bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The expression and clinical significance of PDCD4 and Her-2 in human gastric cancer
Authors: Yang Yuelou , Jiang Xiangjun , Li Dong , Wang Feiyan , Yang Qun , Li Bin
Published: March 2019

To investigate the correlation and clinical significance between programmed cell death factor 4 (PDCD4) and epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2) expressions and clinicopathological parameters in patients with gastric cancer, a total of 65 cases of gastric cancer and the corresponding normal mucosa with PDCD4 and Her-2 protein expressions were detected by SP immunohistochemical staining, and 50 cases of gastric cancer and the corresponding normal mucosa with PDCD4 and Her-2 protein expression quantities were detected by Western blot, in order to analyze the relationship between the positive expressions of PDCD4 and Her-2 protein and the clinicopathological features of patients with gastric cancer. The results showed that the positive rate of PDCD4 protein expression in gastric cancer tissues was 7.7%, which was significantly lower than that in the corresponding normal tissues, that is, 77.5% ( P < 0.05); the positive rate of Her-2 expression was 41.5%, which was significantly higher than that of the corresponding normal tissues, which is 2.5% ( P < 0.05). The Western blot test showed that the expression of PDCD4 protein in gastric cancer was 0.3105 ± 0.0073, which was significantly lower than that in the corresponding normal tissues, that is, 0.9428 ± 0.0127 ( P < 0.05); the expression level of Her-2 protein in gastric cancer tissues was 0.9428 ± 0.0127, which was significantly higher than that of the corresponding normal mucosa, which is 0.2054 ± 0.0264 ( P < 0.05). The positive expressions of PDCD4 (5/65) and Her-2 (27/65) were significantly correlated with the differentiation degrees and TNM stages of gastric cancer ( P < 0.05). However, no significant correlation can be observed from Table 2 ( P > 0.05), regarding sex, age, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis. Our research claimed that PDCD4 and Her-2 may play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer, which has a negative correlation with biological behaviors of gastric cancer. The low expression of PDCD4 and the high expression of Her-2 in gastric cancer may promote the occurrence and progression of cancer. The PDCD4 and Her-2 test can be used as an index to evaluate the malignant biological behaviors of gastric cancer and prognosis, and provide a theoretical basis for targeted therapy.
Pungent Irrationality and Troubled Modernity in Kerala
Authors: Bijukumar V.
Published: March 2019

The street protests of the upper caste Hindus and the members of the erstwhile royal family under the leadership of the BJP–RSS against the verdict of the Supreme Court of India on opening the Sabarimala temple for women of all age groups demonstrate the deep malaise of creeping irrationality in the globally acclaimed project of Kerala modernity. In fact, such outbursts not only unveil the longstanding contradictions of Kerala modernity and the inadequacies of its developmental model but also bound to have serious implications for the multicultural ethos and the radical politics of the state. The rising tide of social conservatism and obscurantism retard Kerala into state of gloom and the depletion of its vibrant civil society and solid social capital leading communalising everyday life and public sphere.
How to Increase Profits Through Predictive Analytics When Only Few Competitors’ Bids Are Known
Authors: Herrmann Heinz
Published: March 2019

The clear majority of pre-existing work in the published domain of competitive bidding requires large sample sizes for reliable econometric, probabilistic or game-theoretic modelling techniques. Such unrealistic large data requirements have prevented the successful application of bid modelling in managerial practice. This article presents a new predictive analytics method for very small samples of historical bidding data. Requiring as few as nine competitive bid prices for a group of pooled/aggregated competitors over a 30-month period is the standout differentiator of this research from any previously published research. This minimizes the demands on competitive intelligence and, therefore, realistically enables its application in the real world of practice. Maximum likelihood estimations are used to evaluate two new, revolutionary bid strategies against a range of evaluation criteria, taking into account the pricing judgements made by competitors, including a degree of competitive reaction among them. Using off-the-shelf analytics software, a case study of a bidder from the telecommunications infrastructure sector demonstrates how commercial outcomes can be improved substantially: A 400 per cent improvement in win ratio, an 86 per cent increase in contribution margin and 76 per cent revenue growth. In addition, the difference between the submitted bids and the lowest-priced competing bids (which is an opportunity cost, sometimes referred to as the ‘spread’ or ‘money left on the table’), has been reduced to 2 per cent on a total revenue of US$210 million.
Industry 4.0 and Future of Work in India
Authors: Mehta Balwant Singh , Awasthi Ishwar Chandra
Published: March 2019

Jobless growth turning into job-loss growth and the recent evidence suggest that unemployment rate has shot off multiple times and the situation for educated youth, in particular, has become more severe. The situation is likely to worsen with emerging industry 4.0 technologies which are more skill-based and capital intensive in nature. The challenge is further compounded in the light of growing additions to labour force and inability to provide them suitable jobs. The inevitability of job losses with onslaught industry 4.0 technologies is likely to have big impact but much larger in the longer term. The evidences shows that pace of replacement of existing technologies is slower and selective in India and therefore the impact will be discernible in select sectors but it is going to proliferate in near future and that will demand new forms of knowledge, skills and competencies. In the emerging scenario, some occupation will die and others will emerge in newer forms. Clearly, this paper suggest that threatening of jobs is inescapable but this will require training-retraining of people in the newer forms of skills that is critical policy challenge to the government and other stakeholders such as companies and other employers.
Malignant Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis Testis—A Malignancy Associated With Asbestos Exposure and Trauma: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Baqui AAM A. , Boire Nicholas A. , Baqui Tajruba T. , Etwaru Dhanan J.
Published: March 2019

In this article, we report an unusual case of a malignant mesothelioma of the testis, presenting as hydrocele. The patient has a known medical history of trauma and occupational exposure to asbestos. The clinical features of this injury are discussed together with its immunohistochemistry. Surgical intervention is discussed due to the nature of this pathology.
Geometry of Torsional Malalignment Syndrome: Trochlear Dysplasia but Not Torsion Predicts Lateral Patellar Instability
Authors: Balcarek Peter , Radebold Tobias , Schulz Xenia , Vogel Dennis
Published: March 2019

Background:

The clinical impact of increased torsion on patellar instability and patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) has been suggested by several studies.

Hypothesis:

The hypotheses of this study were that (1) torsional malalignment (TM) is characterized by a positive correlation between different malalignment parameters that represent an overall picture of the malalignment syndrome and (2) an increase in overall torsion is the underlying difference between patellar instability and isolated patellofemoral pain.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Between April 2015 and July 2017, a total of 428 patients were treated for lateral patellar dislocation (LPD), and 333 patients were treated for PFPS. Sixty-two patients (14.5%) with patellar instability (LPD group) and 29 patients (8.7%) with patellofemoral pain (PFPS group) had additional TM and were included in this study. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging for torsional alignment and patellar tracking, including femoral antetorsion, tibial torsion, knee rotation, tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, tibial tuberosity–posterior cruciate ligament (TT-PCL) distance, Dejour classification of trochlear dysplasia, lateral trochlear inclination (LTI) angle, and patellar height.

Results:

The LPD and PFPS groups differed significantly in terms of trochlear dysplasia ( P < .001), LTI angle ( P < .001), and TT-TG distance ( P = .0167) but did not differ in terms of femoral antetorsion (20.02° ± 8.80° vs 20.03° ± 7.91°, respectively; P = .8545), tibial torsion (39.53° ± 9.23° vs 41.24° ± 7.28°, respectively; P = .3616), or knee rotation (10.42° ± 5.16° vs 8.48° ± 7.81°, respectively; P = .0163). Only measures of TT-TG distance and TT-PCL distance and measures of TT-TG distance and knee rotation were positively correlated. Trochlear dysplasia (type B-D) was identified as the only significant predictor of patellar instability.

Conclusion:

TM in patients with either PFPS or LPD does not appear to be characterized by a fixed constellation of different malalignment parameters. Between groups, the parameters differed significantly only in terms of trochlear dysplasia and the TT-TG distance, and trochlear dysplasia (type B-D) (but not torsion) was identified as a predictor of lateral patellar instability.
Comparison of Amplitude Modulated Sounds and Pure Tones at the Tinnitus Frequency: Residual Tinnitus Suppression and Stimulus Evaluation
Authors: Neff Patrick , Zielonka Lisa , Meyer Martin , Langguth Berthold , Schecklmann Martin , Schlee Winfried
Published: March 2019

Recent studies have compared tinnitus suppression, or residual inhibition, between amplitude- and frequency-modulated (AM) sounds and noises or pure tones (PT). Results are indicative, yet inconclusive, of stronger tinnitus suppression of modulated sounds especially near the tinnitus frequency. Systematic comparison of AM sounds at the tinnitus frequency has not yet been studied in depth. The current study therefore aims at further advancing this line of research by contrasting tinnitus suppression profiles of AM and PT sounds at the matched tinnitus frequency (i.e., 10 and 40 Hz AM vs. PT). Participants with chronic, tonal tinnitus (n = 29) underwent comprehensive psychometric, audiometric, tinnitus matching, and acoustic stimulation procedures. Stimuli were presented for 3 minutes in two loudness regimes (60 dB sensation level [SL], minimum masking level [MML] + 6 dB, control sound: SL −6 dB) and amplitude modulated with 0, 10, or 40 Hz. Tinnitus loudness suppression was measured after the stimulation every 30 seconds. In addition, stimuli were rated regarding their valence and arousal. Results demonstrate only trends for better tinnitus suppression for the 10 Hz modulation and presentation level of 60 dB SL compared with PT, whereas nonsignificant results are reported for 40 Hz and MML + 6 dB, respectively. Furthermore, the 10 Hz AM at 60 dB SL and the 40 Hz AM at MML + 6 dB (trend) stimuli were better tolerated as elicited by valence ratings. We conclude that 10 Hz AM sounds at the tinnitus frequency may be useful to further elucidate the phenomenon of residual inhibition.
Diagnosis of non-neoplastic renal diseases in renal mass biopsies
Authors: Tjota Melissa Y , Gallan Alexander J , Paner Gladell P , Antic Tatjana , Shalhav Arieh L , Eggener Scott E , Henriksen Kammi J , Chang Anthony
Published: March 2019

Purpose:

As up to 25% of renal neoplasms may be benign, renal function preservation is often a priority in the management of small renal masses. Studies have demonstrated the occurrence of non-neoplastic renal diseases in nephrectomy specimens, but this has not been studied in the setting of renal mass biopsy. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine the feasibility of evaluating the non-neoplastic renal parenchyma in such a limited tissue sample.

Methods:

We identified 117 needle biopsies for renal lesions in adults from the Department of Pathology archives (2007–2017). Additional stains for periodic acid–Schiff or Jones methenamine silver were obtained as needed.

Results:

Of 117 cases, non-neoplastic renal parenchyma was absent in 91 cases (78%) and present in 26 cases (22%). Review of the hematoxylin and eosin slides identified 6 cases (5%) with significant diffuse and/or nodular mesangial sclerosis. Additional review of the periodic acid–Schiff and Jones’ stains demonstrated two cases that showed diffuse and focally nodular mesangial sclerosis that was consistent with diabetic nephropathy.

Conclusions:

The needle biopsy is increasingly useful in guiding the management of patients with small renal masses. Although less than 25% of renal mass biopsies had sufficient non-neoplastic renal parenchyma for pathologic evaluation, medical renal diseases, such as diabetic nephropathy, could be diagnosed. On the contrary, the biopsy specimens for urothelial lesions rarely yield sufficient adjacent non-neoplastic renal parenchyma for pathologic evaluation.
Affecting migration: Public information campaigns and the intimate spatialities of border enforcement
Authors: Williams Jill M
Published: March 2019

A broad body of research has examined the shifting spatialities of contemporary border enforcement efforts, drawing particular attention to how border enforcement efforts increasingly take place away from the territorial edges of border enforcing states. However, existing research largely focuses on border enforcement efforts that mobilize strategies of militarization, securitization, and criminalization. In response, this paper draws on work in the fields of emotional and feminist geopolitics, to broaden understandings of the sites, modalities, and spatialities of border governance. Drawing on in-depth interviews, archival research, and discourse analysis, this paper examines public information campaigns launched by US border enforcement agencies between 1990 and 2012. In doing so, I show how these campaigns aim to affect migrant decision-making and reduce unauthorized migration by circulating strategically crafted messages and images into the intimate spaces of everyday life where potential migrants and their loved ones live and socialize. Unlike the hard power strategies of militarized borders and migrant criminalization, public information campaigns work as soft-power tools of governance that target the emotional registers of viewers and both respond to and counter particular gender ideologies. As this analysis suggests, understanding the full complexity of contemporary border governance requires that we broaden the scope of analysis beyond the hard power strategies of militarization, securitization, and criminalization to examine the softer side of border governance, a project that the insights of feminist political geography are particularly well suited for.
A Study of the Critical Chain Project Management Method Applied to a Multiproject System
Authors: Ordoñez Robert Eduardo Cooper , Vanhoucke Mario , Coelho José , Anholon Rosley , Novaski Olívio
Published: March 2019

In 1997, Eliyahu Goldratt proposed a method called critical chain project management (CCPM) to minimize the inefficiencies identified in traditional project management. The project management community accepted the proposed method as a viable alternative. However, to allow its implementation with a multiproject system, more research was necessary. Seeking to identify the key factors that influence the performance of the multiproject system applying the CCPM method, we performed a case study. Logistic regression analysis showed that applying the CCPM method in a multiproject system allows for better time estimation of activities and facilitates the allocation of critical resources.
Respiratory viral infection: a potential “missing link” in the pathogenesis of COPD
Authors: Linden Dermot , Guo-Parke Hong , Coyle Peter V. , Fairley Derek , McAuley Danny F. , Taggart Clifford C. , Kidney Joe
Published: March 2019

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently the third most common cause of global mortality. Acute exacerbations of COPD frequently necessitate hospital admission to enable more intensive therapy, incurring significant healthcare costs. COPD exacerbations are also associated with accelerated lung function decline and increased risk of mortality. Until recently, bacterial pathogens were believed to be responsible for the majority of disease exacerbations. However, with the advent of culture-independent molecular diagnostic techniques it is now estimated that viruses are detected during half of all COPD exacerbations and are associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Human rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza are the most commonly detected viruses during exacerbation. The role of persistent viral infection (adenovirus) has also been postulated as a potential pathogenic mechanism in COPD. Viral pathogens may play an important role in driving COPD progression by acting as triggers for exacerbation and subsequent lung function decline whilst the role of chronic viral infection remains a plausible hypothesis that requires further evaluation. There are currently no effective antiviral strategies for patients with COPD. Herein, we focus on the current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of respiratory viral infection in COPD.
Prioritising children and adolescents in the tuberculosis response of the WHO European Region
Authors: Gröschel Matthias I. , van den Boom Martin , Migliori Giovanni Battista , Dara Masoud
Published: March 2019

In 2017, in recognition of the challenges faced by Member States in managing childhood and adolescent tuberculosis (TB) at a country level, the WHO Regional Office for Europe held a Regional Consultation. In total, 35 countries participated in the consultations representing both high- and low-incidence Member States. Here, we provide an overview of the existing World Health Organization (WHO) documents and guidelines on childhood and adolescent TB and describe the outcomes of this regional meeting. National childhood and adolescent TB guidelines are available in 25% of Member States, while 33% reported that no such guidelines are at hand. In the majority of countries (83%), childhood and adolescent TB is part of the National Strategic Plan. The most pressing challenges in managing paediatric TB comprise the lack of adequate drug formulations, the difficult diagnosis, and treatment of presumed latent TB infection. Investments into childhood and adolescent TB need to be further advocated to achieve the End TB goals set by WHO to eliminate TB by 2030.
A systematic review of pharmacotherapeutic clinical trial end-points for bronchiectasis in adults
Authors: Crichton Megan L. , Aliberti Stefano , Chalmers James D.
Published: March 2019

Bronchiectasis is an increasing clinical problem, but multiple recent clinical trials have failed to reach their primary end-point. Difficulties in achieving “positive” bronchiectasis trials is reflected in a lack of agreement from trialists and regulators on what are the optimal end-points.

To evaluate the use of end-points in bronchiectasis trials, we conducted a systematic review of published bronchiectasis trials from 2008 to 2018 and extracted end-points used, definitions, methods of analysis and responsiveness.

Our analysis shows that quality of life and exacerbation end-points are most frequently used. Trials using exacerbation end-points have been characterised by varying definitions, multiple methods of analysis and durations of follow-up. There are multiple quality of life tools for bronchiectasis (Quality of Life – Bronchiectasis questionnaire, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire,etc.). The majority of studies measure lung function (e.g.forced expiratory volume in 1 s), but this is shown to be nonresponsive to the majority of interventions. Microbiology end-points frequently show statistically significant differences in phase 2 antibiotic studies but their correlation with clinical end-points is unknown.

This systematic review demonstrates a need for guidance to standardise definitions and design features to improve reproducibility and increase the likelihood of demonstrating statistically significant benefits with new therapies.
A k-mer grammar analysis to uncover maize regulatory architecture
Authors: Mejía-Guerra María Katherine , Buckler Edward S.
Published: March 2019

Background

Only a small percentage of the genome sequence is involved in regulation of gene expression, but to biochemically identify this portion is expensive and laborious. In species like maize, with diverse intergenic regions and lots of repetitive elements, this is an especially challenging problem that limits the use of the data from one line to the other. While regulatory regions are rare, they do have characteristic chromatin contexts and sequence organization (the grammar) with which they can be identified.

Results

We developed a computational framework to exploit this sequence arrangement. The models learn to classify regulatory regions based on sequence features - k-mers. To do this, we borrowed two approaches from the field of natural language processing: (1) “bag-of-words” which is commonly used for differentially weighting key words in tasks like sentiment analyses, and (2) a vector-space model using word2vec (vector-k-mers), that captures semantic and linguistic relationships between words. We built “bag-of-k-mers” and “vector-k-mers” models that distinguish between regulatory and non-regulatory regions with an average accuracy above 90%. Our “bag-of-k-mers” achieved higher overall accuracy, while the “vector-k-mers” models were more useful in highlighting key groups of sequences within the regulatory regions.

Conclusions

These models now provide powerful tools to annotate regulatory regions in other maize lines beyond the reference, at low cost and with high accuracy.
Partial-body cryostimulation after training improves sleep quality in professional soccer players
Authors: Douzi Wafa , Dupuy Olivier , Theurot Dimitri , Boucard Geoffroy , Dugué Benoit
Published: March 2019

Objective

The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether using cryostimulation (partial-body cryostimulation) impacts sleep quality in professional soccer players. Different exposure durations at − 180 °C were tested randomly after standardized training sessions in nine professional soccer players (no cryostimulation, 180-s exposure, two 90-s exposures separated by a 5-min rest at room temperature, and 90-s exposure), and the effects on sleep quality using 3-dimensional accelerometers worn during sleep were assessed.

Results

The number of movements during the night after partial-body cryostimulation was significantly reduced only in the 180-s exposure condition (p < 0.05, very large effect size) compared with the control condition. Partial-body cryostimulation seems to induce a positive impact on sleep quality that may be dose-dependent.

Trial registration Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), ACTRN12619000330145, date of registration: 4/03/2019. Retrospectively registered
Cell membrane protein functionalization of nanoparticles as a new tumor‐targeting strategy
Authors: Pasto Anna , Giordano Federica , Evangelopoulos Michael , Amadori Alberto , Tasciotti Ennio
Published: March 2019

Nanoparticles have seen considerable popularity as effective tools for drug delivery. However, non‐specific targeting continues to remain a challenge. Recently, biomimetic nanoparticles have emerged as an innovative solution that exploits biologically‐derived components to improve therapeutic potential. Specifically, cell membrane proteins extracted from various cells (i.e., leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, mesenchymal stem cells, cancer) have shown considerable promise in bestowing nanoparticles with increased circulation and targeting efficacy. Traditional nanoparticles can be detected and removed by the immune system which significantly hinders their clinical success. Biomimicry has been proposed as a promising approach to overcome these limitations. In this review, we highlight the current trends in biomimetic nanoparticles and describe how they are being used to increase their chemotherapeutic effect in cancer treatment.
The expanding repertoire of hereditary information carriers
Authors: Zhang Ying , Chen Qi
Published: March 2019

A hereditary system that is based on double-helix DNA sequences provides a stable way to store inherited traits and is favored by most life forms on Earth. However, emerging studies on the phenomenon of non-DNA sequence-based inheritance in multiple species, including mammals, urges a rethinking of the nature of hereditary information carriers and the ways in which they encode heritable traits. In this short opinion piece, we discuss how potential hereditary information carriers such as DNA-associated proteins, epigenetic marks, RNAs and organelles could function via distinct and synergistic modes of action in encoding and transmitting ancestral traits, either inherited or acquired from the environment. In particular, we discuss how the 3D structure of chromatin, in addition to its DNA sequence, may represent a higher-order carrier of hereditary information.
DamID as a versatile tool for understanding gene regulation
Authors: Aughey Gabriel N. , Cheetham Seth W. , Southall Tony D.
Published: March 2019

The interaction of proteins and RNA with chromatin underlies the regulation of gene expression. The ability to profile easily these interactions is fundamental for understanding chromatin biology in vivo. DNA adenine methyltransferase identification (DamID) profiles genome-wide protein-DNA interactions without antibodies, fixation or protein pull-downs. Recently, DamID has been adapted for applications beyond simple assaying of protein-DNA interactions, such as for studying RNA-chromatin interactions, chromatin accessibility and long-range chromosome interactions. Here, we provide an overview of DamID and introduce improvements to the technology, discuss their applications and compare alternative methodologies.
Nr5a1 suppression during the murine fetal period optimizes ovarian development by fine-tuning Notch signaling
Authors: Nomura Risa , Kashimada Kenichi , Suzuki Hitomi , Zhao Liang , Tsuji-Hosokawa Atsumi , Yagita Hideo , Takagi Masatoshi , Kanai Yoshiakira , Bowles Josephine , Koopman Peter , Kanai-Azuma Masami , Morio Tomohiro
Published: March 2019

The nuclear receptor NR5A1 is equally expressed and required for development of the gonadal primordia of both sexes, but, after sex determination, it is upregulated in XY testes and downregulated in XX ovaries. We have recently demonstrated, in mice, that this downregulation is mediated by forkhead box L2 (FOXL2) and hypothesized that adequate suppression of Nr5a1 is essential for normal ovarian development. Further, analysis of human patients with disorders/differences of sex development suggests that overexpression of NR5A1 can result in XX (ovo)testicular development. Here, we tested the role of Nr5a1 by overexpression in fetal gonads using a Wt1-BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) transgene system. Enforced Nr5a1 expression compromised ovarian development in 46,XX mice, resulting in late-onset infertility, but did not induce (ovo)testis differentiation. The phenotype was similar to that of XX mice lacking Notch signaling. The expression level of Notch2 was significantly reduced in Nr5a1 transgenic mice, and the ovarian phenotype was almost completely rescued by in utero treatment with a NOTCH2 agonist. We conclude that suppression of Nr5a1 during the fetal period optimizes ovarian development by fine-tuning Notch signaling.
An intra-population heterothermy continuum: notable repeatability of body temperature variation in food-deprived yellow-necked mice
Authors: Boratyński Jan S. , Iwińska Karolina , Bogdanowicz Wiesław
Published: March 2019

Theoretical modelling predicts that the thermoregulatory strategies of endothermic animals range from those represented by thermal generalists to those characteristic for thermal specialists. While the generalists tolerate wide variations in body temperature (Tb), the specialists maintain Tb at a more constant level. The model has gained support from inter-specific comparisons relating to species and population levels. However, little is known about consistent among-individual variation within populations that could be shaped by natural selection. We studied the consistency of individual heterothermic responses to environmental challenges in a single population of yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis), by verifying the hypothesis that Tb variation is a repeatable trait. To induce the heterothermic response, the same individuals were repeatedly food deprived for 24 h. We measured Tb with implanted miniaturised data loggers. Before each fasting experiment, we measured basal metabolic rate (BMR). Thus, we also tested whether individual variation of heterothermy correlates with individual self-maintenance costs, and the potential benefits arising from heterothermic responses that should correlate with body size/mass. We found that some individuals clearly entered torpor while others kept Tb stable, and that there were also individuals that showed intermediate thermoregulatory patterns. Heterothermy was found to correlate negatively with body mass and slightly positively with the BMR achieved 1–2 days before fasting. Nonetheless, heterothermy was shown to be highly repeatable, irrespective of whether we controlled for self-maintenance costs and body size. Our results indicate that specialist and generalist thermoregulatory phenotypes can co-exist in a single population, creating a heterothermy continuum.
Injury affects coelomic fluid proteome of the common starfishAsterias rubens
Authors: Shabelnikov Sergey V. , Bobkov Danila E. , Sharlaimova Natalia S. , Petukhova Olga A.
Published: March 2019

Echinoderms, possessing outstanding regenerative capabilities, provide a unique model system for the study of response to injury. However, there is little known about the proteomic composition of coelomic fluid, an important biofluid circulating throughout the animal's body and reflecting the overall biological status of the organism. In this study, we used LC-MALDI tandem mass spectrometry to characterize the proteome of the cell-free coelomic fluid of starfish Asterias rubens and to follow the changes occurring in response to puncture wound and blood loss. In total, 91 proteins were identified, of which 61 were extracellular soluble and 16 were bound to the plasma membrane. Most represented functional terms were “pattern recognition receptor activity” and “peptidase inhibitor activity”. A series of candidate proteins involved in early response to injury was revealed. Ependymin, β-microseminoprotein, serum amyloid A, and avidin-like proteins, which are known to be involved in intestinal regeneration in sea cucumber, were also identified as injury-responsive proteins. Our results expand the list of proteins potentially involved in defense and regeneration in echinoderms and demonstrate dramatic effects of injury on the CF proteome.
The metabolic cost of in vivo constant muscle force production at zero net mechanical work
Authors: van der Zee T. J. , Lemaire K. K. , “Knoek” van Soest A. J.
Published: March 2019

The metabolic cost per unit force is generally thought to increase with the mechanical work done by the muscle fibres. It is currently unclear how the metabolic cost of doing alternating positive/negative muscle fibre mechanical work relates to the metabolic cost of doing zero muscle fibre mechanical work at similar muscle force. The current study aimed at investigating this issue by comparing in vivo metabolic power between a dynamic and an isometric near-constant force production task. In both tasks, participants performed periodic movement about the knee joint in the gravitational field. Therefore, net external mechanical work was constrained to be zero. The tasks mainly differed from each other in average positive knee joint mechanical power, which was 4.3 (0.5) W per leg during the dynamic task and 0.1 (0.1) W per leg during the isometric task. Knee extension torque was near-constant around 15.2 (1.7) N·m during the dynamic task and around 15.7 (1.7) N·m during the isometric task. Due to near-constant knee extension torque, quadriceps tendon length presumably was near-constant during both tasks. Therefore, knee joint mechanical work was predominantly done by the muscle fibres in both tasks. Average metabolic power was 3.22 (0.46) W·kg−1 during the dynamic task and 2.13 (0.36) W·kg−1 during the isometric task. Because tasks differed mainly in the amount of positive muscle fibre mechanical work, these results imply that the metabolic cost of near-constant force production in vivo at zero net mechanical work can be reduced through minimizing positive muscle fibre mechanical work.
CT-based ventilation imaging in radiation oncology
Authors: Vinogradskiy Yevgeniy
Published: March 2019

A form of lung function imaging is emerging that uses phase-resolved four-dimensional CT (4DCT or breath-hold CT) images along with image processing techniques to generate lung function maps that provide a surrogate of lung ventilation. CT-based ventilation (referred to as CT-ventilation) research has gained momentum in Radiation Oncology because many lung cancer patients undergo four-dimensional CT simulation as part of the standard treatment planning process. Therefore, generating CT-ventilation images provides functional information without burdening the patient with an extra imaging procedure.

CT-ventilation has progressed from an image processing calculation methodology, to validation efforts, to retrospective demonstration of clinical utility in Radiation Oncology. In particular, CT-ventilation has been proposed for two main clinical applications: functional avoidance radiation therapy and thoracic dose–response assessment. The idea of functional avoidance radiation therapy is to preferentially spare functional portions of the lung (as measured by CT-ventilation) during radiation therapy with the hypothesis that reducing dose to functional portions of the lung will lead to reduced rates of radiation-related thoracic toxicity. The idea of imaging-based dose–response assessment is to evaluate pre- to post-treatment CT-ventilation-based imaging changes. The hypothesis is that early, imaging-change-based response can be an early predictor of subsequent thoracic toxicity. Based on the retrospective evidence, the clinical applications of CT-ventilation have progressed from the retrospective setting to on-going prospective clinical trials. This review will cover basic CT-ventilation calculation methodologies, validation efforts, presentation of clinical applications, summarize on-going clinical trials, review potential uncertainties and shortcomings of CT-ventilation, and discuss future directions of CT-ventilation research.
Mitochondrial genomes of Anopheles arabiensis, An. gambiae and An. coluzzii show no clear species division
Authors: Hanemaaijer Mark J. , Houston Parker D. , Collier Travis C. , Norris Laura C. , Fofana Abdrahamane , Lanzaro Gregory C. , Cornel Anthony J. , Lee Yoosook
Published: March 2019

Here we report the complete mitochondrial sequences of 70 individual field collected mosquito specimens from throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. We generated this dataset to identify species specific markers for the followingAnophelesspecies and chromosomal forms:An. arabiensis,An. coluzzii(TheForestandMoptichromosomal forms) andAn. gambiae(TheBamakoandSavannahchromosomal forms).  The raw Illumina sequencing reads were mapped to the NC_002084 reference mitogenome sequence. A total of 783 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected on the mitochondrial genome, of which 460 are singletons (58.7%). None of these SNPs are suitable as molecular markers to distinguish amongAn. arabiensis,An. coluzziiandAn. gambiaeor any of the chromosomal forms. The lack of species or chromosomal form specific markers is also reflected in the constructed phylogenetic tree, which shows no clear division among the operational taxonomic units considered here.
Pilot study of publicly available data to evaluate the relationship between forest fires and emergency department visits due to asthma in the state of California
Authors: Srour Hayat , Fomenko Ruslan , Baguley Joshua , Bellinger Shandra , Jordan Angel , Sutton Jennifer , Santana Melany , Marull Armando , Abdalhuk Musheer , Rivera-Mariani Félix E.
Published: March 2019

The focus of this study was to determine the relationship between asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and fires in the state of California. Publicly available data of ED visits due to asthma, as well as occurrence of forest fires in California from 2005 to 2015 were obtained, where the California counties were grouped by region: North, Coastal, Motherload, Central, and South.  There were no statistical differences with regards to acres of forest burned, but statistically significant differences were found (although small) with regards to ED visits due to asthma attacks by region (Motherload higher than South region). When evaluating the relationship of ED visits due to asthma and acres of forest burned, forest fires barely explained the variability of emergency department visits (r2 = f 0.05, p<0.01). With aims to establish a connection between natural disasters and respiratory distress, we faced obstacles in data limitations and confounding variables. This paper serves as a pilot study supporting the need for further exploration of environmental, health, and socio-demographic variables that interplay when evaluating relationships of natural disasters and incidence of chronic diseases, such as asthma.
Recent advances in urologic surgical techniques for pyeloplasty
Authors: Mendrek Mikolaj , Vögeli Thomas Alexander , Bach Christian
Published: March 2019

Pyeloplasty is one of the most common urological reconstructive interventions. Since the presentation of the first open pyeloplasty by Anderson and Hynes in 1949, the management of ureteropelvic junction obstruction has dramatically developed. The most immense progress was made in the 1990s with the introduction of laparoscopy. A multitude of new minimal surgical techniques have been introduced since then. In the last few years, the innovations were based on refinement of already-existing techniques and technology. With this aim, single-port surgery, three-dimensional vision for laparoscopy, robotic technology, and alternative techniques for creating the anastomosis-like fibrin glue have been introduced. This unsystematic review is timely, and the scientific interest is to present and discuss some of the latest advances in surgical techniques and different approaches for the intra- and post-operative management in pyeloplasty. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only review looking at the recent advances in urological surgical techniques for pyeloplasty during the last few years with a focus on new technology and surgical techniques.
Recent advances in the first-line treatment of follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Feugier Pierre , Filliatre-Clement Lauriane
Published: March 2019

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common type of indolent B-cell lymphoma. Twenty years ago, FL was considered an indolent lymphoma with a long survival time but without a high rate of complete remission with chemotherapies. The use of rituximab has improved the response and survival of patients with this lymphoma. More recently, development of biological knowledge and use of targeted drugs have offered new perspectives, including improvement of response rates and survival with chemo-free treatment strategies. In 2019, patients have a 10-year overall survival probability of over 70%. Histological transformation to more aggressive lymphoma and treatment relapses remain a medical challenge, especially for patients relapsing within two years. This article will review the recent advances in the treatment of FL. As the use of new drugs is directly related to the development of biological aspects, we will first summarize recent advances in biological aspects of FL.
Prevalence and associated risk factors of HIV in prisons in Balochistan, Pakistan: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Khan Muhammad Dawood , Wali Ahmad , Fatima Razia , Yaqoob Aashifa , Aziz Shoaib
Published: March 2019

Background: The prevalence of HIV is 0.1% in Pakistan, with epidemicity in high-risk groups. The infection is on verge of transmission from key populations to the general population through people who inject drugs and sexual transmission. Prisoners are vulnerable to infectious diseases like HIV. This study was conducted in four prisons in Balochistan, Pakistan to determine the prevalence of HIV and associated risk factors.

Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted from March to June 2018, in the prisons of Balochistan. WHO-approved rapid diagnostic kits were used for determining the prevalence of HIV and structured interviews were conducted for the assessment of risk factors.

Results: Out of 2084 screened prisoners, 33 (1.6%) were found to be positive. A subset of 104 interviews was analyzed for risk factors of HIV. Among HIV-infected prisoners 68.8% (OR 4.48; 95% CI 1.41-14.2) had extramarital sex, 43.8% (OR 2.09 95% CI 0.69-6.28) had a homosexual experience, and 50% had a history of needle sharing (OR 43; 95% CI 7.77-237). About 94% (OR 16.42; 95% CI 2.09-129.81) of prisoners had a history of drug addiction of any type while 50% (OR 13; 95% CI 2.82-60.01) of HIV-infected had a history of using injectable drugs. Around 75% of HIV-infected prisoners had spent 1-5 years in prison, and 25% had spent more than 10 years.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of HIV in prisons of Balochistan demands that preventive and treatment strategies should be designed and implemented carefully, allowing early diagnosis and treatment initiation to minimize the spread of infection among the prisons and ultimately their onward transmission into the community.
Evaluation of methods to assign cell type labels to cell clusters from single-cell RNA-sequencing data
Authors: Diaz-Mejia J. Javier , Meng Elaine C. , Pico Alexander R. , MacParland Sonya A. , Ketela Troy , Pugh Trevor J. , Bader Gary D. , Morris John H.
Published: March 2019

Background: Identification of cell type subpopulations from complex cell mixtures using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data includes automated computational steps like data normalization, dimensionality reduction and cell clustering. However, assigning cell type labels to cell clusters is still conducted manually by most researchers, resulting in limited documentation, low reproducibility and uncontrolled vocabularies. Two bottlenecks to automating this task are the scarcity of reference cell type gene expression signatures and the fact that some dedicated methods are available only as web servers with limited cell type gene expression signatures.

Methods: In this study, we benchmarked four methods (CIBERSORT, GSEA, GSVA, and ORA) for the task of assigning cell type labels to cell clusters from scRNA-seq data. We used scRNA-seq datasets from liver, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and retinal neurons for which reference cell type gene expression signatures were available.

Results: Our results show that, in general, all four methods show a high performance in the task as evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (average area under the curve (AUC) = 0.94, sd = 0.036), whereas precision-recall curve analyses show a wide variation depending on the method and dataset (average AUC = 0.53, sd = 0.24).

Conclusions: CIBERSORT and GSVA were the top two performers. Additionally, GSVA was the fastest of the four methods and was more robust in cell type gene expression signature subsampling simulations. We provide an extensible framework to evaluate other methods and datasets at https://github.com/jdime/scRNAseq_cell_cluster_labeling.
VARIABILIDADE DAS CLASSES DE ÁGUA E ÍNDICE DE ESTADO TRÓFICO DO RIACHO QUEIMA PÉ
Authors: Melo Martins Toledo de , Queiroz Tadeu Miranda de , Vinaga Letícia , Ferreira Jheiny Raiany dos Santos , Marchetto Margarida
Published: March 2019

As águas superficiais sofrem alterações em decorrência de causas naturais e antrópicas, sendo mais evidente em áreas urbanas. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se investigar a água do riacho Queima Pé em Tangará da Serra – MT, Brasil, quanto as classes de uso e a eutrofização pelo Índice de Estado Trófico baseado no fósforo. Foram coletadas 10 amostras em pontos distintos no curso principal e dois tributários da nascente à foz. Foram analisadas as seguintes variáveis: Fósforo total (PTotal); Nitrogênio total (NTotal); potencial Hidrogeniônico (pH); Alcalinidade (Alcal); Demanda Bioquímica de Oxigênio (DBO); Oxigênio Dissolvido (OD); Resíduo Total (RT); Turbidez (Tbz); Temperatura (T ºC); Coliformes Fecais (CT) e Coliformes Termotolerante (CTer), todos avaliados em testes estatísticos. Obteve-se, como resultado, enquadramento nas classes de uso de 1 a 4 e a eutrofização nos Pontos P1 e P4, que indicaram água com grau Eutrófico e, nos demais, Mesotrófico. Percebe-se boa qualidade da água em relação aos aspectos sanitários. Contudo, recomendam-se estudos mais abrangentes para minimizar os impactos sem comprometer as atividades praticadas na bacia, além de manter condições favoráveis à vida aquática.
VARIABILIDADE ESPACIAL DA RESISTÊNCIA À PENETRAÇÃO E TEOR DE ÁGUA EM NEOSSOLO CULTIVADO COM BANANA NO AGRESTE PERNAMBUCANO
Authors: De Assunção Montenegro Abelardo Antônio , Almeida Gledson Luiz Pondes de , Tavares Uilka Elisa , Rodrigues Renato Augusto Soares
Published: March 2019

A existência da camada compactada nas proximidades da superfície do solo pode afetar o desenvolvimento radicular da maioria das culturas. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a dependência espacial da resistência mecânica do solo à penetração das raízes e do teor de água no solo, na fazenda Mimosa, localizada no município de Pesqueira-PE. Na área explorada, cultiva-se banana, irrigada com sistema por gotejamento. Investigou-se a camada de solo de 0,00-0,15m com 50 pontos de amostragem, em malha de 10 x 5m. As mensurações iniciaram-se quatro horas após o término da irrigação registrada fora do bulbo úmido. A resistência mecânica do solo à penetração foi determinada com auxílio do penetrômetro de impacto reduzido. Já o teor de água no solo foi medido por meio da técnica de reflectrometria de domínio do tempo – TDR.  Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de estatística descritiva e geoestatística para avaliação da dependência espacial das propriedades do solo. Além disso, verificou-se que os semivariogramas foram ajustados aos modelos esférico e gaussiano para a resistência mecânica do solo à penetração e teor de água no solo, respectivamente. Os mapas de krigagem mostram redução da resistência mecânica do solo à penetração, em função do aumento do teor de água no solo. A área apresentou alta resistência à penetração, apresentando acima do limite crítico de 2 MPa.
The effects of an exclusionary bursary policy on student social workers: an exploratory qualitative study on the effects of the 2013 policy to cap the allocation of bursaries in England
Authors: Considine Thomas , Heanue Kim , Hollingdale Paul
Published: March 2019

The social work bursary for England was introduced in 2003 for all students on qualifying degrees. Following a review of social work education funding, the bursary was capped in 2013. This meant that higher education institutions have had to develop policies for the allocation of bursaries and that student cohorts included students with a bursary and others who did not receive this financial support, thus creating an exclusionary system. This article presents the findings from an exploratory qualitative study that investigated the experiences of students who completed their placement under these new arrangements. The findings indicate that students who did not receive a bursary experienced additional stressors that had an adverse impact on their well-being. These findings may have significance for future research in light of considerations to abolish the bursary for all social work students.