bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural Brain Alterations and Their Association with Cognitive Function and Symptoms in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Families
Authors: Jiang Wenhao , Duan Kuaikuai , Rootes-Murdy Kelly , Hoekstra Pieter J. , Hartman Catharina , Oosterlaan Jaap , Heslenfeld Dirk , Franke Barbara , Buitelaar Jan , Arias-Vasquez Alejandro , Liu Jingyu , Turner Jessica A.
Published: December 2019

Gray matter disruptions have been found consistently in Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The organization of these alterations into brain structural networks remains largely unexplored. We investigated 508 participants (281 males) with ADHD (N = 210), their unaffected siblings (N = 108), individuals with subthreshold ADHD (N = 49), and unrelated healthy controls (N = 141) with an age range from 7 – 18 years old from 336 families in the Dutch NeuroIMAGE project. Source based morphometry was used to examine structural brain network alterations and their association with symptoms and cognitive performance. Two networks showed significant reductions in individuals with ADHD compared to unrelated healthy controls after False Discovery Rate correction. Component A, mainly located in bilateral Crus I, showed a case/control difference with sub-clinical cases being intermediate between cases and controls. The unaffected siblings were similar to controls. After correcting for IQ and medication status, component A showed a negative correlation with inattention symptoms across the entire sample. Component B included a maximum cluster in the bilateral insula, where unaffected siblings, similar to cases, showed significantly reduced loadings compared to controls; but no relationship with individual symptoms or cognitive measures was found for component B. This multivariate approach suggests that areas reflecting genetic liability within ADHD are partly separate from those areas modulating symptom severity.
Excess Centrosomes Disrupt Vascular Lumenization and Endothelial Cell Adherens Junctions
Authors: Buglak Danielle B , Kushner Erich J , Marvin Allison P , Davis Katy L , Bautch Victoria L
Published: December 2019

Proper blood vessel formation requires coordinated changes in endothelial cell polarity and rearrangement of cell-cell junctions to form a functional lumen. One important regulator of cell polarity is the centrosome, which acts as a microtubule organizing center. Excess centrosomes perturb aspects of endothelial cell polarity linked to migration, but whether centrosome number influences apical-basal polarity and cell-cell junctions is unknown. Here, we show that excess centrosomes alter the apical-basal polarity of endothelial cells in angiogenic sprouts and disrupt endothelial cell-cell adherens junctions. Endothelial cells with excess centrosomes had narrower lumens in a 3D sprouting angiogenesis model, and zebrafish intersegmental vessels had reduced perfusion following centrosome overduplication. These results indicate that endothelial cell centrosome number regulates proper lumenization downstream of effects on apical-basal polarity and cell-cell junctions. Endothelial cells with excess centrosomes are prevalent in tumor vessels, suggesting how centrosomes may contribute to tumor vessel dysfunction.
COMUNET: a tool to explore and visualize intercellular communication
Authors: Solovey Maria , Scialdone Antonio
Published: December 2019

Intercellular communication plays an essential role in multicellular organisms and several algorithms to analyse it from single-cell transcriptional data have been recently published, but the results are often hard to visualize and interpret. We developed COMUNET (Cell cOMmunication exploration with MUltiplex NETworks), a tool that streamlines the interpretation of the results from cell-cell communication analyses. COMUNET uses multiplex networks to represent and cluster all potential communication pathways between cell types. The algorithm also enables the search for specific patterns of communication and can perform comparative analysis between two biological conditions.

To exemplify its use, here we apply COMUNET to investigate cell communication patterns in single-cell transcriptomic datasets from mouse embryos and from an acute myeloid leukemia patient at diagnosis and after treatment. Our algorithm is available on GitHub, along with all the code to perform the analysis reported.
Profiling and structural analysis of cardenolides in two species of Digitalis using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Ravi Baradwaj Gopal , Guardian Mary Grace E. , Dickman Rebecca , Wang Zhen Q.
Published: December 2019

Plants of theDigitalisgenus contain a cocktail of cardenolides commonly prescribed to treat heart failure. Cardenolides inDigitalisextracts have been conventionally quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography yet the lack of structural information compounded with possible co-eluents renders this method insufficient for analyzing cardenolides in plants. The goal of this work is to structurally characterize cardiac glycosides in fresh-leaf extracts using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) that provides exact masses. Fragmentation of cardenolides is featured by sequential loss of sugar units while the steroid aglycon moieties undergo stepwise elimination of hydroxyl groups, which distinguishes different aglycones. The sequence of elution follows diginatigenin→digoxigenin→gitoxigenin→gitaloxigenin→digitoxigenin for cardenolides with the same sugar units but different aglycones using a reverse-phase column. A linear range of 0.8-500 ng g−1has been achieved for digoxigenin,β-acetyldigoxin, and digitoxigenin with limits of detection ranging from 0.09 to 0.45 ng g−1. A total of 17 cardenolides have been detected with lanatoside A, C, and E as major cardenolides inDigitalis lanatawhile 7 have been found inDigitalis purpureaincluding purpurea glycoside A, B, and E. Surprisingly, glucodigifucoside inD. lanataand verodoxin and digitoxigenin fucoside inD. purpureahave also been found as major cardenolides. As the first MS/MS-based method developed for analyzing cardenolides in plant extracts, this method serves as a foundation for complete identification and accurate quantification of cardiac glycosides, a necessary step towards understanding the biosynthesis of cardenolide in plants.
Identification of a functional small non-coding RNA encoded by African swine fever virus
Authors: Dunn Laura E. M. , Ivens Alasdair , Netherton Christopher L. , Chapman David A. G. , Beard Philippa M.
Published: December 2019

African swine fever virus(ASFV) causes a lethal haemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs, to which there is no vaccine available. ASFV has a large, double-stranded DNA genome that encodes over 150 proteins. Replication takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell and involves complex interactions with host cellular components including small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs). A number of DNA viruses are known to manipulate sncRNA either by encoding their own or disrupting host sncRNA. In order to investigate the interplay between ASFV and sncRNAs, study of host and viral small RNAs extracted from ASFV-infected primary porcine macrophages (PAMs) was undertaken. We discovered that ASFV infection had only a modest effect on host miRNAs, with only 6 miRNAs differentially expressed during infection. The data also revealed 3 potential novel small RNAs encoded by ASFV, ASFVsRNA1-3. Further investigation of ASFVsRNA2 detected it in lymphoid tissue from pigs with ASF. Overexpression of ASFVsRNA2 led to up to a 1 log reduction in ASFV growth indicating that ASFV utilises a virally-encoded small RNA to disrupt its own replication. This study describes the modest impact of ASFV on host sncRNAs and the identification of a functional ASFV-encoded sncRNA.

Importance

African swine fever (ASF) poses a major threat to pig populations and food security worldwide. The disease is endemic in Africa and Eastern Europe and rapidly emerging into Asia where it has led to the deaths of millions of pigs in the past 12 months. The development of safe and effective vaccines to protect pigs against ASF has been hindered by lack of understanding of the complex interactions between ASFV and the host cell. We focused our work on characterising the interactions between ASFV and sncRNAs. We found only modest changes to host sncRNA abundance after ASFV infection, and discovered a functional ASFV-encoded sncRNA. The knowledge from this study can be exploited to develop more effective ASFV vaccines that take advantage of the sncRNA system.
Regulatory asymmetry in the negative single-input module network motif: Role of network size, growth rate and binding affinity
Authors: Ali Md Zulfikar , Parisutham Vinuselvi , Choubey Sandeep , Brewster Robert C.
Published: December 2019

The single-input module (SIM) is a regulatory motif capable of coordinating gene expression across functionally related genes. We explore the relationship between regulation of the central autoregulated TF in a negatively regulated SIM and the target genes using a synthetic biology approach paired with stochastic simulations. Surprisingly, we find a fundamental asymmetry in the level of regulation experienced by the TF gene and its targets, even if they have identical regulatory DNA; the TF gene experiences stronger repression than its targets. This asymmetry is not predicted from deterministic modeling of the system but is revealed from corresponding stochastic simulations. The magnitude of asymmetry depends on factors such as the number of targets in the SIM, TF degradation rate (or growth rate) and TF binding affinity. Beyond implications for SIM motifs, the influence of network connectivity on regulatory levels highlights an interesting challenge for predictive models of gene regulation.
Conceptual models of entrainment, jet-lag, and seasonality
Authors: Tokuda Isao T. , Schmal Christoph , Ananthasubramaniam Bharath , Herzel Hanspeter
Published: December 2019

Understanding entrainment of circadian rhythms is a central goal of chronobiology. Many factors, such as period, amplitude, Zeitgeber strength, and day-length, govern entrainment ranges and the phase of entrainment. Using global optimization, we derive conceptual models with just three free parameters (period, amplitude, relaxation rate) that reproduce known phenotypic features of vertebrate clocks: relatively small phase response curves (PRCs), fast re-entrainment after jet-lag, and seasonal variability to track light onset or offset. Since optimization found multiple sets of model parameters, we can study this model ensemble to gain insight into the underlying design principles. We find that amplitudes control the size of PRCs, that fast relaxation supports short jet-lag, and that specific periods allow reasonable seasonal phase shifts. Arnold onions of representative models visualize strong dependencies of entrainment on periods, relative Zeitgeber strength, and photoperiod.
Role of social and organizational support in the adjustment of Tunisian self-initiated expatriates
Authors: Khedher Hajer , Asadullah Muhammad Ali
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the lived experiences of Tunisian self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) for social and organizational support that they experienced during their international expatriation assignment in a host country.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a qualitative research. The data were collected from Tunisian Expatriates through semi-structured interviews.

Findings

This study has revealed diverse some interesting insights about the lived experiences of Tunisian SIEs about the support which they received from their family members, social network and members of the host-country organization. This study has also introduced a scale that can be used for measuring the level of social and organizational support received by SIEs.

Practical implications

This study has offered some implications for the researchers and professionals to advance research and practice to regulate the lived experiences of SIEs.

Originality/value

This study has highlighted the lived experiences of SIEs for social and organizational support in the Tunisian context representing the collectivist Muslim society.
A three-dimensional one-layer particle level set method
Authors: Zhao LanHao , Mu Kailong , Mao Jia , Hongvan Khuc , Peng Dawei
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Moving interface problems exist commonly in nature and industry, and the main difficulty is to represent the interface. The purpose of this paper is to capture the accurate interface, a novel three-dimensional one-layer particle level set (OPLS) method is presented by introducing Lagrangian particles to reconstruct the seriously distorted level set function.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the interface is captured by the level set method. Then, the interface is corrected with only one-layer particles advected with the flow to ensure that the level set function value of the particle is equal to 0. When interfaces are merged, all particles in merged regions are deleted, while the added particles near the generated interface are used to determine the interface as the interface is separated.

Findings

The OPLS method is validated with well-known benchmark examples, such as the long-term advection of a sphere, the rotation of a three-dimensional slotted disk and sphere, single vortex in a box, sphere merging and separation, deformation of a sphere. The simulation results indicate that the proposed method is found to be highly reliable and accurate.

Originality/value

This method exhibits excellent conservation of the area bounded by the interface. The extraordinary performance is also shown in dealing with complex interface topological changes.
Clinical features and treatment of epidermal growth factor inhibitor‐related late‐phase papulopustular rash
Authors: Tohyama Mikiko , Hamada Makoto , Harada Daijiro , Kozuki Toshiyuki , Nogami Naoyuki , Monden Nobuya , Kajiwara Takeshi , Nishina Tomohiro
Published: December 2019

Papulopustular rash, an acneiform rash, appears on the seborrheic region during the first to second week of treatment with an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRi). The rash gradually disappears after the fourth week; however, it persists or newly develops in other regions during EGFRi treatment. Because Staphylococcus aureus is frequently isolated from late‐phase papulopustular rash, we assessed the incidence of bacterial infection and treatment outcomes of patients with late‐phase papulopustular rash. Sixty‐four cases treated with an EGFRi over 4 weeks who presented with papulopustular rash were assessed retrospectively. The median duration of EGFR inhibitor treatment was 5 months. Grade 2 and 3 papulopustular rash was observed in 47 and eight cases, respectively. Bacterial culture was performed in 51 cases, 50 of which yielded positive results: methicillin‐sensitive S. aureus in 29, methicillin‐resistant S. aureus in 14, Staphylococcus species in five, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in three, and other in four cases. Of the S. aureus isolates, 42% were resistant to minocycline and 40% to levofloxacin. After treatment with topical and/or oral antibiotics without topical corticosteroids, the papulopustular rash rapidly improved by an average of 2.9 ± 3.4 weeks. However, use of a combination of antibiotics and a topical corticosteroid prolonged the recovery period to an average of 18.9 ± 11.4 weeks. In conclusion, folliculitis that develops over 4 weeks after the initiation of EGFRi treatment is typically caused by staphylococcal infection. Bacterial culture is necessary due to the high rate of antibiotic resistance. It is important to distinguish late‐ from early‐phase papulopustular rash and to treat using different approaches.
Clinical characteristics and survival of 413 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in southeastern areas of South Korea: A multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: Koh Jung Hee , Park Eun‐Kyoung , Lee Han‐Na , Kim Yunkyung , Kim Geun‐Tae , Suh Young Sun , Kim Hyun‐Ok , Lee Seung‐Geun
Published: December 2019

Aims

To investigate demographic, clinical, laboratory, and immunological characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in southeastern areas of South Korea, and to perform survival analysis.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 413 patients with SLE diagnosed in 3 tertiary rheumatology centers in South Korea from 1992 to 2016 by reviewing their medical charts. All patients fulfilled the 1997 revised American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for SLE.

Results

Most patients were women (92%), and the mean (±standard deviation) age at diagnosis was 30.9 (±12.9) years. The most common clinical manifestation was leukopenia (74.3%), followed by lymphopenia (73.6%), arthritis (59.1%), malar rash (48.4%), thrombocytopenia (46.5%), oral ulcer (35.1%), and biopsy‐proven lupus nephritis (31.2%). Anti‐nuclear, anti‐double‐stranded DNA, anti‐Smith, and anti‐Ro antibodies were positive in 97.8%, 70.1%, 38.4%, and 63% of patients, respectively. Twenty (4.8%) patients died during a median follow‐up of 83 months, and the cumulative 5‐year and 10‐year survival rates were 96.9% and 95.5%, respectively. The major causes of death were infection (50%) and lupus flare‐up (50%). Male (hazards ratio [HR] = 7.19, P = .001), pleuritis and/or pericarditis (HR = 3.28, P = .012), childhood‐onset (HR = 3.57, P = .012), and late‐onset (HR = 4.65, P = .011) were independent risk factors for death. Compared with SLE cohorts in other ethnicities or countries, our patients tended to have a higher frequency of anti‐Ro antibodies and hematologic disorders.

Conclusion

This study describes clinical features of SLE in South Korea and suggests a remarkable phenotypic heterogeneity of SLE.
The FrogPhone: A novel device for real‐time frog call monitoring
Authors: Garrido Sanchis Adrian , Bertolelli Lorenzo , Maria Hoefer Anke , Yebra Alvarez Marta , Munasinghe Kumudu
Published: December 2019

Auditory surveys are instrumental for a range of absent–present studies of vocal species. However, they are generally time and resource‐intensive.

To keep the cost of time and travel associated with auditory surveys at a minimum, we have developed a device, the FrogPhone, for remote monitoring. The system simulates the main features of a phone device working within the 3G/4G Cellular network frequencies or a satellite network.

By dialling up the invention, the user can conduct an auditory survey in real time and obtain environmental data (e.g. water and air temperature) through a text message sent to his mobile phone.

The FrogPhone allows extending auditory survey projects while decreasing overall project costs and enable surveys that previously were too costly.
ProtASR2: Ancestral reconstruction of protein sequences accounting for folding stability
Authors: Arenas Miguel , Bastolla Ugo
Published: December 2019

The ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) is a molecular evolution technique that provides applications to a variety of fields such as biotechnology and biomedicine. To infer ancestral sequences with realistic biological properties, the accuracy of ASR methods is crucial. We previously developed an ASR framework for proteins, called ProtASR, which is based on our site‐specific stability‐constrained substitution (SCS) model with selection on protein folding stability against both unfolding and misfolding. This model improved the empirical substitution models traditionally applied in ASR without increasing the computational complexity. However, it adopted a global exchangeability matrix, an approximation that we overcome here by considering site‐specific exchangeability matrices based on the Halpern–Bruno approach.

Here we present ProtASR2, a new version of our ASR framework that implements novel SCS models of protein evolution, namely mean‐field (MF) and wild‐type (WT).

ProtASR2 under MF and WT SCS models outperforms empirical models and previous SCS models in terms of goodness of fit and site‐specific distributions of amino acids. Importantly, the framework infers ancestral sequences with more realistic predicted folding stability with respect to simulated sequences, while empirical, CAT and other SCS models tend to overestimate the folding stability. We applied ProtASR2 to explore the evolution of two protein families present in diverse Prokaryota and found fluctuations of protein stability over time in both families. ProtASR2 is available from https://github.com/miguelarenas/protasr and the new SCS models are also available from https://github.com/ugobas/protevol.

Use of ProtASR2 will allow more realistic inferences of ancestral proteins in terms of folding stability with respect to those based on traditional empirical and CAT substitution models of protein evolution.
Alcohol Intake in Early Pregnancy and Spontaneous Preterm Birth: A Cohort Study
Authors: Weile Louise Katrine Kjær , Hegaard Hanne Kirstine , Wu Chunsen , Tabor Ann , Wolf Hanne Trap , Kesmodel Ulrik Schiøler , Henriksen Tine Brink , Nohr Ellen Aagaard
Published: December 2019

Background

Limited research has addressed whether maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy increases the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. In the current study, we examined how alcohol binge drinking and weekly alcohol intake in early pregnancy were associated with spontaneous preterm birth in a contemporary cohort of Danish women.

Methods

We included 15,776 pregnancies of 14,894 women referred to antenatal care at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, between 2012 and 2016. Self‐reported alcohol intake in early pregnancy was obtained from a Web‐based questionnaire completed prior to the women’s first visit at the department. Information on spontaneous preterm birth was extracted from the Danish Medical Birth Register. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of spontaneous preterm birth according to self‐reported alcohol binge drinking and weekly intake of alcohol in early pregnancy were derived from Cox regression.

Results

Women reporting 1, 2, and ≥ 3 binge drinking episodes had an aHR for spontaneous preterm birth of 0.88 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.14), 1.34 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.82), and 0.93 (95% CI 0.62 to 1.41), respectively, compared to women with no binge drinking episodes. Women who reported an intake of ≥ 1 drink per week on average had an aHR for spontaneous preterm birth of 1.09 (95% CI 0.63 to 1.89) compared to abstainers. When restricting to nulliparous women or cohabiting women with ≥ 3 years of higher education, this estimate was 1.28 (95% CI 0.69 to 2.40) and 1.20 (95% CI 0.67 to 2.15), respectively.

Conclusion

We found no evidence that maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of spontaneous preterm birth, neither for alcohol binge drinking nor for a low average weekly intake of alcohol.
Methotrexate in the treatment of paediatric alopecia areata: Retrospective case series and updated meta‐analysis
Authors: Phan Kevin , Lee Geoffrey , Fischer Gayle
Published: December 2019

Background/Objectives

There is a paucity of data regarding the efficacy and safety of methotrexate (MTX) in childhood alopecia areata (AA), particularly in an Australasian cohort. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of MTX in childhood AA based on our institutional experience.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed from patients treated by a consultant dermatologist. Consecutive children with AA treated with MTX seen between 2010 and 2019 were analysed. A meta‐analysis of proportions was conducted for response rates, recurrences and complications of reported data in the literature.

Results

Overall, 7 cases (70%) achieved treatment success whilst on MTX treatment. The remainder of cases were considered treatment failures. These were three children with partial regrowth with persistent patches on the scalp. No serious side effects were reported. Two cases experienced nausea or vomiting after MTX administration which was transient. Pooled meta‐analysis showed success rates of 49.7%, recurrences in 30% and side effects in 15.7% of cases.

Conclusions

Overall, this study shows that methotrexate for paediatric AA in an Australian context was beneficial for the majority of cases assessed and had minimal adverse effects. We propose that such treatment should not be ruled out in the paediatric population.
Subphenotypes of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory disease‐exacerbated respiratory disease identified by latent class analysis
Authors: Celejewska‐Wójcik Natalia , Wójcik Krzysztof , Ignacak‐Popiel Maria , Ćmiel Adam , Tyrak Katarzyna , Gielicz Anna , Kania Aleksander , Nastałek Paweł , Sanak Marek , Mastalerz Lucyna
Published: December 2019

Background

Induced sputum (IS) allows to measure mediators of asthmatic inflammation in bronchial secretions. NSAID‐exacerbated respiratory disease (NERD) is recognized as a distinct asthma phenotype, usually with a severe course, eosinophilic airway inflammation, and increased production of pro‐inflammatory eicosanoids. A more insightful analysis of NERD patients has shown this phenotype to be nonhomogeneous.

Objective

We aimed to identify possible subphenotypes in a cohort of NERD patients with the means of latent class analysis (LCA).

Methods

A total of 95 asthma patients with aspirin hypersensitivity underwent sputum induction. High‐performance liquid chromatography or gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to profile eicosanoids in induced sputum supernatant (ISS). Sixteen variables covering clinical characteristics, IS inflammatory cells, and eicosanoids were considered in the LCA.

Results

Three classes (subphenotypes) were distinguished within the NERD cohort. Class 1 subjects had mild‐to‐moderate asthma, an almost equal distribution of inflammatory cell patterns, the lowest concentrations of eicosanoids, and logLTE4/logPGE2 ratio. Class 2 represented severe asthma with impaired lung function despite high doses of steroids. High sputum eosinophilia was in line with higher pro‐inflammatory LTE4 in ISS and the highest logLTE4/logPGE2 ratio. Class 3 subjects had mild‐to‐moderate asthma and were also characterized by eosinophilic airway inflammation, yet increased production of pro‐ (LTE4, PGD2 and 11‐dehydro‐TBX2) was balanced by anti‐inflammatory PGE2. The value of logLTE4/logPGE2 was between values calculated for classes 1 and 3, similarly to disease control and severity.

Conclusions

LCA revealed three distinct NERD subphenotypes. Our results support a more complex pathobiology of aspirin hypersensitivity. Considering NERD heterogeneity, the relationship between inflammatory pathways and clinical manifestations of asthma may lead to more individualized treatment in difficult to treat patients in the future.
Reliability of gastric suctioning compared with ultrasound assessment of residual gastric volume: a prospective multicentre cohort study
Authors: Bouvet L. , Zieleskiewicz L. , Loubradou E. , Alain A. , Morel J. , Argaud L. , Chassard D. , Leone M. , Allaouchiche B. ,   the AzuRea CAR'Echo collaborative networks
Published: December 2019

We aimed to compare the reliability of aspiration via a nasogastric tube with ultrasound for assessment of residual gastric volume. Sixty‐one adult patients who were mechanically ventilated and received continuous enteral feeding through a nasogastric tube for > 48 h were included. A first qualitative and quantitative ultrasound examination of the gastric antrum was followed by gastric suctioning, performed by an operator blinded to the result of the ultrasound examination. A second ultrasound examination was performed thereafter, followed by re‐injection of the aspirated gastric contents (≤ 250 ml) into the stomach. A third ultrasound assessment was then immediately performed. If the suctioned volume was ≥ 250 ml, 250 mg erythromycin was infused over 30 min. A fourth ultrasound was performed 90 min after the third. Sixty (98%) patients had a qualitatively assessed full stomach at first ultrasound examination vs. 52 (85%) after gastric suctioning (p = 0.016). The calculated gastric volume significantly decreased after gastric suctioning, without a significant decrease in the number of patients with volume ≥ 250 ml. Four of the nine patients with calculated gastric volume ≥ 250 ml had vomiting within the last 24 h (p = 0.013). The antral cross‐sectional area significantly decreased between the third and the fourth ultrasound examination (p = 0.015). Erythromycin infusion did not make a significant difference to gastric volume (n = 10). Our results demonstrate that gastric suctioning is not a reliable tool for monitoring residual gastric volume. Gastric ultrasound is a feasible and promising tool for gastric volume monitoring in clinical practice.
Next‐generation sequencing for measurable residual disease detection in acute myeloid leukaemia
Authors: Ghannam Jack , Dillon Laura W. , Hourigan Christopher S.
Published: December 2019

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a blood cancer characterized by acquired genetic mutations. There is great interest in accurately establishing measurable residual disease (MRD) burden in AML patients in remission after treatment but at risk of relapse. However, inter‐ and intrapatient genetic diversity means that, unlike in the chronic myeloid and acute promyelocytic leukaemias, no single genetic abnormality is pathognomonic for all cases of AML MRD. Next‐generation sequencing offers the opportunity to test broadly and deeply for potential genetic evidence of residual AML, and while not currently accepted for such use clinically, is likely to be increasingly used for AML MRD testing in the future.
Bird communities across varying landcover types in a Neotropical city
Authors: Hayes William Michael , Fisher Jessica Claris , Pierre Meshach Andres , Bicknell Jake Emmerson , Davies Zoe Georgina
Published: December 2019

Urbanization poses a serious threat to local biodiversity, yet towns and cities with abundant natural features may harbor important species populations and communities. While the contribution of urban greenspaces to conservation has been demonstrated by numerous studies within temperate regions, few consider the bird communities associated with different landcovers in Neotropical cities. To begin to fill this knowledge gap, we examined how the avifauna of a wetland city in northern Amazonia varied across six urban landcover types (coastal bluespace; urban bluespace; managed greenspace; unmanaged greenspace; dense urban; and sparse urban). We measured detections, species richness, and a series of ground cover variables that characterized the heterogeneity of each landcover, at 114 locations across the city. We recorded >10% (98) of Guyana's bird species in Georgetown, including taxa of conservation interest. Avian detections, richness, and community composition differed with landcover type. Indicator species analysis identified 29 species from across dietary guilds, which could be driving community composition. Comparing landcovers, species richness was highest in managed greenspaces and lowest in dense urban areas. The canal network had comparable levels of species richness to greenspaces. The waterways are likely to play a key role in enhancing habitat connectivity as they traverse densely urbanized areas. Both species and landcover information should be integrated into urban land‐use planning in the rapidly urbanizing Neotropics to maximize the conservation value of cities. This is imperative in the tropics, where anthropogenic pressures on species are growing significantly, and action needs to be taken to prevent biodiversity collapse.
Cutaneous crospovidone reaction secondary to subcutaneous injection of buprenorphine
Authors: Marka Arthur , Hoyt Brian S. , Dagrosa Alicia T. , Barton Dorothea T. , Kim Andrew , Linos Konstantinos , Yan Shaofeng
Published: December 2019

Crospovidone is an insoluble pharmaceutical disintegrant that has been implicated in a rare foreign body reaction in injection drug users, classically associated with pulmonary angiothrombosis. We recently reported the first known cases of cutaneous crospovidone deposition. We herein report two additional cases with unique clinicopathologic manifestations, both in the setting of suspected injection drug abuse. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive overview of the distinct histomorphology and reproducible histochemistry of crospovidone.
Cerebral blood flow in 5‐ to 8‐month‐olds: Regional tissue maturity is associated with infant affect
Authors: Catalina Camacho M. , King Lucy S. , Ojha Amar , Garcia Cheyenne M. , Sisk Lucinda M. , Cichocki Anna C. , Humphreys Kathryn L. , Gotlib Ian H.
Published: December 2019

Infancy is marked by rapid neural and emotional development. The relation between brain function and emotion in infancy, however, is not well understood. Methods for measuring brain function predominantly rely on the BOLD signal; however, interpretation of the BOLD signal in infancy is challenging because the neuronal‐hemodynamic relation is immature. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) provides a context for the infant BOLD signal and can yield insight into the developmental maturity of brain regions that may support affective behaviors. This study aims to elucidate the relations among rCBF, age, and emotion in infancy. One hundred and seven mothers reported their infants' (infant age M ± SD = 6.14 ± 0.51 months) temperament. A subsample of infants completed MRI scans, 38 of whom produced usable perfusion MRI during natural sleep to quantify rCBF. Mother‐infant dyads completed the repeated Still‐Face Paradigm, from which infant affect reactivity and recovery to stress were quantified. We tested associations of infant age at scan, temperament factor scores, and observed affect reactivity and recovery with voxel‐wise rCBF. Infant age was positively associated with CBF in nearly all voxels, with peaks located in sensory cortices and the ventral prefrontal cortex, supporting the formulation that rCBF is an indicator of tissue maturity. Temperamental Negative Affect and recovery of positive affect following a stressor were positively associated with rCBF in several cortical and subcortical limbic regions, including the orbitofrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus. This finding yields insight into the nature of affective neurodevelopment during infancy. Specifically, infants with relatively increased prefrontal cortex maturity may evidence a disposition toward greater negative affect and negative reactivity in their daily lives yet show better recovery of positive affect following a social stressor.
Modelling considerations for stress intensity factor solutions at pin‐loaded holes
Authors: Sobotka James C. , McClung R. Craig
Published: December 2019

This work summarizes investigations into stress intensity factor solutions for straight, through cracks at pin‐loaded holes in thin sheets. As shown in this work, several assumptions contribute to the fidelity of a stress intensity factor solution that includes the distribution of contact pressure on the pin‐hole interface, the friction coefficient at the pin‐hole interface, the crack initiation angle, and stiffness mismatch. These assumptions lead to higher or lower stress intensity factor solutions as demonstrated by results generated from advanced finite element analyses of the relevant geometries. Results shown here contribute to the development of a realistic and conservative set of assumptions for stress intensity factor solutions. Conclusions drawn from this work are applicable to cracks originating at pin‐loaded holes in plates and lugs.
Welsh‐language prestige in adolescents: attitudes in the heartlands
Authors: Price Abigail Ruth , Tamburelli Marco
Published: December 2019

We investigate covert attitudes towards Welsh and English as a medium of informal communication among L1 Welsh‐English bilingual adolescents. We collected quantitative data using an adaptation of the Matched‐Guise technique, testing measures of social attractiveness within youth culture via an indirect method. A total of thirty‐five adolescents took part in this study. We perform a 2 (language: Welsh /English) × 2 (register: high/low) × 2 (participant gender: male/female) mixed‐design ANOVA, with participant gender as the between‐subjects variable. Results show English rated more favourably than Welsh overall, with female participants rating Welsh guises significantly more highly than males. This lends empirical support to the perception of Welsh as a language of school and officialdom while English fulfils the language of leisure.
Oil, Polity, and Civil Society: The Construction of a Hegemonic System in Iraq (1945–1958)
Authors: Shuker Zeinab F. , Abrutyn Seth
Published: December 2019

Conventional theories of political economy assume that dependency on natural resources, such as oil, have a negative impact on the development of a democratic political system. While there is a developed body of work that explains the different mechanisms that shape this relationship, one mechanism, the role of the civil society, remains mostly ungrasped. As a result, the aim of this paper is to expand our understanding of the group formation effect, first discussed by Michael Ross (2001), and unpack the mechanisms that underline it, by looking at the relationship between rent from oil production, the civil society, and the rise of authoritarianism in Iraq during the period of 1945–1958. We argue that examining the relationship between these variables will help us understand the past and the current situation in Iraq, and it will improve our knowledge of the political formations and activism in oil‐producing countries in general.
Experimenting to Learn about Demand in Duopoly with Forward‐Looking Consumers
Authors: Ruiz‐Aliseda Francisco
Published: December 2019

Using a two‐period model, I show that competition between two symmetric duopolists trying to learn about unknown features of demand results in an informationally suboptimal process. Because a firm’s marginal return to price experimentation equals zero if the rival’s price is matched in the first period, myopic symmetric pricing arises in equilibrium even though a firm’s expected second‐period profit attains a local minimum. Furthermore, forward‐looking consumers suffer from ratcheting because their first‐period purchase decisions partly reveal their preferences, which exacerbates the informational suboptimality of the firms’ experimentation process without affecting their pricing. The role of firm asymmetries is also analyzed.
Network Effects, Bargaining Power, and Product Review Bias: Theory and Evidence
Authors: Hamami Tom
Published: December 2019

I construct a theoretical framework for expert product reviews and demonstrate how the existence of positive network effects can make review inflation profitable even when consumers are rational. This finding moreover suggests that product reviews may serve as a coordination mechanism for early adopters. In an empirical application to the video game journalism industry, I find evidence that reviews are inflated for games produced by large firms and for those that are part of pre‐existing game franchises. Additionally, I find variation in inflation across genres that would be inconsistent with common alternative theories of inflation, such as consumer naivete.
Patient satisfaction with occlusal scheme of conventional complete dentures
Authors: Moradpoor Hedaiat , Salari Fatemeh , Mosharraf Ramin , Raissi Sahar , Shirani Mohammadjavad
Published: December 2019

Occlusal scheme is a controversial topic that has been linked to patient satisfaction with conventional complete dentures (CCDs). This study aimed to compare the patient satisfaction with CCDs with four different occlusal schemes namely the lingualised occlusion (LO), buccalised occlusion (BO), fully bilateral balanced occlusion (FBBO) and partially group function occlusion (PGFO). In this clinical study, new CCDs were made for 121 patients; out of which, 97 patients (mean age of 57.87 ± 9.5 years) completed the 1‐year follow‐up. The CCD wearers were followed up at 1 month, 3 months and 1 year after CCD delivery. Data were collected via an interview and recorded in a checklist by a blinded examiner. The checklist included the demographic variables, the 19‐item version of Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients (OHIP‐EDENT), and seven 100‐mm line visual analogue scales (VASs) to assess the items related to patient satisfaction. The Kruskal‐Wallis and Friedman tests followed by post hoc tests were used to compare the variables among the 4 groups and between the 3 follow‐ups. P‐value ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant for all tests. The patients with BO presented higher satisfaction scores for comfort, stability and retention at the 1‐year follow‐up compared with PGFO. Both PGFO and FBBO groups had higher physical pain scores compared with BO and LO. The psychological discomfort scores of FBBO group were significantly higher than those in LO group. Pairwise comparisons revealed no significant differences in the general patient satisfaction and total OHIP‐EDENT scores between the 4 groups. For most items, within‐group analysis showed significant improvement of the satisfaction scores and reduction of domain scores over time.
Intra‐ and inter‐investigator reliabilities of oral moisture measured using an oral moisture‐checking device
Authors: Takano Tomofumi , Kugimiya Yoshihiro , Morita Kuniko , Tazawa Shiho , Ueda Takayuki , Sakurai Kaoru
Published: December 2019

Background

Oral mucosal moisture determined using oral moisture‐checking devices is used as a mouth dryness evaluation method. Such devices are capable of evaluating the state of mouth dryness in a simple manner and have applicability in a wide range of subjects; however, their intra‐ and inter‐investigator reliabilities have not yet been clarified.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the intra‐ and inter‐investigator reliabilities of measuring oral moisture using an oral moisture‐checking device for a wide range of age groups.

Methods

Intra‐ and inter‐investigator reliabilities were investigated in 28 young subjects and 19 older subjects aged ≥65 years. Three trained investigators independently measured oral mucosal moisture values using an oral moisture‐checking device. Intra‐investigator reliability was assessed using the coefficient of variation (CV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (1.1), and inter‐investigator reliability was assessed using ICC (2.1).

Results

Mean CV was 0.015 and 0.016, mean ICC (1.1) was 0.806 and 0.877, and ICC (2.1) was 0.873 and 0.829 in the young and older subjects, respectively.

Conclusion

In young subjects, the mean values of ICC (1.1) and ICC (2.1) of the oral moisture‐checking device were 0.806 and 0.873, respectively, whereas in older subjects, these values were 0.877 and 0.829, respectively. Thus, this confirms that the examination of oral mucosal moisture using the oral moisture‐checking device has sufficient intra‐ and inter‐investigator reliabilities for a wide range of age groups.
Insight into Informant Discrepancies Regarding Psychosexual Functioning of Adolescents with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Dekker Linda P. , Visser Kirsten , van der Vegt Esther J.M. , Maras Athanasios , van der Ende Jan , Tick Nouchka T. , Verhulst Frank C. , Greaves‐Lord Kirstin
Published: December 2019

The private nature of psychosexual functioning leads adolescents and their parents to have different perspectives, which highlights studying parent–child informant discrepancies in this domain. We investigated informant discrepancy in psychosexual functioning, using the self‐report and parent report versions of the Teen Transition Inventory (TTI), of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; 136 parent–child dyads) compared to adolescents from the general population (GP; 70 parent–child dyads). Significantly larger informant discrepancies exist in ASD dyads than GP dyads in most domains of psychosexual functioning, except for Body image, Sexual behavior, and Confidence in the future. It is important to use and pay attention to both informants, as discrepancies are relevant for both research and clinical practice regarding psychosexual functioning.
Effect of complete feed block with tree leaves rich in hydrolysable and condensed tannins on nutrient utilization, rumen fermentation and growth performance of lambs
Authors: Aderao Ganesh N. , Sahoo Artabandhu , Kumawat Pankaj Kumar , Bhatt Randhir Singh
Published: December 2019

Thirty lambs (Avishaan genotype, 10 weeks old, 14.0 ± 0.2 kg live weight) were randomly assigned into three equal treatment groups to study the effect of complete feed blocks (CFB; concentrate and roughage at 70:30 ratio) with three different tanniniferous tree leaves on intake and utilization of nutrients, rumen fermentation, microbial protein synthesis and growth performance. The treatments were T1 (Control), CFB1 with Vigna sinensis hay; T2, CFB2 with Acacia nilotica leaves rich in hydrolysable tannins (HT); and T3, CFB3 with Ziziphus nummularia leaves rich in condensed tannins (CT). The three CFBs were fed ad libitum to the respective groups of lambs for a period of 12 weeks. There was lower (p < .05) intake of dry matter (DM), total carbohydrates (TCHO) and fibre components in T2 compared with T1 and T3. However, the digestibility of nutrients except crude protein (CP) was higher in T2. Diet had no effect (p > .05) on the LW gain in lambs. Amongst the three groups, T3 showed enhanced N utilization with a comparable microbial protein synthesis, the lowest being in T2. The T2 group of lambs had higher propionate and lower non‐glucogenic: glucogenic short‐chain fatty acids ratio. It may be concluded that tanniniferous tree leaves at 30% of total mixed ration can meet the requirement of nutrients for desired post‐weaning growth.
Softness, elasticity, and smoothness characteristics of cooked udon noodles based on texture analysis
Authors: Li Qingqing , Obadi Mohammed , Qi Yajing , Liu Shuyi , Jiang Yiyi , Zhang Qian , Sun Jun , Jiang Song , Xu Bin
Published: December 2019

Objective evaluation methods for the elasticity, smoothness, and softness of cooked udon noodles were established on the basis of texture analysis. Noodles with different diameters and amylose contents were prepared to verify the reliability of the proposed evaluation methods. Results revealed that the elasticity of udon noodles could be examined by using the method that involved rinsing cooked noodles with 10°C cold water for 30 s and stretching a single strand of cooked noodle at 3 mm/s with an A/KIE probe until broken. The stiffness of the sample at 3.5 mm could be determined to indicate the elasticity caused by the size of dried udon noodles. The softness and smoothness of cooked udon noodles could be examined when cooled and drained for 30 s by using an heavy duty platform/pasta firmness/stickiness rig probe. The elasticity of cooked udon noodles increased as their diameter increased, and their smoothness and softness significantly increased as the amylose content decreased (p < .05). Texture analysis could be used to quickly and accurately indicate the elasticity, softness, and smoothness of cooked udon noodles. The texture characteristics of udon noodles were related to their formulation, processing, and size. Establishing an adaptability evaluation method for the quality of udon noodles is a prerequisite for optimizing processing technologies and developing new products. Thus far, limited research has focused on objective methods for evaluating the texture of cooked udon noodles. This work developed valuable instrumental methods for examining the elasticity, softness, and smoothness of cooked udon noodles and provided noodle manufacturers a tool for selecting udon noodle formulations and processing technology based on texture analysis.