bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A laser optical method for predicting adulteration of clover honey
Authors: El‐Raie Ahmed Emam , Hassan Helmy Elsayed , Abdel‐Raouf Abdel‐Rahman , Rabea Shaimaa
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

The authenticity of honey is of great importance for commercial and health reasons, because adulteration of bee honey with cheaper sweetening materials is sometimes carried out for financial gain. The objectives of this study were to evaluate clover honey quality according to physicochemical characteristics, to measure light transmission through honey samples using a visible laser technique (He–Ne laser at 632.8 nm) and to predict types of adulterants of clover honey according to the transmission intensity of the laser beam through the sample.

RESULTS

The transmission intensity of pure clover honey was 3520 lx. Addition of water or sugar solution at various concentrations led to increased transmission intensities in the range 4720–6980 lx, while addition of glucose honey led to increased transmission intensities in the range 3570–4120 lx. However, addition of starch suspension or black honey led to decreased transmission intensities in the ranges 3440–120 and 2770–85 lx respectively. The physicochemical properties of pure clover honey were within the standard limits. The light microscope image of pollen in the honey indicated that the pollen came from the clover plant.

CONCLUSION

The transmission intensity method using visible laser light to predict the type of adulteration of clover honey can be considered a fast and accurate method. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
From lesser‐known to super vegetables: the growing profile of African traditional leafy vegetables in promoting food security and wellness
Authors: Aworh Ogugua C
Published: January 2018

There are hundreds of traditional leafy vegetables and wild food plants of horticultural and nutritional significance in Africa. These lesser‐known crops and wild food plants that are highly adapted to harsh growing conditions thrive with little care and are available when other sources of food fail or are out of season. They are rich in micronutrients and are often the cheapest sources of many essential vitamins and minerals in many localities. Many of them are very important functional foods in African traditional diets and are rich in nutraceuticals, including polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids and flavonols, that exert demonstrable antioxidant, free radical scavenging and enzyme inhibition activities and have antimicrobial properties that provide scientific justification and possible mechanisms for their use in the management of a wide range of ailments, including diet‐related, non‐communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. African traditional leafy vegetables are invaluable in promoting food security and wellness in Africa on account of their availability and affordability, their great nutritional value, chemotherapeutic and health‐promoting properties and other unique qualities. Long recognised by the rural populace as quality food items, they are becoming more popular even with the more affluent urban elites. There is the need to develop improved management practices for these super vegetables to promote their cultivation and boost their exploitation for food security and wellness in Africa. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of different immobilization strategies on chiral recognition properties of Cinchona‐based anion exchangers
Authors: Kohout Michal , Wernisch Stefanie , Tůma Jiří , Hettegger Hubert , Pícha Jan , Lindner Wolfgang
Published: January 2018

In the enantiomeric separation of highly polar compounds, a traditionally challenging task for high‐performance liquid chromatography, ion‐exchange chiral stationary phases have found the main field of application. In this contribution, we present a series of novel anion‐exchange‐type chiral stationary phases for enantiomer separation of protected amino phosphonates and N‐protected amino acids. Two of the prepared selectors possessed a double and triple bond within a single molecule. Thus, they were immobilized onto silica support employing either a thiol‐ene (radical) or an azide‐yne (copper(I)‐catalyzed) click reaction. We evaluated the selectivity and the effect of immobilization proceeding either by the double bond of the Cinchona alkaloid or a triple bond of the carbamoyl moiety on the chromatographic performance of the chiral stationary phases using analytes with protecting groups of different size, flexibility, and π‐acidity. The previously observed preference toward protecting groups possessing π‐acidic units, which is a typical feature of Cinchona‐based chiral stationary phases, was preserved. In addition, increasing the bulkiness of the selectors’ carbamoyl units leads to significantly reduced retention times, while very high selectivity toward the tested analytes is retained.
CBS mutations are good predictors for B6‐responsiveness: A study based on the analysis of 35 Brazilian Classical Homocystinuria patients
Authors: Poloni Soraia , Sperb‐Ludwig Fernanda , Borsatto Taciane , Weber Hoss Giovana , Doriqui Maria Juliana R. , Embiruçu Emília K. , Boa‐Sorte Ney , Marques Charles , Kim Chong A. , Fischinger Moura de Souza Carolina , Rocha Helio , Ribeiro Marcia , Steiner Carlos E. , Moreno Carolina A. , Bernardi Pricila , Valadares Eugenia , Artigalas Osvaldo , Carvalho Gerson , Wanderley Hector Y. C. , Kugele Johanna , Walter Melanie , Gallego‐Villar Lorena , Blom Henk J. , Schwartz Ida Vanessa D.
Published: January 2018

Background

Classical homocystinuria (HCU) is a monogenic disease caused by the deficient activity of cystathionine β‐synthase (CβS). The objective of this study was to identify the CBS mutations in Brazilian patients with HCU.

Methods

gDNA samples were obtained for 35 patients (30 families) with biochemically confirmed diagnosis of HCU. All exons and exon‐intron boundaries of CBS gene were sequenced. Gene expression analysis by qRT‐PCR was performed in six patients. Novel missense point mutations were expressed in E. coli by site‐directed mutagenesis.

Results

Parental consanguinity was reported in 16 families, and pyridoxine responsiveness in five (15%) patients. Among individuals from the same family, all presented the same phenotype. Both pathogenic mutations were identified in 29/30 patients. Twenty‐one different mutations were detected in nine exons and three introns; being six common mutations. Most prevalent were p.Ile278Thr (18.2%), p.Trp323Ter (11.3%), p.Thr191Met (11.3%), and c.828+1G>A (11.3%). Eight novel mutations were found [c.2T>C, c.209+1delG, c.284T>C, c.329A>T, c.444delG, c.864_868delGAG c.989_991delAGG, and c.1223+5G>T]. Enzyme activity in E. coli‐expressed mutations was 1.5% for c.329A>T and 17.5% for c.284T>C. qRT‐PCR analysis revealed reduced gene expression in all evaluated genotypes: [c.209+1delG; c.572C>T]; [c.2T>C; c.828+1G>A]; [c.828+1G>A; c.1126G>A]; [c.833T>C; c.989_991delAGG]; [c.1058C>T; c.146C>T]; and [c.444delG; c.444delG]. The expected phenotype according to the genotype (pyridoxine responsiveness) matched in all cases.

Conclusions

Most patients studied were pyridoxine nonresponsive and presented early manifestations, suggesting severe phenotypes. Many private mutations were observed, but the four most prevalent mutations together accounted for over 50% of mutated alleles. A good genotype–phenotype relationship was observed within families and for the four most common mutations.
Autofocusing‐based phase correction
Authors: Loktyushin Alexander , Ehses Philipp , Schölkopf Bernhard , Scheffler Klaus
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Phase artifacts due to B0 inhomogeneity can severely degrade the quality of MR images. The artifacts are particularly prominent in long‐TE scans and usually appear as ghosting and blur. We propose a retrospective phase correction method based on autofocusing. The proposed method uses raw data acquired with standard imaging sequences, and does not rely on navigators or external measures of field inhomogeneity.

Methods

We formulate and solve the optimization problem, where we seek the latent phase offsets that are associated with an optimal value of the image quality measure that is evaluated in the spatial domain. As a quality measure we use entropy computed on spatial image gradients. We propose two types of objective function, both compatible with parallel imaging and accelerated image acquisition.

Results

We evaluate the method on both synthetic and real data. In real data case we evaluate the performance on a range of sequences and images acquired with different acceleration factors. The experimental results demonstrate that our method is capable of minimizing ghosting artifacts and that the quality of the output images is similar to navigator‐based reconstructions.

Conclusion

The presented technique can be alternative to or complement navigator‐based methods, and is able to improve images with severe phase artifacts from all standard imaging sequences. Magn Reson Med 80:958–968, 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
A genome‐scale DNA methylation study in women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome
Authors: Bradley Megan S. , Burke Emily E. , Grenier Carole , Amundsen Cindy L. , Murphy Susan K. , Siddiqui Nazema Y.
Published: January 2018

Aims

To assess the feasibility of using voided urine samples to perform a DNA methylation study in females with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) as compared to age‐ and race‐matched controls. A unique methylation profile could lead to a non‐invasive, reproducible, and objective biomarker that would aid clinicians in the diagnosis of IC/BPS.

Methods

Nineteen IC/BPS patients and 17 controls were included. IC/BPS patients had an Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index score of >8; controls had no bladder symptoms. DNA was extracted from pelleted urine sediment. Samples with >500 ng of genomic DNA underwent quantitative DNA methylation assessment using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. Age‐ and race‐matching was applied prior to analysis. Linear regression models were used to compare average methylation between IC/BPS cases and controls at each cytosine guanine dinucleotide site (loci where methylation can occur).

Results

Sixteen participants (eight IC/BPS age‐ and race‐matched to eight controls) had adequate DNA for methylation analysis. The median age was 43.5 years (interquartile range 33.8, 65.0), the median BMI was 27.1 (IQR 22.7, 31.4), and 14 were Caucasian (87.5%). A total of 688 417 CpG sites were analyzed. In exploratory pathway analysis utilizing the top 1000 differentially methylated CpG sites, the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was overrepresented by member genes.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate the feasibility of using voided urine specimens from women with IC/BPS to perform DNA methylation assessments. Additionally, the data suggest genes within or downstream of the MAPK pathway exhibit altered methylation in IC/BPS.
The care‐planning conference: Exploring aspects of person‐centred interactions
Authors: Jobe Ingela , Lindberg Birgitta , Nordmark Sofi , Engström Åsa
Published: January 2018

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe the care‐planning conference from the participants' and researchers' perspectives, focusing on exploring aspects of person‐centred interactions.

Design

A single‐instrumental, qualitative case study design was used describing a care‐planning conference taking place in the home of an older woman and her daughter.

Methods

Data collection consisted of observation and digital recording of the care‐planning conference and individual interviews with all the participants before and after the conference. Data were analysed in several phases: first, a narrative description followed by a general description and, thereafter, qualitative content analysis.

Results

The findings revealed that the care‐planning conference conducted had no clear purpose and did not fulfil all parts of the planning process. Three themes emerged related to aspects of person‐centred interactions. The theme “expectations meet reality” showed different expectations, and participants could not really connect during the conference. The theme “navigate without a map” revealed health professionals' lack of knowledge about the care‐planning process. The theme “lose the forest for the trees” described that the conference was conducted only as part of the health professionals' duties. Management and healthcare professionals cannot automatically assume that they are delivering person‐centred care. Healthcare professionals need to be sensitive to the context, use the knowledge and tools available and continuously evaluate and reassess the work carried out.
Effects of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior on Brain Response to High‐Calorie Food Cues in Young Adults
Authors: Luo Shan , O’Connor Sydney G. , Belcher Britni R. , Page Kathleen A.
Published: January 2018

Objective

Physical activity (PA) promotes weight maintenance, potentially because of its beneficial effects on feeding behavior regulation via diminished food cue reactivity within brain reward regions. This study examined how levels of PA and sedentary behavior (SB) relate to brain responses to food cues.

Methods

Participants (22 lean, 18 with obesity) completed three to five PA recalls over 2 months. Average minutes per day of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and SB were calculated. Participants completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging session, viewing food and nonfood images following glucose ingestion. Region of interest (ROI) analysis examined associations between MVPA and brain percent signal change in response to food versus nonfood images, controlling for obesity and sex. Secondary analysis examined associations between SB and brain responses to food cues.

Results

Greater MVPA was associated with decreased food cue reactivity after glucose across brain ROIs (β = −0.00057, P = 0.005), controlling for obesity and sex. Greater SB was associated with increased food cue reactivity after glucose across brain ROIs in unadjusted analyses (β = 0.00041, P = 0.026).

Conclusions

PA may have beneficial effects on brain regulation of feeding behavior after caloric intake in lean individuals and individuals with obesity.
Heterogeneous photocatayltic deperoxidation with UV and visible light
Authors: Walalawela Niluksha , Greer Alexander
Published: January 2018

A physical‐organic study is described on the photodecomposition of dicumyl peroxide co‐adsorbed with the sensitizers 4,4′‐dimethylbenzil or chlorin e6 on fumed (nonporous) silica. Dicumyl peroxide was decomposed by the heterogeneous photosensitization and monitored by the desorption of products acetophenone, 2‐phenylpropan‐2‐ol, and α‐methylstyrene using proton nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Dicumyl peroxide and sensitizer were co‐adsorbed on silica in 1:4 up to 200:1 ratios, with high peroxide destabilization occurring in ratios of about 10:1. This increased photodecomposition corresponded to sensitizer‐peroxide distances of 6 to 9 Å. A Dexter triplet energy transfer mechanism is proposed that explains the short sensitizer and peroxide separation distances for higher peroxide OO bond homolysis efficiencies on silica. This biphasic (gas/solid) system can thus serve both to destabilize and stabilize a peroxide, which may be of practical use for the delivery of alkoxy radicals for bacterial disinfection.
An MRM‐Based Cytokeratin Marker Assay as a Tool for Cancer Studies: Application to Lung Cancer Pleural Effusions
Authors: Perzanowska Anna , Fatalska Agnieszka , Wojtas Grzegorz , Lewandowicz Andrzej , Michalak Agata , Krasowski Grzegorz , Borchers Christoph H. , Dadlez Michal , Domanski Dominik
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The goal of this work was to develop an LC‐MRM assay for the quantitative analysis of a set of established and diagnostically important cytokeratin (CK) markers used in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy monitoring. Second, the potential of this assay in lung cancer diagnosis through pleural effusion (PE) analysis was examined.

Experimental design

A multiplexed MRM assay was developed for 17 CKs and their select caspase‐cleaved fragments. Isotope‐labeled standard peptides were used for high assay specificity and absolute peptide quantitation; with robust standard‐flow LC coupled to a latest‐generation triple‐quadrupole instrument for high sensitivity. The potential clinical applicability was demonstrated by the analysis of 118 PE samples.

Results

The MRM assay was evaluated for endogenous detection, linearity, precision, upper and lower limits of quantification, selectivity, reproducibility and peptide stability, and is generally applicable to any epithelial cancer study. A set of 118 patients with known pathologies allowed us to define the range of CK levels in clinical PE samples. Specific CKs were able to differentiate cancer‐related PEs from those caused by benign ailments. In addition, they allowed to differentiate between PEs from subjects with small cell lung cancer versus non‐small cell lung carcinoma, and to further differentiate the latter into its two subtypes, adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

An MRM‐based CK assay for carcinoma studies can differentiate between the three lung cancer histological types using less‐invasive PE sampling providing potential therapy‐guiding information on patients that are inoperable.
Determination of protein oligomeric structure from small‐angle X‐ray scattering
Authors: Korasick David A. , Tanner John J.
Published: January 2018

Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) is useful for determining the oligomeric states and quaternary structures of proteins in solution. The average molecular mass in solution can be calculated directly from a single SAXS curve collected on an arbitrary scale from a sample of unknown protein concentration without the need for beamline calibration or protein standards. The quaternary structure in solution can be deduced by comparing the experimental SAXS curve to theoretical curves calculated from proposed models of the oligomer. This approach is especially robust when the crystal structure of the target protein is known, and the candidate oligomer models are derived from the crystal lattice. When SAXS data are obtained at multiple protein concentrations, this analysis can provide insight into dynamic self‐association equilibria. Herein, we summarize the computational methods that are used to determine protein molecular mass and quaternary structure from SAXS data. These methods are organized into a workflow and demonstrated with four case studies using experimental SAXS data from the published literature.
Crystal structure of ADP‐dependent glucokinase from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii in complex with 5‐iodotubercidin reveals phosphoryl transfer mechanism
Authors: Tokarz Piotr , Wiśniewska Magdalena , Kamiński Marcin M. , Dubin Grzegorz , Grudnik Przemysław
Published: January 2018

ADP‐dependent glucokinase (ADPGK) is an alternative novel glucose phosphorylating enzyme in a modified glycolysis pathway of hyperthermophilic Archaea. In contrast to classical ATP‐dependent hexokinases, ADPGK utilizes ADP as a phosphoryl group donor. Here, we present a crystal structure of archaeal ADPGK from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii in complex with an inhibitor, 5‐iodotubercidin, d‐glucose, inorganic phosphate, and a magnesium ion. Detailed analysis of the architecture of the active site allowed for confirmation of the previously proposed phosphorylation mechanism and the crucial role of the invariant arginine residue (Arg197). The crystal structure shows how the phosphate ion, while mimicking a β‐phosphate group, is positioned in the proximity of the glucose moiety by arginine and the magnesium ion, thus providing novel insights into the mechanism of catalysis. In addition, we demonstrate that 5‐iodotubercidin inhibits human ADPGK‐dependent T cell activation‐induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) release and downstream gene expression, and as such it may serve as a model compound for further screening for hADPGK‐specific inhibitors.
From laboratory to point of entry: development and implementation of a loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)‐based genetic identification system to prevent introduction of quarantine insect species
Authors: Blaser Simon , Diem Hanspeter , von Felten Andreas , Gueuning Morgan , Andreou Michael , Boonham Neil , Tomlinson Jennifer , Müller Pie , Utzinger Jürg , Frey Jürg E , Bühlmann Andreas
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Rapid genetic on‐site identification methods at points of entry, such as seaports and airports, have the potential to become important tools to prevent the introduction and spread of economically harmful pest species that are unintentionally transported by the global trade of plant commodities. This paper reports the development and evaluation of a loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)‐based identification system to prevent introduction of the three most frequently encountered regulated quarantine insect species groups at Swiss borders, Bemisia tabaci, Thrips palmi and several regulated fruit flies of the genera Bactrocera and Zeugodacus.

RESULTS

The LAMP primers were designed to target a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene and were generated based on publicly available DNA sequences. Laboratory evaluations analysing 282 insect specimens suspected to be quarantine organisms revealed an overall test efficiency of 99%. Additional on‐site evaluation at a point of entry using 37 specimens performed by plant health inspectors with minimal laboratory training resulted in an overall test efficiency of 95%. During both evaluation rounds, there were no false‐positives and the observed false‐negatives were attributable to human‐induced manipulation errors. To overcome the possibility of accidental introduction of pests as a result of rare false‐negative results, samples yielding negative results in the LAMP method were also subjected to DNA barcoding.

CONCLUSION

Our LAMP assays reliably differentiated between the tested regulated and non‐regulated insect species within <1 h. Hence, LAMP assays represent suitable tools for rapid on‐site identification of harmful pests, which might facilitate an accelerated import control process for plant commodities. © 2018 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Understanding Character Perspective: Strategies to Support Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Finnegan Elizabeth G. , Accardo Amy L.
Published: January 2018

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display social communication differences that may affect reading comprehension. The enjoyment of storybooks is a natural part of childhood. Students with ASD experience difficulty with understanding the thoughts and feelings of others, which may impede their comprehension of character motive in narrative text. Research‐based strategies for helping students with ASD understand character perspective in narrative text, including graphic organizers, anaphoric cueing, and question‐answer relationships, are described. Understanding different characters’ perspectives may help students with ASD develop reading comprehension and their overall enjoyment of narrative text.
“My Family Makes This!”: Including Cookbooks in the Classroom Library
Authors: Walker Sharryn Larsen , Walker Natalie M.
Published: January 2018

Finding culturally relevant informational books for a classroom library can be difficult. However, expanding the definition of informational text to include procedural forms, specifically cookbooks, can enhance the cultural relevance, range, and number of books available for students to read. Reasons for placing cookbooks in the classroom library include promoting reader interest and providing opportunities for students to read short yet predictable texts. Additionally, cookbooks contain the technical vocabulary of the culinary arts, thus helping readers expand their knowledge of food science. Criteria for selecting cookbooks for the classroom library include layout, font, photographs, physical size, content, and representations of the world and its people.
Insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: relationship with behavior, mood and perceived quality of life, underlying causes and emerging treatments
Authors: Lysaker Paul H. , Pattison Michelle L. , Leonhardt Bethany L. , Phelps Scott , Vohs Jenifer L.
Published: January 2018

Poor insight in schizophrenia is prevalent across cultures and phases of illness. In this review, we examine the recent research on the relationship of insight with behavior, mood and perceived quality of life, on its complex roots, and on the effects of existing and emerging treatments. This research indicates that poor insight predicts poorer treatment adherence and therapeutic alliance, higher symptom severity and more impaired community function, while good insight predicts a higher frequency of depression and demoralization, especially when coupled with stigma and social disadvantage. This research also suggests that poor insight may arise in response to biological, experiential, neuropsychological, social‐cognitive, metacognitive and socio‐political factors. Studies of the effects of existing and developing treatments indicate that they may influence insight. In the context of earlier research and historical models, these findings support an integrative model of poor insight. This model suggests that insight requires the integration of information about changes in internal states, external circumstances, others’ perspectives and life trajectory as well as the multifaceted consequences and causes of each of those changes. One implication is that treatments should, beyond providing education, seek to assist persons with schizophrenia to integrate the broad range of complex and potentially deeply painful experiences which are associated with mental illness into their own personally meaningful, coherent and adaptive picture.
Yeast‐insect associations: It takes guts
Authors: Stefanini Irene
Published: January 2018

Insects interact with microorganisms in several situations, ranging from the accidental interaction to locate attractive food or the acquisition of essential nutrients missing in the main food source. Despite a wealth of studies recently focused on bacteria, the interactions between insects and yeasts have relevant implications for both of the parties involved. The insect intestine shows several structural and physiological differences among species, but it is generally a hostile environment for many microorganisms, selecting against the most sensitive and at the same time guaranteeing a less competitive environment to resistant ones. An intensive characterization of the interactions between yeasts and insects has highlighted their relevance not only for attraction to food but also for the insect's development and behaviour. Conversely, some yeasts have been shown to benefit from interactions with insects, in some cases by being carried among different environments. In addition, the insect intestine may provide a place to reside for prolonged periods and possibly mate or generate sexual forms able to mate once back in the external environments.

YEA‐May‐17‐0084.R3
The action of the (free) (4, 0)-theory
Authors: Henneaux Marc , Lekeu Victor , Leonard Amaury
Published: January 2018

Abstract

The (4, 0) theory in six dimensions is an exotic theory of supergravity that has been argued to emerge as the strong coupling limit of theories havingN= 8 supergravity as their low energy effective theory in five spacetime dimensions. It has maximal supersymmetry and is superconformal. Very little is known about this intriguing theory. While the spectrum of fields occurring in its description has been given and their equations of motion in the absence of interactions have been written down, no action principle has been formulated, even in the free case. We extend here previous analyses by writing explicitly the action of the free (4, 0) theory from which the equations of motion derive. The variables of the variational principle are prepotentials adapted to the self-duality properties of the fields. The “exotic gravitini”, described by chiral fermionic two-forms, are given special attention. The supersymmetry transformations are written down and the invariance of the action is explicitly proven. Even though the action is not manifestly covariant, the symmetry transformations are shown to close according to the (4, 0)-extended Poincaré supersymmetry algebra. We also discuss exotic supergravity models with fewer supersymmetries. Remarks on dimensional reduction close the paper.
Correction to: Extranodal lymphoma arising within the maxillary alveolus: a systematic review
Authors: MacDonald David , Lim Sean
Published: January 2018

Objectives

Extranodal lymphomas affecting the head and neck infrequently arise within the jaw bones. Although clinical examination and conventional radiography may initially suffice for such lesions arising within the mandible, those arising within the maxillary alveolus generally require cross-sectional imaging because of the complex anatomy of this region. This study was performed to determine the prevalence, demographic characteristics, and clinical presentations of these lesions and the imaging modalities used for their diagnosis.

Study design

A systematic review (SR) on case series and another SR on case reports were performed to investigate the demographic, clinical, and radiological features of extranodal lymphomas arising within the maxillary alveolus.

Results

Most case series were derived from just four nations, whereas the case reports were derived from a wider range of ethnicities. The more detailed case reports significantly reported at least one imaging modality. Most patients were aware of their lesions for nearly 2 months before presentation. The most frequent symptom was swelling. Most case reports included a provisional diagnosis, the most frequent of which was dental infection followed by squamous cell carcinoma.

Discussion

Extranodal lymphomas arising within the maxillary alveolus were sufficiently frequent in four communities to be reported in two or more case series, and the occasional single case report indicated that such lesions are more widespread globally. Although the SR on case series revealed differences in the relative period prevalence and maxillary/mandibular ratio, the SR on case reports revealed details of the clinical presentation and imaging modalities used.
“Four Gods” in Maximum Security Prison: Images of God, Religiousness, and Worldviews among Inmates
Authors: Jang Sung Joon , Hays Joshua , Johnson Byron R. , Hallett Michael , Duwe Grant
Published: January 2018

This paper extends research on images of God, which prior researchers based mostly on national survey data, to a study of offenders in prison. We first explore whether the distribution of Froese and Bader's (America's four gods: What we say about god–& what that says about us, Oxford University Press, New York 2010 ) four images of God among prison inmates is similar to that in the general population. We then examine whether an inmate's image of God is associated with the inmate's worldviews: beliefs and attitudes toward the law, other inmates, moral responsibility, and ultimate meaning and purpose in life. Finally, we test whether an inmate's belief in a forgiving God and religiousness explain the association. We analyzed data from a survey of 2249 inmates at America's largest maximum-security prison, the Louisiana State Penitentiary. We found the distribution of God-images among inmates was the same as that in national samples in terms of rank order. As hypothesized, we also found inmates with an image of an engaged God tended to report lower levels of legal cynicism and sense of illegitimacy of punishment and higher levels of collective efficacy, existential belief, and moral responsibility than those with images of a disengaged God or no God. Finally, we found an inmate's belief in a forgiving God and religiousness to mediate partly relationships between images of God and the inmate's worldviews.
Cardinal Clues Conducive to the Diagnosis of Fetal Absent Pulmonary and Aortic Valves in the First Trimester: A Case Report
Authors: Kumar Vikraman Seneesh , Balakrishnan Bijoy , Batra Meenu , Sreeja P. S. , Swapneel N. P. , Gopinathan K. K.
Published: January 2018

Fetal absent pulmonary valve (APV) is a rare cardiac lesion. Prenatal reports of absent aortic valve (AAV) are even scarce. Further, a combination of this lesions have never been reported in the first trimester. The objective of our case report is to describe the prenatal ultrasound features of a case of APV co-existing with AAV. Following the detection of hydrops at 12+2 gestational weeks, a first trimester echocardiographic examination revealed situs solitus, sinus rhythm, normal septo-aortic continuity, presence of Ductus arteriosus, to- and fro-blood flow across both the pulmonary and the aortic orifices, ‘a’ wave reversal in the Ductus venosus, and reversed end diastolic flow in the umbilical artery; suggesting a diagnosis of APV with AAV. The couple opted for termination of the pregnancy. This case underscores the importance of meticulous utilization of color Doppler in the first trimester, especially in the background of increased nuchal translucency or hydrops.
Alteration in CD8+ T cell subsets in enterovirus‐infected patients: An alarming factor for type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zargari Samani Omid , Mahmoodnia Lila , Izad Maryam , Shirzad Hedayatollah , Jamshidian Azam , Ghatrehsamani Mahdi , Kheiri Soleiman , Sadeghian Ladan , Soltani Amin , Sarmadi Akram
Published: January 2018

Type 1 diabetes is a multi‐factorial disease that can develop due to the combination of genetic and environmental factors. Viruses, particularly enteroviruses, are major environmental candidates in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, even though the mechanisms of pathogenicity of these viruses and their effects on the immune system have not been understood very well yet. Previous studies show that any imbalance in the population of different lymphocyte subsets could develop autoimmune diseases. Our theory is that enteroviral infection causes an impairment in the distribution of lymphocyte subtypes and consequently results in the diabetes onset in some individuals. Therefore, in this project, we evaluated the distribution of T CD8+ lymphocytes and their subsets in type 1 diabetes patients. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between enteroviral infection and type 1 diabetes mellitus in an Iranian population, and suggestion a predicting approach for susceptible subjects.
Effects of perineural invasion in prostate needle biopsy on tumor grade and biochemical recurrence rates after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Celik Serdar , Bozkurt Ozan , Demir Omer , Gurboga Ozgur , Tuna Burcin , Yorukoglu Kutsal , Aslan Guven
Published: January 2018

To predict local invasive disease before retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP), the correlation of perineural invasion (PNI) on prostate needle biopsy (PNB) and RRP pathology data and the effect of PNI on biochemical recurrence (BR) were researched. For patients with RRP performed between 2005 and 2014, predictive and pathologic prognostic factors were assessed. Initially all and D'Amico intermediate‐risk group patients were comparatively assessed in terms of being T2 or T3 stage on RRP pathology, positive or negative for PNI presence on PNB and positive or negative BR situation. Additionally the effect of PNI presence on recurrence‐free survival (RFS) rate was investigated. When all patients are investigated, multivariate analysis observed that in T3 patients PSA, PNB Gleason score (GS) and tumor percentage were significantly higher; in PNI positive patients PNB GS, core number and tumor percentage were significantly higher and in BR positive patients PNB PNI positivity and core number were significantly higher compared to T2, PNI negative and BR negative patients, separately (p < 0.05). When D'Amico intermediate‐risk patients are evaluated, for T3 patients PSA and PNB tumor percentage; for PNI positive patients PNB core number and tumor percentage; and for BR positive patients PNB PNI positivity were significantly higher compared to T2, PNI negative and BR negative patients, separately (p < 0.05). Mean RFS in the whole patient group was 56.4 ± 4.2 months for PNI positive and 96.1 ± 5.7 months for negative groups. In the intermediate‐risk group, mean RFS was 53.7 ± 5.1 months for PNI positive and 100.3 ± 7.7 months for negative groups (p < 0.001). PNI positivity on PNB was shown to be an important predictive factor for increased T3 disease and BR rates and reduced RFS.
Twitter as Data
Authors: Steinert-Threlkeld Zachary C.
Published: January 2018

The rise of the internet and mobile telecommunications has created the possibility of using large datasets to understand behavior at unprecedented levels of temporal and geographic resolution. Online social networks attract the most users, though users of these new technologies provide their data through multiple sources, e.g. call detail records, blog posts, web forums, and content aggregation sites. These data allow scholars to adjudicate between competing theories as well as develop new ones, much as the microscope facilitated the development of the germ theory of disease. Of those networks, Twitter presents an ideal combination of size, international reach, and data accessibility that make it the preferred platform in academic studies. Acquiring, cleaning, and analyzing these data, however, require new tools and processes. This Element introduces these methods to social scientists and provides scripts and examples for downloading, processing, and analyzing Twitter data.
Factors Associated with the Use of Fecal Microbiota Transplant in Patients with Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infections
Authors: Jamot Sehrish , Raghunathan Vikram , Patel Kavin , Kelly Colleen R. , Lim Seah H.
Published: January 2018

OBJECTIVE

To identify the factors associated with first Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) that predict fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for recurrent CDI

DESIGN

We carried out a retrospective single-center cohort study to compare the clinical characteristics of 200 patients who underwent FMT for recurrent CDI to 75 patients who did not.

SETTING

A single academic hospital in the United States

PATIENTS

Adult patients

RESULTS

The time from first to second CDI correlated to subsequent FMT use. Concomitant inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; P=.002), use of immunosuppressive therapy (P=.04), and use of metronidazole within 2 months before the first CDI (P=.02) correlated positively to subsequent FMT in univariate analysis. The use of oral vancomycin for first CDI was more common in those who required FMT than those who did not in univariate (P=.02) and multivariate (P=.03) analyses. In contrast, intravenous vancomycin use within 2 months before the first CDI reduced the risk for FMT in univariate P=.000003) and multivariate (P=.0001) analyses. Black patients with recurrent CDI were less likely to receive FMT than white patients (P=.00005). Patients who received FMT were also less likely to have comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides important insights into the factors predictive for FMT in patients with recurrent CDI and highlights the potential racial and medical characteristics that affect the access of the patients to FMT.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:302–306
Prevalence and factors associated with overweight and obesity among children from primary schools in urban areas of Lomé, Togo
Authors: Sagbo Herbert , Ekouevi Didier Koumavi , Ranjandriarison Dorland Tafitarilova , Niangoran Serge , Bakai Tchaa Abalo , Afanvi Agbelenko , Dieudonné Sewu , Kassankogno Yao , Vanhems Philippe , Khanafer Nagham
Published: January 2018

Objective

Overweight and obesity in childhood are serious public health issues, both in developing and developed countries. The present study aimed to ascertain overweight and obesity prevalence rates among Togolese schoolchildren in Lomé, Togo, and their correlation with physical activity, socio-economic conditions and eating habits.

Design

Cross-sectional survey conducted in December 2015. Overweight and obesity were defined using age- and sex-specific BMI cut-off points of the International Obesity Task Force. Physical activity, socio-economic conditions and eating habits were assessed with a standardized questionnaire. Specially trained medical students interviewed children and collected the data. After bivariate regression analyses, factors associated with overweight/obesity were identified by multivariate logistic regression. Statistical significance was two-sided P<0·05.

Setting

Lomé, Togo.

Subjects

Representative sample of 634 children (288 boys, 346 girls), aged 8–17 years, who were studying in primary schools.

Results

Overweight and obesity respectively affected 5·2 and 1·9 % of children surveyed. Watching television (>4 h) on weekends (OR; 95 % CI: 3·8; 1·2, 12·0, P=0·02) and medium dietary diversity score (3·0; 1·1, 8·1, P=0·03) were independently associated with overweight/obesity in a multivariate regression model. Eating breakfast in the school cafeteria (0·2; 0·1, 0·8, P=0·03) and eating fruits (0·4; 0·1, 0·9, P=0·03) significantly reduced the risk of overweight/obesity.

Conclusions

Overweight and obesity prevalence were linked with sedentary behaviour and non-optimal food diversity. Promoting physical activity and fruit consumption should be explored as interventions to reduce and prevent overweight and obesity in Lomé schoolchildren. In addition, preventive approaches in the social environment of children should be considered.
Determining Direction of Axonal Flow in the Equine Ramus Communicans by Ultrastructural Examination of the Plantar Nerves 2 Months after Transecting the Ramus
Authors: Al-Bagdadi Fakhri , Schumacher Jim , Carter Jessi , Tóth Ferenc , Henry Robert W.
Published: January 2018

The ramus communicans, neural connection between medial and lateral plantar nerves of the horse, was transected to determine the degree to which medial and lateral plantar nerves contribute to the plantar ramus. After 2 months, sections of plantar nerves immediately proximal and distal to the communicating branch were collected and processed for electron microscopy. All examined nerves had undergone Wallerian degeneration and contained regenerating and mature fibers. Layers of the myelin sheath were separated by spaces and vacuoles, indicating demyelination of medial and lateral plantar nerves. Shrunken axons varied in diameter and were surrounded by an irregular axolemma. Shrunken axoplasm of both myelinated and non-myelinated fibers contained ruptured mitochondria and cristae, disintegrating cytoskeleton, and vacuoles of various sizes. The cytoplasm of neurolemmocytes contained various-sized vesicles, ruptured mitochondria within a fragile basal lamina and myelin whorls of multilayered structures indicative of Wallerian degeneration. These ultrastructural changes, found proximal and distal to the ramus in medial and lateral plantar nerves, suggest that axonal flow is bi-directional through the ramus communicans of the pelvic limbs of horses, a previously unreported finding. As well, maturity of nerves proximal and distal to the ramus indicates that all nerve fibers do not pass through the ramus.
Prestigious Climate-Related Fellowships Rescinded
Authors: Popkin Gabriel
Published: January 2018

Reduced program is one of several that usually support climate science postdoctoral research but have eliminated or suspended funding opportunities.
Global Average Temperatures in 2017 Continued Upward Trend
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: January 2018

Even when the warming from El Niño is removed, 2017 ranks among the hottest years on record.
Single-cell replication profiling to measure stochastic variation in mammalian replication timing
Authors: Dileep Vishnu , Gilbert David M.
Published: January 2018

Mammalian DNA replication is regulated via multi-replicon segments that replicate in a defined temporal order during S-phase. Further, early/late replication of RDs corresponds to active/inactive chromatin interaction compartments. Although replication origins are selected stochastically, variation in replication timing is poorly understood. Here we devise a strategy to measure variation in replication timing using DNA copy number in single mouse embryonic stem cells. We find that borders between replicated and unreplicated DNA are highly conserved between cells, demarcating active and inactive compartments of the nucleus. Fifty percent of replication events deviated from their average replication time by ± 15% of S phase. This degree of variation is similar between cells, between homologs within cells and between all domains genomewide, regardless of their replication timing. These results demonstrate that stochastic variation in replication timing is independent of elements that dictate timing or extrinsic environmental variation.
Insight into the local near-infrared photothermal dynamics of graphene oxide functionalized polymers through optical microfibers
Authors: Huang Yunyun , Chen Chaoyan , Li Hongtao , Xiao Aoxiang , Guo Tuan , Guan Bai-Ou
Published: January 2018

An alternative approach to observe the local photothermal dynamics of a polymer matrix by using an optical microfiber is developed.
Solid-state self-inclusion complexation behaviour of a pillar[5]arene-based host–guest conjugate
Authors: Ogoshi T. , Furuta T. , Hamada Y. , Kakuta T. , Yamagishi T.
Published: January 2018

A host–guest conjugate consisting of a pillar[5]arene and an ethylene moiety containing a triazole group at one end and a perfluorooctyl group at the other end displayed unusual real-time scale solid-state self-inclusion complexation behaviour.
Career-related instruction promoting students’ career awareness and interest towards science learning
Authors: Salonen Anssi , Kärkkäinen Sirpa , Keinonen Tuula
Published: January 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate how career-related instruction implemented in secondary school chemistry education concerning water issues influences students’ career awareness and their interest towards science learning. This case study is part of a larger design-based research study for the EU-MultiCO project, which focuses on promoting students’ scientific career awareness and attractiveness by introducing them to career-based scenarios at the beginning of the instruction unit. The participants in this study were three eighth-grade classes with 46 students in total, and 2 science teachers. Data consisted of observations throughout the intervention and a questionnaire which the students took afterwards. Descriptive statistics taken from the questionnaire were used together with the content analysis of open questions and observation notes. The results reveal that the students acquired knowledge about science, science-related careers and working life skills and that they enjoyed studying chemistry and engaged in learning during the intervention. The students recognized the need for professionals and their responsibilities as well as the importance of water-related issues as global and local problems, but these issues were not personally important or valuable to students. The type of career-related instruction discussed in this paper can give guidelines for how to develop teaching to promote students’ science career awareness, trigger students’ interest and engage them in science learning.