bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nanoporous chromium thin film for active detection of toxic heavy metals traces using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Ahmed Ashour M , Shaban Mohamed
Published: January 2020

In this work, nanoporous Cr thin film was designed by a novel method for the detection of toxic heavy metals based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Nanoporous Cr thin film has been deposited on an aluminum substrate through a developed etching/DC electrodeposition technique of the hexagonal porous anodic alumina (PAA) template/Cr nanoparticles, respectively. The structures and morphologies of the fabricated samples were investigated by different characterization tools. The FE-SEM illustrates nanoporous Cr particles of rough surfaces and different sizes are formed on the Al substrate. Also, there are ultrafine Cr nanoparticles covered the surface of the Cr nanoporous film that can act as hot-spots during the detection of heavy metal ions. The proposed sensor established high selectivity at low concentrations between different heavy metal ions (Pb2+, Hg2+, Cd2+). Also, it showed excellent selectivity towards Pb2+ over the other metal ions. Hence, this category of sensors could be applied for sensitive determining of Pb2+, Hg2+, Cd2+ in contaminated water.
A prediction model for one- and three-year mortality in dementia: results from a nationwide hospital-based cohort of 50,993 patients in the Netherlands
Authors: van de Vorst Irene E , Golüke Nienke M S , Vaartjes Ilonca , Bots Michiel L , Koek Huiberdina L
Published: January 2020

Objective

to develop a model to predict one- and three-year mortality in patients with dementia attending a hospital, through hospital admission or day/memory clinic.

Design

we constructed a cohort of dementia patients through data linkage of three Dutch national registers: the hospital discharge register (HDR), the population register and the national cause of death register.

Subjects

patients with dementia in the HDR aged between 60 and 100 years registered between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010.

Methods

logistic regression analysis techniques were used to predict one- and three-year mortality after a first hospitalisation with dementia. The performance was assessed using the c-statistic and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test. Internal validation was performed using bootstrap resampling.

Results

50,993 patients were included in the cohort. Two models were constructed, which included age, sex, setting of care (hospitalised versus day clinic) and the presence of comorbidity using the Charlson comorbidity index. One model predicted one-year mortality and the other three-year mortality. Model discrimination according to the c-statistic for the models was 0.71 (95% CI 0.71–0.72) and 0.72 (95% CI 0.72–0.73), respectively.

Conclusion

both models display acceptable ability to predict mortality. An important advantage is that they are easy to apply in daily practise and thus are helpful for individual decision-making regarding diagnostic/therapeutic interventions and advance care planning.
Political Theology and the Metamorphoses of The King’s Two BodiesThe King’s Two Bodies: A Study in Mediaeval Political Theology, by Ernst H. Kantorowicz
Authors: Edward Whalen Brett
Published: January 2020

As is well known, Ernst H. Kantorowicz’s groundbreaking 1957 study The King’s Two Bodies: A Study in Mediaeval Political Theology explored the “dual nature” of the king’s body in medieval and early modern religious and political thought, tracing the evolution of an idea that would ultimately underwrite the “myth of the State,” namely, that the king possessed a mortal, transitory body, but also a supranatural one that never died. Readers greeted The King’s Two Bodies as an exceptional contribution to medieval studies immediately upon its publication. As Whalen relates, however, a growing awareness of where the book fits into the trajectory of Kantorowicz’s life and early career in 1920s and 1930s Germany has reshaped scholarly analyses of his famous work. Increasing numbers of scholars now interpret Kantorowicz’s study of medieval political theology as a response and oblique challenge to contemporary theories about the theological origins of modern sovereignty, including the work of Carl Schmitt. As Whalen also suggests, in recent years, the so-called return of religion to the public sphere and ongoing debates about the validity of the “secularization” narrative, positing the transference of religious concepts to secular politics in the modern age, has inspired further rounds of critical interest in The King’s Two Bodies. Now over sixty years old, Kantorowicz’s book seems as important and vital as ever, experiencing transformations in its reception that few could have imagined when it first appeared in print.
Association Between Use of Preoperative Antihypertensive Medication and 90-Day Mortality After Noncardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Im Chami , Oh Tak Kyu , Song In-Ae
Published: January 2020

Background

This study aimed to determine whether use of preoperative antihypertensive medication is associated with postoperative 90-day mortality in the hypertensive adult population that underwent elective noncardiac surgery.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, medical records of preoperative hypertensive patients who underwent noncardiac surgery at a single tertiary academic hospital from 2012 to 2018 were reviewed. Among the hypertensive patients, those prescribed to take antihypertensive medication continuously for more than 1 month before admission were defined as the HTN MED group; others were defined as the non-HTN MED group. Multiple imputation, propensity score (PS) matching, and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.

Results

Overall, 35,589 preoperative hypertensive adult patients (HTN MED group: 26,154 patients, non-HTN MED group: 9,435 patients) were included in the analysis. After PS matching, each group comprised 6,205 patients; thus, 12,410 patients were included in the final analysis. The odds for 90-day mortality of the HTN MED group in the PS-matched cohort were 41% lower (odds ratio: 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.41–0.85; P = 0.005) than those of the non-HTN MED group. Comparable results were obtained in the multivariable logistic regression analysis of the entire cohort (odds ratio: 0.54, 95% confidence interval: 0.41–0.72; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study showed that the use of preoperative antihypertensive medication was associated with lower 90-day mortality among hypertensive patients who underwent noncardiac surgery. Therefore, preoperative screening and treatment with appropriate antihypertensive medication are important for hypertensive patients.
Meta-Prism: Ultra-fast and highly accurate microbial community structure search utilizing dual indexing and parallel computation
Authors: Zhu Mo , Kang Kai , Ning Kang
Published: January 2020

Microbiome samples are accumulating at an unprecedented speed. As a result, a massive amount of samples have become available for the mining of the intrinsic patterns among them. However, due to the lack of advanced computational tools, fast yet accurate comparisons and searches among thousands to millions of samples are still in urgent need. In this work, we proposed the Meta-Prism method for comparing and searching the microbial community structures amongst tens of thousands of samples. Meta-Prism is at least 10 times faster than contemporary methods serving the same purpose and can provide very accurate search results. The method is based on three computational techniques: dual-indexing approach for sample subgrouping, refined scoring function that could scrutinize the minute differences among samples, and parallel computation on CPU or GPU. The superiority of Meta-Prism on speed and accuracy for multiple sample searches is proven based on searching against ten thousand samples derived from both human and environments. Therefore, Meta-Prism could facilitate similarity search and in-depth understanding among massive number of heterogenous samples in the microbiome universe. The codes of Meta-Prism are available at: https://github.com/HUST-NingKang-Lab/metaPrism.
Blue light attracts nocturnally migrating birds
Authors: Zhao Xuebing , Zhang Min , Che Xianli , Zou Fasheng
Published: January 2020

Light pollution is increasing and artificial light sources have great impacts on animals. For migrating birds, collisions caused by artificial light pollution are a significant source of mortality. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that birds have different visual sensitivities to different colors of light, but few field experiments have compared birds’ responses to light of different wavelengths. We used 3 monochromatic lights (red, green, and blue) and polychromatic yellow light to study the impact of wavelength on phototaxis at 2 gathering sites of nocturnally migrating birds in Southwest China. For both sites, short-wavelength blue light caused the strongest phototactic response. In contrast, birds were rarely attracted to long-wavelength red light. The attractive effect of blue light was greatest during nights with fog and headwinds. As rapid urbanization and industrialization cause an increase in artificial light, we suggest that switching to longer wavelength lights is a convenient and economically effective way to reduce bird collisions.
The Copper/Zinc Ratio Correlates With Markers of Disease Activity in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Schneider Tobias , Caviezel Daniel , Ayata C Korcan , Kiss Caroline , Niess Jan Hendrik , Hruz Petr
Published: January 2020

Background

Zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) are trace elements that serve as cofactors in catalytic processes with impact on immune responses. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), decreased levels of serum Zn and Cu have been observed. Here, we investigated the effect of inflammation on serum concentrations of these trace elements in patients with IBD.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 98 patients with Crohn disease (CD) and 56 with ulcerative colitis (UC) were prospectively enrolled. Disease activity parameters, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (FC) were compared to serum Zn, Cu, and Cu/Zn ratio.

Results

Zinc insufficiency was observed in 11.2% of patients with CD and 14.3% with UC, Cu insufficiency in 20.4% with CD and 7.1% with UC. Anemia, hypoalbuminemia, increased FC, and elevated CRP were more frequently present in Zn-insufficient patients with IBD. In contrast, lower serum CRP values and a trend to lower FC were observed in Cu-insufficient patients. In multiple linear regression models adjusted for age, gender, and serum albumin, CRP positively correlated with serum Cu (P < 0.001) and the Cu/Zn ratio in both CD and UC (P < 0.001) but not with serum Zn concentrations. FC levels correlated only with the Cu/Zn ratio in patients with UC (P < 0.038).

Conclusion

Systemic inflammation inversely affected the serum Zn and Cu concentrations and, consequently, resulted in an increased Cu/Zn ratio.
Sex differences in non-obstructive coronary artery disease
Authors: Waheed Nida , Elias-Smale Suzette , Malas Waddah , Maas Angela H , Sedlak Tara L , Tremmel Jennifer , Mehta Puja K
Published: January 2020

Ischaemic heart disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both women and men. Compared with men, symptomatic women who are suspected of having myocardial ischaemia are more likely to have no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) on coronary angiography. Coronary vasomotor disorders and coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) have been increasingly recognized as important contributors to angina and adverse outcomes in patients with no obstructive CAD. CMD from functional and structural abnormalities in the microvasculature is associated with adverse cardiac events and mortality in both sexes. Women may be particularly susceptible to vasomotor disorders and CMD due to unique factors such as inflammation, mental stress, autonomic, and neuroendocrine dysfunction, which predispose to endothelial dysfunction and CMD. CMD can be detected with coronary reactivity testing and non-invasive imaging modalities; however, it remains underdiagnosed. This review focuses on sex differences in presentation, pathophysiologic risk factors, diagnostic testing, and prognosis of CMD.
Room for improvement: initiation of lipid-lowering treatment and achievement of lipid target levels—a Danish registry-based study
Authors: Rerup Sofie A , Rørth Rasmus , Bang Lia E , Mogensen Ulrik M , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Gislason Gunnar , Køber Lars , Fosbøl Emil L
Published: January 2020

Aims

Prevention of adverse outcomes in individuals with high cholesterol levels may be improved by intensified lipid-lowering treatment (LLT). We studied whether treatment goals of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were reached within 1 year from baseline (defined as first LDL-C measurement) in a Danish population.

Methods and results

Danish registries were used to identify all persons in the Northern Region of Denmark who had LDL-C measured between 1997 and 2012 and who were naïve to LLT. Patients were categorized in LDL-C <5 or ≥5 mmol/L and further subdivided into low, high, and very high predicted cardiovascular (CV) risk as suggested by European guidelines for risk stratification. Initiation of LLT and lipid target levels were assessed after 1 year (3.0, 2.5, and 1.8 mmol/L, respectively). In this study, we examined the intensity of LLT and whether treatment goals were reached. More patients with LDL-C ≥5 mmol/L, regardless of the CV risk, initiated LLT compared with patients who had a very high CV risk and LDL-C <5 mmol/L. In total, 37.7% (n = 32 581) of all patients with a follow-up LDL-C, and 25.1% (n = 3229) of patients with LDL-C ≥5 mmol/L, had achieved their target levels after 1 year. Only 45.2% (n = 4545) of the LDL-C ≥5 mmol/L high-risk patients with a follow-up LDL-C had started LLT 12 months after baseline.

Conclusion

Less than half of patients presenting with an LDL-C ≥5 mmol/L start LLT within 1 year, representing a missed opportunity for both primary and secondary prevention of CV disease.
Rapid rule out for suspected myocardial infarction: is the algorithm appropriate for all?
Authors: Marcusohn Erez , Epstein Danny , Roguin Ariel , Zukermann Robert
Published: January 2020

Aims

Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with cardiac chest pain and high-sensitive troponin I (HsTnI) less than 5 ng/L have very good prognosis and low risk for major adverse cardiovascular events. The 2015 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI)/acute coronary syndrome (ACS) suggests that patients with normal high-sensitive troponin, which are free of chest pain and have a global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE) score less than 140 are eligible for discharge from the hospital for outpatient workup. Our hypothesis suggests that not all patients with GRACE score under 140 should be discharged for ambulatory tests even with undetectable HsTnI as recommended in the guidelines.

Methods and results

Population-based retrospective cohort study in a large tertiary care centre. The study population included all patients discharged from the hospital between 1 February 2016 and 28 February 2019 following rule out of MI. During the study period, a total of 13 800 patients were discharged from the hospital after rule out of MI. Among them, 9236 (67%) had HsTnI below 5 ng/L. A total of 7705 patients (83%) met the criteria for low (n = 7162) or moderate (n = 543) GRACE risk score. Moderate-risk patients had significantly more adverse events than low-risk patients (4.6% vs. 2.1%, P < 0.001). They are in higher risk of death (0.5% vs. 0.1%, P = 0.042), revascularization (3.9% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.0047), and readmission due to ACS (1.1% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.031).

Conclusion

Patients presenting to the ED with chest pain and HsTnI less than 5 ng/L and GRACE score under 140 have 2–4% adverse event in 60 days. The differences between the groups suggest using rapid rule out algorithms for only low-risk patients with GRACE score under 73.
Stability of occlusal outcome during long-term retention: the time-dependent variation of the American Board of Orthodontics index
Authors: Angst Christine , Eliades Theodore , Papageorgiou Spyridon N
Published: January 2020

Background

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to assess long-term occlusal changes at debond and a median of 8 years afterwards (in retention) with the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) objective grading system and identify risk factors.

Materials and method

Fifty patients (median age: 14.3 years at debond; 60% female) treated with fixed appliances (25 with and 25 without premolar extractions) were included. The occlusal outcome was assessed with the ABO tool and analyzed statistically at 5%.

Results

Extraction treatment was associated with better occlusal outcome than non-extraction treatment (34.2 versus 40.9 points; P = 0.009). In retention, ABO scores improved by 7.4 points, while patients with worse debond finishing improved more afterwards (P = 0.001). Alignment/rotations deteriorated in 58% of the cases and occlusal relationships in 38% of the cases. Marginal ridges improved more for extraction than non-extraction patients (28% versus 0%; P = 0.001). Occlusal relationships improved more for cases that ‘passed’ the ABO requirements at debond than failed cases (64% versus 28%; P = 0.02). Furthermore, patients with worse debond ABO scores were more likely to deteriorate at alignment/rotations in retention. Finally, the proportion of cases passing the ABO requirements improved considerably between debond (28%) and in retention (54%) as half (47%) of the cases that had failed the ABO requirements at debond passed them in retention.

Conclusions

Considerable long-term occlusal changes are seen post-debond, which mostly favour improved settling. Extraction treatment and higher finishing quality at debond significantly influenced the chance for improvement. However, setting a cut-off score to denote treatment excellence showed considerable instability through time.
Classification, prevalence, and outcomes of anticancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity: the CARDIOTOX registry
Authors: López-Sendón José , Álvarez-Ortega Carlos , Zamora Auñon Pilar , Buño Soto Antonio , Lyon Alexander R , Farmakis Dimitrios , Cardinale Daniela , Canales Albendea Miguel , Feliu Batlle Jaime , Rodríguez Rodríguez Isabel , Rodríguez Fraga Olaia , Albaladejo Ainara , Mediavilla Guiomar , González-Juanatey Jose Ramón , Martínez Monzonis Amparo , Gómez Prieto Pilar , González-Costello José , Serrano Antolín José María , Cadenas Chamorro Rosalía , López Fernández Teresa
Published: January 2020

Aim

Cardiotoxicity (CTox) is a major side effect of cancer therapies, but uniform diagnostic criteria to guide clinical and research practices are lacking.

Methods and results

We prospectively studied 865 patients, aged 54.7 ± 13.9; 16.3% men, scheduled for anticancer therapy related with moderate/high CTox risk. Four groups of progressive myocardial damage/dysfunction were considered according to current guidelines: normal, normal biomarkers (high-sensitivity troponin T and N-terminal natriuretic pro-peptide), and left ventricular (LV) function; mild, abnormal biomarkers, and/or LV dysfunction (LVD) maintaining an LV ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50%; moderate, LVD with LVEF 40–49%; and severe, LVD with LVEF ≤40% or symptomatic heart failure. Cardiotoxicity was defined as new or worsening of myocardial damage/ventricular function from baseline during follow-up. Patients were followed for a median of 24 months. Cardiotoxicity was identified in 37.5% patients during follow-up [95% confidence interval (CI) 34.22–40.8%], 31.6% with mild, 2.8% moderate, and 3.1% with severe myocardial damage/dysfunction. The mortality rate in the severe CTox group was 22.9 deaths per 100 patients-year vs. 2.3 deaths per 100 patients-year in the rest of groups, hazard ratio of 10.2 (95% CI 5.5–19.2) (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The majority of patients present objective data of myocardial injury/dysfunction during or after cancer therapy. Nevertheless, severe CTox, with a strong prognostic relationship, was comparatively rare. This should be reflected in protocols for clinical and research practices.
A study of the monsoonal hydrology contribution using a 8-yr record (2010–2018) from superconducting gravimeter OSG-060 at Djougou (Benin, West Africa)
Authors: Hinderer J , Hector B , Riccardi U , Rosat S , Boy J-P , Calvo M , Littel F , Bernard J-D
Published: January 2020

We analyse a nearly 8-yr record (2010–2018) of the superconducting gravimeter OSG-060 located at Djougou (Benin, West Africa). After tidal analysis removing all solid Earth and ocean loading tidal contributions and correcting for the long-term instrumental drift and atmospheric loading, we obtain a gravity residual signal which is essentially a hydrological signal due to the monsoon. This signal is first compared to several global hydrology models (ERA, GLDAS and MERRA). Our superconducting gravimeter residual signal is also superimposed onto episodic absolute gravity measurements and to space gravimetry GRACE data. A further comparison is done using local hydrological data like soil moisture in the very superficial layer (0–1.2 m), water table depth and rainfall. The temporal evolution of the correlation coefficient between the gravity observation and both the soil moisture and the water table is well explained by the direct infiltration process of rain water together with the lateral transfer discharging the water table.

Finally, we compute the water storage changes (WSC) using a simulation based on the physically based Parflow-CLM numerical model of the catchment, which solves the water and energy budget from the impermeable bedrock to the top of the canopy layer using the 3-D Richards equation for the water transfers in the ground, the kinematic wave equation for the surface runoff and a land surface model (CLM) for the energy budget and evapotranspiration calculation.

This model forced by rain is in agreement with evapotranspiration and stream flow data and leads to simulated water storage changes that nicely fit to the observed gravity signal. This study points out the important role played by surface gravity changes in terms of a reliable proxy for water storage changes occurring in small catchments.
Review of injection techniques for spermatogonial stem cell transplantation
Authors: Gul Murat , Hildorf Simone , Dong Lihua , Thorup Jorgen , Hoffmann Eva R , Jensen Christian Fuglesang S , Sønksen Jens , Cortes Dina , Fedder Jens , Andersen Claus Yding , Goossens Ellen
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Although the prognosis of childhood cancer survivors has increased dramatically during recent years, chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer and other conditions may lead to permanent infertility in prepubertal boys. Recent developments have shown that spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) transplantation may be a hope for restoring fertility in adult survivors of childhood cancers. For this reason, several centres around the world are collecting and cryopreserving testicular tissue or cells anticipating that, in the near future, some patients will return for SSC transplantation. This review summarizes the current knowledge and utility of SSC transplantation techniques.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE

The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the currently used experimental injection techniques for SSC transplantation in animal and human testes. This is crucial in understanding and determining the role of the different techniques necessary for successful transplantation.

SEARCH METHODS

A comprehensive review of peer-reviewed publications on this topic was performed using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The search was limited to English language work and studies between 1994 (from the first study on SSC transplantation) and April 2019. Key search terms included mouse, rat, boar, ram, dog, sheep, goat, cattle, monkey, human, cadaver, testes, SSC transplantation, injection and technique.

OUTCOMES

This review provides an extensive clinical overview of the current research in the field of human SSC transplantation. Rete testis injection with ultrasonography guidance currently seems the most promising injection technique thus far; however, the ability to draw clear conclusions is limited due to long ischemia time of cadaver testis, the relatively decreased volume of the testis, the diminishing size of seminiferous tubules, a lack of intratesticular pressure and leakage into the interstitium during the injection on human cadaver testis. Current evidence does not support improved outcomes from multiple infusions through the rete testes. Overall, further optimization is required to increase the efficiency and safety of the infusion method.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS

Identifying a favourable injection method for SSC transplantation will provide insight into the mechanisms of successful assisted human reproduction. Future research could focus on reducing leakage and establishing the optimal infusion cell concentrations and pressure.
Frailty Is Associated With Mortality and Incident Comorbidity Among Middle-Aged Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)–Positive and HIV-Negative Participants
Authors: Verheij Eveline , Kirk Gregory D , Wit Ferdinand W , van Zoest Rosan A , Verboeket Sebastiaan O , Lemkes Bregtje A , Schim van der Loeff Maarten F , Reiss Peter ,   for the AGEhIV Cohort
Published: January 2020

Background

Frailty is associated with mortality and morbidity in the general geriatric population, but less is known about its impact among the aging but generally younger population with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods

The impact of frailty on all-cause mortality during 6 years of follow-up and incident comorbidity during 4 years of follow-up was assessed among 598 HIV-positive and 550 comparable HIV-negative participants aged ≥ 45 years of the AGEhIV Cohort Study. Frailty encompasses 5 domains; weight loss, low physical activity, exhaustion, decreased grip strength, and slow gait speed. Presence of ≥ 3 denotes frailty, 1–2 prefrailty, and 0 robust. Multivariable Cox and logistic regression models were used to assess the independent relationships of frailty with both outcomes, adjusting for HIV infection and traditional risk factors.

Results

At baseline, 7.5% (n = 86) of participants were frail. During follow-up, 38 participants died. Mortality rate was significantly higher among frail participants: 25.7/1000 person-years of follow-up (PYFU) (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.2–46.4) compared with prefrail (7.2/1000 PYFU [95% CI, 4.7–11.2]) and robust (2.3/1000 PYFU [95% CI, 1.1–4.9]). In fully adjusted analyses, frailty remained strongly associated with death (hazard ratio, 4.6 [95% CI, 1.7–12.5]) and incident comorbidity (odds ratio, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.1–3.1]). No interactions were observed between frailty and HIV status in all analyses.

Conclusions

Frailty is a strong predictor of both mortality and incident comorbidity independent from other risk factors.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT01466582.
Clinical importance of the expression of CD4+CD8+ T cells in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Nishida Kentaro , Kawashima Atsunari , Kanazawa Takayuki , Kidani Yujiro , Yoshida Tetsuya , Hirata Michinari , Yamamoto Kei , Yamamoto Yoko , Sawada Masaaki , Kato Ryo , Kato Taigo , Hatano Koji , Ujike Takeshi , Fujita Kazutoshi , Uemura Motohide , Morimoto-Okazawa Akiko , Iwahori Kota , Yamasaki Makoto , Ohkura Naganari , Sakaguchi Shimon , Nonomura Norio , Doki Yuichiro , Wada Hisashi
Published: January 2020

Objective

CD4+CD8+ T cells are expressed in some cancer patients including those with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, no reports have mentioned the clinical importance of this expression. We evaluated the expression of CD4+CD8+ T cells in patients with various cancer types to clarify clinical characteristics and prognostic importance significantly correlating with these T cells.

Methods

Expression of CD4+CD8+ T cells was evaluated using flowcytometry in tissue-infiltrating lymphocytes extracted from 260 cancer tissues including 104 RCC samples. RNA sequencing and characterization and regression (Citrus) was used to determine characteristics. The prognostic importance of CD4+CD8+ T cells was evaluated by Cox regression analysis.

Results

Among eight cancer types, expression of CD4+CD8+ T cells was significantly highest in RCC patients. According to the expression of CD4+CD8+ T cells in adjacent normal tissue-infiltrating lymphocytes, 24 patients (23.1%) were defined as being positive for CD4+CD8+ with an expression higher than 9.29% in RCC patients. Citrus showed CD8+PD-1+TIM-3+CD103− T cells to be a specific subpopulation of CD4+CD8+ T cells. RNA sequencing revealed that CD4+CD8+ T cells had significantly lower diversity than the other T cells and shared most T-cell receptor clones with CD8+ not CD4+ T cells. Expression of CD4+CD8+ T cells was identified as an independent predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio: 0.11, 95% confidence interval: 0.01–0.86, P = 0.035) in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

The expression of CD4+CD8+ T cells was significantly up-regulated in RCC patients and correlated significantly with prognostic importance in surgically treated RCC patients.
The impact of transitioning from availability of outside records within electronic health records to integration of local and outside records within electronic health records
Authors: Adler-Milstein Julia , Wang Michael D
Published: January 2020

Objective

While there has been a substantial increase in health information exchange, levels of outside records use by frontline providers are low. We assessed whether integration between outside data and local data results in increased viewing of outside records, overall and by encounter, provider, and patient type.

Materials and Methods

Using data from UCSF Health, we measured change in outside record views after integrating the list of local (UCSF) and outside (other health systems on Epic [Epic Systems, Verona, WI]) encounters on the Chart Review tab. Previously, providers only viewed records from outside encounters on a separate tab. We used an interrupted time series design (with outside record viewing event counts aggregated to the week level) to measure changes in the level and trend over a 1-year period.

Results

There was a large increase in the level of outside record views of 22 920 per week (P < .001). The change in trend went from a weekly increase of 116 (P < .05) to a decrease of 402 (P = .08), reflecting a small effect decay. There were increases in the level of views for all provider and encounter types: attendings (n = 3675), residents (n = 3277), and nurses (n = 914); and inpatient (n = 1676), emergency (n = 487), and outpatient (n = 7228) (P < .001 for all). Results persisted when adjusted for total encounter volume.

Discussion

While outside records were readily available before the encounter integration, the simple step of clicking on a separate tab appears to have depressed use.

Conclusions

User interface designs that comingle local and outside data result in higher levels of viewing and should be more broadly pursued.
Judicial Witness Assessments at the ICTY, ICTR and ICC
Authors: Chlevickaitė Gabrielė , Holá Barbora , Bijleveld Catrien
Published: January 2020

Accurate assessment of witness testimonies underpins judicial fact-finding at international criminal courts and tribunals (ICCTs). However, the lack of formal assessment criteria and uncoordinated methods, coupled with advances in the scientific understanding of the psychology of witnessing, calls for a re-examination of the judicial practice. This study critically evaluates the state of the art of witness assessments at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and the International Criminal Court (ICC), based on all the trial judgments issued in 1996–2019. The analysis results in a consolidation of this ad hoc, constantly evolving jurisprudence, into a framework that has been in development since the 1990s. The authors reflect upon the scientific validity of the criteria used throughout the analysis, based on up-to-date findings from psychology and criminology, and identify the areas that would most benefit from standardized procedures.
Usefulness of surgical treatment for asymptomatic patients with extra-peritoneal desmoid-type fibromatosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kito Munehisa , Ogose Akira , Yoshida Masahiro , Nishida Yoshihiro
Published: January 2020

Objective

The purpose of this systematic review is to assess and compare the efficacy of surgical treatment for patients with asymptomatic extra-peritoneal desmoid-type fibromatosis to the wait-and-see policy by evaluating (1) the exacerbation rate (exacerbation; recurrence after surgery or progressive disease following non-surgical treatment) and (2) treatment-associated complications in extra-peritoneal desmoid-type fibromatosis.

Methods

We evaluated documents published between 1 January 1990 and 31 August 2017. The risk of bias in the selected literature was analyzed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool. Quality of evidence was evaluated using Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Results

One prospective cohort study, four case–control studies and five case series studies were identified. Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the exacerbation rate after treatment on one prospective cohort study and four case–control studies. In comparing surgical and non-surgical treatments, the exacerbation rate was significantly higher in the surgical treatment group (odds ratio: 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.73, P = 0.05). However, in the case series study, the recurrence rate was 23.4% for the surgical treatment group, while the progressive disease rate was 28.1% for the non-surgical treatment group. The postoperative complication rates associated with surgical treatment in the two studies were 20.8 and 17.2%, respectively.

Conclusions

When considering the exacerbation rate, non-surgical treatment might be appropriate for asymptomatic patients with extra-peritoneal desmoid-type fibromatosis. However, if patients with tumor-related symptoms opt for surgery, including those who face difficulties due to the presence of tumors, it is important to fully explain to them the possibility that the recurrence rate and treatment-associated functional failures may increase depending on the site of occurrence.
State-dependent foraging by caribou with different nutritional requirements
Authors: Denryter Kristin , Cook Rachel C , Cook John G , Parker Katherine L , Gillingham Michael P
Published: January 2020

Foraging by animals is hypothesized to be state-dependent, that is, varying with physiological condition of individuals. State often is defined by energy reserves, but state also can reflect differences in nutritional requirements (e.g., for reproduction, lactation, growth, etc.). Testing hypotheses about state-dependent foraging in ungulates is difficult because fine-scale data needed to evaluate these hypotheses generally are lacking. To evaluate whether foraging by caribou (Rangifer tarandus) was state-dependent, we compared bite and intake rates, travel rates, dietary quality, forage selection, daily foraging time, and foraging strategies of caribou with three levels of nutritional requirements (lactating adults, nonlactating adults, subadults 1–2 years old). Only daily foraging times and daily nutrient intakes differed among nutritional classes of caribou. Lactating caribou foraged longer per day than nonlactating caribou—a difference that was greatest at the highest rates of intake, but which persisted even when intake was below requirements. Further, at sites where caribou achieved high rates of intake, caribou in each nutritional class continued foraging even after satisfying daily nutritional requirements, which was consistent with a foraging strategy to maximize energy intake. Foraging time by caribou was partially state-dependent, highlighting the importance of accounting for physiological state in studies of animal behavior. Fine-scale foraging behaviors may influence larger-scale behavioral strategies, with potential implications for conservation and management.
Issues in Interpreting Epidemiologic Studies of Populations Exposed to Low-Dose, High-Energy Photon Radiation
Authors: Gilbert Ethel S , Little Mark P , Preston Dale L , Stram Daniel O
Published: January 2020

This article addresses issues relevant to interpreting findings from 26 epidemiologic studies of persons exposed to low-dose radiation. We review the extensive data from both epidemiologic studies of persons exposed at moderate or high doses and from radiobiology that together have firmly established radiation as carcinogenic. We then discuss the use of the linear relative risk model that has been used to describe data from both low- and moderate- or high-dose studies. We consider the effects of dose measurement errors; these can reduce statistical power and lead to underestimation of risks but are very unlikely to bring about a spurious dose response. We estimate statistical power for the low-dose studies under the assumption that true risks of radiation-related cancers are those expected from studies of Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Finally, we discuss the interpretation of confidence intervals and statistical tests and the applicability of the Bradford Hill principles for a causal relationship.
Slaves and Slave Trade in the Timor Area: Between Indigenous Structures and External Impact
Authors: Hägerdal Hans
Published: January 2020

This study rethinks the patterns of slave-holding and slave trade that can be discerned in small-scale societies in the Timor region of the Indonesian archipelago, especially Timor, the Solor and Alor Islands, Rote, and Savu. It studies how European powers—the Dutch and the Portuguese—influenced the trade in enslaved human beings and how this was balanced by slaving conducted by Asian forces. The study is based in large part on archival sources from the VOC period, together with published Portuguese sources. Data on these issues provides some basis for comparisons with other, better documented cases of slavery and slaving in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. This contributes to an understanding of how local systems of slavery interacted with the transregional systems represented by external groups.
Sample Bias Related to Household Role
Authors: Hitczenko Marcin
Published: January 2020

This article develops a two-stage statistical analysis to identify and assess the effect of a sample bias associated with an individual’s household role. Survey responses to questions about the respondent’s role in household finances and a sampling design in which some households have all members take the survey enable the estimation of distributions for each individual’s share of household responsibility. The methodology is applied to the 2017 Survey of Consumer Payment Choice. The distribution of responsibility shares among survey respondents suggests that the sampling procedure favors household members with higher levels of responsibility. A bootstrap analysis reveals that population mean estimates of monthly payment instrument use that do not account for this type of sample misrepresentation are likely biased for instruments often used to make household purchases. For checks and electronic payments, our analysis suggests that it is likely that unadjusted estimates overstate true values by 10–20 percent.
Hydrolysis of abscisic acid glucose ester occurs locally and quickly in response to dehydration
Authors: Hussain Saad , Brookbank Benjamin Paul , Nambara Eiji
Published: January 2020

This article comments on:

Han Y, Watanabe S, Shimada H, Sakamoto A. 2020. Dynamics of the leaf endoplasmic reticulum modulate β-glucosidase-mediated stress-activated ABA production from its glucosyl ester. Journal of Experimental Botany 71, 2058–2071.
Candidemia Candida albicans clusters have higher tendency to form biofilms than singleton genotypes†
Authors: Díaz-García Judith , Arendrup Maiken C , Cantón Rafael , García-Rodríguez Julio , Gómez Ana , Gómez Elia , Orden Beatriz , Parisi Gabriella , Pemán Javier , Posteraro Brunella , Sanguinetti Maurizio , Da Matta Daniel Archimedes , Colombo Arnaldo L , Muñoz Patricia , Sánchez-Carrillo Carlos , Guinea Jesús , Escribano Pilar
Published: January 2020

The capacity of Candida spp. to form biofilms allows them to attach either to living or inert surfaces, promoting their persistence in hospital environments. In a previous study, we reported strain-to-strain variations in Candida spp. biofilm development, suggesting that some genotypes may be greater biofilm formers than others. In this study, we hypothesize that isolates pertaining to clusters may be found more frequently in the environment due to their ability to form biofilms compared to singleton genotypes. Two hundred and thirty-nine Candida spp. isolates (78 clusters) from candidemia patients admitted to 16 hospitals located in different cities and countries—and the same number of singleton genotypes used as controls—were tested in terms of biofilm formation using the crystal violet and the XTT reduction assays. Candida albicans clusters showed higher biofilm formation in comparison to singleton genotypes (P < .01). The biofilms formed by intra-hospital C. albicans clusters showed higher metabolic activity (P < .05). Furthermore, marked variability was found among species and type of cluster. We observed that the higher the number of isolates, the higher the variability of biofilm production by isolates within the cluster, suggesting that the production of biofilm by isolates of the same genotype is quite diverse and does not depend on the type of cluster studied. In conclusion, candidemia Candida spp. clusters—particularly in the case of C. albicans—show significantly more biomass production and metabolic activity than singleton genotypes.
Arm–interarm gas abundance variations explored with MUSE: the role of spiral structure in the chemical enrichment of galaxies
Authors: Sánchez-Menguiano Laura , Sánchez Sebastián F , Pérez Isabel , Ruiz-Lara Tomás , Galbany Lluís , Anderson Joseph P , Kuncarayakti Hanindyo
Published: January 2020

Spiral arms are the most characteristic features of disc galaxies, easily distinguishable due to their association with ongoing star formation. However, the role of spiral structure in the chemical evolution of galaxies is unclear. Here, we explore gas-phase abundance variations between arm and interarm regions for a sample of 45 spiral galaxies using high spatial resolution VLT/MUSE integral field spectroscopy data. We report the presence of more metal-rich $\rm{H \, \small{II}}$ regions in the spiral arms with respect to the corresponding interarm regions for a large subsample of galaxies ($45\!-\!65{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ depending on the adopted calibrator for the abundance derivation). A small percentage of the sample is observed to display the opposite trend, i.e. more metal-poor $\rm{H \, \small{II}}$ regions in the spiral arms compared to that of the interarms ($5\!-\!20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ depending on the calibrator). We investigate the dependence of the variations with three galaxy properties: the stellar mass, the presence of bars, and the flocculent/grand design appearance of spiral arms. In all cases, we observe that the arm–interarm abundance differences are larger (positive) in more massive and grand-design galaxies. This is confirmed by an analogous spaxel-wise analysis, which also shows a noticeable effect of the presence of galactic bars, with barred systems presenting larger (positive) arm–interarm abundance variations than unbarred systems. The comparison of our results with new predictions from theoretical models exploring the nature of the spirals would highly impact on our knowledge on how these structures form and affect their host galaxies.
Magnetorotational core collapse of possible GRB progenitors – I. Explosion mechanisms
Authors: Obergaulinger M , Aloy M Á
Published: January 2020

We investigate the explosion of stars with zero-age main-sequence masses between 20 and 35 M⊙ and varying degrees of rotation and magnetic fields including ones commonly considered progenitors of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The simulations, combining special relativistic magnetohydrodynamics, a general relativistic approximate gravitational potential, and two-moment neutrino transport, demonstrate the viability of different scenarios for the post-bounce evolution. Having formed a highly massive proto-neutron star (PNS), several models launch successful explosions, either by the standard supernova mechanism based on neutrino heating and hydrodynamic instabilities or by magnetorotational processes. It is, however, quite common for the PNS to collapse to a black hole (BH) within a few seconds. Others might produce proto-magnetar-driven explosions. We explore several ways to describe the different explosion mechanisms. The competition between the time-scales for advection of gas through the gain layer and heating by neutrinos provides an approximate explanation for models with insignificant magnetic fields. The fidelity of this explosion criterion in the case of rapid rotation can be improved by accounting for the strong deviations from spherical symmetry and mixing between pole and equator. We furthermore study an alternative description including the ram pressure of the gas falling through the shock. Magnetically driven explosions tend to arise from a strongly magnetized region around the polar axis. In these cases, the onset of the explosion corresponds to the equality between the advection time-scale and the time-scale for the propagation of Alfvén waves through the gain layer.
Activity and differential rotation of the early M dwarf Kepler-45 from transit mapping
Authors: Zaleski S M , Valio A , Carter B D , Marsden S C
Published: January 2020

Little is known of the activity and differential rotation of low luminosity, early M dwarfs from direct observation. We present the first stellar activity analysis of star-spots and faculae for the hot Jupiter hosting M1V dwarf Kepler-45 from $\it Kepler$ transit light curves. We find star-spot and facula temperatures contrasting a few hundred degrees with the quiet photosphere, hence similar to other early M dwarfs having a convective envelope surrounding a radiative core. Star-spots are prominent close to the centre of the stellar disc, with faculae prominent towards the limbs, similar to what is observed for the Sun. Star-spot and facula mean sizes are about 40 and 45 × 103 km, respectively, and thus faculae occupy a 10 per cent larger surface area than the star-spots. A short-term activity cycle of about 295 d is observed that is reminiscent of those seen for other cool dwarfs. Adopting a solar-type differential rotation profile (faster equatorial rotation than polar rotation), our star-spot and facula temporal mapping indicates a rotation period of 15.520 ± 0.025 d at the transit latitude of −33.2°. From the mean stellar rotation of 15.762 d, we estimate a rotational shear of 0.031 ± 0.004 rad d−1, or a relative differential rotation of 7.8 ± 0.9 per cent. Kepler-45’s surface rotational shear is thus consistent with observations and theoretical modelling of other early M dwarfs that indicate a shear of less than 0.045 rad d−1 and no less than 0.03 rad d−1 for stars with similar stellar rotation periods.