bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parasite exposure and host susceptibility jointly drive the emergence of epidemics
Authors: Stewart Merrill Tara E. , Hall Spencer R. , Cáceres Carla E.
Published: November 2020

Parasite transmission is thought to depend on both parasite exposure and host susceptibility to infection; however, the relative contribution of these two factors to epidemics remains unclear. We used interactions between an aquatic host and its fungal parasite to evaluate how parasite exposure and host susceptibility interact to drive epidemics. In six lakes, we tracked the following factors from pre‐epidemic to epidemic emergence: (1) parasite exposure (measured observationally as fungal spores attacking wild‐caught hosts), (2) host susceptibility (measured experimentally as the number of fungal spores required to produce terminal infection), (3) host susceptibility traits (barrier resistance and internal clearance, both quantified with experimental assays), and (4) parasite prevalence (measured observationally from wild‐caught hosts). Tracking these factors over 6 months and in almost 7,000 wild‐caught hosts provided key information on the drivers of epidemics. We found that epidemics depended critically on the interaction of exposure and susceptibility; epidemics only emerged when a host population’s level of exposure exceeded its individuals’ capacity for recovery. Additionally, we found that host internal clearance traits (the hemocyte response) were critical in regulating epidemics. Our study provides an empirical demonstration of how parasite exposure and host susceptibility interact to inhibit or drive disease in natural systems and demonstrates that epidemics can be delayed by asynchronicity in the two processes. Finally, our results highlight how individual host traits can scale up to influence broad epidemiological patterns.
Vector preference and heterogeneity in host sex ratio can affect pathogen spread in natural plant populations
Authors: Bruns Emily , Pierce Laura , Antonovics Janis , Hood Michael
Published: November 2020

Vector‐borne diseases threaten human and agricultural health and are a critical component of the ecology of plants and animals. While previous studies have shown that pathogen spread can be affected by vector preferences for host infection status, less attention has been paid to vector preference for host sex, despite abundant evidence of sex‐specific variation in disease burden. We investigated vector preference for host infection status and sex in the sterilizing “anther‐smut” pathogen (Microbotryum) of the alpine carnation, Dianthus pavonius. The pathogen is transferred among hosts by pollinators that visit infected flowers and become contaminated with spores produced by infected anthers. The host plant has a mixed breeding system with hermaphrodites and females. In experimental floral arrays, pollinators strongly preferred healthy hermaphrodites over both females and diseased plants, consistently across different guilds of pollinators and over multiple years. Using an agent‐based model, we showed that pollinator preferences for sex can affect pathogen spread in populations with variable sex ratios, even if there is no preference for infection status. Our results demonstrate that vector preferences for host traits other than infection status can play a critical role in pathogen transmission dynamics when there is heterogeneity for those traits in the host population.
Anchor‐yield exposed column bases for minimizing residual deformations in seismic‐resistant steel moment frames
Authors: Inamasu Hiroyuki , de Castro e Sousa Albano , Güell Gerard , Lignos Dimitrios G.
Published: November 2020

This paper explores the concept of dissipative exposed column base connections by means of anchor rod yielding. This concept aims at enhancing the seismic performance of low‐rise steel moment‐resisting frames (MRFs). A mechanics‐based model is proposed that explicitly simulates a broad range of damage mechanisms observed in exposed column bases. The model is implemented in a frame finite element analysis program, and its hysteretic performance is validated with experimental data available in literature. Incorporating this modeling feature in standard nonlinear response history analyses offers new insights in steel MRF responses. It is shown that when low‐rise steel MRFs adopt a dissipative anchor‐yield column base concept, they are less likely to experience residual story drift ratios during low probability of occurrence seismic events. It is also found that low‐rise steel MRFs designed with nondissipative exposed column base connections are more prone to demolition than dissipative ones, due to their higher column residual axial shortening, particularly when ground motion duration is an important feature of the seismic hazard. Limitations of the present work are also discussed.
The moving discontinuous Galerkin finite element method with interface condition enforcement for compressible viscous flows
Authors: Kercher Andrew D. , Corrigan Andrew , Kessler David A.
Published: November 2020

The moving discontinuous Galerkin finite element method with interface condition enforcement is applied to the case of viscous flows. This method uses a weak formulation that separately enforces the conservation law, constitutive law, and the corresponding interface conditions in order to provide the means to detect interfaces or underresolved flow features. To satisfy the resulting overdetermined weak formulation, the discrete domain geometry is introduced as a variable, so that the method implicitly fits a priori unknown interfaces and moves the grid to resolve sharp, but smooth, gradients, achieving a form of anisotropic curvilinear r‐adaptivity. This approach avoids introducing low‐order errors that arise using shock capturing, artificial dissipation, or limiting. The utility of this approach is demonstrated with its application to a series of test problems culminating with the compressible Navier–Stokes solution to a Mach 5 viscous bow shock for a Reynolds number of 105 in two‐dimensional space. Time accurate solutions of unsteady problems are obtained via a space‐time formulation, in which the unsteady problem is formulated as a higher dimensional steady space‐time problem. The method is shown to accurately resolve and transport viscous structures without relying on numerical dissipation for stabilization.
Estimating freshness of ice storage rainbow trout using bioelectrical impedance analysis
Authors: Fan Xinru , Lin Xiaoyu , Wu Chunhua , Zhang Nana , Cheng Qiaofen , Qi Hang , Konno Kunihiko , Dong Xiuping
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the freshness of ice stored rainbow trout by bioelectrical impedance measurements. Rigor mortis, ATP‐related components, K‐value, and hardness of rainbow trout muscle during storage were monitored along with impedance. The results showed that the progress of rigor mortis was accompanied by an increase in impedance. Impedance kept decreasing even in rigor state, and during the gradual resolution of rigor mortis with impedance change upon storage of fish was biphasic (r = −0.944, p < .01). Thus, when impedance decreased close to the lowest value, K‐value was only about 61.57 ± 0.52%, but still exhibited a high pertinence (r = −0.959, p < .01). A gradual decrease of the hardness of fish muscle upon storage of fish showed a close correlation (r = 0.981, p < .01) with impedance decrease. These results suggested that the impedance measurement has a great potential for predicting the freshness of the rainbow trout during ice storage.
A weak post‐acidification Lactobacillus helveticus UV mutant with improved textural properties
Authors: Guan Chengran , Chen Xuan , Zhao Ruifeng , Yuan Yuan , Huang Xinyuan , Su Jianbo , Ding Xiangli , Chen Xia , Huang Yujun , Gu Ruixia
Published: November 2020

To derive a mutant of L. helveticus SH2‐1 with the capacity of weak postacidification and high texturing, first, taking L. delbrueckii frs4‐1 and S. thermophilus grx02 as the controls, H+‐ATPase activity was demonstrated to be highly related to the postacidification of L. helveticus SH2‐1. Then, by detecting H+‐ATPase activity, the weak postacidify mutant of L. helveticus SH2‐1 (renamed as L. helveticus sh2‐5–66) was selected from 80 UV mutants. The pH and acidity of the milk fermented with L. helveticus sh2‐5–66 were separately 0.57 pH units higher and 57.1 °T lower than that of L. helveticus SH2‐1. The acidification of L. helveticus sh2‐5–66 was further demonstrated to be genetically stable during 100 generations cultivation. Moreover, the milk fermented with L. helveticus sh2‐5–66 showed improvement in textural and rheological properties and flavor during storage which could be further improved by coculture with the commercial starter S. thermophilus st447.
Questioning the role of amygdala and insula in an attentional capture by emotional stimuli task
Authors: Marxen Michael , Jacob Mark J. , Hellrung Lydia , Riedel Philipp , Smolka Michael N.
Published: November 2020

Our senses are constantly monitoring the environment for emotionally salient stimuli that are potentially relevant for survival. Because of our limited cognitive resources, emotionally salient distractors prolong reaction times (RTs) as compared to neutral distractors. In addition, many studies have reported fMRI blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) activation of both the amygdala and the anterior insula for similar valence contrasts. However, a direct correlation of trail‐by‐trial BOLD activity with RTs has not been shown, yet, which would be a crucial piece of evidence to relate the two observations. To investigate the role of the above two regions in the context of emotional distractor effects, we study here the correlation between BOLD activity and RTs for a simple attentional capture by emotional stimuli (ACES) choice reaction time task using a general linear subject‐level model with a parametric RT regressor. We found significant regression coefficients in the anterior insula, supplementary motor cortex, medial precentral regions, sensory‐motor areas and others, but not in the amygdala, despite activation of both insula and amygdala in the traditional valence contrast across trials (i.e., negative vs. neutral pictures). In addition, we found that subjects that exhibit a stronger RT distractor effect across trials also show a stronger BOLD valence contrast in the right anterior insula but not in the amygdala. Our results indicate that the current neuroimaging‐based evidence for the involvement of the amygdala in RT slowing is limited. We advocate that models of emotional capture should incorporate both the amygdala and the anterior insula as separate entities.
Examining the relationship between unconventional monetary policy and exchange rate movements: Empirical evidence from United States quantitative easing
Authors: Masoud Serag , Bein Murad A. , Khalifa Wagdi
Published: November 2020

This study employs Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasctic (ARCH) models to examine the impact of the unconventional monetary policies implemented in the United States upon the exchange rate movement and volatility in the emerging and growth‐leading economies (EAGLEs), which include Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines and Turkey. Two series of exchange rates, namely average exchange rate (AER) and end‐of‐period exchange rate (EER), are used with different sets of sample, EER covers 1990:01 to 2018:04 and AER spans over 1980:01 to 2018:04 period. The variance series of the ARCH model is used to measure the volatility of AER and EER. The best ARIMA model is estimated for AER and EER for each country, and the ARIMA model serves as the mean equation for the ARCH volatility measure. Unlike the previous studies, this paper focuses on the EAGLEs, employs exchange rate, and considers various ARCH alternatives in choosing the best model. The findings of the study reveal that India is the only country among the EAGLEs whose exchange rate movement is affected by the U.S. unconventional monetary policy. Another important point is the negative effect of QE policies on the volatility of both AER and EER across the EAGLEs countries. The implication is that QE policies tend to reduce the uncertainty in the foreign exchange of the EAGLEs countries. Hence the policy makers in the EAGLEs countries do not need to take any action whenever the United States pursues unconventional monetary policy.
Sport training action correction by using convolutional neural network
Authors: Shi Dan , Jiang Xin
Published: November 2020

This paper proposes a framework for correcting the actions during sport training. We estimate the positions of bone joint points and the postures by using a convolutional neural network. The positions of bone joint points and the postures are the premise to correct the actions during sport training. In convolutional neural network, it first predicts the positions of bone joint points via confidential map of different parts; then utilizes affinity domain, which is a 2‐dimensional vector set, to predict the directions and positions of four limbs; lastly repeats the above steps and analyzes the bone joint points via greedy analytical reasoning algorithm to construct the human skeleton. The personal action is represented as the constructed skeleton which is used to correct the incorrect or non‐standard actions during sports. The experimental results evaluate the effective of the proposed sport training action correction method.
Community and school violence as significant risk factors for school climate and bonding of teachers in Chile: A national hierarchical multilevel analysis
Authors: Varela Jorge J. , Melipillán Roberto , González Constanza , Letelier Pablo , Massis María Camila , Wash Nicole
Published: November 2020

Community and school violence involve aggressive behaviors among youth and adults. Researchers have focused mostly on aggression among students without considering teachers as victims of violence. The study's purpose was to examine the consequences of community violence, school violence, and school climate on the levels of teacher's bonding to the school. We examined data of 5733 teachers from 510 schools in 68 different communities in Chile. We used Hierarchical Linear Modeling to examine the relationship between the individual, school, and community‐level variables. We found direct associations with school bonding at the individual level for victim school violence, school climate, size and type of school, and violence in the community at the community level. Our results highlight the importance of school violence prevention from a comprehensive perspective, starting at the community level, followed by the school to provide more teacher's support.
Organizational empowerment: A framework examining historical and systemic domains in school settings
Authors: Gooden Adia , Keys Christopher B. , Back Lindsey , McMahon Susan D. , Morgan Michele
Published: November 2020

Organizational empowerment (OE) is a key construct in community psychology. We build on current understandings of OE by exploring history and systemic relationships as important aspects of OE. We conducted interviews with 20 school leaders from 16 schools that went through a district‐wide transition of students with disabilities into general education schools and asked these leaders about their preparation and service provision during this transition. We utilized a grounded theory approach to analyze the data, and two domains of OE emerged: historical and systemic, each with multiple dimensions. The historical domain refers to schools' functioning before the transition, and the systemic domain reflects interactions between schools and the School District Office for Students with Disabilities during the transition. We provide a nuanced understanding of these domains of organizational empowerment and their interaction, as well as implications for empowerment theory and practice.
Temperature‐induced mutagenesis‐based adaptive evolution of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for improving the production efficiency of menaquinone‐7 from starch
Authors: Liu Ning , Ruan Haozhe , Liu Liming , Zhang Weiguo , Xu Jianzhong
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND

Starch can be used as a carbon source for producing menaquinone‐7 (MK‐7) by Bacillus sp., but the final titer and productivity are unsatisfactory because starch cannot be effectively hydrolyzed to fermentable sugars. This article focuses on developing thermo‐tolerable MK‐7 high‐producing strains by temperature‐induced mutagenesis‐based adaptive evolution.

RESULTS

Here, we isolated a thermo‐tolerable MK‐7 high‐producing strain B. amyloliquefaciens MK50‐36 after multi‐rounds of acclimation at high temperature. Strain MK50‐36 showed a large growth with soluble starch as carbon source at 50 °C. Compared with the parental strain B. amyloliquefaciens H.β.D.R.‐5 cultivated at 37 °C, MK‐7 yield of strain MK50‐36 increased about twofold at 50 °C when soluble starch was used as the sole carbon resource (17.5 ± 1.5 mg L–1 versus 37.1 ± 2.1 mg L–1). In addition, strain MK50‐36 showed an improvement in starch utilization rate as compared with strain H.β.D.R.‐5 because α‐amylase activity of strain MK50‐36 was the highest at 50 °C. Moreover, MK‐7 yield of strain MK50‐36 was further increased by feeding fresh broth to control the amount of fermentation liquid in fed‐batch fermentation because fermentation broth will be easy to volatilize and thus affect the production of MK‐7 at high temperature, which reached up to 52.7 ± 4.6 mg L–1.

CONCLUSION

These results indicated that soluble starch can act as an effective carbon source for producing MK‐7, and strain MK50‐36 has a superior capacity to produce MK‐7 from soluble starch. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
The role of orotic acid measurement in routine newborn screening for urea cycle disorders
Authors: Staretz‐Chacham Orna , Daas Suha , Ulanovsky Igor , Blau Ayala , Rostami Nira , Saraf‐Levy Talya , Abu Salah Nasser , Anikster Yair , Banne Ehud , Dar Dalit , Dumin Elena , Fattal‐Valevski Aviva , Falik‐Zaccai Tzipora , Hershkovitz Eli , Josefsberg Sagi , Khammash Hatem , Keidar Rimona , Korman Stanley H. , Landau Yuval , Lerman‐Sagie Tally , Mandel Dror , Mandel Hanna , Marom Ronella , Morag Iris , Nadir Erez , Yosha‐Orpaz Naama , Pode‐Shakked Ben , Pras Elon , Reznik‐Wolf Haike , Saada Ann , Segel Reeval , Shaag Avraham , Shaul Lotan Nava , Spiegel Ronen , Tal Galit , Vaisid Taly , Zeharia Avi , Almashanu Shlomo
Published: November 2020

Urea cycle disorders (UCDs), including OTC deficiency (OTCD), are life‐threatening diseases with a broad clinical spectrum. Early diagnosis and initiation of treatment based on a newborn screening (NBS) test for OTCD with high specificity and sensitivity may contribute to reduction of the significant complications and high mortality. The efficacy of incorporating orotic acid determination into routine NBS was evaluated. Combined measurement of orotic acid and citrulline in archived dried blood spots from newborns with urea cycle disorders and normal controls was used to develop an algorithm for routine NBS for OTCD in Israel. Clinical information and genetic confirmation results were obtained from the follow‐up care providers. About 1147986 newborns underwent routine NBS including orotic acid determination, 25 of whom were ultimately diagnosed with a UCD. Of 11 newborns with OTCD, orotate was elevated in seven but normal in two males with early‐onset and two males with late‐onset disease. Orotate was also elevated in archived dried blood spots of all seven retrospectively tested historical OTCD patients, only three of whom had originally been identified by NBS with low citrulline and elevated glutamine. Among the other UCDs emerge, three CPS1D cases and additional three retrospective CPS1D cases otherwise reported as a very rare condition. Combined levels of orotic acid and citrulline in routine NBS can enhance the detection of UCD, especially increasing the screening sensitivity for OTCD and differentiate it from CPS1D. Our data and the negligible extra cost for orotic acid determination might contribute to the discussion on screening for proximal UCDs in routine NBS.
Intracranial recordings reveal ubiquitous in‐phase and in‐antiphase functional connectivity between homotopic brain regions in humans
Authors: O’Reilly Christian , Elsabbagh Mayada
Published: November 2020

Whether neuronal populations exhibit zero‐lag (in‐phase or in‐antiphase) functional connectivity is a fundamental question when conceptualizing communication between cell assemblies. It also has profound implications on how we assess such interactions. Given that the brain is a delayed network due to the finite conduction velocity of the electrical impulses traveling across its fibers, the existence of long‐distance zero‐lag functional connectivity may be considered improbable. However, in this study, using human intracranial recordings we demonstrate that most interhemispheric connectivity between homotopic cerebral regions is zero‐lagged and that this type of connectivity is ubiquitous. Volume conduction can be safely discarded as a confounding factor since it is known to drop almost completely within short interelectrode distances (<20 mm) in intracranial recordings. This finding should guide future electrophysiological connectivity studies and highlight the importance of considering the role of zero‐lag connectivity in our understanding of communication between cell assemblies.
Assessing why the increased capitalist global trading environment is under pressure: What are the prospects for more stability returning in the near future?
Authors: Floyd David
Published: November 2020

The global business environment has been hit by multiple shocks in a short space of time, leading to an increased risk of protectionism. More rather than less global cooperation is needed.
Ethical marketer and sustainability: Facing the challenges of overconsumption and the market
Authors: Ardley Barry , May Claire
Published: November 2020

Based on environmentally informed marketing strategies, Anthony Giddens' theory of structuration is used to develop new business models that address the twin problems of contemporary capitalism, namely consumer overconsumption and sustainability. Central to the effective implementation of new business models is the individual ethical marketer who acts as an interface between the market, the consumer, and the practices of organizations. Sustainable marketing has to be implemented through the actions of individual marketers, customers, and the institutional system, to avoid what has been heralded as planet Earth's sixth extinction. Giddens theory is used in a practical way to guide the development of a new three‐element marketing policy framework.
Public–private merger integration as a dynamic process of legitimation
Authors: Thelisson Anne‐Sophie , Meier Olivier
Published: November 2020

Legitimation during post‐merger integration is a challenging nonlinear process influenced by the key public, private, and hybrid dynamics. In contrast to the planned characterization of merger integration, legitimation is a nonlinear process. Legitimacy is crucial to organizational change, especially in the context of a merger; managers need to understand the oscillating dynamics from public and private logics during the integration period. The legitimation process during a merger comprises three key processes: public, private, and hybrid. These are tools for managers involved in a public–private integration.
World of male and female entrepreneurs: Findings from a global study
Authors: Sharma Shilpi , Sahni Sanjeev P.
Published: November 2020

An individual's gender may influence their behavioral preferences as males exhibited a significantly higher risk taking, openness to change, autonomy, and achievement tendencies. Interestingly, older females seemed to possess lower risk taking, creativity, and autonomy than the younger cohort of women entrepreneurs, while age had no influence on personality attributes of male respondents. An entrepreneur's personality preferences were uninfluenced by whether an established business is earning revenue or designed as a profit or nonprofit venture.
Capitalism leading to unhealthy food consumption
Authors: Hasan Rajibul , YU Zhirun
Published: November 2020

How fast‐food and beverage companies, which are driven by capitalism, adopt the ethical product, price, promotion, and place strategies to influence consumers' perceived value and purchase intentions. Results from hypotheses testing show the ethical aspects of fast food and beverage companies' marketing strategies highly influence consumers' perceived value of products and further prove perceived value positively influences consumers' purchase intentions. These findings will educate fast food and carbonated beverage companies on the ethical problems of marketing unhealthy foods. Our results also lead to fast food and carbonated beverage companies to reconsider their marketing strategies for the improvement of this serious situation that can be tied to capitalism.
Networking and strategic planning to enhance small and medium‐sized enterprises growth in a less competitive economy
Authors: Clifton Nick , Huggins Robert , Pickernell David , Prokop Daniel , Smith David , Thompson Piers
Published: November 2020

Competition and day‐to‐day firefighting prevents small businesses from undertaking the most effective types of strategic planning and networking for growth and innovation. Poor or inappropriate execution of these activities highlights the need for targeted managerial training. Potential explanations for the weak growth of many SMEs focus on the limited use of strategic planning and networking activities. Data from a management survey of SMEs in South East Wales shows that where these activities are undertaken the type of networking and information sought from it is often not that most associated with innovation and growth. Therefore, it may not be their absence per se, but the poor or inappropriate execution of these activities that is the key problem. This deficiency highlights the need for targeted managerial training in these areas.
Study on the dynamic response of dip bedded rock slope using discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) and shaking table tests
Authors: Feng Xixia , Jiang Qinghui , Zhang Huichao , Zhang Xiaobo
Published: November 2020

Stability prediction for bedded rock slopes under seismic loading is very important for landslide hazard assessment. To clarify the dynamic behaviors and damage mechanism of dip bedded slope, shaking table tests and its prototype simulation analyses were performed. Shaking table tests were conducted to analysis the acceleration dynamic response firstly and then the discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) method was used to reproduce the test results, and study the influence of vertical earthquake on the dynamic response of dip bedded rock slope. Both the two methods results reveal that the amplification coefficients increase with increasing acceleration amplitude under sinusoidal waves shaking condition, and show an increased trend with the relation height. With Wenchaun waves loading, the discontinuous characteristics between the test model and numerical model are consistent, the dynamic responses of the slope tops are strong, and it is easy to be destroyed. Compare the failure mechanism of the slope between shaking table test and numerical method, the damage areas both the numerical model and test model are the nearly identical, and the failure modes of two models are mainly the cracking sliding failure. Moreover, with horizontal and vertical earthquake loading, the acceleration response on the numerical slope top is strong, and the maximum peak acceleration amplification factors are at the leading and rear edges of the slope top. In overall, the dynamic response of the slope surface is more significant than that inside the slope. However, with an increase of amplitude, acceleration responses are different with different directional loading, the acceleration response with horizontal loading is stronger than with vertical loading.
“In the back of my mind, time always ticks one hour forward”: The transnational temporalities of Moldovan domestic workers in Italy
Authors: Cojocaru Olga
Published: November 2020

This article analyses the temporalities of transnational living through a threefold frame: as an outlook, as a resource and as a qualitative experience. Drawing on data from interviews with Moldovan women who are domestic workers in Italy, I point to the time work employed by these labour migrants to navigate a multitude of timescapes derived from a (permanently) temporary status, precarious resources and the emotional ambivalence that arises from being away from their families. I show how migrants' envisioned temporariness of transnational living materialises into a time‐bound outlook, which, in turn, compels them to manage time as a scarce resource, that has to be managed, planned and worked with. Lastly, I indicate that maintaining a temporary outlook correlates with a halting strategy and may have significant effects on personal and family well‐being.
Atezolizumab‐induced fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus occurring four months after treatment cessation
Authors: Nishioki Toshihiko , Kato Motoyasu , Kataoka Shunichi , Miura Keita , Nagaoka Tetsutaro , Takahashi Kazuhisa
Published: November 2020

Atezolizumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) that is often associated with the development of several immune‐related adverse events, including fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus (F1DM). Here, we present the case of a 73‐year‐old woman who was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgical lung lobectomy. Two years later, she developed pulmonary metastasis, and atezolizumab treatment was initiated after seven years. However, she only completed two cycles of atezolizumab treatment because of disease progression. Four months after the interruption of atezolizumab treatment, she presented to the emergency department with fatigue and vomiting. On admission, she had a serum glucose level of 962 mg/dL, metabolic acidosis, and elevated ketone body levels. She was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis induced by atezolizumab treatment. Her symptoms improved by insulin therapy. When ICIs are administered, care should be taken regarding the development of F1DM.
Effect of Simulated Annealing Conditions on Scale Formation and Neutral Electrolytic Pickling
Authors: Airaksinen Susanna , Tuovinen Teemu , Laukka Aleksi , Vuolio Tero , Heikkinen Eetu‐Pekka , Riekki Elina , Manninen Timo , Fabritius Timo
Published: November 2020

Scale formation of AISI 304 stainless steel during annealing at temperatures between 1100 and 1200 °C under a water vapor‐containing atmosphere is studied. Characterization of the oxide scale is performed with field‐emission scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM–EDS) and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) and removal of oxide scale is done via neutral electrolyte pickling. The pickling conditions are kept constant and the effect of the annealing conditions and scale properties on the pickling result are examined. The effectiveness of pickling is evaluated using analysis FESEM images taken on polished sections of pickled surfaces. Research shows that the thickness, morphology, and composition of the oxide scale are dependent on annealing temperature and time. The thicknesses of the scale formed under the established conditions vary from 0.2 to over 30 μm, and morphologies between the chromium rich oxide layer and layered scale structure formed by breakaway oxidation. The pickling response of oxide scales remains good at all annealing temperatures with the shortest exposure time.
Bletilla striata Polysaccharides Improve Hemostatic, Antiinflammatory Efficacy, and Platelet Aggregation in Gingivitis Rat Model
Authors: Guo Qing , Li Bailei , Bao Chunling , Li Yixia , Cao Yuling , Wang Chunxiao , Wu Wenhui
Published: November 2020

In this study, the bioactivity of the Bletilla striata polysaccharides (BSPS) on platelet aggregation and anti‐inflammation is investigated. For this purpose, a physiological system in vitro is established to evaluate the hemostatic effect of BSPS by measuring the platelet aggregation (PAG) rate, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and thromboxane B2 (TXB2). A quantifiable inflammatory model of human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) is established by inducing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to evaluate the anti‐inflammatory effect of BSPS. An experimental gingivitis rat model in vivo is set up to further verify hemostatic and anti‐inflammatory efficacy of BSPS, which is comprehensively evaluated through the following five techniques: X‐ray morphological observation, hematoxylin‐eosin (HE) staining analysis, probe index (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing) diagnostic evaluation, immunoglobulin (IgA, IgM, IgG), and cytokines. Interestingly, the changes of cytokines in vivo are in accordance with those in vitro. The positive effects of BSPS in hemostasis and anti‐inflammation are also confirmed by X‐ray observation and HE staining. The above results demonstrate that BSPS promotes platelet aggregation with an anti‐inflammatory effect, which suggests that the BSPS may be beneficial in the treatment of hemostasis and inflammatory diseases.
Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances thermal destruction at water resource recovery facilities: A state of the science review
Authors: Winchell Lloyd J. , Ross John J. , Wells Martha J. M. , Fonoll Xavier , Norton John W. , Bell Katherine Y.
Published: November 2020

Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a recalcitrant group of chemicals and can be found throughout the environment. They often collect in wastewater systems with virtually no degradation prior to environmental discharge. Some PFAS partitions to solids captured in wastewater treatment which require further processing. Of all the commonly applied solids treatment technologies, incineration offers the only possibility to completely destroy PFAS. Little is known about the fate of PFAS through incineration, in particular, for the systems employed in water resource recovery facilities (WRRF). This review covers available research on the fate of PFAS through incineration systems with a focus on sewage sludge incinerators. This research indicates that at least some PFAS destruction will occur with incineration approaches used at WRRFs. Furthermore, PFAS in flue gas, ash, or water streams used for incinerator pollution control may be undetectable. Future research involving full‐scale fate studies will provide insight on the efficacy of PFAS destruction through incineration and whether other compounds of concern are generated.

Practitioner points

Thermal processing is the only commercial approach available to destroy PFAS.

Thermal degradation conditions required for destruction of PFAS during incineration processes are discussed.

Fate of PFAS through water resource recovery facility incineration technologies remains unclear.

Other thermal technologies such as smoldering combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal liquefaction provide promise but are in developmental phases.
Genotype–Phenotype Associations in 72 Adults with Suspected ALPL-Associated Hypophosphatasia
Authors: Jandl Nico Maximilian , Schmidt Tobias , Rolvien Tim , Stürznickel Julian , Chrysostomou Konstantin , von Vopelius Emil , Volk Alexander E. , Schinke Thorsten , Kubisch Christian , Amling Michael , Barvencik Florian
Published: November 2020

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare inborn error of metabolism due to a decreased activity of tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). As the onset and severity of HPP are heterogenous, it can be challenging to determine the pathogenicity of detected rare ALPL variants in symptomatic patients. We aimed to characterize patients with rare ALPL variants to propose which patients can be diagnosed with adult HPP. We included 72 patients with (1) clinical symptoms of adult HPP or positive family history and (2) low TNSALP activity and/or high pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) levels, who underwent ALPL gene sequencing. The patients were analyzed and divided into three groups depending on ALPL variant pathogenicity according to the classification of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Reported pathogenic (n = 34 patients), rare (n = 17) and common (n = 21) ALPL variants only were found. Muscular complaints were the most frequent symptoms (> 80%), followed by bone affection (> 50%). Tooth involvement was significantly more common in patients with pathogenic or rare ALPL variants. Seven rare variants could be classified as likely pathogenic (ACMG class 4) of which five have not yet been described. Inconclusive genetic findings and less specific symptoms make diagnosis difficult in cases where adult HPP is not obvious. As not every pathogenic or rare ALPL variant leads to a manifestation of HPP, only patients with bone complications and at least one additional complication concerning teeth, muscle, central nervous and mental system, repeated low TNSALP activity and high PLP levels should be diagnosed as adult HPP if rare ALPL gene variants of ACMG class 4 or higher support the diagnosis.
Relationships Between Level and Change in Sarcopenia and Other Body Composition Components and Adverse Health Outcomes: Findings from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study
Authors: Westbury Leo D. , Syddall Holly E. , Fuggle Nicholas R. , Dennison Elaine M. , Harvey Nicholas C. , Cauley Jane A. , Shiroma Eric J. , Fielding Roger A. , Newman Anne B. , Cooper Cyrus
Published: November 2020

We investigated how baseline values and rates of decline in components of sarcopenia and other body composition parameters relate to adverse clinical outcomes using the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. 2689 participants aged 70–79 years were studied. Appendicular lean mass, whole body fat mass, and total hip BMD were ascertained using DXA; muscle strength by grip dynamometry; and muscle function by gait speed. Baseline values and 2–3 year conditional changes (independent of baseline) in each characteristic were examined as predictors of mortality, hospital admission, low trauma fracture, and recurrent falls in the subsequent 10–14 years using Cox regression (generalized estimating equations used for recurrent falls) with adjustment for sex, ethnicity, age, and potential confounders. Lower levels and greater declines in all parameters (excluding hip BMD level) were associated (p < 0.05) with increased rates of mortality; fully-adjusted hazard ratios per SD lower gait speed and grip strength were 1.27 (95% CI 1.19, 1.36) and 1.14 (1.07, 1.21), respectively. Risk factors of hospital admission included lower levels and greater declines in gait speed and grip strength, and greater declines in hip BMD. Lower levels and greater declines in fat mass and hip BMD were associated with low trauma fracture. Lower gait speed, higher fat mass, and both lower levels and greater declines in grip strength were related to recurrent falls. Lower baseline levels and greater declines in musculoskeletal parameters were related to adverse outcomes. Interventions to maximize peak levels in earlier life and reduce rates of age-related decline may reduce the burden of disease in this age group.
Comprehensive Complication Index or Clavien–Dindo Classification: Which is Better for Evaluating the Severity of Postoperative Complications Following Pancreatectomy?
Authors: Kim Sung Hyun , Hwang Ho Kyoung , Lee Woo Jung , Kang Chang Moo
Published: November 2020

Background

Complications are important indicators of immediate postoperative outcomes. The Clavien–Dindo classification (CDC) is a widely used index for the classification of surgical complications. More recently, the comprehensive complication index (CCI) has also been introduced for classifying postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to compare the relationship of CCI and CDC with clinical or economic parameters.

Methods

The study prospectively enrolled patients from April 2015 to October 2016. Two hundred and twenty‐two patients underwent pancreatectomy during the enrolled period. Complications were ranked according to CDC and CCI indices. After analyzing the correlation between CCI and CDC, the correlations of length of stay (LOS) and cost with CCI and CDC were compared. Finally, differences between the correlation coefficients of CDC and CCI parameters were calculated.

Results

Complications occurred in 211 patients (95.0%). The correlation between CDC and CCI was r = 0.938. (p < 0.001) Compared to the CDC, CCI showed significantly stronger correlations with LOS and cost of complications (LOS: CCI vs. CDC, r = 0.725 vs. r = 0.630, p < 0.001; cost: CCI vs. CDC, r = 0.774 vs. r = 0.723, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

CCI is a more accurate classification index, compared to CDC, for evaluating the risk of postoperative complications.
Bi‐national Review of Phaeochromocytoma Care: Is ICU Admission Always Necessary?
Authors: Papachristos Alexander J. , Cherry Tiffany J. , Nyandoro Munyaradzi G. , Lisewski Dean , Stevenson Sarah‐Jayne , Mercer Philippa , Subramaniam Suren , Sidhu Stan B. , Sywak Mark S. , Blefari Nicholas D. A. , O'Neill Christine J. , Gundara Justin S. , Miller Julie A.
Published: November 2020

Background

Post‐operative management after phaeochromocytoma resection includes monitoring of blood pressure and blood sugar, and vigilance for haemorrhage. Guidelines recommend 24 h of continuous blood pressure monitoring, usually necessitating HDU/ICU admission. We hypothesised that most patients undergoing phaeochromocytoma resection do not require post‐operative HDU/ICU admission. We aim to describe current Australian and New Zealand perioperative management of phaeochromocytoma and determine whether it is safe to omit HDU/ICU care for most patients.

Methods

We collected retrospective data on patients undergoing excision of phaeochromocytoma in 12 centres around Australia and New Zealand between 2007 and 2019. Data collected included preoperative medical management, anaesthetic management, vasopressor support, HDU/ICU admission and complications.

Results

A total of 223 patients were included in the study, 173 (77%) of whom were admitted to HDU/ICU post‐operatively. The group of patients treated in ICU was similar to the group of patients treated on the ward in terms of demographic and tumour characteristics, and there were significant differences in the proportion of patients admitted to HDU/ICU between centres. Of patients admitted to ICU, 71 (41%) received vasopressor support. This was weaned within 24 h in 55 (77%) patients. Patients with larger tumours (> 6 cm) and a transfusion requirement are more likely to require prolonged inotropic support. Among patients admitted to the ward, there were no complications that required escalation of care.

Conclusions

Although not widespread practice in Australia and New Zealand, it appears safe for the majority of patients undergoing minimally invasive resection of phaeochromocytoma to be admitted to the ward post‐operatively.
Dung in the dumps: what we can learn from multi-proxy studies of archaeological dung pellets
Authors: Fuks Daniel , Dunseth Zachary C.
Published: November 2020

A key question in archaeobotany concerns the role of herbivore dung in contributing plant remains to archaeobotanical assemblages. This issue has been discussed for at least 40 years and has motivated several archaeobotanical studies on identifying dung-derived deposition of plant remains. Meanwhile, microarchaeological methods have developed and continue to be developed for detecting dung in archaeological sediments, and multi-proxy methodologies are being used to study the botanical components of dung-associated sediments. Combining these approaches, the authors recently led a study incorporating different botanical proxies (seeds, pollen, phytoliths) with geoarchaeological sedimentary analysis to compare dung pellets and associated sediments. This approach presents a new way to gauge the contribution of dung-derived plant remains in archaeobotanical assemblages, which is further explored in this follow-up paper. The present paper further highlights how multi-proxy archaeobotanical investigation of individual dung pellets can provide information on seasonality, grazing range and herding practices. Their short production and deposition time make herbivore dung pellets time capsules of agropastoral activity, a useful spatio-temporal unit of analysis, and even a type of archaeological context in their own right. Adding different biomolecular and chemical methods to future multi-proxy archaeobotanical investigation of herbivore dung will produce invaluable high-resolution reconstructions of dung microbiomes. Ultimately, unpacking the contents of ancient dung pellets will inform on the species, physical characteristics, diet, niche, and disease agents of the ancient pellets’ producers. Expanded datasets of such dung-derived information will contribute significantly to the study of ecosystem transformation as well as the long-term development of agriculture and pastoralism.
The transition in the etiologies of hepatocellular carcinoma-complicated liver cirrhosis in a nationwide survey of Japan
Authors:   Japan Etiology of Liver Cirrhosis Study Group in the 54th Annual Meeting of JSH, Enomoto Hirayuki , Ueno Yoshiyuki , Hiasa Yoichi , Nishikawa Hiroki , Hige Shuhei , Takikawa Yasuhiro , Taniai Makiko , Ishikawa Toru , Yasui Kohichiroh , Takaki Akinobu , Takaguchi Koichi , Ido Akio , Kurosaki Masayuki , Kanto Tatsuya , Nishiguchi Shuhei
Published: November 2020

Background

We recently reported the real-world changes in the etiologies of liver cirrhosis (LC) based on nationwide survey data and assessed the etiologies of LC with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Fifty-five participants from 68 institutions provided data on 23,637 patients with HCC-complicated LC. The changing trends in etiologies were assessed. We further analyzed the data from 29 hospitals that provided the annual number of newly identified HCC-complicated LC patients from 2008 to 2016 (N = 9362) without any missing years and assessed the transition in the real number of newly identified HCC-complicated LC cases.

Results

In the overall cohort, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (60.3%) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (12.9%) were the leading and third-most common causes of HCC-complicated LC in Japan, respectively. HCV infection was found to be the leading cause throughout Japan. The rate of viral hepatitis-related HCC decreased from 85.3 to 64.4%. Among non-viral etiologies, notable increases were observed in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related HCC (from 1.5 to 7.2%) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD)-related HCC (from 8.5 to 18.6%). Regarding the real number of newly diagnosed patients, the number of patients with viral hepatitis-related HCC decreased, while the number of patients with non-viral HCC, particularly NASH-related HCC, increased.

Conclusions

Viral hepatitis has remained the main cause of HCC in Japan. However, the decrease in viral hepatitis-related HCC, particularly HCV-related HCC highly contributed to the etiological changes. In addition, the increased incidence of non-viral HCC, particularly NASH-related HCC, was involved in the changing etiologies of HCC-complicated LC in Japan.