bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Male breast cancer: A closer look at patient and tumor characteristics and factors associated with survival
Authors: Zhao Jing , Wang Bin , Zhao Jing , Mao Yiran , Liu Jun , Yang Yanfang
Published: September 2020

Background

The prognostic effect of molecular subtypes on male breast cancer (MBC) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological and prognostic factors of MBC patients.

Methods

From 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2014, the data of 152 MBC and 304 female breast cancer (FBC) patients were identified and extensively compared.

Results

Compared with the FBC group, MBC patients were found to have a higher rate of cancer family history (30.9% vs. 18.4%, P = 0.001), mass around the areola area (37.5% vs. 5.6%, P = 0.000), lymph node invasion (44.1% vs. 34.2%, P = 0.006) and hormonal receptor positivity (66.4% vs. 49.3%, P = 0.027). Luminal A was the most common subtype accounting for 69.8%, whereas HER2‐positive (12.7%) and TNBC (1.6%) subtypes were rare in the MBC group. However, it was significantly lower for MBC than for FBC who received endocrine therapy (38.8% vs. 49.3%, P = 0.041). MBC showed the worse overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS) than those of FBC patients. However, 10‐year OS and DFS were similar between MBC and FBC patients in the subgroups of nonluminal subtype (P < 0.001), but worse in MBC patients than those in FBC patients in the subgroups of luminal A (P = 0.004 for OS; P = 0.002 for DFS) and luminal B (P = 0.006 for OS; P = 0.003 for DFS). Multivariate analysis indicated tumor size, radical mastectomy and endocrine therapy as independent risk factors for OS and DFS of MBC patients.

Conclusions

Our study determined that MBC patients possessed a worse prognosis, usually with lymph node invasion, and were estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR)‐positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)‐negative. Molecular subtypes based on FBC did not provide the same prognostic information in MBC, even in the luminal groups.
Expression of CD73 is associated with tumor progression and intratumoral inflammation in breast cancer
Authors: Choi Hye Ryeon , Oh Hoon Kyu , Park Sung Hwan , Jeong Young‐Ju
Published: September 2020

CD73 is a lymphocyte differentiation antigen and highly expressed in many human solid tumors. CD73 is known to be associated with tumor progression, but its role in human breast cancer is still under investigation. The aims of this study were to evaluate the expression of CD73 in human breast cancer and to analyze its prognostic significance in breast cancer. A total of 198 patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of primary breast cancer were enrolled. Tissue microarrays (TMA) were constructed with breast cancer tissues and immunohistochemical staining for CD73 was performed on TMA tissue sections. The clinicopathologic characteristics were evaluated from the patient's medical records and pathologic reports. The average age of the patients was 51.7 ± 10.7. Positive expression rate of CD73 for all breast cancer was 25.4%. Positive rate of CD73 expression in invasive breast cancer was 30.9%, which was significantly higher than that of 5.4% of ductal carcinoma in situ. CD73 expression was significantly associated with higher T‐stage, node metastasis, positive progesterone receptor status and presence of intratumoral inflammation. There was no significant association between molecular subtypes and CD73 expression. The disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rate at 5 years were 90.1% and 96.6%, respectively. There was no difference in DFS and OS according to CD73 expression. In conclusion, this study showed that CD73 expression is associated with tumor progression and inflammation in breast cancer. Our results suggest that CD73 has a potential as a prognostic marker and a therapeutic target of breast cancer.
Evaluating the performance of local SoEs as output‐maximizing entities: The case of Friuli Venezia Giulia
Authors: Massarutto Antonio , Garlatti Andrea , Miani Stefano , Cassetta Ernesto , Iacuzzi Silvia
Published: September 2020

Publicly owned private‐law organizations represent a sort of a hybrid between pure‐public and pure‐private management forms, and a rather successful one, at least if one considers the ongoing success that such organizations encounter in many European countries, especially at the local level. Economic theory has devoted scant attention to the reasons that may confer a competitive advantage to public enterprises, vis‐à‐vis both entirely privatized companies and traditional public bureaucracies. The paper develops a conceptual framework to systematically evaluate the performances of local SoEs in relation to their ability to achieve policy goals. By considering SoEs as output‐maximizing organizations rather than profit‐maximizing ones, the proposed approach entails an interactive dialogue between evaluators, policymakers and managers to deliver better evaluation outcomes. The methodology is applied to assess the performance of a sample of local SoEs owned by the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy in an effort to support policymakers in deciding whether to maintain its shareholding participations or divest them, that is, privatizing the public services involved.
The cost of safety: Balancing risk and liberty in psychiatric units
Authors: Zhong Rocksheng , Wasser Tobias
Published: September 2020

The systems approach is a widely accepted method for addressing healthcare adverse events. However, when adverse events are behavioral in nature, such as self‐injury or aggression, a systems approach can restrict patient autonomy. We propose guidelines for balancing safety and autonomy considerations when developing systems for behavioral adverse events: interventions that do not limit patient liberty, or that therapeutically address the root causes of behavioral adverse events, should be fully utilized. Clinicians should collaborate with patients when designing systems that may restrict patient liberty. And clinicians should be supported in managing the stress that accrues from working in hazardous environments.
Age differences in facial trustworthiness judgement based on multiple facial cues
Authors: Li Yongna , Jiao Xinyue , Liu Yi , Tse Chi‐Shing , Dong Yan
Published: September 2020

Multiple facial cues such as facial expression and face gender simultaneously influence facial trustworthiness judgement in adults. The current work was to examine the effect of multiple facial cues on trustworthiness judgement across age groups. Eight‐, 10‐year‐olds, and adults detect trustworthiness from happy and neutral adult faces (female and male faces) in Experiment 1. Experiment 2 included both adult and child faces wearing happy, angry, and neutral expressions. Nine‐, 11‐, 13‐year‐olds, and adults had to rate facial trustworthiness with a 7‐point Likert scale. The results of Experiments 1 and 2 revealed that facial expression and face gender independently affected facial trustworthiness judgement in children aged 10 and below but simultaneously affected judgement in children aged 11 and above, adolescents, and adults. There was no own‐age bias in children and adults. The results showed that children younger than 10 could not process multiple facial cues in the same manner as in older children and adults when judging trustworthiness. The current findings provide evidence for the stable‐feature account, but not for the own‐age bias account or the expertise account.
Spatial inference without a cognitive map: the role of higher‐order path integration
Authors: Bouchekioua Youcef , Blaisdell Aaron P. , Kosaki Yutaka , Tsutsui‐Kimura Iku , Craddock Paul , Mimura Masaru , Watanabe Shigeru
Published: September 2020

The cognitive map has been taken as the standard model for how agents infer the most efficient route to a goal location. Alternatively, path integration – maintaining a homing vector during navigation – constitutes a primitive and presumably less‐flexible strategy than cognitive mapping because path integration relies primarily on vestibular stimuli and pace counting. The historical debate as to whether complex spatial navigation is ruled by associative learning or cognitive map mechanisms has been challenged by experimental difficulties in successfully neutralizing path integration. To our knowledge, there are only three studies that have succeeded in resolving this issue, all showing clear evidence of novel route taking, a behaviour outside the scope of traditional associative learning accounts. Nevertheless, there is no mechanistic explanation as to how animals perform novel route taking. We propose here a new model of spatial learning that combines path integration with higher‐order associative learning, and demonstrate how it can account for novel route taking without a cognitive map, thus resolving this long‐standing debate. We show how our higher‐order path integration (HOPI) model can explain spatial inferences, such as novel detours and shortcuts. Our analysis suggests that a phylogenetically ancient, vector‐based navigational strategy utilizing associative processes is powerful enough to support complex spatial inferences.
Evaluating Models of Gesture and Speech Production for People With Aphasia
Authors: de Beer Carola , Hogrefe Katharina , Hielscher‐Fastabend Martina , de Ruiter Jan P.
Published: September 2020

People with aphasia use gestures not only to communicate relevant content but also to compensate for their verbal limitations. TheSketch Model(De Ruiter, 2000) assumes a flexible relationship between gesture and speech with the possibility of a compensatory use of the two modalities. In the successor of the Sketch Model, theAR‐Sketch Model(De Ruiter, 2017), the relationship between iconic gestures and speech is no longer assumed to be flexible and compensatory, but instead iconic gestures are assumed to express information that is redundant to speech. In this study, we evaluated the contradictory predictions of the Sketch Model and the AR‐Sketch Model using data collected from people with aphasia as well as a group of people without language impairment. We only found compensatory use of gesture in the people with aphasia, whereas the people without language impairments made very little compensatory use of gestures. Hence, the people with aphasia gestured according to the prediction of the Sketch Model, whereas the people without language impairment did not. We conclude that aphasia fundamentally changes the relationship of gesture and speech.
Regulated access to wild climbers has enhanced food security and minimized use of plastics by frontline households at a premier African protected area
Authors: Bitariho Robert , Akampurira Emmanuel , Mugerwa Badru
Published: September 2020

The amount of food harvested, processed and stored by households determines food availability—a key dimension to food security. In developing countries, frontline households around protected areas harvest wild climbers for making food security products. When access to the wild climbers is denied, households adapt by using other available alternatives such as plastics with potential consequences to biodiversity. The relationships between harvesting wild climbers and: (a) food availability, (b) plastic use, and (c) wild climber populations have rarely been investigated. We interviewed 119 frontline households adjacent to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda to evaluate the relationships between household access to wild climbers and: (a) plastic use and (b) food security. We used forest surveys to assess the impact of harvest on population structure of three mostly utilized wild climbers. The frontline households used more wild climber products (65.02%) than plastics (34.97%). Fifteen wild climbers were harvested for food security products. Two of these; Dracaena laxissima and Smilax anceps depicted size class distributions similar to those of healthy sustainable plant populations, while Monanthotaxis littoralis depicted a size class distribution of unsustainably harvested plant populations. We recommend increased access to wild climbers for enhancing food security and minimizing use of plastics.
The impact of belatacept on the phenotypic heterogeneity of renal T cell–mediated alloimmune response: The critical role of maintenance treatment and inflammatory load
Authors: Dobi Dejan , Vincenti Flavio , Chandran Sindhu , Greenland John R. , Bowman Christopher , Chen Adeline , Junger Henrik , Laszik Zoltan G.
Published: September 2020

Belatacept offers superior long‐term outcome relative to calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)‐based immunosuppression. However, the higher frequency of early T cell–mediated rejection (TCMR) in belatacept‐treated patients hampered the widespread adoption of costimulation blockade. Here, we applied gene expression analysis and whole‐slide inflammatory cell quantification to assess the impact of belatacept on intragraft immune signature. We studied formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded renal biopsies from 92 patients stratified by histopathologic diagnosis (TCMR, borderline changes, or normal) and immunosuppression regimen (belatacept, CNI). An interaction model was built to explore maintenance treatment‐dependent expression level changes of immune response‐related genes across diagnostic categories of normal, borderline changes, and TCMR. Ninety‐one percent of genes overexpressed in TCMR showed significant correlation with whole section inflammatory load. There were 27 genes that had a positive association with belatacept treatment. These were mostly related to myeloid cells and innate immunity. Genes negatively associated with costimulation blockade (n = 14) could be linked to B‐cell differentiation and proliferation. We concluded that expression levels of genes characteristic of TCMR are strongly interconnected with quantitative changes of the biopsy inflammatory load. Our results might suggest differential involvement of the innate immune system, and an altered B‐cell engagement during TCMR in belatacept‐treated patients relative to CNI‐treated referents.
Patient‐reported outcomes in a study of human regular U‐500 insulin delivered by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion or multiple daily injections in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Chen Jieling , Fan Ludi , Peng Xiaomei , Ilag Liza , Ly Trang , Johnson Jennal
Published: September 2020

Human regular U‐500 insulin (U‐500R) provides both basal and prandial coverage to people with diabetes. As part of the VIVID study, we studied patient‐reported outcomes (PRO) of U‐500R delivered by multiple daily injections (MDI, n = 211) and continuous subcutaneous infusion using a novel U‐500R pump (CSII, n = 209). Treatment‐Related Impact Measure for Diabetes (TRIM‐D) for Diabetes Device (TRIM‐DD) questionnaires were administered at weeks 0, 14 and 26. TRIM scores with effect sizes (ES) for within‐group and between‐group change were reported. All TRIM‐D scores significantly improved from baseline for both groups (P < .001). The Diabetes Management domain had the greatest improvement, 16.3 (ES = 0.85) and 10.6 (ES = 0.51) for CSII and MDI, respectively. At the study end, the CSII group had significantly higher TRIM‐D scores than the MDI group (P < .05). Most TRIM‐DD scores had small within‐group improvements and were not different between groups. People with type 2 diabetes on U‐500R by either CSII or MDI reported improvement in PRO, particularly in Diabetes Management, Treatment Burden and Psychological Health domains, with greater improvement in the CSII group. In terms of delivery device and function, the CSII and MDI methods were similarly acceptable.
Drug‐naïve first‐episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Pharmacological treatment practices in inpatient units in Hunan Province, China
Authors: Zhu Mengran , Ferrara Maria , Tan Wenjian , Shang Xingbo , Syed Sumaiyah , Zhang Li , Qin Qilin , Hu Xinran , Rohrbaugh Robert , Srihari Vinod H. , Liu Zhening
Published: September 2020

Aim

This study describes antipsychotic prescription patterns for drug‐naïve inpatients diagnosed with first‐episode schizophrenia‐spectrum (FES) disorders and factors associated with practices deviating from China's current guidelines.

Methods

All inpatients aged 7 to 45 years experiencing a first episode of schizophrenia‐spectrum disorder with a duration of untreated illness of less than 18 months and admitted between 1 August 2016 and 1 August 2017 to one of eight psychiatric hospitals in Hunan were included. Demographics, clinical characteristics and prescriptions at discharge were collected from electronic medical records. Logistic regression and random forest methods were used to model relationships between demographic and clinical factors and deviations from China's guidelines.

Results

Of the 602 inpatients included in the study, 598 (99.3%) were prescribed antipsychotics, and no patients were discharged on long‐acting injectable antipsychotics. Polypharmacy (more than one antipsychotic prescribed) was present in 121 (20.2%) participants. Clozapine was prescribed to 45 (7.5%) patients. Adults receiving polypharmacy were more likely to be prescribed high‐dose antipsychotics than those receiving a single antipsychotic. Minors under 13 years of age were more likely to receive polypharmacy and unapproved antipsychotics than those older than 13 years.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that most of the inpatients were prescribed a single antipsychotic at discharge, consistent with China's guidelines. Minors with FES and patients discharged on polypharmacy and clozapine may require more intense monitoring and management. With the current implementation of China's National Mental Health Working Plan, these results will assist decision‐makers in allocating resources and conducting reforms to facilitate best practice treatment for FES.
Data‐driven machine‐learning analysis of potential embolic sources in embolic stroke of undetermined source
Authors: Ntaios G. , Weng S. F. , Perlepe K. , Akyea R. , Condon L. , Lambrou D. , Sirimarco G. , Strambo D. , Eskandari A. , Karagkiozi E. , Vemmou A. , Korompoki E. , Manios E. , Makaritsis K. , Vemmos K. , Michel P.
Published: September 2020

Background and purpose

Hierarchical clustering, a common ‘unsupervised’ machine‐learning algorithm, is advantageous for exploring potential underlying aetiology in particularly heterogeneous diseases. We investigated potential embolic sources in embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) using a data‐driven machine‐learning method, and explored variation in stroke recurrence between clusters.

Methods

We used a hierarchical k‐means clustering algorithm on patients’ baseline data, which assigned each individual into a unique clustering group, using a minimum‐variance method to calculate the similarity between ESUS patients based on all baseline features. Potential embolic sources were categorised into atrial cardiopathy, atrial fibrillation, arterial disease, left ventricular disease, cardiac valvulopathy, patent foramen ovale (PFO) and cancer.

Results

Among 800 consecutive ESUS patients (43.3% women, median age 67 years), the optimal number of clusters was four. Left ventricular disease was most prevalent in cluster 1 (present in all patients) and perfectly associated with cluster 1. PFO was most prevalent in cluster 2 (38.9% of patients) and associated significantly with increased likelihood of cluster 2 [adjusted odds ratio: 2.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.64–4.41]. Arterial disease was most prevalent in cluster 3 (57.7%) and associated with increased likelihood of cluster 3 (adjusted odds ratio: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.43–3.13). Atrial cardiopathy was most prevalent in cluster 4 (100%) and perfectly associated with cluster 4. Cluster 3 was the largest cluster involving 53.7% of patients. Atrial fibrillation was not significantly associated with any cluster.

Conclusions

This data‐driven machine‐learning analysis identified four clusters of ESUS that were strongly associated with arterial disease, atrial cardiopathy, PFO and left ventricular disease, respectively. More than half of the patients were assigned to the cluster associated with arterial disease.
Dimethyl fumarate‐induced lymphocyte count drop is related to clinical effectiveness in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: Tsantes E. , Curti E. , Ferraro D. , Lugaresi A. , Baldi E. , Montepietra S. , Immovilli P. , Simone A. M. , Mancinelli L. , Strumia S. , Vitetta F. , Foschi M. , Ferri C. , Ferrarini C. , Sola P. , Granella F.
Published: September 2020

Background and purpose

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) causes a mean lymphocyte count drop of approximately 30% in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. The relationship between this reduction and DMF effectiveness is controversial. The objective was to investigate if the decrease in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) from baseline during DMF treatment is associated with clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activity. A secondary aim was to evaluate ALC variations over time in a real‐life cohort of DMF‐treated patients.

Methods

Demographic, laboratory, clinical and MRI data were collected in this observational multicentre study, conducted on RRMS patients treated with DMF for at least 6 months. Multivariate Cox models were performed to evaluate the impact of 6‐month ALC drop on time to no evidence of disease activity (NEDA‐3) status loss. NEDA‐3 is defined as absence of clinical relapses, MRI disease activity and confirmed disability progression.

Results

In all, 476 patients (312 females, age at DMF start 38.4 ± 9.97 years) were analysed up to 5‐year follow‐up. A greater lymphocyte decrease was associated with a lower risk of NEDA‐3 status loss (hazard ratio 0.87, P = 0.01). A worse outcome in patients with lower ALC drop (<11.5%), compared with higher tertiles (11.5%–40.5% and >40.5%), was observed (P = 0.008). The nadir of ALC drop (−33.6%) and 35% of grade III lymphopaenia cases occurred after 12 months of treatment.

Conclusion

A higher lymphocyte count drop at 6 months is related to better outcomes in DMF‐treated patients. A careful ALC monitoring should be pursued up to 24 months of treatment.
Egg sac damage and previous egg sac production influence truncated parental investment in the wolf spider,Pardosa milvina
Authors: Marchetti Megan F. , Persons Matthew H.
Published: September 2020

Life history theory predicts that iteroparous animals adaptively partition reproductive effort between current and future reproduction. When rearing costs of current offspring exceed the potential benefits, parental care should be terminated and deferred toward future reproduction. We tested two related predictions that follow from life history theory: (a) parents should be sensitive to offspring viability and withhold parental care if offspring survival probability drops and future reproductive opportunities are likely, and (b) parents should be less sensitive to offspring survival probability when future reproduction is unlikely and maximize parental care late in life. The wolf spider,Pardosa milvina, demonstrates extensive parental care; however, they may also abandon or cannibalize their egg sacs. We tested the effects of egg sac damage and production of a previous egg sac on egg sac abandonment and cannibalism decisions. Among four egg sac groups (1st egg sac intact, 1st egg sac damaged, 2nd egg sac intact, 2nd egg sac damaged), we daily monitored egg sac abandonment and cannibalism and measured differences in egg sac searching, protection, and grooming among removed and damaged egg sacs (N = 116 with 1st egg sac and 88 with 2nd egg sac). Females with first egg sacs abandoned and cannibalized damaged egg sacs significantly more compared to unmanipulated egg sacs; however, females with second egg sacs were insensitive to egg sac damage. Females also spent significantly more time protecting second egg sacs compared to first egg sacs and groomed damaged egg sacs significantly more than undamaged. These results support the general predictions of life history theory that indicate that abandonment and cannibalism should decrease with diminished future reproductive potential and that parents should be less sensitive to indicators of offspring survival probability late in life.
Total organic carbon concentrations in ecosystem solutions of a remote tropical montane forest respond to global environmental change
Authors: Wilcke Wolfgang , Velescu Andre , Leimer Sophia , Blotevogel Simon , Alvarez Pablo , Valarezo Carlos
Published: September 2020

The response of organic carbon (C) concentrations in ecosystem solutions to environmental change affects the release of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from forests to surface and groundwaters. We determined the total organic C (TOC) concentrations (filtered <1–7 µm) and the ratios of TOC/dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH in all major ecosystem solutions of a tropical montane forest from 1998 to 2013. The forest was located on the rim of the Amazon basin in Ecuador and experienced increasing numbers of days with >25°C, decreasing soil moisture, and rising nitrogen (N) deposition from the atmosphere during the study period. In rainfall, throughfall, mineral soil solutions (at the 0.15‐ and 0.30‐m depths), and streamflow, TOC concentrations and fluxes decreased significantly from 1998 to 2013, while they increased in stemflow. TOC/DON ratios decreased significantly in rainfall, throughfall, soil solution at the 0.15‐m depth, and streamflow. Based on Δ14C values, the TOC in rainfall and mineral soil solutions was 1 year old and that of litter leachate was 10 years old. The pH in litter leachate decreased with time, that in mineral soil solutions increased, while those in the other ecosystem solutions did not change. Thus, reduced TOC solubility because of lower pH values cannot explain the negative trends in TOC concentrations in most ecosystem solutions. The increasing TOC concentrations and EC in stemflow pointed at an increased leaching of TOC and other ions from the bark. Our results suggest an accelerated degradation of DOM, particularly of young DOM, associated with the production of N‐rich compounds simultaneously to changing climatic conditions and increasing N availability. Thus, environmental change increased the CO2 release to the atmosphere but reduced DOM export to surface and groundwater.
‘Rushing Remand’? Pretrial Detention and Bail Decision Making in England and Wales
Authors: SMITH TOM
Published: September 2020

Deprivation of liberty as part of the criminal process is always a significant step, and arguably even more so when the person so deprived has not yet been convicted of an offence. Remand decision making – that is, granting bail or requiring detention of a defendant prior to trial – in the courts of England and Wales is a common and important part of modern criminal procedure, yet has been under‐examined in the last two decades. This article presents some of the findings of the first empirical study of remand law and practice in this jurisdiction in many years. It concludes that, notwithstanding that the rate of pretrial detention is comparatively low and practice is broadly in line with domestic and regional standards, there remain significant issues – particularly in relation to the time spent on such decisions and the information provided to courts when considering remands on bail or in custody.
A review of root, tuber and banana crops in developing countries: past, present and future
Authors: Scott Gregory J.
Published: September 2020

For many of the developing world's poorest farmers and food‐insecure people, roots, tubers, bananas and plantain crops (RTBs) serve as a critical source of food, nutrition and cash income. RTBs have been particularly important in areas where local agri‐food systems are under stress. Under such circumstances, growers, processors and traders often see opportunities to improve food security or increase their incomes with those crops due to shifting tastes and preferences for food and non‐food products. Since the early 1990s, cassava output surged in sub‐Saharan Africa, while potato production expanded rapidly in Asia. RTBs are consumed by over three billion people in developing countries with a market value of US$ 339 billion. This paper analyses the major changes in production, utilisation and trade of RTBs over the last six decades, assesses estimates of their future trajectory and offers recommendations so that they might achieve their full potential.
Comparative study on the microstructure and functional properties of casein in goat milk processed by different methods
Authors: Qin Yusi , Cheng Ming , Wang Linlin , Huang Mengyao , Wang Jianmin , Wang Cunfang
Published: September 2020

This work compared the thermal stability, microstructure and functional properties of casein (CN) in goat milk processed by different methods, including homogenisation, low‐temperature long‐time (LTLT), high‐temperature short‐time (HTST), ultrapasteurisation (UP) and ultrahigh temperature (UHT) treatment. The greatest development of CN‐whey protein complexes was observed in LTLT goat milk and the least in HTST goat milk. The CN micelles in LTLT, UP and UHT milk were more obviously changed than the CN micelles in HTST milk, and the random coil content increased significantly after the homogenisation, UP and UHT treatments. The homogenisation had a significant effect on the functional properties of CN. In addition, the most obvious changes in the properties of CN were observed in LTLT and UHT goat milk. The results suggested that homogenisation, pasteurisation and UHT can cause effective changes in the functional properties of CN in goat milk that facilitate its application in the milk industry.
Analytical approaches of meat authentication in food
Authors: Sajali Nurhayatie , Wong Sie Chuong , Abu Bakar Suhaili , Khairil Mokhtar Nur Fadhilah , Manaf Yanty Noorzianna , Yuswan Mohd Hafis , Mohd Desa Mohd Nasir
Published: September 2020

Meat industry sector is likely exposed to illegal practices which involve replacement of meat ingredients with other animal species. Meat products are commonly modified during processing, and the cases have been rampant in certain part of the world. Meanwhile, individual consumption patterns are affected by religious belief and health reason. For instance, Muslims and Jews are prohibited from consuming pork and allergic reaction to certain meat species affects choices of meat products. Thus, food authentication is vital as it offers protection to consumers from fraudulent act. Numerous authentication techniques have been developed to tackle food fraud issues. Authentication methods are categorised mainly as targeted analysis which provides quantitative outcome and non‐targeted analysis which offers qualitative result. In the present review, both targeted and non‐targeted analyses for meat species authentication are discussed based on previous research conducted using these methods and how they serve the purpose for authentication.
Off‐the‐job training and the shifting role of part‐time and temporary employment across institutional models. Comparing Italian and British firms
Authors: Pedrini Giulio
Published: September 2020

This article investigates intensity and composition of off‐the‐job training investments of Italian and British firms in relation to their workforce heterogeneity with respect to the presence of non‐standard workers. The main purpose is to assess the relationship between off‐the‐job training volumes and composition and the recourse to the main types of non‐standard employment, that is temporary and part‐time contracts, at firm level. Empirical evidence drawn from national surveys of the two countries shows more similarities than expected in terms of the correlation between non‐standard employment and training volumes whilst substantial differences arise when disaggregating training interventions according to the types of skills to be developed. Both institutional settings and the different roles of part‐time and temporary employment in the labour markets of the two countries contribute to the interpretation of the results.
Aluminosilicate glasses for zinc selenide tunable fiber laser cladding
Authors: Mathewson Carly , Urbina Isabella , Badding John V. , Gopalan Venkatraman , Mauro John C.
Published: September 2020

A set of novel potassium‐calcium‐aluminosilicate glasses are developed to serve as the cladding material for a doped ZnSe core infrared fiber laser. The compositions exhibit high glass transition temperatures between 753°C and 918°C and high thermal expansion coefficients between 5.75 ppm/°C and 8.21 ppm/°C. We demonstrate successful application of these glass compositions as a cladding for a ZnSe tunable fiber laser.
Pan‐cancer analysis of alternative splicing regulator heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) family and their prognostic potential
Authors: Li Hao , Liu Jingwei , Shen Shixuan , Dai Di , Cheng Shitong , Dong Xiaolong , Sun Liping , Guo Xiaolin
Published: September 2020

As the most critical alternative splicing regulator, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) have been reported to be implicated in various aspects of cancer. However, the comprehensive understanding of hnRNPs in cancer is still lacking. The molecular alterations and clinical relevance of hnRNP genes were systematically analysed in 33 cancer types based on next‐generation sequence data. The expression, mutation, copy number variation, functional pathways, immune cell correlations and prognostic value of hnRNPs were investigated across different cancer types. HNRNPA1 and HNRNPAB were highly expressed in most tumours. HNRNPM, HNRNPUL1, and HNRNPL showed high mutation frequencies, and most hnRNP genes were frequently mutated in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC). HNRNPA2B1 showed widespread copy number amplification across various cancer types. HNRNPs participated in cancer‐related pathways including protein secretion, mitotic spindle, G2/M checkpoint, DNA repair, IL6/JAK/STAT3 signal and coagulation, of which hnRNP genes of HNRNPF, HNRNPH2, HNRNPU and HNRNPUL1 are more likely to be implicated. Significant correlation of hnRNP genes with T help cells, NK cells, CD8 positive T cells and neutrophils was identified. Most hnRNPs were associated with worse survival of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), whereas hnRNPs predicted better prognosis in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and thymoma (THYM). The prognosis analysis of KIRC suggested that hnRNPs gene cluster was significantly associated with overall survival (HR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.35‐0.73, P = 0.003). These findings provide novel evidence for further investigation of hnRNPs in the development and therapy of cancer in the future.
Hyperbaric oxygen‐induced long non‐coding RNA MALAT1 exosomes suppress MicroRNA‐92a expression in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Shyu Kou‐Gi , Wang Bao‐Wei , Fang Wei‐Jen , Pan Chun‐Ming , Lin Chiu‐Mei
Published: September 2020

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) improves angiogenesis. The effect of HBO on metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), a pro‐angiogenic long non‐coding RNA, in cardiac myocyte‐derived exosomes and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is unknown. We aimed to investigate whether MALAT1 is altered in cardiac myocyte‐derived exosomes in response to HBO as well as the molecular regulatory mechanisms of MALAT1 in cardiac myocytes treated with HBO. Cardiac myocytes were cultured, and HBO was applied at 2.5 atmosphere absolute in a hyperbaric chamber. Exosomes were extracted from the culture media. A rat model of AMI generated by the ligation of the left anterior descending artery was used. HBO significantly increased MALAT1 expression in cardiac myocytes and HBO‐induced MALAT1 and exosomes attenuated miR‐92a expression after myocardial infarction. Expression of krüppel‐like factor 2 (KLF2) and CD31 was significantly decreased after infarction and HBO‐induced exosomes significantly reversed the expression. Silencing of MALAT1 using MALAT1‐locked nucleic acid GapmeR significantly attenuated KLF2 and CD31 protein expression after infarction induced by HBO‐induced exosomes. HBO‐induced exosomes also decreased infarct size significantly. HBO‐induced exosomes from cardiac myocytes up‐regulate MALAT1 to suppress miR‐92a expression and counteract the inhibitory effect of miR‐92a on KLF2 and CD31 expression in left ventricular myocardium after myocardial infarction to enhance neovascularization.
HIF‐1α‐induced up‐regulation of microRNA‐126 contributes to the effectiveness of exercise training on myocardial angiogenesis in myocardial infarction rats
Authors: Song Wei , Liang Qiaoqin , Cai Mengxin , Tian Zhenjun
Published: September 2020

Exercise training (ET) is a non‐drug natural rehabilitation approach for myocardial infarction (MI). Among the numerous beneficial effects of ET, myocardial angiogenesis is indispensable. In the present study, we investigated the role and mechanism of HIF‐1α and miR‐126 in ET‐induced MI myocardial angiogenesis which may provide new insights for MI treatment. Rat model of post‐MI and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were employed for our research. Histomorphology, immunohistochemistry, quantitative real‐time PCR, Western blotting and small‐interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection were applied to evaluate the morphological, functional and molecular mechanisms. In vivo results showed that 4‐week ET could significantly increase the expression of HIF‐1α and miR‐126 and reduce the expression of PIK3R2 and SPRED1, while 2ME2 (HIF‐1α inhibitor) partially attenuated the effect of ET treatment. In vitro results showed that HIF‐1α could trigger expression of miR‐126 in HUVECs in both normoxia and hypoxia, and miR‐126 may be involved in the tube formation of HUVECs under hypoxia through the PI3K/AKT/eNOS and MAPK signalling pathway. In conclusion, we revealed that HIF‐1α, whose expression experiences up‐regulation during ET, could function as an upstream regulator to miR‐126, resulting in angiogenesis promotion through the PI3K/AKT/eNOS and MAPK signalling pathway and subsequent improvement of the MI heart function.
Placental autophagy failure: A risk factor for preeclampsia
Authors: Nakashima Akitoshi , Shima Tomoko , Aoki Aiko , Kawaguchi Mihoko , Yasuda Ippei , Tsuda Sayaka , Yoneda Satoshi , Yamaki‐Ushijima Akemi , Cheng Shibin , Sharma Surendra , Saito Shigeru
Published: September 2020

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, directly affect maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. As the pathophysiology of preeclampsia is multi‐factorial and has been studied using different approaches, we have demonstrated that impaired autophagy is an intertwined risk factor for preeclampsia. This concept has been verified in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Autophagy is primarily involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis, and in immune regulation, longevity, cytokines secretion and a variety of other biological functions. Here, we review the role of autophagy in normal embryogenesis and placentation. Once placental autophagy is impaired by metabolic stress such as hypoxia, endoplasmic reticulum stress or starvation, placental development could be disrupted, resulting in functional maladaptations at the maternal‐fetal interface. These malfunctions may result in fetal growth restriction or preeclampsia.
Moral Seriousness
Authors: Seiple D.
Published: September 2020

“Philosophy as a way of life” has its roots in ancient ethics and has attracted renewed interest in recent decades. The aim in this paper is to construct a contemporized image of Socrates, consistent with the textual evidence. The account defers concern over analytical/theoretical inquiry into virtue, in favor of a neo‐existentialist process of self‐examination informed by the virtue of what is called “moral seriousness.” This process is modeled on Frankfurt’s hierarchical account of self‐identification, and the paper suggests an expansion of Frankfurt’s concept of a person to include “full” personhood, in which the apprehended “meaning” of one’s “whole life” is taken as a necessary condition for eudaimonia (meaning of life) and is characterized by phenomenological transcendence. In addition, the importance of the informed scrutiny of a community of philosophers to the self‐examination process is discussed.
GmKIX8‐1 regulates organ size in soybean and is the causative gene for the major seed weight QTL qSw17‐1
Authors: Nguyen Cuong X. , Paddock Kyle J. , Zhang Zhanyuan , Stacey Minviluz G.
Published: September 2020

Seed weight is one of the most important agronomic traits in soybean for yield improvement and food production. Several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with the trait have been identified in soybean. However, the genes underlying the QTLs and their functions remain largely unknown.

Using forward genetic methods and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, we identified and characterized the role of GmKIX8‐1 in the control of organ size in soybean.

GmKIX8‐1 belongs to a family of KIX domain‐containing proteins that negatively regulate cell proliferation in plants. Consistent with this predicted function, we found that loss‐of‐function GmKIX8‐1 mutants showed a significant increase in the size of aerial plant organs, such as seeds and leaves. Likewise, the increase in organ size is due to increased cell proliferation, rather than cell expansion, and increased expression of CYCLIN D3;1‐10.

Lastly, molecular analysis of soybean germplasms harboring the qSw17‐1 QTL for the big‐seeded phenotype indicated that reduced expression of GmKIX8‐1 is the genetic basis of the qSw17‐1 phenotype.
Steady‐state stomatal responses of C3 and C4 species to blue light fraction: Interactions with CO2 concentration
Authors: Zhen Shuyang , Bugbee Bruce
Published: September 2020

Blue light induced stomatal opening has been studied by applying a short pulse (~5 to 60 s) of blue light to a background of saturating photosynthetic red photons, but little is known about steady‐state stomatal responses. Here we report stomatal responses to blue light at high and low CO2 concentrations. Steady‐state stomatal conductance (gs) of C3 plants increased asymptotically with increasing blue light to a maximum at 20% blue (120 μmol m−2 s−1). This response was consistent from 200 to 800 μmol mol−1 atmospheric CO2 (Ca). In contrast, blue light induced only a transient stomatal opening (~5 min) in C4 species above a Ca of 400 μmol mol−1. Steady‐state gs of C4 plants generally decreased with increasing blue intensity. The net photosynthetic rate of all species decreased above 20% blue because blue photons have lower quantum yield (moles carbon fixed per mole photons absorbed) than red photons. Our findings indicate that photosynthesis, rather than a blue light signal, plays a dominant role in stomatal regulation in C4 species. Additionally, we found that blue light affected only stomata on the illuminated side of the leaf. Contrary to widely held belief, the blue light‐induced stomatal opening minimally enhanced photosynthesis and consistently decreased water use efficiency.
Going Social: A Comparative Analysis of Presidents' Official and Social Media Messages
Authors: Fontaine Sam A. , Gomez Daniel M.
Published: September 2020

This article explores how structural changes to the media environment, such as the development of social media, might enhance or impede presidents' public leadership efforts. We argue that characteristics of Twitter as a medium provide presidents with incentives to exploit these new opportunities and alter the content of presidential rhetoric. To test this claim about presidential rhetoric, we use text analysis tools to compare the readability, sentiment, and content of contemporary presidents' messages from press conferences and exchanges with reporters to tweets from the Barack Obama and Donald Trump presidencies. Our findings suggest that social media is being used by presidents in their public leadership efforts and that the medium of communication has a significant influence on the content of communication.
The value of market access and national treatment commitments in services trade agreements
Authors: Lamprecht Philipp , Miroudot Sébastien
Published: September 2020

This paper looks at market access and national treatment commitments for services in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in 95 regional trade agreements (RTAs) involving the countries that are covered in the OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI). The objective is to quantify the impact of legal bindings on trade in services that result from a reduction in the uncertainty faced by exporters. Bilateral bindings indices are created for five broad service sectors (professional services, computer services, telecoms, financial services and transport services). They indicate how close the sector is from a fully bound regime with no possibility to introduce any new trade barrier, by comparing commitments with the actual trade regime. These bilateral indices are then tested over the period 2000–2014 in a structural gravity model. Despite differences across sectors, the results confirm that the legal bindings typically found in services trade agreements tend to have a positive impact on exports even if no actual liberalisation takes place.
Economic Foundations of Unequal Development
Authors: Ferguson William D.
Published: September 2020

Development requires both ability and coordination, but the abilities and practices that facilitate coordinating production contribute decisively to inequality. The second hypothesis is introduced: Inherent properties of knowledge transmission, the skill-matching requirements of team production, patterns of social imitation, and production interdependencies generate starkly unequal locational and sectoral agglomerations of production, knowledge acquisition, innovation, and growth. To illustrate these points, this chapter relates individual incentives to invest in acquiring skills and education to these influences. People in areas with high concentrations of knowledge and skill encounter strong incentives to work on acquiring knowledge—and vice versa. Additionally, developing sophisticated production techniques requires a critical mass of suitable firms in order to create viable markets and for skilled labor and sophisticated equipment. Difficult coordination CAPs lead to patterns of unbalanced growth. Finally, rural-to-urban migration often reinforces these locational dynamics.
Workplace Bullying in Healthcare: A Critically Appraised Topic
Authors: Hochstetler Jonathan I. , Russ Anne C. , Tierney Ryan , Mansell Jamie L.
Published: September 2020

Focused Clinical Question: In athletic training, what is the percentage of workplace bullying compared to the percentage in nursing? Clinical Bottom Line: There is evidence that workplace bullying is prevalent in the athletic training and nursing professions.