bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of adding tripterygium glycosides to angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers on albuminuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Fang Jin‐Ying , Yang Yue , Zhang Zheng , Jiang Shi‐Min , Yu Tian‐Yu , Li Wen‐Ge
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Tripterygium glycosides (TGs) have been widely used in China to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN); however, proof of their use is scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of adding TGs to angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).

Methods

By searching Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, SINOMED, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Information/Chinese Scientific Journals, and WANFANG databases, we identified previous studies that met the specific selection criteria and included them in the meta‐analysis. Analyses were performed using Review Manager (version 5.3).

Results

Nine randomized controlled trials were included in the final meta‐analysis. Patients were compared before and after treatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs, or ACE inhibitors or ARBs alone. The results revealed that treatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs resulted in significantly greater reductions in 24‐h urinary total protein (UTP) levels (trial duration <2 months, mean difference [MD]: −0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.32, −0.18; trial duration between 2 and 6 months, MD: −0.39; 95% CI: −0.44, −0.33; trial duration >6 months, MD: −2.09; 95% CI: −2.89, −1.29) compared with treatment using ACE inhibitors or ARBs alone. Additionally, ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs showed better results after long‐term administration. Treatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs resulted in significantly greater reductions in serum creatinine (SCr) compared with ACE inhibitors or ARBs alone (MD: −9.87; 95% CI: −13.76, −5.97).

Conclusion

In patients with DN, adding TGs to ACE inhibitors or ARBs significantly lowered both the 24‐h UTP and SCr levels. Therefore, ACE inhibitors or ARBs plus TGs might improve the treatment of DN in patients.
The leadership role of teachers and environment club coordinators in promoting ecocentrism in secondary schools: Teachers as exemplars of environmental education
Authors: Smith William
Published: February 2020

This study of Naessian ecocentrism and anthropocentrism in three environment club coordinators/science teachers, their colleagues and some parents at three secondary schools uses deep ecology and relational fields as primary frameworks for open-ended interviews. The findings reveal new insights into the affective, cognitive and behavioural characteristics of coordinators who enhance environmental education in their schools. The work presents preliminary data on leadership among sustainability coordinators who run environment clubs. It fills a gap in the literature by showing that in addition to environmental educators requiring knowledge and attitudes regarding sustainability practices, affective qualities like connectedness and love for the environment may be important to their success as sustainability exemplars. Teachers emerge as sustainability exemplars in a relational field to implement sustainability across the secondary curriculum, galvanise students, teachers and parents to connect to the Earth, and help students, teachers and parents move away from anthropocentrism. Findings suggest that if schools commit resources and time to the coordinator’s role, students experience significant benefits by becoming closer to the Earth and more empowered to act for the environment in ways consistent with deep ecology.
Perceived versus actual cricothyroid membrane landmarking accuracy by emergency medicine residents and staff physicians
Authors: Schouela Nicholas , Woo Michael Y. , Pan Andy , Cheung Warren J. , Perry Jeffery J.
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Cricothyrotomy is an intervention performed to salvage “can't intubate, can't ventilate” situations. Studies have shown poor accuracy with landmarking the cricothyroid membrane, particularly in female patients by surgeons and anesthesiologists. This study examines the perceived versus actual success rate of landmarking the cricothyroid membrane by resident and staff emergency physicians using obese and non-obese models.

Methods

Five male and female volunteers were models. Each model was placed supine, and a point-of-care ultrasound expert landmarked the borders of each cricothyroid membrane; 20 residents and 15 staff emergency physicians were given one attempt to landmark five models. Overall accuracy and accuracy stratified by sex and obesity status were calculated.

Results

Overall landmarking accuracy amongst all participants was 58% (SD 18%). A difference in accuracy was found for obese males (88%) versus obese females (40%) (difference = 48%, 95% CI = 30–65%, p < 0.0001), and non-obese males (77%) versus non-obese females (46%) (difference = 31%, 95% CI = 12–51%, p = 0.004). There was no association between perceived difficulty and success (correlation = 0.07, 95% CI = −0.081–0.214, p = 0.37). Confidence levels overall were higher amongst staff physicians (3.0) than residents (2.7) (difference = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1–0.6, p = 0.02), but there was no correlation between confidence in an attempt and its success (p = 0.33).

Conclusion

We found that physicians demonstrate significantly lower accuracy when landmarking cricothyroid membranes of females. Emergency physicians were unable to predict their own accuracy while landmarking, which can potentially lead to increased failed attempts and a longer time to secure the airway. Improved training techniques may reduce failed attempts and improve the time to secure the airway.
Seizure Freedom in Temporal Plus Epilepsy Surgery Following Stereo-Electroencephalography
Authors: Bottan Juan S. , Suller Marti Ana , Parrent Andrew G. , MacDougall Keith W. , McLachlan Richard S. , Burneo Jorge G. , Steven David A.
Published: February 2020

Background:

“Temporal plus” epilepsy (TPE) is a term that is used when the epileptogenic zone (EZ) extends beyond the boundaries of the temporal lobe. Stereotactic electroencephalography (SEEG) has been essential to identify additional EZs in adjacent structures that might be part of the temporal lobe/limbic network.

Objective:

We present a small case series of temporal plus cases successfully identified by SEEG who were seizure-free after resective surgery.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 156 patients who underwent SEEG in 5 years. Six cases had TPE and underwent anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) with additional extra-temporal resections.

Results:

Five cases had a focus on the right hemisphere and one on the left. Three cases were non-lesional and three were lesional. Mean follow-up time since surgery was 2.9 years (SD ± 1.8). Three patients had subdural electrodes investigation prior or in addition to SEEG. All patients underwent standard ATL and additional extra-temporal resections during the same procedure or at a later date. All patients were seizure-free at their last follow-up appointment (Engel Ia = 3; Engel Ib = 2; Engel Ic = 1). Pathology was nonspecific/gliosis for all six cases.

Conclusion:

TPE might explain some of the failures in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. We present a small case series of six patients in whom SEEG successfully identified this phenomenon and surgery proved effective.
Günter Frankenberg’s Comparative Constitutional Studies: Between Magic and Deceit
Authors: Mathews Jud
Published: February 2020

Constitutions traffic in magic and deceit, argues Günter Frankenberg, promising freedom and democracy even as they underwrite the exercise of coercive power on a massive scale. Scholars should approach constitutions with a healthy skepticism, but, Frankenberg contends, most mainstream scholars are too credulous, especially regarding the claims of liberal constitutionalism. Comparative Constitutional Studies serves as his corrective to the perceived blind spots and predilections of mainstream comparative constitutional scholarship, and it gives attention to little-known constitutions, forgotten histories, and alternatives to liberal constitutionalism. It’s a rich, challenging, and valuable book, one that takes the reader to some off-the-beaten-track places and offers some new perspectives on well-studied landmarks. It does not, however, represent such a radical break from mainstream scholarship as the author supposes, both because the book’s own analysis, in practice, is not deeply unconventional, and because mainstream scholarship is more diverse than Frankenberg gives it credit for.
The ecological effects of Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) invasion: a synthesis
Authors: Cash James S. , Anderson Christopher J. , Gulsby William D.
Published: February 2020

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.) is a deciduous to evergreen shrub with an expansive nonnative global range. Control costs are often high, so land managers must carefully consider whether the plant’s potential negative effects warrant active management. To help facilitate this decision-making process, we reviewed and synthesized the literature on the potential ecological effects of L. sinense invasion. We also identified research gaps in need of further study. We found ample evidence of negative relationships between L. sinense invasion and native plant communities. While observational studies are not able to confirm whether L. sinense is driving these relationships, experimental evidence suggests that there is a cause–effect relationship. Of particular concern is the possibility that L. sinense could suppress forest regeneration and cause areas to transition from forest to L. sinense–dominated shrublands. Although this outcome would obviously impact a wide variety of wildlife species, empirical evidence of negative effects of L. sinense on wildlife are limited, and some species may actually benefit from the additional cover and foraging opportunities that L. sinense can provide. Further research on the potential effects of L. sinense invasion on large-scale forest structure and wildlife populations is needed. In areas where L. sinense invasion is a concern, evidence suggests early detection and management can mitigate control costs.
Pharmacological treatments for social anxiety disorder in adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Williams Taryn , McCaul Michael , Schwarzer Guido , Cipriani Andrea , Stein Dan J , Ipser Jonathan
Published: February 2020

Objective:

The aim of this paper was to provide a systematic review and update on the pharmacotherapy of social anxiety disorder (SAD), including the efficacy and tolerability of these agents, the ranking of interventions, and the grading of results by quality of evidence.

Methods:

The Common Mental Disorder Controlled Trial Register and two trial registries were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any pharmacological intervention or placebo in the treatment of SAD. We performed a standard pairwise meta-analysis using a random effects model and carried out a network meta-analysis (NMA) using the statistical package, R. Quality of evidence was also assessed.

Results:

We included 67 RCTs in the review and 21 to 45 interventions in the NMA. Paroxetine was most effective in the reduction of symptom severity as compared to placebo. Superior response to treatment was also observed for paroxetine, brofaromine, bromazepam, clonazepam, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, phenelzine, and sertraline. Higher dropout rates were found for fluvoxamine. Brofaromine, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, pregabalin, sertraline, and venlafaxine performed worse in comparison to placebo for the outcome of dropouts due to adverse events. Olanzapine yielded a relatively high rank for treatment efficacy and buspirone the worse rank for dropouts due to any cause.

Conclusion:

The differences between drugs and placebo were small, apart from a significant reduction in symptom severity and response for paroxetine. We suggest paroxetine as a first-line treatment of SAD, with the consideration of future research on the drug olanzapine as well as brofaromine, bromazepam, clonazepam, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, phenelzine, and sertraline because we observed a response to treatment.
Who Votes More Strategically?
Authors: EGGERS ANDREW C. , VIVYAN NICK
Published: February 2020

Strategic voting is an important explanation for aggregate political phenomena, but we know little about how strategic voting varies across types of voters. Are richer voters more strategic than poorer voters? Does strategic behavior vary with age, education, gender, or political leaning? The answers may be important for assessing how well an electoral system represents different preferences in society. We introduce a new approach to measuring and comparing strategic voting across voters that can be broadly applied, given appropriate survey data. In recent British elections, we find that older voters vote more strategically than younger voters and that richer voters vote more strategically than poorer voters, even as strategic behavior varies little across the education level. The differences in strategic voting by age and income are smaller than observed differences in turnout by age and income, but they tend to exacerbate these better-known inequalities in political participation.
The double-mutation（M918I + L1014F）kdrallele is fixed inCimex hemipterus populations in Guangxi, China
Authors: Zhao Yuhan , Feng Xiangyang , Li Mei , Qiu Xinghui
Published: February 2020

Four putative knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations have been documented in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene ofCimex hemipterusfrom several countries. However, no information regardingkdrmutations in any Chinese tropical bed bug population is available to date. In this study, a double-mutation（M918I + L1014F）kdrallele was identified in sixC. hemipteruspopulations across Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. The frequency of this allele was 100% in all the six examined populations. In addition, only two cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene haplotypes, with one synonymous nucleotide variation, were identified in a total of 48 individuals from six locations. The fixation and broad geographic distribution of this resistant allele questions the continued use of pyrethroids in the treatment of tropical bed bug infestations. The very low genetic diversity within and among these populations indicates that these bed bugs may have a single origin.
DNA barcoding of pear psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Psyllidae), a tale of continued misidentifications
Authors: Cho G. , Malenovský I. , Burckhardt D. , Inoue H. , Lee S.
Published: February 2020

Pear psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Psyllidae:Cacopsyllaspp.) belong to the most serious pests of pear (Pyrusspp.). They damage pear trees by excessive removal of phloem sap, by soiling the fruits with honeydew which, in turn, provides a substrate for sooty mould, and by transmission ofCandidatusPhytoplasma spp., the causal agents of the pear decline disease. The morphological similarity, the presence of seasonal dimorphism that affects adult colour, size and wing morphology and uncritical use of species names, led to much confusion in the taxonomy of pear psyllids. As a result, pear psyllids have been frequently misidentified. Many of the entries attributed toCacopsylla pyricolaand other species in the GenBank are misidentifications which led to additional, unnecessary confusion. Here we analysed DNA barcodes of 11 pear psyllid species from eastern Asia, Europe and Iran using four mitochondrial gene fragments (COI 658 bp, COI 403 bp, COI-tRNAleu-COII 580 bp and 16S rDNA 452 bp). The efficiency of identification was notably high and considerable barcoding gaps were observed in all markers. Our results confirm the synonymies of the seasonal forms ofCacopsylla jukyungi( =C. cinereosignata, winter form) andC. maculatili( =C. qiuzili, summer form) previously suggested based on morphology. Some previous misidentifications (C. chinensisfrom China, Japan and Korea = misidentification ofC. jukyungi;C. pyricolaandC. pyrisugafrom East Asia = misidentification ofC. jukyungiandC. burckhardti, respectively;C. pyricolafrom Iran = misidentification ofC. bidens,C. pyriandCacopsyllasp.) are also corrected. There is no evidence for the presence of European pear psyllid species in East Asia.
Lyapunov exponents for expansive homeomorphisms
Authors: Pacifico M. J. , Vieitez J. L.
Published: February 2020

We address the problem of defining Lyapunov exponents for an expansive homeomorphism f on a compact metric space (X, dist) using similar techniques as those developed in Barreira and Silva [Lyapunov exponents for continuous transformations and dimension theory, Discrete Contin. Dynam. Sys.13 (2005), 469–490]; Kifer [Characteristic exponents of dynamical systems in metric spaces, Ergod. Th. Dynam. Sys.3 (1983), 119–127]. Under certain conditions on the topology of the space X where f acts we obtain that there is a metric D defining the topology of X such that the Lyapunov exponents of f are different from zero with respect to D for every point x ∈ X. We give an example showing that this may not be true with respect to the original metric dist. But expansiveness of f ensures that Lyapunov exponents do not vanish on a Gδ subset of X with respect to any metric defining the topology of X. We define Lyapunov exponents on compact invariant sets of Peano spaces and prove that if the maximal exponent on the compact set is negative then the compact is an attractor.
Black and White Landscapes: Topographies of Disorientation in the Works of Carrie Mae Weems and Claudia Rankine
Authors: GANDER CATHERINE
Published: February 2020

In this essay, I explore how the contemporary black female artists Carrie Mae Weems and Claudia Rankine work with photography and text to develop what I call, after the famous 1975 American landscape photography exhibition, a new, anticolonial, topographics. Connecting the geographical and anatomical meanings of the word “topography,” I approach their works via the phenomenology of Sara Ahmed and Frantz Fanon, tracing how the two artists decentre and throw into relief what Ahmed terms “whiteness as orientation.” Enacting an affective, visual politics of discomfort and disorientation, Weems and Rankine, this essay contends, open new terrain from which to encounter the American landscape in visual, corporeal, and phenomenological terms.
Injuries, healing and management of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in human-impacted waters in the south Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Olaya-Ponzone Liliana , Espada Rocío , Martín Moreno Estefanía , Cárdenas Marcial Isabel , García-Gómez José C.
Published: February 2020

This study focuses on the dolphins populating the water between Gibraltar and Algeciras in the south Iberian Peninsula, an area subjected to pressure due to high human activity. The area is considered an important feeding and breeding ground for common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Due to the degree of residence of some specimens, and the large gap in knowledge about the evolution of wounds inD. delphisspecimens with lacerations, this work sought to perform the following analyses: identify lacerated individuals; characterize sequences of ‘before – during – after’ with respect to the occurrence of lacerations; and associate the type of injury with its severity. This work will inform future studies by expanding a database on injured individuals and contribute to periodical monitoring of specimens that frequent these geographic areas. Between 2013 and 2017, we were able to track the healing process of five injured individuals of common dolphins from a whale-watching platform thanks to photo identification. The animals exhibited fresh external wounds from different sources. In the majority of individuals, the wound-healing processes lasted 3–21 weeks. The frequency with which sightings are made and knowledge about the local population will help track injured animals, follow their wound evolution, and document their survival rates. The documented injuries inflicted by human interactions described in this paper may include fishing interactions and propeller strikes, probably as a consequence of the high intensity of recreational fishing and whale-watching activities in the area.
Improving averted loss estimates for better biodiversity outcomes from offset exchanges
Authors: Maseyk Fleur J. F. , Maron Martine , Gordon Ascelin , Bull Joseph W. , Evans Megan C.
Published: February 2020

Biodiversity offsetting aims to achieve at least no net loss of biodiversity by fully compensating for residual development-induced biodiversity losses after the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimize, remediate) has been applied. Actions used to generate offsets can include securing site protection, or maintaining or enhancing the condition of targeted biodiversity at an offset site. Protection and maintenance actions aim to prevent future biodiversity loss, so such offsets are referred to as averted loss offsets. However, the benefits of such approaches can be highly uncertain and opaque, because assumptions about the change in likelihood of loss as a result of the offset action are often implicit. As a result, the gain generated by averting losses can be intentionally or inadvertently overestimated, leading to offset outcomes that are insufficient for achieving no net loss of biodiversity. We present a method and decision tree to guide consistent and credible estimation of the likelihood of biodiversity loss for a proposed offset site with and without protection, for use when calculating the amount of benefit associated with the protection component of averted loss offsets. In circumstances such as when a jurisdictional offset policy applies to most impacts, plausible estimates of averted loss can be very low. Averting further loss of biodiversity is desirable, and averted loss offsets can be a valid approach for generating tangible gains. However, overestimation of averted loss benefits poses a major risk to biodiversity.
Keeping predators out: testing fences to reduce livestock depredation at night-time corrals
Authors: Samelius Gustaf , Suryawanshi Kulbhushansingh , Frank Jens , Agvaantseren Bayarjargal , Baasandamba Erdenechimeg , Mijiddorj Tserennadmid , Johansson Örjan , Tumursukh Lkhagvasumberel , Mishra Charudutt
Published: February 2020

Livestock depredation by large carnivores is a global conservation challenge, and mitigation measures to reduce livestock losses are crucial for the coexistence of large carnivores and people. Various measures are employed to reduce livestock depredation but their effectiveness has rarely been tested. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of tall fences to reduce livestock losses to snow leopards Panthera uncia and wolves Canis lupus at night-time corrals at the winter camps of livestock herders in the Tost Mountains in southern Mongolia. Self-reported livestock losses at the fenced corrals were reduced from a mean loss of 3.9 goats and sheep per family and winter prior to the study to zero losses in the two winters of the study. In contrast, self-reported livestock losses in winter pastures, and during the rest of the year, when herders used different camps, remained high, which indicates that livestock losses were reduced because of the fences, not because of temporal variation in predation pressure. Herder attitudes towards snow leopards were positive and remained positive during the study, whereas attitudes towards wolves, which attacked livestock also in summer when herders moved out on the steppes, were negative and worsened during the study. This study showed that tall fences can be very effective at reducing night-time losses at corrals and we conclude that fences can be an important tool for snow leopard conservation and for facilitating the coexistence of snow leopards and people.
Ghosts in the archive: the textual lacunæ of the Third Franklin Expedition
Authors: Kasten-Mutkus Kathleen
Published: February 2020

The paucity of the extant written record left by the Third Franklin Expedition (1845−1848) has presented challenges to the efforts of generations of searchers and scholars. Additionally, it has underscored the reliance of Western culture on written records when establishing narratives and understanding events. This paper explores the sparse written records of the expedition in the context of their contextualisation over the years within an ersatz Franklin archive which includes a variety of discourses and documentary intents. By situating the Franklin records within an archival context, it is possible to reconsider these materials as part of a collection while also examining the ways in which they stand on their own by virtue of the (sometimes unknowable) circumstances of their creation, circulation, and preservation. Combining this archival approach with Derrida’s notion of hauntology, this paper analyses the written records of the Third Franklin Expedition as an ephemeral, and ultimately inscrutable, representation of a vanished expedition.
TOOLS FOR TEXTILES: TEXTILE PRODUCTION AT THE ETRUSCAN SETTLEMENT OF POGGIO CIVITATE, MURLO, IN THE SEVENTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES BC
Authors: Cutler Joanne , Dimova Bela , Gleba Margarita
Published: February 2020

This paper discusses some of the insights that have been gained from the study of the textile tools from the Etruscan settlement of Poggio Civitate di Murlo and coeval textiles recovered from the adjacent cemetery site of Poggio Aguzzo di Murlo. Over 1,600 textile tools (including spindle whorls, loom weights, and spools) are analysed from a functional perspective, and results suggest that the textiles found in burials were likely produced at the site. This new information is discussed in light of other subsistence and craft activities documented at the settlement, all of which indicate an inward-oriented economy that catered to the local elites and the populations they controlled.
REDISTRIBUTION AND SELF-OWNERSHIP
Authors: Moller Dan
Published: February 2020

Debates about libertarianism and redistribution often revolve around self-ownership. There are two main reasons for this: first, self-ownership is often featured in Lockean accounts of property that endow us with a claim to the resources that are up for redistribution. Second, self-ownership has sometimes been mustered as a way of resisting the additional labor that is said to be required by redistributive schemes. In this essay, I argue that these appeals to self-ownership are misguided. However, unlike most critics of these appeals, I don’t wish to claim that redistribution is therefore vindicated. On the contrary, my main goal is to show that there are alternatives to invoking self-ownership that are more effective and that better capture the core intuition behind libertarian objections to redistribution.
DUTY-SENSITIVE SELF-OWNERSHIP
Authors: Bryan Ben
Published: February 2020

This essay defends duty-sensitive self-ownership, a view about the special authority people have over their bodies that is designed to capture what is attractive about self-ownership theories without the implausible stringency usually associated with them.
The role of consumer knowledge in reducing the demand for palm oil
Authors: Lange Florian , Coremans Lauranne
Published: February 2020

Attempts to mitigate the environmental impact of oil-palm expansion by improving production standards have been of limited success. An alternative approach aims at a better understanding of the factors that drive consumers to reduce excessive vegetable oil consumption. Our studies focused on consumers’ environmental knowledge as a potential determinant of palm oil consumption. They revealed critical limitations in consumers’ palm oil-related knowledge across different domains, study settings and assessment approaches. The more our participants knew about palm oil and its environmental consequences, the stronger were their reported intentions to reduce their consumption. This relationship was significantly stronger for subjective versus objective palm oil-related knowledge. In addition, we examined whether consumers can be stimulated to consult information about palm oil by making information access the default option. While this simple situational nudge promoted information access, we did not find it to significantly increase actual engagement with the information material. This result suggests that it might be necessary to complement default nudges for information access with other measures to enhance palm oil-related knowledge and to reduce palm oil consumption to more sustainable levels.
Caregiving Choice and Caregiver-Receiver Relation: Effects on Psychological Well-being of Family Caregivers in Canada
Authors: Li Lun , Lee Yeonjung
Published: February 2020

The psychological well-being of family caregivers is influenced by their relations with care receivers, and whether they have choice in becoming a caregiver. Limited study has explored the interaction effect of caregiver-receiver relations and caregiving choice on caregivers’ psychological well-being. This study examines whether the caregiver’s perceived choice moderates the association between caregiver-receiver relation and psychological well-being. Using population-based data from the 2012 Canada General Social Survey – Caregiving and Care Receiving (n= 5,285), this study applies regression and ANCOVA analyses. Results show family caregivers for spouses and children report significantly worse psychological well-being, whereas having choice to become a caregiver is associated with better psychological well-being. There was a significant moderation effect of caregiving choice on the association between caregiver-receiver relation and psychological well-being. Findings suggest that more services should be targeted for family caregivers without choice for caregiving as well as those who provide care for their children.
Which Emotions Should Kantians Cultivate (and Which Ones Should they Discipline)?
Authors: Eran Uri
Published: February 2020

Commentators disagree about Kant’s view on the proper treatment of emotions. In contrast to a tendency in this literature to treat them uniformly, I argue that, according to Kant, feelings (but not affects) require cultivation, and inclinations – although they can and perhaps may be cultivated – generally require discipline. The appropriate treatment for emotions depends on their susceptibility to rational constraint and on the threat they pose to rational deliberation. Although I read Kant as recommending that we cultivate certain emotions, I argue that my reading is not vulnerable to Thomason’s recent pertinent objections to such readings.
Controlled Crystallization and Transformation of Carbonate Minerals with Dumbbell-like Morphologies on Bacterial Cell Templates
Authors: Zhang Chonghong , Li Fuchun , Sun Jun , Lv Jiejie
Published: February 2020

Research on the biogenic-specific polymorphism and morphology of carbonate has been gaining momentum in the fields of biomineralization and industrial engineering in recent years. We report the nucleation of carbonate particles on bacterial cell templates to produce a novel dumbbell-like morphology which was assembled by needle-like crystals of magnesium calcite or aragonite radiating out from both ends of the template bacterium. Mature dumbbell-like structures had a tendency to break apart in the central template region, which was made up mostly of weak amorphous carbonate. Further crystal growth, especially at the template region, transformed the broken pieces into spherulites. Rod-like cell templates were essential for the formation of dumbbell-like morphologies, and we propose a possible formation mechanism of the dumbbell-like morphology. Our findings provide new perspectives on the morphological formation mechanism in biomineralization systems and may have a potential significance in assembling composite materials suitable for industrial applications.
Halauxifen-methyl controls glyphosate-resistant horseweed (Conyza canadensis) but not giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) in winter wheat
Authors: Quinn Jessica , Soltani Nader , Ashigh Jamshid , Hooker David C. , Robinson Darren E. , Sikkema Peter H.
Published: February 2020

Horseweed is a competitive summer or winter annual weed that produces up to 230,000 small seeds per plant that are capable of traveling more than 500 km via wind. Giant ragweed is a tall, highly competitive summer annual weed. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) horseweed and GR giant ragweed pose significant challenges for producers in the United States and Ontario, Canada. It is thought that an integrated weed management (IWM) system involving herbicide rotation is required to control GR biotypes. Halauxifen-methyl is a new selective broadleaf POST herbicide registered for use in cereal crops; there is limited information on its efficacy on horseweed and giant ragweed. The purpose of this research was to determine the efficacy of halauxifen-methyl applied POST, alone and in a tank mix, for the control of GR horseweed and GR giant ragweed in wheat across southwestern Ontario. For each weed species, an efficacy study consisting of six field experiments was conducted over a 2-yr period (2018, 2019). At 8 wk after application (WAA), halauxifen-methyl, fluroxypyr/halauxifen-methyl, fluroxypyr/halauxifen-methyl + MCPA EHE, fluroxypyr + MCPA ester, 2,4-D ester, clopyralid, and pyrasulfotole/bromoxynil + ammonium sulfate controlled GR horseweed >95%. Fluroxypyr and MCPA provided only 86% and 37% control of GR horseweed, respectively. At 8 WAA, fluroxypyr, fluroxypyr/halauxifen-methyl, fluroxypyr/halauxifen-methyl + MCPA EHE, fluroxypyr + MCPA ester, fluroxypyr/halauxifen-methyl + MCPA EHE + pyroxsulam, 2,4-D ester, clopyralid, and thifensulfuron/tribenuron + fluroxypyr + MCPA ester controlled GR giant ragweed 87%, 88%, 90%, 94%, 96%, 96%, 98%, and 93%, respectively. Halauxifen-methyl and pyroxsulam provided only 45% and 28% control of GR giant ragweed, respectively. Halauxifen-methyl applied alone POST in the spring controlled GR horseweed but not GR giant ragweed in winter wheat.
Carbonated Inheritance in the Eastern Tibetan Lithospheric Mantle: Petrological Evidences and Geodynamic Implications
Authors: Goussin Fanny , Riel Nicolas , Cordier Carole , Guillot Stéphane , Boulvais Philippe , Roperch Pierrick , Replumaz Anne , Schulmann Karel , Dupont‐Nivet Guillaume , Rosas Filipe , Guo Zhaojie
Published: February 2020

The timing and mechanism of formation of the Tibet Plateau remain elusive, and even the present‐day structure of the Tibetan lithosphere is hardly resolved, due to conflicting interpretations of the geophysical data. We show here that significant advances in our understanding of this orogeny could be achieved through a better assessment of the composition and rheological properties of the deepest parts of the Tibetan lithosphere, leading in particular to a reinterpretation of the global tomographic cross sections. We report mantle phlogopite xenocrysts and carbonate‐bearing ultramafic cumulates preserved in Eocene potassic rocks from the Eastern Qiangtang terrane, which provide evidence that the lithospheric mantle in Central Tibet was enriched in HO and COprior to the India‐Asia collision. Rheological calculations and numerical modeling suggest that (1) such metasomatized mantle would have been significantly weaker than a normal mantle but buoyant enough to prevent its sinking into the deep mantle; (2) the slow seismic anomalies beneath Central Tibet may image a weakened lithosphere of normal thickness rather than a lithosphere thinned and heated by the convective removal of its lower part; and (3) melting of such soft and fusible metasomatized mantle would have been possible during intracontinental subduction, supporting a subduction origin for the studied Eocene potassic magmatism. These results demonstrate that the inheritance a soft and buoyant precollisional Tibetan lithosphere may have conditioned the growth and the present‐day structure of the Tibet Plateau.
Mantle Convection Patterns Reveal the Mechanism of the Red Sea Rifting
Authors: Petrunin A. G. , Kaban M. K. , El Khrepy S. , Al‐Arifi N.
Published: February 2020

We present a new model of the stress state and present‐day tectonics of the Red Sea Rift (RSR) based on an instantaneous geodynamic mantle flow model. The initial density and viscosity variations in the mantle are derived from a joint inversion of gravity, residual topography, and tomography, which provides higher resolution than existing models. The calculated mantle flow shows clear distinctions along the rift axis. The tectonics of the southern part of the Red Sea is mainly controlled by the Afar plume and characterized by divergent mantle flow. The passive rifting along the central part of the RSR can be explained either by asthenospheric upwelling due to the Red Sea floor spreading or by the plume, rising from the transition zone and not directly related to the Afar plume. We also observed ridge‐axis‐aligned flow in the uppermost mantle in the northern part of the RSR.
Preclinical evaluation of a novel triple-acting PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, IBL-302, in breast cancer
Authors: Kennedy Sean P. , O’Neill Michael , Cunningham Darren , Morris Patrick G. , Toomey Sinead , Blanco-Aparicio Carmen , Martinez Sonia , Pastor Joaquin , Eustace Alex J. , Hennessy Bryan T.
Published: February 2020

The proviral integration of Moloney virus (PIM) family of protein kinases are overexpressed in many haematological and solid tumours. PIM kinase expression is elevated in PI3K inhibitor-treated breast cancer samples, suggesting a major resistance pathway for PI3K inhibitors in breast cancer, potentially limiting their clinical utility. IBL-302 is a novel molecule that inhibits both PIM and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling. We thus evaluated the preclinical activity of IBL-302, in a range of breast cancer models. Our results demonstrate in vitro efficacy of IBL-302 in a range of breast cancer cell lines, including lines with acquired resistance to trastuzumab and lapatinib. IBL-302 demonstrated single-agent, anti-tumour efficacy in suppression of pAKT, pmTOR and pBAD in the SKBR-3, BT-474 and HCC-1954 HER2+/PIK3CA-mutated cell lines. We have also shown the in vivo single-agent efficacy of IBL-302 in the subcutaneous BT-474 and HCC-1954 xenograft model in BALB/c nude mice. The combination of trastuzumab and IBL-302 significantly increased the anti-proliferative effect in HER2+ breast cancer cell line, and matched trastuzumab-resistant line, relative to testing either drug alone. We thus believe that the novel PIM and PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, IBL-302, represents an exciting new potential treatment option for breast cancer, and that it should be considered for clinical investigation.
A multicentre phase 1b/2 study of tivozanib in patients with advanced inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Fountzilas Christos , Gupta Medhavi , Lee Sunyoung , Krishnamurthi Smitha , Estfan Bassam , Wang Katy , Attwood Kristopher , Wilton John , Bies Robert , Bshara Wiam , Iyer Renuka
Published: February 2020

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related death. It is a highly vascular tumour with multiple angiogenic factors, most importantly vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), involved in HCC progression. Tivozanib is an oral inhibitor of VEGFR-1/2/3 with promising activity against HCC in vivo.

Methods

We conducted a phase 1b/2 study of tivozanib in patients with advanced HCC. The safety, dosing, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary antineoplastic efficacy of tivozanib were evaluated.

Results

Twenty-seven patients received at least one dose of tivozanib. Using a 3+3 design, the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of tivozanib was determined to be 1 mg per os once daily, 21 days on–7 days off. The median progression-free and overall survival were 24 weeks and 9 months, respectively, for patients treated at RP2D. The overall response rate was 21%. Treatment was well tolerated. A significant decrease in soluble plasma VEGFR-2 was noted, assuring adequate target engagement.

Conclusions

Although this study did not proceed to stage 2, there was an early efficacy signal with a very favourable toxicity profile. A phase 1/2 trial of tivozanib in combination with durvalumab is currently underway.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01835223, registered on 15 April 2013.
Detection and prognostic role of heterogeneous populations of melanoma circulating tumour cells
Authors: Aya-Bonilla Carlos Alberto , Morici Michael , Hong Xin , McEvoy Ashleigh Cavell , Sullivan Ryan Joseph , Freeman James , Calapre Leslie , Khattak Muhammad Adnan , Meniawy Tarek , Millward Michael , Ziman Mel , Gray Elin Solomonovna
Published: February 2020

Background

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) can be assessed through a minimally invasive blood sample with potential utility as a predictive, prognostic and pharmacodynamic biomarker. The large heterogeneity of melanoma CTCs has hindered their detection and clinical application.

Methods

Here we compared two microfluidic devices for the recovery of circulating melanoma cells. The presence of CTCs in 43 blood samples from patients with metastatic melanoma was evaluated using a combination of immunocytochemistry and transcript analyses of five genes by RT-PCR and 19 genes by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), whereby a CTC score was calculated. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) from the same patient blood sample, was assessed by ddPCR targeting tumour-specific mutations.

Results

Our analysis revealed an extraordinary heterogeneity amongst melanoma CTCs, with multiple non-overlapping subpopulations. CTC detection using our multimarker approach was associated with shorter overall and progression-free survival. Finally, we found that CTC scores correlated with plasma ctDNA concentrations and had similar pharmacodynamic changes upon treatment initiation.

Conclusions

Despite the high phenotypic and molecular heterogeneity of melanoma CTCs, multimarker derived CTC scores could serve as viable tools for prognostication and treatment response monitoring in patients with metastatic melanoma.
Fasting-induced FGF21 signaling activates hepatic autophagy and lipid degradation via JMJD3 histone demethylase
Authors: Byun Sangwon , Seok Sunmi , Kim Young-Chae , Zhang Yang , Yau Peter , Iwamori Naoki , Xu H. Eric , Ma Jian , Kemper Byron , Kemper Jongsook Kim
Published: February 2020

Autophagy is essential for cellular survival and energy homeostasis under nutrient deprivation. Despite the emerging importance of nuclear events in autophagy regulation, epigenetic control of autophagy gene transcription remains unclear. Here, we report fasting-induced Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 (FGF21) signaling activates hepatic autophagy and lipid degradation via Jumonji-D3 (JMJD3/KDM6B) histone demethylase. Upon FGF21 signaling, JMJD3 epigenetically upregulates global autophagy-network genes, including Tfeb, Atg7, Atgl, and Fgf21, through demethylation of histone H3K27-me3, resulting in autophagy-mediated lipid degradation. Mechanistically, phosphorylation of JMJD3 at Thr-1044 by FGF21 signal-activated PKA increases its nuclear localization and interaction with the nuclear receptor PPARα to transcriptionally activate autophagy. Administration of FGF21 in obese mice improves defective autophagy and hepatosteatosis in a JMJD3-dependent manner. Remarkably, in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients, hepatic expression of JMJD3, ATG7, LC3, and ULK1 is substantially decreased. These findings demonstrate that FGF21-JMJD3 signaling epigenetically links nutrient deprivation with hepatic autophagy and lipid degradation in mammals.
Global determinants of freshwater and marine fish genetic diversity
Authors: Manel Stéphanie , Guerin Pierre-Edouard , Mouillot David , Blanchet Simon , Velez Laure , Albouy Camille , Pellissier Loïc
Published: February 2020

Genetic diversity is estimated to be declining faster than species diversity under escalating threats, but its spatial distribution remains poorly documented at the global scale. Theory predicts that similar processes should foster congruent spatial patterns of genetic and species diversity, but empirical studies are scarce. Using a mined database of 50,588 georeferenced mitochondrial DNA barcode sequences (COI) for 3,815 marine and 1,611 freshwater fish species respectively, we examined the correlation between genetic diversity and species diversity and their global distributions in relation to climate and geography. Genetic diversity showed a clear spatial organisation, but a weak association with species diversity for both marine and freshwater species. We found a predominantly positive relationship between genetic diversity and sea surface temperature for marine species. Genetic diversity of freshwater species varied primarily across the regional basins and was negatively correlated with average river slope. The detection of genetic diversity patterns suggests that conservation measures should consider mismatching spatial signals across multiple facets of biodiversity.
Near-field sub-diffraction photolithography with an elastomeric photomask
Authors: Paik Sangyoon , Kim Gwangmook , Chang Sehwan , Lee Sooun , Jin Dana , Jeong Kwang-Yong , Lee I Sak , Lee Jekwan , Moon Hongjae , Lee Jaejun , Chang Kiseok , Choi Su Seok , Moon Jeongmin , Jung Soonshin , Kang Shinill , Lee Wooyoung , Choi Heon-Jin , Choi Hyunyong , Kim Hyun Jae , Lee Jae-Hyun , Cheon Jinwoo , Kim Miso , Myoung Jaemin , Park Hong-Gyu , Shim Wooyoung
Published: February 2020

Photolithography is the prevalent microfabrication technology. It needs to meet resolution and yield demands at a cost that makes it economically viable. However, conventional far-field photolithography has reached the diffraction limit, which imposes complex optics and short-wavelength beam source to achieve high resolution at the expense of cost efficiency. Here, we present a cost-effective near-field optical printing approach that uses metal patterns embedded in a flexible elastomer photomask with mechanical robustness. This technique generates sub-diffraction patterns that are smaller than 1/10thof the wavelength of the incoming light. It can be integrated into existing hardware and standard mercury lamp, and used for a variety of surfaces, such as curved, rough and defect surfaces. This method offers a higher resolution than common light-based printing systems, while enabling parallel-writing. We anticipate that it will be widely used in academic and industrial productions.
Training deep quantum neural networks
Authors: Beer Kerstin , Bondarenko Dmytro , Farrelly Terry , Osborne Tobias J. , Salzmann Robert , Scheiermann Daniel , Wolf Ramona
Published: February 2020

Neural networks enjoy widespread success in both research and industry and, with the advent of quantum technology, it is a crucial challenge to design quantum neural networks for fully quantum learning tasks. Here we propose a truly quantum analogue of classical neurons, which form quantum feedforward neural networks capable of universal quantum computation. We describe the efficient training of these networks using the fidelity as a cost function, providing both classical and efficient quantum implementations. Our method allows for fast optimisation with reduced memory requirements: the number of qudits required scales with only the width, allowing deep-network optimisation. We benchmark our proposal for the quantum task of learning an unknown unitary and find remarkable generalisation behaviour and a striking robustness to noisy training data.