bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dual RNA‐sequencing analyses of a coral and its native symbiont during the establishment of symbiosis
Authors: Mohamed Amin R. , Andrade Natalia , Moya Aurelie , Chan Cheong Xin , Negri Andrew P. , Bourne David G. , Ying Hua , Ball Eldon E. , Miller David J.
Published: August 2020

Despite the ecological significance of the mutualistic relationship between Symbiodiniaceae and reef‐building corals, the molecular interactions during establishment of this relationship are not well understood. This is particularly true of the transcriptional changes that occur in the symbiont. In the current study, a dual RNA‐sequencing approach was used to better understand transcriptional changes on both sides of the coral–symbiont interaction during the colonization of Acropora tenuis by a compatible Symbiodiniaceae strain (Cladocopium goreaui; ITS2 type C1). Comparison of transcript levels of the in hospite symbiont 3, 12, 48 and 72 hr after exposure to those of the same strain in culture revealed that extensive and generalized down‐regulation of symbiont gene expression occurred during the infection process. Included in this “symbiosis‐derived transcriptional repression” were a range of stress response and immune‐related genes. In contrast, a suite of symbiont genes implicated in metabolism was upregulated in the symbiotic state. The coral data support the hypothesis that immune‐suppression and arrest of phagosome maturation play important roles during the establishment of compatible symbioses, and additionally imply the involvement of some SCRiP family members in the colonization process. Consistent with previous ecological studies, the transcriptomic data suggest that active translocation of metabolites to the host may begin early in the colonization process, and thus that the mutualistic relationship can be established at the larval stage. This dual RNA‐sequencing study provides insights into the transcriptomic remodelling that occurs in C. goreaui during transition to a symbiotic lifestyle and the novel coral genes implicated in symbiosis.
Quantification of 1,3‐β‐d‐glucan by Wako β‐glucan assay for rapid exclusion of invasive fungal infections in critical patients: A diagnostic test accuracy study
Authors: Cento Valeria , Alteri Claudia , Mancini Valentina , Gatti Milo , Lepera Valentina , Mazza Ernestina , Moioli Maria Cristina , Merli Marco , Colombo Jacopo , Orcese Carlo Andrea , Bielli Alessandra , Torri Stefania , Gasparini Laura Elisa , Vismara Chiara , De Gasperi Andrea , Brioschi Paolo , Puoti Massimo , Cairoli Roberto , Lombardi Gianluigi , Perno Carlo Federico
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Rapid and reliable exclusion of invasive fungal infections (IFI) by markers able to avoid unnecessary empirical antifungal treatment is still a critical unmet clinical need. We investigated the diagnostic performance of a newly available β‐d‐Glucan (BDG) quantification assay, focusing on the optimisation of the BDG cut‐off values for IFI exclusion.

Methods

BDG results by Wako β‐glucan assay (lower limit of detection [LLOD] = 2.16 pg/mL, positivity ≥ 11 pg/mL) on two consecutive serum samples were retrospectively analysed in 170 patients, admitted to haematological wards (N = 42), intensive care units (ICUs; N = 80), or other wards (N = 48), exhibiting clinical signs and/or symptoms suspected for IFI. Only patients with proven IFI (EORTC/MSG criteria) were considered as true positives in the assessment of BDG sensitivity, specificity and predictive values.

Results

Patients were diagnosed with no IFI (69.4%), proven IFI (25.3%) or probable IFI (5.3%). Two consecutive BDG values < LLOD performed within a median of 1 (interquartile range: 1‐3) day were able to exclude a proven IFI with 100% sensitivity and negative predictive value (primary study goal). Test's specificity improved by using two distinct positivity and negativity cut‐offs (7.7 pg/mL and LLOD, respectively), but remained suboptimal in ICU patients (50%), as compared to haematological or other patients (93% and 90%, respectively).

Conclusions

The classification of Wako's results as negative when < LLOD, and positive when > 7.7 pg/mL, could be a promising diagnostic approach to confidently rule out an IFI in both ICU and non‐ICU patients. The poor specificity in the ICU setting remains a concern, due to the difficulty to interpret positive results in this fragile population.
Ramsification and the ramifications of Prior's puzzle
Authors: D'Ambrosio Justin
Published: August 2020

Ramsification is a well‐known method of defining theoretical terms that figures centrally in a wide range of debates in metaphysics. Prior's puzzle is the puzzle of why, given the assumption that that‐clauses denote propositions, substitution of “the proposition that ” for “that ” within the complements of many propositional attitude verbs sometimes fails to preserve truth, and at other times fails to preserve grammaticality. On the surface, Ramsification and Prior's puzzle appear to have little to do with each other. But Prior's puzzle is much more general than is ordinarily appreciated, and Ramsification requires a solution to the generalized form of Prior's puzzle. Without such a solution, a wide range of theories will either fail to imply their Ramsey sentences, or have Ramsey sentences that are ill‐formed. As a consequence, definitions of theoretical terms given using the Ramsey sentence will be either incorrect or nonsensical. I present a partial solution to the puzzle that requires making use of a neo‐Davidsonian language for scientific theorizing, but the would‐be Ramsifier still faces serious challenges.
Learning to run the number line: the development of attentional shifts during single‐digit arithmetic
Authors: Díaz‐Barriga Yáñez Andrea , Couderc Auriane , Longo Léa , Merchie Annabelle , Chesnokova Hanna , Langlois Emma , Thevenot Catherine , Prado Jérôme
Published: August 2020

Solving single‐digit subtraction and addition problems is associated with left and right shifts of attention in adults. Here, we explored the development of these spatial shifts in children from the third to fifth grade. In two experiments, children solved single‐digit addition (Experiments 1 and 2), subtraction (Experiment 1), and multiplication (Experiment 2) problems in which operands and the arithmetic sign were shown sequentially. Although the first operand and the arithmetic sign were presented on the center of a screen, the second operand was presented either in the left or the right visual field. In Experiment 1, we found that subtraction problems were increasingly associated with a leftward bias by the fifth grade, such that problem solving was facilitated when the second operand was in the left visual field. In Experiment 2, we found that children can also associate addition problems with the right side of space by the fourth grade. No developmental increase in either leftward or rightward bias was observed for multiplication problems. These attentional shifts might be due to the increasing reliance on calculation procedures that involve mental movements to the left or right of a sequential representation of numbers during subtraction and addition.
Usefulness of the Edmonton Obesity Staging System for stratifying the presence and severity of weight‐related health problems in clinical and community settings: A rapid review of observational studies
Authors: Atlantis Evan , Sahebolamri Mehdi , Cheema Birinder S. , Williams Kathryn
Published: August 2020

This rapid review aimed to examine the usefulness of the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) for stratifying the presence and severity of weight‐related health problems in clinical and community settings. We searched PubMed, CINAHL and ProQuest for records from 2009 to May 2020. We considered observational studies in participants with overweight or obesity that investigated the risk of any clinical outcome associated with increasing EOSS. We reviewed and appraised 20 observational studies (cohort = 4, case series = 7, cross‐sectional = 9) published between 2011 and 2020. Of 12 studies in clinical populations, the EOSS was most consistently associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications following bariatric surgery, especially for EOSS 3–4, and inversely associated with weight loss, treatment time and resolution of hypertension following bariatric surgery and clinical weight management. Of eight studies in community populations, the EOSS most consistently predicted mortality outcomes, especially for EOSS 3, and was associated with polypharmacy, service use and poorer work outcomes. Studies reported diverse EOSS definitions and outcomes, which slightly weakens the overall evidence base. The EOSS should be routinely used for predicting risks and benefits of surgical and nonsurgical weight management, but it should be applied with caution for population health planning.
Substantial plasticity of reproduction and parental care in response to local resource availability in a wild clownfish population
Authors: Barbasch Tina A. , Rueger Theresa , Srinivasan Maya , Wong Marian Y. L. , Jones Geoffrey P. , Buston Peter M.
Published: August 2020

Plasticity, the capacity of individuals to respond to changing environments by modifying traits, may be critically important for population persistence by allowing for adaptive responses on shorter timescales than genetic change. Here, we use the clown anemonefish Amphiprion percula, whose access to resources is constrained by their anemones, to test the role of plasticity in generating variation in reproductive success among groups. We surveyed a wild clownfish population and found positive correlations between anemone area, fish size, reproduction and parental care. We used structural equation modeling to test the hypothesis that these correlations emanate from variation in anemone area and found support for a pathway linking anemone area to female investment, female investment to male investment and male investment to embryo survival. Next, we experimentally tested whether plasticity in response to resource availability can result in variation in parental traits using a feeding manipulation and found substantial plasticity in reproduction and parental care in response to changes in the availability of food resources. The results of this study reveal the role of plasticity in response to local resource availability in generating variation among individuals in reproductive strategies, linking studies of behavior and demography in this model species, and ultimately contributing to our ability to predict how populations might cope with environmental changes.
Positive tree diversity effect on fine root biomass: via density dependence rather than spatial root partitioning
Authors: Zeng Weixian , Xiang Wenhua , Zhou Bo , Ouyang Shuai , Zeng Yelin , Chen Liang , Freschet Grégoire T. , Valverde‐Barrantes Oscar J. , Milcu Alexandru
Published: August 2020

The importance of species richness to ecosystem functioning and services is a central tenet of biological conservation. However, most of our theory and mechanistic understanding is based on diversity found aboveground. Our study sought to better understand the relationship between diversity and belowground function by studying root biomass across a plant diversity gradient. We collected soil cores from 91 plots with between 1 and 12 aboveground tree species in three natural secondary forests to measure fine root (≤ 2 mm in diameter) biomass. Molecular methods were used to identify the tree species of fine roots and to estimate fine root biomass for each species. This study tested whether the spatial root partitioning (species differ by belowground territory) and symmetric growth (the capacity to colonize nutrient‐rich hotspots) underpin the relationship between aboveground species richness and fine root biomass. All species preferred to grow in nutrient‐rich areas and symmetric growth could explain the positive relationship between aboveground species richness and fine root biomass. However, symmetric growth only appeared in the nutrient‐rich upper soil layer (0–10 cm). Structural equation modelling indicated that aboveground species richness and stand density significantly affected fine root biomass. Specifically, fine root biomass depended on the interaction between aboveground species richness and stand density, with fine root biomass increasing with species richness at lower stand density, but not at higher stand density. Overall, evidence for spatial (i.e. vertical) root partitioning was inconsistent; assumingly any roots growing into deeper unexplored soil layers were not sufficient contributors to the positive diversity–function relationship. Alternatively, density‐dependent biotic interactions affecting tree recruitment are an important driver affecting productivity in diverse subtropical forests but the usual root distribution patterns in line with the spatial root partitioning hypothesis are unrealistic in contexts where soil nutrients are heterogeneously distributed.
Optical and imaging properties of a novel multi‐segment spectacle lens designed to slow myopia progression
Authors: Jaskulski Matt , Singh Neeraj K , Bradley Arthur , Kollbaum Pete S
Published: August 2020

Purpose

High sampling density optical metrology combined with pupil‐ and image‐plane numerical analyses were applied to evaluate a novel spectacle lens containing multiple small zones designed to slow myopia progression.

Methods

High‐resolution aberrometry (ClearWave, www.lumetrics.com) was used to sample wavefront slopes of a novel spectacle lens, Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) (www.hoya.com), incorporating many small, positive‐powered lenslets in its periphery. Using wavefront slope and error maps, custom MATLAB software (‘Indiana Wavefront Analyzer’) was used to compute image‐plane point‐spread functions (PSF), modulation transfer functions (MTF), simulated images and power distributions created by the dual‐focus optic for different pupil sizes and target vergences.

Results

Outside of a central 10 mm zone containing single distance optical power, a hexagonal array of small 1 mm lenslets with nearest‐neighbour separations of 0.5 mm were distributed over the lens periphery. Sagittal and curvature‐based measures of optical power imperfectly captured the consistent +3.50 D add produced by the lenslets. Image plane simulations revealed multiple PSFs and poor image quality at the lenslet focal plane. Blur at the distance optic focal plane was consistent with a combination of diffraction blur from the distance optic and the approximately +3.50 D of defocus from the 1 mm diameter near optic zones.

Conclusion

Converging the defocused beams generated by the multiple small (1 mm diameter) lenslets to a blurred image at the distance focal plane produced a blur magnitude determined by the small lenslet diameter and not the overall pupil diameter. The distance optic located in between the near‐add lenslets determines the limits of the optical quality achievable by the lens. When compared to the optics of a traditional concentric‐zone dual‐focus contact lens, the optics of the DIMS lens generates higher‐contrast images at low spatial frequencies (<7 cycles per degree), but lower‐contrast at high spatial frequencies.
Percutaneous Endoscopic Transforaminal Lumbar Discectomy via Eccentric Trepan foraminoplasty Technology for Unilateral Stenosed Serve Root Canals
Authors: Zou Hong‐jun , Hu Yong , Liu Jin‐bo , Wu Jun
Published: August 2020

Objective

To evaluate the clinical outcomes of percutaneous lumbar foraminoplasty for unilateral stenosed nerve root canals.

Methods

The article is a retrospective analysis. From May 2016 to April 2017, 32 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis syndrome (unilateral stenosed nerve root canals) were treated with percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar discectomy (PETLD). The study included 15 men and 17 women, with an average age of 53.8 ± 15.4 years, ranging from 24 to 78 years. The indexes used for preoperative and postoperative 1 day, 3 months, and final follow up were the visual analogue scale (VAS) for lumbar and leg, the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and the modified Macnab criteria. All patients were followed up for an average 6 months after the operation.

Results

The average operative time was 75.82 ± 10.58 min, the average blood loss was 15.83 ± 3.75 mL, and the average hospital stay after surgery was 6.2 ± 4.6 days. The VAS score (leg) decreased from 6.94 ± 0.50 preoperatively to 1.16 ± 0.45 at the final follow up (P < 0.05) and ODI were obviously improved, from preoperative evaluation of 80.19 ± 5.55 to 9.44 ± 1.16 at the final follow up (P < 0.05). However, the postoperative VAS score (lumbar) did not show an improvement, reducing from 1.78 ± 0.49 preoperatively to 1.62 ± 0.55 at the final follow‐up (P > 0.05). According to the modified Macnab criteria, the outcome showed that the excellent and good rate was 90.6%. There were three patients with hip soreness, and nerve root symptoms were relieved.

Conclusion

Percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar discectomy has a satisfactory clinical effect in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis syndrome, especially for unilateral stenosed nerve root canals, and in decompressing the lateral recess and relieving the nerve root symptoms.
Novel Double Endobutton Technique Combined with Three‐Dimensional Printing: A Biomechanical Study of Reconstruction in Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation
Authors: Zhang Lei , He Ai‐ni , Jin Yu‐feng , Cheng Han‐wen , Yu Lin , Zhang Hua‐qiang , Yao Jun‐jie , Zhou Xin
Published: August 2020

Objective

To reconstruct the acromioclavicular (AC) joint using an adjusted closed‐loop double Endobutton technique via a guiding locator that was applied using three‐dimensional (3D) printing technology. At the same time, the reliability and safety of the novel double Endobutton (NDE) were tested by comparing the biomechanics of this technique with the TightRope (TR) approach.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted between January 2017 and January 2019. The Department of Anatomy at Southern Medical University obtained 18 fresh‐frozen specimens (8 left and 10 right; 12 men and 6 women). First, the guiding locators were applied using 3D printing technology. After preparation of materials, specimens were divided into an NDE group, a TR group, and a normal group. In the NDE and TR groups, the navigation module was used to locate and establish the bone tunnels; after that, the NDE or TR was implanted. However, the Endobuttons were fixed while pressing the distal clavicle downwards and the length of the loop could be adjusted by changing the upper Endobutton in the NDE group while the suture button construct was tensioned and knotted after pressing down the distal clavicle in the TR. Finally, load testing in anterior–posterior (AP), superior–inferior (SI), and medial–lateral (ML) directions as well as load‐to‐failure testing in the SI direction were undertaken to verify whether the NDE or TR had better biomechanics.

Results

In the load testing, the displacements of the NDE and TR groups in the AP, SI, and ML direction were significantly shorter than those of the normal group (P < 0.05). In the load‐to‐failure testing, the ultimate load of the NDE and TR groups had significantly higher increases than the normal group (722.16 ± 92.04 vs 564.63 ± 63.05, P < 0.05; 680.20 ± 110.29 vs 564.63 ± 63.05, P < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two techniques for these two tests (P > 0.05). In the NDE group, four of six failures were a result of tunnel fractures of the coracoid, while two of six were due to suture breakage. In the TR, three failures were due to coracoid tunnel fractures, one was a result of a clavicle tunnel fracture, and the rest were due to suture breakage. In the normal group, half of the failures were a result of avulsion fractures of the conical ligament at the point of the coracoid process, and the other three were due to rupture of the conical ligament, fracture of the distal clavicle, and fracture of the scapular body.

Conclusion

As for the TR technique, the stability and strength of the AC joint were better in patients who underwent reconstruction using the NDE technique than in the intact state.
Ethanol infusion into the vein of Marshall for recurrent perimitral atrial tachycardia after catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Sang Caihua , Lai Yiwei , Long Deyong , Li Mengmeng , Bai Rong , Jiang Chenxi , Wang Wei , Li Songnan , Tang Ribo , Guo Xueyuan , Liu Nian , Zhao Xin , Zuo Song , Wen Songnan , Ning Man , Wu Jiahui , Du Xin , Dong Jianzeng , Ma Changsheng
Published: August 2020

Background

Catheter ablation of perimitral atrial tachycardia (PMAT) is challenging. Epicardial conduction of the Marshall bundle (MB) across the mitral isthmus (MI) remains an important cause of recurrent tachycardia. The role of ethanol infusion into the vein of Marshall (EI‐VOM) for PMAT has not been fully elucidated.

Methods

The study enrolled 28 consecutive patients with recurrent PMAT after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Conventional PMAT (group 1, n = 15) and MB‐related PMAT (group 2, n = 13) were diagnosed by detailed activation mapping and entrainment mapping. VOM venography and EI‐VOM were first performed, and additional ablation was performed if necessary.

Results

The VOM was accessible in 24 (85.7%) patients (12 [80%] in group 1 and 12 [92.3%] in group 2). Patients with MB‐related PMAT were more responsive to EI‐VOM (as shown by PMAT termination or tachycardia cycle length prolongation) (92.4% vs 53.3%, P = .038). In the 16 patients requiring additional ablation after EI‐VOM, all residual MI conduction gaps were located on the annular side of the MI. At the end of the procedure, MI bidirectional block was achieved in 14 (93.3%) patients in group 1 and in 12 (92.3%) patients in group 2 (P = 1.000). After a mean follow‐up of 7.5 ± 3.1 months, three (10.7%) patients had recurrent AT.

Conclusions

EI‐VOM is feasible and effective in the treatment of PMAT after AF ablation, especially in patients with MB‐related PMAT.
North Korea's Nuclear and Human Rights Conundrum: Implications for South Korea's Unification Goal
Authors: Lee Jung‐Hoon , Tan Er‐Win
Published: August 2020

North Korea's continued commitment to its nuclear weapons program and its concurrent violation of the basic norms of human rights underscores a particularly intractable stalemate insofar as South Korea's goal of unification is concerned. The simple truth is that the topic of unification will invariably entail some form of the South's absorption of the North. Thus, any meaningful discussion on the goal of Korean unification has to consider the conditions of the international environment that would prove most conducive to a situation that would lead to the collapse of the regime in the North. So what will it take to alter the conditions influencing China's and other regional powers' decision‐making to support a Seoul‐led unification scenario? The main goal of the article is to explore these factors that negatively affect the regime's survival chances. The present moment marks a rare opportunity for Seoul to “co‐opt” not only Beijing, but also Moscow and Tokyo, into adopting its dual strategy of reciprocal diplomatic engagement on the one hand, and stronger enforcement of sanctions on the other. If the conditions align as a result of Seoul's successful co‐option of the concerned powers, the end‐result could achieve this outcome – a peaceful unification on Seoul's terms.
Retrospect on in vitro androgenesis of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)
Authors: Chege Paul , Lantos Csaba , Pauk János
Published: August 2020

Development of sorghum hybrids can immensely benefit from an enhanced anther culture protocol since the resultant doubled haploids would accelerate, as in other major cereal crops, the attainment of homozygosity and fixation of alleles. Production of the hybrids that have got high yielding, stress tolerance and other traits of industrial significance in a shorter time as compared to the current trend can hence be realized. This review presents the advances that have been made in the development of such a protocol, with closer attention to androgenic induction components of pre‐treatment, culture media composition and conditions as well as ploidy determination and eventual chromosome doubling. From the findings of this review, it is clear that further work is desired to ensure a protocol, that to a large degree, breaks the genotype dependency trend that has been widely cited to impede the usability of the tested protocols.
Decoding ABA and osmostress signalling in plants from an evolutionary point of view
Authors: Komatsu Kenji , Takezawa Daisuke , Sakata Yoichi
Published: August 2020

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is fundamental for land plant adaptation to water‐limited conditions. Osmostress, such as drought, induces ABA accumulation in angiosperms, triggering physiological responses such as stomata closure. The core components of angiosperm ABA signalling are soluble ABA receptors, group A protein phosphatase type 2C and SNF1‐related protein kinase2 (SnRK2). ABA also has various functions in non‐angiosperms, however, suggesting that its role in adaptation to land may not have been angiosperm‐specific. Indeed, among land plants, the core ABA signalling components are evolutionarily conserved, implying their presence in a common ancestor. Results of ongoing functional genomics studies of ABA signalling components in bryophytes and algae have expanded our understanding of the evolutionary role of ABA signalling, with genome sequencing uncovering the ABA core module even in algae. In this review, we describe recent discoveries involving the ABA core module in non‐angiosperms, tracing the footprints of how ABA evolved as a phytohormone. We also cover the latest findings on Raf‐like kinases as upstream regulators of the core ABA module component SnRK2. Finally, we discuss the origin of ABA signalling from an evolutionary perspective.
Mitochondrial DNA‐depleter mouse as a model to study human pigmentary skin disorders
Authors: Villavicencio Kyrene M. , Ahmed Noha , Harris Melissa L. , Singh Keshav K.
Published: August 2020

Pigmentation abnormalities are reported in the spectrum of phenotypes associated with aging and in patients with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDS). Yet, a relevant animal model that mimics these effects and would allow us to evaluate the detrimental aspects of mtDNA depletion on melanocyte function has not been described. Here, we characterize the pigmentary changes observed in the ears of a mtDNA‐depleter mouse, which phenotypically includes accentuation of the peri‐adnexal pseudonetwork, patchy hyper‐ and hypopigmentation, and reticular pigmentation. Histologically, these mice show increased epidermal pigmentation with patchy distribution, along with increased and highly dendritic melanocytes. These mtDNA‐depleter mice mimic aspects of the cutaneous, pigmentary changes observed in humans with age‐related senile lentigines as well as MDS. We suggest that this mouse model can serve as a novel resource for future interrogations of how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to pigmentary skin disorders. The mtDNA‐depleter mouse model also serves as a useful tool to identify novel agents capable of treating pigmentary changes associated with age‐related mitochondrial dysfunction in humans.
Folliculocystic and collagenous hamartoma of tuberous sclerosis complex, not always a single cutaneous lesion
Authors: Roca‐Ginés Juncal , Torres‐Navarro Ignacio , Llavador‐Ros Margarita , Évole‐Buselli Montserrat
Published: August 2020

Folliculocystic and collagenous hamartoma (FCCH) is a rare cutaneous manifestation characterized by the presence of single plaques studded with comedo‐like openings and cysts. Although its pathophysiology is still unknown, it has generally been described in men with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). We report a case of a one‐year‐old child with two FCCH in the abdominal wall associated with TSC. In our case, a TSC2 mutation was identified.
A sixteen‐year single‐center retrospective chart review of Spitz nevi and spitzoid neoplasms in pediatric patients
Authors: Davies Olivia M.T. , Majerowski Jacquelyn , Segura Annette , Kelley Scott W. , Sokumbi Olayemi , Humphrey Stephen R.
Published: August 2020

Background

Spitzoid neoplasms in pediatric patients pose an interesting challenge for clinicians. More data on the clinical, histologic, and molecular characteristics of these lesions are necessary to distinguish features that may portend recurrence or malignant behavior to help determine future treatment guidelines in pediatric patients.

Methods

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to conduct a retrospective analysis of spitzoid neoplasms. Patients with biopsied or excised spitzoid neoplasms between 01/01/2000 and 08/01/2016 were included. Pertinent clinical and histologic data were collected. Atypical, unusual, or diagnostically uncertain lesions were selected for re‐review.

Results

266 lesions from 264 patients were included. 243 were classified as benign (91.35%), 22 as atypical (8.27%), and 1 as spitzoid melanoma (0.38%). No clinical or histologic variables were found to be statistically significant between the benign Spitz, atypical Spitz, and spitzoid melanoma cohorts. No known deaths occurred.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the extreme variability of spitzoid neoplasms clinically and histologically. Importantly, this study demonstrates that the vast majority of spitzoid neoplasms in pediatric populations are benign and supports conservative management of spitzoid lesions in children.
Exploring the term “harmony” and its practical significance in Confucian classics with examples drawn from the Liji
Authors: Fang Zhaohui , McConochie Thomas
Published: August 2020

The Chinese character, he (和), “harmony,” occurs more than 100 times in the Liji (禮記; the Book of Rites). This accounts for over one‐third of the term's total number of occurrences in the 13 pre‐Qin Confucian classics. In this study, we engage with existing scholarship on the concept of “harmony” in Chinese culture and contribute to the discussion by analyzing the variety of senses that “harmony” has in the pre‐Qin Confucian classics, especially the Liji. We find that usages of the term “he” (“harmony”) in the Liji fall into six categories, namely, self, external things, music, human relations, politics, and the universe. We hold that the ways in which harmony features in the Liji and other Confucian classics can help us understand the Chinese cultural presupposition that there exists “only one world,” meaning that this world encompasses both the natural and the supernatural, and that human beings are a holistic blend of body and heart‐mind, which does not give rise to any dualistic tension between body and mind. Based on our understanding of the unique Chinese worldview and the corresponding view on life, this study aims to give an account for the importance of harmony as a guideline within various areas of Chinese life.
Molecular evolution of tomato black ring virus and de novo generation of a new type of defective RNAs during long‐term passaging in different hosts
Authors: Budzyńska Daria , Minicka Julia , Hasiów‐Jaroszewska Beata , Elena Santiago F.
Published: August 2020

Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) is a worldwide‐distributed RNA virus infecting a wide range of different host plants, including crop species, trees, shrubs, and weeds. Here, we investigated the molecular evolution of TBRV and its adaptability to different plant species. The TBRV‐Pi isolate was used to generate five independent evolution lineages serially passaged in either quinoa, tobacco, or tomato plants. After 15 passages, the genetic variability present in all the lineages was characterized for the movement (MP) and coat (CP) coding cistrons. We addressed two main questions: to what extent does the amount of genetic variability in the TBRV genome depend on the host species, and are there host species‐specific adaptive mutations? Overall, 201 different nucleotide substitutions emerged during the evolution experiment, with some of them appearing multiple times in different lineages; two of them (one in CP and one in MP) were unique for a particular host plant. We have shown that the degree of genetic differentiation depends on the host species in which the virus evolved, and that positive selection is operating upon certain residues, particularly in CP. Moreover, we have characterized new types of defective RNAs that arose during the TBRV‐Pi evolution in tobacco. Furthermore, this is the first report of a defective RNA from the RNA2 of TBRV.
I expect what you expect: An electrophysiological study on social expectation of pain
Authors: Piedimonte Alessandro , Benedetti Fabrizio , Guerra Giulia , Zamfira Denisa Adina , Vighetti Sergio , Carlino Elisa
Published: August 2020

Expectations and motor reactions related to pain are mainly acquired through personal experiences. Contingent negative variation (CNV) has been shown to be an informative electrophysiological measure of this pain anticipation. Expectations can also arise while observing others in painful conditions. However, it still remains unclear what are the neural correlates of this phenomenon and how the observation of others in pain can subsequently change our personal pain perception as well as our motor reaction to pain. Using CNV as a measure of expectation, this study aims to assess whether expectations formed through observation change the observer's own experience of pain and reaction to pain. A new cooperative task was designed where one participant, the model, received an electrical stimulation while another, the observer, watched the experiment and both were asked to stop the stimulation as fast as possible. Crucially, in a successive session, participants inverted their roles so that models became observers and vice versa. CNV was recorded in both participants simultaneously by means of two synchronized electroencephalograms. Results showed that CNV area did not differ between models and observers and reaction times were significantly faster in observers compared to models. Moreover, observers’ pain perception was correlated to models’ pain perception as well as to observers’ empathy scores. These data show how expectations, perceptions as well as reactions related to pain are crucially affected not only by observation but by personal attitudes toward others and all these changes can be clearly described through CNV.
Relationship of regular physical activity with neuroelectric indices of interference processing in young adults
Authors: Aly Mohamed , Kojima Haruyuki
Published: August 2020

The relationship of physical activity with interference processing was examined using behavioral and neuroelectrical measures in young adults divided into more active and less active groups. The participants completed Stroop (i.e., color‐naming) and reverse Stroop (i.e., word‐meaning) tasks that differed in the level of difficulty while event‐related potentials were assessed. In the low interference Stroop task, participants were asked to respond to the ink color of the word, while the meaning was either congruent or incongruent with the color. In the high interference reverse Stroop task, participants had to indicate the meaning of colored words while ignoring the color of the font. The results indicated that young adults in the more active group exhibited a shorter response time (RT) and a lower intra‐individual variability of RT than did those in the less active group. These behavioral differences were associated with larger P2 and P3 and smaller N450 amplitudes in the Stroop task and with larger P2 and N2 and smaller N450 amplitudes in the reverse Stroop task. No differences were observed in the contingent negative variation (CNV) between the groups. These findings suggest that, for young adults, regular physical activity is positively associated with a better neural efficiency in resource allocation for tasks that require the ability to inhibit cognitive interference and provide evidence for the potential neural mechanisms underlying the improved Stroop performance.
Healthy microbiome: a key to successful and sustainable shrimp aquaculture
Authors: Rajeev Riya , Adithya K.K. , Kiran G. Seghal , Selvin Joseph
Published: August 2020

The microbiome of the host and its surroundings play a vital role in its health and well‐being. Unlike the terrestrial organisms that maternally acquire its microbiome, the aquatic species mainly get colonized by the microorganisms in its aquatic surrounding and are exposed to a wide variety of microbial community based on the type of aquatic environment the host inhabits. This review is focused on the aquaculture and shrimp microbiome and factors that influence its microbiome such as prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, diet, stress conditions, frequency and type of antibiotics used, host physiological conditions and developmental stages. This review also casts light on the role of the microbiome in enhancing the shrimp health, immune response, microbial colonization, and the effects of the biofloc system on shrimp and aquaculture microbiome. Moreover, beneficial microbes can be a safer alternative to harmful antibiotics used in aquaculture, which can thereby prevent the emergence of superbugs and also enhance the production rate. A proper understanding of the interactions between the host and its microbiome can help us to modulate and manipulate the aquaculture microbiome to enhance the health of aquatic organisms, which ensures the growth of the aquaculture industry. Therefore, the treatment strategies should be targeted towards the modulation of shrimp and aquaculture microbiome, which acts as beneficial partners to overcome the challenges confronted by the aquaculture sector.
Hydrothermal activity in the Obiro deposit embedded in the Tagawa acidic rocks, Uetsu region,NEJapan
Authors: Nakajima Yuki , Izumino Yuya , Kagashima Shin‐ichi , Nakashima Kazuo
Published: August 2020

ABstract

The Obiro deposit is located in the Tagawa Acidic Rocks (AR), Uetsu region, NE Japan. The Tagawa AR is composed of a volcanic phase of dacitic welded tuff and a plutonic phase of porphyritic granodiorite. Drill core and ore samples were collected from the deposit and examined by XRD, EPMA, and microthermometry. The drill core samples have suffered pervasively from sericite (illite) alteration, whereas pinkish K‐feldspar alteration halo occur close to veins. The results of EPMA and microthermometry is interpreted as that the magnatic‐hydrothermal fluids has changed as follows; the granodioritic magma intruded at about 1.0 kb and 700°C near the water‐saturated granite solidus; after cooling to about 500°C the fluids boiled according to a change in the pressure regime from lithostatic to hydrostatic; mixing with meteoric water led to sulfide mineralization at around 400°C or less. The main reasons for the mineralization in the Obiro deposit are as follows; the oxidized magma intruded at a shallower level, and thereafter hydrothermal fluids were boiled, resulting in a saline fluid. The saline fluid then dissolved metals such as Pb, Zn, Cu, and Bi, and these metals precipitated during cooling accompanied by dilution of the meteoric water and increasing pH, resulting in decreasing solubility.
The curious case of Panama
Authors: Gutierrez Fernandez Pablo J.
Published: August 2020

A small country in Central America offers some interesting ideas on how the insurance industry can handle the COVID‐19 pandemic and crisis.
The 2020 Presidential election: A race against mortality
Authors: Wilson Linus
Published: August 2020

A year from the inauguration, four of the top five Democratic 2020 U.S. Presidential election candidates in the polls are in their seventies. Using actuarial data and the history of Presidential assassinations, the top two contenders, Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, have a 24–29% chance of not surviving to the end of a hypothetical first term. The 77 and 78‐year‐old men's chances of dying before the end of a second term as President of the United States are between 46 and 56%.
Fertility decisions of families in an intergenerational exchange model
Authors: Yakita Akira
Published: August 2020

We analyze fertility decisions of families using an intergenerational exchange model that might be applicable to less‐developed economies. When the probability of becoming dependent increases for parents who have children for elderly support, the parents increase their number of children. Increases in the children’s wage rates decrease the fertility rate when the elasticity of marginal utility of family care is low. In such cases, children’s care might be replaced eventually by market care insurance along with economic development. Decreasing fertility might not derive from a quantity–quality trade‐off of children for parents but might instead derive from a decreased need by children for bequests when wages are increasing.
Emotional distress in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Cechetti Joane Viecili , Puñales Márcia , da Cunha Luiza Zamprogna Vieira , Rigo Lilian
Published: August 2020

Aim

This study aimed to analyze the association between emotional distress and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), with respect to dental anxiety, microvascular diabetes chronic complications, demographic conditions.

Method

The cross‐sectional study design included 100 adolescents and young adults with T1DM, from regional diabetes reference center. The clinical and laboratory data were obtained from medical records. Distress and dental anxiety scales were produced from questionnaires that were validated for emotional distress (DDS) and dental anxiety (Corah Scale). Multiple analyses estimated odds ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals using a binary logistic regression model (P < .05).

Results

The mean participants age was 20.7 ± 5.5 years, and 52% were female. Of the patients, 19% presented with chronic microvascular diabetes complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy). Regarding the distress scale, 53% of the patients presented with high DDS and 83% had little to slight anxiety with dental procedures. There were statistically significant differences when variables were adjusted in the model, such as that of microvascular diabetes chronic complications and female gender with emotional distress.

Conclusions

Our results showed that female sex and microvascular diabetes chronic complications are associated with greater emotional distress in patients with T1DM.
Analysis of progressive Type‐II censoring in presence of competing risk data under step stress modeling
Authors: Koley Arnab , Kundu Debasis
Published: August 2020

In this article we consider the analysis of progressively censored competing risks data obtained from a simple step‐stress experiment. It is assumed that there are only two competing causes of failures at each stress level and the lifetime distribution of each one of them is one parameter exponential distribution. Based on the cumulative exposure model assumption, the conditional maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) of the unknown parameters can be obtained in explicit forms. Confidence intervals of the unknown parameters based on the exact distributions of the conditional MLEs and percentile bootstrap method, are constructed. Further we obtain Bayes estimates and the associated credible intervals based on a very flexible Beta‐gamma prior on the unknown parameters. A simulation experiment has been performed to observe the performances of the different estimators.
Obstetric neurological injuries
Authors: Harper Robert LC , Eckford Seumas D , Williams Helen , Leach Oliver A
Published: August 2020

Key content

Neurological injuries following well‐managed labour and childbirth are uncommon but potentially serious.

Anaesthetists are often called to see these patients because of concerns about the complications of regional anaesthesia; however, ’obstetric’ neurological injuries, caused by nerve compression during labour and childbirth, are much more common.

From a global health perspective, neurological injuries are part of the obstructed labour injury complex.

After ruling out a complication of regional anaesthesia, most obstetric neurological injuries can be managed with reassurance and/or physiotherapy.

Learning objectives

To review knowledge of the nerve pathways in the pelvis and discuss how they can be damaged specifically in obstetric practice.

To understand how to diagnose obstetric neurological injuries and distinguish these from anaesthesia‐related nerve injuries.

To understand how to counsel patients with obstetric neurological injuries and how to investigate and treat them.

Ethical issues

Major disparities in maternal and perinatal health outcomes persist both within and between countries; clinicians in the UK have a role to play to help improve outcomes for underprivileged women in the UK and abroad.
OsLFR is essential for early endosperm and embryo development by interacting with SWI/SNF complex members in Oryza sativa
Authors: Qi Dongmei , Wen Qingqing , Meng Ze , Yuan Shan , Guo Hong , Zhao Hongtao , Cui Sujuan
Published: August 2020

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) endosperm provides the developing embryo with nutrients and provides human beings with a staple food. The embryo eventually develops into a new sporophyte generation. Despite their important roles, the molecular mechanisms underlying early‐stage endosperm and embryo development remain elusive. Here, we established the fundamental functions of rice OsLFR, an ortholog of the Arabidopsis SWI/SNF chromatin‐remodeling complex (CRC) component LFR. OsLFR was expressed primarily in the rice spikelets and seeds, and the OsLFR protein was localized to the nucleus. We conducted genetic, cellular and molecular analyses of loss‐of‐function mutants and transgenic rescue lines. OsLFR depletion resulted in homozygous lethality in the early seed stage through endosperm and embryo defects, which could be successfully recovered by the OsLFR genomic sequence. Cytological observations revealed that the oslfr endosperm had relatively fewer free nuclei, had abnormal and arrested cellularization, and demonstrated premature programed cell death: the embryo was reduced in size and failed to differentiate. Transcriptome profiling showed that many genes, involved in DNA replication, cell cycle, cell wall assembly and cell death, were differentially expressed in a knockout mutant of OsLFR (oslfr‐1), which was consistent with the observed seed defects. Protein–protein interaction analysis showed that OsLFR physically interacts with several putative rice SWI/SNF CRC components. Our findings demonstrate that OsLFR, possibly as one component of the SWI/SNF CRC, is an essential regulator of rice seed development, and provide further insights into the regulatory mechanism of early‐stage rice endosperm and embryo development.