bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Of Experts and Tokens: Mapping a Critical Race Archaeology of Communication
Authors: Mukherjee Roopali
Published: March 2020

A disgraceful white boys' club persists within the field of Communication. Engaging key institutional structures and epistemic formations through which the field remains so white, this article considers the mechanisms by which critical race and gender scholars are positioned as eternally foreign, always just arriving, to the field of communication. Addressing the implications of these “epistemologies of ignorance” on the development of the discipline, this article outlines an intellectual and institutional archeology of Communication to reveal, instead, a field marked and shaped, from the start, by ethno-racial encounter. Communication, I suggest, remains so white because its experts and leaders continue to ignore its own institutional DNA, deliberately not knowing profoundly raced elements of its own intellectual history.
Transient Arousal Modulations Contribute to Resting-State Functional Connectivity Changes Associated with Head Motion Parameters
Authors: Gu Yameng , Han Feng , Sainburg Lucas E , Liu Xiao
Published: March 2020

Correlations of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) signals are being widely used for assessing the functional brain connectivity in health and disease. However, an association was recently observed between rsfMRI connectivity modulations and the head motion parameters and regarded as a causal relationship, which has raised serious concerns about the validity of many rsfMRI findings. Here, we studied the origin of this rsfMRI-motion association and its relationship to arousal modulations. By using a template-matching method to locate arousal-related fMRI changes, we showed that the effects of high motion time points on rsfMRI connectivity are largely due to their significant overlap with arousal-affected time points. The finding suggests that the association between rsfMRI connectivity and the head motion parameters arises from their comodulations at transient arousal modulations, and this information is critical not only for proper interpretation of motion-associated rsfMRI connectivity changes, but also for controlling the potential confounding effects of arousal modulation on rsfMRI metrics.
National Healthcare Safety Network Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratios (SAARs): A Progress Report and Risk Modeling Update Using 2017 Data
Authors: O’Leary Erin N , Edwards Jonathan R , Srinivasan Arjun , Neuhauser Melinda M , Webb Amy K , Soe Minn M , Hicks Lauri A , Wise Wendy , Wu Hsiu , Pollock Daniel A
Published: March 2020

Background

The Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratio (SAAR) is a risk-adjusted metric of antimicrobial use (AU) developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2015 as a tool for hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) to track and compare AU with a national benchmark. In 2018, CDC updated the SAAR by expanding the locations and antimicrobial categories for which SAARs can be calculated and by modeling adult and pediatric locations separately.

Methods

We identified eligible patient-care locations and defined SAAR antimicrobial categories. Predictive models were developed for eligible adult and pediatric patient-care locations using negative binomial regression applied to nationally aggregated AU data from locations reporting ≥9 months of 2017 data to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

Results

2017 Baseline SAAR models were developed for 7 adult and 8 pediatric SAAR antimicrobial categories using data reported from 2156 adult and 170 pediatric locations across 457 hospitals. The inclusion of step-down units and general hematology-oncology units in adult 2017 baseline SAAR models and the addition of SAARs for narrow-spectrum B-lactam agents, antifungals predominantly used for invasive candidiasis, antibacterial agents posing the highest risk for Clostridioides difficile infection, and azithromycin (pediatrics only) expand the role SAARs can play in ASP efforts. Final risk-adjusted models are used to calculate predicted antimicrobial days, the denominator of the SAAR, for 40 SAAR types displayed in NHSN.

Conclusions

SAARs can be used as a metric to prompt investigation into potential overuse or underuse of antimicrobials and to evaluate the effectiveness of ASP interventions.
Lefamulin: A Novel Semisynthetic Pleuromutilin Antibiotic for Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia
Authors: Watkins Richard R , File Thomas M
Published: March 2020

Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Antimicrobial resistance, including in pathogens that cause CABP, continues to spread at an alarming rate. Because of these factors, the development of new antibiotic classes is urgently needed. Lefamulin, previously known as BC-3781, is a semisynthetic pleuromutilin antibiotic that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of CABP in adults. Available in both oral and intravenous formulations, lefamulin has potent in vitro activity against both typical and atypical CABP pathogens. The first pleuromutilin to be used systemically in humans, lefamulin has a unique mechanism of action that inhibits protein synthesis by preventing the binding of tRNA for peptide transfer. This review summarizes the available data on lefamulin, including recent evidence from 2 phase III clinical trials (LEAP 1 and LEAP 2), and discusses its potential role in the treatment of CABP.
Rule-Making, Rule-Taking or Rule-Rejecting under the Belt and Road Initiative: A Central Asian Perspective
Authors: Nurgozhayeva Roza
Published: March 2020

Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was announced in 2013, China’s expanding economic, geopolitical, and business presence demonstrates its eagerness to play a more significant role in the systems of international governance and law. The BRI’s scale and influence have captured immense attention among politicians, policymakers, experts, and academics. They offer numerous interpretations of the BRI’s global and regional impact. If China claims to be a stakeholder in the international system, what are the implications for the legal systems of the BRI countries and their governance systems? To what extent does the BRI lead to the expansion of China’s institutions and legal norms? How can the BRI countries ensure that their interests in BRI projects are adequately protected? This article analyses the Central Asian perspective on the BRI. Central Asia and Kazakhstan, in particular, have strategic relevance to the BRI. Remarkably, the BRI was launched during the visit of President Xi Jinping to Kazakhstan, which means that Kazakhstan plays a critical transit role as China’s pivot to Europe. Although the BRI is an ambitious global strategy, it has provoked much criticism, especially in liberal countries. Despite China’s efforts to promote the BRI as a win–win endeavour, China’s increased economic and political influence has already led to heightened scrutiny of its role in shaping ideology, economic development, and the legal and institutional landscapes. While many academic publications address different perspectives of the BRI, the context behind BRI projects requires further attention. This article contributes to the literature by studying BRI projects in Kazakhstan and their legal framework and governance.
The ACE2 expression in human heart indicates new potential mechanism of heart injury among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Chen Liang , Li Xiangjie , Chen Mingquan , Feng Yi , Xiong Chenglong
Published: March 2020

A new type of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks recently in China and spreads into many other countries. This disease, named as COVID-19, is similar to patients infected by SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and nearly 20% of patients developed severe condition. Cardiac injury is a prevalent complication of severe patients, exacerbating the disease severity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the key host cellular receptor of SARS-CoV-2, has been identified in multiple organs, but its cellular distribution in human heart is not illuminated clearly. This study performed the first state-of-art single cell atlas of adult human heart, and revealed that pericytes with high expression of ACE2 might act as the target cardiac cell of SARS-CoV-2. The pericytes injury due to virus infection may result in capillary endothelial cells dysfunction, inducing microvascular dysfunction. And patients with basic heart failure disease showed increased ACE2 expression at both mRNA and protein levels, meaning that if infected by the virus these patients may have higher risk of heart attack and critically ill condition. The finding of this study explains the high rate of severe cases among COVID-19 patients with basic cardiovascular disease; and these results also perhaps provide important reference to clinical treatment of cardiac injury among severe patients infected by SARS-CoV-2.
Urban invaders are not bold risk-takers: a study of 3 invasive lizards in Southern California
Authors: Putman Breanna J , Pauly Gregory B , Blumstein Daniel T
Published: March 2020

Biological invasions threaten biodiversity worldwide, and therefore, understanding the traits of successful invaders could mitigate their spread. Many commonly invasive species do well in disturbed habitats, such as urban environments, and their abilities to effectively respond to disturbances could contribute to their invasiveness. Yet, there are noninvasive species that also do well in disturbed habitats. The question remains whether urban invaders behave differently in urban environments than noninvaders, which could suggest an “urban-exploiting” phenotype. In Southern California, the co-occurrence of invasive Italian wall lizards Podarcis siculus, brown anoles Anolis sagrei, and green anoles A. carolinensis, and native western fence lizards Sceloporus occidentalis offers an opportunity to test whether invasives exhibit consistent differences in risk-taking within human-altered habitats compared with a native species. We predicted that invasive lizards would exhibit more bold behavior by having shorter flight-initiation distances (FIDs) and by being found farther from a refuge (behaviors that would presumably maximize foraging in low-risk environments). Invasive populations had similar or longer FIDs, but were consistently found at distances closer to a refuge. Collectively, invasive lizards in urban habitats were not bolder than a native species. Reliance on nearby refuges might help species successfully invade urban habitats, and if a general pattern, may pose an added challenge in detecting or eliminating them.
Detailed Characterization of Melanaphis sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Feeding Behavior on Different Host Plants
Authors: Souza M F , Davis J A
Published: March 2020

Worldwide, Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner is reported on several plants in the family Poaceae, including important crops. In the United States, M. sacchari has been present primarily on sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), but recently sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) has become a main host. It is not clear how M. sacchari exploits sorghum or other plant species present in the Louisiana agro-ecoscape, but there is potential for these plants to be bridging hosts. Thus, this study determined the feeding behavior of M. sacchari on sorghum, rice, Oryza sativa (L.), sweetpotato, Ipomea batatas (L.), maize, Zea mays (L.), Johnsongrass, S. halepense (L.), and wheat Triticum aestivum (L.) using electrical penetration graphs. Melanaphis sacchari established sustained feeding on sorghum, Johnsongrass, wheat, and rice, only a negligent percentage on maize and no aphid fed on sweetpotato. Differences in Electrical Penetration Graph parameters among the plants in nonpenetrating total time and the lower number of probes, time to penetration initiation, proportion of individuals probing, number of probes shorter than 30 s, number of probes longer than 30 s but shorter than 3 min, pathway phase duration, and number of cell punctures during pathway phase, suggest epidermis and mesophyll factors affecting aphid feeding behavior. While the lack of differences in number of feeding occurrences, total time feeding, and number of sustained feeding occurrences shows that M. sacchari is able to feed on those plants, sieve element factors such as resistance or low nutritional quality prevent the growth of this population in field.
Aortic stenosis of a bicuspid aortic valve in a patient with Klippel–Feil syndrome: a case report
Authors: Hammond Rory F L , Jasionowska Sara , Awad Wael I
Published: March 2020

Background

Klippel–Feil syndrome (KFS) is a rare congenital anomaly of the cervical spine, which is associated with a number of cardiovascular malformations, including coarctation of the aorta, bicuspid aortic valve (BAoV), and aortic aneurysm. Operative management of aortic stenosis of a BAoV in a patient with KFS has not been previously reported.

Case summary

A 54-year-old Caucasian woman with known KFS presented to her local hospital for elective cholecystectomy. An ejection systolic murmur was found incidentally on preoperative workup, which was confirmed to be due to a severely stenosed BAoV. The cholecystectomy was cancelled, and the patient was referred to our centre and accepted for surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) based on symptomatic and prognostic grounds. Anaesthetic review of cervical spine imaging showed fusion of the C2–C6 vertebral bodies and a desiccated bulging disc at C4–C5 but no significant foraminal narrowing in the lower cervical spine. Valve replacement with a mechanical aortic prosthesis resulted in an uneventful recovery and the patient was discharged home to follow-up.

Discussion

We report the first case of severe aortic valve stenosis requiring AVR in a Klippel–Feil patient, in whom the aortic valve was confirmed to be bicuspid. This report provides further evidence of an association of KFS with BAoV and strengthens the case for screening and follow-up of KFS patients for BAoV and other cardiovascular pathologies, the consequences of which may be serious.
Prognostic impact of self-reported health on clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure
Authors: Rasmussen Anne Ankerstjerne , Larsen Signe Holm , Jensen Martin , Berg Selina Kikkenborg , Rasmussen Trine Bernholdt , Borregaard Britt , Thrysoee Lars , Thorup Charlotte Brun , Mols Rikke Elmose , Wiggers Henrik , Johnsen Søren Paaske
Published: March 2020

Aims

An in-depth understanding of the prognostic value of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) is essential to facilitate person-centred care in heart failure (HF). This study aimed to clarify the prognostic role of subjective mental and physical health status in patients with HF.

Methods and results

Patients with HF were identified from the DenHeart Survey (n = 1499) and PRO data were obtained at hospital discharge, including the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D), the HeartQoL, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Clinical baseline data were obtained from medical records and linked to nationwide registries with patient-level data on sociodemographics and healthcare contacts. Outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality, CV events, and HF hospitalization with 1- and 3-year follow-up. Analysing the PRO data on a continuous scale, a worse score in the following were associated with risk of all-cause and CV mortality after 1 year: the HeartQoL (adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) 1.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42–2.57 and 2.17, 95% CI 1.50–3.15, respectively), the EQ-5D (adjusted HRs 1.26, 95% CI 1.15–1.38 and 1.27, 95% CI 1.13–1.42, respectively), the HADS depression subscale (adjusted HRs 1.12, 95% CI 1.07–1.17 and 1.11, 95% CI 1.05–1.17, respectively), and the HADS anxiety subscale (adjusted HRs 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.13 and 1.09, 95% CI 1.04–1.15, respectively). Three-year results were overall in concordance with the 1-year results. A similar pattern was also observed for non-fatal outcomes.

Conclusion

Health-related quality of life and symptoms of anxiety and depression at discharge were associated with all-cause and CV mortality at 1- and 3-year follow-up.
The Education of Multiple Family Members and the Life-Course Pathways to Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Yahirun Jenjira J , Vasireddy Sindhu , Hayward Mark D
Published: March 2020

Objectives

This article asks how the educational attainments of multiple family members, including parents and offspring, are associated with the cognitive health of older adults in the United States.

Methods

We use panel data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (2000–2012) to examine how the education of an individual, their parent(s), and their offspring are associated with the prevalence of moderate/severe cognitive impairment and the onset of cognitive impairment among older adults using logistic regression and discrete-time event history analysis, respectively.

Results

We found that when combined, only the education of the individual is inversely associated with cognitive impairment at baseline. However, both the educational attainments of an individual and their offspring are negatively associated with the risk of becoming cognitively impaired, among individuals who were not already cognitively impaired. Conversely, parental education was not predictive of being cognitively impaired or the onset of impairment. Furthermore, we found that respondent gender did not moderate the relationship between a family member’s education and respondent cognitive health.

Discussion

This study adds to current research by asking how resources from earlier and subsequent generations matter for older adults’ cognitive health. Although we found little evidence that parental education matters at this life stage, results suggest that offspring education has a salient positive effect on later-life cognitive health. This finding underscores an overlooked source of health disparities—offspring resources—and highlights how a family perspective remains a powerful tool for understanding health inequalities in later life.
Intersectoral (in)activity: towards an understanding of public sector department links between water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and childhood undernutrition in South Africa
Authors: Momberg D J , Mahlangu P , Ngandu B C , May J , Norris S A , Said-Mohamed R
Published: March 2020

Associations between different forms of malnutrition and environmental conditions, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), contribute to poor child health, nutritional status and physical growth. The primary responsibility for the provision of water and sanitation, as a basic service and human right, lies with the State, as such, a number of stakeholders are involved. Despite relatively high levels of WASH infrastructure coverage in South Africa, enteric infections and stunting remain high for a middle-income country. The aim of this study is to elucidate the landscape of WASH in South Africa in relation to nutritional status of children under the age of 5 years in the South African, Gauteng and City of Johannesburg contexts. The authors detailed the national and provincial public sector departments and through purposive sampling proceeded to map the various departments and associated policies that are responsible for the provision of WASH facilities, as well the nutritional status of children. Of the six policies identified for review, three mentioned WASH, nutrition and children; however, none explicitly linked WASH to nutritional status in children. An in-depth review and analysis of these three crucial policy documents was conducted. Finally, a set of expert interviews were conducted and a consensus development conference convened, with experts at the intersection between WASH and nutritional status. The authors found that the public sector would benefit from better integration of the concept of WASH into their policy, planning and implementation frameworks. The WASH sector should emphasize the role in which WASH plans consider the impact of WASH on the nutritional status of children. The various public sector departments involved in WASH service provision, and other WASH stakeholders, including community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations, should be involved in the decision-making of the nutrition sector.
Long-term risk of tuberculosis among migrants according to migrant status: a cohort study
Authors: Kristensen Kristina Langholz , Ravn Pernille , Petersen Joergen Holm , Hargreaves Sally , Nellums Laura B , Friedland Jon S , Andersen Peter Henrik , Norredam Marie , Lillebaek Troels
Published: March 2020

Background

The majority of tuberculosis (TB) cases in low-incidence countries occur in migrants. Only few studies have assessed the long-term TB risk in migrants after immigration, and datasets have not considered this across a range of diverse migrant groups. This nationwide study aimed to investigate long-term TB risk among migrants according to migrant status and region of origin.

Methods

This cohort study included all migrants aged  ≥ 18 years who obtained residence in Denmark from 1993 to 2015, with a mean follow-up of 10.8 years [standard deviation (SD) 7.3]. Migrants were categorized based on legal status of residence and region of origin. Incidence rates (IR) and rate ratios (IRR) were estimated by Poisson regression.

Results

A total of 142 314 migrants were included. Across all migrants, the TB risk was highest during year 1 of residence (IR 275/100 000 person-years; 95% CI 249–305) followed by a gradual decline, though TB risk remained high for over a decade. Compared with the Danish-born population, the IRRs after 7–8 years were particularly higher among former asylum seekers (IRR 31; 95% CI 20–46), quota refugees (IRR 31; 95% CI 16–71), and family-reunified with refugees (IRR 22; 95% CI 12–44). Sub-Saharan African migrants also experienced elevated risk (IRR 75; 95% CI 51–109). The proportion of migrants with pulmonary TB was 52.4%.

Conclusion

All migrant groups experienced an initial high TB risk, but long-term risk remained high in key migrant groups. Most European countries focus TB screening on or soon after arrival. Our study suggests that approaches to TB screening should be adapted, with migrant populations benefiting from long-term access to preventive health services.
Plasmids of novel incompatibility group IncpRBL16 from Pseudomonas species
Authors: Jiang Xiaoyuan , Yin Zhe , Yuan Min , Cheng Qiaoxiang , Hu Lingfei , Xu Yanan , Yang Wenhui , Yang Huiying , Zhao Yuee , Zhao Xiaodong , Gao Bo , Dai Erhei , Song Yajun , Zhou Dongsheng
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To dissect genomic features of IncpRBL16 plasmids from Pseudomonas.

Methods

An extensive genomic comparison was applied to all 17 available sequenced IncpRBL16 plasmids, including 8 sequenced in this study and another 2 sequenced in two of our previous studies.

Results

Conserved IncpRBL16 backbone markers repAIncpRBL16 together with its iterons, parB2–parA, che, pil and ter were present in all 17 plasmids. At least 18 regions or sites across IncpRBL16 genomes exhibited major modular differences, including insertion of accessory modules, deletion of backbone regions surrounding insertion sites and substitution of multiple-gene backbone regions. Ten plasmids carried a sole IncpRBL16 replicon, while exogenous acquisition of an auxiliary replicon (located in an accessory module) besides the primary IncpRBL16 replicon was observed in each of the remaining seven plasmids. The 17 IncpRBL16 plasmids carried at least 71 different accessory modules, notably including Tn1403-related regions, Tn7-family transposons, Tn6571-family transposons, integrative and conjugative elements, and integrative and mobilizable elements. There were a total of 40 known resistance genes, which were involved in resistance to 15 categories of antibiotics and heavy metals, notably including blaIMP-9, blaIMP-45, blaVIM-2, blaDIM-2, blaOXA-246, blaPER-1, aphA and armA.

Conclusions

Different IncpRBL16 plasmids contain different profiles of accessory modules and thus diverse collections of resistance genes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of fully sequenced blaOXA-246-carrying (p12939-PER) and blaPER-1-carrying (p12939-PER and pA681-IMP) IncpRBL16 plasmids and also that of 14 novel (first identified in this study) and additionally 31 newly named (first designated in this study, but with previously determined sequences) mobile elements.
Effects of dietary fatty acids on gut health and function of pigs pre- and post-weaning
Authors: Lauridsen Charlotte
Published: March 2020

Fatty acids (FA) play a major role in relation to mucosal immune responses, epithelial barrier functions, oxidative stress, and inflammatory reactions. The dietary FA composition and the molecular structures (chain length and number of double bonds) influence digestion, absorption and metabolism, and the bioactivity of the FA. Piglets post-weaning having an immature intestine and not fully formed immune functions are very vulnerable to invading microorganisms. Manipulation of the milk FA composition via sow nutrition, or inclusion of dietary fat sources in the feed for newly weaned pigs, may be used as a strategic tool to enhance pig performance and their gut health and function pre- and post-weaning. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) are absorbed directly into the portal blood and may contribute to immediate energy for the enterocytes. In addition, the MCFA, similarly to the short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), possess antibacterial effects and may thereby prevent overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. The essential FA, linoleic (LA) and α-linolenic (ALA) FA, form the building blocks for the long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 and n-6 FA. The conversion of ALA and LA into n-3 and n-6 eicosanoids, respectively, influences the molecular structures of metabolites and inflammatory reactions and other immune responses upon bacterial challenges. Dietary manipulation of the lactating sow influences the transfer of the n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from the sow milk to the piglet and the incorporation of the FA into piglet enteric tissues and cell membranes, which exerts bioactivity of importance for immune responses and the epithelial barrier function. Especially, the n-3 PUFA present in fish oil seem to influence the gut health and function of pigs, and this is of importance during the transition periods such as post-weaning in which piglets are prone to inflammation. The proportion of unsaturated FA in the cell membranes influences the susceptibility to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress accompanies infectious diseases, and the development of lipid peroxides and other reactive oxygen products may be harmful to the epithelial barrier function. Fatty acid peroxides from the feed may also be absorbed with other lipid-solubles and thereby harm the intestinal function. Hence, antioxidative protection is important for the enteric cells. In conclusion, manipulation of the dietary FA composition can influence the gut health and function in pigs and may support a normal immune system and modulate resistance to infectious diseases during especially stressful phases of a pig’s life such as post-weaning.
Discretion and Supplier Selection in Public Procurement
Authors: Baltrunaite Audinga , Giorgiantonio Cristina , Mocetti Sauro , Orlando Tommaso
Published: March 2020

Public procurement outcomes depend on the ability of the procuring agency to select well-performing suppliers. Should public administrations be granted more or less discretion in their decision-making? Using Italian data on municipal public works tendered in the period 2009–13, we study how a reform extending the scope of bureaucrat discretion affects supplier selection. We find that the share of contracts awarded to politically connected firms increases while the (ex ante) labor productivity of the winning firm decreases, thus suggesting a potential misallocation of public funds. The results are heterogeneous across procuring agencies: the effects on supplier selection are primarily concentrated among less qualified and less transparent administrations. (JEL D72, D73, H57, P16)
Similarity analysis of stacking sequences in a SiC nanowire pair grown from the same catalyst nanoparticle using Levenshtein distance
Authors: Kataoka Takayuki , Noguchi Takumi , Kohno Hideo
Published: March 2020

Stacking faults are easily formed in silicon carbide (SiC) crystals, and this is also the case for SiC nanowires. The stacking faults exercise influences on SiC’s properties, therefore it is important to understand their formation mechanism and to control their formation for applications of SiC and its nanowires. In this study, we propose a method for investigating stacking faults’ formation mechanism in nanowires and provide its proof of concept. Stacking sequences in a pair of SiC nanowires that were grown from the same metal catalyst nanoparticle were quantified as a pair of binary sequences, and Levenshtein distances between partial sequences extracted from the two sequences were measured to detect similarity between them, and the result was compared with that obtained using a surrogate data of one sequence. The similarity analysis using Levenshtein distances works as a probe for investigating possible influences of some phenomena in the catalyst nanoparticle on the formation of stacking faults. The analysis did not detect a correlation between the two sequences. Although a possibility that the formation of stacking faults in the nanowires were owing to some phenomena in the catalyst nanoparticle cannot be denied, the extrinsic cause in the catalyst nanoparticle was not detected through our analysis in this case.
Body Mass Index and Weight Loss in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in CALGB (Alliance)/SWOG 80405
Authors: Guercio Brendan J , Zhang Sui , Venook Alan P , Ou Fang-Shu , Niedzwiecki Donna , Lenz Heinz-Josef , Innocenti Federico , Mullen Brian C , O’Neil Bert H , Shaw James E , Polite Blase N , Hochster Howard S , Atkins James N , Goldberg Richard M , Brown Justin C , O’Reilly Eileen M , Mayer Robert J , Blanke Charles D , Fuchs Charles S , Meyerhardt Jeffrey A
Published: March 2020

Background

In nonmetastatic colorectal cancer, overweight and mild-to-moderately obese patients experience improved outcomes compared with other patients. Obesity’s influence on advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is relatively unexplored.

Methods

We conducted a prospective body mass index (BMI) companion study in Cancer and Leukemia Group B (now Alliance)/SWOG 80405, a phase III metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treatment trial. BMI was measured at trial registration. Primary and secondary endpoints were overall and progression-free survival, respectively. To minimize confounding by poor and rapidly declining health, we used Cox proportional hazards regression to adjust for known prognostic factors, comorbidities, physical activity, and weight loss during the 6 months prior to study entry. We also examined weight loss prior to enrollment as an independent predictor of patient outcome. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results

Among 2323 patients with mCRC, there were no statistically significant associations between BMI and overall or progression-free survival (adjusted Ptrend = .12 and .40, respectively). Weight loss during the 6 months prior to study entry was associated with shorter overall and progression-free survival; compared with individuals with stable weight ±4.9%, individuals with weight loss greater than 15% experienced an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.52 for all-cause mortality (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26 to 1.84; Ptrend < .001) and of 1.23 for disease progression or death (95% CI = 1.02 to 1.47; Ptrend = .006).

Conclusions

In this prospective study of patients with mCRC, BMI at time of first-line chemotherapy initiation was not associated with patient outcome. Weight loss prior to study entry was associated with increased risk of patient mortality and disease progression.
Spontaneous rupture and hematoma of the sartorius muscle secondary to rivaroxaban therapy
Authors: Ardebol Javier , Cahueque Mario , Sanchez Carlos
Published: March 2020

Spontaneous muscular hematomas are quite rare as they occur mush less frequently than intracranial hematomas and gastrointestinal bleeding in patients under oral anticoagulant therapy. Coumarins, such as warfarin or acitrom, are the most widely prescribed oral anticoagulants agents and have been associated more with the development of hematomas than direct factor X inhibitors, such as rivaroxaban [ 1]. Few reports have linked oral anticoagulation therapy with the development of muscular hematomas; however, clinical cases regarding the involvement of the sartorius muscle remain limited. Patients with advanced age, under oral anticoagulant therapy with pain and ecchymosis in the thigh region, should undergo radiological evaluation utilizing ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to establish an accurate diagnosis. The following case consists of a patient that while resting presented with a spontaneous rupture and hematoma of the sartorius muscle secondary to rivaroxaban use. During follow-up, the patient recovered completely.
Polyphosphate induces the proteolysis of ADP-bound fraction of initiator to inhibit DNA replication initiation upon stress in Escherichia coli
Authors: Gross Marta H , Konieczny Igor
Published: March 2020

The decision whether to replicate DNA is crucial for cell survival, not only to proliferate in favorable conditions, but also to adopt to environmental changes. When a bacteria encounters stress, e.g. starvation, it launches the stringent response, to arrest cell proliferation and to promote survival. During the stringent response a vast amount of polymer composed of phosphate residues, i.e. inorganic polyphosphate (PolyP) is synthesized from ATP. Despite extensive research on PolyP, we still lack the full understanding of the PolyP role during stress. It is also elusive what is the mechanism of DNA replication initiation arrest in starved Escherichia coli cells. Here, we show that during stringent response PolyP activates Lon protease to degrade selectively the replication initiaton protein DnaA bound to ADP, but not ATP. In contrast to DnaA-ADP, the DnaA-ATP does not interact with PolyP, but binds to dnaA promoter to block dnaA transcription. The systems controlling the ratio of nucleotide states of DnaA continue to convert DnaA-ATP to DnaA-ADP, which is proteolysed by Lon, thereby resulting in the DNA replication initiation arrest. The uncovered regulatory mechanism interlocks the PolyP-dependent protease activation with the ATP/ADP cycle of dual-functioning protein essential for bacterial cell proliferation.
Regulating surface wrinkles using light
Authors: Zhou Liangwei , Hu Kaiming , Zhang Wenming , Meng Guang , Yin Jie , Jiang Xuesong
Published: March 2020

Regulating existing micro and nano wrinkle structures into desired configurations is urgently necessary yet remains challenging, especially modulating wrinkle direction and location on demand. In this work, we propose a novel light-controlled strategy for surface wrinkles, which can dynamically and precisely regulate all basic characteristics of wrinkles, including wavelength, amplitude, direction and location (λ, A, θ and Lc), and arbitrarily tune wrinkle topographies in two dimensions (2D). By considering the bidirectional Poisson's effect and soft boundary conditions, a modified theoretical model depicting the relation between stress distributions and the basic characteristics was developed to reveal the mechanical mechanism of the regulation strategy. Furthermore, the resulting 2D ordered wrinkles can be used as a dynamic optical grating and a smart template to reversibly regulate the morphology of various functional materials. This study will pave the way for wrinkle regulation and guide fabrication technology for functional wrinkled surfaces.
Nicolas Malebranche
Authors: Stencil Eric
Published: March 2020

Nicolas Malebranche (b. 1638–d. 1715) was a Parisian-born French philosopher and Oratorian. In 1660, Malebranche entered the Congregation of the Oratory—a Catholic order founded by Pierre Bérulle in 1611—and was ordained in 1664. As relayed by his first biographer—Yves André—in the same year as being ordained, Malebranche discovered a copy of René Descartes’s Treatise on Man in Paris and upon reading it was so ecstatic that he experienced violent heart palpitations. Ultimately, Malebranche developed a philosophical and theological system that was intentionally an amalgam of Cartesianism and the thought of Augustine of Hippo. He is among the preeminent continental rationalists of 17th century Europe along with the more well-known thinkers René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Leibniz. While one must be careful to not import too much into this categorization as it can at times obscure more than it illuminates, rationalism is roughly the view that persons can have some substantive knowledge independent of any sensory experience. Malebranche’s magnum opus—The Search after Truth—was first published in 1674–1675 and underwent numerous editions with substantive additions called Elucidations. Arguably his other greatest work—the Dialogues on Metaphysics and on Religion—is a beautifully written dialogue and a relatively concise account of his mature worldview first published in 1688. He is especially well known for defending three distinctive positions: (1) Occasionalism, (2) the view that we “see all things in God” (the Vision in God), and (3) a highly original Theodicy. All three of these positions are described in their respective section headings in this entry, but, in brief, occasionalism is the view that only God has true causal power; the Vision in God is the view that ideas, which Malebranche uses in a technical sense and are essential to our perception, are in God; and a theodicy is an (attempted) reconciliation of the existence of evil with the existence of an all good, all knowing, and all powerful God. Malebranche was also active in many controversies, not the least of which was his decade long public dispute with the Jansenist theologian Antoine Arnauld. This often bitter and heated debate was one of the premier intellectual events in Europe in the latter half of the 17th century. Malebranche published his final work, Réflexions sur la prémotion physique, in 1715 and died on 13 October of that same year at the Oratory in Paris.
Bhakti and Christian Missions
Authors: Jones Arun W.
Published: March 2020

Both bhakti and Christian missions have a long history in India, dating back to the beginning of the Common Era (or perhaps before, in the case of bhakti). The earliest text that uses bhakti as a technical term, describing it as a path for salvation, is the Bhagavad Gita, which many scholars date to the 1st century ce. On the other side, the most ancient Indian Christian traditions date their origins to the arrival of the missionary St. Thomas in 52 ce, although historians are more confident assigning a somewhat later date, perhaps the 3rd century, to the genesis of Indian Christianity. The St. Thomas or Syrian Christian communities were nourished for well over a millennium by fellow believers from Mesopotamia. The Roman Catholic Church commenced the first Western (as opposed to Middle Eastern) Christian missions to India around the year 1500. Protestants began missions to India around 1700, sponsored by the king of Denmark. The advent of Pentecostal and Charismatic missions, which were initiated by Indian Christians, can be dated to approximately 1900. While the first Western Christian missionaries were Europeans, Indians have always been deeply involved in the missionary movement, and were actually more effective and successful than Europeans in mission work. Almost all contemporary Christian missionaries in the subcontinent are Indian. Due to the nature of scholarly literature on bhakti and Christianity, this bibliography focuses on the interaction between bhakti and Western Christian missions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Pentecostal/Charismatic. Definitional problems immediately present themselves when one starts to delve into this literature: How are bhakti and Christian missions to be identified? Indeed, the understanding of neither has been static for the past five centuries; both have been variously interpreted by those who have practiced and studied them. The multiplicity of definitions and perceptions continues, and even proliferates, today. For the purposes of this article, bhakti will be understood as devotional movements with origins in Hinduism, but permeating—and being influenced by—other religious traditions in India. Bhakti places an emphasis on the affective dimensions of religious devotion, and on popular religiosity. Christian missions will be understood as the many and diverse attempts—with varying degrees of success and a variety of positive, negative, and mixed results—to spread Christian beliefs, practices, and benevolence in every human culture and language. Both bhakti and Christian missions involve practices of body, mind, and emotions. This bibliography is restricted to English-language materials. Moreover, it does not employ diacritical marks except when they are included in titles of works.
Race and Sexuality
Authors: Moussawi Ghassan , Patil Vrushali
Published: March 2020

Pioneering work on the relationship between race and sexuality can be dated from the late 1970s. Early academic, political, and artistic work by women of color in particular gave voice to women’s simultaneous experiences of heterosexism, racism, sexism, and so on. Queer of color work broadly theorized the role of race and racism in knowledge, politics, and concepts of sexualities. Historical work on empire, slavery, and colonialism further demonstrated this fact, while contemporarily focused transnational work does the same for early-21st-century processes. Given the importance of intersectional and transnational analysis, research on race and sexuality has become a growing and central feature of sexuality studies. Such research does not treat “whiteness” as a taken-for-granted category of analysis, but instead unpacks how sex, sexuality, and race are always co-constituted. With emerging theoretical lenses such as Queer of Color Critique, the study of racialized sexualities has become crucial to any exploration of sexuality. In addition, studies of race and sexuality look at how they have historically informed and continue to inform one another, in ways that include thinking about empire, Racisms, carcerality, surveillance, criminology, deviance, desire, and changing understanding of the erotic. Both intersectional and transnational work consider multiple racial formations and take into account the multiple genealogies of sexuality studies, centralizing work that is informed by women of color feminisms, transnational feminisms, queer theory, and black feminist thought. To best understand racial and sexual formations, race and sexuality studies allow us to think of the two as always informing one another. Thus it shifts our attention from primarily thinking about stable identity categories and culture to centralizing people’s relations to power.
Anthropological Activism and Visual Ethnography
Authors: Marion Jonathan S. , Scanlan James
Published: March 2020

Since the development of mechanical visual technologies—such as still and moving photography—some producers and scholars have seen the potential of using these technologies as tools for social improvement and change. Photographers and journalists were the first to wed social justice to visual imagery, as well as early film pioneers like theorist and documentary innovator Dziga Vertov. Anthropologists and ethnographers also saw the benefit adopting visual technology for research early on, but many of the products of this early era were exploitative, stereotypical, and theoretically simplistic. Notable exceptions to this trend included Margaret Mead’s photographic and film work in Bali and beyond and Jean Rouch’s reflexive experimental films which both resulted in sensitive and influential work. The general tide began to change as the technology became more democratic and as wider theoretical discourse began to consider the various impacts of creation, representation, and dissemination. During the 1980s and into the 1990s there was a serious crisis within ethnographic film and the social sciences more widely concerning representations of the Other in Western media. This coincided with video cameras and videotape becoming more widely available commercially, leading to an explosion of visual projects including many that were Collaborative, Participatory, or otherwise aimed at improving the lives of the community or group being studied. The emphasis on collaboration and equal participation of those being studied continues today, and this article describes key threads of current research that continue to explore the intersections of activism and visual ethnography. Almost all regions of the globe have begun to see the establishment of video projects and other visual research with indigenous and other marginalized communities, including a general movement to decolonize museums and visual representations of indigeneity. There has been a growing awareness during this time that the products of indigenous filmmaking could not be thought of solely as products of academic research, but rather as resulting from indigenous perspectives within the context of academic research. This has given rise to major discourses questioning not only the received traditions of production and presentation of indigenous media, but the place of indigenous media within academia and within the international film world more broadly. More recent projects—including work in and with photography, video, multimedia, and museums—have continued to develop collaborative and participatory methods linking the evocative potential of visual ethnography to activist sensibilities including resistance movements, undermining traditional narratives, and community improvement.
Archaeology and Race
Authors: Agbe-Davies Anna S.
Published: March 2020

For as long as archaeologists have studied the human past, they have been concerned with the social categories we sometimes call “race.” In this bibliography, I use “race” to indicate a constellation of ideas sharing the assertion that meaningful claims about a person or group can be based on their origins or background, especially relying on their appearance or other physical characteristics. Anthropological research has shown us that when people partition humanity in this way, the results are not meaningful biological units. Race is an ideology of hierarchical, social differentiation masked as embodied differentiation. This is what anthropologists mean when they say that race is a system of social categories that has no basis in biology (see Oxford Bibliographies in Anthropology article Race). Archaeologists are not the only anthropologists who have considered “race” in the human past. Bioarchaeology (see Oxford Bibliographies in Anthropology article Bioarchaeology) and paleoanthropology (see the section “Microevolutionary Issues” in the Oxford Bibliographies in Anthropology article Human Evolution) have also addressed race. These fields examine people’s bodies, for the most part. This bibliography emphasizes archaeology as the study of material culture. “Race” as such has not always featured in archaeological scholarship, but related concepts such as “culture” (when referring to a group of people) and “ethnic group” have long structured archaeology’s understanding of humanity’s past. The archaeological study of “race” is here divided into three arenas: racial difference; racism; and racialization. In reality, these themes cannot be so neatly parsed, but for the purposes of this bibliography racial difference includes sources that address boundary formation and maintenance; racism emphasizes studies concerning inequality; and racialization considers race as a process rather than a state of being.