bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of conservation application in dryland maize farming in Central Java Province, Indonesia under climate change
Authors: Barokah U , Rahayu W , Fajarningsih R U
Published: January 2020

Climate change affects soil degradation, water, and crop. Thus, the adaptation of land management and crop rotation to minimize the impact of climate change is needed. Maize is an important commodity in Indonesia. Central Java province contributes to national production amounted to 40.07% during 2003-2015. In order to increase maize production, dryland farming becomes a good alternative. However, dryland is sensitive to erosion and a lack of nutrients. Thus, an adaptation of climate change can made by applying the conservation of both mechanic and vegetative. This study aims to evaluate the implementation and recommend alternative conservation improvement efforts on farming dryland maize in Central Java. The study was conducted in Central Java by using 270 respondents of dryland maize farm households in Wonogiri, Kendal, Tegal, Grobogan, Wonosobo, and Banjarnegara districts. Conservation Activity Index (CAI) is applied to describe the habits that have been carried out by farmers to preserve their farmland. The results showed that the CAI of maize farmers on dryland in Central Java Province is in the range of 43.5% to 95.7%, with an average conservation application of 75.08%. About 68.9% of farmers are in the medium of the CAI category. Evaluation result showed that conservation activities that are still weak in its application are vegetative conservation methods. Thus, we recommend increasing the cultivation of land cover and annual crops, and the use of mulch to enhance the conservation of dryland maize farming.
Cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy, vestibular areflexia syndrome due to RFC1 repeat expansion
Authors: Cortese Andrea , Tozza Stefano , Yau Wai Yan , Rossi Salvatore , Beecroft Sarah J , Jaunmuktane Zane , Dyer Zoe , Ravenscroft Gianina , Lamont Phillipa J , Mossman Stuart , Chancellor Andrew , Maisonobe Thierry , Pereon Yann , Cauquil Cecile , Colnaghi Silvia , Mallucci Giulia , Curro Riccardo , Tomaselli Pedro J , Thomas-Black Gilbert , Sullivan Roisin , Efthymiou Stephanie , Rossor Alexander M , Laurá Matilde , Pipis Menelaos , Horga Alejandro , Polke James , Kaski Diego , Horvath Rita , Chinnery Patrick F , Marques Wilson , Tassorelli Cristina , Devigili Grazia , Leonardis Lea , Wood Nick W , Bronstein Adolfo , Giunti Paola , Züchner Stephan , Stojkovic Tanya , Laing Nigel , Roxburgh Richard H , Houlden Henry , Reilly Mary M
Published: January 2020

Ataxia, causing imbalance, dizziness and falls, is a leading cause of neurological disability. We have recently identified a biallelic intronic AAGGG repeat expansion in replication factor complex subunit 1 (RFC1) as the cause of cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy, vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS) and a major cause of late onset ataxia. Here we describe the full spectrum of the disease phenotype in our first 100 genetically confirmed carriers of biallelic repeat expansions in RFC1 and identify the sensory neuropathy as a common feature in all cases to date. All patients were Caucasian and half were sporadic. Patients typically reported progressive unsteadiness starting in the sixth decade. A dry spasmodic cough was also frequently associated and often preceded by decades the onset of walking difficulty. Sensory symptoms, oscillopsia, dysautonomia and dysarthria were also variably associated. The disease seems to follow a pattern of spatial progression from the early involvement of sensory neurons, to the later appearance of vestibular and cerebellar dysfunction. Half of the patients needed walking aids after 10 years of disease duration and a quarter were wheelchair dependent after 15 years. Overall, two-thirds of cases had full CANVAS. Sensory neuropathy was the only manifestation in 15 patients. Sixteen patients additionally showed cerebellar involvement, and six showed vestibular involvement. The disease is very likely to be underdiagnosed. Repeat expansion in RFC1 should be considered in all cases of sensory ataxic neuropathy, particularly, but not only, if cerebellar dysfunction, vestibular involvement and cough coexist.
APOBEC3B expression in breast cancer cell lines and tumors depends on the estrogen receptor status
Authors: Udquim Krizia-Ivana , Zettelmeyer Clara , Banday A Rouf , Lin Seraph Han-Yin , Prokunina-Olsson Ludmila
Published: January 2020

Increased exposure to estrogen is associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer. Considering estrogen as a possible mutagen, we hypothesized that exposure to estrogen alone or in combination with the DNA-damaging chemotherapy drug, cisplatin, could induce expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis. To test this hypothesis, we measured the expression of APOBEC3A (A3A) and APOBEC3B (A3B) genes in two breast cancer cell lines treated with estradiol, cisplatin or their combination. These cell lines, T-47D (ER+) and MDA-MB-231 (ER−), differed by the status of the estrogen receptor (ER). Expression of A3A was not detectable in any conditions tested, while A3B expression was induced by treatment with cisplatin and estradiol in ER+ cells but was not affected by estradiol in ER− cells. In The Cancer Genome Atlas, expression of A3B was significantly associated with genotypes of a regulatory germline variant rs17000526 upstream of the APOBEC3 cluster in 116 ER− breast tumors (P = 0.006) but not in 387 ER+ tumors (P = 0.48). In conclusion, we show that in breast cancer cell lines, A3B expression was induced by estradiol in ER+ cells and by cisplatin regardless of ER status. In ER+ breast tumors, the effect of estrogen may be masking the association of rs17000526 with A3B expression, which was apparent in ER− tumors. Our results provide new insights into the differential etiology of ER+ and ER− breast cancer and the possible role of A3B in this process through a mitogenic rather than the mutagenic activity of estrogen.
DNA Methylation-Mediated Modulation of Endocytosis as Potential Mechanism for Synaptic Function Regulation in Murine Inhibitory Cortical Interneurons
Authors: Pensold Daniel , Reichard Julia , Van Loo Karen M J , Ciganok Natalja , Hahn Anne , Bayer Cathrin , Liebmann Lutz , Groß Jonas , Tittelmeier Jessica , Lingner Thomas , Salinas-Riester Gabriela , Symmank Judit , Halfmann Claas , González-Bermúdez Lourdes , Urbach Anja , Gehrmann Julia , Costa Ivan , Pieler Tomas , Hübner Christian A , Vatter Hartmut , Kampa Björn , Becker Albert J , Zimmer-Bensch Geraldine
Published: January 2020

The balance of excitation and inhibition is essential for cortical information processing, relying on the tight orchestration of the underlying subcellular processes. Dynamic transcriptional control by DNA methylation, catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), and DNA demethylation, achieved by ten–eleven translocation (TET)-dependent mechanisms, is proposed to regulate synaptic function in the adult brain with implications for learning and memory. However, focus so far is laid on excitatory neurons. Given the crucial role of inhibitory cortical interneurons in cortical information processing and in disease, deciphering the cellular and molecular mechanisms of GABAergic transmission is fundamental. The emerging relevance of DNMT and TET-mediated functions for synaptic regulation irrevocably raises the question for the targeted subcellular processes and mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed the role dynamic DNA methylation has in regulating cortical interneuron function. We found that DNMT1 and TET1/TET3 contrarily modulate clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Moreover, we provide evidence that DNMT1 influences synaptic vesicle replenishment and GABAergic transmission, presumably through the DNA methylation-dependent transcriptional control over endocytosis-related genes. The relevance of our findings is supported by human brain sample analysis, pointing to a potential implication of DNA methylation-dependent endocytosis regulation in the pathophysiology of temporal lobe epilepsy, a disease characterized by disturbed synaptic transmission.
Epidemiology of Left Ventricular Assist Device Infections: Findings From a Large Nonregistry Cohort
Authors: Blanco-Guzman Merilda O , Wang Xiaowen , Vader Justin M , Olsen Margaret A , Dubberke Erik R
Published: January 2020

Background

Infection is a major complication during circulatory support with a left ventricular assist device (VAD). Changes in device characteristics and treatment practices in the last decade can affect the epidemiology of infection. The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) has published recommendations on the prevention and management of VAD infections, but data to support these recommendations remain sparse.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of 455 patients who underwent VAD placement from 2009 to 2015. Infection episodes were defined using ISHLT criteria and were also grouped as endovascular or local. Analysis included descriptive statistics.

Results

There were 174 patients (38.6%) with a VAD infection. Infection incidence was 36.9 cases per 100 person-years of VAD support. The driveline was the most common infection site (67.2%). Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria were not satisfied in 29.2% of patients with endovascular infections, and computed tomography (CT) examinations were normal in 37.7% of cases. Gram-positive bacteria caused 65.6% of infections in patients with an available culture. Antimicrobial suppression was used in 72.3% of patients who survived treatment. Median survival after infection was 35 months for patients with VAD-related infections versus 14 months for patients with VAD-specific infections.

Conclusions

VAD infections continue to be a major complication after implantation. Clinical criteria alone were not predictive of serious infections, and many patients with confirmed infection had normal CTs. Patients with VAD-specific infections had lower median survival than patients with VAD-related infections.
Imported haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by Dobrava–Belgrade hantavirus in France
Authors: Antoine Meghann , Langlois Marie Elodie , Bres Emilie , Rabeyrin Maud , Reynes Jean-Marc , Deeb Abbas
Published: January 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by hantavirus infections is rare but should be suspected in any patient presenting with flu-like symptoms, signs of haemolytic–uraemic syndrome or presence of anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibodies. We report the first case of Dobrava–Belgrade virus in France imported from southeastern Europe. The characteristic macroscopic appearance of the fresh renal biopsy specimen, displaying a haemorrhagic appearance of the medulla, suggested hantavirus infection. AKI caused by hantavirus infections remains a diagnostic challenge, especially outside endemic areas.
Clinical significance of energy loss index in patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis and preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Altes Alexandre , Ringle Anne , Bohbot Yohann , Bouchot Océane , Appert Ludovic , Guerbaai Raphaëlle A , Gun Mesut , Ennezat Pierre Vladimir , Tribouilloy Christophe , Maréchaux Sylvestre
Published: January 2020

Aims 

We hypothesized that among patients with low-gradient severe aortic stenosis (AS) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), reclassification of AS severity as moderate by pressure recovery adjusted indexed aortic valve area (AVAi) = energy loss index (ELI), may identify a subgroup of patients with a better outcome.

Methods and results 

Three hundred and seventy-nine patients with low-gradient AS (defined by AVAi ≤ 0.6 cm2/m2 and mean aortic pressure gradient < 40 mmHg) and preserved LVEF ≥50% were studied. Reclassification as moderate AS by ELI was defined as AVAi ≤0.6 cm2/m2 but with an ELI >0.6 cm2/m2. Cardiac events [cardiac mortality and/or need for aortic valve replacement (AVR)] during follow-up were studied. One hundred and forty-eight patients (39%) were reclassified as moderate AS by ELI. Reclassification as moderate AS was independently associated with decreased body surface area, normal flow status, decreased left ventricular mass index, and left atrial volume index (all P < 0.05). After adjustment for variables of prognostic interest, reclassification as moderate AS by ELI was associated with a considerable reduction of risk of cardiac events {adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.49 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33–0.72]; P < 0.001}, need for AVR [adjusted HR 0.52 (95% CI 0.34–0.81); P = 0.004], and cardiac mortality [adjusted HR 0.46 (95% CI 0.22–0.98); P = 0.044].

Conclusion 

In patients with low-gradient severe AS and preserved LVEF, calculation of ELI permits to reclassify almost 40% of patients as having moderate AS. These reclassified patients have a considerable reduction of the risk of cardiac events during follow-up. Calculation of ELI is useful for decision-making in patients with low-gradient severe AS and preserved ejection fraction.
Association of relative wall thickness of left ventricle with incidence of thromboembolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: The Fushimi AF Registry
Authors: Tezuka Yuji , Iguchi Moritake , Hamatani Yasuhiro , Ogawa Hisashi , Esato Masahiro , Tsuji Hikari , Wada Hiromichi , Hasegawa Koji , Abe Mitsuru , Lip Gregory Y H , Akao Masaharu
Published: January 2020

Aims

Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of thromboembolism, such as ischaemic stroke or systemic embolism (SE). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between left ventricular relative wall thickness (RWT) and the risk of thromboembolism in patients with non-valvular AF.

Methods and results

The Fushimi AF Registry is a community-based prospective survey of the patients with AF in Japan. Analyses were performed on 3067 non-valvular AF patients, in which RWT values determined by transthoracic echocardiography were available at the baseline. The high-RWT group (RWT above the median) was more often female, older, and had higher systolic blood pressure, CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores, as compared with low-RWT group. During the median follow-up period of 1309 days, there was a higher incidence of ischaemic stroke/SE in the high-RWT group [unadjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.91; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.42–2.59]. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, including the components of CHA2DS2-VASc score, left atrial diameter, oral anticoagulant prescription at baseline, and type of AF, high RWT was independently associated with ischaemic stroke/SE (adjusted HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.34–2.47). Stratified analysis demonstrated no significant interaction for any subgroups. In Kaplan–Meier analysis, ordinal RWT quartiles stratified the incidence of ischaemic stroke/SE. Finally, addition of RWT to CHA2DS2-VASc score increased the performance of risk stratification for the incidence of stroke/SE.

Conclusion

Relative wall thickness was independently associated with ischaemic stroke/SE among Japanese patients with non-valvular AF, suggesting the importance of left ventricular morphology in contributing to adverse outcomes, particularly thromboembolism.
Adult congenital open-heart surgery: emergence of a new mortality score
Authors: Cho Mi-Young , Weidenbach Michael , Sinzobahamvya Nicodème , Gräfe Katharina , Murin Peter , Berger Felix , Photiadis Joachim
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES

In revised 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guideline for the management of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), the committee introduced a classification that combines lesion anatomy and physiological status: ACHD anatomic physiological (AP) classification. Anatomy is described as of simple (I), moderate (II) or great (III) complexity, whereas physiology is listed in 4 categories of increasing severity (A, B, C and D). Can this classification predict early postoperative mortality?

METHODS

ACHD AP classification was determined for 339 adults who underwent open-heart surgery between September 2012 and August 2018. In addition, the adult congenital heart surgery (ACHS) and Society of Thoracic Surgery-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (STAT) mortality scores were calculated. A model based on binary logistic regression was applied. The event was early postoperative death. Mortality scores were estimated for each ACHD AP class.

RESULTS

All patients could be categorized by the ACHD AP classification. The 354 procedures were performed with an early mortality of 3.4% (12/354). The mortality risk for the new mortality score, simply called ACAP score, ranged from 0.2% (95% confidence interval 0.08–0.41%) for ACHD AP class IA to 20% (16.04–24.64%) for IIID class. Observed over expected ratios of early mortality amounted to 0.87, 1.54 and 1.14, whereas areas under the curve of receiver operator characteristic were found to be 0.78, 0.64 and 0.88 for STAT, ACHS and ACAP scores, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ACHD AP classification could embrace all procedures. In our setting, the ACAP score was more predictive of early mortality than the ACHS and STAT mortality scores. It should be validated by further studies and other centres.
Family Law 2020
Authors: Sendall Jane , Hodgson Roiya
Published: January 2020

Family Law takes a highly practical, student-centred approach to the essential law and procedure at the heart of family law. Providing a comprehensive guide to the subject, it focuses on relationship breakdown, money and property, children, and domestic abuse. A concise writing style and short chapters ensure focused learning, while chapter summaries and self-test questions help students to consolidate their knowledge and identify areas for further study. Throughout the book, case studies and examples are used, demonstrating how family law applies in practice and helping to prepare students for their future careers. The book also features diagrams and flowcharts throughout, helping to improve understanding of complex processes or areas of difficulty. Topics that are covered include: family law practice and the first interview; public funding; alternative dispute resolution in family law; judicial separation and nullity; divorce; defences to divorce; jurisdiction; procedure for a matrimonial order; the Civil Partnership Act 2004; dissolution of a civil partnership; financial orders following divorce or dissolution; financial orders; pre-marital agreements; procedure for financial orders; variation, collection, and enforcement of financial orders; protecting assets and the family home in financial order proceedings; separation and maintenance agreements; child support; pensions in financial proceedings; and taxation in family law.
15. Variation, Collection, and Enforcement of Financial Orders
Authors: Sendall Jane , Hodgson Roiya
Published: January 2020

Gaining a financial order is sometimes not the end of proceedings. A disgruntled spouse or civil partner may refuse to comply with the terms of an order, even a consent order, and so a family law solicitor must be able to use enforcement mechanisms to enforce the court order. This chapter discusses the circumstances in which a financial order can be varied, including which orders are subject to variation and the applications for variation. It then goes on to discuss the collection of monies due under financial orders, and the enforcement of financial orders such as periodical payments and other orders.
27. Private Children Law Procedure
Authors: Sendall Jane , Hodgson Roiya
Published: January 2020

This chapter covers the basic procedure for a s8 Children Act 1989 (CA 1989) order. It discusses who is eligible to apply for an order under s8 CA 1989 and what public funding is still available for proceedings under the CA 1989. It then goes on to explain the procedure for obtaining an order under the CA 1989 in private law proceedings and the Children and Families Act 2014. This includes the procedure for obtaining leave, existing proceedings, other potential applicants, and rules. The hearings which occur are explained, as well as CAFCASS, expert evidence, allegations of harm, and domestic abuse.
30. Emergency Protection of Children
Authors: Sendall Jane , Hodgson Roiya
Published: January 2020

When a child is in imminent need of protection, the order used to protect the child is an emergency protection order (EPO) under s44 of the Children Act 1989. This chapter discusses the use of emergency protection orders in public law for children and examines the factors a court will consider when asked to make an emergency order. It looks at contact when an EPO is in place, duration and discharge of an application, and procedure. Case-law is used to provide guidance. It also looks at the powers available to the police when faced with a child in need of protection.
A VPS13D spastic ataxia mutation disrupts the conserved adaptor-binding site in yeast Vps13
Authors: Dziurdzik Samantha K , Bean Björn D M , Davey Michael , Conibear Elizabeth
Published: January 2020

Mutations in each of the four human VPS13 (VPS13A–D) proteins are associated with distinct neurological disorders: chorea-acanthocytosis, Cohen syndrome, early-onset Parkinson’s disease and spastic ataxia. Recent evidence suggests that the different VPS13 paralogs transport lipids between organelles at different membrane contact sites. How each VPS13 isoform is targeted to organelles is not known. We have shown that the localization of yeast Vps13 protein to membranes requires a conserved six-repeat region, the Vps13 Adaptor Binding (VAB) domain, which binds to organelle-specific adaptors. Here, we use a systematic mutagenesis strategy to determine the role of each repeat in recognizing each known adaptor. Our results show that mutation of invariant asparagines in repeats 1 and 6 strongly impacts the binding of all adaptors and blocks Vps13 membrane recruitment. However, we find that repeats 5–6 are sufficient for localization and interaction with adaptors. This supports a model where a single adaptor-binding site is found in the last two repeats of the VAB domain, while VAB domain repeat 1 may influence domain conformation. Importantly, a disease-causing mutation in VPS13D, which maps to the highly conserved asparagine residue in repeat 6, blocks adaptor binding and Vps13 membrane recruitment when modeled in yeast. Our findings are consistent with a conserved adaptor binding role for the VAB domain and suggest the presence of as-yet-unidentified adaptors in both yeast and humans.
Becoming a marine scientist: helped by a daily quota of three lumps of coal
Authors: Holt Sidney J
Published: January 2020

Growing up in the 1930s and being educated in England was much easier than it is now. The high school curriculum was necessarily pretty limited, and my energy went into physics, biology, and chemistry. At the University of Reading, I was pointed towards fisheries research. My first job interview resulted in me being hired as a “naturalist” at the Lowestoft Laboratory. My first trip on the North Sea, in winter, went well, and my boss Michael Graham showed me how to handle live fish gently. Back from that first voyage in spring 1946, I was introduced to my new colleague and close collaborator, Ray Beverton. Three lumps of coal is what Ray and I were allowed per day to keep us warm in the little annex of a terrace house on Lowestoft’s seafront. Much of the technical work on our 1957 book was completed by about 1950 when I left to take a job with the Nature Conservancy. In December 1953, I began a 25-year career with Food and Agriculture Organization’s Fisheries Division, which eventually led to my involvement with whales and the International Whaling Commission’s Committee of Three. My final years returned me to management issues regarding fisheries, especially demersal fishing in European Union waters, focusing on the matter of choosing target fishing mortality for sustainable fishing.
Oncostatin M Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Inflammatory Mediator for Sepsis
Authors: Gong Yi , Yan Xingxing , Sun Xiaomin , Chen Tangtian , Liu Yi , Cao Ju
Published: January 2020

Background

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a pleiotropic cytokine of the interleukin-6 family. The role of OSM in sepsis remains unknown.

Methods

Serum OSM level was determined and analyzed in septic patients on the day of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Furthermore, the effects of OSM on polymicrobial sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) were assessed.

Results

On the day of ICU admission, septic patients had significantly higher serum OSM levels when compared with ICU patient controls and healthy volunteers, which were related to the severity of sepsis, including parameters such as the sequential (sepsis-related) organ failure assessment score, procalcitonin level, and white blood cell number. A high serum OSM level on ICU admission was associated with 28-day mortality in septic patients. In CLP-induced polymicrobial sepsis, anti-OSM antibody decreased tissue inflammation and injury, and thus improved survival, while local and systemic bacterial dissemination was almost constant. Complementarily, supplementation with recombinant OSM protein in septic mice increased tissue injury, amplified inflammation, and worsened mortality after CLP, while it did not affect bacterial dissemination in septic mice.

Conclusions

Sepsis results in an increased production of OSM, which might be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for sepsis.
Orosomucoid 1 is involved in the development of chronic allograft rejection after kidney transplantation
Authors: Higuchi Haruka , Kamimura Daisuke , Jiang Jing-Jing , Atsumi Toru , Iwami Daiki , Hotta Kiyohiko , Harada Hiroshi , Takada Yusuke , Kanno-Okada Hiromi , Hatanaka Kanako C , Tanaka Yuki , Shinohara Nobuo , Murakami Masaaki
Published: January 2020

Chronic allograft rejection is the most common cause of long-term allograft failure. One reason is that current diagnostics and therapeutics for chronic allograft rejection are very limited. We here show that enhanced NFκB signaling in kidney grafts contributes to chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (CAAMR), which is a major pathology of chronic kidney allograft rejections. Moreover, we found that urinary orosomucoid 1 (ORM1) is a candidate marker molecule and therapeutic target for CAAMR. Indeed, urinary ORM1 concentration was significantly higher in kidney transplant recipients pathologically diagnosed with CAAMR than in kidney transplant recipients with normal histology, calcineurin inhibitor toxicity, or interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Additionally, we found that kidney biopsy samples with CAAMR expressed more ORM1 and had higher NFκB and STAT3 activation in tubular cells than samples from non-CAAMR samples. Consistently, ORM1 production was induced after cytokine-mediated NFκB and STAT3 activation in primary kidney tubular cells. The loss- and gain-of-function of ORM1 suppressed and promoted NFκB activation, respectively. Finally, ORM1-enhanced NFκB-mediated inflammation development in vivo. These results suggest that an enhanced NFκB-dependent pathway following NFκB and STAT3 activation in the grafts is involved in the development of chronic allograft rejection after kidney transplantation and that ORM1 is a non-invasive candidate biomarker and possible therapeutic target for chronic kidney allograft rejection.
Definitive radiation therapy in patients with unresectable desmoid tumors: a systematic review
Authors: Matsunobu Tomoya , Kunisada Toshiyuki , Ozaki Toshifumi , Iwamoto Yukihide , Yoshida Masahiro , Nishida Yoshihiro
Published: January 2020

Background

Desmoid tumors are rare soft tissue tumors. Wide local excision has been the standard surgical treatment for desmoid tumors. However, this procedure results in high local recurrence rates, so non-surgical treatments should be considered. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of radiation therapy on patients with desmoid tumors, especially those with unresectable disease.

Methods

We evaluated studies published between 1 January 1990 and 31 August 2017 and cited in PubMed and Ichushi (in Japanese). All studies evaluating the effect of radiation therapy on desmoid tumors were included. Data regarding radiation dose, recurrence and adverse events were recorded.

Results

Among 218 identified studies, only 6 were finally included in this review. Local control was achieved in 253 of 317 patients with unresectable or unresected tumors who underwent definitive radiation therapy (the crude rate of local control was 79.8%). Toxicity was evaluated in patients who underwent definitive radiation therapy or surgery plus radiation therapy. One of the most common acute complications was skin toxicity. Frequent late complications of radiation therapy included fibrosis/contracture/joint stiffness, skin disorders, lymphedema and pain. Six patients developed secondary malignancies in the radiation field.

Conclusions

In patients treated unsuccessfully with surgery, watchful waiting and pharmacotherapy, radiation therapy may be an option as salvage therapy because of the high rate of local control. Because desmoid tumors frequently develop in young individuals, children and young patients who receive radiation therapy for the treatment of desmoid tumors should be followed up on a long-term basis with periodic monitoring for late radiation toxicities.
Anopheline Mosquito Species Composition, Kdr Mutation Frequency, and Parasite Infectivity Status in Northern Tanzania
Authors: Kweka Eliningaya J , Mazigo Humphrey D , Lyaruu Lucile J , Mausa Emmanuel A , Venter Nelius , Mahande Aneth M , Coetzee Maureen
Published: January 2020

The scaling-up of malaria control interventions in northern Tanzania has resulted in a decline in malaria prevalence and vector species composition. Despite this achievement, residual malaria transmission remains a concern in the area. The main aim of this study was to investigate malaria vector species composition, parasite infectivity rates, and the presence of insecticide knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations in three sites that have experienced a significant decline in malaria in northern Tanzania. Adult mosquitoes were sampled using light traps in houses and hand-aspirators in cowsheds, whereas the standard dipping method was used for sampling mosquito larvae. Adult mosquitoes identified as Anopheles gambiae s.l. and An. funestus s.l. and larval stages III and IV of An. gambiae s.l. were stored in absolute ethanol for further laboratory molecular identification. The identified species in the An. gambiae complex were An. gambiae s.s., An. merus, An. quadriannulatus, and An. arabiensis, whereas the An. funestus group comprised An. funestus s.s., An. rivulorum, and An. leesoni. For An. gambiae s.s. analyzed from Zeneth, 47.6% were kdr-East homozygous susceptible, 35.7% kdr-East heterozygous resistant, 9.6% kdr-East homozygous resistant, and 7.1% undefined, whereas specimens from Kwakibuyu were 45.5% kdr-East homozygous susceptible, 32.7% kdr-East heterozygous resistant, 16.3% kdr-East homozygous resistant, and 5.5% undefined. There were no kdr-West alleles identified from any specimen. The overall malaria parasite infectivity rate was 0.75%. No infections were found in Moshi. The findings indicate that populations of the major malaria vector mosquitoes are still present in the study area, with An. funestus taking a lead in malaria transmission.
Ultrastructural Lesions of Nodo-Paranodopathies in Peripheral Neuropathies
Authors: Vallat Jean-Michel , Magy Laurent , Corcia Philippe , Boulesteix Jean-Marc , Uncini Antonino , Mathis Stéphane
Published: January 2020

Whatever the cause of myelin damage of the peripheral nervous system, the initial attack on myelin by a dysimmune process may begin either at the internodal area or in the paranodal and nodal regions. The term “nodo-paranodopathy” was first applied to some “axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome” subtypes, then extended to cases classified as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy bearing IgG4 antibodies against paranodal axoglial proteins. In these cases, paranodal dissection develops in the absence of macrophage-induced demyelination. In contrast, the mechanisms of demyelination of other dysimmune neuropathies induced by macrophages are unexplained, as no antibodies have been identified in such cases. Electron microscopy of longitudinal sections of nerve biopsies is useful to visualize and authenticate the characteristic lesions of paranodes/nodes. However, it should be borne in mind that identical ultrastructural aspects are seen in other types of polyneuropathies: Genetic, experimental, and in a few polyneuropathies for which there is no obvious etiology. Ultrastructural nerve studies confirm the initial involvement of nodes/paranodes in various types of acquired and genetic neuropathies. For some of them, the antibodies or the proteins involved by mutations are clearly identified such as Caspr-1, Contactin-1, NFasc155, and NFasc186; other unidentified proteins are likely to be involved as well.
Nontraditional Uses of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine: School-Located Influenza Vaccination
Authors: Weinberg Geoffrey A
Published: January 2020

Immunization against influenza continues to be the best method of preventing influenza infection in children, and additionally, indirectly helping to lower disease in adults, given the role of children as “spreaders” of influenza to the community at large. An increasing evidence base exists for the use of school-located influenza vaccination (SLIV) programs to increase the influenza vaccination rates among children. Live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has unique characteristics that make it useful for SLIV programs, including ease of immunization without needles, faster delivery, and in many (but not all) years, good vaccine effectiveness. Reviewed herein are results of selected published trials as well as guidance on planning a successful SLIV program.
Semi-automated prediction approach of target shifts using machine learning with anatomical features between planning and pretreatment CT images in prostate radiotherapy
Authors: Kai Yudai , Arimura Hidetaka , Ninomiya Kenta , Saito Tetsuo , Shimohigashi Yoshinobu , Kuraoka Akiko , Maruyama Masato , Toya Ryo , Oya Natsuo
Published: January 2020

The goal of this study was to develop a semi-automated prediction approach of target shifts using machine learning architecture (MLA) with anatomical features for prostate radiotherapy. Our hypothesis was that anatomical features between planning computed tomography (pCT) and pretreatment cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images could be used to predict the target, i.e. clinical target volume (CTV) shifts, with small errors. The pCT and daily CBCT images of 20 patients with prostate cancer were selected. The first 10 patients were employed for the development, and the second 10 patients for a validation test. The CTV position errors between the pCT and CBCT images were determined as reference CTV shifts (teacher data) after an automated bone-based registration. The anatomical features associated with rectum, bladder and prostate were calculated from the pCT and CBCT images. The features were fed as the input with the teacher data into five MLAs, i.e. three types of artificial neural networks, support vector regression (SVR) and random forests. Since the CTV shifts along the left–right direction were negligible, the MLAs were developed along the superior–inferior and anterior–posterior directions. The proposed framework was evaluated from the residual errors between the reference and predicted CTV shifts. In the validation test, the mean residual error with its standard deviation was 1.01 ± 1.09 mm in SVR using only one feature (one click), which was associated with positional difference of the upper rectal wall. The results suggested that MLAs with anatomical features could be useful in prediction of CTV shifts for prostate radiotherapy.
Robustness of Gaian feedbacks to climate perturbations
Authors: Alcabes Olivia D N , Olson Stephanie , Abbot Dorian S
Published: January 2020

The Gaia hypothesis postulates that life regulates its environment to be favorable for its own survival. Most planets experience numerous perturbations throughout their lifetimes such as asteroid impacts, volcanism, and the evolution of their host star’s luminosity. For the Gaia hypothesis to be viable, life must be able to keep the conditions of its host planet habitable, even in the face of these challenges. ExoGaia, a model created to investigate the Gaia hypothesis, has been previously used to demonstrate that a randomly mutating biosphere is in some cases capable of maintaining planetary habitability. However, those model scenarios assumed that all non-biological planetary parameters were static, neglecting the inevitable perturbations that real planets would experience. To see how life responds to climate perturbations to its host planet, we created three climate perturbations in ExoGaia: one rapid cooling of a planet and two heating events, one rapid and one gradual. The planets on which Gaian feedbacks emerge without climate perturbations are the same planets on which life is most likely to survive each of our perturbation scenarios. Biospheres experiencing gradual changes to the environment are able to survive changes of larger magnitude than those experiencing rapid perturbations, and the magnitude of change matters more than the sign. These findings suggest that if the Gaia hypothesis is correct, then typical perturbations that a planet would experience may be unlikely to disrupt Gaian systems.
Cooling theory faced with old warm neutron stars: role of non-equilibrium processes with proton and neutron gaps
Authors: Yanagi Keisuke , Nagata Natsumi , Hamaguchi Koichi
Published: January 2020

Recent observations have found several candidates for old warm neutron stars whose surface temperatures are above the prediction of the standard neutron star cooling scenario, and, thus, require some heating mechanism. Motivated by these observations, we study the non-equilibrium beta process in the minimal cooling scenario of neutron stars, which inevitably occurs in pulsars. This out-of-equilibrium process yields the late-time heating in the core of a neutron star, called the rotochemical heating, and significantly changes the time evolution of the neutron star surface temperature. To perform a realistic analysis of this heating effect, we include the proton-singlet- and neutron-triplet-pairing gaps simultaneously in the calculation of the rate and emissivity of this process, where the dependence of these pairing gaps on the nucleon density is also taken into account. We then compare the predicted surface temperature of neutron stars with the latest observational data. We show that the simultaneous inclusion of both proton and neutron gaps is advantageous for the explanation of the old warm neutron stars since it enhances the heating effect. It is then found that the observed surface temperatures of the old warm millisecond pulsars, J2124−3358 and J0437−4715, are explained for various choices of nucleon gap models. The same set-up is compatible with the observed temperatures of ordinary pulsars, including old warm ones, J0108−1431 and B0950+08, by choosing the initial rotational period of each neutron star accordingly. In particular, the upper limit on the surface temperature of J2144−3933 can be satisfied if its initial period is $\gtrsim 10\, \mathrm{ms}$.
Youth Vaping and Tobacco Use in Context in the United States: Results From the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey
Authors: Glasser Allison M , Johnson Amanda L , Niaura Raymond S , Abrams David B , Pearson Jennifer L
Published: January 2020

Introduction

According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), youth e-cigarette use (vaping) rose between 2017 and 2018. Frequency of vaping and concurrent past 30-day (p30d) use of e-cigarettes and tobacco products have not been reported.

Methods

We analyzed the 2018 NYTS (N = 20 189) for vaping among all students (middle and high school; 6–12th grades; 9–19 years old) by frequency of vaping, exclusive vaping, p30d poly-product use (vaping and use of one or more tobacco product), and any past tobacco product use.

Results

In 2018, 81.4% of students had not used any tobacco or vapor product in the p30d, and 86.2% had not vaped in the p30d. Among all students, of the 13.8% vaped in the p30d, just over half vaped on ≤5 days (7.0%), and roughly a quarter each vaped on 6–19 days (3.2%) and on 20+ days (3.6%). Almost three quarters of p30d vapers (9.9%) reported past or concurrent tobacco use and the remainder (3.9%) were tobacco naïve. 2.8% of students were tobacco naïve and vaped on ≤5 days; 0.7% were tobacco-naïve and vaped on 6–19 days, and 0.4% were tobacco-naïve and vaped on 20+ days.

Conclusions

Vaping increased among US youth in 2018 over 2017. The increases are characterized by patterns of low p30d vaping frequency and high poly-product use, and a low prevalence of vaping among more frequent but tobacco naïve vapers.

Implications

Results underscore the importance of including the full context of use patterns. The majority of vapers (60.0%–88.9% by use frequency) were concurrent p30d or ever tobacco users. About 4% of students were tobacco naïve and vaped in the p30d, but few (0.4%) vaped regularly on 20 or more days. Reporting youth vaping data with frequency and tobacco product co-use will give public health decision-makers the best possible information to protect public health.
Mortality among seafarers: a register-based follow-up study
Authors: Rinne H , Laaksonen M , Notkola V , Shemeikka R
Published: January 2020

Background

Seafarers are exposed to many occupational risk factors.

Aims

To study whether there are differences in mortality between seafarers and other employees, whether there are variations in seafarers’ mortality between different seafaring occupations and whether these differences can be explained by sociodemographic factors.

Methods

A register-based study of all seafarers aged 25–64 years, resident in Finland in 2000 with minimum 5 years of cumulative seafaring experience on Finnish vessels and other employees, followed for mortality 2001–13. Analysis methods included age standardized death rates, mortality ratios (SMR) and Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

During the follow-up period 2001–13, there were 81,035 person years and 382 deaths in the cohort of seafarers. Seafarers had 1.3 times higher risk of death (men SMR 132, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 118–147, women SMR 125, 95% CI 99–157) than other employees. Mortality was especially high in alcohol-related causes (men SMR 172, 95% CI 126–233, women SMR 262, 95% CI 131–525) and causes related to smoking. Controlling for sociodemographic characters strengthened the risk compared to other occupations. Mortality was high among male deck and engine crew and among male and female galley personnel. The mortality differences between different seafaring occupations were partly explained by adjustments of sociodemographic characters.

Conclusions

Seafarers still have increased mortality among men after adjustment of sociodemographic characters. Results by causes of death suggest that changing practices to enable healthy behaviour are important.
A circuit perspective on narcolepsy
Authors: Adamantidis A R , Schmidt M H , Carter M E , Burdakov D , Peyron C , Scammell Thomas E
Published: January 2020

The sleep disorder narcolepsy is associated with symptoms related to either boundary state control that include excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep fragmentation, or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep features including cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and sleep-onset REM sleep events (SOREMs). Although the loss of Hypocretin/Orexin (Hcrt/Ox) peptides or their receptors have been associated with the disease, here we propose a circuit perspective of the pathophysiological mechanisms of these narcolepsy symptoms that encompasses brain regions, neuronal circuits, cell types, and transmitters beyond the Hcrt/Ox system. We further discuss future experimental strategies to investigate brain-wide mechanisms of narcolepsy that will be essential for a better understanding and treatment of the disease.
A Cell Wall Integrity–Related MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase AflBck1 Is Required for Growth and Virulence in Fungus Aspergillus flavus
Authors: Zhang Feng , Huang Luhua , Deng Jili , Tan Can , Geng Longpo , Liao Yun , Yuan Jun , Wang Shihua
Published: January 2020

Aspergillus flavus represents an important fungal pathogen, causing severe economic losses in crops. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathway contributes to many physiological processes, but its precise role in A. flavus is not yet fully understood. In this study, we focused on the AflBck1 gene, which encodes a MAP kinase kinase kinase of the Slt2-MAPK pathway. Targeted deletion of AflBck1 led to a significant defect in growth and development, and a AflBck1-deleted mutant (∆AflBck1) showed higher sensitivity to cell-wall stress than wild type (WT). Importantly, we observed that ∆AflBck1 displayed an enhanced ability to produce aflatoxin, a potential carcinogenic mycotoxin. However, the pathogenicity of the ∆AflBck1 mutant was markedly reduced in peanut seeds. We also presented evidence that AflBck1 was genetically epistatic to AflMkk2 in the Slt2-MAPK pathway. Finally, we found that loss of the proline-rich region at the N terminus of AflBck1 affected the reproduction of A. flavus. Collectively, this study not only extended the understanding that the MAPK pathway regulated A. flavus pathogenicity but also provided a possible strategy to control A. flavus contamination.
How Nurses Come to Race
Authors: McFadden Alysha , Erikson Susan L.
Published: January 2020

This research study shows how race becomes ascribed through nursing theory and day-to-day workplace socialization processes. We show how public health nurses supporting and promoting breastfeeding for new mothers learn about and reproduce racialized stereotypes, which shape the care they provide. Even when nurses attempt to actively resist racialized stereotypes, most participate in essentialized nursing practice by using racialized institutional practices. Nursing theory needs to expand to help the nurse navigate and understand both the nurses' and client's local histories as well as individual-to-systems level constraints and supports that may impede, or promote, a mother's ability to breastfeed.
Social Capital
Authors: Westphaln Kristi K. , Fry-Bowers Eileen K. , Georges Jane M.
Published: January 2020

The concept of social capital appears in the literature of multiple disciplines as a social determinant of health, an important aspect of human interaction, and a means to support population health capacity. Little is known about the use of social capital within the context of nursing. This article's aim provides insight into the concept of social capital and nursing. Avant and Walker methodology was used to analyze a sample of 78 articles. Along with a variety of articles and content themes, findings from this concept analysis include critical attributes, an operational definition, and reflections regarding future use.
Weight Stigma Related to Pregnancy
Authors: Dieterich Rachel , Demirci Jill , Danford Cynthia
Published: January 2020

The aims of this article are to (1) present a shared definition of weight stigma related to pregnancy and (2) develop a definition to inform valid and reliable nursing research addressing weight stigma in the obstetric setting. Weight stigma is increasingly prevalent in society, especially among women with prepregnancy overweight or obesity. However, a universally accepted definition of weight stigma related to pregnancy has yet to be identified. We followed Walker and Avant's concept analysis methodology using an iterative approach to ensure a robust and conceptually sound definition of weight stigma related to pregnancy.