bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Early Oral Feeding on Anastomotic Leakage Rate After Esophagectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Xiang , Yan Shi , Ma Yuanyuan , Li Shaolei , Wang Yaqi , Wang Xing , Wang Yuzhao , Wang Jia , Lv Chao , Yang Yue , Wu Nan
Published: March 2020

Background

Esophageal cancer occupies a vital position in fatal cancer‐related disease, with esophagectomy procedures helping to improve patient survival. The timing when oral intake should be resumed after esophagectomy and whether early oral feeding (EOF) or delayed oral feeding (DOF) should be the optimal regimen are controversial.

Methods

Databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library) were searched. All records were screened by two authors through full‐text reading. Data on the anastomotic leakage rate were extracted and synthesized in meta‐analyses. Postoperative pneumonia rate and length of hospital stay were also assessed.

Results

Seven studies from 49 records were included after full‐text reading; 1595 patients were totally included in the analysis. No significant difference was observed between the EOF and DOF groups (odds ratio [OR] 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–4.03; p = 0.2495; I2 = 70%). Higher anastomotic leakage rate was observed in EOF compared with DOF (OR 2.89; 95% CI 1.56–5.34; p = 0.0007; I2 = 10%) in the open subgroup. No significant difference was observed in the MIE (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.22–1.02; p = 0.0564; I2 = 0%). Patients performed similarly in pneumonia (OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.57–2.21; p = 0.745; I2 = 34%). In cervical subgroup, anastomosis leakage may be less in DOF (OR 2.42 95% CI 1.26–4.64; p = 0.0651; I2 = 58%), while in thoracic subgroup, there is no obvious difference (OR 0.86 95% CI 0.46–1.61; p = 0.01; I2 = 84.9%).

Conclusions

Anastomotic leakage related to the timing of oral feeding after open esophagectomy, which is more favorable to the DOF regimen. However, timing of oral feeding did not impair anastomotic healing in patients undergoing MIE.
Pharmacokinetics of polatuzumab vedotin in combination with R/G-CHP in patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Shemesh Colby S. , Agarwal Priya , Lu Tong , Lee Calvin , Dere Randall C. , Li Xiaobin , Li Chunze , Jin Jin Y. , Girish Sandhya , Miles Dale , Lu Dan
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The phase Ib/II open-label study (NCT01992653) evaluated the antibody-drug conjugate polatuzumab vedotin (pola) plus rituximab/obinutuzumab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (R/G-CHP) as first-line therapy for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). We report the pharmacokinetics (PK) and drug–drug interaction (DDI) for pola.

Methods

Six or eight cycles of pola 1.0–1.8 mg/kg were administered intravenously every 3 weeks (q3w) with R/G-CHP. Exposures of pola [including antibody-conjugated monomethyl auristatin E (acMMAE) and unconjugated MMAE] and R/G-CHP were assessed by non-compartmental analysis and/or descriptive statistics with cross-cycle comparisons to cycle 1 and/or after multiple cycles. Pola was evaluated as a potential victim and perpetrator of a PK drug–drug interaction with R/G-CHP. Population PK (popPK) analysis assessed the impact of prior treatment status (naïve vs. relapsed/refractory) on pola PK.

Results

Pola PK was similar between treatment arms and independent of line of therapy. Pola PK was dose proportional from 1.0 to 1.8 mg/kg with R/G-CHP. Geometric mean volume of distribution and clearance of acMMAE ranged from 57.3 to 95.6 mL/kg and 12.7 to 18.2 mL/kg/day, respectively. acMMAE exhibited multi-exponential decay (elimination half-life ~ 1 week). Unconjugated MMAE exhibited formation rate-limited kinetics. Exposures of pola with R/G-CHP were similar to those in the absence of CHP; exposures of R/G-CHP in the presence of pola were comparable to those in the absence of pola.

Conclusions

Pola PK was well characterized with no clinically meaningful DDIs with R/G-CHP. Findings are consistent with previous studies of pola + R/G, and support pola + R/G-CHP use in previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Robot-assisted simple prostatectomy versus open simple prostatectomy: a single-center comparison
Authors: Dotzauer R. , La Torre A. , Thomas A. , Brandt M. P. , Böhm K. , Mager R. , Borgmann H. , Jäger W. , Kurosch M. , Höfner T. , Ruckes C. , Haferkamp A. , Tsaur I.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Open simple prostatectomy (OSP) is a standard surgical technique for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia with prostate size larger than 80 ml. As a minimally invasive approach, robot-assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) emerged as a feasible surgical alternative. Currently, there are no definite recommendations for the standard use of RASP. Therefore, we aimed at investigating various clinical outcomes comparing RASP with OSP.

Methods

In this retrospective single-center study, we evaluated clinical data from 103 RASP and 31 OSP patients. Both cohorts were compared regarding different clinical characteristics with and without propensity score matching. To detect independent predictive factors for clinical outcomes, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed.

Results

Robot-assisted simple prostatectomy patients demonstrated a lower estimated blood loss and need for postoperative blood transfusions as well as less postoperative complications. OSP had a shorter operative time (125 min vs. 182 min) longer hospital stay (11 days vs. 9 days) and longer time to catheter removal (8 days vs. 6 days). In the multivariate analysis, RASP was identified as an independent predictor for longer operative time, lower estimated blood loss, shorter length of hospital stay, shorter time to catheter removal, less postoperative complications and blood transfusions.

Conclusion

Robot-assisted simple prostatectomy is a safe alternative to OSP with less perioperative and postoperative morbidity. Whether OSP (shorter operative time) or RASP (shorter length of hospital stay) has a more favorable economic impact depends on the particular conditions of different health care systems. Further prospective comparative research is warranted to define the value of RASP in the current surgical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Retinal axonal degeneration in Niemann–Pick type C disease
Authors: Havla Joachim , Moser Marlene , Sztatecsny Clara , Lotz-Havla Amelie S. , Maier Esther M. , Hizli Baccara , Schinner Regina , Kümpfel Tania , Strupp Michael , Bremova-Ertl Tatiana , Schneider Susanne A.
Published: March 2020

Objective

Niemann–Pick disease type C1 (NPC1) is a rare autosomal-recessive lysosomal storage disorder presenting with a broad clinical spectrum ranging from a severe infantile-onset neurovisceral disorder to late-onset neurodegenerative disease. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is established to detect retinal degeneration in vivo. We examined NPC1-patients (NPC1-P), clinically asymptomatic NPC1-mutation carriers (NPC1-MC), and healthy controls (HC) to (1) identify retinal degeneration in NPC1-disease and (2) to investigate possible subclinical retinal degeneration in NPC1-MC.

Methods

Fourteen NPC1-P, 17 NPC1-MC, and 31 age-matched HC were examined using spectral-domain OCT. Neurological examinations, clinical scales [modified Disability Rating Scale (mDRS); Scale for the Rating and Assessment of Ataxia (SARA); Spinocerebellar Ataxia Functional Index (SCAFI)], and video-oculography (VOG) were correlated with OCT data.

Results

Macular retinal nerve fiber layer and volumes of combined ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer were significantly lower in NPC1-P compared to HC [mRNFL (µm):0.13 ± 0.01 vs. 0.14 ± 0.02; p = 0.01; GCIPL (mm3):0.60 ± 0.05 vs. 0.62 ± 0.04; p = 0.04]. No significant differences were found in NPC1-MC in comparison to HC. In NPC1-P, the amplitude of upward vertical saccades showed positive associations with peripapillary RNFL (ρ = 0.645; p < 0.05), and thinned GCIP (ρ = 0.609; p < 0.05), but not in NPC1-MC. In NPC1-P correlations between combined outer plexiform layer and outer nuclear layer (OPONL) with mDRS (r = − 0.617; p < 0.05) and GCIP with SARA (r = − 0.622; p < 0.05) were observed. Furthermore, in NPC1-MC, motor scores were negatively associated with pRNFL (ρ = − 0.677; p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Using OCT, we showed retinal degeneration in NPC1-P and significant correlation between retinal neuroaxonal degeneration with clinical measurements. We observed a non-significant trend of retinal degeneration in NPC1-MC correlating with subclinical motor abnormalities. Based on these preliminary data, OCT may be an important marker of neurodegeneration in NPC1-disease after onset of clinical symptoms.
Molecular genetic diagnostics of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: from panel design towards result interpretation in clinical practice
Authors: Butz Henriett , Nyírő Gábor , Kurucz Petra Anna , Likó István , Patócs Attila
Published: March 2020

Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous congenital disease. Symptoms cover a wide spectrum from mild forms to complex phenotypes due to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) deficiency. To date, more than 40 genes have been identified as pathogenic cause of CHH. These genes could be grouped into two major categories: genes controlling development and GnRH neuron migration and genes being responsible for neuroendocrine regulation and GnRH neuron function. High-throughput, next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows to analyze numerous gene sequences at the same time. Nowadays, whole exome or whole genome datasets could be investigated in clinical genetic diagnostics due to their favorable cost–benefit. The increasing genetic data generated by NGS reveal novel candidate genes and gene variants with unknown significance (VUSs). To provide clinically valuable genetic results, complex clinical and bioinformatics work are needed. The multifaceted genetics of CHH, the variable mode of inheritance, the incomplete penetrance, variable expressivity and oligogenic characteristics further complicate the interpretation of the genetic variants detected. The objective of this work, apart from reviewing the currently known genes associated with CHH, was to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the NGS-based platforms and through the authors’ own practice to guide through the whole workflow starting from gene panel design, performance analysis and result interpretation. Based on our results, a genetic diagnosis was clearly identified in 21% of cases tested (8/38).
Games and cost of change
Authors: Flåm Sjur Didrik
Published: March 2020

Most microeconomic and game theoretic models of individual choice overlook adjustment costs. Rather often, the modeler’s concern is just with improvement of objectives. This optic doesn’t quite fit agents somewhat tied to status quo. If rational, any such agent reasons whether moving to another state be worth his while. For that, the realized gains must outweigh the inconveniences of the move. Choosing games as chief setting, this paper offers some observations as to the fact that strategy change usually entails cost.
A System of Systems of Mental Health in Cities, Digging Deep into the Origins of Complexity
Authors: Moustaid Elhabib , Kornevs Maksims , Lindencrona Fredrik , Meijer Sebastiaan
Published: March 2020

Mental health in urban environments is often treated from a healthcare provision perspective. Research in recent decades showed that mental illness in cities is a result of dysfunctional coordination between different city systems and structures. Given the nature of the city as a system of systems, this work builds through a participatory method, a general system dynamic model of factors that affect mental health in urban and regional environments. Through this method, we investigated the challenges of the application of such methodology to identify essential factors, feedback loops, and dependencies between systems to move forward in planning for mental health in cities. The outcome is a general model that showed the importance of factors that vary from individuals, families to communities and feedback loops that span multiple systems such as the city physical infrastructures, social environments, schools, labor market, and healthcare provision.
Seismic collapse capacity assessment of SDOF systems incorporating duration and instability effects
Authors: Bravo-Haro M. A. , Liapopoulou M. , Elghazouli A. Y.
Published: March 2020

This paper presents a detailed investigation into the seismic response of non-deteriorating and deteriorating single degree-of-freedom systems controlled by $$P -\Delta$$P-Δ effects, with due account for the influence of earthquake duration. In order to isolate the effect of duration from other ground motion characteristics, 77 pairs of records with equivalent spectral shapes are considered in the study. The structural characteristics examined include the structural period, applied gravity loading, post-yield stiffness, viscous damping, material hysteretic behaviour, as well as the level of cyclic deterioration within the pinching systems. Detailed incremental dynamic analyses are carried out, considering an intensity measure corresponding to the spectral acceleration at the structural period of vibration of the system. Based on the incremental dynamic analysis results, predictive relationships are proposed for determining the structural collapse capacity, accounting for the influence of key parameters including instability and duration effects. The median and dispersion of the collapse capacity distribution embedded in the predictive models are also presented. The effect of duration is shown to increase with longer structural periods and to decrease with higher $$P -\Delta$$P-Δ levels. The more rapid instigation of dynamic instability in relatively stiff systems is also shown to reduce their comparative sensitivity to variations in ground motion characteristics. Overall, it is indicated that disregarding the influence of duration could lead to over-estimations of up to 50% in the collapse capacity. The paper concludes with a discussion of other sources of structural damage that instigate collapse when using records with equivalent spectral shape but without especial consideration for duration effects.
Polysiloxane Derived Macroporous Silicon Oxycarbide Microspheroidal Particles and Their Decoration with 1D Structures
Authors: Fortuniak W. , Chojnowski J. , Mizerska U. , Pospiech P. , Zakrzewska J. , Slomkowski S.
Published: March 2020

A simple method of synthesis for the macroporous SiOC spheroidal microparticles was developed. Preceramic polysiloxane macroporous microbeads were obtained by a one-step aqueous emulsion process involving poly(hydromethylsiloxane) (PHMS) with the addition of FeCl3·6H2O. Thermal treatment of these particles gave various SiOC materials depending on the pyrolysis temperature. Hierarchically porous spheroidal mezo-macroporous ceramers were obtained at 600 °C. Heating at 850–1000 °C gave SiOC ceramic spheroidal particles with about 60% open porosity. Ceramization at 1200–1400 °C led to the particles decorated with ceramic whiskers and wires. Heating at 1600 °C gave wires and spilled ceramic particles. These 1D ceramic structures were formed by a Vapor–Liquid–Solid (VLS) mechanism.
Language policy, ideological clarification and theory of mind
Authors: Albury Nathan John
Published: March 2020

This interdisciplinary paper shows that investigating community language beliefs, as a pillar of language policy research, can be enriched by the principles of theory of mind. The case study is Malaysia where ethnonationalist law and policy elevates the language and culture of the Muslim Malay majority above those of citizens of Chinese and Indian ethnicity, but where a seismic political shift is underway. The re-election of Dr Mahathir Mohammad as prime minister in May 2018, but now standing for Pakatan Harapan, broke decades of rule by the traditionalist United Malays National Organisation. Promises are being made to bring an end to Malaysia’s race-based politics and foster equality. The situation is ripe for producing contentious and politically-embedded talk in the community about Malaysia’s linguistic diversity and ethnonationalist language policy. In that context, this paper analyses how youths from different ethnic groups feel about Malaysia’s societal multilingualism. However, the innovation is in then soliciting and analysing the hypotheses of these same youths about how their own heritage languages, as well as societal multilingualism and language policy, are perceived by the other ethnic groups. As Malaysia embarks on political change, exploring beliefs in these interethnic multidirectional terms reveals fissures and alignments between beliefs that are articulated by different youths and the beliefs that are attributed to them. This methodological approach can support language policy processes and research by more richly investigating language beliefs and ideological positioning from multidirectional vantage points.
Ceramide and palmitic acid inhibit macrophage-mediated epithelial–mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer
Authors: de Araujo Junior Raimundo Fernandes , Eich Christina , Jorquera Carla , Schomann Timo , Baldazzi Fabio , Chan Alan B. , Cruz Luis J.
Published: March 2020

Accumulating evidence indicates that ceramide (Cer) and palmitic acid (PA) possess the ability to modulate switching of macrophage phenotypes and possess anti-tumorigenic effects; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether Cer and PA could induce switching of macrophage polarization from the tumorigenic M2- towards the pro-inflammatory M1-phenotype, and whether this consequently altered the potential of colorectal cancer cells to undergo epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a hallmark of tumor progression. Our study showed that Cer- and PA-treated macrophages increased expression of the macrophage 1 (M1)-marker CD68 and secretion of IL-12 and attenuated expression of the macrophage 2 (M2)-marker CD163 and IL-10 secretion. Moreover, Cer and PA abolished M2 macrophage-induced EMT and migration of colorectal cancer cells. At the molecular level, this coincided with inhibition of SNAI1 and vimentin expression and upregulation of E-cadherin. Furthermore, Cer and PA attenuated expression levels of IL-10 in colorectal cancer cells co-cultured with M2 macrophages and downregulated STAT3 and NF-κB expression. For the first time, our findings suggest the presence of an IL-10-STAT3-NF-κB signaling axis in colorectal cancer cells co-cultured with M2 macrophages, mimicking the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, PA and Cer were powerful inhibitors of this signaling axis and, consequently, EMT of colorectal cancer cells. These results contribute to our understanding of the immunological mechanisms that underlie the anti-tumorigenic effects of lipids for future combination with drugs in the therapy of colorectal carcinoma.
Towards the Ethical Publication of Country of Origin Information (COI) in the Asylum Process
Authors: Aggarwal Nikita , Floridi Luciano
Published: March 2020

This article addresses the question of how ‘Country of Origin Information’ (COI) reports—that is, research developed and used to support decision-making in the asylum process—can be published in an ethical manner. The article focuses on the risk that published COI reports could be misused and thereby harm the subjects of the reports and/or those involved in their development. It supports a situational approach to assessing data ethics when publishing COI reports, whereby COI service providers must weigh up the benefits and harms of publication based, inter alia, on the foreseeability and probability of harm due to potential misuse of the research, the public good nature of the research, and the need to balance the rights and duties of the various actors in the asylum process, including asylum seekers themselves. Although this article focuses on the specific question of ‘how to publish COI reports in an ethical manner’, it also intends to promote further research on data ethics in the asylum process, particularly in relation to refugees, where more foundational issues should be considered.
High-dimensional changepoint detection via a geometrically inspired mapping
Authors: Grundy Thomas , Killick Rebecca , Mihaylov Gueorgui
Published: March 2020

High-dimensional changepoint analysis is a growing area of research and has applications in a wide range of fields. The aim is to accurately and efficiently detect changepoints in time series data when both the number of time points and dimensions grow large. Existing methods typically aggregate or project the data to a smaller number of dimensions, usually one. We present a high-dimensional changepoint detection method that takes inspiration from geometry to map a high-dimensional time series to two dimensions. We show theoretically and through simulation that if the input series is Gaussian, then the mappings preserve the Gaussianity of the data. Applying univariate changepoint detection methods to both mapped series allows the detection of changepoints that correspond to changes in the mean and variance of the original time series. We demonstrate that this approach outperforms the current state-of-the-art multivariate changepoint methods in terms of accuracy of detected changepoints and computational efficiency. We conclude with applications from genetics and finance.
Thermal Behaviour of Synovene and Oleamide in Oil Adsorbed on Steel
Authors: Casford Michael T. L. , Puhan Debashis , Davies Paul B. , Bracchi Gareth L. , Smith Tony D.
Published: March 2020

Oleamide and Synovene lubricant additives when mixed together show a clear co-operative effect leading to friction and wear reduction. Sum Frequency Generation vibrational spectroscopy has been used to record in situ spectra of these additives with the aim of understanding the behaviour of these molecules when adsorbed on steel immersed in a model base oil at pre-selected temperatures. The spectra of the individual components and of mixtures have been recorded up to 130 °C. Individual spectra from both molecules have been distinguished using per-deuterated oleamide. The temperature at which maximum ordered adsorption of pure Synovene molecules occurs drops from ~ 130 to ~ 70 °C in the mixture with oleamide. Our results show that co-adsorption occurs, which causes a change in net polar orientation of the oleamide component suggesting the hydrocarbon chains of the oleamide molecules reverse their polar orientation when Synovene is present. The net effect of co-adsorption and change in orientation as well as conformation of the two molecules could explain the reduction of friction and wear observed at the metal–metal interface.
Effects of a 4 week touch rugby and self-paced interval running intervention on health markers in active young men
Authors: Dobbin Nick , Bloyce Daniel , Hughes Stephen Fȏn , Twist Craig
Published: March 2020

Background

Modified team sport activity has been proposed as effective exercise modality for promoting markers of health that are comparable or greater than continuous forms of activity. However, research using modified team sports is currently limited to sedentary populations using 2–3 sessions across a minimum of 8 weeks.

Aim

To investigate the effects of a 4-week touch rugby and self-paced interval running intervention on a range of health markers in active men.

Methods

Sixteen participants (age 26.4 ± 6.4 years) were matched for age, demographic and physical activity before completing a single touch rugby (n = 8) or running (n = 8) session per week for 4 weeks. Measures of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate (RHR), body composition and biochemical status were recorded pre- and post-intervention.

Results

ANCOVA analysis revealed between-group differences for impedance (P = 0.027), fat mass (P = 0.008), percentage body fat (P = 0.008) and fat-free mass (P = 0.002), with greater changes after touch rugby. Systolic blood pressure decreased for both groups with greater reductions observed after touch rugby (P = 0.002). No between-group difference was observed for RHR, interleukin-6 or C-reactive protein (P > 0.05). Contrasting internal, external and perceptual loads were observed.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that a single session of touch rugby over a 4-week period elicited greater improvements in body composition and SBP than self-paced running, with both being equally beneficial for improving RHR, diastolic blood pressure and inflammatory status in active young men.
Balancing act between research and application: how research orientation and networks affect scholars’ academic and commercial output
Authors: Werker Claudia , Hopp Christian
Published: March 2020

Scholars’ balancing act between research and application leads to trade-offs between commercial and research output. Yet what some scholars may consider as poles apart might lead to super-additive outcomes for others. Based on a survey carried out at three leading European universities of technology we investigate the influence of scholars’ research orientation and networks on their output productivity. Our results point to a very specific group of ambidextrous scholars that is comparatively small. The scholars in this group are able to successfully balance research and application. In contrast, all scholars focusing on either pure basic or pure applied research face a trade-off between publications and innovations. In general, our findings suggest that the output productivity of all scholars is the higher the better their research orientation fits with their network activities. In particular, ambidextrous scholars rely on effectively accessing and utilizing their network to increase commercial and research output.
Transdisciplinarity: science for and with society in light of the university’s roles and functions
Authors: Scholz Roland W.
Published: March 2020

The idea that universities should become entrepreneurial, commercialized, private commodities or should serve politicians and governmental agencies has been promoted by the university–industry–government relationship-based Triple Helix approach and is reality in many places. In contrast, a reemphasis on universities serving the public good has been demanded by proponents of transdisciplinary sustainability research. To better understand the tensions between public-good–oriented approaches of transdisciplinarity and entrepreneurial, market-oriented Triple Helix and third-mission approaches of science—practice collaboration, this paper takes a closer look at the history of universities’ roles and functions. We then elucidate the practice of transdisciplinary processes and discuss the “science for and with society” approach of transdisciplinary sustainable transitioning. We argue that transdisciplinarity for producing groundbreaking sociotechnical solutions has to serve (a) the public good and (b) calls for independence, academic freedom, institutionalization, and proper funding schemes. Third-mission conceptions that follow the commercialization/capitalization of scientific knowledge are in conflict with the conception of science and of transdisciplinarity serving sustainable transitioning. The development of groundbreaking ideas for sustainable transitions must acknowledge the complexity and contextualization of real-world settings. Therefore, collaboration between practice and transdisciplinarity calls for the input and cooperation of authentic practitioners, i.e., the experts of practice and real wold complexity. The challenge of transdisciplinarity is to properly relate the fundamental expertise of practice to validated academic rigor. This implies that transdisciplinary research is a critical element of the university’s research mission.
Knockdown of Arginyl-tRNA Synthetase Attenuates Ischemia-Induced Cerebral Cortex Injury in Rats After Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion
Authors: Liu Yang , Hu Xue-Bin , Zhang Li-Zhi , Wang Zi , Fu Rong
Published: March 2020

Some researchers have previously shown that RNAi knockdown of arginyl-tRNA synthetase (ArgRS) before or after a hypoxic injury can rescue animals from death, based on the model organism, C. elegans. However, there has been no study on the application of arginyl-tRNA synthetase knockdown in treating mammalian ischemic stroke, and its potential mechanism and effect on ischemic brain damage are still unknown. Here, we focused on the Rars gene, which encodes an arginyl-tRNA synthetase, and examined the effects of Rars knockdown in a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats. To achieve this aim, adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given right cerebral cortex injections of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) adenovirus (AV) particles to knock down arginyl-tRNA synthetase, and a non-targeting control (NTC) vector or phosphate-buffered solution served as the controls. After 4 days, the rats were exposed to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). Then, the right cerebral cortex level of arginyl-tRNA synthetase was examined, and the effects of the Rars knockdown were evaluated by differences in infarction volume, oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier, mitochondrial function, and glucose metabolism at 1 day and 3 days after MCAO. The injection of shRNA adenovirus particles successfully suppressed the expression of arginyl-tRNA synthetase in the cerebral cortex. We observed an improvement in oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, and glucose utilization and a reduction in brain edema compared with the non-targeting control rats with suppressed expression of arginyl-tRNA synthetase mRNA in the ipsilateral ischemic cortex of the brain. Our findings indicate that knockdown of arginyl-tRNA synthetase in the cerebral cortex exerted neuroprotective effects, which were achieved not only by the improvement of oxidative stress and glucose utilization but also by the maintenance of mitochondrial morphological integrity and the preservation of mitochondrial function. Knockdown of ArgRS administration could be a promising approach to protect ischemic stroke.
Sectoral evolution and shifting service delivery models in the sharing economy
Authors: Mahmuda S. , Sigler T. , Knight E. , Corcoran J.
Published: March 2020

The rise of the sharing economy has had transformative impacts on extant service delivery models, with wide ranging implications for existing firms, regulators, and the workforce at large. This paper draws upon firm-level data to better understand how new forms of service delivery have accompanied the diffusion of the sharing economy. Unlike previous waves of technological innovation, sharing economy firms have emerged as digital intermediaries rather than direct service providers driven by shifting consumer practices and attitudes. We apply an innovation diffusion model to trace the development trajectory of the sharing economy across 1000 firms. Our model segments the evolution of the sharing economy into three distinct and overlapping phases, comprising an Embryonic Stage (1995–2008), an Early Growth Stage (2007–2015), and most recently a Late Growth Stage (2014–present). Analysis of the 1000 firms reveals that the sharing economy has rapidly gained momentum across all industry sectors, with its growth trajectory principally tied to the evolution of related financial and technological innovations paralleled by social adoption. We find that service delivery models differ considerably between sectors, with professional services favouring business-oriented models, and consumables oriented more towards peer sharing. Though peer-to-peer (P2P) has been the dominant model, this is changing as larger firms enter the market and existing firms become industry leaders. We argue that while the marginal cost of new transactions within a P2P structure is low, barriers to market entry become ever-higher as sharing economy service delivery models are increasingly embedded within the mainstream economy.
On the Direct Reduction Phenomena of Bauxite Ore Using H2 Gas in a Fixed Bed Reactor
Authors: Lazou Adamantia , van der Eijk Casper , Balomenos Efthymios , Kolbeinsen Leiv , Safarian Jafar
Published: March 2020

The Bayer Process is the dominant industrial method to produce alumina from bauxite ore. Due to the generation of large amounts of Bauxite Residue (red mud), an alternative method, called the Pedersen Process, is of our interest. This process makes use of a combination of pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical techniques in order to prevent the Bauxite Residue generation. In the conventional Pedersen Process, iron in the bauxite is separated in the form of pig iron through a carbothermic smelting-reduction step which has a CO2 emission similar to that during conventional iron production. In order to eliminate the CO2 emission of this step, the focus of the present work is to reduce the iron oxides of bauxite ore by hydrogen gas (H2) prior to smelting and minimizing the use of solid carbon materials for the reduction. The thermochemistry and the kinetics of reactions during calcination and direct reduction of a bauxite ore were studied by a thermogravimetric technique and in situ analysis of the gaseous products. The onset temperatures for the decomposition of bauxite components during calcination were determined. The kinetics of the reduction of hematite to metallic iron was studied and it is shown that the reduction of iron oxides to metallic iron starts at temperatures below 560 °C and it accelerates at higher temperatures. Moreover, it is indicated that the formation of hercynite (FeAl2O4) phase retards the complete reduction at temperatures higher than 760 °C.
Availability of Male and Female Sexual Health and Fertility Information on National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Center Websites
Authors: Shah Tejash , Shin David
Published: March 2020

Introduction

For the estimated 15 million cancer survivors in the United States, access to accurate information regarding quality of life issues such as sexual health and fertility preservation is a very important part of cancer recovery.

Aim

Because National Cancer Institute (NCI)–designated cancer centers (CCs) are leaders of cancer care, we sought to determine the prevalence and quality of information relating to male and female sexual health and fertility on all NCI-designated CC websites.

Methods

A total of 70 NCI-designated CC websites listed on www.cancer.gov and divided by geographic regions were carefully analyzed for the presence and quality of male and female sexual health and fertility information. Fisher’s exact test was performed to assess for differences between websites.

Main Outcome Measure

We determined the number and percentage of NCI-designated CC websites with sexual health and/or fertility information, availability of information by region, and information available for each gender.

Results

Sexual health and/or fertility information was accessible on 43 of 63 (68.3%) CC websites and was more prevalent on comprehensive CC compared with non-comprehensive CC websites (37 of 49 [75.5%] vs 6 of 14 [42.9%] websites, respectively; P < .05). NCI-designated CC websites had less information on sexual health compared with that on fertility (24 of 63 [38.1%] vs 41 of 63 [65.1%] websites, respectively; P < .01). Access to data was less available for men compared with women (35 of 41 [85.4%] vs 41 of 41 [100%] websites, respectively; P < .05) on CC websites providing fertility preservation information. Fifteen CCs in the South Atlantic (11) and East South Central (4) regions did not offer sexual health information on their respective websites.

Conclusion

Information regarding sexual health and fertility preservation after cancer treatment is not common and less available for men compared with women on NCI-designated CC websites. The aforementioned data highlight the need to improve the quality and accessibility of sexual health and fertility preservation information for all NCI-designated CC websites.
The Successful Measurement of Clitoral Pulse Amplitude Using a New Clitoral Photoplethysmograph: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mechelmans Daisy J. , Sachtler Wendelin L. , von Wiegand Thomas E. , Goodrich David , Heiman Julia R. , Janssen Erick
Published: March 2020

Background

Although the clitoris is more sensitive to stimulation and its innervation more conducive to sensory feedback than the vagina, the field of sexual psychophysiology, which uses psychophysiological methods including genital response measures to study sexual arousal, relies heavily on the measurement of vaginal, rather than clitoral, pulse amplitude.

Aim

To develop and test a new clitoral photoplethysmograph for the measurement of clitoral pulse amplitude (CPA).

Methods

2 versions of the new device, which differed in the orientation of the sensor and light source (parallel vs angled), were tested in 15 premenopausal, sexually functional women. Vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) was assessed simultaneously. The women viewed a 3-minute erotic and an anxiety-inducing film segment with each clitoral sensor, interspersed with neutral video excerpts. In addition, they were asked to indicate their subjective level of sexual arousal during and after erotic video presentations.

Outcomes

The main outcome measures are CPA, VPA, and subjective sexual arousal.

Results

The clitoral photoplethysmograph successfully detected CPA. The quality of the signals was best for the angled sensor. Main effects of the film and the interaction between the film and epoch were stronger for the clitoral than for the vaginal device. In addition, CPA followed more closely changes in intensity of sexual films than VPA. Within- and between-subject correlations between genital response and subjective sexual arousal were higher for the clitoral than for the vaginal device.

Clinical Translation

Comparison of CPA with other genital blood flow measures in clinical samples is indicated and may contribute to improved physiological assessments of sexual response in women.

Strengths and Limitations

Our sample was small and consisted of healthy volunteers. Future research could examine test-retest reliability, by including multiple recording sessions, and further explore the specificity of CPA by comparing sexual and non-sexual stimuli with positive valence.

Conclusion

This study presents the first instrument to successfully measure CPA.
Experimental Beckett
Authors: Johnson Nicholas E. , Heron Jonathan
Published: March 2020

How do twenty-first century theatre practitioners negotiate the dynamics of tradition and innovation across the works of Samuel Beckett? Beckett's own tendencies toward fluidity of genre, iteration/repetition, and collaboration – modes that also define the 'experimental' – allow for greater openness than is often assumed. Reading recent performances for creative uses of embodiment, environment, and technology reveals the increasingly interdisciplinary, international, and intermedial character of contemporary Beckettian practice. The experimentation of current practitioners challenges a discourse based on historical controversies, exposing a still-expanding terrain for Beckett in performance.
The Aquitaine Shelf Edge (Bay of Biscay): A Primary Outlet for Microbial Methane Release
Authors: Dupré S. , Loubrieu B. , Pierre C. , Scalabrin C. , Guérin C. , Ehrhold A. , Ogor A. , Gautier E. , Ruffine L. , Biville R. , Saout J. , Breton C. , Floodpage J. , Lescanne M.
Published: March 2020

A few thousand (2,612) seeps are releasing microbial methane bubbles from the seafloor at the Aquitaine Shelf edge (Bay of Biscay) at shallow water depths (140–220 m). This methane contributes to the formation of meter‐scale subcircular carbonate structures, which are (sub)outcropping over 375 km2. Based on in situ flow rate measurements and acoustic data, and assuming steady and continuous fluxes over time, the methane entering the water column is estimated at 144 Mg/yr. Microbial methane circulation has been ongoing for at least a few thousand years. This discovery highlights the importance of microbial methane generation, disconnected from deep thermogenic sources and gas hydrates, at continental shelves. The shelf edge may be viewed as a focus area for methane circulation and release and related diagenesis, all having an impact on the shaping of continental shelves and potentially on the oceanic and atmospheric carbon budget.
A New Method for Accurate and Efficient Modeling of the Local Ocean Induction Effects. Application to Long‐Period Responses from Island Geomagnetic Observatories
Authors: Chen Chaojian , Kruglyakov Mikhail , Kuvshinov Alexey
Published: March 2020

There is significant interest in constraining mantle conductivity beneath oceans. One data source to probe oceanic mantle conductivity is magnetic fields measured at island observatories. From these data local responses are estimated and then inverted in terms of conductivity. However, island responses may be strongly distorted by the ocean induction effect (OIE) originating from conductivity contrasts between ocean and land. Insufficiently accurate accounting for OIE may lead to wrong interpretation of the responses. OIE is generally modeled by global simulations using relatively coarse grids to represent bathymetry. We explore whether very local bathymetry influences island responses. To address this question we developed a methodology for efficient modeling of effects of bathymetry of any resolution. On an example of two island observatories we demonstrate that small‐scale bathymetry dramatically influences the responses. Using new methodology we obtain new conductivity models beneath considered islands and observe very good agreement between modeled and experimental responses.
The Roles of the Atmosphere and Ocean in Driving Arctic Warming Due to European Aerosol Reductions
Authors: Krishnan Srinath , Ekman Annica M. L. , Hansson Hans‐Christen , Riipinen Ilona , Lewinschal Anna , Wilcox Laura J. , Dallafior Tanja
Published: March 2020

Clean air policies can have significant impacts on climate in remote regions. Previous modeling studies have shown that the temperature response to European sulfate aerosol reductions is largest in the Arctic. Here we investigate the atmospheric and ocean roles in driving this enhanced Arctic warming using a set of fully coupled and slab‐ocean simulations (specified ocean heat convergence fluxes) with the Norwegian Earth system model (NorESM), under scenarios with high and low European aerosol emissions relative to year 2000. We show that atmospheric processes drive most of the Arctic response. The ocean pathway plays a secondary role inducing small temperature changes mostly in the opposite direction of the atmospheric response. Important modulators of the temperature response patterns are changes in sea ice extent and subsequent turbulent heat flux exchange, suggesting that a proper representation of Arctic sea ice and turbulent changes is key to predicting the Arctic response to midlatitude aerosol forcing.
On the Changing Role of the Stratosphere on the Tropospheric Ozone Budget: 1979–2010
Authors: Griffiths P. T. , Keeble J. , Shin Y. M. , Abraham N. L. , Archibald A. T. , Pyle J. A.
Published: March 2020

We study the evolution of tropospheric ozone over the period 1979–2010 using a chemistry‐climate model employing a stratosphere‐troposphere chemistry scheme. By running with specified dynamics, the key feedback of composition on meteorology is suppressed, isolating the chemical response. By using historical forcings and emissions, interactions between processes are realistically represented. We use the model to assess how the ozone responds over time and to investigate model responses and trends. We find that the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)‐driven decrease in stratospheric ozone plays a significant role in the tropospheric ozone burden. Over the period 1979–1994, the decline in transport of ozone from the stratosphere, partially offsets an emissions‐driven increase in tropospheric ozone production. From 1994–2010, despite a leveling off in emissions, increased stratosphere‐to‐troposphere transport of ozone drives a small increase in the tropospheric ozone burden. These results have implications for the impact of future stratospheric ozone recovery on air quality and radiative forcing.
Resolving the Differences in the Simulated and Reconstructed Temperature Response to Volcanism
Authors: Zhu Feng , Emile‐Geay Julien , Hakim Gregory J. , King Jonathan , Anchukaitis Kevin J.
Published: March 2020

Explosive volcanism imposes impulse‐like radiative forcing on the climate system, providing a natural experiment to study the climate response to perturbation. Previous studies have identified disagreements between paleoclimate reconstructions and climate model simulations with respect to the magnitude and recovery from volcanic cooling, questioning the fidelity of climate model simulations, reconstructions, or both. Using the paleoenvironmental data assimilation framework of the Last Millennium Reanalysis, this study investigates the causes of the disagreements, using both real and simulated data. We demonstrate that discrepancies since 1600 CE can be largely resolved by assimilating tree‐ring density records only, targeting growing season temperature instead of annual temperature, and performing the comparison at proxy locales. Simulations of eruptions earlier in the last millennium may also reflect uncertainties in forcing and modeled aerosol microphysics.
Surface Wave Tomography of Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Using Beamforming of Seismic Noise at a Dense Array
Authors: Wang Kaiming , Lu Laiyu , Maupin Valérie , Ding Zhifeng , Zheng Chen , Zhong Shijun
Published: March 2020

In traditional surface wave tomography based on seismic noise, 2D phase or group velocity distribution is obtained by performing pure‐path inversion after extracting interstation velocities based on the noise cross‐correlation function. In this paper, we show that 2D surface wave phase velocity maps of adequate quality can be obtained directly, without interferometry, by beamforming the ambient noise recorded at array of stations. This method does not require a good azimuthal distribution of the noise sources. The 2D surface wave phase velocity map is obtained by moving the subarrays within a larger dense network of stations. The method is illustrated with seismic noise recorded by over 600 stations of the ChinArray (Phase II). We obtain 2D Rayleigh wave phase velocity maps between 7 and 35 s in Northeastern (NE) Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions that compare well with results obtained with other methods. The shear wave velocity model is then derived by inverting the phase velocity with depth. The model correlates well with geology and tectonics in NE Tibet. Two clear mid‐to‐low crustal low‐velocity zones are observed at 15‐ to 35‐km depth beneath the Songpan‐Ganzi terrane and Northwestern Qilian Orogen, possibly facilitating lower crustal flow in this key region for the tectonic evolution of NE Tibet.
The Power‐Law Relation Between Inclusion Aspect Ratio and Porosity: Implications for Electrical and Elastic Modeling
Authors: Cilli P. A. , Chapman M.
Published: March 2020

Geophysicists depend on rock physics relationships to interpret resistivity and seismic velocity in terms of rock porosity, but it has proven difficult to capture the effect of pore geometry on such relations through simple and easy to apply formulae. Inclusion modeling relates moduli to porosity through an equivalent grain or pore aspect ratio but often fails to account for observed trends, whereas empirical relations can be hard to extrapolate beyond their range of validity, often giving incorrect results in the low and high porosity limits. We show that introducing a power‐law relationship between porosity and equivalent grain or pore aspect ratio allows inclusion models to reproduce five published empirical resistivity‐porosity and velocity‐porosity relationships, providing a first principles basis for extrapolation to other cases of interest. We find that the deviation of resistivity from Archie's law in carbonates is related to a systematic change of grain shape with porosity, and we derive a new relation that fits carbonate resistivity data with similar accuracy to the Humble equation while being correct at high porosity. We then obtain an analog for the Castagna and Pickett relationships for wet, calcitic rocks, which is valid in the low and high porosity limits, giving rise to a new, physically derivedVp/Vsversus porosity model.