bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synchronous Occurrences of the Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and its Parasitoid Wasp Cotesia vestalis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Greenhouses in a Satoyama Area
Authors: Abe Junichiro , Uefune Masayoshi , Yoneya Kinuyo , Shiojiri Kaori , Takabayashi Junji
Published: November 2019

We characterized the correlation between the occurrences of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), larvae and their dominant native parasitoid wasp, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday), in commercial greenhouses in a satoyama area, called Miyama, in Kyoto, Japan. In the three greenhouses used in this study, cruciferous ‘mizuna’ (Brassica rapa var. laciniifolia [Brassicales: Brassicaceae]) crops were grown. Pesticides against diamondback moth were not routinely applied in the greenhouses. We confirmed that populations of diamondback moth and C. vestalis were maintained on the wild crucifer plant Rorippa indica in the surrounding area from March to December. In the greenhouses, we observed several occurrences of diamondback moth larvae that were, in most cases, followed by occurrences of C. vestalis. We found that C. vestalis females were attracted by volatiles emitted from mizuna plants that were lightly infested with second-stadium diamondback moth larvae under laboratory conditions. The synchronous appearance of diamondback moth larvae and C. vestalis could be explained by the latter being attracted by the volatiles emitted from mizuna plants infested by diamondback moth larvae in the greenhouses.
Ancient introgression between two ape malaria parasite species
Authors: Plenderleith Lindsey J , Liu Weimin , Learn Gerald H , Loy Dorothy E , Speede Sheri , Sanz Crickette M , Morgan David B , Bertolani Paco , Hart John A , Hart Terese B , Hahn Beatrice H , Sharp Paul M
Published: November 2019

The Laverania clade comprises the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as well as at least seven additional parasite species that infect wild African apes. A recent analysis of Laverania genome sequences (Otto TD, et al. 2018. Genomes of all known members of a Plasmodium subgenus reveal paths to virulent human malaria. Nat Microbiol. 3:687-697) reported three instances of inter-species gene transfer, one of which had previously been described. Generating gene sequences from additional ape parasites and re-examining sequencing reads generated in the Otto et al. study, we identified one of the newly described gene transfers as an assembly artefact of sequences derived from a sample co-infected by two parasite species. The second gene transfer between ancestors of two divergent chimpanzee parasite lineages was confirmed, but involved a much larger number of genes than originally described, many of which encode exported proteins that remodel, or bind to, erythrocytes. Because successful hybridisation between Laverania species is very rare, it will be important to determine to what extent these gene transfers have shaped their host interactions.
Trends in the Incidence of Activities of Daily Living Disability Among Chinese Older Adults From 2002 to 2014
Authors: Li Zhi-Hao , Lv Yue-Bin , Kraus Virginia Byers , Yin Zhao-Xue , Liu Si-Min , Zhang Xiao-Chang , Gao Xiang , Zhong Wen-Fang , Huang Qing-Mei , Luo Jie-Si , Zeng Yi , Ni Jin-Dong , Mao Chen , Shi Xiao-Ming
Published: November 2019

Background

Evidence of the trend of the incidence of activities of daily living (ADL) disability among Chinese older people is limited. We aimed to investigate the time trends and potential risk factors for the incidence of ADL disability among Chinese older people (≥65 years).

Methods

We established two consecutive and nonoverlapping cohorts (6,857 participants in the 2002 cohort and 5,589 participants in the 2008 cohort) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. ADL disability was defined as the need for assistance with at least one essential activity (dressing, bathing, toileting, eating, indoor activities, and continence). Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify factors associated with the trend in the incidence of ADL disability from 2002 to 2014.

Results

The incidence (per 1,000 person-years) of ADL disability decreased significantly from 64.2 in the 2002 cohort to 46.6 in the 2008 cohort (p < .001), and decreasing trends in the incidence of ADL disability were observed for all sex, age, and residence subgroups (all p < .001), even after adjusting for multiple potential confounding factors. Moreover, we found that adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle information, and cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke) explained less of the decline in ADL disability during the period from 2002 to 2014.

Conclusion

The incidence of ADL disability among the older adults in China appears to have decreased during the study period, and this finding cannot be explained by existing sociodemographic and lifestyle information and cardiovascular risk factors.
The everyday practices of global finance: gender and regulatory politics of ‘diversity’
Authors: Griffin Penny
Published: November 2019

This article argues that practices of global finance provide a rich opportunity to consider gender's embodiment in everyday, but highly regulatory, financial life. Tracing a pathway through the rise of the ‘diversity agenda’ in global finance in the wake of the global financial crisis, the article asks how ‘diversity’ has shaped the global financial services industry, and whether it has challenged the reproduction of gendered power in global finance. Recent, innovative feminist political economy work has laid out a clear challenge to researchers of the global political economy to explore how everyday practices have become significant sites of gendered, regulatory power, and this article takes up this challenge, analysing how the rise of ‘diversity’ in financial services reveals the crucial intersections of gendered power and everyday economic practices. Using a conceptual framework drawn explicitly from Marysia Zalewski's work, this article advances critical inquiry into how gender has become an often unacknowledged way of writing the world of global finance, in ongoing, and problematic, ways. It proposes that the practices and futures of the diversity agenda in global finance provide a window into the persistent failure of global finance to reconfigure its foundational masculinism, and asks that financial actors begin to take seriously the foundational, gendered myths on which global finance has been built.
Economic containment as a strategy of Great Power competition
Authors: Kim Dong Jung
Published: November 2019

Economic containment has garnered repeated attention in the discourse about the United States' response to China. Yet, the attributes of economic containment as a distinct strategy of Great Power competition remain unclear. Moreover, the conditions under which a leading power can employ economic containment against a challenging power remain theoretically unelaborated. This article first suggests that economic containment refers to the use of economic policies to weaken the targeted state's material capacity to start military aggression, rather than to influence the competitor's behaviour over a specific issue. Then, this article suggests that economic containment becomes a viable option when the leading power has the ability to inflict more losses on the challenging power through economic restrictions, and this ability is largely determined by the availability of alternative economic partners. When the leading power cannot effectively inflict more losses on the challenging power due to the presence of alternative economic partners, it is better off avoiding economic containment. The author substantiates these arguments through case-studies of the United States' responses to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The article concludes by examining the nature of the United States' recent economic restrictions against China.
Continuous rise in cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone consumption in Pakistan: a 5 year analysis (2014–18)
Authors: Malik Farrukh , Figueras Albert
Published: November 2019

Background

Pakistan was third on the list of the highest antibiotic-consuming countries among low- and middle-income countries in 2015. Studies have suggested that areas with higher consumption of antibiotics are likely to have higher antibiotic resistance rates.

Objectives

With limited surveillance data on consumption and resistance in Pakistan, this study investigated the 5 year trends (April 2014 to March 2019) in consumption of the two highest-sold antibiotic classes, cephalosporins [Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) group J01D] and fluoroquinolones (ATC group J01MA).

Methods

IQVIA Pakistan data (retail) on antibiotic sales presented in units were used. These data were standardized and a DDD was assigned to all formulations, based on WHO’s ATC/DDD index, and the data expressed as DIDs (DDDs per 1000 inhabitants per day). WHO’s AWaRe classification of antimicrobials was used for the analyses, especially of those categorized as ‘Watch’.

Results

The findings showed a significant increase in consumption trends for ‘Watch’ cephalosporins (61.5%) while the use of ‘Reserve’ cephalosporins doubled during the studied period. In 2018, combined consumption of second- and third-generation cephalosporins (both in the ‘Watch’ group) was nearly five times higher than that of the first-generation cephalosporins. For fluoroquinolones, the total consumption only showed a major increase for ciprofloxacin, with 127 820 more persons per day. The consumption of cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones in Pakistan increased by 1.86 DIDs in just 5 years.

Conclusions

It is urgent to establish a National Antimicrobial Commission in Pakistan, to critically analyse the pharmaceutical market offerings and implement surveillance systems and antimicrobial stewardship.
Group A Streptococcal Paronychia and Blistering Distal Dactylitis in Children: Diagnostic Accuracy of a Rapid Diagnostic Test and Efficacy of Antibiotic Treatment
Authors: Jung Camille , Amhis Jamil , Levy Corinne , Salabi Vincent , Nacera Berkani , Samia Rahmani , Bidet Philippe , Aberrane Said , Bonacorsi Stéphane , Cohen Robert
Published: November 2019

Among 174 children with blistering distal dactylitis or paronychia, 36.2% had a positive group A Streptococcus (GAS) rapid detection antigen. For GAS, the outcome for patients who received amoxicillin was favorable in all cases without any surgical procedures; 44.6% of cases due to Staphylococcus aureus infection (38.7%) required surgery.
Esophageal stricture as a complication of stent placement for leak after sleeve gastrectomy
Authors: Arif Sardar Hassan , Mohammed Ayad Ahmad
Published: November 2019

Obesity is defined as body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. Weight loss improves the quality of life and alleviates or even treats some obesity-related comorbidities with general improvement in the quality of life. Sleeve gastrectomy results in major reduction of the size of the stomach and decreases the sense of hunger due to various hormonal and neuronal pathways. A 31-year-old lady had BMI of 49 underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Three weeks after surgery, she presented with epigastric pain and vomiting with radiological signs of leak. Endoscopic esophageal stent placed with resultant improvement of the condition; after stent removal, she developed esophageal stricture diagnosed with barium study. The patient underwent repeated successful endoscopic dilatation. Leak and bleeding are the most serious complications after sleeve gastrectomy. Subclinical leak is treated with antibiotics, drainage of the collection and stent, critical patients need stenting with operative repair of the site of leak.
Probing Massive Black Hole Binary Populations with LISA
Authors: Katz Michael L , Kelley Luke Zoltan , Dosopoulou Fani , Berry Samantha , Blecha Laura , Larson Shane L
Published: November 2019

ESA and NASA are moving forward with plans to launch LISA around 2034. With data from the Illustris cosmological simulation, we provide analysis of LISA detection rates accompanied by characterization of the merging massive black hole population. Massive black holes of total mass ∼105 − 1010M⊙ are the focus of this study. We evolve Illustris massive black hole mergers, which form at separations on the order of the simulation resolution (∼kpc scales), through coalescence with two different treatments for the binary massive black hole evolutionary process. The coalescence times of the population, as well as physical properties of the black holes, form a statistical basis for each evolutionary treatment. From these bases, we Monte Carlo synthesize many realizations of the merging massive black hole population to build mock LISA detection catalogs. We analyze how our massive black hole binary evolutionary models affect detection rates and the associated parameter distributions measured by LISA. With our models, we find massive black hole binary detection rates with LISA of ∼0.5 − 1 yr−1 for massive black holes with masses greater than 105M⊙. This should be treated as a lower limit primarily because our massive black hole sample does not include masses below 105M⊙, which may significantly add to the observed rate. We suggest reasons why we predict lower detection rates compared to much of the literature.
Carbon, nitrogen and oxygen abundance gradients in M101 and M31
Authors: Esteban C , Bresolin F , García-Rojas J , San Cipriano L Toribio
Published: November 2019

We present deep spectrophotometry of 18 H ii regions in the nearby massive spiral galaxies M 101 and M 31. We have obtained direct determinations of electron temperature in all the nebulae. We detect the C ii 4267 Å line in several H ii regions, permitting to derive the radial gradient of C/H in both galaxies. We also determine the radial gradients of O/H, N/O, Ne/O, S/O, Cl/O and Ar/O ratios. As in other spiral galaxies, the C/H gradients are steeper than those of O/H producing negative slopes of the C/O gradient. The scatter of the abundances of O with respect to the gradient fittings do not support the presence of significant chemical inhomogeneities across the discs of the galaxies, especially in the case of M101. We find trends in the S/O, Cl/O and Ar/O ratios as a function of O/H in M101 that can be reduced using Te indicators different from the standard ones for calculating some ionic abundances. The distribution of the N/O ratio with respect to O/H is rather flat in M31, similarly to previous findings for the Milky Way. Using the disc effective radius – Re – as a normalization parameter for comparing gradients, we find that the latest estimates of Re for the Milky Way provide an excess of metallicity in apparent contradiction with the mass-metallicity relation; a value about two times larger might solve the problem. Finally, using different abundance ratios diagrams we find that the enrichment timescales of C and N result to be fairly similar despite their different nucleosynthetic origin.
Systematic regularity of solar coronal rotation during the time interval 1939–2019
Authors: Deng L H , Zhang X J , Deng H , Mei Y , Wang F
Published: November 2019

The temporal variation of solar coronal rotation appears to be very complex and its relevance to the 11-year solar activity cycle is still unclear. Using the modified coronal index for the time interval from 1939 January 1–2019 May 31, the systematic regularities of solar coronal rotation are investigated. Our main findings are as follows. (1) From a global point of view, the synodic coronal rotation period with a value of 27.5 days is the only significant period at periodic scales shorter than 64 days. (2) The coronal rotation period exhibits an obvious decreasing trend during the time interval considered, implying that the solar corona accelerates its global rotation rate in the long run. (3) Significant periods of 3.25, 6.13, 9.53 and 11.13 years exist in coronal rotation, providing evidence that coronal rotation should be connected with the quasi-biennial oscillation, the 11-year solar cycle and the 22-year Hale cycle (or magnetic activity reversal). (4) The phase relationship between the coronal rotation period and solar magnetic activity is not only time-dependent but also frequency-dependent. For a small range around the 11-year cycle band, there is a systematic trend in phase and a small mismatch in this band causes the phase to drift. The possible mechanism for the above analysis results is discussed.
The distribution of relative proper motions of wide binaries in Gaia DR2: MOND or multiplicity?
Authors: Clarke C J
Published: November 2019

We examine the distribution of on-sky relative velocities for wide binaries previously assembled from theGaia DR2 data and focus on the origin of the high-velocity tail of apparently unbound systems, which may be interpreted as evidence for non-Newtonian gravity in the weak field limit. We argue that this tail is instead explicable in terms of a population of hidden triples, i.e. cases where one of the components of the wide binary is itself a close binary unresolved in the Gaia data. In this case, the motion of the photocentre of the inner pair relative to its barycentre affects the apparent relative proper motion of the wide pair and can make pairs that are in fact bound appear to be unbound. We show that the general shape of the observed distributions can be reproduced using simple observationally motivated assumptions about the population of hidden triples.
The European Bioinformatics Institute in 2020: building a global infrastructure of interconnected data resources for the life sciences
Authors: Cook Charles E , Stroe Oana , Cochrane Guy , Birney Ewan , Apweiler Rolf
Published: November 2019

Data resources at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI, https://www.ebi.ac.uk/) archive, organize and provide added-value analysis of research data produced around the world. This year's update for EMBL-EBI focuses on data exchanges among resources, both within the institute and with a wider global infrastructure. Within EMBL-EBI, data resources exchange data through a rich network of data flows mediated by automated systems. This network ensures that users are served with as much information as possible from any search and any starting point within EMBL-EBI’s websites. EMBL-EBI data resources also exchange data with hundreds of other data resources worldwide and collectively are a key component of a global infrastructure of interconnected life sciences data resources. We also describe the BioImage Archive, a deposition database for raw images derived from primary research that will supply data for future knowledgebases that will add value through curation of primary image data. We also report a new release of the PRIDE database with an improved technical infrastructure, a new API, a new webpage, and improved data exchange with UniProt and Expression Atlas. Training is a core mission of EMBL-EBI and in 2018 our training team served more users, both in-person and through web-based programmes, than ever before.
Urinary chloride concentration and progression of chronic kidney disease: results from the KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Joo Young Su , Kim Jinseok , Park Cheol Ho , Yun Hae-Ryong , Park Jung Tak , Chang Tae Ik , Yoo Tae-Hyun , Sung Su-Ah , Lee Joongyub , Oh Kook-Hwan , Kim Soo Wan , Kang Shin-Wook , Choi Kyu Hun , Ahn Curie , Han Seung Hyeok
Published: November 2019

Background

Urinary chloride is regulated by kidney transport channels, and high urinary chloride concentration in the distal tubules can trigger tubuloglomerular feedback. However, little attention has been paid to urinary chloride as a biomarker of clinical outcomes. Here, we studied the relationship between urinary chloride concentration and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression.

Methods

We included 2086 participants with CKD from the KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Chronic Kidney Disease. Patients were categorized into three groups, according to baseline urinary chloride concentration tertiles. The study endpoint was a composite of ≥50% decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate from baseline values, or end-stage kidney disease.

Results

During a median follow-up period of 3.4 years (7452 person-years), 565 participants reached the primary endpoint. There was a higher rate of CKD progression events in the lowest and middle tertiles than in the highest tertile. Compared with the lowest tertile, the highest tertile was associated with 33% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49–0.90] lower risk for the primary outcome in a cause-specific hazard model after adjustment for confounding variables. In addition, for every 25 mEq/L increase in urinary chloride concentration, there was 11% (95% CI 0.83–0.96) lower risk for CKD progression. This association was consistent in a time-varying model. Urinary chloride concentration correlated well with tubule function and kidney injury markers, and its predictive performance for CKD progression was comparable to that of these markers.

Conclusions

In this hypothesis-generating study, low urinary chloride concentration was associated with a higher risk for CKD progression.
Global LGBT Politics at Scale
Authors: Perez Justin
Published: November 2019

This chapter illuminates one dynamic of the global emergence and successes of LGBT politics in the early twenty-first century: how LGBT communities remember and narrate the emergence of LGBT politics and the historical antecedents they use to contextualize contemporary LGBT rights claims. In juxtaposing a nationally circulating narrative with a regional one, the chapter suggests that how narratives about the emergence of LGBT politics circulate is a function of scale. For example, both national and regional LGBT rights efforts take note of events in the city of Tarapoto, located in Peru’s Amazonian region. At the national level, the violence that occurred in Tarapoto during Peru’s internal armed conflict helped link LGBT rights claims to the country’s broader human rights movement. Yet in Tarapoto interlocutors emphasized a municipal anniversary parade as a starting point for recounting the successes of LGBT rights in the region. Whereas analyses at the national scale may indicate a less successful record of LGBT rights in Peru in comparison to other Latin American countries, shifting analysis to the regional scale reveals an alternative account.
Children at Risk of School Dropout
Authors: Ferguson Lucinda
Published: November 2019

This chapter begins by outlining the routes through which children drop out of school. It then draws on the failings of the English system to suggest six key lessons for other jurisdictions. The first centers on how academic results–driven accountability measures push schools and decision-makers into unjustifiably excluding children. The second demonstrates the vulnerability of discretionary frameworks to perverse incentives and unintended negative consequences for children at risk of school dropout. The third highlights the difficulties created by increased autonomy for teachers and schools. The fourth reveals how additional protections for particularly vulnerable children are constrained by the broader exclusion regime. The fifth and sixth demonstrate the need for jurisdictions to revisit the conceptual and empirical basis of their legal frameworks for exclusion, whether grounded in best interests, competing interests, or children’s rights. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the need to develop empirical evidence to underpin decisions around dropout.
How Voters Distort their Perceptions and Why this Matters
Authors: De Angelis Andrea
Published: November 2019

Voters’ ability to perceive political parties’ positions on policy scales is a precondition for a functioning and responsive electoral democracy. Appropriate measures of policy distance are thus key to addressing the link between political parties and the citizens. This chapter reviews the scholarship on ideal point estimation, identifying the main methodological and substantial implications for empirical studies involving issue scales. Next, the chapter applies two-stage Bayesian Aldrich-McKelvey scaling to European Election Studies data to find evidence of systematic perceptual distortions: right-wing voters perceive political parties as more progressive than they actually are, while knowledgeable voters perceive greater differences between parties. Perceptual bias is also shown to correlate with standard polarization measures based on perceived party positions.
Ethics of the Psychotherapeutic Alliance, Shared Decision Making and Consensus on Therapy Goals
Authors: Reiter-Theil Stella , Wetterauer Charlotte
Published: November 2019

The ethics of the psychotherapeutic alliance (a), shared decision making (b), and consensus on therapy goals (c) is discussed in the context of a legal overview in three German-speaking countries. Particular ethical challenges are identified in different settings. Clinical Ethics Support (CES) has gained importance beyond acute medical patient care, but is still new in psychotherapy. Three examples present ethical issues underlying the basic concepts of psychotherapy (a, b, and c) that often go unnoticed or remain implicit. Addressing ethical questions in a practical psychotherapy context may lead to acknowledging more complexity than expected. At the same time, meta-level ethical reflection can help to coordinate previously diverging interests and efforts and remove obstacles towards problem-solving. Complexity as well as problem solving will be illustrated by referring to problems with confidentiality concerning sexual abuse, coercion in treating dependency disorders, and responding to wishes of assisted suicide.
Ethical Aspects of Online Psychotherapy
Authors: Stoll Julia , Trachsel Manuel
Published: November 2019

Online psychotherapy is a fast-growing, low-threshold option to deliver mental healthcare services. In the present chapter, the different terminologies and definitions of online psychotherapy are discussed and a broad overview of the used information technologies is given. Furthermore, the most important ethical arguments debated in the literature are discussed by reviewing, on the one hand, the arguments in favor of online psychotherapy like increased access to care, improvement of treatment, anonymity, and cost effectiveness and, on the other hand, arguments against online psychotherapy like impairment of treatment, confidentiality issues, issues with informed consent, patient identification and emergency situations, legal issues and additionally required skills.
Banking in Japan
Authors: Uchida Hirofumi , Udell Gregory F.
Published: November 2019

This chapter focuses on the structure, performance, and some of the defining characteristics of the Japanese banking industry. An analysis of the banking industry in Japan may be of particular interest because of its important role in one of world’s largest economies, its historical orientation to banks in its financial system, its idiosyncratic features related to the nature of the Japanese corporate environment such as its “main bank system,” and its significant transition, which is sometimes idiosyncratic to this country, such as the banking crisis of the 1990s. After providing an overview of the Japanese banking system, we focus on some specific topics on banking in Japan, including the Japanese main bank system, lending technologies in Japan, the Japanese banking crisis, and banking in post-crisis Japan.
Morning Bright Light Treatment for Chronic Low Back Pain: Potential Impact on the Volatility of Pain, Mood, Function, and Sleep
Authors: Burns John W , Gerhart James , Rizvydeen Muneer , Kimura Momoko , Burgess Helen J
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Most treatment outcome studies for people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have based analyses on and reported only the mean levels of these factors. However, high levels of pain, mood, function, and sleep volatility may represent unique factors contributing to diminished quality of life. Our goal was to determine whether bright light treatment affected both mean levels of pain, mood, function, and sleep and reduced volatility in these outcomes.

Methods

US military veterans with CLBP (N = 22) underwent an open trial with a seven-day baseline, followed by 13 days of a one-hour morning bright light treatment self-administered at their home and a 30-day follow-up. Participants completed daily diary measures at 12 Pm and 6 Pm every day during the three study epochs.

Results

Using location scale modeling, results suggested that, in addition to being associated with changes in mean levels of pain intensity, pain interference, negative affect, and sleep quality, bright light treatment was also related to reductions in the volatility of pain intensity and negative affect, reductions that were largely maintained during follow-up.

Conclusions

Changes in mean levels and volatility were independent factors, suggesting that bright light treatment was related to participants experiencing fewer “pain flares.” These findings underscore the potential importance of volatility as a future treatment target.
Persistent deficiency of mucosal-associated invariant T cells during dermatomyositis
Authors: Cassius Charles , Branchtein Mylene , Battistella Maxime , Amode Reyhan , Lepelletier Clémence , Jachiet Marie , de Masson Adèle , Frumholtz Laure , Chasset François , Amoura Zahir , Mathian Alexis , Samri Assia , Monfort Jean-Benoit , Bachmeyer Claude , Bengoufa Djaouida , Cordoliani Florence , Bagot Martine , Bensussan Armand , Bouaziz Jean-David , Le Buanec Hélène
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that are important for antibacterial immunity and may have regulatory roles. MAIT cells are decreased during SLE. However, their frequencies and phenotype have not been investigated in DM. We studied MAIT cell frequencies and phenotype in DM patients with active and inactive disease (after treatment).

Methods

Peripheral blood flow cytometry analysis of MAIT cells was compared between DM (n = 22), SLE (n = 10), psoriasis (n = 7) and atopic dermatitis (n = 5) patients, and healthy controls (n = 19).

Results

A dramatic decrease of circulating MAIT cell frequency was observed in active DM and SLE patients compared with healthy controls and other inflammatory skin diseases [active DM: median = 0.25% (interquartile range 0.19–0.6%), P < 0.0001; active SLE: median = 0.61 (0.55–0.77), P < 0.0001 vs healthy controls: 2.32% (1.18–4.45%)]. MAIT cells from active DM patients had an abnormal phenotype including increased expression of CD25 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 that correlated with their low frequency in the blood.

Conclusion

In DM, peripheral blood MAIT cells are dramatically reduced and have an activated/exhausted phenotype that may be linked to increased activation-induced cell death.
Key-Narratives of Microalgae Nutrition: Exploring futures through a public Delphi survey in Germany
Authors: Roßmann Maximilian , Rösch Christine
Published: November 2019

This paper analyses public visions of microalgae as a food source to explain present innovation paths of a yet unproven scientific technology. The paper highlights the multi-perspectivity of contested futures, focusing on the role of generalized narratives as boundary objects. Using disaggregative policy Delphi, we reveal the key-narratives of microalgae nutrition with regard to expectability, desirability, and popularity. The study involved a two-round online survey with 229 participants, who were asked open and closed questions. We then clustered the answers and gave feedback in form of generalized narratives. Participants want microalgae to sustainably feed the world, while they also expect microalgae to be more likely a health product or an inconspicuous food substitute. Our findings show that Delphi methods are not only suitable to look into the future, but also for empirical research into perspectives on the future that help distinguish and hone the cognitive interest of politicians and researchers.
Acoustic slow wave sleep enhancement via a novel, automated device improves executive function in middle-aged men
Authors: Diep Charmaine , Ftouni Suzanne , Manousakis Jessica E , Nicholas Christian L , Drummond Sean P A , Anderson Clare
Published: November 2019

Study Objectives

As slow-wave activity (SWA) is critical for cognition, SWA-enhancing technologies provide an exciting opportunity to improve cognitive function. We focus on improving cognitive function beyond sleep-dependent memory consolidation, using an automated device, and in middle-aged adults, who have depleted SWA yet a critical need for maximal cognitive capacity in work environments.

Methods

Twenty-four healthy adult males aged 35–48 years participated in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study. Participants wore an automated acoustic stimulation device that monitored real-time sleep EEG. Following an adaptation night, participants were exposed to either acoustic tones delivered on the up phase of the slow-wave (STIM) or inaudible “tones” during equivalent periods of stimulation (SHAM). An executive function test battery was administered after the experimental night.

Results

STIM resulted in an increase in delta (0.5–4 Hz) activity across the full-night spectra, with enhancement being maximal at 1 Hz. SWA was higher for STIM relative to SHAM. Although no group differences were observed in any cognitive outcomes, due to large individual differences in SWA enhancement, higher SWA responders showed significantly improved verbal fluency and working memory compared with nonresponders. Significant positive associations were found between SWA enhancement and improvement in these executive function outcomes.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that (1) an automated acoustic device enhances SWA; (2) SWA enhancement improves executive function; (3) SWA enhancement in middle-aged men may be an important therapeutic target for enhancing cognitive function; and (4) there is a need to examine interindividual responses to acoustic stimulation and its effect on subsequent cognitive function.

Clinical trial registration

This study has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. “The efficacy of acoustic tones in slow-wave sleep enhancement and cognitive function in healthy adult males”. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=371548&isReview=true

Registration

ACTRN12617000399392.
The classic metal‐sensing transcription factor MTF1 promotes myogenesis in response to copper
Authors: Tavera‐Montañez Cristina , Hainer Sarah J. , Cangussu Daniella , Gordon Shellaina J. V. , Xiao Yao , Reyes‐Gutierrez Pablo , Imbalzano Anthony N. , Navea Juan G. , Fazzio Thomas G. , Padilla‐Benavides Teresita
Published: November 2019

Metal‐regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF1) is a conserved metal‐binding transcription factor in eukaryotes that binds to conserved DNA sequence motifs, termed metal response elements. MTF1 responds to both metal excess and deprivation, protects cells from oxidative and hypoxic stresses, and is required for embryonic development in vertebrates. To examine the role for MTF1 in cell differentiation, we use multiple experimental strategies [including gene knockdown (KD) mediated by small hairpin RNA and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9), immunofluorescence, chromatin immunopreciptation sequencing, subcellular fractionation, and atomic absorbance spectroscopy] and report a previously unappreciated role for MTF1 and copper (Cu) in cell differentiation. Upon initiation of myogenesis from primary myoblasts, both MTF1 expression and nuclear localization increased.Mtf1KD impaired differentiation, whereas addition of nontoxic concentrations of Cu+‐enhanced MTF1 expression and promoted myogenesis. Furthermore, we observed that Cu+binds stoichiometrically to a C terminus tetra‐cysteine of MTF1. MTF1 bound to chromatin at the promoter regions of myogenic genes, and Cu addition stimulated this binding. Of note, MTF1 formed a complex with myogenic differentiation (MYOD)1, the master transcriptional regulator of the myogenic lineage, at myogenic promoters. These findings uncover unexpected mechanisms by which Cu and MTF1 regulate gene expression during myoblast differentiation.—Tavera‐Montañez, C., Hainer, S. J., Cangussu, D., Gordon, S. J. V., Xiao, Y., Reyes‐Gutierrez, P., Imbalzano, A. N., Navea, J. G., Fazzio, T. G., Padilla‐Benavides, T. The classic metal‐sensing transcription factor MTF1 promotes myogenesis in response to copper. FASEB J. 33, 14556‐14574 (2019).www.fasebj.org
Identification of novel proteolytically inactive mutations in coronavirus 3C‐like protease using a combined approach
Authors: Zhou Junwei , Fang Liurong , Yang Zhixiang , Xu Shangen , Lv Mengting , Sun Zheng , Chen Jiyao , Wang Dang , Gao Jun , Xiao Shaobo
Published: November 2019

Coronaviruses (CoVs) infect humans and multiple other animal species, causing highly prevalent and severe diseases. 3C‐like proteases (3CLpros) from CoVs (also called main proteases) are essential for viral replication and are also involved in polyprotein cleavage and immune regulation, making them attractive and effective targets for the development of antiviral drugs. Herein, the 3CLpro from the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, an enteropathogenic CoV, was used as a model to identify novel crucial residues for enzyme activity. First, we established a rapid, sensitive, and efficient luciferase‐based biosensor to monitor the activity of PDEV 3CLpro in vivo. Using this luciferase biosensor, along with confirming the well‐known catalytic residues (His41 and Cys144), we identified 4 novel proteolytically inactivated mutants of PDEV 3CLpro, which was also confirmed in mammalian cells by biochemical experiments. Our molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that the hydrogen bonding interactions occurring within and outside of the protease's active site and the dynamic fluctuations of the substrate, especially the van der Waals contacts, were drastically altered, a situation related to the loss of 3CLpro activity. These data suggest that changing the intermolecular dynamics in protein‐substrate complexes eliminates the mechanism underlying the protease activity. The discovery of novel crucial residues for enzyme activity in the binding pocket could potentially provide more druggable sites for the design of protease inhibitors. In addition, our in‐depth study of the dynamic substrate's envelope model using MD simulations is an approach that could augment the discovery of new inhibitors against 3CLpro in CoVs and other viral 3C proteases.—Zhou, J., Fang, L., Yang, Z., Xu, S., Lv, M., Sun, Z., Chen, J., Wang, D., Gao, J., Xiao, S. Identification of novel proteolytically inactive mutations in coronavirus 3C‐like protease using a combined approach. FASEB J. 33, 14575‐14587 (2019). www.fasebj.org
Maternal and Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality Associated With Anemia in Pregnancy
Authors: Smith Catherine , Teng Flora , Branch Emma , Chu Scally , Joseph K. S.
Published: November 2019

OBJECTIVE:

To estimate the incidence of anemia in pregnancy and compare the maternal and perinatal outcomes of women with and without anemia.

METHODS:

We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study on all pregnant women in British Columbia who had a live birth or stillbirth at or after 20 weeks of gestation between 2004 and 2016. Women were diagnosed with anemia based on two criteria: third-trimester hemoglobin value or a delivery admission diagnosis of anemia (made before delivery). Anemia was categorized into no anemia (hemoglobin 11 g/dL or greater), mild (9–10.9 g/dL), moderate (7–8.9 g/dL), severe (less than 7 g/dL), or anemia of unspecified severity (with diagnosis made before delivery). Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% CIs expressing the association between anemia and maternal and perinatal outcomes.

RESULTS:

Of 515,270 women in the study population, 65,906 (12.8%) had anemia: 11.8%, 0.43%, and 0.02% had mild, moderate, and severe anemia, respectively, and 0.58% had anemia of unspecified severity. Anemic women had longer hospitalization duration and more antenatal admissions, and rates of preeclampsia, placenta previa and cesarean delivery were higher among women with anemia. The intrapartum–postpartum blood transfusion rate was 5.1 per 1,000 among women without anemia, and higher among women with anemia (aOR 2.45, 95% CI 1.74–3.45 for mild anemia; 21.3, 95% CI 12.2–37.3 for moderate anemia; not analyzable for severe anemia; and 48.3, 95% CI 6.60–353.9 for anemia of unspecified severity). Anemia was associated with preterm birth (mild anemia, aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05–1.12; moderate anemia, aOR 2.26, 95% CI 2.02–2.54; anemia of unspecified severity, aOR 2.27, 95% CI 2.06–2.50), small-for-gestational-age live birth, low 5-minute Apgar score, neonatal death, and perinatal death.

CONCLUSION:

Maternal anemia in pregnancy represents a common and potentially reversible risk factor associated with antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum maternal morbidity and perinatal morbidity and mortality.
A Framework for Improving Characterization of Obstetric Hemorrhage Using Informatics Data
Authors: Goffman Dena , Friedman Alexander M. , Sheen Jean-Ju , Kessler Alan , Vawdrey David , Green Robert , D’Alton Mary E. , Oberhardt Matthew
Published: November 2019

OBJECTIVE:

To characterize postpartum hemorrhage trends and outcomes using bioinformatics and electronic health record data.

METHODS:

This retrospective analysis included all women who delivered in a four-hospital system from July 2014 to July 2017 during implementation of a postpartum hemorrhage bundle. Data on billing codes, uterotonics, transfusion, intrauterine tamponade device placement, and hysterectomy were analyzed. A framework of four postpartum hemorrhage levels based on hemorrhage interventions was created using this informatics data. Levels were analyzed in relation to hematocrit drop from the highest predelivery to the lowest postpartum level. Changes in treatment patterns were assessed with risk-adjusted regression models with adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% CI as the measures of effect. Postpartum hemorrhage-associated severe maternal morbidities were analyzed with adjusted models.

RESULTS:

The cohort included 43,657 deliveries. Four mutually exclusive postpartum hemorrhage levels were created based on informatics and billing criteria. Level 1: receipt of uterotonic other than oxytocin (3.7% of patients); level 2: billing diagnosis code for postpartum hemorrhage (3.0% of patients); level 3: placement of the intrauterine tamponade device, transfusion of 1–3 units red blood cells (RBCs), or both (1.8% of patients); and Level 4: hysterectomy, 4 or more units RBCs, or both (0.6% of patients). Higher postpartum hemorrhage levels were associated with higher hematocrit drops. In postpartum hemorrhage levels 1 through 4, 1.6%, 5.6%, 30.2%, and 30.7% of women had hematocrit drops greater than 40%, compared with 0.4% of women without postpartum hemorrhage. Over the course of the study, hematocrit drops within a given level did not change. Postpartum hemorrhage interventions such as uterotonics increased significantly (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.11–1.21, with aOR denoting change in outcome across 1 year). Although severe maternal morbidity did not change significantly, risk of hysterectomy decreased significantly (aOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.40–0.68).

CONCLUSION:

Postpartum hemorrhage can be characterized in a granular fashion with informatics data. Informatics data are becoming increasingly available and can provide detailed assessment of postpartum hemorrhage incidence, management, and outcomes to facilitate surveillance and quality improvement.
Index Finger Metacarpophalangeal Joint Arthrodesis With a Dorsal Locking Plate
Authors: Goyal Nitin , Wilson David J. , Salzano Michael B. , Wysocki Robert W. , Cohen Mark S. , Fernandez John J.
Published: November 2019

Index finger metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint arthrodesis is a potential reconstructive option for recalcitrant MCP arthritis. Due to lateral forces applied by the thumb, our institutional experience supports index finger MCP arthrodesis as a successful option in younger, higher demand patients and in the setting of significant joint instability. We present our technique of performing index finger MCP arthrodesis using a dorsal locking plate. The proposed benefits of this technique include the ability to position the MCP joint in the desired degree of flexion, generation of parallel fusion surfaces with even compression across the arthrodesis site, and stable fixation.
An IgG1 Version of the Anti-transferrin Receptor 1 Antibody ch128.1 Shows Significant Antitumor Activity Against Different Xenograft Models of Multiple Myeloma: A Brief Communication
Authors: Daniels-Wells Tracy R. , Candelaria Pierre V. , Leoh Lai Sum , Nava Miguel , Martínez-Maza Otoniel , Penichet Manuel L.
Published: November 2019

The transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) is a meaningful target for antibody-based cancer therapy given its overexpression on malignant cells and its central role in cancer pathology. We previously developed a mouse/human chimeric IgG3 targeting human TfR1 (ch128.1), which exhibits significant antitumor activity against multiple myeloma (MM) in xenograft models of SCID-Beige mice bearing disseminated ARH-77 or KMS-11 tumors. This activity is observed in early and late disease stages of disseminated KMS-11 tumors and, in this model, the mechanism of antitumor activity is Fc-mediated, involving macrophages. As human IgG1 is the isotype of choice for therapeutic antibodies targeting malignant cells and has several advantages compared with IgG3, including established manufacturability, we now developed an IgG1 version of ch128.1. A single dose of ch128.1/IgG1 shows significant antitumor activity, not only against early and late stages of disseminated KMS-11 tumors (Asian origin) but also against these stages of disseminated disease following injection of human MM cells MM.1S (African American origin) or its variant that is resistant to dexamethasone MM.1R. Treatment with the Fc mutant version of ch128.1/IgG1 (L234A/L235A/P329S) with impaired effector functions fails to confer protection against MM.1S and MM.1R tumors, indicating a crucial role of the Fc fragment in the antitumor activity, similar to its IgG3 counterpart. In fact, we found that ch128.1/IgG1, but not the mutant, elicits antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cell-mediated phagocytosis in the presence of murine bone marrow–derived macrophages. Our results suggest that ch128.1/IgG1 is a promising therapeutic against human B-cell malignancies such as MM.