bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome-wide association study in the pseudocereal quinoa reveals selection pattern typical for crops with a short breeding history
Authors: Patiranage Dilan S. R. , Rey Elodie , Emrani Nazgol , Wellman Gordon , Schmid Karl , Schmöckel Sandra M. , Tester Mark , Jung Christian
Published: December 2020

Quinoa germplasm preserves useful and substantial genetic variation, yet it remains untapped due to a lack of implementation of modern breeding tools. We have integrated field and sequence data to characterize a large diversity panel of quinoa. Whole-genome sequencing of 310 accessions revealed 2.9 million polymorphic high confidence SNP loci. Highland and Lowland quinoa were clustered into two main groups, withFSTdivergence of 0.36 and fast LD decay of 6.5 and 49.8 Kb, respectively. A genome-wide association study uncovered 600 SNPs stably associated with 17 agronomic traits. Two candidate genes are associated with thousand seed weight, and a resistance gene analog is associated with downy mildew resistance. We also identified pleiotropically acting loci for four agronomic traits that are highly responding to photoperiod hence important for the adaptation to different environments. This work demonstrates the use of re-sequencing data of an orphan crop, which is partially domesticated to rapidly identify marker-trait association and provides the underpinning elements for genomics-enabled quinoa breeding.
Augmented expansion of Treg cells from healthy and autoimmune subjects via adult progenitor cell co-culture
Authors: Reading JL , Roobrouck VD , Hull CM , Becker PD , Beyens J , Valentin-Torres A , Boardman D , Nova Lamperti E , Stubblefield S , Lombardi G , Deans R , Ting AE , Tree T
Published: December 2020

Recent clinical experience has demonstrated that adoptive regulatory T cell therapy is a safe and feasible strategy to suppress immunopathology via induction of host tolerance to allo- and autoantigens. However, clinical trials continue to be compromised due to an inability to manufacture a sufficient Treg cell dose. Multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCⓇ) promote regulatory T cell differentiationin vitro, suggesting they may be repurposed to enhanceex vivoexpansion of Tregs for adoptive cellular therapy. Here, we use a GMP compatible Treg expansion platform to demonstrate that MAPC cell-co-cultured Tregs (MulTreg) exhibit a log-fold increase in yield across two independent cohorts, reducing time to target dose by an average of 30%. Enhanced expansion is linked with a distinct Treg cell-intrinsic transcriptional program, characterized by diminished levels of core exhaustion (BATF, ID2, PRDM1, LAYN, DUSP1), and quiescence (TOB1, TSC22D3) related genes, coupled to elevated expression of cell-cycle and proliferation loci (MKI67, CDK1, AURKA, AURKB). In addition, MulTreg display a unique gut homing (CCR7lo β7hi) phenotype and importantly, are more readily expanded from patients with autoimmune disease compared to matched Treg lines, suggesting clinical utility in gut and/or Th1-driven pathology associated with autoimmunity or transplantation. Relative to expanded Tregs, MulTreg retain equivalent and robust purity, FoxP3 TSDR demethylation, nominal effector cytokine production and potent suppression of Th1-driven antigen specific and polyclonal responsesin vitroand xeno graft vs host disease (xGvHD)in vivo. These data support the use of MAPC cell co-culture in adoptive Treg therapy platforms as a means to rescue expansion failure and reduce the time required to manufacture a stable, potently suppressive product.
The influence of the type of halogen substituent and its position on the molecular conformation, intermolecular interactions and crystal packing for a series of 1-benzoyl-3-(halogenophenyl)thioureas
Authors: Rosiak Damian , Okuniewski Andrzej , Chojnacki Jarosław
Published: December 2020

By the reaction of benzoyl chloride, potassium isothiocyanate and the appropriate halogenoaniline, i.e. 2/3/4-(bromo/iodo)aniline, we have obtained five new 1-benzoyl-3-(halogenophenyl)thioureas, namely, 1-benzoyl-3-(2-bromophenyl)thiourea and 1-benzoyl-3-(3-bromophenyl)thiourea, C14H11BrN2OS, and 1-benzoyl-3-(2-iodophenyl)thiourea, 1-benzoyl-3-(3-iodophenyl)thiourea and 1-benzoyl-3-(4-iodophenyl)thiourea, C14H11IN2OS. Structural and conformational features of the compounds have been analyzed using X-ray diffraction and theoretical calculations. The novel compounds were characterized by solid-state IR and 1H/13C NMR spectroscopy. The conformations and intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, π–π and S(6)...π stacking, and X...O (X = I or Br), I...S and I...π, have been examined and rationalized, together with four analogous compounds described previously in the literature. The set of nine compounds was chosen to examine how a change of the halogen atom and its position on the phenyl ring affects the molecular and crystal structures.
Mindful consumption of second-hand clothing: the role of eWOM, attitude and consumer engagement
Authors: Mohammad Jihad , Quoquab Farzana , Mohamed Sadom Nur Zulaikha
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on mindful consumption behaviour (MCB) in a sustainable clothing purchase context. In addition, it examines the mediating effect of “consumer engagement” and “attitude towards second-hand clothes”.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire survey from Malaysian consumers who had experience in purchasing second-hand clothes. A total of 175 complete and useable questionnaires were obtained, which were then analysed by using the structural equation modelling-partial least square (SEM-PLS) technique.

Findings

The results of this study indicate support for the direct effect of eWOM on consumers' attitude towards second-hand clothes, consumer engagement and consumers’ MCB. The results also supported the relationship between consumer engagement and MCB, but the link between attitude and mindful consumption (MC) was not supported. Furthermore, the study confirmed the mediating effect of consumer engagement between eWOM and consumers’ MCB but did not support the mediating effect of attitude towards second-hand clothes.

Originality/value

This study is amongst the pioneers to elucidate MCB in the context of sustainable clothing. It examines the direct and indirect effects of eWOM on MCB, which has not been tested in the past literature. The mediating effects of consumer engagement and attitude towards second-hand clothes on the relationship between eWOM and MCB are also comparatively new links.
Manufacturer power over suppliers: scale development and validation
Authors: Jin Yan , Smith Joy Turnheim
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This research empirically builds a manufacturing firm's power construct that can be used to assess the changes suppliers are willing to make in their operations decision areas, such as quality systems, product management, process management, material management systems and information systems. This approach has not been empirically explored in the operations and supply chain management literature. This research fills this gap with the new power definition method.

Design/methodology/approach

This research conducted a two-stage scale development and validation process for a manufacturing firm's power over suppliers. A survey study collected 201 responses from the US manufacturing firms. The research used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the validity and reliability of this construct.

Findings

The results confirmed the validity and reliability of a manufacturing firm's power over suppliers as a second-order variable, with five first-order constructs reflecting power in areas of quality, product, process, material and information systems.

Practical implications

Manufacturing firms can use this instrument to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their power over suppliers in each decision area. From the results, companies can develop a power-competitiveness grid to guide their power enhancement efforts based on the competitive advantage being prioritized. Similarly, a resource-power grid can assist the manager in deciding whether to invest in a resource that benefits a particular power dimension.

Originality/value

This research contributes to supply chain power literature by taking a unique approach to defining a manufacturer's power regarding its suppliers' decision areas. This power structure opens the possibility to explore the relationship between a firm's resource, power and firm performance. As buyer–supplier power relationship building is increasingly important in the supply chain, knowing the parameters of the power relationship can help the manufacturing firm align its strategic focus to the areas that can be supported by the supply chain.
Representing Transgender in the 1970s Australian Media
Authors: Riseman Noah
Published: December 2020

In 1970s Australia, magazines and newspapers regularly featured stories about transgender women. The articles were often exploitative and depicted transgender people as freaks, with headlines designed to shock and mock. Digging deeper, there is another side to transgender people in the Australian media. Notwithstanding the exploitative nature of the coverage, the media was still a site of transgender visibility in an era where there otherwise was none. Oral histories with transgender Australians often mention the importance of a particular television show, article or magazine because they saw others ‘like them’, and they realised that they were not alone. Some transgender people even kept those articles for years because of the connections they felt to an otherwise uncertain identity. There were also features in the press that were empathetic to transgender Australians, whether that be on the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), in magazines such as Cleo or in broadsheet newspapers. This article analyses the complex role that media played representing and relating to transgender Australians in the 1970s. Drawing on a mix of newspaper, magazine and television sources, as well as oral histories, the article opens new lines of inquiry about histories of transgender visibility, public discourse and understanding the self.
Review article: a treatment algorithm for patients with chronic liver disease and severe thrombocytopenia undergoing elective medical procedures in the United States
Authors: Dieterich Douglas T. , Bernstein David , Flamm Steven , Pockros Paul J. , Reau Nancy
Published: December 2020

Background

Thrombocytopenia is the most common haematological abnormality in patients with chronic liver disease in the United States. Severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <50 × 109/L) can complicate the management of patients with chronic liver disease by significantly increasing the potential risk of bleeding during or after invasive procedures. The current standard‐of‐care treatment for severe thrombocytopenia is platelet transfusion. Novel agents that target the thrombopoietin pathway, including receptor agonists avatrombopag and lusutrombopag, have recently shown promise in clinical trials as alternatives to platelet transfusion.

Aim

To review treatment options for severe thrombocytopenia, including platelet transfusion and thrombopoietin‐receptor agonists, with the aim of producing a simplified treatment algorithm.

Methods

Five liver disease specialists were assigned sections of the manuscript to research and present at a consensus meeting in April 2019, with the goal of creating an easy‐to‐use, effective treatment plan for severe thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic liver disease.

Results

Through discussion and collaborative decision making, a simplified algorithm was developed to provide guidance to healthcare professionals on treating severe thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic liver disease undergoing elective medical procedures in the United States. As part of these guidelines, we outline the use of the US Food and Drug Administration‐approved thrombopoietin receptor agonists avatrombopag and lusutrombopag as well tolerated and effective alternatives to platelet transfusion.

Conclusions

This algorithm provides guidance for the management of severe thrombocytopenia to reduce bleeding risks in patients with chronic liver disease undergoing elective procedures, while reducing requirement for platelet transfusion.
Magnetic resonance imaging‐guided transurethral ultrasound ablation in patients with localised prostate cancer: 3‐year outcomes of a prospective Phase I study
Authors: Nair Shiva M. , Hatiboglu Gencay , Relle James , Hetou Khalil , Hafron Jason , Harle Christopher , Kassam Zahra , Staruch Robert , Burtnyk Mathieu , Bonekamp David , Schlemmer Heinz‐Peter , Roethke Matthias C. , Mueller‐Wolf Maya , Pahernik Sascha , Chin Joseph L.
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To report the 3‐year follow‐up of a Phase I study of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐guided transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA) in 30 men with localised prostate cancer. Favourable 12‐month safety and ablation precision were previously described.

Patients and Methods

As a mandated safety criterion, TULSA was delivered as near whole‐gland ablation, applying 3‐mm margins sparing 10% of peripheral prostate tissue in 30 men. After 12‐month biopsy and MRI, biannual follow‐up included prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), adverse events (AEs), and functional quality‐of‐life assessment, with repeat systematic biopsy at 3 years.

Results

A 3‐year follow‐up was completed by 22 patients. Between 1 and 3 years, there were no new serious or severe AEs. Urinary and bowel function remained stable. Erectile function recovered by 1 year and was stable at 3 years. The PSA level decreased 95% to a median (interquartile range) nadir of 0.33 (0.1–0.4) ng/mL, stable to 0.8 (0.4–1.6) ng/mL at 3 years. Serial biopsies identified clinically significant disease in 10/29 men (34%) and any cancer in 17/29 (59%). By 3 years, seven men had recurrence (four histological, three biochemical) and had undergone salvage therapy without complications (including six prostatectomies). At 3 years, three of 22 men refused biopsy, and two of the 22 (9%) had clinically significant disease (one new, one persistent). Predictors of salvage therapy requirement included less extensive ablation coverage and higher PSA nadir.

Conclusion

With 3‐year Phase I follow‐up, TULSA demonstrates safe and precise ablation for men with localised prostate cancer, providing predictable PSA and biopsy outcomes, without affecting functional abilities or precluding salvage therapy.
Stereotactic radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy or targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Kroeze Stephanie G.C. , Fritz Corinna , Schaule Jana , Siva Shankar , Kahl Klaus H. , Sundahl Nora , Blanck Oliver , Kaul David , Adebahr Sonja , Verhoeff Joost J.C. , Skazikis Georgios , Roeder Falk , Geier Michael , Eckert Franziska , Guckenberger Matthias
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) concurrently receiving targeted therapy (TT) or immunotherapy.

Patients and Methods

Data on patients with mRCC were extracted from a retrospective international multicentre register study (TOaSTT), investigating SRT concurrent (≤30 days) with TT/immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Overall survival (OS), progression‐free survival (PFS), local metastasis control (LC) and time to systemic therapy switch were analysed using Kaplan–Meier curves and log‐rank testing. Clinical and treatment factors influencing survival were analysed using multivariate Cox regression. Acute and late SRT‐induced toxicity were defined according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v.4.03.

Results

Fifty‐three patients who underwent 128 sessions of SRT were included, of whom 58% presented with oligometastatic disease (OMD). ICIs and TT were received by 32% and 68% of patients, respectively. Twenty patients (37%) paused TT for a median (range) of 14 (2–21) days. ICI therapy was not paused in any patient. A median (range) of 1 (1–5) metastatic tumour was treated per patient, with a median (range) SRT dose of 65 (40–129.4) Gy (biologically effective dose). The OS, LC and PFS rates at 1 year were 71%, 75% and 25%, respectively. The median OS and PFS were not significantly different among patients receiving TT vs those receiving ICIs (P = 0.329). New lesions were treated with a repeat radiotherapy course in 46% of patients. After 1 year, 62% of patients remained on the same systemic therapy as at the time of SRT; this was more frequent for ICI therapy compared to TT (83% vs 36%; P = 0.035). OMD was an independent prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.004, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.035–0.528) and PFS (P = 0.004; 95% CI 0.165–0.717) in multivariate analysis. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG‐PS) was the other independent prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.001, 95% CI 0.001–0.351). Acute grade 3 toxicity was observed in two patients, and late grade 3 toxicity in one patient. No grade 4 or 5 toxicity was observed.

Conclusion

Combined treatment with TT or immunotherapy and concurrent SRT was safe, without signals of increased severe toxicity. As we observed no signal of excess toxicity, full‐dose SRT should be considered to achieve optimal metastasis control in patients receiving TT or immunotherapy. Favourable PFS and OS were observed for patients with oligometastatic RCC with a good ECOG‐PS, which should form the basis for prospective testing of this treatment strategy in properly designed clinical trials.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radical cystectomy versus radical cystectomy alone in clinical T2 bladder cancer without hydronephrosis
Authors: Soria Francesco , Black Peter C. , Fairey Adrian S. , Cookson Michael S. , Yu Evan Y. , Kassouf Wassim , Dall'Era Marc A. , Sridhar Srikala S. , McGrath John S. , Wright Jonathan L. , Thorpe Andrew C. , Morgan Todd M. , Daneshmand Siamak , Holzbeierlein Jeff M. , Bivalacqua Trinity J. , North Scott , Barocas Daniel A. , Lotan Yair , Grivas Petros , Stephenson Andrew J. , Shah Jay B. , van Rhijn Bas W. , Spiess Philippe E. , Shariat Shahrokh F. , Gontero Paolo
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To assess the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before radical cystectomy (RC) in a retrospective multicentre cohort of patients with cT2N0M0 bladder cancer (BCa) without preoperative hydronephrosis.

Patients and Methods

This was a propensity‐based analysis of 619 patients. Of these, 316 were treated with NAC followed by RC and 303 with upfront RC. After multiple imputations, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to account for potential selection bias. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of NAC on pathological complete response and downstaging at RC, while IPTW‐adjusted Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression models were built to evaluate the impact of NAC on overall survival (OS).

Results

After IPTW‐adjusted analysis, standardised differences between groups were <15%. A complete response (pT0N0) at final pathology was achieved in 94 (30%) patients receiving NAC and nine (3%) undergoing upfront RC. Downstaging to non‐muscle‐invasive disease (<pT2N0M0) was observed in 174 (55%) patients after NAC and in 72 (24%) without NAC. On multivariable analysis, NAC was found to be an independent predictor of both pathological complete response and downstaging. No significant difference with respect to OS was observed between groups with a median follow‐up of 18 months.

Conclusions

In patients with cT2N0 BCa and no preoperative hydronephrosis, NAC increased the rate of pathological complete response and downstaging.
Activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling and HIF1α stabilisation alters pluripotency and differentiation/proliferation properties of human‐induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Wei Hua , Beeson Gyda C. , Ye Zhiwei , Zhang Jie , Yao Hai , Damon Brooke , Morad Martin
Published: December 2020

Background Information

Wnt/β‐catenin signalling, in the microenvironment of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), plays a critical role in their differentiation and proliferation. Contradictory reports on the role of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling in PSCs self‐renewal and differentiation, however, render these mechanisms largely unclear.

Results

Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway in human‐induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) was activated by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), driving the cells into a mesodermal/mesenchymal state, exhibiting proliferative, invasive and anchorage‐independent growth properties, where over 70% of cell population became CD 44 (+)/CD133 (+). Wnt/β‐catenin signalling activation also altered the metabolic state of hiPSCs from aerobic glycolysis to oxidative metabolism and changed their drug and oxidative stress sensitivities. These effects of GSK3 inhibition were suppressed in HIF1α‐stabilised cells.

Conclusions

Persistent activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling endows hiPSCs with proliferative/invasive ‘teratoma‐like’ states, shifting their metabolic dependence and allowing HIF1α‐stabilisation to inhibit their proliferative/invasive properties.

Significance

The hiPSC potential to differentiate into ‘teratoma‐like’ cells suggest that stem cells may exist in two states with differential metabolic and drug dependency.
Pattern‐based development of digital platforms
Authors: Drewel Marvin , Özcan Leon , Koldewey Christian , Gausemeier Jürgen
Published: December 2020

Digital platforms have been reshaping the structure of whole industries. Whereas previous developments mainly have taken place within the business‐to‐consumer (B2C) or consumer‐to‐consumer (C2C) market, the business‐to‐business (B2B) market is at the edge of the so‐called platform economy. Leading companies step out of their core business and develop their own platforms. The paper at hand presents a methodology to master the challenges of developing digital platforms by using patterns, which represent proven principles of already established platforms. The methodology is based on a holistic pattern catalogue that can be used independently from the task at hand. We show in detail how we derived a catalogue with 37 platform patterns and how the catalogue can be applied to the development of digital platforms. The corresponding methodology contains three phases. Within the first phase, a specific platform idea is being developed. The second phase addresses the collaboration of an abstract platform concept. Finally, a specific digital platform concept is worked out.
Intestinal phenotype is maintained by Atoh1 in the cancer region of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm
Authors: Katsukura Nobuhiro , Watanabe Sho , Shirasaki Tomoaki , Hibiya Shuji , Kano Yoshihito , Akahoshi Keiichi , Tanabe Minoru , Kirimura Susumu , Akashi Takumi , Kitagawa Masanobu , Okamoto Ryuichi , Watanabe Mamoru , Tsuchiya Kiichiro
Published: December 2020

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is a precancerous lesion of pancreatic cancer. Although there are 4 types of IPMN, among which intestinal‐type IPMN is likely to progress into invasive cancer known as colloid carcinoma, no information regarding the involvement of the intestinal phenotype in the carcinogenesis of IPMN exists. The present study was conducted to explore how the intestinal differentiation system is maintained during the tumor progression of intestinal‐type IPMN using surgical resection specimens. Results showed that Atoh1, a critical transcriptional factor for intestinal differentiation toward the secretory lineages of intestinal epithelial cells, was expressed in an invasive‐grade IPMN. To determine the function of Atoh1 in pancreatic cancer, we generated a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell line overexpressing Atoh1. In a xenograft model, we successfully induced an IPMN phenotype in PDAC cells via Atoh1 induction. Finally, for the first time, we discovered that GPA33 is expressed in intestinal‐type IPMN, thereby suggesting a novel target for cancer therapy. In conclusion, the intestinal differentiation system might be maintained during tumor progression of intestinal‐type IPMN. Further analysis of the function of Atoh1 in IPMN might be useful for understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the malignant potential during the tumor progression of IPMN.
Prevalence of unintentional injury among left‐behind children in mainland China: Evidence from epidemiological surveys
Authors: Juan Jiang , Weijun Ling , Guifeng Huang , Xiaojing Guo , Zhaoxia Chen , Li Su
Published: December 2020

Background

Left‐behind children have become a particular concern in mainland China, and unintentional injury among these children has attracted increasing attention. This review aims to present the prevalence of unintentional injury among left‐behind children and subgroups in mainland China.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted using four Chinese and two English databases. The included publications were cross‐sectional studies in mainland China, of which the population was recruited according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Information was collected using self‐administered questionnaires. The risk of bias was estimated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology, and pooled prevalence was estimated through the DerSimonian‐Laird proportion method.

Results

This review included 34 cross‐sectional studies consisting 58,348 left‐behind children in mainland China. Results showed that the pooled prevalence of unintentional injury was 38.24% (95% confidence interval (CI): 28.40–48.08) among left‐behind children. The prevalence was higher among left‐behind children (38.76%) than among non‐left‐behind children (27.94%), with an odds ratio of 1.65 (95% CI: 1.47–1.85). Furthermore, the prevalence of injury was higher among boys (39.12%) than among girls (28.61%), with an odds ratio of 1.58 (95% CI: 1.41–1.77). Falls had the highest prevalence of 20.79% among the types of unintentional injury. Furthermore, home was the occurrence location with the highest prevalence (16.20%). No significant difference in injury prevalence was observed among left‐behind children without accompanying parents and those with single parent accompanying them.

Conclusions

This review showed a relatively high injury prevalence among left‐behind children in mainland China. Boys had a higher prevalence than girls. Falls had the highest prevalence, and home was the most common occurrence location.
Fuzzy local ternary pattern and skin texture properties based countermeasure against face spoofing in biometric systems
Authors: Kavitha P. , Vijaya K.
Published: December 2020

Evaluation of facial skin texture properties is very demanding and noticeable due to its optimum resource constraint along with reduced processing expenditure. Traditionally, the local binary pattern (LBP) and the variations are accepted for analyzing the skin for liveness detection. LBP descriptor, which is the most dominant algorithm, has its own limitations of not working excellent on images with noise. Texture properties contain variations in skin features like wrinkles. LBP organizes the feature extraction for specified texture to extract the variation between normal and abnormal. In applications such as surveillance, the images are captured by remote cameras and transmitted to control room. The images shall be affected by transmission noises. Transmission noises are varied under the transmission of texture features quality, contrast based pixel coordinates. Thus, in the proposed work, the effectiveness of fuzzy local ternary pattern (FLTP) as a substitute LBP and LTP is presented. It is used to find uncertainty principles of texture image, which are trained from the local databases. Moreover, FLTP embraces Weber's law that fuses the features to wipe out the predetermined threshold setting in LTP. The proposed approach was analyzed on various publicly available databases pertaining to this domain. Furthermore the proposed system was tested with University Putra Malaysia (UPM) face spoof database. The outcomes obtained from the projected FLTP texture descriptor achieved most proper exactness and outflanked the LBP and LTP surface descriptors.
Documentation of Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) space use and move persistence in the northern Gulf of Mexico facilitated by angler advocates
Authors: Drymon J. Marcus , Jargowsky Matthew B. , Dance Michael A. , Lovell Mitchell , Hightower Crystal LouAllen , Jefferson Amanda E. , Kroetz Andrea M. , Powers Sean P.
Published: December 2020

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus, hereafter tarpon) are facing a multitude of stressors and are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN; however, significant gaps remain in our understanding of tarpon space use and movement. From 2018 to 2019, citizen scientists facilitated tagging of 23 tarpon with SPOT tags to examine space use and movement across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Movement‐based kernel densities were used to estimate simplified biased random bridge‐based utilization distributions and a joint move persistence model was used to estimate a behavioral index for each fish. Tarpon showed consistent east–west movement from the Alabama/Florida border to Louisiana, and utilization distributions were highest in the Mississippi River Delta. Move persistence was highest in Alabama and Mississippi and lowest in Louisiana. Our examination of tarpon space use and movement indicates that Louisiana is a critical, yet understudied, part of their range.
Back to the Root? Immigrant Farmers, Ethnographic Romanticism, and Untangling Food Sovereignty in Western Oregon
Authors: Korsunsky Alex
Published: December 2020

Immigrants—especially those from farmworker or campesino backgrounds—have gained attention as promising recruits for a new generation of sustainable farmers. Nonprofits promoting this aspirational vision of food justice link sustainability to empowered workers and communities of color, and to the preservation or revival of (agri)cultural traditions. I present findings from ongoing research showing that Oregon nonprofit food sovereignty initiatives training Mexican immigrant farmers have achieved successes as cultural, community building, and educational programs, but have struggled to produce viable farm businesses. I contrast these farmers with the less ecologically oriented and less self‐consciously “cultural” immigrant farmers who work without organizational support in the same region, and who find an aspirational agrarian good life in more conventional agricultural practices. I argue that activist and academic formulations of food sovereignty linking peasant heritage, sustainability, labor rights, and immigration justice may lead scholars to overstate immigrant farmers' actual propensity for "alternative" agriculture and ignore those immigrant farmers who fail to conform to this ideal.
Infected thrombus in a Fontan circulation
Authors: Fritche‐Salazar Juan Francisco , Meléndez‐Ramírez Gabriela , Arias‐Godínez José Antonio , Ruiz‐Esparza Ma. Eugenia , Raymundo‐Martínez Grecia Iveth Maryelis
Published: December 2020

The Fontan operation was introduced in 1968 as a palliative treatment for patients with univentricular heart physiology. Natural history and outcomes are poor. By 10 years after Fontan operation, most patients will develop any complication such as tachyarrhythmias, any spectrum of Fontan‐associated liver disease, protein‐losing enteropathy, heart failure, thrombosis, and infective endocarditis among others. Echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the first‐line diagnostic tools for detecting such complications. Clinical and imaging follow‐up are a mainstay for the evaluation of this patients.
First detection ofBursaphelenchus abietinusandB. andrassyiin Italy
Authors: Torrini Giulia , Paoli Francesco , Mazza Giuseppe , Simoncini Stefania , Strangi Agostino , Guidotti Alessandro , Mori Emiliano , Roversi Pio Federico , Marianelli Leonardo
Published: December 2020

During the annual monitoring surveys for the pinewood nematodes,Bursaphelenchus xylophilus,conducted in the Tuscany region (Central Italy) from the year 2015 to 2019, a total of 1,025 wood samples were collected from symptomatic plants in coniferous forests. Among the eightBursaphelenchusspecies found,Bursaphelenchus abietinusandB. andrassyiwere identified through morphological and molecular analysis and recorded for the first time in Italy. Additionally, new associations betweenBursaphelenchusspecies and the host plants or insect vectors have been reported. The generalized linear models performed to investigate the possible relation between the level of coniferous plant decay and the occurrence ofBursaphelenchusnematodes highlighted that the probability of theBursaphelenchuspresence in the samples increased with the degeneration of the phytosanitary state of the tree, the presence of blue stain fungi and different types of insects.
Elite directors, London finance, and British overseas expansion: Victorian railway networks, 1860–1900†
Authors: Amini Shima , Toms Steven
Published: December 2020

This article considers how international economic expansion impacts on the composition of elite groups on boards of companies. We examine, why, at the height of the British Empire, boards of national, imperial, and international railway companies, financed from London, were dominated by elites drawn differentially from the aristocracy, the military, finance, and politics. To investigate the reasons for these differences, we conduct a social network analysis of railway company boards in three countries during the second half of the nineteenth century. Results reveal that aristocratic directors were dominant in Britain, military directors in India, and financier directors in Argentina, suggesting that their influence drew on local knowledge, resource access, and network connections. They did not serve on boards for merely ornamental purposes.
First field record of an introduced pet‐feeder cockroach, Blaptica dubia (Serville, 1838) (Blattidae, Blaberinae), in a temperate zone of Japan
Authors: Kato Toshihide , Yamasako Junsuke
Published: December 2020

The expansion of the worldwide pet trade has increased the invasion risks from not only exotic pet animals, but also live feeder organisms for predatory pet animals. Here, we report the first field record of a tropical live feeder cockroach, Blaptica dubia (Serville, 1838), in the central part of Japan. This widely traded feeder insect may be able to colonize temperate zones because they were estimated to survive through two winters in Japan at temperatures close to the upper limits of their critical thermal minimum. Further field observations are needed to understand the behavior of this species in the wild and predict the risk of invasion in temperate zones.
Microsatellites for the Neotropical ant,Camponotus leydigi(Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: Gonçalves‐Neto Salatiel , Azevedo‐Silva Marianne , Lemos Alessandra S. M. , Souza Anete P. , Oliveira Paulo S.
Published: December 2020

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are dominant social insects that play important ecological roles in terrestrial ecosystems.Camponotus leydigi(Forel) is widely distributed in the Neotropical region and is frequently found in the Brazilian cerrado savanna interacting with plants and other insects. Field observations indicate thatC. leydigihas a polydomous nesting habit, but little is known about the genetic relationship among workers. In this study, we identify the first nine microsatellite loci forC. leydigithat will allow further investigation on its genetic diversity. We used a microsatellite‐enriched library method. According to this method, repetitive sequences are captured with (CT)8and (GT)8biotin‐linked probes, with subsequent recovery by streptavidin magnetic‐coated beads. We observed that eight loci were polymorphic. The mean (± standard error) observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.55 ± 0.23 and 0.73 ± 0.28, respectively. The rarified allelic richness ranged from 1 to 5.32. The polymorphism contents were similar to diversity estimates found in markers previously developed for otherCamponotusants. These markers will be useful for future studies on population genetics and ecology ofCamponotusants in cerrado, including nesting ecology, colony structure, dispersal and conservation.
Current status of COVID‐19 among hemodialysis patients in the East Azerbaijan Province of Iran
Authors: Tayebi Khosroshahi Hamid , Mardomi Alireza , Niknafs Bahram , Farnood Farahnoosh , Shekarchi Mohsen , Salehi Shabnam , Fadaei Haggi Taghi
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Management of vulnerable patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic requires careful precautions. Hemodialysis patients constitute a large group of at‐risk patients that not only suffer from a compromised immune system but also are at a higher risk due to frequent admission to healthcare units. Therefore, a better understanding on the pathogenesis and possible risk factors of COVID‐19 in hemodialysis patients is of high importance.

Methods

A total of 670 maintained hemodialysis patients from all dialysis units of the East Azerbaijan Province of Iran, including 44 COVID‐19 patients were included in the present study. Possible associations between the backgrounds of patients and the incidence of COVID‐19 were assessed. Also, hemodialysis patients with COVID‐19 were compared to 211 nonhemodialysis COVID‐19 patients.

Findings

Chronic glomerulonephritis patients and those with blood group A demonstrated a higher incidence of COVID‐19. On the other hand, patients with blood group AB+ and those with hypertension etiology of kidney failure demonstrated a lower incidence of COVID‐19. Hemodialysis patients with COVID‐19 had higher counts of polymorphonuclears (PMNs) in their peripheral blood compared to other COVID‐19 patients.

Discussion

A better comprehension on the risk factors associated with COVID‐19 in hemodialysis patients can improve our understanding on the pathogenesis of COVID‐19 in different situations and help the enhancement of current therapeutics for COVID‐19 in hemodialysis patients.
Resiliency process and socialization among Palestinian children exposed to traumatic experience: Grounded theory approach
Authors: Harazneh Lobna , Hamdan‐Mansour Ayman M. , Ayed Ahmad
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The conflict in Palestine is known to be one of the longest ongoing conflicts in the world affecting children with harmful psychological consequences. The purpose of this study was to explore the process of resilience among Palestinian children exposed to psychological trauma due to detention experiences.

Method

A qualitative approach utilizing grounded theory design was used. Data collected by a semi‐structured interview format from 18 Palestinian children aged 12–18 years were exposed to detention.

Results

The study revealed four main categories with focus and initial coding subcategories. Major categories were: revering and honoring the prisoners, normalizing the abnormal situations (positive adaptation), awareness and political socialization during childhood, and developing identity and belonging to the homeland. The results indicated that Palestinian children exposed to political detention had their own positive perception of the trauma and had a high level of posttraumatic maturation.

Practice Implication

The study concluded that early childhood political awareness, family and community support, sociocultural perception of prisoner children, and sense of belonging improved the ability of detained children to normalize abnormal situations and successfully cope with psychological trauma. So, the study has significant implications for nursing practice in the field of childhood trauma and intervention, it can help nurses working with traumatized children to assess and intervene according to the child's perception about the trauma and ability to cope.
Dietary intervention for the management of hypertension in Asia
Authors: Chang Hao‐Chih , Cheng Hao‐Min , Chen Chen‐Huan , Wang Tzung‐Dau , Soenarta Arieska Ann , Turana Yuda , Teo Boon Wee , Tay Jam Chin , Tsoi Kelvin , Wang Ji‐Guang , Kario Kazuomi
Published: December 2020

Hypertension is among the leading global risks for premature death. As the risks substantially increase along with the elevated blood pressure, a small reduction of blood pressure could have prevented numerous cardiovascular events in general population. Evidence has shown that dietary intervention is a cost‐effective strategy that has been broadly advocated in the published guidelines. However, the implementation could be limited by different food cultures. This review details the mechanisms of each dietary intervention approach, evidence, and the implications in Asian populations, and the perspective of future research.
Clinical utility of skin cancer and melanoma risk scores for population screening: TRoPICS study
Authors: Shetty A. , Janda M. , Fry K. , Brown S. , Yau B. , Schuckmann L. Von , Thomas S. , Rayner J.E. , Spelman L. , Wagner G. , Jenkins H. , Lun K. , Parbery J. , Soyer H.P. , Neale R.E. , Green A.C. , Whiteman D.C. , Olsen C.M. , Khosrotehrani K.
Published: December 2020

Background

Screening for skin cancer can be cost‐effective if focused on high‐risk groups. Risk prediction tools have been developed for keratinocyte cancers and melanoma to optimize advice and management. However, few have been validated in a clinical setting over the past few years.

Objectives

To assess the clinical utility of risk assessment tools to identify individuals with prevalent skin cancers in a volunteer‐based screening clinic.

Methods

Participants were adults presenting for a skin check at a volunteer‐based skin cancer screening facility. We used previously published tools, based on questionnaire responses, to predict melanoma and keratinocyte cancers [KCs; basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)] and classified each participant into one of five risk categories. Participants subsequently underwent a full skin examination by a dermatologist. All suspicious lesions were biopsied, and all cancers were histopathologically confirmed.

Results

Of 789 people who presented to the clinic, 507 (64%) consented to the study. Twenty‐two BCCs, 19 SCCs and eight melanomas were diagnosed. The proportion of keratinocyte cancers diagnosed increased according to risk category from <1% in the lowest to 24% in the highest risk category (P < 0.001). Subtype analysis revealed similar proportionate increases in BCC or SCC prevalence according to risk category. However, a similar proportion of melanoma cases were detected in the low‐risk and high‐risk groups.

Conclusion

The risk prediction model for keratinocyte cancers can reliably identify individuals with a significant skin cancer burden prior to a skin examination in the community setting. The prediction tool for melanoma needs to be tested in a larger sample exposed to a wider range of environmental risk factors.
Evaluating the correlation between genome‐wide diversity and the release of plastic phenotypic variation in experimental translocations to novel natural environments
Authors: Yates Matthew C. , Fraser Dylan J.
Published: December 2020

Phenotypic reaction norms are often shaped and constrained by selection and are important for allowing organisms to respond to environmental change. However, selection cannot constrain reaction norms for environmental conditions that populations have not experienced. Consequently, cryptic neutral genetic variation for the reaction norm can accumulate such that a release of phenotypic variation occurs upon exposure to novel14 conditions. Most genomic diversity behaves as if functionally neutral. Therefore, genome‐wide diversity metrics may correlate with levels of cryptic genetic variation and, as a result, exhibit a positive relationship with a release of phenotypic variation in novel environments. To test this hypothesis, we conducted translocations of juvenile brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from 12 populations to novel uninhabited ponds that represented a gradient of environmental conditions. We assessed reaction norms for morphological traits (body size and four morphometric relative warps) across pond environmental gradients and evaluated the effect of genome‐wide heterozygosity on phenotypic variability. All traits displayed plastic reaction norms. Overall, we found some evidence that a release of phenotypic variation consistent with cryptic genetic variation can occur in novel environmental conditions. However, the extent to which this release correlated with average genome‐wide diversity was limited to only one of five traits examined. Our results suggest a limited link between genomic diversity26 and the accumulation of cryptic genetic variation in reaction norms. Similarly, reaction norms were constrained for many of the morphological traits examined. Past conditions may have constrained reaction norms in the putatively novel environments despite significant deviations from contemporary source population habitat. Additionally, as a generalist colonizing species brook trout may exhibit plastic phenotypes across a wide range of environmental conditions.
Regulation of cytoskeleton‐associated protein activities: Linking cellular signals to plant cytoskeletal function
Authors: Lian Na , Wang Xinwei , Jing Yanping , Lin Jinxing
Published: December 2020

The plant cytoskeleton undergoes dynamic remodeling in response to diverse developmental and environmental cues. Remodeling of the cytoskeleton coordinates growth in plant cells, including trafficking and exocytosis of membrane and wall components during cell expansion, and regulation of hypocotyl elongation in response to light. Cytoskeletal remodeling also has key functions in disease resistance and abiotic stress responses. Many stimuli result in altered activity of cytoskeleton‐associated proteins, microtubule‐associated proteins (MAPs) and actin‐binding proteins (ABPs). MAPs and ABPs are the main players determining the spatiotemporally dynamic nature of the cytoskeleton, functioning in a sensory hub that decodes signals to modulate plant cytoskeletal behavior. Moreover, MAP and ABP activities and levels are precisely regulated during development and environmental responses, but our understanding of this process remains limited. In this review, we summarize the evidence linking multiple signaling pathways, MAP and ABP activities and levels, and cytoskeletal rearrangements in plant cells. We highlight advances in elucidating the multiple mechanisms that regulate MAP and ABP activities and levels, including calcium and calmodulin signaling, ROP GTPase activity, phospholipid signaling, and post‐translational modifications.