bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission in school settings during the second wave in Berlin, Germany: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Theuring Stefanie , Thielecke Marlene , van Loon Welmoed , Hommes Franziska , Hülso Claudia , von der Haar Annkathrin , Körner Jennifer , Schmidt Michael , Böhringer Falko , Mall Marcus A. , Rosen Alexander , von Kalle Christof , Kirchberger Valerie , Kurth Tobias , Seybold Joachim , Mockenhaupt Frank P. ,   BECOSS Study Group
Published: January 2021

Background

School attendance during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is intensely debated. Modelling studies suggest that school closures contribute to community transmission reduction. However, data among school-attending students and staff are scarce. In November 2020, we examined SARS-CoV-2 infections and seroreactivity in 24 randomly selected school classes and connected households in Berlin, Germany.

Methods

Students and school staff were examined, oro-nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples collected, and SARS-CoV-2 infection and IgG antibodies detected by RT-PCR and ELISA. Household members performed self-swabs. Individual and institutional infection prevention and control measures were assessed. Classes with SARS-CoV-2 infection and connected household members were re-tested after one week.

Findings

1119 participants were examined, including 177 primary and 175 secondary school students, 142 staff, and 625 household members. Participants reported mainly cold symptoms (19·4%). SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in eight of 24 classes affecting each 1-2 individuals. Infection prevalence was 2·7% (95%CI; 1·2-5·0%; 9/338), 1·4% (0·2-5·1%; 2/140), and 2·3% (1·3-3·8%; 14/611) among students, staff and household members, respectively, including quarantined persons. Six of nine infected students were asymptomatic. Prevalence increased with inconsistent facemask use in school, way to school on foot, and case-contacts outside school. IgG antibodies were detected in 2·0% (0·8-4·1%; 7/347), 1·4% (0·2-5·0%; 2/141) and 1·4% (0·6-2·7%; 8/576), respectively. For three of nine households with infection(s) detected at cross-sectional assessment, origin in school seemed possible. After one week, no school-related, secondary infections appeared in affected classes; the attack rate in connected households was 1·1%.

Interpretation

These data suggest that school attendance under preventive measures is feasible, provided their rigorous implementation. In balancing threats and benefits of openversusclosed schools during the pandemic, parents and society need to consider possible spill-overs into their households. Deeper insight is needed into the infection risks due to being a schoolchild as compared to attending school.

Funding

Senate of Berlin.
Risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure among hospital healthcare workers in relation to patient contact and type of care
Authors: Klevebro Susanna , Bahram Fuad , Elfström K. Miriam , Hellberg Ulrika , Hober Sophia , Merid Simon Kebede , Kull Inger , Nilsson Peter , Tornvall Per , Wang Gang , Lundgren Kalle Conneryd , Ponzer Sari , Dillner Joakim , Melén Erik
Published: January 2021

Aim

We aimed to assess the risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in a large cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs).

Methods

From May 11 until June 11, 2020, 3,981 HCWs at a large Swedish Emergency Care hospital provided serum samples and questionnaire data. Exposure was measured by assaying IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.

Results

The total seroprevalence was 17.7% and increased during the study period. Among the seropositive HCWs, 10.5% had been entirely asymptomatic. Participants who worked with COVID-19 patients had higher odds for seropositivity: ORadj 1.96 (95% CI 1.59 – 2.42). HCWs from three of the departments managing COVID-19 patients had significantly higher seroprevalences, whereas the prevalence among HCWs from the Intensive Care Unit (also managing COVID-19 patients) was significantly lower.

Conclusion

HCWs in contact with SARS-CoV-2 infected patients had a variable, but on average higher, likelihood for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Nucleic Transformer: Deep Learning on Nucleic Acids with Self-attention and Convolutions
Authors: He Shujun , Gao Baizhen , Sabnis Rushant , Sun Qing
Published: January 2021

Abstract

Much work has been done to apply machine learning and deep learning to genomics tasks, but these applications usually require extensive domain knowledge and the resulting models provide very limited interpretability. Here we present the Nucleic Transformer, a conceptually simple but effective and interpretable model architecture that excels in a variety of DNA/RNA tasks. The Nucleic Transformer processes nucleic acid sequences with self-attention and convolutions, two deep learning techniques that have proved dominant in the fields of computer vision and natural language processing. We demonstrate that the Nucleic Transformer can be trained in both supervised and unsupervised fashion without much domain knowledge to achieve high performance with limited amounts of data inEscherichia colipromoter classification, viral genome identification, and degradation properties of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidates. Additionally, we showcase extraction of promoter motifs from learned attention and how direct visualization of self-attention maps assists informed decision making using deep learning models.
C—H...O contacts in the crystal structure of 1,3-dithiane 1,1,3,3-tetraoxide
Authors: Harlow Richard L. , Oliver Allen G. , Sammes Michael P.
Published: January 2021

The crystal structure of 1,3-dithiane 1,1,3,3-tetraoxide, C4H8O4S2, has been determined to examine the intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen bonds in a small molecule with highly polarized hydrogen atoms. The crystals are monoclinic, space group Pn, with a = 4.9472 (5), b = 9.9021 (10), c = 7.1002 (7) Å and β = 91.464 (3)° with Z = 2. The molecules form two stacks parallel to the a axis with the molecules being one a translation distance from each other. This stacking involves axial hydrogen atoms on one molecule and the axial oxygen atoms on the adjacent molecule in the stack. None of these C—H...O contacts is particularly short (all are > 2.4 Å). The many C—H...O contacts between the two stacks involve at least one equatorial hydrogen or oxygen atom. Again, no unusually short contacts are found. The whole crystal structure basically consists of a complex network of C—H...O contacts with no single, linear C—H...O contacts, only contacts that involve two (bifurcated), and mostly three or four neighbors.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of the hydrochloride salt of 8-{4-[(6-phenylpyridin-3-yl)methyl]piperazin-1-yl}-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one
Authors: Ullah Nisar , Stoeckli-Evans Helen
Published: January 2021

The amine 8-{4-[(6-phenylpyridin-3-yl)methyl]piperazin-1-yl}-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one was crystallized as the hydrochloride salt, 4-(2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-8-yl)-1-[(6-phenylpyridin-3-yl)methyl]piperazin-1-ium chloride, C25H27N4
+·Cl− (I·HCl). The conformation of the organic cation is half-moon in shape enclosing the chloride anion. The piperidine ring of the 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one moiety has a screw-boat conformation, while the piperazine ring has a chair conformation. In the biaryl group, the pyridine ring is inclined to the phenyl ring by 40.17 (7) and by 36.86 (8)° to the aromatic ring of the quinoline moiety. In the crystal, the cations are linked by pairwise N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers enclosing an R
2
2(8) ring motif. The Cl− anion is linked to the cation by an N—H...Cl hydrogen bond. These units are linked by a series of C—H...O, C—H...N and C—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, forming layers lying parallel to the ab plane.
The Relationship Between Gender and Promotion Over the Business Cycle: Does Firm Size Matter?
Authors: Saridakis George , Ferreira Priscila , Mohammed Anne‐Marie , Marlow Susan
Published: January 2021

This paper offers a more nuanced analysis of employee promotion decisions; specifically, how they are affected by firm size, gender and stages within the business cycle. Drawing on data from Portugal, we find that during times of adverse macroeconomic conditions, promotion prospects in all firms decline. Within large firms, women are more likely to be promoted during economic downturns, reflecting the ‘glass cliff’ hypothesis. In small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), overall promotion rates are less affected by adverse economic conditions, however, women are less likely to attain promotions. Our results emphasize the importance of market volatility and firm heterogeneity in promotion and importantly, reveal differing forms of gender discrimination. In large firms women are, in effect, afforded greater responsibility for the effects of market volatility whilst SMEs invest more confidence in male employees to manage during crises.
Religion in an Age of Empire: The Salvation Army and British Imperialism, 1878–1914
Authors: Eason Andrew M.
Published: January 2021

Debates about the British Empire continue to rage, especially those concerned with its impact on domestic affairs during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The degree to which empire mattered to average Britons at home has tended to generate polarised responses from historians. Some have sought to downplay its overall significance, whereas others have been prone to argue that its effects on society were widespread. The present article speaks into this debate by examining one notable British organisation — the Salvation Army — which came into being in the second half of the nineteenth century. While a number of scholars have addressed the imperialist implications of Army work in the colonies, much less work has been done to scrutinise the empire's influence on Salvationists within Britain itself. Looking at three characteristics frequently associated with imperialist ideology — militarism, racial othering, and devotion to the monarchy — this article contends that the Salvation Army's relationship to the British Empire was remarkably dynamic and complex during the timeframe under review. Demonstrating that Salvationist thinking and practice could both help and hinder the aims of imperialism, it points to the need for more balanced and nuanced approaches to the study of the empire in the metropole.
Obedient Passion—Passionate Obedience: Ashraf Ali Thanawi's Sermons on the Love of the Prophet
Authors: Pernau Margrit , Stille Max
Published: January 2021

Ashraf Ali Thanawi (1863–1943) was one of the most influential South Asian preachers and authors of the twentieth century. His sermons range from Friday sermons in Arabic to those held before select disciples or at mass rallies in Urdu, and they were printed ever since his lifetime in great number and consistency. This article is particularly interested in the emotional roles allotted to preacher and audience and the overlap between religious and emotional dimensions of the communication process. Against the background of the changing roles of emotions in colonial India and the turn of preaching to print, this contribution focuses on sermons that concern the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet (mīlādu ‘n‐nabī), a practice that was central for an emotionalised piety directed towards the person of Muhammad and was highly contested. Thanawi elaborates on the necessity, limits, and cultivation of the love towards the Prophet and discusses the evocation and expression, intentionality, and temporality of the Muslims’ ideal emotional practices. Maintaining limits of devotion serves as the basis for an even more passionate love. Obedience, in preaching as an emotional practice as much as in the religious feelings towards the Prophet, is central to develop and communicate feelings that are all‐pervading, continuous, and unimpaired.
A novel technique for preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules using a mixture of tissue adhesive and iohexol under computed tomography guidance: A 140 patient single‐center study
Authors: Zhang Bingyu , Peng Muyun , Yu Fenglei , Mei Xilong , Tang Jingqun , Wang Xiang , Liu Wenliang , Chen Chen , Chen Xiaofeng
Published: January 2021

Background

The increase in the incidence of pulmonary nodules has made computed tomography (CT) screening a requirement for diagnosis and treatment. Small pulmonary nodule detection during video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or thoracotomy is frequently challenging; however, accurate and efficient localization of nodules is critical for precise resection. Herein, we introduce and evaluate the feasibility and safety of a novel technique for preoperative pulmonary nodule localization.

Methods

From March 2018 to December 2019, 140 patients with 153 pulmonary nodules measuring <2 cm in diameter were enrolled in this study. Preoperative, CT‐guided localization was performed on each nodule with an injected mixture of tissue adhesive and iohexol. Patient and nodule characteristics, localization data, complications, surgical data, and pathological results were analyzed.

Results

All 153 nodules in 140 patients were successfully marked preoperatively and detected during surgery (n = 153/153). Mean nodule size was 8.7 ± 2.6 mm, and mean distance from nodule to pleura was 7.9 ± 8.2 mm. The mean procedural time was 8.7 ± 1.0 min. Nine patients (6.4%) underwent two simultaneous nodule localizations and two patients (1.4%) underwent three simultaneous nodule localizations. Pneumothorax (17/140, 12.1%), pain (6/140, 4.3%), and pungent odor (5/140, 3.6%) were the major complications. No patient required further treatment, and no allergic reactions or embolisms were observed.

Conclusions

Preoperative CT‐guided nodule localization using a mixture of tissue adhesive and iohexol is an efficient technique for localizing small and impalpable pulmonary lesions, including multiple pulmonary nodules. Our study demonstrates that this novel method is safe and straightforward to implement.
The association between human papillomavirus and cervical high‐grade cytology among HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative Tanzanian women: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Swai Patricia , Kjaer Susanne K. , Mchome Bariki , Manongi Rachel , Msuya Sia E. , Wu Chun Sen , Waldstrom Marianne , Iftner Thomas , Mwaiselage Julius , Rasch Vibeke
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer, cervical cancer being the leading cause of deaths in Tanzanian women. Early detection and treatment of precancerous lesions are important in the prevention of cervical cancer cases.

Material and methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional study among 3390 Tanzanian women aged 25‐60 years. Information on lifestyle habits was collected, and women underwent gynecological examination with collection of cervical cells for conventional cytological and HPV testing. Blood samples were tested for HIV. The association between cervical high‐grade cytology (HGC) and potential risk factors was examined using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age and high‐risk HPV (HR‐HPV).

Results

The prevalence of HGC was 3.6% and of low‐grade cytology was 8.3%. In women who were both HR‐HPV‐positive and HIV‐positive, the prevalence of HGC was 28.3%. It increased by age and was 47% among women aged 50‐60 years. Women, who had their sexual debut at age 9‐15 years and 16‐18 years, respectively, had 2.5 and 2.4 times increased odds of HGC compared with women whose sexual debut was at age 21 years and older. HIV‐positive women had increased odds of HGC in comparison with HIV‐negative women after adjustment for age (odds ratio [OR] 2.95, 95% CI 1.92‐4.54). HR‐HPV‐positive women had nearly 100‐fold increased odds of HGC compared with HR‐HPV‐negative women (OR 96.6, 95% CI 48.0‐194), and this estimate was higher among HIV‐positive women (OR 152.2, 95% CI 36.1‐642.0).

Conclusions

Increasing age, early age at first intercourse, HR‐HPV, and HIV infections were associated with a substantially increased risk of HGC.
Diagnosing atopic dermatitis in infancy using established diagnostic criteria: a cohort study
Authors: Endre K.M.A. , Landrø L. , LeBlanc M. , Gjersvik P. , Lødrup Carlsen K.C. , Haugen G. , Hedlin G. , Jonassen C.M. , Nordlund B. , Rudi K. , Skjerven H.O. , Staff A.C. , Söderhäll C. , Vettukattil R. , Rehbinder E.M.
Published: January 2021

Background

Diagnosing atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants is challenging.

Objectives

To determine the incidence and persistence of eczema and AD in infants using the UK Working Party (UKWP) and Hanifin and Rajka (H&R) criteria.

Methods

A cohort of 1834 infants was examined clinically at 3, 6 and 12 months of age. AD was diagnosed by UKWP (3, 6 and 12 months) and H&R (12 months) criteria. Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between AD and eczema.

Results

Eczema was observed in 628 (34·2%) infants (n = 240, n = 359 and n = 329 at 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively), with AD diagnosed in 212 (33·7%) infants with any eczema and in 64/78 (82%) infants with eczema at all three visits. The odds of AD were lower with first presentation of eczema at 6 [odds ratio (OR) 0·33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·22–0·48] or 12 months (OR 0·49, 95% CI 0·32–0·74) than at 3 months, and higher in infants with eczema at three (OR 23·1, 95% CI 12·3–43·6) or two (OR 6·5, 95% CI 4·3–9·9) visits vs. one visit only. At 12 months, 156/329 (47·4%) fulfilled the UKWP and/or H&R criteria; 27 (8%) fulfilled the UKWP criteria only and 65 (20%) only the H&R criteria. Of the 129 infants who fulfilled the H&R criteria, 44 (34·1%) did not meet the itch criterion.

Conclusions

Used in combination and at multiple timepoints, the UKWP and H&R criteria for AD may be useful in clinical research but may have limited value in most other clinical settings.
Optical dating of cobble surfaces determines the chronology of Holocene beach ridges in Greenland
Authors: Souza Priscila E. , Sohbati Reza , Murray Andrew S. , Clemmensen Lars B. , Kroon Aart , Nielsen Lars
Published: January 2021

We constrain the age of a cobble beach ridge system in Greenland using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of buried cobble surfaces. Luminescence signals from six cobbles are measured using infrared (IR) stimulation at 50 °C (IR50) and 180 °C (pIRIR180); these cobbles represent four progressively younger beach ridges lying between ~35 and ~6 m above present sea level. Luminescence–depth profiles show that the IR50 signals in all the samples and pIRIR180 signals in four out of six samples are well bleached to depths >1.2 mm into the cobble surfaces. Equivalent doses in well‐bleached cobble surface slices (i.e. <1.2 mm) are measured and divided by the effective environmental dose rate to the cobble surfaces in order to derive burial ages. Both IR signals are corrected for anomalous fading using the sample‐specific ratio of the field to the laboratory saturation levels. Our results are consistent with a depositional model predicting that the investigated portion of the beach ridge system built out continuously during relative sea level fall between ~5.3 and ~1.9 ka ago. The optical ages suggest that the rate of construction varied considerably, with the highest rates ~3.4 ka ago. Additionally, the lowest‐elevation beach ridge investigated here provides the first evidence for a higher‐than‐present relative sea level, between 1.5 and 2 ka ago, in the Disko coastal region.
Does It Matter How We Speak About Social Kinds? A Large, Preregistered, Online Experimental Study of How Language Shapes the Development of Essentialist Beliefs
Authors: Leshin Rachel A. , Leslie Sarah‐Jane , Rhodes Marjorie
Published: January 2021

A problematic way to think about social categories is to essentialize them—to treat particular differences between people as marking fundamentally distinct social kinds. From where do these beliefs arise? Language that expresses generic claims about categories elicits some aspects of essentialism, but the scope of these effects remains unclear. This study (N = 204, ages 4.5–8 years, 73% White; recruited predominantly from the United States and the United Kingdom to participate online in 2019) found that generic language increases two critical aspects of essentialist thought: Beliefs that (a) category‐related properties arise from intrinsic causal mechanisms and (b) category boundaries are inflexible. These findings have implications for understanding the spread of essentialist beliefs across communities and the development of intergroup behavior.
How does grassland management affect physical and biochemical properties of temperate grassland soils? A review study
Authors: Mayel Sonia , Jarrah Mahboube , Kuka Katrin
Published: January 2021

Increasing management intensity of grassland through increased grazing intensity, mowing frequency and fertilizer input have attracted more attention to the consequences of grassland management practices on reduced soil quality and grassland yield. Given the importance of soil attributes in generating resilience in soil‐vegetation‐livestock systems, a better insight of the dynamic of these complex systems is warranted. The maintenance of proper soil physical, chemical and biological properties indicates the basis of a resilient grassland system. This review summarizes research approaches and outcomes of the effects of grazing, mowing, and applying fertilizer on soil physical and biochemical characteristics with the aim of providing useful guidelines to researchers, land managers, and policy makers to maintaining and improving soil attributes and grassland productivity. Based on the studied literatures, choice of management intensity on grasslands appears to be more critical. Light to moderate grassland management intensities have positive effects on soil properties, but frequent or incorrect management practices may cause undesirable consequences. Various factors such as the geographic region, and plant group functions additionally could have an effect on management regimes, so it can be concluded that optimal management method should be adapted to regional and local circumstances.
Individual social capital and migration
Authors: Hotchkiss Julie L. , Rupasingha Anil
Published: January 2021

This paper determines how individual, relative to community, social capital is related to individual decisions to move. We use non‐public data from the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey to predict multi‐dimensional social capital for observations in the Current Population Survey. We find evidence that individuals are much less likely to have moved to a community with average social capital levels lower than their own and confirm that higher individual social capital (across multiple dimensions) is negatively related to migration decisions.
COVID‐19 pandemic effects on nursing education: looking through the lens of a developing country
Authors: Agu Chinwendu F. , Stewart Jodian , McFarlane‐Stewart Nadine , Rae Tania
Published: January 2021

Background

COVID‐19 pandemic has impacted the way things are done in walks of life including nursing education in both developing and developed countries. Nursing schools all over the world as well as in developing countries responded to the pandemic following the guidelines of the World Health Organisation and different countries specific guidelines regarding the pandemic.

Aim

This reflective piece aims to describe the effect of COVID‐19 on nursing education in developing countries.

Result

Face‐to‐face teaching and learning were converted to virtual remote learning and clinical experiences suspended to protect the students from the pandemic. Specific but broader responses to the pandemic in the Caribbean and other developing countries have been shaped by financial, political and other contextual factors, especially the level of information technology infrastructure development, and the attendant inequities in access to such technology between the rural and urban areas. Internet accessibility, affordability and reliability in certain areas seem to negatively affect the delivery of nursing education during the COVID‐19 lockdown.

Conclusion and Implications for Nursing and/or Health Policy

The impact of COVID‐19 on nursing education in the Caribbean and other parts of the world has shown that if adequate measures are put in place by the way of disaster preparedness and preplanned mitigation strategies, future crises like COVID‐19 will have less impact on nursing education. Therefore, health policymakers and nursing regulatory bodies in the developing countries should put policies in place that will help in responding, coping and recovering quickly from future occurrences.
Topical effect of benzalkonium bromide on wound healing and potential cellular and molecular mechanisms
Authors: Zhang Jianghe , Yan Yan , Li Yujie , Shen Chengcheng , Zhang Yiming
Published: January 2021

Benzalkonium bromide (BB) has been widely used as a skin antiseptic for wound management. However, BB had proinflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction effect, making its role in wound healing complex and unclear. A rat full‐thickness skin defect wound model was established. The effects of BB, povidone iodine (PVP‐I), chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), and normal saline (NS) on wound healing and infection control were then evaluated based on wound healing rate (WHr) and bacterial killing. The wound tissues were sectioned for histopathological evaluation and nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression determination. The ROS production, Nrf2 activation, and heme oxygenase 1 (HO‐1) expression of the HaCat cells and the cytotoxicity treated with BB were further explored. Compared with NS, PVP‐I, and CHG, BB showed the best wound infection control efficiency while delayed wound healing with the WHr of 91.42 ± 5.12% at day 20. The wound tissue of the BB group showed many inflammatory cells but few granulation tissue and capillaries and no obvious collagen deposition, resulting in the lowest histopathological scores of 4.17 ± 0.75 for BB group. BB showed higher cytotoxicity on HaCat cells with the lowest IC25, IC50, and IC75 of 1.90, 4.16, and 9.09 g/mL compared with PVP‐I and CHG. TUNEL staining evaluated the cytotoxicity of BB on wound tissue, which indicates the high apoptosis index BB group (5.05 ± 1.77). Compared with PVP‐I and CHG, BB induced much more cell apoptosis. The results of flow cytometry and fluorescence staining showed that PVP‐I, CHG, and BB induced ROS production in a concentration‐dependent manner and cells treated with BB had the highest ROS production at the same inhibition concentration. The cells and the wound tissues treated with BB showed highest Nrf2 activation and HO‐1 expression than PVP‐I and CHG. BB was highly efficient in wound infection control while delayed wound healing. The prolonged and strengthened inflammation and the raised ROS production originating from BB administration may contribute to delayed wound healing.
Acute physical and mental stress resulted in an increase in fatty acids, norepinephrine, and hemodynamic changes in normal individuals: A possible pathophysiological mechanism for hypertension—Pilot study
Authors: Motta e Motta Josiane , Souza Ludmila Neves , Vieira Bianca Bassetto , Delle Humberto , Consolim‐Colombo Fernanda Marciano , Egan Brent M. , Lopes Heno Ferreira
Published: January 2021

Hypertension is often associated with metabolic changes. The sustained increase in sympathetic activity is related to increased blood pressure and metabolic changes. Environmental stimuli may be related to increased sympathetic activity, blood pressure, and metabolic changes, especially in genetically predisposed individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of fatty acids to physical and mental stress in healthy volunteers and the hemodynamic, hormonal, and metabolic implications of these stimuli. Fifteen healthy individuals with a mean age of 31 ± 7 years, of both sexes, were evaluated. They were assessed at baseline and after combined physical and mental stress (isometric exercise test, Stroop color test). Blood samples were collected at baseline and after stimulation for glucose, insulin, fatty acid, and catecholamine levels. Blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, and distensibility of the large and small arteries were analyzed. The data obtained at baseline and after stimuli were from the same individual, being the control itself. Compared to baseline, after physical and mental stress there was a statistically significant increase (p < .05) in free fatty acids, norepinephrine, diastolic blood pressure, peripheral vascular resistance, and distensibility of the large and small arteries. In conclusion, the combination of physical and mental stress raised fatty acids, norepinephrine, diastolic blood pressure, and peripheral vascular resistance in healthy individuals.
Inhibition of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β contributes to cisplatin nephrotoxicity via regulation of nf‐κb pathway
Authors: Zhang Yan , Hao Jielu , Du Zijun , Li Peiyao , Hu Jinghua , Ruan Mengna , Li Shulian , Ma Yuanfang , Lou Qiang
Published: January 2021

Cisplatin nephrotoxicity has been considered as serious side effect caused by cisplatin‐based chemotherapy. Recent evidence indicates that renal tubular cell apoptosis and inflammation contribute to the progression of cisplatin‐induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β (HNF1β) has been reported to regulate the development of kidney cystogenesis, diabetic nephrotoxicity, etc However, the regulatory mechanism of HNF1β in cisplatin nephrotoxicity is largely unknown. In the present study, we examined the effects of HNF1β deficiency on the development of cisplatin‐induced AKI in vitro and in vivo. HNF1β down‐regulation exacerbated cisplatin‐induced RPTC apoptosis by indirectly inducing NF‐κB p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. HNF1β knockdown C57BL/6 mice were constructed by injecting intravenously with HNF1β‐interfering shRNA and PEI. The HNF1β scramble and knockdown mice were treated with 30 mg/kg cisplatin for 3 days to induce acute kidney injury. Cisplatin treatment caused increased caspase 3 cleavage and p65 phosphorylation, elevated serum urea nitrogen and creatinine, and obvious histological damage of kidney such as fractured tubules in control mice, which were enhanced in HNF1β knockdown mice. These results suggest that HNF1β may ameliorate cisplatin nephrotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, probably through regulating NF‐κB signalling pathway.
Subclinical effects of adapalene‐benzoyl peroxide: a prospective in vivo imaging study on acne micromorphology and transfollicular delivery
Authors: Fuchs C.S.K. , Ortner V.K. , Hansen F.S. , Philipsen P.A. , Haedersdal M.
Published: January 2021

Background

Adapalene–benzoyl peroxide (A‐BPO) is a first‐line topical treatment for acne vulgaris. In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) detect micromorphological changes over time and visualize transfollicular delivery.

Objectives

To visualize temporal, subclinical effects of A‐BPO on acne micromorphology using RCM and OCT, and evaluate their impact on transfollicular delivery of microparticulate carrier systems.

Methods

Fifteen patients with mild to moderate acne received a 6‐week course of A‐BPO. Micromorphological changes were evaluated at time 0, 3 and 6 weeks with RCM (n = 1190 images) and OCT (n = 210 scans). Transfollicular delivery of microparticles was assessed at baseline and week 6.

Results

In vivo imaging visualized steady normalization of skin micromorphology in response to A‐BPO over 6 weeks, including decreased hyperkeratinization of follicular borders (RCM median decrease −71.2%, P < 0.05), reduced intrafollicular keratinous content (RCM median decrease −47.7%, P < 0.05) and increased epidermal thickness (OCT median increase of 25.25%, P < 0.05). Imaging visualized microparticles in the follicular unit. Despite a visible reduction in keratin and sebum, transfollicular microparticle delivery appeared unaffected.

Conclusions

Reflectance confocal microscopy and OCT detect A‐BPO‐induced changes in micromorphology and visualize transfollicular microparticle delivery. Keratolysis and sebolysis did not have a measurable effect on transfollicular delivery of microparticles.
Transparency, civic capital and political accountability: A virtuous relation?
Authors: Albanese Giuseppe , Galli Emma , Rizzo Ilde , Scaglioni Carla
Published: January 2021

Our paper investigates the intertwined relation among transparency, civic capital and political accountability in a large sample of Italian municipalities using a new indicator of institutional transparency. Firstly, we test the hypothesis that civic capital affects transparency of public administrations; secondly, we verify whether in municipalities where civic capital is high, citizens’ attention toward government accountability is also high, making it politically unfeasible to disregard the demand for transparency. We find that civic capital positively affects transparency and the latter, in turn, is politically rewarding for the local administrators only conditional to the level of civic capital. Our findings are robust to different samples and endogeneity concerns.
Residual radicular cyst: A remnant or a distinct entity? Reigniting the debate
Authors: Upadya Varsha Haridas , Sequeira Joyce P. , James Jijy , Bhat Hari Kishore , Kolari Vinayakrishna
Published: January 2021

Residual radicular cysts also called residual cysts, are inflammatory odontogenic cysts of the tooth‐bearing areas of the jaws. Some authors believe that they are not distinct entities, but represent previously undetected or persistent radicular cysts. Though they are slow‐growing and are usually found incidentally, they have the potential to reach massive sizes, displace adjacent structures and transform into benign and malignant tumours. In comparison to other odontogenic cysts, there is a paucity of literature regarding residual cysts. This article comprehensively reviews the literature available on the etiopathogenesis, presentation, microscopic and biochemical features, management and prognosis of residual cysts along with a report of a large residual cyst in the maxilla, displacing the maxillary sinus. The cyst presented 10 years after extraction of the offending teeth and was filled with brownish‐red semisolid content, which is uncommon. The lesion was enucleated and no postoperative complications were observed.
New solution of beauty problem by Staphylococcus hominis: Relevance between skin microbiome and skin condition in healthy subject
Authors: Ohshima Hiroshi , Kurosumi Motonori , Kanto Hiromi
Published: January 2021

Background/aims

Recently, it was suggested that skin microbiome is related to some skin disease. The possibility of affecting the skin might be high, but there were few reports of the influence on the skin condition in healthy subjects. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between skin condition and skin microbiome in healthy subjects.

Methods

Experiment 1: 293 Japanese healthy women were divided into two groups, good skin properties and poor skin properties by 14 skin physiology parameter values on the cheek using noninvasive method. Differences of abundance of bacterial species on the cheek between the two groups were evaluated. Experiment 2: 11 Japanese healthy women were applied Staphylococcus hominis (S. hominis) on half‐side of cheek for eight times in 1 month. Difference of change of physiology parameter values comparing to placebo side was evaluated.

Results

Experiment 1: Multiple skin bacterial species were found to be significantly relevant in 14 physiology parameters. The abundance of S. hominis on the cheek with good skin properties group was significantly higher than poor skin properties group. Experiment 2: The application of S. hominis improved significantly the conspicuous pore number, melanin index, and the wrinkle count compared to placebo side.

Conclusion

We found many skin bacterial species that might improve the skin condition in healthy women. In particular, S. hominis might have the potential to improve multiple skin beauty problems.
A Memory-Greedy Policy With Guaranteed Convergence for Accelerating Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Yu Xinglin , Wu Yuhu , Sun Xi-Ming , Zhou Wenya
Published: January 2021

Balancing the exploration and exploitation in reinforcement learning is a commonly dilemma and time-wasting work. In this paper, a novel exploration policy used in Q-Learning, called Memory-greedy policy, is proposed to accelerate learning. By memory storage and playback, the probability of random action selecting can be effectively dealt with or reduced, which hence speeds up learning. The principle of this policy is analyzed by maze scene, and the theoretical convergence is given according to dynamic programming.
Hybrid millidecade spectra: A practical format for exchange of long-term ambient sound data
Authors: Martin S. Bruce , Gaudet Briand J. , Klinck Holger , Dugan Peter J. , Miksis-Olds Jennifer L. , Mellinger David K. , Mann David A. , Boebel Olaf , Wilson Colleen C. , Ponirakis Dimitri W. , Moors-Murphy Hilary
Published: January 2021

This Letter proposes a frequency scaling for processing, storing, and sharing high-bandwidth, passive acoustic spectral data that optimizes data volume while maintaining reasonable data resolution. The format is a hybrid that uses 1 Hz resolution up to 455 Hz and millidecade frequency bands above 455 Hz. This hybrid is appropriate for many types of soundscape analysis, including detecting different types of soundscapes and regulatory applications like computing weighted sound exposure levels. Hybrid millidecade files are compressed compared to the 1 Hz equivalent such that one research center could feasibly store data from hundreds of projects for sharing among researchers globally.
Prototypical oncogene family Myc defines unappreciated distinct lineage states of small cell lung cancer
Authors: Patel Ayushi S. , Yoo Seungyeul , Kong Ranran , Sato Takashi , Sinha Abhilasha , Karam Sarah , Bao Li , Fridrikh Maya , Emoto Katsura , Nudelman German , Powell Charles A. , Beasley Mary Beth , Zhu Jun , Watanabe Hideo
Published: January 2021

Historically well-known tumor-promoting gene family plays a key role in cell identity regulation in small cell lung cancer.
Coherent control of collective nuclear quantum states via transient magnons
Authors: Bocklage Lars , Gollwitzer Jakob , Strohm Cornelius , Adolff Christian F. , Schlage Kai , Sergeev Ilya , Leupold Olaf , Wille Hans-Christian , Meier Guido , Röhlsberger Ralf
Published: January 2021

A collective nuclear state is coherently controlled via a solid’s quasi-particle with zeptosecond precision.
Tdp1 protects from topoisomerase 1–mediated chromosomal breaks in adult zebrafish but is dispensable during larval development
Authors: Zaksauskaite Ringaile , Thomas Ruth C , van Eeden Freek , El-Khamisy Sherif F.
Published: January 2021

The repair of protein-linked chromosomal breaks requires distinct factors throughout the life span.
Asymptotic turbulent friction in 2D rough-walled flows
Authors: Vilquin Alexandre , Jagielka Julie , Djambov Simeon , Herouard Hugo , Fischer Patrick , Bruneau Charles-Henri , Chakraborty Pinaki , Gioia Gustavo , Kellay Hamid
Published: January 2021

In turbulent rough-walled flows, the 2D friction-roughness relation differs from its 3D counterpart.
Lewis acid–catalyzed domino generation/[2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of ammonium ylides to access chiral azabicycles
Authors: Xi Song , Dong Jiawei , Chen Haohua , Dong Qiuyan , Yang Jiao , Tan Qiuyuan , Zhang Changhui , Lan Yu , Zhang Min
Published: January 2021

A domino process to prepare chiral azabicycles with bridgehead quaternary stereogenic centers is reported.
A 3D disease and regeneration model of peripheral nervous system–on–a–chip
Authors: Hyung Sujin , Lee Seung-Ryeol , Kim Jiho , Kim Youngtaek , Kim Suryong , Kim Hong Nam , Jeon Noo Li
Published: January 2021

A 3D PNS disease–on–a–chip enables the monitoring of pathophysiological processes, including demyelination and remyelination.
Thermal squeezing of the seismogenic zone controlled rupture of the volcano-rooted Flores Thrust
Authors: Lythgoe Karen , Muzli Muzli , Bradley Kyle , Wang Teng , Nugraha Andri Dian , Zulfakriza Zulfakriza , Widiyantoro Sri , Wei Shengji
Published: January 2021

Volcanic heating of a tectonic fault changed the way it produces large earthquakes.
Improper molecular ferroelectrics with simultaneous ultrahigh pyroelectricity and figures of merit
Authors: Li Wenru , Tang Gang , Zhang Guangzu , Jafri Hasnain Mehdi , Zhou Jun , Liu Di , Liu Yang , Wang Jiesu , Jin Kuijuan , Hu Yongmin , Gu Haoshuang , Wang Zhao , Hong Jiawang , Huang Houbing , Chen Long-Qing , Jiang Shenglin , Wang Qing
Published: January 2021

The coupling between the rotation angle of anions and polarization yields colossal pyroelectricity of molecular ferroelectrics.
Steroid-resistant human inflammatory ILC2s are marked by CD45RO and elevated in type 2 respiratory diseases
Authors: van der Ploeg Esmee K. , Golebski Korneliusz , van Nimwegen Menno , Fergusson Joannah R. , Heesters Balthasar A. , Martinez-Gonzalez Itziar , Kradolfer Chantal M. A. , van Tol Sophie , Scicluna Brendon P. , de Bruijn Marjolein J. W. , de Boer Geertje M. , Tramper-Stranders Gerdien A. , Braunstahl Gert-Jan , van IJcken Wilfred F. J. , Nagtegaal A. Paul , van Drunen Cornelis M. , Fokkens Wytske J. , Huylebroeck Danny , Spits Hergen , Hendriks Rudi W. , Stadhouders Ralph , Bal Suzanne M.
Published: January 2021

An inflammatory CD45RO
+
ILC2 population found in inflamed human nasal tissue is steroid resistant and linked to type 2 immunopathology.
Population Pharmacokinetic Model of Oxfendazole and Metabolites in Healthy Adults following Single Ascending Doses
Authors: Bach Thanh , Murry Daryl J. , Stebounova Larissa V. , Deye Gregory , Winokur Patricia , An Guohua
Published: January 2021

Oxfendazole is a potent veterinary benzimidazole anthelmintic under transition to humans for the treatment of multiple parasitic infectious diseases. The first-in-human study evaluating the disposition of oxfendazole and its metabolites in healthy adults following single ascending oral doses from 0.5 to 60 mg/kg of body weight shows that oxfendazole pharmacokinetics is substantially nonlinear, which complicates correlating oxfendazole dose to exposure.
Zika Virus Infection Induced Apoptosis by Modulating the Recruitment and Activation of Proapoptotic Protein Bax
Authors: Han Xiaodong , Wang Jiuqiang , Yang Yang , Qu Shuxiang , Wan Fang , Zhang Ziyi , Wang Ruigang , Li Guojing , Cong Haolong
Published: January 2021

Since the large outbreaks that occurred in the Pacific Islands and Latin America in 2013, Zika virus has been confirmed a neuroteratogenic pathogen and causative agent of microcephaly and other developmental anomalies of the central nervous system in children born to infected mothers. As apoptosis is widespread throughout the whole brain, studies in animal models have reinforced the link between microcephaly caused by ZIKV infection and neural progenitor cell (NPC) apoptosis. Currently, the detailed mechanism of ZIKV infection-induced apoptosis still remains to be elucidated.
EMA’s mishandling of an investigation into suspected serious neurological harms of HPV vaccines
Authors: Gøtzsche Peter C , Jørgensen Karsten Juhl
Published: January 2021

Concern has been raised about whether HPV vaccines might cause serious neurological disorders including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The European Medicines Agency (EMA) investigated the issue and declared in 2015 that there is no link between HPV vaccines and serious neurological adverse events. However, the certainty conveyed in EMA’s official report is undermined by a leaked, confidential document that reveals important disagreements among the experts. Furthermore, in its assessments, EMA relied on the data the drug companies had provided to them even though it had been demonstrated that the companies had underreported possible neurological harms. Even though active comparators were used (aluminium adjuvants and other vaccines), our research group found significantly more serious neurological harms in the HPV vaccine groups than in the comparator groups in a systematic review based on clinical study reports in EMA’s possession. We outline areas where we believe the basis for EMA’s decision was flawed; highlight that the relationship between HPV vaccines and POTS remains uncertain; and suggest ways forward to resolve the uncertainty and debate.
Abortion metrics: a scoping review of abortion measures and indicators
Authors: Filippi Veronique , Dennis Mardieh , Calvert Clara , Tunçalp Özge , Ganatra Bela , Kim Caron Rahn , Ronsmans Carine
Published: January 2021

Consensus is lacking on the most appropriate indicators to document progress in safe abortion at programmatic and country level. We conducted a scoping review to provide an extensive summary of abortion indicators used over 10 years (2008–2018) to inform the debate on how progress in the provision and access to abortion care can be best captured. Documents were identified in PubMed and Popline and supplemented by materials identified on major non-governmental organisation websites. We screened 1999 abstracts and seven additional relevant documents. Ultimately, we extracted information on 792 indicators from 142 documents. Using a conceptual framework developed inductively, we grouped indicators into seven domains (social and policy context, abortion access and availability, abortion prevalence and incidence, abortion care, abortion outcomes, abortion impact and characteristics of women) and 40 subdomains. Indicators of access and availability and of the provision of abortion care were the most common. Indicators of outcomes were fewer and focused on physical health, with few measures of psychological well-being and no measures of quality of life or functioning. Similarly, there were few indicators attempting to measure the context, including beliefs and social attitudes at the population level. Most indicators used special studies either in facilities or at population level. The list of indicators (in online supplemental appendix) is an extensive resource for the design of monitoring and evaluation plans of abortion programmes. The large number indicators, many specific to one source only and with similar concepts measured in a multitude of ways, suggest the need for standardisation.