bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of performance of F1 Romanov crossbred ewes with wool and hair breeds during spring lambing under intensive and extensive production systems
Authors: Freking Brad A , Murphy Tom W
Published: December 2020

The objective was to evaluate wool (Dorset and Rambouillet) and hair (Dorper, Katahdin, and White Dorper) breeds for their ability to complement Romanov germplasm in two distinct production systems by estimating direct sire and grandsire effects on lamb growth, survival, and ewe productivity traits. Rams of the five breeds (n = 75) were mated to Romanov ewes (n = 459) over a 3-yr period to produce five types of crossbred lambs (n = 2,739). Sire breed (P > 0.06) did not impact body weight or survival traits of the first-generation crossbred (F1) lambs. The productivity of retained crossbred ewes (n = 830) mated to Suffolk and Texel terminal sires was evaluated at 1, 2, and 3 yr of age in each production system. In the intensive production system, labor and harvested feed were provided for sheep that lambed in March in barns, and ewes were limited to rearing two lambs with additional lambs reared artificially. Ewes in the extensive production system lambed in May on pasture and were responsible for rearing all lambs born with no labor or supplemental feed provided before weaning. A total of 1,962 litters and 4,171 lambs from 2,229 exposures to two terminal sire breeds (Suffolk and Texel) were produced in the experiment. Crossbred ewes in the intensive production system were mated in October, resulting in larger litter sizes than crossbred ewes mated in December for the extensive production system. However, single- and twin-born lamb mortality was similar between the two systems that differed greatly in labor, feed, and facilities. Lambs produced in the intensive system received concentrate feed from an early age and were heavier at 24 wk of age than lambs produced in the extensive system. These outcomes resulted in greater 24-wk litter weight in the intensive than in the extensive system (P < 0.0001). Unexpectedly, the relative performance of crossbred types did not differ importantly between production systems. White Dorper × Romanov crossbred ewes had numerical advantages in productivity in each system; however, differences between ewe types were not significant. In the extensive system, without labor and shelter at lambing or supplemental feed until weaning, 3-yr-old crossbred ewes of all types averaged 1.78 lambs marketed per ewe lambing, and 40% of the ewes that gave birth to triplets weaned their entire litters. These results document that prolific sheep and extensive systems can be successfully combined if appropriate crossbred types are used.
Rice transcription factor MADS32 regulates floral patterning through interactions with multiple floral homeotic genes
Authors: Hu Yun , Wang Li , Jia Ru , Liang Wanqi , Zhang Xuelian , Xu Jie , Chen Xiaofei , Lu Dan , Chen Mingjiao , Luo Zhijing , Xie Jiayang , Cao Liming , Xu Ben , Yu Yu , Persson Staffan , Zhang Dabing , Yuan Zheng
Published: December 2020

Floral patterning is regulated by intricate networks of floral identity genes. The peculiar MADS32 subfamily genes, absent in eudicots but prevalent in monocots, control floral organ identity. However, how the MADS32 family genes interact with other floral homeotic genes during flower development is mostly unknown. We show here that the rice homeotic transcription factor OsMADS32 regulates floral patterning by interacting synergistically with E class protein OsMADS6 in a dosage-dependent manner. Furthermore, our results indicate important roles for OsMADS32 in defining stamen, pistil, and ovule development through physical and genetic interactions with OsMADS1, OsMADS58, and OsMADS13, and in specifying floral meristem identity with OsMADS6, OsMADS3, and OsMADS58, respectively. Our findings suggest that OsMADS32 is an important factor for floral meristem identity maintenance and that it integrates the action of other MADS-box homeotic proteins to sustain floral organ specification and development in rice. Given that OsMADS32 is an orphan gene and absent in eudicots, our data substantially expand our understanding of flower development in plants.
An active galactic nucleus recognition model based on deep neural network
Authors: Chen Bo Han , Goto Tomotsugu , Kim Seong Jin , Wang Ting Wen , Santos Daryl Joe D , Ho Simon C-C , Hashimoto Tetsuya , Poliszczuk Artem , Pollo Agnieszka , Trippe Sascha , Miyaji Takamitsu , Toba Yoshiki , Malkan Matthew , Serjeant Stephen , Pearson Chris , Hwang Ho Seong , Kim Eunbin , Shim Hyunjin , Lu Ting Yi , Hsiao Yu-Yang , Huang Ting-Chi , Herrera-Endoqui Martín , Bravo-Navarro Blanca , Matsuhara Hideo
Published: December 2020

To understand the cosmic accretion history of supermassive black holes, separating the radiation from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and star-forming galaxies (SFGs) is critical. However, a reliable solution on photometrically recognizing AGNs still remains unsolved. In this work, we present a novel AGN recognition method based on Deep Neural Network (Neural Net; NN). The main goals of this work are (i) to test if the AGN recognition problem in the North Ecliptic Pole Wide (NEPW) field could be solved by NN; (ii) to show that NN exhibits an improvement in the performance compared with the traditional, standard spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting method in our testing samples; and (iii) to publicly release a reliable AGN/SFG catalogue to the astronomical community using the best available NEPW data, and propose a better method that helps future researchers plan an advanced NEPW data base. Finally, according to our experimental result, the NN recognition accuracy is around 80.29 per cent–85.15 per cent, with AGN completeness around 85.42 per cent–88.53 per cent and SFG completeness around 81.17 per cent–85.09 per cent.
High resolution observations of molecular emission lines toward the CI Tau proto-planetary disc: planet-carved gaps or shadowing?
Authors: Rosotti Giovanni P , Ilee John D , Facchini Stefano , Tazzari Marco , Booth Richard A , Clarke Cathie , Kama Mihkel
Published: December 2020

Recent observations have revealed that most proto-planetary discs show a pattern of bright rings and dark gaps. However, most of the high-resolution observations have focused only on the continuum emission. In this Paper we present high-resolution ALMA band 7 (0.89mm) observations of the disc around the star CI Tau in the 12CO & 13CO J = 3–2 and CS J = 7–6 emission lines. Our recent work demonstrated that the disc around CI Tau contains three gaps and rings in continuum emission, and we look for their counterparts in the gas emission. While we find no counterpart of the third gap and ring in 13CO, the disc has a gap in emission at the location of the second continuum ring (rather than gap). We demonstrate that this is mostly an artefact of the continuum subtraction, although a residual gap still remains after accounting for this effect. Through radiative transfer modelling we propose this is due to the inner disc shadowing the outer parts of the disc and making them colder. This raises a note of caution in mapping high-resolution gas emission lines observations to the gas surface density – while possible, this needs to be done carefully. In contrast to 13CO, CS emission shows instead a ring morphology, most likely due to chemical effects. Finally, we note that 12CO is heavily absorbed by the foreground preventing any morphological study using this line.
The delay time distribution of supernovae from integral-field spectroscopy of nearby galaxies
Authors: Castrillo Asier , Ascasibar Yago , Galbany Lluís , Sánchez Sebastián F , Badenes Carles , Anderson Joseph P , Kuncarayakti Hanindyo , Lyman Joseph D , Díaz Angeles I
Published: December 2020

Constraining the delay time distribution (DTD) of different supernova (SN) types can shed light on the time-scales of galaxy chemical enrichment and feedback processes affecting galaxy dynamics, and SN progenitor properties. Here, we present an approach to recover SN DTDs based on integral-field spectroscopy (IFS) of their host galaxies. Using a statistical analysis of a sample of 116 SNe in 102 galaxies, we evaluate different DTD models for SN types Ia (73), II (28), and Ib/c (15). We find the best SN Ia DTD fit to be a power law with an exponent α = −1.1 ± 0.3 (50 per cent confidence interval (C.I.)), and a time delay (between star formation and the first SNe) $\Delta = 50^{+100}_{-35}~\mathrm{Myr}$ (50 per cent C.I.). For core collapse (CC) SNe, both of the Zapartas et al. DTD models for single and binary stellar evolution are consistent with our results. For SNe II and Ib/c, we find a correlation with a Gaussian DTD model with $\sigma = 82^{+129}_{-23}~\mathrm{Myr}$ and $\sigma = 56^{+141}_{-9}~\mathrm{Myr}$ (50 per cent C.I.), respectively. This analysis demonstrates that IFS opens a new way of studying SN DTD models in the local Universe.
LRO/LAMP observations of the lunar helium exosphere: constraints on thermal accommodation and outgassing rate
Authors: Grava Cesare , Hurley Dana M , Feldman Paul D , Retherford Kurt D , Greathouse Thomas K , Pryor Wayne R , Gladstone G Randall , Halekas Jasper S , Mandt Kathleen E , Wyrick Danielle Y , Davis Michael W , Egan Anthony F , Kaufmann David E , Versteeg Maarten H , Stern S Alan
Published: December 2020

We report a comprehensive study by the UV spectrograph LAMP (Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project) onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to map the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of helium atoms in the lunar exosphere, via spectroscopy of the He i emission line at 58.4 nm. Comparisons with several Monte Carlo models show that lunar exospheric helium is fully thermalized with the surface (accommodation coefficient of 1.0). LAMP-derived helium source rates are compared to the flux of solar wind alpha particles measured in situ by the ARTEMIS twin spacecraft. Our observations confirm that these alpha particles (He++) are the main source of lunar exospheric helium, representing 79 per cent of the total source rate, with the remaining 21 per cent presumed to be outgassing from the lunar interior. The endogenic source rate we derive, (1.49 ± 0.08) ×  106 cm−2 s−1, is consistent with previous measurements but is now better constrained. LAMP-constrained exospheric surface densities present a dawn/dusk ratio of ∼1.8, within the value measured by the Apollo 17 surface mass spectrometer LACE (Lunar Atmosphere Composition Experiment). Finally, observations of lunar helium during three Earth’s magnetotail crossings, when the Moon is shielded from the solar wind, confirm previous observations of an exponential decay of helium with a time constant of 4.5 d
Revisiting the HD 21749 planetary system with stellar activity modelling
Authors: Gan Tianjun , Wang Sharon Xuesong , Teske Johanna K , Mao Shude , Howard Ward S , Law Nicholas M , Batalha Natasha E , Vanderburg Andrew , Dragomir Diana , Huang Chelsea X , Feng Fabo , Butler R Paul , Crane Jeffrey D , Shectman Stephen A , Beletsky Yuri , Shporer Avi , Montet Benjamin T , Burt Jennifer A , Feinstein Adina D , Flowers Erin , Nandakumar Sangeetha , Barbieri Mauro , Corbett Hank , Ratzloff Jeffrey K , Galliher Nathan , Chavez Ramses Gonzalez , Vasquez Alan , Glazier Amy , Haislip Joshua
Published: December 2020

HD 21749 is a bright (V = 8.1 mag) K dwarf at 16 pc known to host an inner terrestrial planet HD 21749c as well as an outer sub-Neptune HD 21749b, both delivered by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Follow-up spectroscopic observations measured the mass of HD 21749b to be 22.7 ± 2.2 M⊕ with a density of $7.0^{+1.6}_{-1.3}$ g cm−3, making it one of the densest sub-Neptunes. However, the mass measurement was suspected to be influenced by stellar rotation. Here, we present new high-cadence PFS RV data to disentangle the stellar activity signal from the planetary signal. We find that HD 21749 has a similar rotational time-scale as the planet’s orbital period, and the amplitude of the planetary orbital RV signal is estimated to be similar to that of the stellar activity signal. We perform Gaussian process regression on the photometry and RVs from HARPS and PFS to model the stellar activity signal. Our new models reveal that HD 21749b has a radius of 2.86 ± 0.20 R⊕, an orbital period of 35.6133 ± 0.0005 d with a mass of Mb = 20.0 ± 2.7 M⊕ and a density of $4.8^{+2.0}_{-1.4}$ g cm−3 on an eccentric orbit with e = 0.16 ± 0.06, which is consistent with the most recent values published for this system. HD 21749c has an orbital period of 7.7902 ± 0.0006 d, a radius of 1.13 ± 0.10 R⊕, and a 3σ mass upper limit of 3.5 M⊕. Our Monte Carlo simulations confirm that without properly taking stellar activity signals into account, the mass measurement of HD 21749b is likely to arrive at a significantly underestimated error bar.
Observing relativistic features in large-scale structure surveys – I. Multipoles of the power spectrum
Authors: Guandalin Caroline , Adamek Julian , Bull Philip , Clarkson Chris , Abramo L Raul , Coates Louis
Published: December 2020

Planned efforts to probe the largest observable distance scales in future cosmological surveys are motivated by a desire to detect relic correlations left over from inflation and the possibility of constraining novel gravitational phenomena beyond general relativity (GR). On such large scales, the usual Newtonian approaches to modelling summary statistics like the power spectrum and bispectrum are insufficient, and we must consider a fully relativistic and gauge-independent treatment of observables such as galaxy number counts in order to avoid subtle biases, e.g. in the determination of the fNL parameter.In this work, we present an initial application of an analysis pipeline capable of accurately modelling and recovering relativistic spectra and correlation functions. As a proof of concept, we focus on the non-zero dipole of the redshift-space power spectrum that arises in the cross-correlation of different mass bins of dark matter haloes, using strictly gauge-independent observable quantities evaluated on the past light cone of a fully relativistic N-body simulation in a redshift bin 1.7 ≤ z ≤ 2.9. We pay particular attention to the correct estimation of power spectrum multipoles, comparing different methods of accounting for complications such as the survey geometry (window function) and evolution/bias effects on the past light cone, and discuss how our results compare with previous attempts at extracting novel GR signatures from relativistic simulations.
The Catechism: A Malleable Means to Disparate Ends (1750–1850)
Authors: Connaughton Brian
Published: December 2020

The catechism has a centuries-long history and has been used for numerous, initially religious, purposes. Forcefully present throughout is its tendency to simplify and condense complex beliefs into a frank and accessible prose. Catechisms began to include polemical elements early on, as they not only taught dogma but defended orthodoxy. Changing religious sensitivities led to competition among catechisms, with French catechisms being translated and becoming influential in New Spain. By the nineteenth century, politics itself was transforming in the Spanish monarchy, and catechisms were called on to include civic precepts. Before long, the catechism would be a tool for disseminating scientific, technical, and political information in a simplified way in an independent Mexico. Once again, catechisms reflected political preferences. But they were also a central factor in the expansion of citizenship and popular participation in politics. Youth and women, as well as men, would all be taught precepts in a catechistical fashion. Many times, varied texts of this sort were titled catechisms. In other cases, where titles of such works did not reflect the origin of the format, their content often did.
Health Care Services and EU Competition Law
Authors: Odudu Okeoghene
Published: December 2020

This chapter investigates how, within a number of European Union (EU) Member States, competition law has been used to address problems of market power in the healthcare services sector. It summarizes the relevant EU and national competition laws and considers the experience of applying those laws to providers of healthcare services. The chapter is chiefly concerned with healthcare services in England, although examples are drawn for other EU Member States. Examination of the English experience provides a view of the use of competition law to address market power problems in most elements of the health system matrix. The chapter then considers three challenges that emerge from that experience of using competition law to address problems of market power in healthcare service markets. The first challenges the applicability of competition law to healthcare service providers operating in each or every element of the healthcare system matrix. The second, accepting applicability, questions the appropriateness of the substantive rules to healthcare services. The third, a battle of authority and autonomy, considers whether decisions made by healthcare service providers should be subject to external review and the type of review that competition law offers.
Historical Memory-Making in South Africa
Authors: Autry Robyn
Published: December 2020

In South Africa, as elsewhere, historical memory is a social thing. It takes on object properties through memorials, museums, archives, and other sites of memory. Some movement leaders, academics, and ordinary citizens took issue with apartheid-era memory projects, while others fiercely defended them. The memorial landscape in democratic South Africa is thus an unsettled collective space where claims about the past—what happened and what should we make of it—are challenged just as quickly as they are asserted. This chapter discusses these challenges and assertions as historical memory making endeavors to establish norms and rituals of collective remembrance.
Cultural Rights and Cultural Heritage as a Global Concern
Authors: Jakubowski Andrzej
Published: December 2020

This chapter considers the impact of anthropology on legal thought and practice in relation to cultural rights and cultural heritage at the global level. It examines the mainstreaming of cultural heritage and cultural rights by analysing the normative and operational activities of the international community through its institutions and instruments of global governance. The author argues that the impact of anthropology on the global regime of cultural rights and cultural heritage consists in the employment of anthropological knowledge and expertise in the practical operationalization of culture in international law and policy. In this regard, the chapter delves into the nature and consequences of this employment in relation to the two core aspects: the rhetorical and conceptual evolution of the notion of cultural heritage in international law, and the rise of cultural rights as collective rights. Accordingly, it scrutinizes various stages of the heritigization and anthropologization of both international human rights law and international cultural heritage law from the end of the Second World War to the present. The chapter concludes with an evaluation of the current legal avenues for addressing global challenges in the domains of cultural heritage and cultural rights, which points to the pressing need for more efficient modalities of global solidarity.
Introduction
Authors: Bloxam Elizabeth , Shaw Ian
Published: December 2020

This chapter discusses a range of current debates into the ways in which Egyptologists are engaging with the problems and demands of moving towards greater collaborations across the social sciences if it is to remain a relevant discipline in its own right. Viewpoints from contributing authors are synthesized into a discussion of recent developments in the field from fresh research across both the archaeological and textual arms of the discipline. The volume considers the extent to which scholars need to be revising and re-thinking their research questions and moving towards greater collaborations within the discipline, and crucially outside of it. Moving the discipline forward is also about including voices outside of western discourses and into volumes such as this. The contributions from Chinese and Egyptian scholars therefore bring a fresh perspective to some current problems in Egyptological research particularly in cultural heritage management, museum curation, and investigating archaeological landscapes.
Ancient Egyptian architecture
Authors: Rossi Corinna
Published: December 2020

Architectural remains represent one of our main sources of information on ancient Egypt, and one of the first aspects of the ancient Egyptian civilization to have captured the attention of the earliest explorers. Since Egyptology was born, and while it developed as a discipline, the study of ancient Egyptian architecture evolved from initial cursory studies on portions of monuments emerging from the sand, to a wide spectrum of investigations, ranging from analyses of the chemical composition of building materials to the ancient mathematics lying at the basis of the ancient projects, and from the detailed study of specific buildings to the large-scale analysis of the relationship between architecture and landscape.
The Predynastic Period
Authors: Hendrickx Stan
Published: December 2020

Over the last few decades, the Predynastic Period has been the focus of much research. This has resulted in new insights concerning the origin of the Predynastic culture and its relationship with the Western and Eastern deserts, the interaction between Upper and Lower Egypt, and also concerning the interpretation of Predynastic iconography and its relevance for the development of Dynastic iconography. The major topic of state formation is reconsidered in the context of the excavations at the elite cemetery HK6 at Hierakonpolis, indicating that this site was of outstanding importance and might be regarded as the cradle of kingship in Egypt.
Flora of ancient Egypt
Authors: Malleson Claire
Published: December 2020

The study of the flora of ancient Egypt depends upon a range of different sources: texts, art, artefacts, and archaeobotanical remains of plants from ancient burials and settlements. For many years Egyptian archaeobotany depended upon the recovery of floral garlands, wooden objects, and plant-food remains such as baskets of fruit or grains from tombs, and desiccated plants that were clearly visible during excavation in settlements. Late twentieth-century developments in archaeology have led to major advances in the study of ancient flora, resulting from the use of extensive sampling strategies and various methods of very fine-sieving, as well as advances in microscopy. The recovery and analysis of plant remains offers opportunities to reveal insights into many aspects of ancient Egyptian life, for example agriculture, diet and health, economy, trade, technology, ecology, and environment.
‘Autobiographical’ texts
Authors: Doxey Denise
Published: December 2020

For much of ancient Egyptian history, elite non-royal officials inscribed so-called autobiographical texts in tombs, on votive stelae, and at expedition sites. These texts were part of the process of ‘self-presentation’, and they can provide significant information about the societal values and priorities of the Egyptians, occasionally also referring to important historical events. This chapter traces how autobiographies develop over time and how these developments may reflect changes in Egyptian beliefs; it also discusses the ways in which these texts served not only as memoirs of their subjects, but also as a means of demonstrating individual’s adherence to the Egyptian concept of maat, or world order.
Demotic texts
Authors: Jasnow Richard
Published: December 2020

Demotic texts are found on papyri, ostraca, stelae, stone (as graffiti), and, less frequently, on other materials. The steadily growing corpus of demotic texts illuminates many aspects of Late-Period Egypt. In this survey are cited chiefly publications appearing after Mark Depauw’s Companion to Demotic Studies, which appeared in 1997.
Greek and Latin sources
Authors: Moyer Ian S.
Published: December 2020

A wealth of Latin and Greek sources is available for the study of Egypt, both literary texts preserved in manuscripts, and historical documents inscribed on stone, or written on papyrus, pottery shards, and other writing materials. Though literary texts, including ancient Greek accounts of Egyptian history, ethnography and geography must be read in the cultural context for which they were produced, they can also provide useful information on Egyptian history in the periods contemporary with classical Greek and Roman civilization, as well as evidence of how Egypt was remembered and represented by Greek and Roman authors, as well as by Egyptians themselves. The volume of Greek and Latin papyrus documents and inscriptions is enormous and provides an invaluable resource for the study of Egyptian history, especially its economic and social aspects, but also for the study of cultural and ethnic relations between Egyptians and immigrant populations. Collaboration between specialists in Greek, Latin, and Egyptian materials is vital to getting the full benefit of these resources for the study of ancient Egypt.
Blacksound
Authors: Morrison Matthew D.
Published: December 2020

This chapter considers the relationship between philosophy, music, and race through a theory of Blacksound. Blacksound is the sonic and embodied legacy of blackface performance as the origin of popular music, entertainment, and culture in the United States. As a hermeneutic tool, Blacksound is an epistemology designed to historicize and redress how we conceive the formation of race and property laws throughout the nineteenth century via aesthetics. In particular, this tool analyses the construction, consumption, and erasure of black people and blackness out of blackface minstrelsy—the first original form of popular entertainment in North America. Blacksound is an open concept that challenges fixed notions of intellectual property by pointing to the role that the performance of race and the making of racism in popular music plays in copyright laws that have developed throughout the nineteenth century.
An update on Heck’s disease—a systematic review
Authors: Sethi Sneha , Ali Anna , Ju Xiangqun , Antonsson Annika , Logan Richard , Jamieson Lisa
Published: December 2020

Background

Previous research has suggested an ethnic association of Heck’s disease with a prominent genetic and familial inheritance pattern, but no systematic review has been reported, which has collected all the evidence in one paper. The aim was estimation of the updated age estimates and gender predilection of this disease and also questioning its proposed link to ethnic and geographical factors.

Methods

Heck’s disease from 1966 until present are tabulated, including various descriptive characteristics. After removal of duplicates and adhering to all the inclusion criteria, we shortlisted 95 case reports. The quality assessment of all included studies has been done following STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology) guidelines.

Results

We found an age range of 3–92 years (mean: 23.1 years) with a male to female ratio of 3:4. Geographical distribution revealed one of the main findings of this study, which was an increased incidence of Heck’s disease in the European region.

Conclusions

As already observed and established, there is a much greater prevalence of this disease in the indigenous populations of the world and more research should be encouraged to understand the correct transmission and pattern of spread of this disease.
EVALUATION OF THE RADIATION EXPOSURE IN SEQUENTIAL HEAD TOMOGRAPHIC EXAMS OF PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND DECOMPRESSIVE CRANIECTOMY
Authors: Tacara Silvio , Faria Rubens Alexandre , Coninck José Carlos Pereira , de Oliveira Salvador Gabriel Lucca , Schelin Hugo Reuters , Nakano Irene Tomoko
Published: December 2020

Brain trauma patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy make several computed tomography (CT) scans until cranioplasty. Despite several recommendations to avoid unnecessary radiological exposure, few studies systematically analyzed the technical parameters employed. CT exams of 14 patients were retrospectively analyzed to find display field of view (DFOV), dose length product (DLP), volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) and effective dose (ED). The values obtained were: 120 kVp [95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.5], 297 mA (95% CI of 5.6), scan range 20.8 cm (95% CI of 1.3), DFOV 24.5 cm (95% CI of 1.6), CTDIvol 67.5 mGy (95% CI of 10.17), DLP 1404.8 mGy.cm (95% CI of 235.0) and ED 2.9 mSv (95% CI of 0.5). In conclusion, these values were above the recommendations of several guidelines and raise concern for excessive radiological exposure in trauma patients despite being previously reported in the literature.
Mortality of Older Patients Admitted to an ICU: A Systematic Review*
Authors: Vallet Helene , Schwarz Gabriele Leonie , Flaatten Hans , de Lange Dylan W. , Guidet Bertrand , Dechartres Agnes
Published: December 2020

Objectives:

To conduct a systematic review of mortality and factors independently associated with mortality in older patients admitted to ICU.

Data Sources:

MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and references of included studies.

Study Selection:

Two reviewers independently selected studies conducted after 2000 evaluating mortality of older patients (≥ 75 yr old) admitted to ICU.

Data Extraction:

General characteristics, mortality rate, and factors independently associated with mortality were extracted independently by two reviewers. Disagreements were solved by discussion within the study team.

Data Synthesis:

Because of expected heterogeneity, no meta-analysis was performed. We selected 129 studies (median year of publication, 2015; interquartile range, 2012–2017) including 17 based on a national registry. Most were conducted in Europe and North America. The median number of included patients was 278 (interquartile range, 124–1,068). ICU and in-hospital mortality were most frequently reported with considerable heterogeneity observed across studies that was not explained by study design or location. ICU mortality ranged from 1% to 51%, in-hospital mortality from 10% to 76%, 6-month mortality from 21% to 58%, and 1-year mortality from 33% to 72%. Factors addressed in multivariate analyses were also heterogeneous across studies. Severity score, diagnosis at admission, and use of mechanical ventilation were the independent factors most frequently associated with ICU mortality, whereas age, comorbidities, functional status, and severity score at admission were the independent factors most frequently associated with 3– 6 and 12 months mortality.

Conclusions:

In this systematic review of older patients admitted to intensive care, we have documented substantial variation in short- and long-term mortality as well as in prognostic factors evaluated. To better understand this variation, we need consistent, high-quality data on pre-ICU conditions, ICU physiology and treatments, structure and system factors, and post-ICU trajectories. These data could inform geriatric care bundles as well as a core data set of prognostic factors to inform patient-centered decision-making.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, subjective, and thermal stress responses in midlife women with vasomotor symptoms
Authors: Nathan Margo D. , Wiley Aleta , Mahon Pamela B. , Camuso Julie , Sullivan Kathryn , McCormick Kathleen , Srivastava Akanksha , Albert Kim , Newhouse Paul , Joffe Hadine
Published: December 2020

Objective:

Dysregulated responses to experimental stress paradigms may indicate exposure to chronic stress. Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are linked with diminished quality of life and psychological stress, but induced stress responsivity has received limited investigation. We examined whether women with and without VMS differ in their evoked hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, subjective, hemodynamic, and thermal stress responses.

Methods:

A total of 37 midlife women (27 VMS+; 10 VMS–) completed 2 experimental stress paradigms: (1) Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST; computerized social-evaluative stressor) and (2) Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST; thermal stress task). Responses on a five-domain (range 0-50) Visual Analog Scale, salivary cortisol (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis), and hemodynamic indices (blood pressure, heart rate) were measured before and after each task to compare within-person change between groups. Thermal sensitivity was assessed on the QST.

Results:

On the MIST, the VMS+ group showed a smaller cortisol release (0.01 vs 0.07 μg/dL; P = 0.046; corresponding to 54% vs 83% increases), and subjective stress response (21.2- vs 31.1-point Visual Analog Scale increase, P = 0.05; corresponding to 2427% vs 2863% increases) but no hemodynamic difference, compared to the VMS– group. The QST did not provoke stress responses via cortisol release or subjective report, but the VMS+ group tended to perceive heat at a higher temperature (38.5°C vs 36.4°C, P = 0.08).

Conclusions:

Women with VMS exhibited both diminished cortisol and subjective stress responses to the MIST, and reduced thermal sensitivity on QST compared to women without VMS. Dysregulated stress responsivity provides preliminary evidence suggesting that VMS may represent a chronic stress condition.
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN MULTIMODAL IMAGING OF LATE-ONSET RETINAL DEGENERATION
Authors: Vanderford Elliott K. , De Silva Tharindu , Noriega Dominique , Arango Mike , Cunningham Denise , Cukras Catherine A.
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

To quantitatively analyze clinically relevant features on longitudinal multimodal imaging of late-onset retinal degeneration to characterize disease progression.

Methods:

Fundus autofluorescence (FAF), infrared reflectance, and optical coherence tomography imaging of 4 patients with late-onset retinal degeneration were acquired over 3 to 15 years (20 visits total). Corresponding regions of interest were analyzed on FAF (reticular pseudodrusen [RPD], “speckled FAF,” and chorioretinal atrophy) and infrared reflectance (hyporeflective RPD and target RPD) using quantitative measurements, including contour area, distance to fovea, contour overlap, retinal thickness, and texture features.

Results:

Cross-sectional analysis revealed a moderate correlation (RPD FAF ∩ RPD infrared reflectance = 63%) between contour area across modalities. Quantification of retinal thickness and texture analysis of areas contoured on FAF objectively differentiated the contour types. A longitudinal analysis of aligned images demonstrates that the contoured region of atrophy both encroaches toward the fovea and grows monotonically with a rate of 0.531 mm/year to 1.969 mm/year (square root of area, n = 5 eyes). A retrospective analysis of precursor lesions of atrophy reveals quantifiable progression from RPD to speckled FAF to atrophy.

Conclusion:

Image analysis of time points before the development of atrophy reveals consistent patterns over time and space in late-onset retinal degeneration that may provide useful outcomes for this and other degenerative retinal diseases.
The association of transporter ABCC2 (MRP2) genetic variation and drug-induced hyperbilirubinemia
Authors: Huang Yi-Shin , Chang Tien-En , Perng Chin-Lin , Huang Yi-Hsiang
Published: December 2020

Background:

Hyperbilirubinemia is a predictor of severe drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Hepatobiliary ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters play an important role in the transportation of many drugs and bilirubin; however, little is known about these transporters and the risk of DILI. The aim of this study was to explore associations between genetic variations in important ABC transporters and susceptibility to DILI, with a particular focus on hyperbilirubinemia.

Methods:

A total of 200 patients with DILI and 200 healthy controls were enrolled as the training dataset. Another 106 patients with DILI were recruited as the validation dataset. They were genotyped for ABCB11 (BSEP) rs2287622, ABCB1 (MDR1) rs1128503, rs1045642, ABCB4 (MDR3) rs2230028, ABCC2 (MRP2) rs1885301, rs717620, rs2273697, rs3740066 and rs8187710 using polymerase chain reaction–based TaqMan genotyping assays.

Results:

There were no statistical differences in any of the nine ABC transporter single nucleotide polymorphisms between the DILI and control groups. However, in the DILI group, the patients with hyperbilirubinemia had a higher frequency of the ABCC2 rs717620 C/T and T/T genotypes than those without hyperbilirubinemia (44.2% vs 20.2%, p = 0.001). After adjusting for other confounding factors, the ABCC2 rs717620 T variant was still associated with an increased risk of hyperbilirubinemia (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 3.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.73-8.48, p = 0.001). This association was confirmed by the validation dataset (adjusted OR: 3.92, 95% CI: 1.42-10.81, p = 0.015). We also found that the mortality group had higher frequencies of the ABCC2 (MRP2) rs717620 C/T and T/T genotypes than the survival group (50.0% vs 27.9%, p = 0.048).

Conclusion:

Carriage of the ABCC2 (MRP2) rs717620 T variant may increase the risk of hyperbilirubinemia and mortality in patients with DILI. Screening for this variant may help to prevent and mitigate drug-induced hyperbilirubinemia.
Proton pump inhibitor therapy is associated with reduced survival following first-time transarterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Sturm Lukas , Muller Laura , Schultheiss Michael , Binder Benedikt , Huber Jan Patrick , Thimme Robert , Bettinger Dominik
Published: December 2020

Background and aims

Several studies have reported associations of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment with the incidence of complications and even increased mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis. Up to now, there are no studies on the impact of PPI treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the prognostic effects of PPI treatment in a cohort of patients with HCC treated by transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)

Methods

Three hundred fifty-eight patients with HCC that received first-time TACE were included in a retrospective analysis. We explored effects of PPI treatment using uni- and multivariable regression models.

Results

One hundred sixty-seven of the 358 patients (46.6%) received PPI treatment. Median transplant-free survival after TACE was significantly lower in patients treated with PPIs compared to patients without PPI treatment [16.0 (10.7–21.3) months vs. 26 (22.2–29.8) months, P = 0.006]. Importantly, PPI treatment remained a significant prognostic factor for reduced survival after adjustment for patient demographics, tumor stadium and liver function [hazard ratio (HR) 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–1.78, P = 0.005]. We observed a dose-dependent association of PPI treatment with survival: A higher daily PPI dose was an independent prognostic factor for reduced survival (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.14-1.54, P < 0.001). Notably, 58.1% of patients receiving PPIs had no clear indication therefor.

Conclusion

PPI treatment is associated with reduced survival in patients with HCC in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, indication for PPI treatment should be evaluated attentively in these patients. Further, prospective studies are needed to validate the findings of this study.
Hyperreactio Luteinalis (Multiple Luteinized Follicle Cysts): A Report of 10 Cases
Authors: Watkins Jaclyn C. , Lebok Patrick , Young Robert H.
Published: December 2020

Hyperreactio luteinalis is a rare entity arising in pregnancy and in the setting of gestational trophoblastic diseases (ie choriocarcinoma, molar pregnancy) that presents with, typically, bilateral ovarian enlargement due to numerous follicle cysts. While the phenomenon is benign and spontaneously regresses following delivery or treatment, a specimen may be seen in pathology when oophorectomy or cystectomy is performed to exclude malignancy or to manage acute complications such as torsion. Such resections may exhibit overlapping microscopic features with cystic granulosa cell tumors. We thus reviewed 10 cases of hyperreactio luteinalis in the setting of pregnancy, the largest pathologic cohort to date, to highlight notable features of this disorder. Patients ranged from 22 to 30 yr old. Most patients (n=6) presented at time of cesarean section with incidentally discovered ovarian masses. Three patients presented in the postpartum period, and 1 underwent surgery at 28 wk gestation due to the finding of a unilateral ovarian mass. The ovaries ranged from 8.5 to 29 cm and were multicystic and bilateral in 8 of the cases. Histologic examination demonstrated multiple, variably sized cystic follicles lined by a granulosa cell layer of varying thickness and theca cells with marked eosinophilic cytoplasm. Stromal edema was often prominent, with theca cells occasionally noted in nests, cords, and as single cells in foci of edema. Mitoses were generally seen more often in the granulosa cell layer (mean=2.6 per high power fields) compared with the theca cell layer (mean=1 per 10 high power fields). This series documents the key features of hyperreactio luteinalis that differentiate it from the other benign mass forming lesions encountered in pregnancy, most notably large solitary follicle cyst of pregnancy and puerperium, as well as cystic granulosa cell tumors, especially the juvenile variant, which may also present during pregnancy. Of particular use in differentiating them from juvenile granulosa cell tumor is the absence of pale or vacuolated cytoplasm and solid growth of granulosa cells in cases of hyperreactio luteinalis.
Intense Hypermetabolic Tumefactive Demyelination on 18F-FDG PET and MRI Related to Multiple Sclerosis Relapse After Fingolimod Suspension
Authors: Pimentel Gabriela Almeida , Coutinho Artur Martins , de Souza Godoy Luis Filipe , de Lima Luiz Guilherme Cernaglia A. , de Andrade Daniel Ciampi
Published: December 2020

A 57-year-old woman with a history of multiple sclerosis presented with a 5-day history of progressive headache and confusion, followed by left hemiparesis. The patient had stopped her previous fingolimod usage during the last 8 weeks. Brain MRI and 18F-FDG PET showed a subcortical tumefactive lesion with an intense peripheric rim of hypermetabolism and central hypometabolism, with central hyperintensity, thin isointense rim, and peripheral finger-like “tentacles” of edema with an irregular and thick border enhancement on postcontrast T2-weighted MRI. Brain biopsy showed features suggestive of relapsing MS. The patient improved after methylprednisone and plasma exchange.
Comprehensive quantitative proteome analysis ofAedes aegyptiidentifies proteins and pathways involved inWolbachia pipientisand Zika virus interference phenomenon
Authors: Martins Michele , Ramos Luis Felipe Costa , Murillo Jimmy Rodriguez , Torres André , de Carvalho Stephanie Serafim , Domont Gilberto Barbosa , Perpétua de Oliveira Danielle Maria , Mesquita Rafael Dias , Sousa Nogueira Fábio César , Maciel-de-Freitas Rafael , Junqueira Magno
Published: December 2020

Zika virus is a global public health emergency due to its association with microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy, and myelitis in children and adults. A total of 87 countries have had evidence of autochthonous mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus, distributed across four continents, and no antivirus therapy or vaccines are available. Therefore, several strategies have been developed to target the main mosquito vector,Aedes aegypti, to reduce the burden of different arboviruses. Among such strategies, the use of the maternally-inherited endosymbiontWolbachia pipientishas been applied successfully to reduce virus susceptibility and decrease transmission. However, the mechanisms by whichWolbachiaorchestrate resistance to ZIKV infection remain to be elucidated. In this study, we apply isobaric labeling quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics to quantify proteins and identify pathways altered during ZIKV infection;Wolbachiainfection; co-infection withWolbachia/ZIKV in theAe. aegyptiheads and salivary glands. We show thatWolbachiaregulates proteins involved in ROS production, regulates humoral immune response, and antioxidant production. The reduction of ZIKV polyprotein in the presence ofWolbachiain mosquitoes was determined by mass spectrometry and corroborates the idea thatWolbachiahelps to block ZIKV infections inAe. aegypti. The present study offers a rich resource of data that may help to elucidate mechanisms by whichWolbachiaorchestrate resistance to ZIKV infection inAe. aegypti, and represents a step further on the development of new targeted methods to detect and quantify ZIKV andWolbachiadirectly in complex tissues.

Highlights

The abundance of ZIKV polyprotein is reduced in the presence ofWolbachia

Shotgun proteomics quantifies ZIKV andWolbachiaproteins directly in tissues

Wolbachiaregulates proteins involved in ROS production

Wolbachiaregulates humoral immune response and antioxidant production

Metabolism and detoxification processes were associated with mono infections
Nanobody generation and structural characterization ofPlasmodium falciparum6-cysteine protein Pf12p
Authors: Dietrich Melanie H. , Chan Li-Jin , Adair Amy , Keremane Sravya , Pymm Phillip , Lo Alvin W. , Cao Yi-Chun , Tham Wai-Hong
Published: December 2020

Surface-associated proteins play critical roles in thePlasmodiumparasite life cycle and are major targets for vaccine development. The 6-cysteine (6-cys) protein family is expressed in a stage-specific manner throughoutPlasmodium falciparumlife cycle and characterized by the presence of 6-cys domains, which are β-sandwich domains with conserved sets of disulfide bonds. Although several 6-cys family members have been implicated to play a role in sexual stages, mosquito transmission, evasion of the host immune response and host cell invasion, the precise function of many family members is still unknown and structural information is only available for four 6-cys proteins. Here, we present to the best of our knowledge, the first crystal structure of the 6-cys protein Pf12p determined at 2.8 Å resolution. The monomeric molecule folds into two domains, D1 and D2, both of which adopt the canonical 6-cys domain fold. Although the structural fold is similar to that of Pf12, its paralog inP. falciparum, we show that Pf12p does not complex with Pf41, which is a known interaction partner of Pf12. We generated ten distinct Pf12p-specific nanobodies which map into two separate epitope groups; one group which binds within the D2 domain, while several members of the second group bind at the interface of the D1 and D2 domain of Pf12p. Characterization of the structural features of the 6-cys family and their associated nanobodies provide a framework for generating new tools to study the diverse functions of the 6-cys protein family in thePlasmodiumlife cycle.
Stiffness of vascular smooth muscle cells from monkeys studied using atomic force microscopy
Authors: Zhu Yi
Published: December 2020

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are the main cellular components of blood vessel walls and bear external mechanical forces caused by blood flow and pressure. In this report, we have verified the following hypothesis through experiments: The increase in VSMC stiffness may be mainly due to changes in vascular stiffness due to aging. Although aging enhances the stiffness and adhesion of VSMC, there is no significant difference in apparent elastic modulus and adhesion between the VSMC obtained by male and female. The effect of aging through the ECM-integrin-cytoskeleton axis is related to increased VSMC stiffness and matrix adhesion rather than gender.