bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral manifestations related to malaria: A systematic review
Authors: Shuai Yi , Liu Bingyao , Zhou Guilong , Rong Liang , Niu Chunzi , Jin Lei
Published: July 2020

Objective

To generalize the oral manifestations related to malaria and discuss their clinical significance for health professionals.

Materials and Methods

The bibliographic databases of Public MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus were employed to retrieve publications online from January 1781 to August 2019. Original research articles, clinical trials, and case reports published in English were included.

Results

A small number of studies reported oral manifestations of malaria (n = 29), including gingival bleeding, glossitis, oral ulcer, abnormal oral pigmentation, pericoronitis, herpes labialis, herpes gingivostomatitis, bitter taste, sore throat, Burkitt lymphoma of the jaw, alveolar bone resorption, and enamel hypoplasia.

Conclusion

Oral manifestations may be important indicators for identification of malaria. Dental and general professionals should pay more attention to oral manifestations in malaria cases, and guide them for specialized examination, diagnosis, and management.
Some Problems with the Anti‐Luminosity‐Argument
Authors: Vanrie Wim
Published: July 2020

I argue that no successful version of Williamson's anti‐luminosity‐argument has yet been presented, even if Srinivasan's further elaboration and defence is taken into account. There is a version invoking a coarse‐grained safety condition and one invoking a fine‐grained safety condition. A crucial step in the former version implicitly relies on the false premise that sufficient similarity is transitive. I show that some natural attempts to resolve this issue fail. Similar problems arise for the fine‐grained version. Moreover, I argue that Srinivasan's defence of the more contentious fine‐grained safety condition is also unsuccessful, again for similar reasons.
Association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to cutaneous leishmaniasis in a Turkish population
Authors: Kirik Fatma Esin , Ülger Mahmut , Tezcan Ülger Seda , Aslan Gönül
Published: July 2020

Aims

The objective of this study was to determine the association of TNF‐α −308 G/A, IFN‐γ +874 T/A, IL‐12B + 1188 A/C, IL‐10 −1082 G/A and IL‐4 −590 C/T polymorphisms with susceptibility to CL.

Methods and Results

A total of 55 CL patients and 110 controls from Sanlıurfa province of Turkey were included to this study. Polymorphisms were genotyped by ‘polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP)’ and ‘amplification refractory mutation system‐PCR (ARMS‐PCR)’ methods. A statistically significant difference was noted in the allele (P < .001,P = .002) and genotype (P < .001,P = .001,) frequencies of TNF‐α −308 G/A and IL‐4 −590 C/T, respectively. TNF‐α 308 GG versus GA genotype (OR = 19.556 [95% CI 8.310‐46.019]P < .001), GG versus GA + AA genotype (OR = 20.444 [95% CI 8.707‐48.004]P < .001) and G versus A allele (OR = 6.968 [95% CI 3.903‐12.440]P < .001) revealed significant association with CL. IL‐4 −590 CC versus TT + CT genotype (OR = 2.049 [95% CI 1.025‐4.096],P = .041) and C versus T allele (OR = 2.441 [95% CI 1.355‐4.396],P = .002) revealed significant association with CL.

Conclusion

Our study indicates that TNF‐α 308 G/A and IL‐4‐590 C/T polymorphisms are significantly associated with susceptibility to CL. Individuals carrying A allele at TNF‐α promoter −308 position and T allele at IL‐4 promoter −590 position are at a higher risk for CL.
Category Inventory Planning With Service Level Requirements and Dynamic Substitutions
Authors: Akçay Yalçın , Li Yunke , Natarajan Harihara Prasad
Published: July 2020

We study a single‐period inventory planning problem for a category of substitutable products. This is an important practical problem facing category managers who have to maintain high service levels for constantly expanding product catalogs. We formulate the problem as a stochastic optimization model that minimizes the total stocking cost subject to service level requirements, which consist of product‐specific and category‐wide targets for inventory availability (ready rates) through the selling season. Our model accounts for stochastic customer arrivals, captures stockout‐based substitutions, and determines initial stocking quantities jointly for all products. Recognizing the challenges that these aspects pose in solving the problem, we propose an optimization‐based method that estimates the ready rates using a deterministic approximation and discretizes the selling season into a finite number of time intervals. This novel modeling approach permits us to recast the stochastic optimization model as a deterministic mixed integer linear program that can accommodate several common stockout‐based substitution schemes. We characterize the worst‐case behavior of this approach to develop performance guarantees. We also implemented and applied this model to randomly generated numerical instances featuring different types of product differentiation and varying in parameter values. We observe that the approach is robust to changes in problem parameter values and yields solutions very quickly, outperforming an enumeration‐based alternative, a practical heuristic, and an approach based on extant literature. Finally, we applied our approach to data from a re‐seller of Information Technology products. Results illustrate that our approach scales well and has the potential to generate savings in inventory costs.
Pricing Joint Sales and Rentals: When are Purchase Conversion Discounts Optimal?
Authors: Jalili Monire , Pangburn Michael S.
Published: July 2020

Product sales and rentals often occur in parallel, allowing customers to choose their preferred option. In settings where consumers face significant value uncertainty, rentals also provide a mechanism for consumers to discover whether they like a product. For some products, such as movies and books, the rental option may yield a significant proportion of the utility associated with ownership. The convenience of renting products in digital forms (e.g., e‐books) makes the managerial challenge of jointly pricing rentals and sales increasingly relevant. Rental and sales prices are interdependent not only because consumers can choose between the two options, but also because a customer may rent before purchasing. Given these considerations, and allowing for consumer uncertainty, we analyze the optimal joint pricing of product rentals and sales. We show that when consumers have a relatively high probability of liking a product, and will experience a significant drop in their post‐rental residual utility, then the practice of allowing a portion of the rental price to apply to a future purchase is optimal.
Simple Policies with Provable Bounds for Managing Perishable Inventory
Authors: Zhang Hailun , Zhang Jiheng , Zhang Rachel Q.
Published: July 2020

The two fundamental decisions in the management of perishable inventory are how much new inventory to order and how much old inventory to clear before expiration. These decisions are known to be difficult due to the curse of dimensionality. We propose policies that are much simpler and easier to implement than existing ones in the literature. Our analysis revealed interesting insights into the circumstances under which perishability is negligible. This intuition not only leads to the construction of our simple policies, but also helps to establish theoretical performance bounds on the proposed policies. The bounds vanish asymptotically as the market size becomes large and clearly specify a required size for our policies to achieve any given optimality gap. Numerical studies suggest that our policies can work well even for small‐to‐medium‐sized systems and achieve comparable performance to existing heuristic polices.
The Growth of Follower Networks on Social Media Platforms for Humanitarian Operations
Authors: Yoo Eunae , Rabinovich Elliot , Gu Bin
Published: July 2020

Information is a perishable resource that is costly to produce and distribute to stakeholders. To ensure the rapid and broad diffusion of this resource, humanitarian organizations (HOs) have become increasingly intent on building larger follower networks on social media platforms. Our study examines the growth of these networks, particularly in response to the sharing of social media content originally produced by the HOs during periods of normalcy and emergency. To analyze this phenomenon, we formulate a structural model grounded in theoretical work on strategic network formation. Our model evaluates the probability of individual users deciding to follow a HO in response to content sharing as a function of their utility and costs of doing so. We estimate the model using a unique Twitter dataset from a natural experiment involving a major earthquake. We find that content sharing more effectively contributes to the expansion of HOs’ follower networks after the earthquake. Our results also indicate that content sharing stimulates the formation of follower links to HOs from users who are at the highest risk of receiving obsolete information. Moreover, strategically engaging with users to share and diffuse content can yield greater follower link formation activity. Based on these findings, we derive operational implications for HOs that aim to increase the size of their follower networks on social media platforms.
Price and Lead time Disclosure Strategies in Inventory Systems
Authors: Kostami Vasiliki
Published: July 2020

We consider a firm that faces the following pricing and leadtime disclosure decision. Either, (i) offer the same price to all arriving customers and disclose no leadtime information, in which case customers know only an expected leadtime, or, (ii) vary the price dynamically based on the current inventory status, and disclose leadtime information dynamically. The second option allows the firm to offer a price discount for a long leadtime, and to offer a short leadtime when it has a large inventory. In order to determine which pricing and leadtime disclosure policy attains higher maximum profit, we formulate and solve a Markov decision problem for each policy and compare the two solutions. The comparison suggests that, typically, there is a critical inventory level, above which static pricing and no leadtime disclosure yields higher profit, and, below that level, dynamic pricing and leadtime disclosure yields a higher profit. We also identify certain situations where the static policy leads to profits at least as large as those under the dynamic policy for any state, and we examine the price differences between the two policies. Finally, the structure of the solution is similar to the situation where the system manager can pause the production process, except that now this extra lever partly mitigates the superiority of the static policy.
A new perspective on open innovation: established and new technology firms in UK bio‐pharmaceuticals
Authors: Filiou Despoina
Published: July 2020

The aim of this paper is to explore open innovation (OI) implementation and its impact on firm innovation performance in sectors experiencing technological discontinuities. The paper employs the framework of inbound, outbound and coupled OI to identify processes reflecting sourcing, externalising and exchanging knowledge across organisational boundaries on upstream and downstream innovation activities and explores their impact on the innovation performance of new and established technology firms. The empirical setting is the UK bio‐pharmaceuticals sector during 1991 and 2001, a paradigmatic era of discontinous change and intensified OI implementation. First, our findings show that new technology firms (NTFs) and established technology firms (ETFs) differ in their extent and patterns of inbound, outbound and coupled OI, reflecting that they implement OI to manage their competences in light of technological change. Second, we identify a complex and multifaceted relationship between OI and patenting performance, with NTFs experiencing enhanced performance from some OI processes while ETFs experiencing challenges. The paper suggests that delineating OI into inbound, outbound and coupled, along upstream and downstream activities, offers a deeper understanding of the role of OI in innovation, guiding selective implementation in pursuing enhanced innovation performance during periods of discontinuous technological change.
Adaptive governance for the Internet of Things: Coping with emerging security risks
Authors: Brass Irina , Sowell Jesse H.
Published: July 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a disruptive innovation known for its socio‐economic potential, but also for generating unprecedented vulnerabilities and threats. As a dynamic sociotechnical system, the IoT comprises well‐known cybersecurity risks and endemic uncertainties that arise as IoT adoption increases and the system evolves. We highlight the impact of these challenges by analyzing how insecure IoT devices pose threats to both consumer protection and the Internet's infrastructure. While recent regulatory responses are starting to target IoT security risks, crucial deficiencies – especially related to the feedback necessary to keep pace with emerging risks and uncertainties – must be addressed. We propose a model of adaptive regulatory governance that integrates the benefits of centralized risk regulatory frameworks with the operational knowledge and mitigation mechanisms developed by epistemic communities that manage day‐to‐day Internet security. Rather than focusing on the choice of regulatory instruments, this model builds on the “planned adaptive regulation” literature to highlight the need to systematically plan for a knowledge‐sharing interface in regulatory governance design for disruptive technologies, facilitating the feedback necessary to address evolving IoT security risks.
Bringing COPD control into the consultation
Authors: Jenkins Christine R.
Published: July 2020

See relatedarticle
Can medicinal mushrooms have prophylactic or therapeutic effect against COVID‐19 and its pneumonic superinfection and complicating inflammation?
Authors: Hetland Geir , Johnson Egil , Bernardshaw Soosaipillai V. , Grinde Bjørn
Published: July 2020

Medicinal mushrooms have documented effects against different diseases, including infections and inflammatory disorders. The related Basidiomycota Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM), Hericium erinaceus (HE), and Grifola frondosa (GF) have been shown to exert antimicrobial activity against viral agents, Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, and parasites in vitro and in vivo. Since the mechanism is immunomodulatory and not antibiotical, the mushrooms should be active against multi‐drug resistant microbes as well. Moreover, since these Basidiomycota also have anti‐inflammatory properties, they may be suited for treatment of the severe lung inflammation that often follows COVID‐19 infection. An AbM‐based mushroom extract (Andosan™), also containing HE and GF, has been shown to significantly reduce bacteraemia and increase survival in mice with pneumococcal sepsis, and to improve symptoms and quality of life in IBD patients via an anti‐inflammatory effect. Hence, such mushroom extracts could have prophylactic or therapeutic effect against the pneumonic superinfection and severe lung inflammation that often complicates COVID‐19 infection. Here, we review antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory properties of AbM, HE and GF mushrooms, which could be used for the battle against COVID‐19.
Fiscal discipline and exchange rates: Does politics matter?
Authors: Jalles Joao Tovar , Mulas‐Granados Carlos , Tavares José
Published: July 2020

We look at the effect of exchange rate regimes on fiscal discipline, taking into account the effect of underlying political conditions. We present a model where strong politics (defined as policymakers facing longer political horizon and higher cohesion) are associated with better fiscal performance, but fixed exchange rates may revert this result and lead to less fiscal discipline. We confirm these hypotheses through regression analysis performed on a panel sample covering 79 countries from 1975 to 2012. Our empirical results also show that the positive effect of strong politics on fiscal discipline is not enough to counter the negative impact of being at/moving to fixed exchange rates. Our results are robust to a number of sensitivity checks, including the use of different estimators, alternative proxies for fiscal discipline and sub‐sample analysis.
Attitude strength: Distinguishing predictors versus defining features
Authors: Luttrell Andrew , Sawicki Vanessa
Published: July 2020

Attitudes play a fundamental role in many aspects of social psychology, but researchers have long recognized that attitudes vary in their susceptibility to change and their influence on behavior and cognitive processes. This insight lies at the heart of attitude strength, which is defined as an attitude's durability and impact. A variety of attitude attributes such as certainty and ambivalence have been shown to correlate with these aspects of attitude strength, which has made for some confusion as to what variables define strong attitudes versus predict an attitude's strength. In this article, we highlight this distinction between predictors and defining features of strength and review recent programs of research demonstrating the independence of strength‐related attitude attributes and attitude strength itself. Specifically, although some attitude attributes are associated with the attitude's durability and impact, there are conditions under which those attributes fail to predict attitude strength or even have the opposite effects. Throughout, this review reveals nuances in the attitude strength literature and provokes new questions for future inquiry.
Nickel contamination of laterite soil by hydraulic fracturing flowback water: Geochemical behaviour and policy implications
Authors: Wang Li , Yang Xinxin , Liu Weijiang , Liu Mingzhu , Chen Honghan
Published: July 2020

Accidental flowback water spills can cause serious soil pollution. Nickel (Ni) is one of the common heavy metal components in flowback water. However, the behaviour and mechanism of Ni in flowback water in dolomite‐derived laterite soil are poorly understood. In this study, laterite soils were selected from a Cambrian dolomite strata in China. Column experiments and synthetic flowback water were used to investigate the mobilization of Ni. The results indicated that Ni behaviour was affected by the ionic strength and soil carbonate content. In laterite soil with a low dolomite content, as the pH of the solution decreases and the ionic strength increases, the positive charge on the soil surface increases, and chlorocomplexation reactions and competitive adsorption are enhanced, ultimately promoting the migration of Ni. The recovery rate increased from 10% to 61% for the soil with 3% dolomite. In laterite soil with a high dolomite content, the formation of Ni‐Ca carbonate double salt and Ni‐Al‐‐layered double hydroxides severely inhibits the migration of Ni. The maximum recovery rate was 13%. A multireaction and transport model that accounts for linear equilibrium, nonlinear kinetics and irreversible kinetic mechanisms was effective in describing the breakthrough curves for the two laterite soil columns and capturing the effect of the solution composition on Ni transport. These results are helpful in understanding and predicting Ni's fate in the flowback water accidentally spilled into the surrounding laterite soil area, and provide references for soil pollution management policies under shale gas development.
Novel and extended HLA class I and II alleles encountered in Kashmiri Brahmin population from North India
Authors: Saxena Abhishweta , Suzuki Shingo , Mourya Manish , Shiina Takashi , Kanga Uma
Published: July 2020

Three novel HLA‐A*02:06:01:04, ‐DRB1*12:02:01:02, ‐DQB1*03:01:01:07 and five extended HLA‐B*51:01:05, ‐DRB1*12:02:01:01, ‐DRB1*14:01:01, ‐DRB1*14:04:01:01, ‐DRB1*15:04 alleles.
A convolutional neural network approach to predict non‐permissive environments from moderate‐resolution imagery
Authors: Goodman Seth , BenYishay Ariel , Runfola Daniel
Published: July 2020

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) trained with satellite imagery have been successfully used to generate measures of development indicators, such as poverty, in developing nations. This article explores a CNN‐based approach leveraging Landsat 8 imagery to predict locations of conflict‐related deaths. Using Nigeria as a case study, we use the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) dataset to identify locations of conflict events that did or did not result in a death. Imagery for each location is used as an input to train a CNN to distinguish fatal from non‐fatal events. Using 2014 imagery, we are able to predict the result of conflict events in the following year (2015) with 80% accuracy. While our approach does not replace the need for causal studies into the drivers of conflict death, it provides a low‐cost solution to prediction that requires only publicly available imagery to implement. Findings suggest that the information contained in moderate‐resolution imagery can be used to predict the likelihood of a death due to conflict at a given location in Nigeria the following year, and that CNN‐based methods of estimating development‐related indicators may be effective in applications beyond those explored in the literature.
The brassinosteroid‐responsive xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase 19 (XTH19) and XTH23 genes are involved in lateral root development under salt stress in Arabidopsis
Authors: Xu Peipei , Fang Shan , Chen Haiying , Cai Weiming
Published: July 2020

Lateral roots (LRs) are the main component of the root system architecture in Arabidopsis. The plasticity of LR development has an important role in improving plant survival in response to the external environment. Previous studies have revealed a number of genetic pathways that control plant growth in response to environmental stimuli. Here, we find that the xyloglucan endotransglucosylase 19 (XTH19) and XTH23 genes are involved in LR development under salt stress. The density of LRs was decreased in the xth23 single mutant, which was also more sensitive to salt than the wild type, and the xth19xth23 double mutant exhibited additive downregulated LR initiation and salt sensitivity compared with the single mutant. On the contrary, constitutive overexpression of XTH19 or XTH23 caused increased LR densities. Furthermore, XTH19 and XTH23 were induced by salt via the key brassinosteroid signaling pathway transcription factor BES1. In addition, we found that 35S::BES1 increased salt tolerance and the phenotype of xth19xth23 & 35S::BES1 was partially complementary to the wild‐type level. In vivo and in vitro assays demonstrated that BES1 acts directly upstream of XTH19 and XTH23 to control their expression. Overall, our results revealed that XTH19 and XTH23 are involved in LR development via the BES1‐dependent pathway, and contribute to LR adaptation to salt.
The (p)ppGpp Synthetase RSH Mediates Stationary-Phase Onset and Antibiotic Stress Survival in Clostridioides difficile
Authors: Pokhrel Astha , Poudel Asia , Castro Kory B. , Celestine Michael J. , Oludiran Adenrele , Rinehold Alden J. , Resek Anthony M. , Mhanna Mariam A. , Purcell Erin B.
Published: July 2020

Clostridioides difficile
infection (CDI) is an urgent public health threat with a high recurrence rate, in part because the causative bacterium has a high rate of antibiotic survival. The (p)ppGpp-mediated bacterial stringent response plays a role in antibiotic tolerance in diverse pathogens and is a potential target for development of new antimicrobials because the enzymes that metabolize (p)ppGpp have no mammalian homologs. We report that stationary-phase onset and antibiotics induce expression of the clostridial ppGpp synthetase RSH and that both chemical inhibition and translational suppression of RSH increase
C. difficile
antibiotic susceptibility. This demonstrates that development of RSH inhibitors to serve as adjuvants to antibiotic therapy is a potential approach for the development of new strategies to combat CDI.
Inactivation of Genes by Frameshift Mutations Provides Rapid Adaptation of an Attenuated Vaccinia Virus
Authors: Senkevich Tatiana G. , Zhivkoplias Erik K. , Weisberg Andrea S. , Moss Bernard
Published: July 2020

Gene inactivation is considered to be an important driver of orthopoxvirus evolution. Whereas cowpox virus contains intact orthologs of genes present in each orthopoxvirus species, numerous genes are inactivated in all other members of the genus. Inactivation of additional genes can occur upon extensive passaging of orthopoxviruses in cell culture leading to attenuation
in vivo
, a strategy for making vaccines. Whether inactivation of multiple viral genes enhances replication in the host cells or has a neutral effect is unknown in most cases. Using an experimental evolution protocol involving serial passages of an attenuated vaccinia virus, rapid acquisition of inactivating frameshift mutations occurred. After only 10 passage rounds, the starting attenuated vaccinia virus was displaced by viruses with one fixed mutation and one or more additional mutations. The high frequency of multiple inactivating mutations during experimental evolution simulates their acquisition during normal evolution and extensive virus passaging to make vaccine strains.
Convergent Evolution of HLA-C Downmodulation in HIV-1 and HIV-2
Authors: Hopfensperger Kristina , Richard Jonathan , Stürzel Christina M. , Bibollet-Ruche Frederic , Apps Richard , Leoz Marie , Plantier Jean-Christophe , Hahn Beatrice H. , Finzi Andrés , Kirchhoff Frank , Sauter Daniel
Published: July 2020

Genome-wide association studies suggest that HLA-C expression is a major determinant of viral load set points and CD4+T cell counts in HIV-infected individuals. On the one hand, efficient HLA-C expression enables the killing of infected cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). On the other hand, HLA-C sends inhibitory signals to natural killer (NK) cells and enhances the infectivity of newly produced HIV particles. HIV-1 group M viruses modulate HLA-C expression using the accessory protein Vpu, possibly to balance CTL- and NK cell-mediated immune responses. Here, we show that the second human immunodeficiency virus, HIV-2, can use its accessory protein Vif to evade HLA-C-mediated restriction. Furthermore, our mutational analyses provide insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms. In summary, our results reveal how the two human AIDS viruses modulate HLA-C, a key component of the antiviral immune response.
Conditional DnaB Protein Splicing Is Reversibly Inhibited by Zinc in Mycobacteria
Authors: Woods Daniel , Vangaveti Sweta , Egbanum Ikechukwu , Sweeney Allison M. , Li Zhong , Bacot-Davis Valjean , LeSassier Danielle S. , Stanger Matthew , Hardison Gabrielle E. , Li Hongmin , Belfort Marlene , Lennon Christopher W.
Published: July 2020

Inteins are present in a large fraction of prokaryotes and localize within conserved proteins, including the mycobacterial replicative helicase DnaB. In addition to their extensive protein engineering applications, inteins have emerged as environmentally responsive posttranslational regulators of the genes that encode them. While several studies have shown compelling evidence of conditional protein splicing (CPS), examination of splicing in the native host of the intein has proven to be challenging. Here, we demonstrated through a number of measures, including the use of a splicing-dependent sensor capable of monitoring intein activity in the native host, that zinc is a potent and reversible inhibitor of mycobacterial DnaB splicing. This work also expands our knowledge of site selection for intein insertion within nonnative proteins, demonstrating that splicing-dependent host protein activation correlates with proximity to the active site. Additionally, we surmise that splicing regulation by zinc has mycobacteriocidal and CPS application potential.
Long-Term Chemical-Only Fertilization Induces a Diversity Decline and Deep Selection on the Soil Bacteria
Authors: Xu Qicheng , Ling Ning , Chen Huan , Duan Yinghua , Wang Shuang , Shen Qirong , Vandenkoornhuyse Philippe
Published: July 2020

Chemical-only fertilization is ubiquitous in contemporary conventional agriculture despite the fact that sustainability of this agricultural practice is increasingly being questioned because of the current observed soil degradation. We explored how long-term chemical-only versus organic-only fertilizations impacted the soil microbiota reservoir in terms of both diversity and induced assembly processes. The results showed that long-term chemical-only fertilization resulted in deep selection pressure on the soil microbial community reservoir, with both a higher proportion of specialists and a stronger signature of deterministic processes. The soil microbiota has clearly changed as a consequence of the fertilization regime. The diagnoses of the functional consequences of these ecoevolutionary changes in relation to agricultural practices are key to imagining agriculture in the time ahead and especially regarding future efforts for the conservation, restoration, and management of the soil microbiota reservoir which is key to the fertility of the ecosystem.
Evolutionary Timeline and Genomic Plasticity Underlying the Lifestyle Diversity in
Rhizobiales
Authors: Wang Sishuo , Meade Andrew , Lam Hon-Ming , Luo Haiwei
Published: July 2020

Bacteria form diverse interactions with eukaryotic hosts. This is well represented by the
Rhizobiales
, a clade of
Alphaproteobacteria
strategically important for their large diversity of lifestyles with implications for agricultural and medical research. To investigate their lifestyle evolution, we compiled a comprehensive data set of genomes and lifestyle information for over 1,000
Rhizobiales
genomes. We show that the origins of major host-associated lineages in
Rhizobiales
broadly coincided with the emergences of their host plants/animals, suggesting bacterium-host interactions as a driving force in the evolution of
Rhizobiales
. We further found that, in addition to gene gains, preexisting traits and recurrent losses of specific genomic traits may have played underrecognized roles in the origin of host-associated lineages, providing clues to genetic engineering of microbial agricultural inoculants and prevention of the emergence of potential plant/animal pathogens.
Characterization of the Vaginal Microbiome in Women with Infertility and Its Potential Correlation with Hormone Stimulation during
In Vitro
Fertilization Surgery
Authors: Zhao Changying , Wei Zefeng , Yang Junjie , Zhang Jiaming , Yu Chunna , Yang Aijun , Zhang Min , Zhang Lin , Wang Ye , Mu Xiaofeng , Heng Xueyuan , Yang Huijun , Gai Zhongtao , Wang Xuenan , Zhang Lei
Published: July 2020

The microbiome had been hypothesized to be involved in the physiology and pathophysiology of assisted reproduction before the first success in IVF, while the data supporting or refuting this hypothesis were less than conclusive. Thanks to sequencing data from the 16S rRNA subunit, we characterized the microbiome in the reproductive tract of infertile women, and we found that changes in the vaginal microbiome are related to female infertility. We also found that the characteristic microbiome bacteria are mainly members of several genera and that the vaginal microbiome of infertile women is not sensitive to hormonal changes during IVF. In conclusion, our report provides data that can be used for discovering the role of the vaginal microbiome in patients suffering from secondary infertility.
Pulmonary vasculopathy in explanted lungs from patients with interstitial lung disease undergoing lung transplantation
Authors: Dotan Yaniv , Stewart Jeffrey , Gangemi Andrew , Wang He , Aneja Amandeep , Chakraborty Baidarbhi , Dass Chandra , Zhao Huaqing , Marchetti Nathaniel , D'Alonzo Gilbert , Cordova Francis C , Criner Gerard , Mamary Albert James
Published: July 2020

Background

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) causes increased morbidity and mortality in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD). Classification schemes, while well-characterised for the vasculopathy of idiopathic PH, have been applied, unchallenged, to ILD-related PH. We evaluated pulmonary arterial histopathology in explanted human lung tissue from patients who were transplanted for advanced fibrotic ILD.

Methods

Lung explants from 38 adult patients who underwent lung transplantation were included. Patients were divided into three groups: none, mild/moderate and severe PH by mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) measured at pre lung transplantation right heart catheterisation (RHC). Grading of pulmonary vasculopathy according to Heath and Edwards scheme, and prelung transplantation evaluation data were compared between the groups.

Results

38 patients with fibrotic ILDs were included, the majority (21) with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Of the 38 patients, 18 had severe PH, 13 had mild/moderate PH and 7 had no PH by RHC. 16 of 38 patients had severe pulmonary arterial vasculopathy including vascular occlusion with intimal fibrosis and/or plexiform lesions. There were no correlations between mPAP and lung diffusion with the severity of pulmonary arterial pathological grade (Spearman’s rho=0.14, p=0.34, rho=0.11, p=0.49, respectively).

Conclusions

Patients with end stage ILD had severe pulmonary arterial vasculopathy in their explanted lungs irrespective of the presence and/or severity of PH as measured by RHC. These findings suggest that advanced pulmonary arterial vasculopathy is common in patients with advanced fibrotic ILD and may develop prior to the clinical detection of PH by RHC.
Recall accuracy of notifications about incidental findings from an MRI examination: results from a population-based study
Authors: Piontek Katharina , Richter Adrian , Hegenscheid Katrin , Chenot Jean-Francois , Schmidt Carsten Oliver
Published: July 2020

Background

Self-reports of medical findings are indispensable in clinical practice and research but subject to recall bias. We analysed the recall accuracy of notifications about incidental findings (IFs) from a whole-body MRI examination and assessed determinants of recall error.

Methods

Data from 3746 participants of a postal follow-up survey conducted on average 2.47 years after examination in the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania were analysed. Among those, 2185 (58.3%) underwent whole-body MRI at baseline, and findings of potential clinical relevance were disclosed in standardised postal letters. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated to determine the accuracy of self-reports. Poisson regression analysis was conducted to analyse predictors for false-positive and false-negative recall.

Results

An IF was disclosed to 622 (28.5%) individuals; 81.5% had tumour relevance. The overall sensitivity and PPV of participants’ self-reports were 80% and 60%, respectively. PPvs were higher among women, better educated and married participants and among those with good verbal memory. Among MRI participants, lower educational level was associated with a higher risk of false-positive recall (risk ratio (RR) 1.44, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.03), while increasing age was associated with a higher risk of false-negative recall (RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.01).

Conclusions

Most participants correctly recalled disclosed IFs. However, the probability of an event in case of a positive recall is barely above 50%. Therefore, relying on subjects’ recall of disclosed IFs will lead to a relevant proportion of errors. Clinicians and researchers should be aware of this problem and of participants’ characteristics which may moderate the probability of correct decisions based on recalled findings.
Psychosocial determinants predicting long-term sickness absence: a register-based cohort study
Authors: Goorts Kaat , Boets Isabelle , Decuman Saskia , Du Bois Marc , Rusu Dorina , Godderis Lode
Published: July 2020

Background

This study assessed the psychosocial determinants as explanatory variables for the length of the work disability period. The aim was to estimate the predictive value of a selected set of psychosocial determinants from the Quickscan questionnaire for the length of the sick leave period. A comparison was also made with the most common biomedical determinant: diagnosis.

Methods

In a cohort study of 4 981 insured Belgian patients, the length of the sick leave was calculated using Kaplan–Meier. Predictive psychosocial determinants were selected using backward conditional selection in Cox regression and using concordance index values (C-index) we compared the predictive value of the biomedical to the psychosocial model in a sample subset.

Results

Fourteen psychosocial determinants were significantly (p<0.10) related to the length of the sick leave: health perception of the patient, physical workload, social support management, social support colleagues, work–health interference, psychological distress, fear of colleagues’ expectations, stressful life-events, autonomy, learning and development opportunities, job satisfaction, workload, work expectations and expectation to return to work. The C-index of this biopsychosocial model including gender, age and labour status was 0.80 (CI: 0.78; 0.81) (n=4 981). In the subset of 2 868 respondents with diagnostic information, the C-index for the same model was .73 (CI: 0.71; 0.76) compared with 0.63 (CI: 0.61; 0.65) for the biomedical model.

Conclusions

A set of 14 psychosocial determinants showed good predictive capacity (C-index: 0.80). Also, in a subset of the sample, the selected determinants performed better compared with diagnostic information to predict long-term sick leave (>6 months).
Nabiximols discontinuation rate in a large population of patients with multiple sclerosis: a 18-month multicentre study
Authors: Chisari Clara Grazia , Solaro Claudio , Annunziata Pasquale , Bergamaschi Roberto , Bianco Assunta , Bonavita Simona , Brescia Morra Vincenzo , Bruno Bossio Roberto , Capello Elisabetta , Castelli Letizia , Cavalla Paola , Costantino Gianfranco , Centonze Diego , Cottone Salvatore , Danni Maura Chiara , Esposito Federica , Gajofatto Alberto , Gasperini Claudio , Guareschi Angelica , Lanzillo Roberta , Lus Giacomo , Maniscalco Giorgia Teresa , Matta Manuela , Paolicelli Damiano , Petrucci Loredana , Pontecorvo Simona , Righini Isabella , Rovaris Marco , Sessa Edoardo , Spinicci Gabriella , Spitaleri Daniele , Valentino Paola , Zaffaroni Mauro , Zappia Mario , Patti Francesco
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Delta-δ-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (THC:CBD) oromucosal spray is used as an add-on therapy option for moderate to severe multiple sclerosis (MS) spasticity resistant to other medications. Aims of this study were to provide real-life data on long-term clinical outcomes in a large population of Italian patients treated with THC:CBD and to evaluate predictors of THC:CBD therapy continuation.

Materials and methods

This prospective observational multicentre Italian study screened all patients with MS consecutively included in the Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco e-registry at the start of THC:CBD treatment (baseline), after 4 weeks (T1), 12±3 weeks (T2), 24±3 weeks (T3), 48±3 weeks (T4) and 72±3 weeks (T5) from baseline.

Results

A total of 1845 patients were recruited from 32 MS Italian centres. At T1, 1502 (81.4%) of patients reached a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) improvement of ≥20%, with an NRS reduction of 26.9% at T1 and of 34.4% at T5. At T5, 725 patients (48.3% of 1502) discontinued treatment with highest discontinuation rate at T2 and T3. Daily number of puffs was generally stable through the observation period. The multivariate analysis showed that higher NRS scores at baseline (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.15 to 6.36, p<0.01) and higher differences of NRS between T0 and T1 (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.08 to 8.26, p<0.05) were associated with an increased probability to continue therapy after 18 months.

Discussion

THC:CBD effects were sustained for 18 months with a relatively stable number of puffs per day. About 50% of patients abandoned THC:CBD therapy for loss of efficacy or adverse events.
Discriminatory questions asked during residency programme interviews: perspective from both interviewers and applicants
Authors: Harkin Elizabeth , Murphy Michael , Liskutin Tomas , Nystrom Lukas , Wu Karen , Schiff Adam
Published: July 2020

Background

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) policy requires interview officials to refrain from asking illegal or coercive questions that may introduce discrimination; however, compliance is insufficient.

Method

An Institutional Review Board-approved 12 question survey was distributed to 130 allopathic medical schools with 551 responses from 18 187 students applying in the 2015–2016 residency match. In addition, a 16-question survey was distributed through residency coordinators to residency programme interviewers with 481 responses from 21 of 22 residency specialities.

Results

Discriminatory topics were frequently discussed across all specialities. Surgical interviews were significantly more likely to discuss age (relative risk (RR) 2.0, p<0.01) and gender (RR 2.7, p<0.01) during formal interviews. More-competitive specialities more frequently discussed age (RR 1.9, p<0.01) and gender (RR 2.0, p<0.01) during the formal interview, and gender (RR 1.4, p<0.05) during informal interview events. 47.8% of interviewers discussed potentially coercive topics during the interview, 57.5% considered these topics when evaluating candidates and 72.6% had misunderstandings. Interviewers given both oral and written instruction showed the greatest effect change towards discussing coercive topics (p<0.01) and correctly identifying non-discriminatory and discriminatory topics (p<0.01). While age and gender both constitute discriminatory topics, each of these topics is included in the majority of written The Electronic Residency Application System applications (85.5% and 89.8%, respectively).

Conclusions

In modern recruitment where differential attainment is of interest, the presence of such explicit discrimination is worrisome. Formal interview training might reduce discrimination, but more active overnight is needed and a zero-tolerance approach to overt discrimination should be the ambition.
Macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance ofMycoplasma genitaliumin southern Spain, 2018–2019
Authors: de Salazar Adolfo , Barrientos-Durán Antonio , Espadafor Beatriz , Fuentes-López Ana , Chueca Natalia , Garcia Federico
Published: July 2020

Objectives

In recent years, resistance inMycoplasma genitalium(MG) to first-line (azithromycin) and second-line (moxifloxacin) treatment has been increasingly reported worldwide, however, no data regarding the south of Spain are available.

Methods

To determine resistance rates, MG-positive samples collected from June 2018 to June 2019 were analysed by sequencing the 23S rRNA and parC genes.

Results

A total of 77 patients (24 men having sex with men (MSM), 30 heterosexual men and 23 women) were included. Resistance-associated mutations against macrolide and fluoroquinolones were found in 36.4% (95% CI 25.7% to 48.1%) and 9.1% (95% CI 3.7% to 17.8%) of the patients, respectively. Being MSM and having had another STI in the last year were significantly associated with macrolide-resistant MG infection, while no associations were found with resistance to fluoroquinolones.

Conclusions

Testing for resistance to first-line and second-line drugs against MG should be recommended for the general population and mandatory for the MSM population. We suggest that empiric azithromycin use for STI management should be avoided.
Substitution of parts of aerobic training by resistance training lowers fasting hyperglycemia in individuals with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Moreno-Cabañas Alfonso , Ortega Juan Fernando , Morales-Palomo Felix , Ramirez-Jimenez Miguel , Alvarez-Jimenez Laura , Mora-Rodriguez Ricardo
Published: July 2020

We sought to determine the effects of substituting parts of aerobic training (AT) by resistance training (RT) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) factors. MetS patients (aged 56 ± 7 years; body mass index 33 ± 5 kg·m−2 and 3.9 ± 0.8 MetS factors) were randomized to undergo 1 of the following isocaloric, 16-week long exercise programs: (i) cycling 4 bouts of 4-min at 90% of maximal heart rate (HRmax) followed by 3 sets of 12 repetitions of 3 lower limb free-weight exercises (high-intensity interval training (HIIT)+RT group; n = 33), (ii) cycling 5 bouts of 4 min at 90% of HRmax (HIIT+HIIT group; n = 33), or (iii) no exercise control group (n = 21). We measured the evolution of all 5 MetS components (z score), cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen uptake), leg strength and power (leg press 1-repetition maximum (1RM) and countermovement jump (CMJ)), fasting blood glucose (FG), fasting insulin, and insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment 2). Both training groups improved maximal oxygen uptake similarly (170 ± 310 and 190 ± 210 mL O2·min−1; P < 0.001) and z score (−0.12 ± 0.29 and −0.12 ± 0.31 for HIIT+RT and HIIT+HIIT, respectively; P < 0.02). However, only HIIT+RT improved CMJ (P = 0.002) and leg press 1RM above the HIIT+HIIT group (21% vs 6%; P < 0.001). Furthermore, FG only decreased in the HIIT+RT group (5%; P = 0.026, time × group). Our findings suggest that substitution of part of HIIT by leg RT improves glucose control in MetS individuals.

Novelty Most studies addressing the efficacy of endurance versus resistance training are not matched by energy expenditure. We found that substituting 20% of AT with RT reduces hyperglycemia in MetS individuals. Training recommendations to regain glycemic control in MetS individuals should include resistance training.
Conserving plant species at risk in Canada: land tenure, threats, and representation in federal programs
Authors: McCune J.L. , Morrison Peter D.S.
Published: July 2020

Fully 37% of species listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) are plants or lichens. The law does not automatically protect species on private land, and it is unknown how many at-risk plants grow mainly on private land. We analyzed official status reports and related documents for 234 plant species at risk to determine land tenure and evaluated differences in threats and changes in status. We also assessed how well plants were represented in two federal programs: the Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP) and the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP). Of SARA-listed plant species, 35% have the majority of their known populations on private land while <10% occur mostly on federal land. Species growing mainly on private land were no more or less likely to decline in status over time compared with others. Plant species at risk were less likely than other taxonomic groups to be found on land protected under the NACP. The proportion of HSP projects targeting plants is well below the expected proportion based on the number of listed species. We recommend that policy-makers promote and prioritize actions to increase the representation of plant species in federally funded programs, especially on private lands.
On the absence of stationary currents
Authors: Bachmann Sven , Fraas Martin
Published: July 2020

We review the proofs of a theorem of Bloch on the absence of macroscopic stationary currents in quantum systems. The standard proof shows that the current in 1D vanishes in the large volume limit under rather general conditions. In higher dimensions, the total current across a cross-section does not need to vanish in gapless systems but it does vanish in gapped systems. We focus on the latter claim and give a self-contained proof motivated by a recently introduced index for the many-body charge transport in quantum lattice systems having a conserved [Formula: see text]-charge.