bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural transformation away from agriculture in growing open economies
Authors: Anderson Kym , Ponnusamy Sundar
Published: September 2022

Understanding how and why economies structurally transform away from agriculture as they grow is crucial for developing sensible growth strategies and farm and food policies. Typically, analysts who study this and related structural change issues focus on sectoral shares of gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. This article draws on trade theory to focus as well on exports. It also notes that the trade costs of some products are too high at early stages of development to make international trade profitable, so a nontradables sector is recognized. The general equilibrium model presented in the theory section provides hypotheses about structural transformation in differently endowed open economies as they grow. Those hypotheses are tested econometrically with a new annual endowments dataset covering 1995–2018 for more than 130 countries. The results are consistent with long run de‐agriculturalization in the course of national economic growth in terms not only of sectoral shares of GDP and employment but also of exports. We find those shares are not significantly affected by either differences across countries in relative factor endowments or relative rates of sectoral assistance from government; but the agricultural GDP and employment shares are higher the higher is the share of agriculture in national exports.
The art of unnoticing
Authors: LOU LORETTA IENG TAK
Published: September 2022

In China many petrochemical plants are adjacent to residential areas. Despite this, the people who live in these areas appear indifferent to the threat of toxic pollution and chemical explosions, even though they are aware of the danger. Building on historical and social studies of ignorance, I show how residents in a southern Chinese city live with the threat of petrochemicals by practicing what I call the “art of unnoticing,” a contrived form of ignorance that enables them to live with the reality of pollution and reclaim their agency in face of the unavoidable. In light of this, I reflect on the limit and complexity of the global environmental justice when willful ignorance is at work. The next step forward is to understand what it is that people are unnoticing, as well as what unnoticing can do to people's lifeworlds. [ignorance, toxicity, chemicals, risk perception, industrial pollution, fenceline communities, environmental justice, fatalism, China]
The clinical effect of WeChat‐based MUST education model on patients with chronic heart failure
Authors: Liu Qianqian , Jiang Chunmei , Xu Xujuan , Kang Qun , Chu Xiaohong
Published: September 2022

Objective

To explore the effect of WeChat‐based MUST nursing intervention on self‐care ability and quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure.

Method

Convenient sampling was used to select CHF patients who received treatment in XX Hospital from January 1, 2020, to December 30, 2020, as the study subjects and was divided into the experimental group (n = 60) and the control group (n = 60) according to the random number table. The experimental group used the WeChat‐based MUST nursing intervention, and the control group used the routine education and follow‐up model. Cardiac function parameters, self‐care ability, and other indicators were compared between the two groups before and after nursing. The clinical effect of two groups was evaluated.

Results

After the nursing intervention, LVEF levels were increased to different extents and NT‐proBNP was decreased to different extents in both groups. LVEF level in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group, and the NT‐proBNP level in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group. After the nursing intervention, the self‐care ability and quality of life of the two groups were increased to varying degrees. Self‐care ability was higher in the experimental group than in the control group, and quality of life was higher in the experimental group than in the control group.

Conclusion

The WeChat‐based MUST nursing intervention model in patients with chronic heart failure, compared with the conventional cardiology nursing model, can effectively improve the self‐care ability of patients, improve the knowledge level and quality of life of patients with heart failure, and reduce the readmission rate.
Microvolt T‐wave alternans in early repolarization syndrome associated with ventricular arrhythmias: A case report
Authors: Tondas Alexander Edo , Batubara Edwin Adhi Darmawan , Sari Novi Yanti , Marcantoni Ilaria , Burattini Laura
Published: September 2022

Despite early repolarization (ER) syndrome being usually considered benign, its association with severe/malignant ventricular arrhythmias (VA) was also reported. Microvolt T‐wave alternans (MTWA) is an electrocardiographic marker for the development of VA, but its role in ER syndrome remains unknown. A 90‐second 6‐lead electrocardiogram from an ER syndrome patient, acquired with the Kardia recorder, was analyzed by the enhanced adaptive matched filter for MTWA quantification. On average, MTWA was 50 μV, higher than what was previously observed on healthy subjects using the same method. In our ER syndrome patient, MTWA plays a potential role in VA development in ER syndrome.
Trends in labor induction indications: A 20‐year population‐based study
Authors: Swift Emma M. , Gunnarsdottir Johanna , Zoega Helga , Bjarnadottir Ragnheidur I. , Steingrimsdottir Thora , Einarsdottir Kristjana
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Use of labor induction has increased rapidly in most middle‐ and high‐income countries over the past decade. The reasons for the stark rise in labor induction are largely unknown. We aimed to assess the extent to which the rising rate of labor induction is explained by changes in rates of underlying indications over time.

Material and methods

The study was based on nationwide data from the Icelandic Medical Birth Register on 85 620 singleton births from 1997 to 2018. The rate of labor induction and indications for induction was calculated for all singleton births in 1997–2018. Change over time was expressed as relative risk (RR), using Poisson regression with 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for maternal characteristics and indications for labor induction.

Results

The crude rate of labor induction rose from 12.5% in 1997–2001 to 23.9% in 2014–2018 (crude RR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.81–2.01). While adjusting for maternal characteristics had little impact, adjusting additionally for labor induction indications lowered the RR to 1.43 (95% CI 1.35–1.51). Induction was increasingly indicated from 1997–2001 to 2014–2018 by gestational diabetes (2.4%–16.5%), hypertensive disorders (7.0%–11.1%), prolonged pregnancy (16.2%–23.7%), concerns for maternal wellbeing (3.2%–6.9%) and maternal age (0.5%–1.2%). No indication was registered for 9.2% of inductions in 2014–2018 compared with 16.3% in 1997–2001.

Conclusions

Our results show that the increase in labor induction over the study period is largely explained by an increase in various underlying conditions indicating labor induction. However, indications for 9.2% of labor inductions remain unexplained and warrant further investigation.
Microembolic signal monitoring in patients with HeartMate 3 and HeartWare left ventricular assist devices: Association with antithrombotic treatment and cerebrovascular events
Authors: Ravenberg Kim Kristin , Gabriel Maria Magdalena , Leotescu Andrei , Tran Anh Thu , Grosse Gerrit Maximilian , Schuppner Ramona , Ernst Johanna , Lichtinghagen Ralf , Tiede Andreas , Werwitzke Sonja , Bara Christoph Leon , Schmitto Jan Dieter , Weissenborn Karin , Hanke Jasmin Sarah , Worthmann Hans
Published: September 2022

Background

In patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke are dreaded complications. Predictive markers for these events are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and predictive value of microembolic signals (MES) for stroke, detected by Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) in patients with HeartMate 3 (HM 3) or HeartWare (HW).

Methods

A thirty‐minute bilateral TCD monitoring of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was performed in 62 outpatients with LVAD (HM 3 N = 31, HW N = 31) and 31 healthy controls. Prevalence and quantity of MES were investigated regarding clinical and laboratory parameters. Cerebrovascular events (CVE) were recorded on follow‐up at 90 and 180 days.

Results

MES were detected in six patients with HM 3, three patients with HW, and three controls. Within the LVAD groups, patients on monotherapy with vitamin‐K‐antagonist (VKA) without antiplatelet therapy were at risk for a higher count of MES (negative binomial regression: VKA: 1; VKA + ASA: Exp(B) = 0.005, 95%CI 0.001–0.044; VKA + clopidogrel: Exp(B) = 0.012, 95%CI 0.002–0.056). There was no association between the presence of MES and CVE or death on follow‐up (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

For the first time, the prevalence of MES was prospectively investigated in a notable outpatient cohort of patients with HM 3 and HW. Despite optimized properties of the latest LVAD, MES remain detectable depending on antithrombotic therapy. No association between MES and CVE could be detected.
μRate: An online dose rate calculator for trapped charge dating
Authors: Tudyka Konrad , Koruszowic Michał , Osadnik Rafał , Adamiec Grzegorz , Moska Piotr , Szymak Agnieszka , Bluszcz Andrzej , Zhang Junjie , Kolb Thomas , Poręba Grzegorz
Published: September 2022

In this work, we present a new online service for dose rate calculations in trapped charge dating called “μRate”. The app provides a graphical user interface, convenient cloud storage of data, and the ability to exchange data between users. The data records are organised into projects, which can be easily recalculated with modified parameters. Calculations can be carried out for a wide variety of input data originating from different instruments. Radionuclide concentrations can be supplied in several formats and units. The calculations' results can be easily exported. The tool has been created specifically to maximise the flexibility of use and provide a stringent uncertainty estimation using the Monte Carlo method. In addition, μRate can perform a Sobol sensitivity analysis that can help assess the significance and risks associated with each parameter used in calculations. In addition, the app allows for temporal variability in cosmic radiation intensity, which may be of significance in low dose rate samples. The app's results are compared with other dose rate calculation methods, namely Dose4Win, DRAC, and dose rate R scripts, all used in the Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics, indicating good agreement with other calculation methods.
Nitrogen cycling in western India as revealed by nitrogen isotopes, and the historic production of saltpetre
Authors: Mizota Chitosi , Hosono Takahiro , Okumura Azusa , Yamanaka Toshiro
Published: September 2022

Saltpetre (KNO3) manufacture was a principal monopoly industry in early Modern India when the United Kingdom governed the social and economic systems. The process represented microbial transformation of excrementitious livestock and human wastes deposited around habitats, resulting in formation of salt efflorescence at an economic scale. Low caste people collected these wastes for extraction and production of rough saltpetre under the administrative control of British India. Stable isotope composition (δ15N and δ18O) was used to trace details of the microbial transformation processes, often involving the isotopic fractionation of nitrogen and oxygen. Marked elevation in δ15N and δ18O values for nitrates in soils and deposits, relative to those of primary organic nitrogen in diets and water sources, characterizes the unique processes of historic saltpetre manufacture in British India.
Surveys as conversations between makers and takers: A conversational framework for assessing and responding to community needs
Authors: Tepper Stephanie J. , Spruill Mikaela K. , Premachandra Bharathy , Lewis Neil A.
Published: September 2022

Surveys, commonly employed in the social and behavioral sciences, are practical tools that can be used to assess the needs and attitudes of a given population. If not implemented in thoughtful ways, however, surveys can be inefficient or even harmful. With surveys often informing critical policy decisions, survey administrators must make careful methodological choices in order to obtain meaningful results and make sound decisions. In this paper, we review the social scientific literature on survey administration to aid policymakers, practitioners, and other survey administrators in understanding their position, identifying their participants, and establishing a plan for their surveys. We provide an overarching framework for survey design, guided by the idea that surveys are conversations between administrators and participants, in order to help creators of surveys make better decisions and engage more effectively with the communities they serve.
The role of religious coping to overcome mental distress and anxiety during the COVID‐19 pandemic: An integrative review
Authors: Imran Muzzamel Hussain , Zhai Zhihong , Iqbal Mujahid
Published: September 2022

This article aims to investigate how religious coping can help religious believers overcome mental distress during the COVID‐19 pandemic. An integrative review was conducted by searching databases (PubMed/Medline, Springer, Elsevier, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO and Google Scholar) between 2020 and 2021 for articles using the following keywords: “Religious coping and COVID‐19,” “Religion, mental health, and COVID‐19,” and “Religiosity, spirituality, and COVID‐19.” A total of twenty articles were selected for review. The result shows that religious faith might help individuals to calm their minds in times of crisis and severe illness. Some of the spiritual approaches suggested to combat COVID‐19 might be effective. Positive religious coping, intrinsic religiousness, and faith in God were associated with lower anxiety and a greater positive outcome, whereas negative religious coping and distrust in God resulted in the opposite.
Inflammation and intracellular exposure of dolutegravir, darunavir, tenofovir and emtricitabine in people living with HIV
Authors: Ferrara Micol , Cusato Jessica , Salvador Elena , Trentalange Alice , Alcantarini Chiara , Trunfio Mattia , Cannizzo Elvira Stefania , Bono Valeria , Nozza Silvia , De Nicolò Amedeo , Ianniello Alice , De Vivo Elisa , D'Avolio Antonio , Di Perri Giovanni , Bonora Stefano , Marchetti Giulia , Calcagno Andrea
Published: September 2022

Aims

Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy reduces inflammation and immune activation in people with HIV, but not down to the levels observed in people without HIV. Limited drug penetration within tissues has been argued as a potential mechanism of persistent inflammation. Data on the inflammation role on ARV plasma/intracellular (IC) pharmacokinetics (PK) through to expression of cytochrome P450 3A/membrane transporters are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between inflammation markers (IM) and plasma/IC PK of ARV regimen in HIV‐positive patients.

Methods

We included ART‐experienced patients switching to three different ARV regimens. Plasma and IC ARV drug concentration means at the end of dosing interval (T0), IM on samples concomitantly with ARV PK determination: sCD14, CRP, IL‐6 and LPS were analysed.

Results

Plasma and IC drug concentrations were measured in 60 samples. No significative differences between CRP, sCD14, IL‐6 and LPS values in the three arms were observed. A significant inverse correlation between tenofovir plasma concentration and sCD14 (rho = −0.79, P < .001), and between DRV IC/plasma ratio and Log10 IL‐6 concentrations (rho = −0.36, P = .040), and a borderline statistically significant positive trend between DRV plasma concentration and sCD14 (rho = 0.31, P = .070) were suggested. Furthermore, a borderline statistically significant inverse trend between DTG IC concentrations and sCD14 (rho = −0.34, P = .090) was observed in 24 patients on DTG‐based triple therapy.

Conclusions

Our preliminary data support the hypothesis of lower DRV and DTG IC concentrations and lower TFV plasma exposure in patients with higher plasma IM suggesting an interplay between HIV drug penetration and persistent inflammation in cART‐treated HIV‐positive patients.
Extended vincristine and dexamethasone pulse therapy may not be necessary for children with TCF3‐PBX1 positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Wan Yang , Zhang Honghong , Zhang Li , Cai Jiaoyang , Yu Jie , Hu Shaoyan , Fang Yongjun , Gao Ju , Jiang Hua , Yang Minghua , Liang Changda , Jin Runming , Tian Xin , Ju Xiuli , Hu Qun , Jiang Hui , Li Hui , Wang Ningling , Sun Lirong , Leung Alex W. K. , Wu Xuedong , Wang Junxia , Li Chi‐kong , Yang Jun , Tang Jingyan , Shen Shuhong , Zhai Xiaowen , Pui Ching‐Hon , Zhu Xiaofan
Published: September 2022

The effect of prolonged pulse therapy with vincristine and dexamethasone (VD) during maintenance therapy on the outcome of paediatric patients with TCF3‐PBX1 positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) remains uncertain. We conducted non‐inferiority analysis of 263 newly diagnosed TCF3‐PBX1 positive ALL children who were stratified and randomly assigned (1:1) to receive seven additional VD pulses (the control group) or not (the experimental group) in the CCCG‐ALL‐2015 clinical trial from January 2015 to December 2019 (ChiCTR‐IPR‐14005706). There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups. With a median follow‐up of 4.2 years, the 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) and 5‐year overall survival (OS) in the control group were 90.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 85.1–95.4) and 94.7% (95% CI, 90.9–98.6) comparable to those in the experimental group 89.2% (95% CI 84.1–94.7) and 95.6% (95% CI 91.8–99.6), respectively. Non‐inferiority was established as a one‐sided 95% upper confidence bound for the difference in probability of 5‐year EFS was 0.003, and that for 5‐year OS was 0.01 by as‐treated analysis. Thus, omission of pulse therapy with VD beyond one year of treatment did not affect the outcome of children with TCF3‐PBX1 positive ALL.
How are granulocytes for transfusion best used? The past, the present and the future
Authors: Morton Suzy , Fleming Katy , Stanworth Simon J.
Published: September 2022

Granulocyte transfusions continue to be used in clinical practice, predominantly for treatment of refractory infection in the setting of severe neutropenia. There is biological plausibility for effectiveness in these patients with deficiencies of neutrophils, either as a consequence of disease or treatment. However, there is a chequered history of conducting and completing interventional trials to define optimal use, and many uncertainties remain regarding schedule and dose. Practice and clinical studies are severely limited by the short shelf life and viability of current products, which often restricts the timely access to granulocyte transfusions. In the future, methods are needed to optimise donor‐derived granulocyte products. Options include use of manufactured neutrophils, expanded and engineered from stem cells. Further possibilities include manipulation of neutrophils to enhance their function and/or longevity. Granulocyte transfusions contain a heterogeneous mix of cells, and there is additional interest in how these transfusions may have immunomodulatory effects, including for potential uses as adjuncts for anti‐cancer effects.
Survival prediction optimization of acute myeloid leukaemia based on T‐cell function‐related genes and plasma proteins
Authors: Wang Yun , Chen Shuzhao , Chi Peidong , Nie Runcong , Gale Robert Peter , Huang Hanying , Chen Zhigang , Cai Yanyu , Yan Enping , Zhang Xinmei , Zhong Na , Liang Yang
Published: September 2022

Interactions between acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cells and immune cells are postulated to corelate with outcomes of AML patients. However, data on T‐cell function‐related signature are not included in current AML survival prognosis models. We examined data of RNA matrices from 1611 persons with AML extracted from public databases arrayed in a training and three validation cohorts. We developed an eight‐gene T‐cell function‐related signature using the random survival forest variable hunting algorithm. Accuracy of gene identification was tested in a real‐world cohort by quantifying cognate plasma protein concentrations. The model had robust prognostic accuracy in the training and validation cohorts with five‐year areas under receiver‐operator characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.67–0.76. The signature was divided into high‐ and low‐risk scores using an optimum cut‐off value. Five‐year survival in the high‐risk groups was 6%–23% compared with 42%–58% in the low‐risk groups in all the cohorts (all p values <0.001). In multivariable analyses, a high‐risk score independently predicted briefer survival with hazard ratios of death in the range 1.28–2.59. Gene set enrichment analyses indicated significant enrichment for genes involved in immune suppression pathways in the high‐risk groups. Accuracy of the gene signature was validated in a real‐world cohort with 88 pretherapy plasma samples. In scRNA‐seq analyses most genes in the signature were transcribed in leukaemia cells. Combining the gene expression signature with the 2017 European LeukemiaNet classification significantly increased survival prediction accuracy with a five‐year AUROC of 0.82 compared with 0.76 (p < 0.001). Our T‐cell function‐related risk score complements current AML prognosis models.
Single‐fraction prostate‐specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography‐ and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging‐guided stereotactic body radiotherapy for prostate cancer local recurrences
Authors: Ehret Felix , Hofmann Theresa , Fürweger Christoph , Kufeld Markus , Staehler Michael , Muacevic Alexander , Haidenberger Alfred
Published: September 2022

Objective

To analyse the efficacy and safety of focal prostate‐specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA‐PET)‐ and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI)‐guided single‐fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) local recurrences.

Patients and Methods

Patients with PSMA‐PET‐positive PCa local recurrences treated with single‐fraction SBRT between 2016 and 2020 were included. Identification for subsequent recurrences or metastatic spread based on increasing prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels were evaluated using PSMA‐PET imaging.

Results

A total of 64 patients were identified. Patients received various treatments before SBRT (31 patients with radical prostatectomy [RP], 18 external beam radiotherapy [EBRT] with RP, five EBRT, and the remaining 10 other combinations). The median follow‐up was 21.6 months. The median PSA level before SBRT was 1.47 ng/mL. All patients received a single‐fraction treatment with a median prescription dose and isodose line of 21 Gy and 65%, respectively. At the time of SBRT, six patients (9%) received an androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). PSA levels decreased after SBRT (P = 0.03) and three local recurrences were detected during the follow‐up. The progression‐free survival after 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐years was 85.3%, 65.9%, and 51.2%, respectively. Six patients (9%) started ADT after SBRT due to disease progression. The rates of newly started ADT after 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐years were 1.8%, 7.3%, and 22.7%, respectively. Grade 1 or 2 toxicities occurred in six patients (9%); no high‐grade toxicity was observed.

Conclusion

While the available data for SBRT in the PCa local recurrence setting describe outcomes for fractionated irradiations, the findings of this first analysis of single‐fraction, PSMA‐PET‐ and mpMRI‐guided focal SBRT are encouraging. Such treatment appears to be a safe, efficient, and time‐saving therapy even in intensively pretreated patients. Recurrence‐directed treatments can delay the use of ADT and could avoid prostate bed irradiation in selected patients.
Ordovician tectonic transition from passive margin into peripheral foreland in the southern Ordos: A diagnostic insight into the closure of Erlangping Ocean between the North Qinling Arc and North China Block
Authors: Sun Jiaopeng , Dong Yunpeng , Chen Qiang , Yang Lei , Li Wenhou , Zhang Dongdong , Zhang Qian
Published: September 2022

Achieving a reliable closure time of a back‐arc ocean is an essential aspect in studies on detailed tectonic processes of an active continental margin and arc–continent collision. This is particularly the case for the northern Qinling Orogen, which records the accretion of the North Qinling Arc (NQA) onto the North China Block (NCB) after the Erlangping back‐arc ocean closure. Sedimentological, petrological and geochronological signatures from the Ordovician successions in the southern Ordos reveal a tectonic transition from passive continental margin to peripheral foreland in the southern NCB at the beginning of Katian. Sedimentological and geochronological investigations reveal an abrupt shift of accelerating basin subsidence and deepening at the earliest Katian, separating ca. 300‐m‐thick shallow‐marine carbonate shelf assemblages from overlying ca. 2000‐m‐thick deep‐water carbonate slope and turbidite associations. Zircon age spectra of the Katian turbidites are characterized by early‐Palaeozoic and Neoproterozoic age clusters, which are different from those of the Middle Ordovician quartz arenites sourced merely from the NCB basement. Instead, these age patterns match well with those of the coeval successions in the northern NQA, indicating a spatially linked abyssal deposystem. Stratigraphic architecture deciphers a typical foreland basin geometry, involving, from south to north, northward‐propagating turbiditic wedge, northward‐backstepping carbonate slope and progressively shoaling carbonate platform, embodying foredeep, forebulge and backbulge, respectively. These characteristics of basin‐fill evolution reflect the northward migration of the flexural wave as a dynamic response to the northward expansion of the thickened NQA thrust wedge. Together with the other geological and geochronological data, our new insights indicate a southward subduction polarity of the Erlangping back‐arc oceanic crust followed by its termination at ca. 450 Ma, which was earlier than that of the main Proto‐Tethyan Shangdan Ocean between the NCB and South China Block. Our new data provide an updated view of the complex history of the Proto‐Tethys closure during the Gondwana assembly.
Reorganization of continent‐scale sediment routing based on detrital zircon and rutile multi‐proxy analysis
Authors: Dröllner Maximilian , Barham Milo , Kirkland Christopher L.
Published: September 2022

The duration and extent of sediment routing systems are intrinsically linked to crustal‐ to mantle‐scale processes. Therefore, distinct changes in the geodynamic regime may be captured in the detrital record. This study attempts to reconstruct the sediment routing system of the Canning Basin (Western Australia) during the Early Cretaceous to decipher its depositional response to Mesozoic‐Cenozoic supercontinent dispersal. Specifically, we reconstruct source‐to‐sink relationships for the Broome Sandstone (Dampier Peninsula) and proximal modern sediments through multi‐proxy analysis of detrital zircon (U–Pb, Lu–Hf and trace elements) and detrital rutile (U–Pb and trace elements). Multi‐proxy comparison of detrital signatures and potential sources reveals that the majority of the detrital zircon and rutile grains are ultimately sourced from crystalline basement in central Australia (Musgrave Province and Arunta region) and that proximal sediment supply (i.e., Kimberley region) is negligible. However, a significant proportion of detritus might be derived from intermediate sedimentary sources in central Australia (e.g., Amadeus Basin) rather than directly from erosion of crystalline basement. Broome Sandstone data are consistent with a large‐scale drainage system with headwaters in central Australia. Contextualization with other broadly coeval drainage systems suggests that central Australia acted as a major drainage divide during the Early Cretaceous. Importantly, reorganization after supercontinent dispersal is characterized by the continuation of a sediment pathway remnant of an earlier transcontinental routing system originating in Antarctica that provided a template for Early Cretaceous drainage. Review of older Canning Basin strata implies a prolonged denudation history of central Australian lithologies. These observations are consistent with the long‐lived intracontinental tectonic activity of central Australia governing punctuated sediment generation and dispersion more broadly across Australia and emphasize the impact of deep Earth processes on sediment routing systems.
m6A modification–mediated lncRNA TP53TG1 inhibits gastric cancer progression by regulating CIP2A stability
Authors: Fang Deliang , Ou Xinde , Sun Kaiyu , Zhou Xingyu , Li Youpei , Shi Peng , Zhao Zirui , He Yulong , Peng Jianjun , Xu Jianbo
Published: September 2022

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with various types of cancer. However, the precise roles of many lncRNAs in tumor progression remain unclear. In this study, we found that the expression of the lncRNA TP53TG1 was downregulated in gastric cancer (GC) and it functioned as a tumor suppressor. In addition, low TP53TG1 expression was significantly associated with poor survival in patients with GC. TP53TG1 inhibited the proliferation, metastasis, and cell cycle progression of GC cells, while it promoted their apoptosis. m6A modification sites are highly abundant on TP53TG1, and demethylase ALKBH5 reduces TP53TG1 stability and downregulates its expression. TP53TG1 interacts with cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) and triggers its ubiquitination‐mediated degradation, resulting in the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway. These results suggest that TP53TG1 plays an important role in inhibiting the progression of GC and provides a crucial target for GC treatment.
Genetic predisposition to lung adenocarcinoma outcome is a feature already present in patients' noninvolved lung tissue
Authors: Minnai Francesca , Noci Sara , Chierici Marco , Cotroneo Chiara Elisabetta , Bartolini Barbara , Incarbone Matteo , Tosi Davide , Mattioni Giovanni , Jurman Giuseppe , Dragani Tommaso A. , Colombo Francesca
Published: September 2022

Emerging evidence suggests that the prognosis of patients with lung adenocarcinoma can be determined from germline variants and transcript levels in nontumoral lung tissue. Gene expression data from noninvolved lung tissue of 483 lung adenocarcinoma patients were tested for correlation with overall survival using multivariable Cox proportional hazard and multivariate machine learning models. For genes whose transcript levels are associated with survival, we used genotype data from 414 patients to identify germline variants acting as cis‐expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). Associations of eQTL variant genotypes with gene expression and survival were tested. Levels of four transcripts were inversely associated with survival by Cox analysis (CLCF1, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.53; CNTNAP1, HR = 2.17; DUSP14, HR = 1.78; and MT1F: HR = 1.40). Machine learning analysis identified a signature of transcripts associated with lung adenocarcinoma outcome that was largely overlapping with the transcripts identified by Cox analysis, including the three most significant genes (CLCF1, CNTNAP1, and DUSP14). Pathway analysis indicated that the signature is enriched for ECM components. We identified 32 cis‐eQTLs for CNTNAP1, including 6 with an inverse correlation and 26 with a direct correlation between the number of minor alleles and transcript levels. Of these, all but one were prognostic: the six with an inverse correlation were associated with better prognosis (HR < 1) while the others were associated with worse prognosis. Our findings provide supportive evidence that genetic predisposition to lung adenocarcinoma outcome is a feature already present in patients' noninvolved lung tissue.
Survival prediction of stomach cancer using expression data and deep learning models with histopathological images
Authors: Wei Ting , Yuan Xin , Gao Ruitian , Johnston Luke , Zhou Jie , Wang Yifan , Kong Weiming , Xie Yujing , Zhang Yue , Xu Dakang , Yu Zhangsheng
Published: September 2022

Accurately predicting patient survival is essential for cancer treatment decision. However, the prognostic prediction model based on histopathological images of stomach cancer patients is still yet to be developed. We propose a deep learning‐based model (MultiDeepCox‐SC) that predicts overall survival in patients with stomach cancer by integrating histopathological images, clinical data, and gene expression data. The MultiDeepCox‐SC not only automatedly selects patches with more information for survival prediction, without manual labeling for histopathological images, but also identifies genetic and clinical risk factors associated with survival in stomach cancer. The prognostic accuracy of the MultiDeepCox‐SC (C‐index = 0.744) surpasses the result only based on histopathological image (C‐index = 0.660). The risk score of our model was still an independent predictor of survival outcome after adjustment for potential confounders, including pathologic stage, grade, age, race, and gender on The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset (hazard ratio 1.555, p = 3.53e‐08) and the external test set (hazard ratio 2.912, p = 9.42e‐4). Our fully automated online prognostic tool based on histopathological images, clinical data, and gene expression data could be utilized to improve pathologists' efficiency and accuracy (https://yu.life.sjtu.edu.cn/DeepCoxSC).
Novel hKDR mouse model depicts the antiangiogenesis and apoptosis‐promoting effects of neutralizing antibodies targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2
Authors: Cao Yuan , Sun Chunyun , Huo Guitao , Wang Huiyu , Wu Yong , Wang Fei , Liu Susu , Zhai Shijie , Zhang Xiao , Zhao Haoyang , Hu Meiling , Gu Wenda , Yang Yanwei , Wang Sanlong , Liang Chunnan , Lyu Jianjun , Lu Tiangong , Wang Youchun , Xie Liangzhi , Fan Changfa
Published: September 2022

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2)/KDR plays a critical role in tumor growth, diffusion, and invasion. The amino acid sequence homology of KDR between mouse and human in the VEGF ligand‐binding domain was low, thus the WT mice could not be used to evaluate Abs against human KDR, and the lack of a suitable mouse model hindered both basic research and drug developments. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique, we successfully inserted different fragments of the human KDR coding sequence into the chromosomal mouse Kdr exon 4 locus to obtain an hKDR humanized mouse that can be used to evaluate the marketed Ab ramucirumab. In addition, the humanized mAb VEGFR‐HK19 was developed, and a series of comparative assays with ramucirumab as the benchmark revealed that VEGFR‐HK19 has higher affinity and superior antiproliferation activity. Moreover, VEGFR‐HK19 selectively inhibited tumor growth in the hKDR mouse model but not in WT mice. The most important binding epitopes of VEGFR2‐HK19 are D257, L313, and T315, located in the VEGF binding region. Therefore, the VEGFR2‐HK19 Ab inhibits tumor growth by blocking VEGF‐induced angiogenesis, inflammation, and promoting apoptosis. To our best knowledge, this novel humanized KDR mouse fills the gaps both in an animal model and the suitable in vivo evaluation method for developing antiangiogenesis therapies in the future, and the newly established humanized Ab is expected to be a drug candidate possibly benefitting tumor patients.
ROS inhibits RORα degradation by decreasing its arginine methylation in liver cancer
Authors: Im Hyuntae , Baek Hee‐ji , Yang Eunbi , Kim Kyeongkyu , Oh Se Kyu , Lee Jung‐Shin , Kim Hyunkyung , Lee Ji Min
Published: September 2022

Retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor α (RORα) is a transcription factor involved in nuclear gene expression and a known tumor suppressor. RORα was the first identified substrate of lysine methylation–dependent degradation. However, the mechanisms of other post‐translational modifications (PTMs) that occur in RORα remain largely unknown, especially in liver cancer. Arginine methylation is a common PTM in arginine residues of nonhistone and histone proteins and affects substrate protein function and fate. We found an analogous amino acid disposition containing R37 at the ROR N‐terminus compared to histone H3 residue, which is arginine methylated. Here, we provide evidence that R37 methylation–dependent degradation is carried out by protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). Further, we discovered that PRMT5 regulated the interaction between the E3 ubiquitin ligase ITCH and RORα through RORα arginine methylation. Arginine methylation–dependent ubiquitination‐mediated RORα degradation reduced downstream target gene activation. H2O2‐induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) decreased PRMT5 protein levels, consequently increasing RORα protein levels in HepG2 liver cancer cells. In addition, ROS inhibited liver cancer progression by inducing apoptosis via PRMT5‐mediated RORα methylation and the ITCH axis. Our results potentiate PRMT5 as an elimination target in cancer therapy, and this additional regulatory level within ROS signaling may help identify new targets for therapeutic intervention in liver cancer.
Tau antibody 77G7 targeting microtubule binding domain suppresses proteopathic tau to seed tau aggregation
Authors: Li Longfei , Miao Jin , Chu Dandan , Jin Nana , Tung Yunn Chyn , Dai Chun‐Ling , Hu Wen , Gong Cheng‐Xin , Iqbal Khalid , Liu Fei
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) of hyperphosphorylated tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Tau lesion starts in the trans‐entorhinal cortex, from where it spreads to limbic regions, followed by neocortical areas. The regional distribution of NFTs associates with the progression of AD. Accumulating evidence suggests that proteopathic tau can seed tau aggregation in a prion‐like fashion in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of tau seeding activity could provide a potential therapeutic opportunity to block the propagation of tau pathology in AD and related tauopathies.

Aims

In the present study, we investigated the role of 77G7, a monoclonal tau antibody to the microtubule‐binding repeats, in repressing the seeding activity of proteopathic tau.

Results

We found that 77G7 had a higher affinity toward aggregated pathological tau fractions than un‐aggregated tau derived from AD brain. 77G7 inhibited the internalization of tau aggregates by cells, blocked AD O‐tau to capture normal tau, and to seed tau aggregation in vitro and in cultured cells. Tau pathology induced by hippocampal injection of AD O‐tau in 3xTg‐AD mice was suppressed by mixing 77G7 with AD O‐tau. Intravenous administration of 77G7 ameliorated site‐specific hyperphosphorylation of tau induced by AD O‐tau in the hippocampi of Tg/hTau mice.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that 77G7 can effectively suppress the seeding activity of AD O‐tau and thus could be developed as a potential immunotherapeutic drug to inhibit the propagation of tau pathology in AD and related tauopathies.
A privacy‐preserving recommendation method with clustering and locality‐sensitive hashing
Authors: Zhang Hanrui , Li Qianmu , Xu Jiangmin , Meng Shunmei , Hou Jun
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, there is a significant increase in information, resulting in information overload. Recommendation systems have been widely adopted, and they can help users find information relevant to their interests. However, a malicious attacker can infer users' private information via recommendations. To solve problems of data sparseness, enormous high‐dimensional data, the cold start problem and privacy protection in an intelligent recommender system, this study proposes a privacy‐preserving collaborative filtering recommendation method with clustering and locality‐sensitive hashing. First, we cluster users according to their characteristic information to obtain sub‐rating matrices. We use the latent factor model to predict and fill in the missing ratings in those matrices. Second, we combine the sub‐rating matrices into a complete rating matrix, subsequently, we obtained the neighbors of the target user by analyzing the similarity of the users. We use a locality‐sensitive hashing algorithm to reduce the dimensionality of the user rating data and build an index that could quickly obtain the neighbors of the target user. Finally, we predict the target user's ratings and provide recommendations to the target user. Through experiments, our study shows that our method can deal with the problems of data sparseness and cold start problems well and the accuracy of the intelligent recommendation system has been improved. In addition, we use hash techniques to search for the neighbors, which effectively protects the privacy of the user.
Cardiovascular autonomic regulation in fighter pilots: Lessons from active standing tests
Authors: de Sá Grace Barros , Rodrigues Gabriel Dias , Soares Pedro Paulo da Silva
Published: September 2022

Fighter pilots (FP) are exposed to flight accelerations and stressful situations that defy cardiovascular control during and after flight. FP presents a smaller adjustment in sympatho‐vagal balance during tilt test after flight compared to baseline, suggesting a huge impact of flight on autonomic modulation to the heart. We undertake to test the hypothesis that FP will have a smaller vagal reentrance and lower sympathetic withdrawal during the recovery at the supine position after a prolonged active standing test that mimics flight hemodynamic demands. Twenty‐one military personnel (20–34 years old), composed of 9 FP and 12 non‐pilots (NP) matched by age, V̉O2max and body mass index were enroled in the experimental protocol. R‐R intervals were continuously recorded in the supine position for 15 min (SUPbaseline), during the prolonged active standing test (45 min) windowed in six 5 min time frames (from ORT1 to ORT6), and a recovery period in the supine position for 15 min (SUPrecovery). Heart rate variability was performed by spectral analysis to obtain the normalized low (LFn) and high (HFn) frequency components. The variation (Δ) from baseline (Δ = ORT6 − SUPbaseline) and from recovery (Δ = SUPrecovery–ORT6) periods were calculated. FP had a smaller ΔLFn (sympathetic mediated) and ΔHFn (vagal meditated) during recovery after active standing as compared to NP. Both groups showed similar changes in ΔLFn and ΔHFn during orthostatic stress compared to baseline, with no differences over time. Therefore, FP show a smaller vagal reentrance and a lower sympathetic reduction during recovery at supine following active standing compared to NP.
Over a decade of failure to implement UNEP/EUROBATS guidelines in wind energy planning: A call for action
Authors: Barré Kévin , Froidevaux Jérémy S. P. , Leroux Camille , Mariton Léa , Fritze Marcus , Kerbiriou Christian , Le Viol Isabelle , Bas Yves , Roemer Charlotte
Published: September 2022

Wind power generation has grown exponentially over the past 20 years to meet international goals of increasing the share of renewables in energy production. Yet, this process has too often been conducted at the cost of airborne biodiversity such as birds and bats. The latter are severely threatened due to deaths by collision at wind turbine. The UNEP/EUROBATS agreement that came into force in 1994 is now ratified by 37 countries; since 2008, it recommends to site wind turbines at least 200 m away from woody edges to decrease bat fatality risks. However, 14 years later we still do not know to what extent this international recommendation has been applied in Europe. We assessed siting distances between woody edges and wind turbines for the largest wind energy producers among the UNEP/EUROBATS parties: the UK, Germany, and France. We show that 61%, 78%, and 56%, respectively, of the installed wind turbines did not comply with UNEP/EUROBATS guidelines, without improvement over time. We identified probable causes of these findings and provided key policy recommendations to achieve compliance to UNEP/EUROBATS guidelines such as better: (i) inclusion in regulatory texts, (ii) notification of the environmental authorities, and (iii) strategic, well‐informed, forward planning of areas suitable for wind turbine development.
Unveiling the Relationship between Economic Growth and Equality for Developing Countries
Authors: Cheong Tsun Se , Wan Guanghua , Chui David Kam Hung
Published: September 2022

This study investigates the relationship between economic growth and inequality by employing the artificial neural network approach. There are many important findings. First, this work reveals the underlying functional form of economic growth and inequality by using three‐dimensional diagrams. Second, the findings show that there was an inverted‐U relationship between economic growth and inequality. This explains apparent contradictions in research findings in the literature. Third, the optimal level of inequality, which corresponds to the highest level of economic growth, is computed for different economies. Our findings were confirmed by the development processes in many developing countries and also in China in recent years, thereby highlighting the importance of inequality alleviation in promoting further economic growth. These findings enable us to derive pragmatic policy implications for other developing countries at different stages of economic development in achieving sustainable growth with equity.
Financial Literacy: The Case of China
Authors: He Yanna , Ahunov Muzaffarjon
Published: September 2022

We scrutinized determinants of financial literacy in China – the largest developing economy, and one with a rapidly expanding financial landscape. We used the China Household Finance Survey's 2013 and 2015 waves, which included the so‐called “Big Three” financial literacy questions that test individuals' understanding of compound interest rates, inflation, and risk. We found that financial literacy in the country was low. Our results showed that, unlike in developed countries, risk literacy in China was high and financially illiterate people's awareness of their own lack of financial skills was high. Importantly, we showed that female, old, less educated, and low‐income people were increasingly lagging in gaining financial skills. This was especially true for the western and central regions of China. Our study complements a limited number of studies on the financial literacy of the middle class in developing economies.