bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sex-Specific 99th Percentile Upper Reference Limits for High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Assays Derived Using a Universal Sample Bank
Authors: Apple Fred S , Wu Alan H B , Sandoval Yader , Sexter Anne , Love Sara A , Myers Gary , Schulz Karen , Duh Show-Hong , Christenson Robert H
Published: January 2020

Background

How to select healthy reference subjects in deriving 99th percentiles for cardiac troponin assays still needs to be clarified. To assist with global implementation of high sensitivity (hs)-cardiac troponin (cTn) I and hs-cTnT assays in clinical practice, we determined overall and sex-specific 99th percentiles in 9 hs-cTnI and 3 hs-cTnT assays using a universal sample bank (USB).

Methods

The Universal Sample Bank (USB) comprised healthy subjects, 426 men and 417 women, screened using a health questionnaire. Hemoglobin A1c (>URL 6.5%), NT-proBNP (>URL 125 ng/L) and eGFR (<60 mL/min), were used as surrogate biomarker exclusion criteria along with statin use. 99th percentiles were determined by nonparametric, Harrell--Davis bootstrap, and robust methods.

Results

Subjects were ages 19 to 91 years, Caucasian 58%, African American 27%, Pacific Islander/Asian 11%, other 4%, Hispanic 8%, and non-Hispanic 92%. The overall and sex-specific 99th percentiles for all assays, before and after exclusions (n = 694), were influenced by the statistical method used, with substantial differences noted between and within both hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT assays. Men had higher 99th percentiles (ng/L) than women. The Roche cTnT and Beckman and Abbott cTnI assays (after exclusions) did not measure cTn values at ≥ the limit of detection in ≥50% women.

Conclusions

Our findings have important clinical implications in that sex-specific 99th percentiles varied according to the statistical method and hs-cTn assay used, not all assays provided a high enough percentage of measurable concentrations in women to qualify as a hs-assay, and the surrogate exclusion criteria used to define normality tended to lower the 99th percentiles.
From London to Bombay: Judicial Comparisons between Parsis and Jews, 1702–1865
Authors: Mandel Sarah
Published: January 2020

As England extended its authority over Bombay, Calcutta and other localities in early imperial India, law served as a medium of transfer between metropole and colony and English judges faced complex questions about the law’s relationship with its non-Christian subjects. While Hindus and Muslims were provided with authorised religious advisors at the English courts in India, Parsis remained officially excluded as a minority religious group. Judicial creativity, when faced with questions of Parsi marriage, divorce, child custody and conversion, was limited by judges’ ‘available conceptual resources’. Cases involving Jews in England from the eighteenth century proved to be uniquely relevant, as they rehearsed the fundamental challenges involved in the interaction of the Anglican establishment with non-Christian subjects. The common legal paradigm of Jews and Parsis was further manifested in the unconscious framing of outsiders in the courtroom using the metaphor of a ‘body of people’. This phrase, which appears only twenty times in the corpus of English Law Reports, reflects the physicalisation or personification of a society of individuals with a shared history, values, and political and legal framework. It expresses a judicial conception of them as distinct and unified, with the corollary negative associations of being threatening and potentially subversive. Despite their strong mercantile ties to the colonisers, Parsis thus served as the ‘Jews’ of India in the sense that they helped define and secure the majority by contradistinction, and their separateness was reinforced both explicitly and implicitly in legal encounters.
Lung cancer surgery in oligometastatic patients: outcome and survival
Authors: Casiraghi Monica , Bertolaccini Luca , Sedda Giulia , Petrella Francesco , Galetta Domenico , Guarize Juliana , Maisonneuve Patrick , De Marinis Filippo , Spaggiari Lorenzo
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES

A few studies have already demonstrated survival benefits for local treatment in solitary metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study is to retrospectively investigate the role of surgery in patients with oligometastatic (OM) NSCLC.

METHODS

Between January 1998 and December 2018, 57 patients with OM stage IV NSCLC (1 or 2) underwent a multidisciplinary approach including lung cancer surgery, local treatment of the distant metastasis (DM) and systemic medical treatments.

RESULTS

All patients had DM synchronous to lung cancer. Fifty-one (90%) patients had a single DM whereas 6 (11%) patients had 2 DMs. Forty-eight (84%) patients underwent induction chemotherapy. We performed 47 (82%) lobectomies, 4 (7%) segmentectomies and 6 (11%) pneumonectomies. Pathological lymph node involvement was evident in 28 (49%) patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 20 (35%) patients. Forty-six (81%) patients had local treatment of the DM before lung resection, and 11 (19%) patients had after lung resection; 6 (11%) patients had both treatments. The median overall survival (OS) was 30 months, with the 2-, 3- and 5-year OS of 57%, 50% and 30%, respectively. OS was significantly related to lymph node involvement (P = 0.04), size of the primary tumour (P < 0.001), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.02) and the time period between metastasis diagnosis and primary tumour removal (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Multidisciplinary approach is the gold standard in OM patients. Patients with no lymph node involvement are the best candidates, with an acceptable OS. Thus, patients with OM-NSCLC should not be excluded from surgery as a matter of principle.
Food and nutrition education opportunities within Australian primary schools
Authors: Love Penelope , Booth Alison , Margerison Claire , Nowson Caryl , Grimes Carley
Published: January 2020

Schools are regarded as a key setting for obesity prevention, providing an opportunity to reach a large number of children, frequently and over a prolonged period, through formal and informal opportunities to learn about health behaviours. However, the low value placed on health versus academic achievement is a barrier to effective implementation of food and nutrition (F&N) education. This study used a qualitative exploratory approach to explore the views of teachers and key health and education sector stakeholders regarding opportunities for F&N education within the Australian primary school setting. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore this topic from the perspectives of state-level coordination and development through to local-level implementation and support within the Australian primary school context. Only 2.6% of the Victorian Curriculum related to F&N education, taught through two (of seven) learning outcomes: Health and Physical Education, and Technologies. While stakeholders considered child health a priority, and schools an ideal setting for F&N education, barriers included a lack of strategic policy alignment, limited leadership and coordination, a ‘crowded curriculum’ and poor availability of shelf-ready resources with explicit curriculum links. A cross-curriculum approach was considered essential for F&N education to become embedded as a core component of the curriculum.
Novel percutaneous dual-lumen cannula-based right ventricular assist device provides effective support for refractory right ventricular failure after left ventricular assist device implantation
Authors: Salna Michael , Garan A Reshad , Kirtane Ajay J , Karmpaliotis Dimitrios , Green Phil , Takayama Hiroo , Sanchez Joseph , Kurlansky Paul , Yuzefpolskaya Melana , Colombo Paolo C , Naka Yoshifumi , Takeda Koji
Published: January 2020

OBJECTIVES

Right heart failure after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A new generation of percutaneous right ventricular assist devices (RVADs) may mitigate the need for invasive surgical RVAD implantation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Protek Duo (TandemLife, Pittsburgh, PA, USA) RVAD in patients who developed severe acute right heart failure in the intensive care unit after LVAD implantation.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of 27 patients who received a Protek Duo after LVAD implantation from January 2016 to March 2019 at our centre. The primary outcome of interest was survival to hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included procedural success, device-related complications and conversion to a surgical RVAD.

RESULTS

The median age of patients was 63 years (interquartile range 58–71), 78% were men and 78% were Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) profile 1 or 2. Patients were on a median of 2 inotropes and 2 pressors prior to Protek Duo insertion. The device successfully implanted on the first attempt in all patients a median of 1 day (interquartile range 1–2) after LVAD implantation and the median duration of support was 11 days (interquartile range 7–16). Device weaning occurred in 86% of patients, with 15% in-hospital mortality. Major complications related to the device included new moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation (36%), haemolysis (14%) and cannula migration (7%). Three patients (11%) required conversion to surgical RVAD. Overall survival to 1 year was 81%.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of the Protek Duo as a percutaneous RVAD is a safe and feasible treatment for patients who develop acute right heart failure after LVAD implantation.
Protection of Personal Information Act 2013 and data protection for health research in South Africa
Authors: Staunton Ciara , Adams Rachel , Anderson Dominique , Croxton Talishiea , Kamuya Dorcas , Munene Marianne , Swanepoel Carmen
Published: January 2020

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) [No.4 of 2013] is the first comprehensive data protection regulation to be passed in South Africa and it gives effect to the right to informational privacy derived from the constitutional right to privacy It is due to come into force in 2020, and seeks to regulate the processing of personal information in South Africa, regulate the flow of personal information across South Africa’s borders, and ensure that any limitations on the right to privacy are justified and aimed at protecting other important rights and interests. Although it was not drafted with health research in mind, POPIA will have an impact on the sharing of health data for research, in particular biorepositories. It is now timely to consider the impact of POPIA on biorepositories, and the necessary changes to their access and sharing arrangements prior to POPIA coming into force.
Algebraic Relations between Harmonic and Anti-harmonic Moments of Plane Polygons
Authors: Burman Yurii , Fröberg Ralf , Shapiro Boris
Published: January 2020

In this paper we describe the algebraic relations satisfied by the harmonic and anti-harmonic moments of simply connected, but not necessarily convex planar polygons with a given number of vertices.
Exploratory Analysis of CA125-MGL and –STn Glycoforms in the Differential Diagnostics of Pelvic Masses
Authors: Salminen Liina , Nadeem Nimrah , Rolfsen Anne Lone , Dørum Anne , Laajala Teemu D , Grènman Seija , Hietanen Sakari , Heinosalo Taija , Perheentupa Antti , Poutanen Matti , Bolstad Nils , Carpén Olli , Lamminmäki Urpo , Pettersson Kim , Gidwani Kamlesh , Hynninen Johanna , Huhtinen Kaisa
Published: January 2020

Background

The cancer antigen 125 (CA125) immunoassay (IA) does not distinguish epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) from benign disease with the sensitivity needed in clinical practice. In recent studies, glycoforms of CA125 have shown potential as biomarkers in EOC. Here, we assessed the diagnostic abilities of two recently developed CA125 glycoform assays for patients with a pelvic mass. Detailed analysis was further conducted for postmenopausal patients with marginally elevated conventionally measured CA125 levels, as this subgroup presents a diagnostic challenge in the clinical setting.

Methods

Our study population contained 549 patients diagnosed with EOC, benign ovarian tumors, and endometriosis. Of these, 288 patients were postmenopausal, and 98 of them presented with marginally elevated serum levels of conventionally measured CA125 at diagnosis. Preoperative serum levels of conventionally measured CA125 and its glycoforms (CA125-MGL and CA125-STn) were determined.

Results

The CA125-STn assay identified EOC significantly better than the conventional CA125-IA in postmenopausal patients (85% vs. 74% sensitivity at a fixed specificity of 90%, P = 0.0009). Further, both glycoform assays had superior AUCs compared to the conventional CA125-IA in postmenopausal patients with marginally elevated CA125. Importantly, the glycoform assays reduced the false positive rate of the conventional CA125-IA.

Conclusions

The results indicate that the CA125 glycoform assays markedly improve the performance of the conventional CA125-IA in the differential diagnosis of pelvic masses. This result is especially valuable when CA125 is marginally elevated.
Evaluation of a Novel Light Scattering Methodology for the Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria in Urine
Authors: Davaro Elizabeth , Tomaras Andrew P , Chamberland Robin R , Isbell T Scott
Published: January 2020

Background

Urine culture, the gold standard for detecting and identifying bacteria in urine, is one of the highest volume tests in many microbiology laboratories. The inability to accurately predict which patients would benefit from culture leads not only to monopolization of laboratory resources, but also to unnecessary antimicrobial exposure as patients receive empirical treatment for suspected or presumed urinary tract infections (UTI) while awaiting culture results. A common approach to decrease unnecessary urine culture is screening samples using urinalysis (UA) parameters to determine those that should proceed to culture (reflex). In this study, we compared the performance of a novel uropathogen detection method to urinalysis for purposes of UTI screening.

Methods

Urine specimens submitted for culture (n = 194) were evaluated by urinalysis and a novel light scattering device (BacterioScan 216Dx UTI System) capable of detecting the presence of bacteria in urine. Sensitivity and specificity for prediction of a positive urine culture by UA and 216Dx were determined relative to urine culture results. A positive urine culture was defined as growth in culture of one or two uropathogens at concentrations of ≥50,000 CFU/mL.

Results

194 urine samples were evaluated by UA, 216Dx, and urine culture. The 216Dx demonstrated a 100% [95%CI: 88.43%–100.0%] sensitivity and 81.71% [95%CI: 74.93%–87.30%] specificity for the detection of bacteriuria, vs UA with a sensitivity of 86.67% [95%CI 69.28%–96.24%] and specificity of 71.95% [95%CI: 64.41%–78.68%] when compared to urine culture (diagnostic reference method).

Conclusions

BacterioScan allows for an alternative method of screening with satisfactory sensitivity and improved specificity that may facilitate a reduction of unnecessary cultures. Additional studies are required to determine if a concomitant decrease in inappropriate antibiotic use can be realized with the 216Dx technology.
Precision of a Clinical Metabolomics Profiling Platform for Use in the Identification of Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Authors: Ford Lisa , Kennedy Adam D , Goodman Kelli D , Pappan Kirk L , Evans Anne M , Miller Luke A D , Wulff Jacob E , Wiggs Bobby R , Lennon John J , Elsea Sarah , Toal Douglas R
Published: January 2020

Background

The application of whole-exome sequencing for the diagnosis of genetic disease has paved the way for systems-based approaches in the clinical laboratory. Here, we describe a clinical metabolomics method for the screening of metabolic diseases through the analysis of a multi-pronged mass spectrometry platform. By simultaneously measuring hundreds of metabolites in a single sample, clinical metabolomics offers a comprehensive approach to identify metabolic perturbations across multiple biochemical pathways.

Methods

We conducted a single- and multi-day precision study on hundreds of metabolites in human plasma on 4, multi-arm, high-throughput metabolomics platforms.

Results

The average laboratory coefficient of variation (CV) on the 4 platforms was between 9.3 and 11.5% (median, 6.5–8.4%), average inter-assay CV on the 4 platforms ranged from 9.9 to 12.6% (median, 7.0–8.3%) and average intra-assay CV on the 4 platforms ranged from 5.7 to 6.9% (median, 3.5–4.4%). In relation to patient sample testing, the precision of multiple biomarkers associated with IEM disorders showed CVs that ranged from 0.2 to 11.0% across 4 analytical batches.

Conclusions

This evaluation describes single and multi-day precision across 4 identical metabolomics platforms, comprised each of 4 independent method arms, and reproducibility of the method for the measurement of key IEM metabolites in patient samples across multiple analytical batches, providing evidence that the method is robust and reproducible for the screening of patients with inborn errors of metabolism.
Utilization of Patient Navigators in Breast Imaging Facilities Across the United States: A Survey of Breast Imaging Radiologists
Authors: Lee Amie Y , Plecha Donna , Woodard Genevieve A , Price Elissa R , Hayward Jessica H , Mark Sueanne , Joe Bonnie N
Published: January 2020

Objective

To assess the utilization of patient navigators at breast imaging facilities across the United States.

Methods

An online survey was distributed to physician members of the Society of Breast Imaging. Questions encompassed use of patient navigators in breast imaging including: presence and qualifications, roles in patient care, perceived benefits, and barriers. Data were analyzed to identify the overall prevalence of patient navigators, their responsibilities and qualifications, and the impact on breast imaging centers.

Results

Three-hundred and eighty-five board-certified radiologists practicing in the United States completed the survey. The most common practice types were private practice (52%; 201/385) and academic (29%; 110/385). The majority (67%; 256/385) employed navigators, and the most common qualification was a registered nurse (78%; 200/256). Navigators were used for a variety of patient communication and care coordination roles, most commonly to provide educational resources (86%; 219/256), assist patients with scheduling appointments (80%; 205/256), explain the biopsy process (76%;195/256), and communicate biopsy results (64%). Nearly all (99%; 254/256) respondents ranked patient navigators as valuable to extremely valuable in improving patient care and indicated they would recommend implementation of a patient navigation program to other breast imaging practices. The most common barrier to employing a navigator was the financial cost.

Conclusion

Patient navigators have been widely adopted in breast imaging practices across the United States, with two-thirds of respondents reporting use of a navigator. Although navigator roles varied by practice, nearly all radiologists utilizing patient navigators found that they positively impact patient care and would recommend them to other breast imaging practices.
Retrospective Assessment of Exposures to Ionising Radiation: Abstract
Authors: Jacob P. , Bailiff I. K. , Balonov M.A. , Bauchinger M. , Bouville A. , Haskell E. , Nakamura N. , Romanyukha A.
Published: January 2020

Basic dose quantities used in dose reconstruction are defined. The following dose reconstruction methods based on measurements performed for individual persons are reviewed: electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements with tooth enamel, analyses of dicentric chromosomes and chromosome translocations, counting of micronuclei in lymphocytes, somatic-mutation assays, and measurements of radionuclide activities in the human body. Methods based on measurements in environmental media include luminescence methods applied to minerals to determine absorbed doses in ceramics such as bricks or porcelain, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to determine small quantities of man-made long-lived radionuclides, methods based on existing measurements of absorbed dose rates in air, and modelling based on radionuclide activities in the environment. The application of different methods of dose reconstruction to the same individuals is reviewed for the atomic-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (dosimetry system DS86, EPR with teeth, chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes, and somatic-mutation assays) and the workers of the Mayak Production Association (occupational film badge dosimetry, EPR with teeth, and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) with lymphocytes). Examples of reconstruction of absorbed doses in environmental media are Hiroshima and Nagaski (luminescence measurements, AMS and the DS86 system), the Nevada test site (measurements of 137Cs activity in the soil, thermoluminescence of bricks and gamma dose rate in air), and settlements contaminated by the Chernobyl accident (luminescence methods and modelling based on measured 137Cs activity in the ground). The report concludes with an overview the conditions under which the various methods of the dose reconstruction are best applied.
On the application of compression-based metrics to identifying anomalous behaviour in web traffic
Authors: de la Torre-Abaitua Gonzalo , Lago-Fernández Luis F , Arroyo David
Published: January 2020

In cybersecurity, there is a call for adaptive, accurate and efficient procedures to identifying performance shortcomings and security breaches. The increasing complexity of both Internet services and traffic determines a scenario that in many cases impedes the proper deployment of intrusion detection and prevention systems. Although it is a common practice to monitor network and applications activity, there is not a general methodology to codify and interpret the recorded events. Moreover, this lack of methodology somehow erodes the possibility of diagnosing whether event detection and recording is adequately performed. As a result, there is an urge to construct general codification and classification procedures to be applied on any type of security event in any activity log. This work is focused on defining such a method using the so-called normalized compression distance (NCD). NCD is parameter-free and can be applied to determine the distance between events expressed using strings. As a first step in the concretion of a methodology for the integral interpretation of security events, this work is devoted to the characterization of web logs. On the grounds of the NCD, we propose an anomaly-based procedure for identifying web attacks from web logs. Given a web query as stored in a security log, a NCD-based feature vector is created and classified using a support vector machine. The method is tested using the CSIC-2010 data set, and the results are analyzed with respect to similar proposals.
Italian court orders Amazon not to sell luxury cosmetics subject to a selective distribution network
Authors: Giannino Michele
Published: January 2020

Case 50977/2018 Sisley Italia et al v Amazon Core Europe et al (Sisley v Amazon) (2019) District Court of Milan, Commercial Law Chamber, Decision of 28 March 2019

In upholding an application for an interlocutory injunction, the District Court of Milan ordered Amazon to refrain from marketing, selling, promoting or advertising on its Amazon Marketplace Sisley high - quality cosmetics. The court considered that offering luxury products alongside low-quality goods on the same Internet site: (i) is incompatible with the qualitative standards, which the members of the selective distribution system covering the said cosmetics have to respect; (ii) constitutes trade mark infringement as the existence of a lawful selective distribution network is a legitimate reason for the non-application of the exhaustion principle.
Diffusion kurtosis imaging and tumour microstructure for monitoring response to radiotherapy in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma xenografts
Authors: Zheng Xiang , Chen Yunbin , Zheng Dechun , Xiao Youping , Chen Jiayou , Pan Jianji , Chen Weibo
Published: January 2020

Objective

To investigate the correlations and feasibility of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) parameters and tumour histopathology after radiotherapy in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) xenografts on nude mice.

Materials and Methods

Seventy-two nude mice were used for the construction of CNE-1 (radio-insensitive) and CNE-2 (radio-sensitive) NPC xenograft models, followed by fraction irradiation at different doses of X-ray. The nude mice were randomly divided into six groups in each cell line models according to the dose of X-ray they have received and with six mice in each group. DKI scan was performed after radiation. DKI parameters, tumour histopathology and AQP-1 biomarkers were detected. One-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation analysis were used in statistical analysis.

Results

In CNE-1 and CNE-2 NPC xenografts, D values were increased (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001), while K values (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001) and tumour size (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001) were reduced during fraction irradiation. Additionally, cell density (CD) and AQP-1 expressions were decreased, and necrosis ratio (NR) was increased in CNE-2 xenografts after fraction irradiation (P < 0.001). The changes in D values were negatively correlated with tumour size (r = −0.856, P < 0.001), CD (r = −0.918, P < 0.001), AQP-1 mRNA (r = −0.856, P < 0.001) and protein (r = −0.381, P = 0.022) expressions while positively correlated with NR (r = 0.908, P < 0.001) in CNE-2 xenografts. The changes in K values were positively correlated with tumour size (r = 0.964, P < 0.001), CD (r = 0.888, P < 0.001), AQP-1 mRNA (r = 0.955, P < 0.001) and protein (r = 0.330, P = 0.049) expression levels while negatively correlated with NR (r = −0.930, P < 0.001). However, in CNE-1 xenografts, there were no correlation between DKI parameters and the expression of AQP-1.

Conclusion

Changes in D and K parameters after fractional irradiation are closely related with NPC cellular and pathological characteristics, especially size reduction and necrosis induction. These parameters exhibit potential abilities of monitoring the response to fractional irradiation in radio-sensitive NPC xenografts.
The Effects of Making Public Service Employees Aware of Their Prosocial and Societal Impact: A Microintervention
Authors: Vogel Dominik , Willems Jurgen
Published: January 2020

Over the past decade, practitioners and scholars have intensified the discussions around people’s expectations from their jobs and how public and private organizations can succeed in the war for talent. In this context, it has become obvious that people not only seek high salaries and career opportunities but also meaningfulness in their daily tasks. Although many public service jobs offer opportunities to help others (prosocial impact) or contribute to society (societal impact), employees tend to become accustomed to these positive aspects or forget about them. This article tests whether a microintervention that emphasizes employees’ prosocial or societal impact can positively affect their well-being, intention to stay in the job, and willingness to recommend their respective jobs to others. The combined results of three preregistered experiments reveal that microinterventions can indeed have these effects, particularly if they focus on creating awareness about the jobs’ societal impact.
Spontaneous rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm treated with a spleen-preserving procedure: a case report
Authors: Effraemidou Eleni , Souftas Vasileios , Kofina Konstantinia , Karanikas Michael , Lyratzopoulos Nikolaos
Published: January 2020

Splenic artery aneurysm is a rare and life-threatening condition, in case of spontaneous rupture. A rare case of such a rupture, treated successfully with an endovascular procedure, is presented. A 21-year-old man presented to the emergency department after an episode of loss of consciousness. After initial conservative treatment, he developed hemodynamic instability 12 hours later, with concurrent diffuse abdominal pain. Abdominal CT revealed a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm, which was immediately treated with coil embolization. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged on the 12th day after the procedure. Although open surgery is the choice of treatment in cases of ruptured splenic artery aneurysms, endovascular embolization can also be considered a safe procedure with low complication and mortality rates.
A new method of determining brightness and size of cometary nuclei
Authors: Paradowski Mieczyslaw Leszek
Published: January 2020

This paper presents a new method of determining the brightness and size of cometary nuclei that has been applied to the following 32 observed comets: 2P/Encke, 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, 102P/Shoemaker 1, 103P/Hartley 2, 168P/Hergenrother, 189P/NEAT, 260P/McNaught, 315P/LONEOS, P/2012 NJ (La Sagra), P/2013 J2 (McNaught), C/2006 S3 (LONEOS), C/2009 P1 (Garradd), C/2010 S1 (LINEAR), C/2010 X1 (Elenin), C/2011 J2 (LINEAR), C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy), C/2012 F6 (Lemmon), C/2012 J1 (Catalina), C/2012 K1 (PANSTARRS), C/2012 S1 (ISON), C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy), C/2013 US10 (Catalina), C/2014 B1 (Schwartz), C/2014 E2 (Jacques), C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy), C/2015 F4 (Jacques), C/2015 V2 (Johnson), C/2015 ER61 (PANSTARRS), C/2015 VL62 (Lemmon-Yeung-PANSTARRS), C/2016 A8 (LINEAR), and C/2017 O1 (ASASSN). The method consists in fitting the exponential decay function to the measured coma brightness in the aperture radius range from 0.5 to 2 pixels, and extrapolating this function to 0 pixels to obtain nuclear brightness. The R-band absolute nuclear magnitude RN(1, 1, 0), and the logarithm of the nucleus diameter DN expressed in kilometres, follow a linear dependence with the absolute total visual magnitude H. This dependence is of the form RN(1, 1, 0) = 12.5943 + 0.648H, and log DN[km] = 1.2415 − 0.13H. Comet 2P/Encke does not fit this dependence due to its high nuclear density of 800 kg m−3 (Sosa & Fernández 2009). The mean bulk density of the observed comets (except 2P/Encke) is 453 ± 29 kg m−3. The accuracy of the method in determining the brightness of comet nuclei at a level of 1σ is 8 per cent.
A robust, template-free approach to precise radial velocity extraction
Authors: Rajpaul V M , Aigrain S , Buchhave L A
Published: January 2020

Doppler spectroscopy is a powerful tool for discovering and characterizing exoplanets. For decades, the standard approach to extracting radial velocities (RVs) has been to cross-correlate observed spectra with a weighted template mask. While still widely used, this approach is known to suffer numerous drawbacks, and so in recent years increasing attention has been paid to developing new and improved ways of extracting RVs. In this proof-of-concept paper, we present a simple yet powerful approach to RV extraction. We use Gaussian processes to model and align all pairs of spectra with each other; we combine the pairwise RVs thus obtained to produce accurate differential stellar RVs, without constructing any template. Doing this on a highly localized basis enables a data-driven approach to identifying and mitigating spectral contamination, even without the input of any prior astrophysical knowledge. We show that a crude implementation of this method applied to an inactive standard star yields RVs with comparable precision to and significantly lower rms variation than RVs from industry-standard pipelines. Though amenable to numerous improvements, even in its basic form presented here our method could facilitate the study of smaller planets around a wider variety of stars than has previously been possible.
Galactic conformity in both star formation and morphological properties
Authors: Otter Justin A , Masters Karen L , Simmons Brooke , Lintott Chris J
Published: January 2020

We investigate one-halo galactic conformity (the tendency for satellite galaxies to mirror the properties of their central) in both star formation and morphology using a sample of 8230 galaxies in 1266 groups with photometry and spectroscopy from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, morphologies from Galaxy Zoo and group memberships as determined by Yang et al. This is the first paper to investigate galactic conformity in both star formation and visual morphology properties separately. We find that the signal of galactic conformity is present at low significance in both star formation and visual morphological properties, however it is stronger in star formation properties. Over the entire halo mass range we find that groups with star-forming (spiral) centrals have, on average, a fraction 0.18 ± 0.08 (0.08 ± 0.06) more star-forming (spiral) satellites than groups with passive (early-type) centrals at a similar halo mass. We also consider conformity in groups with four types of central: passive early-types, star-forming spirals, passive spirals, and star-forming early-types (which are very rarely centrals), finding that the signal of morphological conformity is strongest around passive centrals regardless of morphology; although blue spiral centrals are also more likely than average to have blue spiral satellites. We interpret these observations of the relative size of the conformity signal as supporting a scenario where star formation properties are relatively easily changed, while morphology changes less often/more slowly for galaxies in the group environment.
The most abundant maternal lncRNA Sirena1 acts post-transcriptionally and impacts mitochondrial distribution
Authors: Ganesh Sravya , Horvat Filip , Drutovic David , Efenberkova Michaela , Pinkas Dominik , Jindrova Anna , Pasulka Josef , Iyyappan Rajan , Malik Radek , Susor Andrej , Vlahovicek Kristian , Solc Petr , Svoboda Petr
Published: January 2020

Tens of thousands of rapidly evolving long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes have been identified, but functions were assigned to relatively few of them. The lncRNA contribution to the mouse oocyte physiology remains unknown. We report the evolutionary history and functional analysis of Sirena1, the most expressed lncRNA and the 10th most abundant poly(A) transcript in mouse oocytes. Sirena1 appeared in the common ancestor of mouse and rat and became engaged in two different post-transcriptional regulations. First, antisense oriented Elob pseudogene insertion into Sirena1 exon 1 is a source of small RNAs targeting Elob mRNA via RNA interference. Second, Sirena1 evolved functional cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements, an unexpected feature borrowed from translation control of specific maternal mRNAs. Sirena1 knock-out does not affect fertility, but causes minor dysregulation of the maternal transcriptome. This includes increased levels of Elob and mitochondrial mRNAs. Mitochondria in Sirena1−/− oocytes disperse from the perinuclear compartment, but do not change in number or ultrastructure. Taken together, Sirena1 contributes to RNA interference and mitochondrial aggregation in mouse oocytes. Sirena1 exemplifies how lncRNAs stochastically engage or even repurpose molecular mechanisms during evolution. Simultaneously, Sirena1 expression levels and unique functional features contrast with the lack of functional importance assessed under laboratory conditions.
Emergency personnel neuroticism, health and lifestyle: A UK Biobank study
Authors: Mutambudzi M , Flowers P , Demou E
Published: January 2020

Background

Emergency personnel face unpredictable and challenging incidents and their resilience and ability to cope influences their well-being. Personality traits, such as neuroticism, are postulated to be robust predictors of health and health behaviours. Despite evidence in the general population that neuroticism can positively impact health and health behaviours; to date neuroticism in emergency personnel has primarily been associated with adverse health outcomes.

Aims

To assess whether neuroticism has a negative or positive impact on subjective and objective health and health behaviours in emergency personnel.

Methods

This study used cross-sectional UK Biobank baseline data of emergency personnel (police, firemen and paramedics). Logistic regression models examined the strength of the associations of neuroticism tertiles with subjective (self-reported overall health and chronic conditions) and objective health (abdominal obesity) and self-reported smoking, sleeping, alcohol use and exercise levels.

Results

High neuroticism was positively associated with poorer subjective health outcomes in all emergency personnel (n = 2483). The association between neuroticism and chronic disease/s was significant for police in the second (odds ratio [OR] = 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15–1.94) and third (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.21–2.16) neuroticism tertiles. Neuroticism in firemen was associated with reduced abdominal obesity (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.25–0.96) and increased exercise (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.07–4.25).

Conclusions

We observed positive and negative associations between neuroticism and health outcomes and behaviours. While differences were observed across the emergency personnel groups, more research is needed to better understand how personality traits may impact health in workers with physically and mentally intense jobs.
Ixekizumab treatment of biologic-naïve patients with active psoriatic arthritis: 3-year results from a phase III clinical trial (SPIRIT-P1)
Authors: Chandran Vinod , van der Heijde Désirée , Fleischmann Roy M , Lespessailles Eric , Helliwell Philip S , Kameda Hideto , Burgos-Vargas Ruben , Erickson Janelle S , Rathmann Suchitrita S , Sprabery Aubrey Trevelin , Birt Julie A , Shuler Catherine L , Gallo Gaia
Published: January 2020

Objective

The aim was to assess the safety and efficacy of up to 156 weeks of ixekizumab (an IL-17A antagonist) treatment in PsA patients.

Methods

In a phase III study, patients naïve to biologic treatment were randomized to placebo, adalimumab 40 mg every 2 weeks (ADA; active reference) or ixekizumab 80 mg every 2 weeks (IXEQ2W) or every 4 weeks (IXEQ4W) after an initial dose of 160 mg. At week 24 (week 16 for inadequate responders), ADA (after 8-week washout) and placebo patients were re-randomized to IXEQ2W or IXEQ4W. Outcomes were evaluated using a modified non-responder imputation [linear extrapolation for radiographic progression (modified total Sharp score = 0)] during extended treatment until week 156.

Results

Of 417 patients, 381 entered the extension, and 243 of 381 (63.8%) completed the 156-week study. Incidence rates of treatment-emergent and serious adverse events, respectively, were 38.0 and 5.2 with IXEQ2W (n = 189) and 38.1 and 8.0 with IXEQ4W (n = 197). One death occurred (IXEQ4W). With IXEQ2W and IXEQ4W, respectively, the response rates persisted to week 156 as measured by the ACR response ≥20% (62.5 and 69.8%), ≥50% (56.1 and 51.8%) and ≥70% (43.8 and 33.4%), psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) 75 (69.1 and 63.5%), PASI 90 (64.5 and 51.2%) and PASI 100 (60.5 and 43.6%). Inhibition of radiographic progression also persisted to week 156 in 61% of IXEQ2W and 71% of IXEQ4W patients.

Conclusion

In this 156-week study of ixekizumab, the safety profile remained consistent with previous reports, and improvements in signs and symptoms of PsA were observed, including persistent low rates of radiographic progression.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, http://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01695239, EudraCT 2011-002326-49.
Psychotic Experiences Are Associated With Paternal Age But Not With Delayed Fatherhood in a Large, Multinational, Community Sample
Authors: Schürhoff Franck , Pignon Baptiste , Lajnef Mohamed , Denis Romain , Rutten Bart , Morgan Craig , Murray Robin M , Leboyer Marion , van Os Jim , Szöke Andrei
Published: January 2020

Advanced paternal age has been consistently associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia. It is less known if such an association also exists with subclinical/attenuated forms of psychosis. Additionally, it has been suggested that it is not paternal age per se, but rather delayed fatherhood, as a marker of a genetic liability of psychosis, that is the cause of the association. The aim of the current study was to examine whether paternal age and/or delayed fatherhood (paternity age) predict self-reported positive, negative, and/or depressive dimensions of psychosis in a large sample from the general population. The sample (N = 1465) was composed of control subjects from the 6 countries participating in the European Union Gene-Environment Interaction study. The CAPE, a self-report questionnaire, was used to measure dimensions of subclinical psychosis. Paternal age at the time of respondents’ birth and age of paternity were assessed by self-report. We assessed the influence of the variables of interest (paternal age or paternity age) on CAPE scores after adjusting for potential confounders (age, gender, and ethnicity). Paternal age was positively associated with the positive dimension of the CAPE. By contrast, paternity age was not associated with any of the psychosis dimensions assessed by the CAPE. Thus, our results do not support the idea that delayed fatherhood explains the association between age of paternity and psychosis risk. Furthermore, our results provide arguments for the hypothesis of an etiologic continuum of psychosis.
Navigating the Religious Gender Binary
Authors: Darwin Helana
Published: January 2020

This study illustrates the regulatory impact of binary gender ideology upon religious practitioners through interview data from 44 religious and formerly religious nonbinary people (who do not identify as simply men or women). Results indicate that nonbinary people who wish to maintain religious ties must either adjust religion to accommodate their nonbinary gender or accept misgendering to accommodate their religious tradition, with very few alternative options. They must overcome ideological, liturgical, and ritual obstacles while navigating the regulatory barrier that this article calls “the religious gender binary.” Challenges intensify for religious minorities in practice-based traditions due to structural constraints. These findings contribute toward the sociology of religion by (1) demonstrating how nonbinary people experience the binary (cis)gendering of reality across religious traditions and (2) illuminating the need for more research that centers gender minorities and religious minorities, as the sociology of gender and religion expands beyond cisnormative and Christonormative frameworks.
Molecular Characterization of International Collections of the Wheat Stripe Rust Pathogen Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici Reveals High Diversity and Intercontinental Migration
Authors: Sharma-Poudyal Dipak , Bai Qing , Wan Anmin , Wang Meinan , See Deven , Chen Xianming
Published: January 2020

Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici causes stripe rust (yellow rust), one of the most important wheat diseases worldwide. To understand the genetic variation of the pathogen in a global scale, 283 P. striiformis f. sp. tritici isolates collected from 16 countries in eight geographic regions were genotyped using 24 codominant simple sequence repeat markers. The overall collection had a high level of genetic diversity, and the diversity levels in the Asian populations were generally higher than those of the other regions. Heterozygosity of isolates ranged from 0 to 75%, with an average of 46%. Mean heterozygosity in individual countries ranged from 34 to 59%. A total of 265 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) were detected, which were classified into eight molecular groups. Some of the molecular groups were present in all geographic regions. Moreover, many isolates from different regions were found to be identical or very closely related MLGs. Analysis of molecular variance revealed high variation within countries and intermediate variation between countries, but it revealed low and insignificant variation among geographic regions. Pairwise comparisons of regional populations detected considerable effective migrants and only low to moderate levels of differentiation. The molecular genotypes had a moderate level of correlation with the virulence phenotypes, and some of the molecular/virulence groups contained isolates from different continents. The results indicate tremendous migrations of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici and warrant the development of management strategies considering the global pathogen population.
Progress of cGVHD pathogenesis from the perspective of B cells
Authors: Li Xiaoping , Zhang Xi
Published: January 2020

An increasing number of physicians realize that chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is not just dominated by T cells and that B cells also play a vital role in cGVHD development. It has been reported that altered B cell subsets, aberrant B cell signaling pathways, antibody deposition, and abnormal T-B interactions can be observed in many cGVHD patients. Studies of B cells in cGVHD development are now mainly focused on B cell subsets and GC destruction. These two aspects describe the process of B cell evolution in cGVHD patients and are associated with some original treatments. In this review, we summarize recent literature and discuss mechanisms and novel ideas of therapeutic strategies regarding the two aspects mentioned above.
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada–like Syndrome Complicating Pembrolizumab Treatment for Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Bricout Marion , Petre Adeline , Amini-Adle Mona , Bezza Widad , Seve Pascal , Kodjikian Laurent , Dalle Stéphane , Thomas Luc
Published: January 2020

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome is a rare condition implicating systemic immune reaction against melanocytes. The pathophysiology is unclear. A genetic predisposition has been suggested as HLA-DR4/DRB1*04 is more common among VKH patients. Drug induced VKH syndrome has been reported in advanced melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy, including ipilimumab and adoptive cell transfer of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte associated with IL-2. To date, no case of anti PD-1 -induced VKH syndrome has been described. We report here the case of a HLA-DR4/DRB1*04 patient successfully treated with anti PD-1 for advanced melanoma who developed a systemic immune reaction against melanocytes for whom we discuss a VKH-like syndrome diagnosis in a potentially genetically predisposed patient.
Development of an Evidence-Based List of Noncytotoxic Vesicant Medications and Solutions
Authors: Gorski Lisa A. , Stranz Marc , Cook Lynda S. , Joseph James M. , Kokotis Kathy , Sabatino-Holmes Pam , Van Gosen Lori
Published: January 2020

Infiltration of a vesicant medication, defined as extravasation, may result in significant patient injuries. The first step in preventing extravasation is the identification and recognition of vesicant medications and solutions. Because there is no list of noncytotoxic vesicants as established by a professional organization, the Infusion Nurses Society, as the global authority in infusion nursing, identified the need to address this gap. A task force was formed for the purpose of creating an evidence-based list of noncytotoxic vesicant medications and solutions.
Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Greenberg Edythe M.
Published: January 2020

Platelets, or megakaryocytes, are irregular, disk-shaped cell fragments circulating in the blood. They are a primary component in maintaining hemostasis. Low platelet counts, or thrombocytopenia, leave patients at an increased risk of hemorrhage. This article discusses various etiologies of disorders of low platelets and current therapies for management.