008. Counterfactual policy experiments show that subsidies to IT adoption or education cannot reduce this gap: only policies that directly tackle inefficient management are effective.
Optimal adjuvant radiotherapy dose for stage I, II or III Merkel cell carcinoma: an analysis of the National Cancer Database
Authors: Yusuf Mehran , Gaskins Jeremy , Wall Weston , Tennant Paul , Bumpous Jeffrey , Dunlap Neal
Published: September 2019

Background

We performed an analysis of the National Cancer Database to determine optimal doses of conventionally-fractionated adjuvant radiotherapy for patients with stage I/II or III Merkel cell carcinoma.

Methods

The cohort included 2735 patients with resected Merkel cell carcinoma of the head and neck, trunk or extremities receiving radiotherapy. Exclusion criteria included doses of radiotherapy <30 or >80 Gy, or dose per fraction >200 or <180 cGy. Recursive partitioning analysis and spline models were used to select dose thresholds. Multivariable Cox regression was performed to validate thresholds with respect to overall survival.

Results

Recursive partitioning analysis models defined a threshold of 57 Gy for stage I/II Merkel cell carcinoma, above which 3-year overall survival rate was decreased (P < 0.0001). The 3-year overall survival rate for patients receiving 50.0–57.0 Gy (81.2%) was greater compared to doses of 30.0–49.9 Gy (75.3%) or >57.0 Gy (70%, P < 0.0001). Doses > 57.0 Gy were associated with an increased hazard of death (1.31, confidence interval 1.07–1.60) with respect to doses of 50.0–57.0 Gy. Doses < 50.0 Gy for stage III Merkel cell carcinoma were associated with worsened 3-year overall survival (P < 0.0001) and increased hazard of death (2.01, confidence interval 1.43–2.82) with respect to doses between 50.0 and 57.0 Gy.

Conclusions

Our results support doses of 50–57 Gy for most patients with stage I/II Merkel cell carcinoma receiving conventionally-fractionated adjuvant radiotherapy. In contrast to a prior National Cancer Database analysis, our results suggest doses ≥ 50 Gy should be strongly considered for patients with stage III Merkel cell carcinoma regardless of anatomic subsite.
Trajectories of Cognitive Function Prior to Cancer Diagnosis: A Population-Based Study
Authors: van der Willik Kimberly D , Hauptmann Michael , Jóźwiak Katarzyna , Vinke Elisabeth J , Ruiter Rikje , Stricker Bruno H , Compter Annette , Ikram M Arfan , Schagen Sanne B
Published: September 2019

Background

An emerging body of research suggests that noncentral nervous system cancer may negatively impact the brain apart from effects of cancer treatment. However, studies assessing cognitive function in newly diagnosed cancer patients cannot exclude selection bias and psychological effects of cancer diagnosis. To overcome these limitations, we investigated trajectories of cognitive function of patients before cancer diagnosis.

Methods

Between 1989 and 2013, a total of 2059 participants from the population-based Rotterdam Study were diagnosed with noncentral nervous system cancer. Cognitive assessments were performed every 3 to 5 years using a neuropsychological battery. The general cognitive factor was composed of individual cognitive tests to assess global cognition. Using linear mixed models, we compared change in cognitive function of cancer case patients before diagnosis with cognitive change of age-matched cancer-free control subjects (1:2). In addition, we performed sensitivity analyses by discarding assessments of control subjects 5 years before the end of follow-up to exclude effects from potential undiagnosed cancer. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results

The Word Learning Test immediate recall declined faster among case patients than among control subjects (−0.05, 95% confidence interval = −0.09 to −0.01 vs 0.01, 95% confidence interval = −0.01 to 0.03; P for difference = .003). However, this difference was not statistically significant in sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were observed in change of other individual cognitive tests and of the general cognitive factor.

Conclusions

In this study, we evaluated cognitive function in a large group of cancer patients prior to diagnosis, thereby excluding the psychological impact of cancer diagnosis and biased patient selection. In contrast to previous studies shortly after cancer diagnosis, we found no difference in change of cognitive function between cancer patients and control subjects.
The Doulas of the Priscilla Project: Understanding the Experience of Refugee Women Navigating the US Maternity-care System
Authors: Mendel Whitney E , Sperlich Mickey , Finucane Adair
Published: September 2019

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore pregnant refugee women’s experiences and perceived needs while navigating the US maternity-care system. Using grounded-theory principles, this community-based study was conducted with the doulas of Jericho Road Health Center’s Priscilla Project of Buffalo, which provides pregnant refugee women with culturally and/or linguistically matched doulas and peer mentors in Western New York. Data was sourced from two focus groups and five structured interviews with 13 of the Priscilla Project of Buffalo (PPB) doulas between February and May of 2017. Themes emerged from the data centred on cross-cultural comparisons that contextualize how pregnant refugee women engage with the US maternity-care system, the challenges women face in navigating this and other US systems, and the role of community supports in facilitating navigation. Findings highlight the need for culturally informed and responsive support of refugee women that carry beyond the scope of the delivery room and into the day-to-day navigation of the many systems that influence health and wellbeing.
A complicated abscess from a dropped gallstone
Authors: Murphy Serena , Hebert James , Leavitt Bruce
Published: September 2019

Laparoscopic cholecystectomies represent one of the most common procedures of General Surgery. Dropped gallstones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a rare occurrence but can potentially lead to morbid complications. We present a rare case of a broncho-pleuro-cutaneous fistula in a patient with recurrent abscess formations after an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The fistula formed over 3 years from a gallstone that eroded through the diaphragm, into the pleural space, and eventually into a terminal bronchiole. Bilirubin staining within the fistula tract was confirmed on hematoxylin and eosin staining.
Fingerprints and paternity testing: a study of genetics and probability in pre-DNA forensic science
Authors: Asen Daniel
Published: September 2019

This article is a study of forensic science researchers’ attempts to develop paternity tests based on fingerprint patterning, a physical trait that is partially inherited. Pursued in different times and places—ranging from Austria to Japan to China and from the early 20th century to the 1990s—the projects under study represent an ongoing dialogue, carried out through decades of international scientific exchange, about how to extract genetic information from fingerprints and present this data as scientifically-valid evidence in courts of law. Over time, those who engaged in this work increasingly experimented with methods for presenting fingerprint-based evidence of paternity in quantifiable and even probabilistic terms. Fingerprint-based paternity tests remained an obscure area of forensic practice and were eventually overshadowed by advances in serology and DNA profiling. This unfamiliar corner of forensic science, nonetheless, can provide additional perspective on the history of statistical expertise and probabilistic reasoning in modern forensic science, including the application of Bayesian approaches. The larger body of 20th-century ‘dermatoglyphics’ knowledge out of which these tests emerged also continues to influence the foundation of scientific knowledge on which latent print examination is based today.
“Each Unbearable Day”: Narrative Ruthlessness and Environmental and Reproductive Injustice in Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones
Authors: Bares Annie
Published: September 2019

Jesmyn Ward’s 2011 novel Salvage the Bones tells the story of Esch Batiste and her family in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. Ward represents Esch’s unexpected pregnancy and the environmental degradation of her rural Mississippi Gulf Coast home as linked by the slow, quotidian forms of violence and risk exposure that characterize Jasbir K. Puar’s formulation of debility. Through scenes of reproductive and environmental injustice, Salvage the Bones elucidates the processes through which racially inflected political-economic systems unevenly produce debility in certain populations and environments while capacitating others. When put in conversation with critical race theory, critical disability theory, and environmental criticism, Salvage the Bones emphasizes the logics that underpin debility rather than sensationalizing or pathologizing its consequences. In its refusal to revert to ableist, racist literary codes and conventions, the novel theorizes and practices “narrative ruthlessness,” Ward's description of her literary strategy to respond to debility’s representational conundrums of inevitability and invisibility. In so doing, narrative ruthlessness exceeds liberal humanist impulses to propose restoration, cure, or uplift as desirable solutions, insisting instead on kinship, care, redress, and salvage as possibilities for radical survival and futurity.