bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adverse Juvenile Probation Supervision Outcomes: Noncompliance, Revocation, and Failure to Appear at Review Hearings
Authors: Nemoyer Amanda , Gale-Bentz Elizabeth , Durham Kelley , Wagage Suraji , Goldstein Naomi E. S.
Published: November 2019

Despite widespread use of community-based supervision for justice-involved youth, little research has examined what might contribute to youth performance under supervision. A recent investigation of probation practices in one jurisdiction noted that failure to appear at a review hearing was strongly associated with probation revocation. To determine whether these findings would replicate elsewhere and to identify youth characteristics and behaviors significantly related to failure to appear at review hearings, the current study examined probation records for 200 youth under supervision in another large mid-Atlantic county. Some similarities between jurisdictional findings arose, but notable differences were also observed. For instance, results revealed significant relationships between youth “absent without leave” status and two outcomes: failure to appear at the next hearing and probation revocation at their next hearing appearance. Findings further develop existing understanding of youth performance under supervision and suggest potential avenues for further investigation and future intervention.
Anaesthetists’ drug dosing practices in class III obese surgical patients: A bi-national survey
Authors: Hussain Zahid , Gadd Karl , Curtain Colin , Mirkazemi Corinne , Peterson Gregory M , R Zaidi Syed Tabish
Published: November 2019

Class III obese (body mass index ≥ 40 kg/m2) patients, now regularly encountered clinically, have increased perioperative risks, including potentially from suboptimal drug dosing. However, current dosing guidelines are based on low-level evidence and may not be widely accepted. This study aimed to investigate anaesthetists’ dosing practices for class III obese surgical patients, explore if they had experienced an increased incidence of adverse events potentially related to drug dosing with these patients and assess which resources they consulted for dosing advice in this population. An electronic survey was emailed to 1000 randomly selected members of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. Data were summarised and the Pearson’s χ2 test was used to compare respondents’ genders, geographic locations and seniority designations with the greater Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists’ membership. There were 230 completed responses (response rate 23%). A large proportion (46%–76%) of respondents indicated they dose class III obese patients in keeping with current recommendations; however, substantial heterogeneity in dosing practices was found. Lean body weight was the most frequently used regimen for dosing propofol, non-depolarising muscle relaxants, sugammadex and opioids, whereas total body weight was most frequently used for suxamethonium. Nearly 70% of respondents reported using at least one resource to assist their dosing practices in obesity. Importantly, increased incidences of adverse events in class III obese patients related to drug dosing were commonly experienced by respondents. Until higher-level evidence is available for dosing class III obese patients, anaesthetists should consider current recommendations and exercise increased attention to dosing. Further clinician education may assist in optimising dosing in this patient group.
Discussion of Hwang and Chen's constraint equations to eliminate order, circuit and branch defects for the paper: Defect-free synthesis of Stephenson-III motion generators, published in Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 2008; 222: 2485–2494
Authors: Lin Wen-Yi
Published: November 2019

Many studies to find solutions for the optimum synthesis problems of linkage mechanisms for path, motion or function generation have appeared in the literature. However, their main focus has been on the development of optimization algorithms or synthesis methods without the handling of the defect problems or only with consideration of the same assembly mode. Hwang and Chen's pioneering work proposed a defect-free optimum synthesis method with constraint equations to eliminate order, circuit and branch defects for Stephenson III six-bar motion generators. However, their proposed constraint equations for the three types of defects are incomplete or not clear enough. In this discussion, we not only examine these faults but also offer the correct and complete constraints to eliminate the three types of defects.
Use of public health and social care services among the elderly in Finland: An under-examined mechanism of redistribution
Authors: Vaalavuo Maria
Published: November 2019

The opportunity to use public services supports older people’s livelihoods, although out-of-pocket fees can be a burden, especially for low-income pensioners. In this article, we analyse the use of health and social care services among the elderly in Finland. The objectives are two-fold: first, to study the distribution of public spending on services across income groups, and second, to investigate the related costs to the service-user. The article contributes to the debate on the welfare states’ redistributive function. The study is based on register data covering the total Finnish population in 2015. In our descriptive analysis, we focus on the distribution of the cost of production (based on detailed unit costs), user fees (calculated based on legislation) as well as reimbursements by social insurance and out-of-pocket payments for medicine, private services and travel costs. The results show that the amount of in-kind benefits is the largest in the two bottom income quintiles both in absolute and relative terms. We also see that the related costs to the client are small in relation to the monetary value of the service, although they amount to 9% of the disposable income in the lowest income quintile. It is noteworthy that benefits are highly concentrated on a small group of individuals. Public services create an important context for the evaluation of adequacy of cash income. Likewise, when we want to understand economic conditions of elderly people in a more comprehensive way, studying the share of disposable income going to health and social care is one important dimension. However, we also argue that we need to be cautious when making claims about redistribution through public services.
Diagnosis of canine brucellosis: comparison of various serologic tests and PCR
Authors: Mol Juliana P. S. , Guedes Andressa C. B. , Eckstein Camila , Quintal Amanda P. N. , Souza Tayse D. , Mathias Luis A. , Haddad João Paulo A. , Paixão Tatiane A. , Santos Renato L.
Published: November 2019

Canine brucellosis is an infectious and contagious disease associated with reproductive losses in breeding kennels. As a zoonotic disease, it poses a risk to human health, especially for veterinarians and breeders who handle materials potentially contaminated with Brucella canis. However, canine brucellosis is a neglected and underestimated disease given the difficulties in establishing a definitive diagnosis. We evaluated the frequency of detection of B. canis in 5 breeding kennels by using various serologic methods and PCR. Circulation of B. canis in these kennels was confirmed by bacterial isolation. The frequency of positive serologic results varied from 6.3% by AGID to 16.5% by dot-ELISA. There was no positive serology for smooth Brucella. PCR testing was positive in 13.9% of samples. The only detection tests with reasonable agreement were PCR and 2ME-MAT. The diagnosis of canine brucellosis remains challenging. The use of a single laboratory method, or even the use of different laboratory methods, may not be sufficient to reach a definitive diagnosis.
The Lived Experience of Nursing Students with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds in Italy: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study
Authors: Randon Giulia , Falloppi Paola , Costa Maria Chiara , Bevilacqua Anita , Brugnolli Anna , Canzan Federica , Kustatscher Astrid , Marognolli Oliva , Tollini Morena , Palese Alvisa , Saiani Luisa
Published: November 2019

Introduction: In recent decades, Italy has been exposed to significant migrant flows resulting from political and economic instability in neighbouring countries. As a result, there has been an increased amount of cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) among nursing students. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of CALD nursing students as lived in the Italian nursing programmes. Method: A descriptive phenomenological method was used in 2017 with the involvement of a purposeful sample of 21 CALD nursing students in five Italian Bachelor of Nursing Science campuses. Data were collected using semistructured interviews; the subsequent content analysis was conducted by two independent researchers. Results: CALD nursing students reported having lived a transformative experience based on seven themes, from “living in the middle, between belonging and detachment” to “acquiring cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity.” Discussion: Dealing with linguistic and cultural differences can affected CALD students’ academic success, but also encourages them to develop awareness and cultural sensitivity by influencing their peers and the environment of the nursing programme. Therefore, having CALD students is a great value for nursing programmes. Nursing programmes should embody the values of cultural sensitivity and acceptance, including them as a nursing care value and as a concrete strategy to support CALD students. They should also develop strategies to promote the knowledge and responsibilities of nurses among CALD students and increase cultural sensitivity among faculty members at different levels.
Women’s Lived Experiences of Chronic Pain: Faces of Gendered Suffering
Authors: Arman Maria , Gebhardt Anja , Hök Nordberg Johanna , Andermo Susanne
Published: November 2019

Women are overrepresented in pain rehabilitation. They seem to be more exposed to comorbidity between mental illness and diseases of the musculoskeletal system than men, implying that besides biopsychosocial factors, gender relations and cultural context should be considered. The aim of the study is to understand the lived experience of women with chronic pain from a caring science and gender perspective. Gadamerian philosophical hermeneutics has been used to analyze interviews from 21 women living with chronic pain in Sweden. The hermeneutical process revealed intertwined experiences of overperformance, loneliness, pain, and exhaustion. Women’s experience of an overwhelming life situation and the significance of mutual dependency seem to be central to health and suffering in women with chronic pain. We suggest, contemporary health care to acknowledge women’s health and suffering in relation to their life situation and prevailing gender roles.
Chronotopes
Authors: Marková Ivana , Novaes Adelina
Published: November 2019

Dialogical single case studies involve mutually interdependent relations between humans in their real locations and in real time (here-and-now). Mikhail Bakhtin explored such relations in terms of chronotopes, i.e. as indivisible units serving as analytical tools for the study of dynamic processes in literature. We argue that chronotopic thinking also serves as an epistemological and ethical organising principle of human activities in daily thinking, knowing, actions and communication. This article explores different types of chronotopic thinking in dialogical single case studies, such as routines and changes; bildungsromans and heteroglossia; and values, meanings and intensities of these chronotopes in different time-scale situations. Considering ethical and dynamic interdependencies between the participants, this article suggests in what ways knowledge obtained in dialogical single case studies could be transferred (extended, generalised, resituated) to other kinds of studies.
A comparison of acoustic far-field prediction methods for turbulent flows
Authors: Zhong Siyang , Zhang Xin , Huang Xun
Published: November 2019

Spurious wave contaminations may occur in the computations of acoustic far-field directivities in turbulent flows with only surface integrations. Two methods could be used to tackle the problem: (1) to take average of the solutions using multiple integration surfaces based on the Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings equation that was widely applied to various aeroacoustics problems, and (2) to use the generalized sound extrapolation method based on an indirect acoustic variable to filter out the non-acoustic fluctuations in turbulent flows. The performances of the two methods are investigated by applying to the representative broadband airfoil leading edge noise and turbulent jet noise problems. For the Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings approach, the prediction accuracy is sensitively influenced by the number and location of the integration surfaces. It often requires more than 10 well-configured surfaces to yield a convergent solution compare to the indirect acoustic variable method. The properties of robust and low computation cost of the indirect acoustic variable method suggest that it is potentially useful for the far-field computations of the aeroacoustics problems.
Advancing interdisciplinary research on illegal wildlife trade using a conservation criminology framework
Authors: Boratto Rachel , Gibbs Carole
Published: November 2019

Green criminologists have recently entered a period of self-assessment, critiquing the discursive nature of theory, over-reliance on case studies, and lack of interdisciplinarity in this area of study, and offering a variety of ideas on how to move forward. We propose using conservation criminology, a multi/interdisciplinary and problem-specific research framework, to expand upon exploratory work through empirical research with clearly defined parameters. We use the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) as an example of the potential benefits of this approach, as this body of literature reflects the critiques raised by green criminologists. We further encourage the replication of important studies and the use of common terminology to describe study parameters to build towards greater generalizability that can be tested through meta-analyses and systematic reviews. This approach will help to build a body of interdisciplinary literature that can inform the development of empirically driven policy to address IWT and other environmental crimes and risks.
Comparing school-related risk factors of stereotypical bullying perpetration and cyberbullying perpetration
Authors: Bergmann Marie Christine
Published: November 2019

Based on the combination of two representative surveys of ninth graders ( N = 20,150) conducted in 2013 and 2015 in Lower Saxony, Germany, this article first examines the prevalence of cyberbullying perpetration and stereotypical bullying perpetration. Second, in addition to already existing research, the prevalence of the simultaneous perpetration of stereotypical bullying and cyberbullying is presented here as well. In order to overcome the limitations of existing research, General Strain Theory (GST; Agnew, 1992) is used to theoretically determine why it is expected that school characteristics are associated with the three forms of bullying. In the students’ preceding semester, 6.1 percent of the surveyed adolescents were perpetrators of stereotypical bullying, 1.1 percent bullied someone online, and 1.3 percent of the juveniles engaged in both bullying behaviors. Binary logistic multilevel analyses show that school-related strains are in fact related to the perpetration of stereotypical bullying, cyberbullying, and the perpetration of both behaviors simultaneously. The risk of engaging in the perpetration of stereotypical bullying, and the perpetration of cyberbullying and stereotypical bullying simultaneously, is especially increased by school-related strains. Thus, those respondents who carry out bullying behaviors in the school context seem to be especially affected by school-related strains.
What is ‘virtual Holocaust memory’?
Authors: Walden Victoria Grace
Published: November 2019

As more Holocaust memorial and educational organizations engage with digital technologies, the notion of virtual Holocaust memory has come to the fore. However, while this term is generally used simply to describe digital projects, this paper seeks to re-evaluate the specificity of virtuality and its relationship to memory through the thinking of Gilles Deleuze and Henri Bergson in order to consider how both digital and non-digital memory projects related to the Holocaust might be described as drawing attention to the virtuality of memory because they bring us into critical interstitial spaces between multiple layers of pasts and present in embodied ways that encourage us to consciously recognize the movements towards temporal planes which characterize memory. After reviewing the philosophies of Deleuze and Bergson in light of collaborative Holocaust memory, this article considers a range of digital and physical memorials to assess where we might find examples of virtual Holocaust memory today. I propose that we should see the virtual as a methodology – a particular form of memory practice – rather than a medium.
United We Stand: Platforms, Tools and Innovation With the Unity Game Engine
Authors: Foxman Maxwell
Published: November 2019

The skirmish between game engines Unity and Unreal presents a new front in the platformization of cultural production. This article argues that such programs are “platform tools.” They enable amateurs and professionals to not only build content for platforms but also “lock-in” industry ideologies in the ideation, production, implementation, and distribution of digital creative work, resulting in a homogeneity of developers, practices, and products. The Unity engine’s history, features, and place in the game production pipeline makes it a paradigmatic “platform tool.” Findings from 90 interviews with VR enthusiasts show that Unity set the boundaries or “rules” for developers’ everyday activities and, despite enthusiasm about the medium’s potential, compelled them to create content which conformed to popular gaming genres and standards.
Understanding the Allocation of Student Support Personnel in Public Schools
Authors: Bastian Kevin C. , Akos Patrick , Domina Thurston , Griffard Megan
Published: November 2019

In this study, we extend research on the allocation of educational resources to an underdeveloped domain—the distribution of counselors, psychologists, and social workers (i.e., support personnel) to schools. Using administrative data for all North Carolina public schools in the 2007–2008 through 2015–2016 school years, we measure the allocation of support personnel to schools, track secular changes in support personnel ratios during a period in which state budgetary provisions contracted and expanded, and assess the distribution of support personnel to high-poverty and high-minority schools. We calculate more accurate support personnel ratios and show that trends in support personnel ratios differ across school levels. We find that districts concentrate support personnel in high-need schools, however, this compensatory pattern is narrowing over time. Our findings call for further research on the allocation of support personnel and charge states/districts to calculate more accurate and granular support personnel ratios to inform decision making.
Safety evaluation of Galdieria high-protein microalgal biomass
Authors: Modeste Virginie , Brient Alizée , Thirion-Delalande Catherine , Forster Roy , Aguenou Corinne , Griffiths Hywel , Cagnac Olivier
Published: November 2019

Protealg® is the dried and ground whole biomass of Galdieria sulphuraria, a microalga naturally rich in protein and phycocyanin, and contains carotenoids. It is expected that Protealg will be consumed as a food ingredient or supplement by the general public. The safety of Protealg was evaluated in an Ames bacterial reverse mutation test, in vitro mammalian cell micronucleus test, and 13-week oral toxicity study in rats at the dose levels of 500, 2000, and 5000 mg/kg/day. The 13-week toxicity study included a 4-week treatment-free period to evaluate recovery. A functional observation battery and ophthalmology examinations were performed, and hematology, blood biochemistry, thyroid hormone, and urinalysis parameters were determined. Seminology parameters and estrus cycle staging were investigated. A macroscopic necropsy examination was performed and tissues were examined microscopically. Protealg showed no evidence of mutagenicity or clastogenic activity. It was well tolerated by rats and no clinical findings indicative of toxicity were observed. There were no significant findings in the in-life or post-mortem investigations. In conclusion, no toxicity was observed after administration of Protealg at dose levels up to 5000 mg/kg/day to rats for 13 weeks, supporting the safety of Protealg for use as a high protein food supplement. The NOAEL was established as 5000 mg/kg/day. Allowing for a margin of exposure of 100-fold, the corresponding anticipated daily intake will be 50 mg/kg/day equivalent to 3.5 g/day for a 70 kg subject. Incorporation levels in various foods will be defined on the basis of appropriate exposure estimations using official recommendations.
metaSPARSim: a 16S rRNA gene sequencing count data simulator
Authors: Patuzzi Ilaria , Baruzzo Giacomo , Losasso Carmen , Ricci Antonia , Di Camillo Barbara
Published: November 2019

Background

In the last few years, 16S rRNA gene sequencing (16S rDNA-seq) has seen a surprisingly rapid increase in election rate as a methodology to perform microbial community studies. Despite the considerable popularity of this technique, an exiguous number of specific tools are currently available for proper 16S rDNA-seq count data preprocessing and simulation. Indeed, the great majority of tools have been developed adapting methodologies previously used for bulk RNA-seq data, with poor assessment of their applicability in the metagenomics field. For such tools and the few ones specifically developed for 16S rDNA-seq data, performance assessment is challenging, mainly due to the complex nature of the data and the lack of realistic simulation models. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, no software thought for data simulation are available to directly obtain synthetic 16S rDNA-seq count tables that properly model heavy sparsity and compositionality typical of these data.

Results

In this paper we present metaSPARSim, a sparse count matrix simulator intended for usage in development of 16S rDNA-seq metagenomic data processing pipelines. metaSPARSim implements a new generative process that models the sequencing process with a Multivariate Hypergeometric distribution in order to realistically simulate 16S rDNA-seq count table, resembling real experimental data compositionality and sparsity. It provides ready-to-use count matrices and comes with the possibility to reproduce different pre-coded scenarios and to estimate simulation parameters from real experimental data. The tool is made available athttp://sysbiobig.dei.unipd.it/?q=Software#metaSPARSimandhttps://gitlab.com/sysbiobig/metasparsim.

Conclusion

metaSPARSim is able to generate count matrices resembling real 16S rDNA-seq data. The availability of count data simulators is extremely valuable both for methods developers, for which a ground truth for tools validation is needed, and for users who want to assess state of the art analysis tools for choosing the most accurate one. Thus, we believe that metaSPARSim is a valuable tool for researchers involved in developing, testing and using robust and reliable data analysis methods in the context of 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
MetaCon: unsupervised clustering of metagenomic contigs with probabilistic k-mers statistics and coverage
Authors: Qian Jia , Comin Matteo
Published: November 2019

Motivation

Sequencing technologies allow the sequencing of microbial communities directly from the environment without prior culturing. Because assembly typically produces only genome fragments, also known as contigs, it is crucial to group them into putative species for further taxonomic profiling and down-streaming functional analysis. Taxonomic analysis of microbial communities requires contig clustering, a process referred to as binning, that is still one of the most challenging tasks when analyzing metagenomic data. The major problems are the lack of taxonomically related genomes in existing reference databases, the uneven abundance ratio of species, sequencing errors, and the limitations due to binning contig of different lengths.

Results

In this context we present MetaCon a novel tool for unsupervised metagenomic contig binning based on probabilistic k-mers statistics and coverage. MetaCon uses a signature based on k-mers statistics that accounts for the different probability of appearance of a k-mer in different species, also contigs of different length are clustered in two separate phases. The effectiveness of MetaCon is demonstrated in both simulated and real datasets in comparison with state-of-art binning approaches such as CONCOCT, MaxBin and MetaBAT.
Impact of polymorphic transposable elements on transcription in lymphoblastoid cell lines from public data
Authors: Spirito Giovanni , Mangoni Damiano , Sanges Remo , Gustincich Stefano
Published: November 2019

Background

Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences able to mobilize themselves and to increase their copy-number in the host genome. In the past, they have been considered mainly selfish DNA without evident functions. Nevertheless, currently they are believed to have been extensively involved in the evolution of primate genomes, especially from a regulatory perspective. Due to their recent activity they are also one of the primary sources of structural variants (SVs) in the human genome. By taking advantage of sequencing technologies and bioinformatics tools, recent surveys uncovered specific TE structural variants (TEVs) that gave rise to polymorphisms in human populations. When combined with RNA-seq data this information provides the opportunity to study the potential impact of TEs on gene expression in human.

Results

In this work, we assessed the effects of the presence of specific TEs in cis on the expression of flanking genes by producing associations between polymorphic TEs and flanking gene expression levels in human lymphoblastoid cell lines. By using public data from the 1000 Genome Project and the Geuvadis consortium, we exploited an expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) approach integrated with additional bioinformatics data mining analyses. We uncovered human loci enriched for common, less common and rare TEVs and identified 323 significant TEV-cis-eQTL associations. SINE-R/VNTR/Alus (SVAs) resulted the TE class with the strongest effects on gene expression. We also unveiled differential functional enrichments on genes associated to TEVs, genes associated to TEV-cis-eQTLs and genes associated to the genomic regions mostly enriched in TEV-cis-eQTLs highlighting, at multiple levels, the impact of TEVs on the host genome. Finally, we also identified polymorphic TEs putatively embedded in transcriptional units, proposing a novel mechanism in which TEVs may mediate individual-specific traits.

Conclusion

We contributed to unveiling the effect of polymorphic TEs on transcription in lymphoblastoid cell lines.
BITS2018: the fifteenth annual meeting of the Italian Society of Bioinformatics
Authors: Cordero Francesca , Calogero Raffaele A. , Caselle Michele
Published: November 2019

This preface introduces the content of the BioMed Central Bioinformatics journal Supplement related to the 15th annual meeting of the Bioinformatics Italian Society, BITS2018. The Conference was held in Torino, Italy, from June 27th to 29th, 2018.
Factors associated with permanent hypothyroidism in infants with congenital hypothyroidism
Authors: Park Eun Sil , Yoon Ju Young
Published: November 2019

Background

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common endocrine diseases in childhood. A significant proportion of CH cases are transient, but the risk factors for permanent CH (PCH) are not yet well established. The current guidelines suggest using levothyroxine until the age of 3 years, but some studies suggest the possibility of earlier discontinuation. However, few, if any, studies have followed up on the results of early discontinuation. This study aimed to identify predictive factors of transient CH among infants with CH. We also investigated the results in patients who underwent a trial of early discontinuation.

Methods

We gathered data regarding infants diagnosed with CH between July 2005 and July 2015 by retrospective chart review. Those with aplastic, hypoplastic or ectopic glands on thyroid ultrasonography or scan were excluded. Among them, early discontinuation subgroup was defined as those who discontinued levothyroxine before 30 months of age.

Results

From the 80 infants (40 males, 40 females) enrolled in this study, 51 were preterm. Nine (11.3%) were diagnosed with PCH. Compared with transient cases, those with PCH were on higher levothyroxine dose at discontinuation (4.3 vs 2.9 μg/kg, P < 0.001). There was no difference in the proportion of permanent cases between preterm and full-term groups. In preterm group,infants with PCH required higher levothyroxine dose at discontinuation than those with transient CH (3.8 vs 2.5 μg/kg, P = 0.018). Levothyroxine discontinuation at a dose of 2.86 μg/kg could suggest PCH (sensitivity, 88.9%; specificity, 71.0%). Among the 9 patients who underwent a trial of early discontinuation, 8 successfully discontinued levothyroxine.

Conclusion

The majority of CH patients discontinued levothyroxine successfully, including those who underwent a trial of early discontinuation. Higher levothyroxine dose at the time of discontinuation was found to be a predictive factor for PCH.
Hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase 2B1 affects gastric epithelial function and carcinogenesis induced by a carcinogenic agent
Authors: Hong Wenting , Guo Fenghua , Yang Mingjie , Xu Dongke , Zhuang Ziyan , Niu Baolin , Bai Qianming , Li Xiaobo
Published: November 2019

Background

A healthy gastric mucosal epithelium exhibits tumor-suppressive properties. Gastric epithelial cell dysfunction contributes to gastric cancer development. Oxysterols provided from food or cholesterol oxidation in the gastric epithelium may be further sulfated by hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase 2B1 (SULT2B1), which is highly abundant in the gastric epithelium. However, the effects of SULT2B1 on gastric epithelial function and gastric carcinogenesis are unclear.

Methods

A mouse gastric tumor model was established using carcinogenic agent 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MCA). A SULT2B1 deletion (SULT2B1−/−) human gastric epithelial line GES-1 was constructed by CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing system.

Results

The gastric tumor incidence was higher in the SULT2B1−/− mice than in the wild-type (WT) mice. In gastric epithelial cells, adenovirus-mediated SULT2B1b overexpression reduced the levels of oxysterols, such as 24(R/S),25-epoxycholesterol (24(R/S),25-EC) and 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC). This condition also increased PI3K/AKT signaling to promote gastric epithelial cell proliferation, epithelization, and epithelial development. However, SULT2B1 deletion or SULT2B1 knockdown suppressed PI3K/AKT signaling, epithelial cell epithelization, and wound healing and induced gastric epithelial cell malignant transition upon 3-MCA induction.

Conclusions

The abundant SULT2B1 expression in normal gastric epithelium might maintain epithelial function via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and suppress gastric carcinogenesis induced by a carcinogenic agent.
Expression of Concern to: Identifying and targeting cancer stem cells in leiomyosarcoma: prognostic impact and role to overcome secondary resistance to PI3K/mTOR inhibition
Authors: Fourneaux Benjamin , Bourdon Aurélien , Dadone Bérengère , Lucchesi Carlo , Daigle Scott R. , Richard Elodie , Laroche-Clary Audrey , Le Loarer François , Italiano Antoine
Published: November 2019

The Editor-in-Chief would like to alert readers that the ownership of some of the data presented in this article [1]
Value of respiratory variation of aortic peak velocity in predicting children receiving mechanical ventilation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Xiaoying , Jiang Lulu , Liu Shuai , Ge Yali , Gao Ju
Published: November 2019

Background

Accurate volume assessment is crucial in children under fluid therapy. Over the last decade, respiratory variation of aortic peak velocity (△VPeak) has been applied in intensive care unit and surgeries to help clinicians guide fluid management. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to test diagnostic performance of △VPeak in predicting fluid responsiveness of ventilated children and to explore the potential factors that influence the accuracy of △VPeak.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane from inception to April 2019 that evaluated association between △VPeak and fluid responsiveness after fluid challenge in children receiving mechanical ventilation. Data synthesis was performed within the bivariate mixed-effects regression model modified for synthesis of diagnostic test data.

Results

Eleven studies with a total of 302 pediatric patients were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of △VPeak was 0.89 (95%CI = 0.77 to 0.95) and 0.85 (95%CI = 0.77 to 0.91), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of △VPeak was 48 (95%CI = 15 to 155). SROC yielded an area under the curve of 0.91 (95%CI = 0.88–0.93). The △VPeak cutoff value was nearly conically symmetrical distribution and varied from 7 to 20%. After excluding several extreme studies, most data were centered between 12 and 13%. The medium and mean cutoff values of △VPeak were 12.2% and 12.7%, respectively. In subgroup analysis, compared to total data analysis, △VPeak performed weaker in the younger children group (mean ages < 25 months), with lower area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUSROC) of 0.80 (0.76 to 0.83), but stronger in the older children group (mean ages > 25 months), with AUSROC of 0.96 (0.94 to 0.97).

Conclusions

Overall, △VPeak has a good ability in predicting fluid responsiveness of children receiving mechanical ventilation, but this ability decreases in younger children (mean age < 25 months). The optimal threshold of △VPeak to predict fluid responsiveness in ventilated children is reliable between 12 and 13%.

Trial registration

The study protocol was registered prospectively on PROSPERO no. CRD42019129361.
A condition for blow-up solutions to discrete p-Laplacian parabolic equations under the mixed boundary conditions on networks
Authors: Chung Soon-Yeong , Choi Min-Jun , Hwang Jaeho
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we investigate the condition
$$(C_{p})\quad \alpha \int _{0}^{u}f(s)\,ds \leq uf(u)+\beta u^{p}+\gamma ,\quad u>0 $$(Cp)α∫0uf(s)ds≤uf(u)+βup+γ,u>0 for some $\alpha >2$α>2, $\gamma >0$γ>0, and $0\leq \beta \leq \frac{ (\alpha -p ) \lambda _{p,0}}{p}$0≤β≤(α−p)λp,0p, where $p>1$p>1, and $\lambda _{p,0}$λp,0 is the first eigenvalue of the discrete p-Laplacian $\Delta _{p,\omega }$Δp,ω. Using this condition, we obtain blow-up solutions to discrete p-Laplacian parabolic equations
$$ \textstyle\begin{cases} u_{t} (x,t )=\Delta _{p,\omega }u (x,t )+f(u(x,t)), & (x,t )\in S\times (0,+\infty ), \\ \mu (z)\frac{\partial u}{\partial _{p} n}(x,t)+\sigma (z) \vert u(x,t) \vert ^{p-2}u(x,t)=0, & (x,t )\in \partial S\times [0,+\infty ), \\ u (x,0 )=u_{0}\geq 0\quad (\mbox{nontrivial}), & x\in S, \end{cases} $${ut(x,t)=Δp,ωu(x,t)+f(u(x,t)),(x,t)∈S×(0,+∞),μ(z)∂u∂pn(x,t)+σ(z)|u(x,t)|p−2u(x,t)=0,(x,t)∈∂S×[0,+∞),u(x,0)=u0≥0(nontrivial),x∈S, on a discrete network S, where $\frac{\partial u}{\partial _{p}n}$∂u∂pn denotes the discrete p-normal derivative. Here μ and σ are nonnegative functions on the boundary ∂S of S with $\mu (z)+\sigma (z)>0$μ(z)+σ(z)>0, $z\in \partial S$z∈∂S. In fact, we will see that condition $(C_{p})$(Cp) improves the conditions known so far.
Rehabilitation of indigenous browse plant species following exclosure established on communal grazing lands in South Tigray, Ethiopia, and implication for conservation
Authors: Atsbha Tesfay , Wayu Solomon , Gebretsadkan Nguse , Gebremariam Tesfay , Giday Tsgehiwet
Published: November 2019

Background

Despite the wide use of indigenous browse plant species, there is almost no information on the rehabilitation of indigenous browse species following area exclosure (AE) established on communal grazing lands (CGL) in Southern Tigray. The objectives of this study were to assess the rehabilitation of browse plant species following AE establishment on CGL. A total of 61 and 59 plots of 10 × 10 m2size were laid down at 50-m intervals along parallel line transects at AE and GCL, respectively. Data collected on vegetation attributes were subjected to analysis ofttest (unequal variances) using R-software.

Results

The Shannon diversity index of the browse plant species was 1.25 and 0.81 in AE and CGL, respectively (P < 0.001). The overall population structure of browse plant species in the AE shows a reverse J-shaped population curve and “good” regeneration status, which reveals that the future communities may be sustained. Leaf biomass and basal area of browse plant species were significantly higher in the AE than in CGL (P < 0.001). After exclusion of grazing, AE was found to have positive effects on diversity and aboveground biomass of browse plant species.

Conclusions

The study gives an understanding of the diversity, the pattern of population and regeneration of the browse plant species, which may help in the management and conservation of the species. Our results indicate that grazing exclusion is an effective management strategy to restore browse plant species. We concluded that the establishment of AE had a positive effect on the rehabilitation of browse plant species diversity and improved population structure and regeneration potentials of degraded grazing lands. Long-term monitoring and evaluation systems will be required to gain an informed understanding of the roles played by area exclosures in the rehabilitation and conservation of browse palnt species diversity.
Correction to: Competitive interaction with keystone taxa induced negative priming under biochar amendments
Authors: Chen Lijun , Jiang Yuji , Liang Chao , Luo Yu , Xu Qinsong , Han Cheng , Zhao Qiguo , Sun Bo
Published: November 2019

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error in the Additional file 1.
Antecedent cancer in Takotsubo syndrome predicts both cardiovascular and long-term mortality
Authors: Nguyen Thanh H. , Stansborough Jeanette , Ong Gao J. , Surikow Sven , Price Timothy J. , Horowitz John D.
Published: November 2019

Background

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), primarily an acute myocardial inflammatory condition engendered by catecholamine exposure, is associated with similar long-term mortality rates to those of patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, there is increasing evidence of a nexus between TTS and underlying malignancies:- many patients have antecedent cancer (A/Ca), while incremental risk of late cancer-related death has also been reported.

Purpose

To evaluate potential interactions between A/Ca among TTS patients and both early and late clinical course.

Methods

Three hundred forty-six consecutive TTS patients [aged 69 ± 13 (SD) years, males: 8.2%] were prospectively followed up for a median duration of 4.1 (IQR 2.2–6.4) years. Associations between A/Ca and severity of acute attacks, in-hospital complications and long-term death rates were sought utilising univariate analyses followed by multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

A/Ca (present in 16.8% of patients) was associated with (i) greater elevation of hs-CRP and NT-proBNP concentrations (p = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively), (ii) more complicated in-hospital clinical course, with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in 30.9% of patients, compared to 18.2% in non-A/Ca patients (p = 0.04). Long-term all-cause mortality rate was also greater [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.4, p = 0.0001] in A/Ca patients, with an excess cardiovascular (CVS) fatality rate (HR = 3.1, p = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, male gender, peak plasma concentrations of normetanephrine and hs-CRP, early arrhythmias and development of shock, but not A/Ca per se, were all independently associated with increased long-term mortality rate. Furthermore, patients discharged on β-adrenoceptor antagonists (βBl) or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/ angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEi/ARB) had lower long-term mortality rates (β = − 0.2, p = 0.01; β = − 0.14, p = 0.05, respectively).

Conclusions

(1) A/Ca is associated with greater clinical severity of initial TTS attacks and substantially greater long-term CVS-related as well as all-cause mortality.

(2) Post-discharge therapy with either βBl or ACEi/ARB is associated with reductions in long-term mortality rates.

Overall, the current data suggest operation of substantial interactions between neoplasia and TTS, both at the level of pathogenesis and of outcomes.
Incidence of ischaemic heart disease and stroke among people with psychiatric disorders: retrospective cohort study
Authors: Jackson Caroline A. , Kerssens Joannes , Fleetwood Kelly , Smith Daniel J. , Mercer Stewart W. , Wild Sarah H.
Published: November 2019

Background

Psychiatric disorders are associated with increased risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, but it is not known whether the associations or the role of sociodemographic factors have changed over time.

Aims

To investigate the association between psychiatric disorders and IHD and stroke, by time period and sociodemographic factors.

Method

We used Scottish population-based records from 1991 to 2015 to create retrospective cohorts with a hospital record for psychiatric disorders of interest (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression) or no record of hospital admission for mental illness. We estimated incidence and relative risks of IHD and stroke in people with versus without psychiatric disorders by calendar year, age, gender and area-based deprivation level.

Results

In all cohorts, incidence of IHD (645 393 events) and stroke (276 073 events) decreased over time, but relative risks decreased for depression only. In 2015, at the mean age at event onset, relative risks were 2- to 2.5-fold higher in people with versus without a psychiatric disorder. Age at incidence of outcome differed by cohort, gender and socioeconomic status. Relative but not absolute risks were generally higher in women than men. Increasing deprivation conveys a greater absolute risk of IHD for people with bipolar disorder or depression.

Conclusions

Despite declines in absolute rates of IHD and stroke, relative risks remain high in those with versus without psychiatric disorders. Cardiovascular disease monitoring and prevention approaches may need to be tailored by psychiatric disorder and cardiovascular outcome, and be targeted, for example, by age and deprivation level.
Mutational Profile of Driver Genes in Brazilian Melanomas
Authors: Vicente Anna Luiza S.A. , Crovador Camila S. , Macedo Graziela , Scapulatempo-Neto Cristovam , Reis Rui M. , Vazquez Vinicius L.
Published: November 2019

PURPOSE

Mutation testing of the key genes involved in melanoma oncogenesis is now mandatory for the application of targeted therapeutics. However, knowledge of the mutational profile of melanoma remains largely unknown in Brazil.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this study, we assessed the mutation status of melanoma driver genes BRAF, NRAS, TERT, KIT, and PDGFRA in a cohort of 459 patients attended at Barretos Cancer Hospital between 2001 and 2012. We used polymerase chain reaction followed by Sanger sequencing to analyze the hot spot mutations of BRAF exon 15 (V600E), NRAS (codons 12/13 and 61), TERT (promoter region), KIT (exons 9, 11, 13, and 17), and PDGFRA (exons 12, 14, and 18) in tumors. The mutational profile was investigated for associations with demographic, histopathologic, and clinical features of the disease.

RESULTS

The nodular subtype was most frequent (38.9%) followed by the superficial spreading subtype (34.4%). The most frequent tumor location was in the limbs (50.0%). The mutation rates were 34.3% for TERT and 34.1% for BRAF followed by NRAS (7.9%), KIT (6.2%), and PDGFRA (2.9%). The BRAF ( P = .014) and TERT ( P = .006) mutations were associated with younger patients and with different anatomic locations, particularly in the trunk, for the superficial spreading and nodular subtypes, respectively ( P = .0001 for both). PDGFRA mutations were associated with black skin color ( P = .023) and TERT promoter mutations with an absence of ulceration ( P = .037) and lower levels of lactate dehydrogenase. There was no association between patient survival rates and mutational status.

CONCLUSION

The similar mutational profile we observe in melanomas in Brazil compared with other populations will help to guide precision medicine in this country.
Familial Longings
Authors: Flores-Rodríguez Daynalí
Published: November 2019

In recent reinterpretations of the Caribbean dictatorial past, Caribbean American writers living in the United States challenge the Latin American dictator novel genre as a discursive tradition that reduces Caribbean culture to specific representations of power, oppression, and identity anchored in the political upheavals of the Cold War. This essay examines how the contemporary Caribbean writers Julia Álvarez, Junot Díaz, and Edwidge Danticat use familial dynamics to bring forth the multifaceted and complex realities of transnational communities, dispel ideas of cultural legitimacy based on exclusionary practices, disrupt everyday practices of cultural consumption, and empower Caribbean subjects to claim agency over their own stories and experiences.
An Ethics of Discomfort
Authors: Magloire Marina
Published: November 2019

This essay traces the evolution of Katherine Dunham’s relationship with Haiti through archival research and a consideration of her 1969 ethnographic memoir, Island Possessed. It argues that primitivist discourses framing Vodou as an instinctive capacity latent in all people of African origins provided interwar black artists such as Dunham with a tantalizing possibility of Pan-African solidarity through which they could mobilize their desire for connection with an obscured past and an imagined community in the present. When Dunham found her 1930s fieldwork inevitably run aground on the wall of cultural difference, however, her initial feelings of discomfort in Haiti transformed her writing into an interrogation of the supposedly innate and homogeneous nature of blackness. The language and praxis of Vodou proved flexible enough to provide her with the vocabulary to articulate a more nuanced version of diasporic blackness beyond her preconceived notions of an easy or automatic alliance between all black people.
Lezama Lima’s “Julián del Casal”
Authors: Cruz-Malavé Arnaldo M.
Published: November 2019

This examination of José Lezama Lima’s groundbreaking essay on the controversial late-nineteenth-century Cuban poet Julián del Casal situates the essay in the postrevolutionary context in which it first appeared in a Havana newspaper in 1941, a year after the ratification of the Constitution of 1940 and the publication of Fernando Ortiz’s celebrated Cuban Counterpoint. It explores Lezama Lima’s essay as a response to this moment in Cuban history as one that sought to forge, according to Rafael Rojas, a new “pact of national reconciliation,” and was characterized by anxieties over Cubans’ ability to produce. It argues that Lezama Lima’s essay responded by turning from questions of production and proposing instead an urban aesthetic practice of reception and failure that foregrounds—in a manner not unlike contemporary queer critics—the racial and sexual spectral and ephemeral as sources for alternative forms of productivity and agency.