bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urine dipsticks are not accurate for detecting mild ketosis during a severely energy restricted diet
Authors: Gibson Alice. A. , Eroglu Elif. I. , Rooney Kieron. , Harper Claudia. , McClintock Sally. , Franklin Janet. , Markovic Tania. P. , Seimon Radhika. V. , Sainsbury Amanda.
Published: May 2020

Background

Detection of the mild ketosis induced by severely energy‐restricted diets may be a clinically useful way to monitor and promote dietary adherence. Mild ketosis is often assessed using urine dipsticks, but accuracy for this purpose has not been tested.

Objective

To determine the accuracy of urine dipsticks to detect mild ketosis during adherence to a severely energy‐restricted diet.

Methods

Two hundred and sixty three (263) fasting urine and 263 fasting blood samples were taken from 50 women (mean [standard deviation, SD] age 58.0 [4.3] years and body mass index 34.3 [2.4] kg/m2) before and at six time points during or for up to 10 weeks after 16 weeks of severe energy restriction, achieved with a total meal replacement diet. The amount of ketones (acetoacetate) in the urine was classified as ‘0 (Negative)’, ‘+/− (Trace)’, ‘+ (Weak)’ or ‘++ (Medium)’ by urine dipsticks (Ketostix, Bayer). The concentration of ketones (β‐hydroxybutyrate) in the blood was measured with our reference method, a portable ketone monitor (FreeStyle Optium, Abbott). The diagnostic accuracy of the urine dipsticks was assessed from the percent of instances when a person was actually ‘in ketosis’ (as defined by a blood β‐hydroxybutyrate concentration at or above three different thresholds) that were also identified by the urine dipsticks as being from a person in ketosis (the percent ‘true positives’ or sensitivity), as well as the percent of instances when a person was not in ketosis (as defined by the blood monitor result) was correctly identified as such with the urine dipstick (the percent ‘true negatives’ or specificity). Thresholds of ≥0.3mM, ≥0.5mM or ≥1.0mM were selected, because mean blood concentrations of β‐hydroxybutyrate during ketogenic diets are approximately 0.5mM. Sensitivity and specificity were then used to generate receiver operating characteristic curves, with the area under these curves indicating the ability of the dipsticks to correctly identify people in ketosis (1 = perfect results, 0.5 = random results).

Results

At threshold blood β‐hydroxybutyrate concentrations of ≥0.3mM, ≥0.5mM and ≥1.0mM, the sensitivity of the urine dipsticks was 35%, 52% and 76%; the specificity was 100%, 97% and 78%; and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves was 0.67, 0.74 and 0.77, respectively. These low levels of sensitivity mean that 65%, 48% or 24% of the instances when a person was in ketosis were not detected by the urine dipsticks.

Conclusion

Urine dipsticks are not an accurate or clinically useful means of detecting mild ketosis in people undergoing a severely energy‐restricted diet and should thus not be recommended in clinical treatment protocols. If monitoring of mild ketosis is indicated (eg, to monitor or help promote adherence to a severely energy‐restricted diet), then blood monitors should be used instead.
Efficacy of bioactive compounds and their association with different cowpea cultivars against their major stored pest
Authors: Barbosa Douglas Re S , de Oliveira José V , da Silva Paulo HS , Breda Mariana O , de Andrade Dutra Kamilla , Lopes Fabiana SC , de Araújo Alice MN
Published: May 2020

Background

Stored grain insects are controlled with fumigant insecticides which can select resistant insect populations and cause environmental and applicator contamination. Thus, resistant cultivars and chemical constituents of essential oils are an alternative to the almost exclusive use of these insecticides. The effects of the combination of cowpea cultivars Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. with chemical constituents of essential oils against Callosobruchus maculatus were determined. Four cowpea cultivars: BRS Tracuateua, BR 17 Gurgueia, Epace 10 and Sempre Verde (insect rearing) untreated were used in the experiments and combined with chemical constituents of essential oil: eugenol, geraniol and trans‐anethole. The biological parameters observed were: total egg number and eggs per grain, egg viability (%), insects emerged and insects per grain, immature stage viability (%), instantaneous rate of growth (ri), insect dry weight (mg), grain weight loss (%) and egg‐adult period.

Results

When comparing all biological parameters, the cultivars BRS Tracuateua and BR 17 Gurgueia were harmful to C. maculatus. In the toxicity tests, the results showed that LC30 and LC50 of the chemical constituents ranged from 54.77 to 103.48 ppm and 60.99 to 125.18 ppm, respectively. In most of the biological parameters, LC50 had adverse effects significantly higher than LC30 and BR 17 Gurgueia treated were harmful to C. maculatus.

Conclusions

Overall, the findings showed that BR 17 Gurgueia combined with eugenol and geraniol more significantly affected the biological parameters of C. maculatus than when associated with trans‐anethole, reducing egg number, insects emerged and egg viability. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Mesoporous Carbon Nanotablets Coupled with Mo2C Nanoparticles: Combining Morphology and Structure to Realize High Activity for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Nie Xiaorong , Guo Tianyu , Du Qianqian , Liu Rui , Liu Lu , Zhao Ruihua , Zhang Jie , Du Jianping , Li Jinping
Published: May 2020

Transition metal carbide such as molybdenum carbide is most potential alternative to Pt catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A high effective non‐noble metal electrocatalyst synthesized by the facile route isurgently needed. Herein, we designed a facile approach to synthesize molybdenum carbide nanocrystal dispersed on hexagonal carbon nanotablets possessing mesoporous structures. The electrocatalytic activities for HER were studied. The results show that as‐synthesized molybdenum carbide nanocomposites exhibit a superior HER activity and stability, with an overpotential of 176 mV to drive j=10 mA cm−2 in basic solution and a smaller Tafel slope of 52 mV dec−1in acidic medium, implying molybdenum carbide hexagonal nanotablets have a promising application as Pt‐free electrocatalysts for HER. This strategy also opens a new way to fast synthesize other non‐noble metal electrocatalysts for various applications.
Hypervalent Iodine Reagent‐Mediated Selective Vinyl C−H Amidation of 4‐Alkoxystyrenes with Diarylsulfonimides for Preparation of Enamides
Authors: Wang Xia , Liu Hao , Xiang Dehu , Zhang Qian , Li Dong
Published: May 2020

A selective vinyl C−H amidation of 4‐alkoxystyrenes with diarylsulfonimides has been developed for preparation of enamides. The reaction was mediated by a hypervalent iodine reagent through a radical dearomatization/aromatization process. It proceeded under metal‐free, mild and neutral conditions with good air and moisture tolerance, providing the highly regioselective enamide products in moderate to good yields.
“Sensory Ordering” in Nurses' Clinical Decision‐Making: Making Visible Senses, Sensing, and “Sensory Work” in the Hospital
Authors: Grosjean Sylvie , Matte Frederik , Nahon‐Serfaty Isaac
Published: May 2020

The objective of this article is to present a study on the constitutive role of senses in clinical decision‐making. The methodology is based on a series of focus groups with nurses in various hospital departments. Based on a narrative approach, our study examines “sensory work” in clinical decision‐making in order to reveal its specificity in the clinical work of nurses. Nurses shared stories—in focus groups—about the influence of senses in clinical decision‐making. The analysis of clinical narratives helped to identify various situations revealing the “sensory work” that underlines clinical decision‐making. We put the emphasis on the spectrum of sensory activities and the interactions occurring during a clinical decision‐making. One specific contribution of our study is to make visible the “sensory ordering” at work as constituted by interactions between nurses during a clinical assessment.
Photochemical Synthesis of Tungsten Pentafluoride, WF5
Authors: Stene Riane , Scheibe Benjamin , Ivlev Sergei I. , Karttunen Antti J. , Petry Winfried , Kraus Florian
Published: May 2020

A new synthetic route for the synthesis of WF5 utilizing a mercury photosensitized reduction of tungsten hexafluoride with H2 is described. Crystals of WF5 were studied using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, resulting in the first‐reported crystal structure of WF5. Powder X‐ray diffraction studied at room‐temperature showed the compound was phase‐pure. The IR spectrum of WF5 was reinvestigated and interpreted with the use of solid‐state quantum‐chemical calculations using the DFT‐PBE0 density functional method. The compound synthesized herein was free of HF and moisture but may have contained minute amounts of WOF4, that were only observed in the IR spectrum.
Safety and Efficacy of Bedside Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Placement in the COVID‐19 Era: Initial Experience at a New York City Hospital
Authors: Vigiola Cruz Mariana , Bellorin Omar , Srivatana Vesh , Afaneh Cheguevara
Published: May 2020

Introduction

Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) is common in critically ill patients with COVID‐19. Unparalleled numbers of patients with AKI and shortage of dialysis machines and operative resources prompted consideration of expanded use of urgent‐start peritoneal dialysis (PD) and evaluation of the safety and efficacy of bedside surgical placement of PD catheters.

Study design

Bedside, open PD catheter insertions were performed in early April 2020, at a large academic center in New York City. Patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and AKI and ambulatory patients with chronic kidney disease and impending need for RRT were included. Detailed surgical technique is described.

Results

Fourteen catheters were placed at the bedside over 2 weeks, 11 in critically ill COVID‐19 patients and three in ambulatory patients. Mean patient age was 61.9 years (43–83), and mean body mass index was 27.1 (20–37.6); four patients had prior abdominal surgery. All catheters were placed successfully without routine radiographic studies or intraoperative complications. One patient (7%) experienced primary nonfunction of the catheter requiring HD. One patient had limited intraperitoneal bleeding while anticoagulated, which was managed by mechanical compression of the abdominal wall and temporarily holding anticoagulation. All other catheters had an adequate function at 3–18 days of follow‐up.

Conclusions

Bedside placement of PD catheters is safe and effective in ICU and outpatient clinic settings. Our surgical protocols allowed for optimization of critical hospital resources, minimization of hazardous exposure to healthcare providers and a broader application of urgent‐start PD in selected patients. Long‐term follow‐up is warranted.
What to Propose After Failed Adjustable Gastric Banding: One‐ or Two‐step Procedure?
Authors: Marion Yoann , Eid Yassine , Menahem Benjamin , Lee Bion Adrien , Thobie Alexandre , Alves Arnaud
Published: May 2020

Background

Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG) can be proposed in case of failed laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB). The main question is whether the revisional procedure is carried out in one or two stages.

Objective

Postoperative outcomes between the one‐step approach and the two‐step approach of conversion of failed LAGB to RYGB or SG were, respectively, compared.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature published until June 2019 was conducted. All studies comparing one‐step and two‐step approaches after failed LAGB were included. Primary outcomes include both mortality and morbidity at 30 days postoperatively according to Dindo–Clavien classification. Among the studies included, a random effect model was used with Review Manager 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK).

Results

A total of 3895 patients had conversion of failed LAGB to RYGB (n = 3214) or SG (n = 681), respectively. The conversion was carried out in one‐step (n = 2767) or two‐step (n = 1128) approaches. Meta‐analysis did not show statistical difference for overall morbidity rate (OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.78–1.30, p = 0.96) whether it is for SG (OR = 1.25, 95%CI = 0.73–2.14, p = 0.42) or RYGB (OR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.71–1.26, p = 0.69) and for major postoperative morbidity (OR = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.59–1.56, p = 0.87) whether it is for SG (OR = 0.66, 95%CI = 0.22–1.97, p = 0.46) or RYGB (OR = 1.05, 95%CI = 0.61–1.81, p = 0.86). Moreover, there was no statistical difference for specific morbidity rate including reoperation, leak, abscess, postoperative bleeding, and late postoperative complications.

Limitations

Given the retrospective nature of the studies, these results should be interpreted with caution.

Conclusion

This updated meta‐analysis suggests that conversion of failed LAGB to RYGB or SG can be safely performed in one‐step or two‐step approaches.
Crohn’s disease: prevalence, MR features, and clinical significance of enteric and colonic sinus tracts
Authors: Scharitzer Martina , Koizar Bernd , Vogelsang Harald , Bergmann Michael , Primas Christian , Weber Michael , Schima Wolfgang , Mang Thomas
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Enteric and colonic sinus tracts are inflammatory complications that precede intestinal fistulas in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). The aim of this study was to retrospectively determine the prevalence, morphologic features, and outcome of sinus tracts using MR imaging.

Methods

A consecutive cohort of 642 patients with known CD, referred for MR enterography or MR enteroclysis (study period 01/2014–09/2019), was evaluated retrospectively for the presence of sinus tracts, their locations, presence and length of coexisting strictures, bowel wall thickness, CDMI score, upstream dilation, and bowel distension. Clinical outcome was assessed using medical records. For metric data, means and standard deviation, as well as one-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, were calculated.

Results

In 36/642 patients with CD undergoing MRE, 49 sinus tracts (forty in small intestine, nine in left-sided colon) were detected with a prevalence of 6.9% in patients with MR-visible signs of CD (n = 519, overall prevalence of 5.6%). Mean segmental bowel wall thickness was 8.9 mm, and mean CDMI score was 9.3. All sinus tracts were located within a stenotic segment, showing mesenteric orientation within the small bowel and upstream dilation in 13 patients. Of 36 patients, 19 underwent immediate surgery and seven developed clinical progression within the segment containing the sinus tract.

Conclusions

Sinus tracts occur in 6.9% of patients with visible signs of CD. They are located within stenotic, severely thickened bowel segments with high MR inflammation scores. Their detection is clinically important, because they indicate a more aggressive phenotype and, if left untreated, may show severe progression.

Key Points

• Sinus tracts occur in 6.9% of patients with MR-visible signs of Crohn’s disease.

• Sinus tracts are a radiological indicator of early penetrating Crohn’s disease, with a high risk of progression, and require dedicated treatment.

• Sinus tracts can be recognized by characteristic findings and typically occur in stenotic, severely thickened bowel segments with high MR inflammation scores.
EEG Theta/Beta Ratio Neurofeedback Training in Healthy Females
Authors: van Son Dana , van der Does Willem , Band Guido P. H. , Putman Peter
Published: May 2020

A growing number of studies suggest that EEG theta/beta ratio (TBR) is inversely related to executive cognitive control. Neurofeedback training aimed at reducing TBR (TBR NFT) might provide a tool to study causality in this relation and might enhance human performance. To investigate whether TBR NFT reduces TBR in healthy participants. Twelve healthy female participants were assigned (single blind) to one of three groups. Groups differed on baseline durations and one group received only sham NFT. TBR NFT consisted of eight or fourteen 25-min sessions. No evidence was found that TBR NFT had any effect on TBR. The current TBR NFT protocol is possibly ineffective. This is in line with a previous study with a different protocol.
Factor Xa Inhibition with Apixaban Does Not Influence Cardiac Remodelling in Rats with Heart Failure After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Yurista Salva R. , Silljé Herman H. W. , Nijholt Kirsten T. , Dokter Martin M. , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , de Boer Rudolf A. , Westenbrink B. Daan
Published: May 2020

Background

Heart failure (HF) is considered to be a prothrombotic condition and it has been suggested that coagulation factors contribute to maladaptive cardiac remodelling via activation of the protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1). We tested the hypothesis that anticoagulation with the factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor apixaban would ameliorate cardiac remodelling in rats with HF after myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods and Results

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were either subjected to permanent ligation of the left ascending coronary artery (MI) or sham surgery. The MI and sham animals were randomly allocated to treatment with placebo or apixaban in the chow (150 mg/kg/day), starting 2 weeks after surgery. Cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography and histological and molecular markers of cardiac hypertrophy were assessed in the left ventricle (LV). Apixaban resulted in a fivefold increase in anti-FXa activity compared with vehicle, but no overt bleeding was observed and haematocrit levels remained similar in apixaban- and vehicle-treated groups. After 10 weeks of treatment, LV ejection fraction was 42 ± 3% in the MI group treated with apixaban and 37 ± 2 in the vehicle-treated MI group (p > 0.05). Both vehicle- and apixaban-treated MI groups also displayed similar degrees of LV dilatation, LV hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis. Histological and molecular markers for pathological remodelling were also comparable between groups, as was the activity of signalling pathways downstream of the PAR1 receptor.

Conclusion

FXa inhibition with apixaban does not influence pathological cardiac remodelling after MI. These data do not support the use of FXa inhibitor in HF patients with the aim to amend the severity of HF.
Is cellular energy monitoring more responsive to hypoxia than pulse oximetry?
Authors: Hatch Guy M. , Ashbrook Liza , Prather Aric A. , Krystal Andrew D.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Pulse oximetry is the current standard for detecting drops in arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) associated with obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea events in polysomnographic (PSG) testing. However, cellular energy monitoring (CE monitoring), a measure related to cellular hypoxia in the skin, is likely to be more responsive to inadequate breathing during sleep because during hypoxic challenge, such as occurs during apneic events, regulatory mechanisms restrict blood flow to the skin to preferentially maintain SpO2 for more vital organs. We carried out initial proof of concept testing to determine if CE monitoring has promise for being more responsive to hypoxic challenge occurring during sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) than pulse oximetry.

Methods

We assessed both CE monitoring and pulse oximetry in a series of conditions which affect oxygen supply: (1) breathing nitrogen or 100% oxygen, (2) physical exertion, and (3) studying a night of sleep in an individual known to be a loud snorer. We also present the results of a preliminary study comparing CE monitoring to pulse oximetry in eight individuals undergoing standard clinical overnight polysomnography for suspected SDB.

Results

CE monitoring is responsive to changes in cellular oxygen supply to the skin and detects hypoxia during SDB events that is not detected by pulse oximetry.

Conclusion

CE monitoring is a promising tool for identifying pathology at the mild end of the SDB spectrum.
INNER AMENABLE GROUPOIDS AND CENTRAL SEQUENCES
Authors: KIDA YOSHIKATA , TUCKER-DROB ROBIN
Published: May 2020

We introduce inner amenability for discrete probability-measure-preserving (p.m.p.) groupoids and investigate its basic properties, examples, and the connection with central sequences in the full group of the groupoid or central sequences in the von Neumann algebra associated with the groupoid. Among other things, we show that every free ergodic p.m.p. compact action of an inner amenable group gives rise to an inner amenable orbit equivalence relation. We also obtain an analogous result for compact extensions of equivalence relations that either are stable or have a nontrivial central sequence in their full group.
Effects of Chinese word structure on object categorization in Chinese–English bilinguals
Authors: PAN XUAN , JARED DEBRA
Published: May 2020

We investigated how verbal labels affect object categorization in bilinguals. In English, most nouns do not provide linguistic clues to their categories (an exception issunflower), whereas in Chinese, some nouns provide category information morphologically (e.g., 鸵鸟-ostrichand 知更鸟-robinhave the morpheme鸟-birdin their Chinese names), while some nouns do not (e.g., 企鹅-penguinand 鸽子-pigeon). We examined the effect of Chinese word structure on bilinguals’ categorization processes in two ERP experiments. Chinese–English bilinguals and English monolinguals judged the membership of atypical (e.g.,ostrich,penguin) vs. typical (e.g.,robin,pigeon) pictorial (Experiment 1) and English word (Experiment 2) exemplars of categories (e.g.,bird). English monolinguals showed typicality effects in RT data, and in the N300 and N400 of ERP data, regardless of whether the object name had a category cue in Chinese. In contrast, Chinese–English bilinguals showed a larger typicality effect for objects without category cues in their name than objects with cues, even when they were tested in English. These results demonstrate that linguistic information in bilinguals’ L1 has an effect on their L2 categorization processes. The findings are explained using the label-feedback hypothesis.
Reduced models of turbulent transport in helical plasmas including effects of zonal flows and trapped electrons
Authors: Toda S. , Nunami M. , Sugama H.
Published: May 2020

Using transport models, the impacts of trapped electrons on zonal flows and turbulence in helical field configurations are studied. The effect of the trapped electrons on the characteristic quantities of the linear response for zonal flows is investigated for two different field configurations in the Large Helical Device. The turbulent potential fluctuation, zonal flow potential fluctuation and ion energy transport are quickly predicted by the reduced models for which the linear and nonlinear simulation results are used to determine dimensionless parameters related to turbulent saturation levels and typical zonal flow wavenumbers. The effects of zonal flows on the turbulent transport for the case of the kinetic electron response are much smaller than or comparable to those in an adiabatic electron condition for the two different field configurations. It is clarified that the effect of zonal flows on the turbulent transport due to the trapped electrons changes, depending on the field configurations.
Information structure in language acquisition. Production and comprehension of (in)definite articles by German-speaking children
Authors: FUCHS Julia , DOMAHS Ulrike , KAUSCHKE Christina
Published: May 2020

The present study investigates the production and comprehension of indefinite and definite articles as markers of givenness by typically-developing German-speaking children, from the perspective of information structure theory. The study involves 93 typically-developing children aged four to seven years old with normal language-skills and 20 adults. The results of a story-narration task and a truth-value judgment task reveal that children have more problems with new than with given referents in production as well as comprehension suggesting a “given better than new”-pattern. These findings are explained in the context of perspective-taking capacities and cue weighting theory.
Factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban food environments in Africa: a systematic mapping review
Authors: Osei-Kwasi Hibbah , Mohindra Aarti , Booth Andrew , Laar Amos , Wanjohi Milka , Graham Fiona , Pradeilles Rebecca , Cohen Emmanuel , Holdsworth Michelle
Published: May 2020

Objective:

To identify factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban food environments in Africa and identify areas for future research.

Design:

We systematically reviewed published/grey literature (protocol CRD4201706893). Findings were compiled into a map using a socio-ecological model on four environmental levels: individual, social, physical and macro.

Setting:

Urban food environments in Africa.

Participants:

Studies involving adolescents and adults (11–70 years, male/female).

Results:

Thirty-nine studies were included (six adolescent, fifteen adolescent/adult combined and eighteen adult). Quantitative methods were most common (twenty-eight quantitative, nine qualitative and two mixed methods). Studies were from fifteen African countries. Seventy-seven factors influencing dietary behaviours were identified, with two-thirds at the individual level (45/77). Factors in the social (11/77), physical (12/77) and macro (9/77) environments were investigated less. Individual-level factors that specifically emerged for adolescents included self-esteem, body satisfaction, dieting, spoken language, school attendance, gender, body composition, pubertal development, BMI and fat mass. Studies involving adolescents investigated social environment-level factors more, for example, sharing food with friends. The physical food environment was more commonly explored in adults, for example, convenience/availability of food. Macro-level factors associated with dietary behaviours were food/drink advertising, religion and food prices. Factors associated with dietary behaviour were broadly similar for men and women.

Conclusions:

The dominance of studies exploring individual-level factors suggests a need for research to explore how social, physical and macro-level environments drive dietary behaviours of adolescents and adults in urban Africa. More studies are needed for adolescents and men, and studies widening the geographical scope to encompass all African countries.
Lack of nutrient declarations and low nutritional quality of pre-packaged foods sold in Guatemalan supermarkets
Authors: Alarcon-Calderon Amarilys , Vandevijvere Stefanie , Ramírez-Zea Manuel , Kroker-Lobos Maria F
Published: May 2020

Objective:

To assess the presence of nutrition declarations and nutritional quality in pre-packaged food products sold in Guatemala.

Design:

We photographed nutrition labels of pre-packaged foods. We extracted information about declaration of energy, total/saturated/trans-fats, total/added sugars and Na content (critical nutrients). We classified all products according to their degree of processing (NOVA classification) and nutritional quality (PAHO and WHO-Europe nutrient profile models).

Setting:

Pre-packaged foods for sale in seven supermarkets in Guatemala City.

Participants:

This study did not involve human subjects.

Results:

We assessed 3459 pre-packaged foods, including 80 % ultra-processed, 7 % processed and 13 % unprocessed/minimally processed foods or culinary ingredients. Nutritional information was available in 3021 products (87·3 %). Energy content was declared in 87·0 %; total fats in 86·1 %; saturated fats in 81·5 %; trans-fats in 48·9 %; total sugars in 70·3 %; added sugars in 0·5 % and Na/salt in 85·5 % of products. Insufficient nutrient information made impossible to assess nutritional quality in 36·6 and 17·1 % of products with the PAHO and WHO-Europe models, respectively. Using PAHO and WHO nutrient profiles, we found that 66·2 and 50 % of food products did not meet the model’s nutritional criteria.

Conclusions:

A high proportion of pre-packaged foods with nutritional information available in Guatemalan supermarkets do not meet the nutritional criteria recommended by WHO and PAHO. Furthermore, a high proportion of products did not declare critical nutrients and many did not even provide any nutritional information. National regulations should consider making critical nutrient declarations (including trans-fats and sugars) mandatory for all products.
Who Embraces Technical Barriers to Trade? The Case of European REACH Regulations
Authors: Cha Yoojin , Koo Min Gyo
Published: May 2020

Technical Barriers to Trade are on the rise at a time when the ghost of protectionism looms large across the world economy. They are allegedly trade restrictive and some of them are more burdensome than others, particularly to foreign suppliers. The leading question of this study is who embraces technical barriers to trade better than others and why. This study examines how different countries have reacted to the REACH regulations of the European Union and what factors have motivated some, if not all, of them to harmonize their domestic policies with REACH regulations. With a random-effects ordered logistic regression analysis, this study finds strong statistical support for two out of three diffusion mechanisms – that is, transnational communication and competition pressure for exports market. The causal relationship between intergovernmental institution and the level of harmonization is found statistically insignificant. These findings imply that technical regulations, if understood correctly through communication and/or motivated by strong commercial incentives, can create upward pressure for global regulatory harmonization.
Protection of Domestic Investors under the WTO and International Investment Regimes
Authors: Lubambo de Melo Murilo
Published: May 2020

This paper analyses how international economic law regulates measures aimed at the protection of domestic investors against foreign investors. It evaluates the logic of investment protectionism and assesses the incentives behind foreign entry barriers. It analyses and evaluates WTO GATS cases that dealt with the issue. It then develops a framework on how the facts of the China–Electronic Payments Panel decision could be assessed in international investment treaties. Several provisions common to those treaties would be applicable to the situation and the recent US–China Economic Agreement explicitly deals with the issue. However, adjudication under investment treaties would only be possible if some procedural conditions were present. The paper concludes that international economic law already covers a range of situations related to entry barriers to foreign investments. It also suggests that states can carefully tailor both substantive and procedural treaty rules to allow for coverage, or not, of situations involving domestic monopolies.
Evidence for Active Rhyolitic dike Intrusion in the Northern Main Ethiopian Rift from the 2015 Fentale Seismic Swarm
Authors: Temtime Tesfaye , Biggs Juliet , Lewi Elias , Ayele Atalay
Published: May 2020

Magmatic intrusions play a vital role not only in accommodating extensional stresses in continental rifts but also in feeding volcanic systems. The location, orientation, and timescale of dike intrusions are dictated by the interaction of regional and local stresses, the effect of pre‐existing weaknesses, and the composition of magma. Observing active intrusions can provide important information regarding the interaction between magmatic processes and the tectonic stress field during continental rifting. We focus on a seismic swarm that occurred in 2015 to the northeast of Fentale volcano, in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER), and use radar interferometry to study surface deformation associated with the seismic swarm. Interferograms show a pattern of dike‐induced deformation, with a model estimate of volume change of 33×106±0.6×106m3 at a depth range of 5.4 to 8 km. We use a small baseline subset algorithm to calculate line of sight time series and find that the displacements decay exponentially with a decay constant of ∼83 days. Coupled source‐sink models suggest that such slow dike intrusions require a high viscosity rhyolitic magma. The difference in behavior between Fentale and other caldera systems in the MER, which show multi‐year cycles of inflation and deflation, suggests fundamental differences in magma composition and architecture of the plumbing system. This is the first direct observation of a dike intrusion in the MER and provides new constraints on the temporal‐spatial patterns of stress and strain that occur during continental rifting. Whether this activity is transient or a long‐term feature associated with rift evolution is an open question.
Geologic Controls on Source Water Drive Baseflow Generation and Carbon Geochemistry: Evidence of Nonstationary Baseflow Sources Across Multiple Subwatersheds
Authors: Richardson C. M. , Zimmer M. A. , Fackrell J. K. , Paytan A.
Published: May 2020

The contributions and composition of baseflow sources across an extended recession period were quantified for six subwatersheds of varying size in a structurally complex watershed in coastal California using endmember mixing analysis and related to catchment characteristics (e.g., topography, geology, land use, and soil characteristics). Both shallow subsurface and deep groundwater reservoirs were important contributors for streamflow during low flow periods, and the composition of baseflow sources across subwatersheds was directly related to geologic indices. A binary classification of underlying bedrock permeability (e.g., low vs. high) best explained the changes in shallow subsurface water and deeper groundwater inputs through the seasonal recession. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and specific UV absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254) were used to provide additional insight into endmember characteristics and their contributions to baseflow. Stream water DIC concentrations were broadly controlled by mixing of groundwater and shallow subsurface water endmembers with relatively constant DIC concentrations, while stream water DOC concentrations reflected both spatial and temporal changes in shallow subsurface water DOC. Results from this study show (1) the importance of considering baseflow as a dynamic mixture of water from multiple sources, (2) the effect of geology on source composition at the subwatershed scale during low flow conditions, and (3) the impact of shifting baseflow sources on stream water dissolved carbon concentrations and the utility of using dissolved carbon concentrations to obtain additional insight into temporal variability in baseflow sources.
Slip Distributions of Short‐Term Slow Slip Events in Shikoku, Southwest Japan, From 2001 to 2019 Based on Tilt Change Measurements
Authors: Hirose Hitoshi , Kimura Takeshi
Published: May 2020

In the southwest Japan subduction zone, short‐term slow slip events (SSEs) accompanying nonvolcanic tremor (ETS: episodic tremor and slip) occur repeatedly with recurrence intervals of several months. It is important to know the detailed slip areas of the SSEs because short‐term SSEs occur at the downdip extension of a megathrust earthquake rupture zone, and hence, the SSEs play a key role in the stress buildup processes of the megathrust earthquakes. Although most of the previous studies model a SSE fault motion with uniform slip on a rectangular fault, this may lead to a bias in estimating the slip area. In this study we estimate a spatial slip distribution for each of the short‐term SSEs from tilt offset measurements. In total, the slip distributions of 61 SSEs in Shikoku from January 2001 to March 2019 are obtained. The ETS zone in Shikoku is divided into three segments in terms of slip history of the SSEs. Before 2011, the slip areas of most of the SSEs are limited in any one of the three segments. After 2012, however, the number of SSEs having a slip area that extends to multiple segments increases. The slip histories at each position in the ETS zone suggest that the short‐term SSE activity is affected by the occurrence of nearby long‐term SSEs. The average slip rate over 18 years suggests that an estimated slip deficit in the ETS zone in western Shikoku could be released by long‐term SSEs, or coseismic slip or afterslip of the megathrust earthquakes.
Treatment-free remission in chronic myeloid leukemia: the patient perspective and areas of unmet needs
Authors: Sharf Giora , Marin Celia , Bradley Jennifer A. , Pemberton-Whiteley Zack , Bombaci Felice , Christensen Rita I. O. , Gouimi Bahija , Deekes Nigel B. , Daban Mina , Geissler Jan
Published: May 2020

In CML, treatment-free remission (TFR) refers to having a stable deep molecular response without the need for ongoing tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. Whilst recommendations exist about the technical management of stopping and re-starting therapy, much is still unknown about the experiences of those considering and undertaking TFR. This study sought to obtain the patient perspective, identify areas of unmet needs and create recommendations for improvements. Fifty-six percent of patients reported fear or anxiety during treatment discontinuation, whereas only 7% of patients were asked if they needed psychological support during this period. Where patients re-initiated treatment; 59% felt scared or anxious, and 56% felt depressed. Twenty-six percent of re-initiated patients received psychological and/or emotional support at this time. Sixty percent of patients experienced withdrawal symptoms whilst discontinuing treatment, however, 40% of patients who experienced withdrawal symptoms reported that they were not fully supported by their doctor in managing all the symptoms. Healthcare professionals should further consider how they monitor the psychological well-being of patients who are discontinuing or re-initiating treatment, and review what support is offered in response to identified concerns. Surveillance of withdrawal symptoms should be a priority during treatment discontinuation, along with how healthcare professionals assist in the management of these.
Prevalence and dynamics of clonal hematopoiesis caused by leukemia-associated mutations in elderly individuals without hematologic disorders
Authors: Midic Danica , Rinke Jenny , Perner Florian , Müller Violetta , Hinze Anna , Pester Frank , Landschulze Jürgen , Ernst Jana , Gruhn Bernd , Matziolis Georg , Heidel Florian H. , Hochhaus Andreas , Ernst Thomas
Published: May 2020

Clonal hematopoiesis is frequently observed in elderly people. To investigate the prevalence and dynamics of genetic alterations among healthy elderly individuals, a cohort of 50 people >80 years was genotyped for commonly mutated leukemia-associated genes by targeted deep next-generation sequencing. A total of 16 somatic mutations were identified in 13/50 (26%) individuals. Mutations occurred at low variant allele frequencies (median 11.7%) and remained virtually stable over 3 years without development of hematologic malignancies in affected individuals. With DNMT3A mutations most frequently detected, another cohort of 160 healthy people spanning all age groups was sequenced specifically for DNMT3A revealing an overall mutation rate of 6.2% (13/210) and an age-dependent increase of mutation prevalence. A significant difference (p = 0.017) in the DNMT3A expression pattern was detected between younger and healthy elderly people as determined by qRT-PCR. To evaluate the selection of clonal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), bone marrow of two healthy individuals with mutant DNMT3A was transplanted in a humanized mouse model. Xenografts displayed stable kinetics of DNMT3A mutations over 8 months. These findings indicate that the appearance of low-level clones with leukemia-associated mutations is a common age-associated phenomenon, but insufficient to initiate clonal selection and expansion without the additional influence of other factors.
SARS-CoV-2 infection serology: a useful tool to overcome lockdown?
Authors: Nuccetelli Marzia , Pieri Massimo , Grelli Sandro , Ciotti Marco , Miano Roberto , Andreoni Massimo , Bernardini Sergio
Published: May 2020

The outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has spread rapidly, inducing a progressive growth in infected patients number. Social isolation (lockdown) has been assessed to prevent and control virus diffusion, leading to a worldwide financial and political crisis. Currently, SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in nasopharyngeal swab takes place by real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). However, molecular tests can give some false-negative results. In this context, serological assays can be useful to detect IgG/IgM antibodies, to assess the degree of immunization, to trace the contacts, and to support the decision to re-admit people at work. A lot of serological diagnostic kits have been proposed on the market but validation studies have not been published for many of them. The aim of our work was to compare and to evaluate different assays analytical performances (two different immunochromatographic cards, an immunofluorescence chromatographic card, and a chemiluminescence-automated immunoassay) on 43 positive samples with RT-qPCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 40 negative control subjects. Our data display excellent IgG/IgM specificities for all the immunocromatographic card tests (100% IgG and 100% IgM) and for the chemiluminescence-automated assay (100% IgG and 94% IgM); IgG/IgM sensitivities are moderately lower for all methods, probably due to the assay viral antigen’s nature and/or to the detection time of nasopharyngeal swab RT-qPCR, with respect to symptoms onset. Given that sensitivities (around 94% and 84% for IgG and IgM, respectively) implicate false-negative cases and given the lack of effective vaccines or treatments, the only currently available procedure to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission is to identify and isolate persons who are contagious. For this reason, we would like to submit a flowchart in which serological tests, integrated with nasopharyngeal swab RT-qPCR, are included to help social and work activities implementation after the pandemic acute phase and to overcome lockdown.
Developing reliable hourly electricity demand data through screening and imputation
Authors: Ruggles Tyler H. , Farnham David J. , Tong Dan , Caldeira Ken
Published: May 2020

Electricity usage (demand) data are used by utilities, governments, and academics to model electric grids for a variety of planning (e.g., capacity expansion and system operation) purposes. The U.S. Energy Information Administration collects hourly demand data from all balancing authorities (BAs) in the contiguous United States. As of September 2019, we find 2.2% of the demand data in their database are missing. Additionally, 0.5% of reported quantities are either negative values or are otherwise identified as outliers. With the goal of attaining non-missing, continuous, and physically plausible demand data to facilitate analysis, we developed a screening process to identify anomalous values. We then applied a Multiple Imputation by Chained Equations (MICE) technique to impute replacements for missing and anomalous values. We conduct cross-validation on the MICE technique by marking subsets of plausible data as missing, and using the remaining data to predict this “missing” data. The mean absolute percentage error of imputed values is 3.5% across all BAs. The cleaned data are published and available open access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3690240.
Micronuclei in germ cells of hybrid frogs from Pelophylax esculentus complex contain gradually eliminated chromosomes
Authors: Dedukh D. , Riumin S. , Chmielewska M. , Rozenblut-Kościsty B. , Kolenda K. , Kaźmierczak M. , Dudzik A. , Ogielska M. , Krasikova A.
Published: May 2020

In most organisms, cells typically maintain genome integrity, as radical genome reorganization leads to dramatic consequences. However, certain organisms, ranging from unicellular ciliates to vertebrates, are able to selectively eliminate specific parts of their genome during certain stages of development. Moreover, partial or complete elimination of one of the parental genomes occurs in interspecies hybrids reproducing asexually. Although several examples of this phenomenon are known, the molecular and cellular processes involved in selective elimination of genetic material remain largely undescribed for the majority of such organisms. Here, we elucidate the process of selective genome elimination in water frog hybrids from the Pelophylax esculentus complex reproducing through hybridogenesis. Specifically, in the gonads of diploid and triploid hybrids, but not those of the parental species, we revealed micronuclei in the cytoplasm of germ cells. In each micronucleus, only one centromere was detected with antibodies against kinetochore proteins, suggesting that each micronucleus comprises a single chromosome. Using 3D-FISH with species-specific centromeric probe, we determined the role of micronuclei in selective genome elimination. We found that in triploid LLR hybrids, micronuclei preferentially contain P. ridibundus chromosomes, while in diploid hybrids, micronuclei preferentially contain P. lessonae chromosomes. The number of centromere signals in the nuclei suggested that germ cells were aneuploid until they eliminate the whole chromosomal set of one of the parental species. Furthermore, in diploid hybrids, misaligned P. lessonae chromosomes were observed during the metaphase stage of germ cells division, suggesting their possible elimination due to the inability to attach to the spindle and segregate properly. Additionally, we described gonocytes with an increased number of P. ridibundus centromeres, indicating duplication of the genetic material. We conclude that selective genome elimination from germ cells of diploid and triploid hybrids occurs via the gradual elimination of individual chromosomes of one of the parental genomes, which are enclosed within micronuclei.
A 3′UTR modification of the TNF-α mouse gene increases peripheral TNF-α and modulates the Alzheimer-like phenotype in 5XFAD mice
Authors: Kalovyrna Nikoleta , Apokotou Olympia , Boulekou Sotiria , Paouri Evi , Boutou Athena , Georgopoulos Spiros
Published: May 2020

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine, involved in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Anti-TNF-α therapeutic approaches currently used in autoimmune diseases have been proposed as a therapeutic strategy in AD. We have previously examined the role of TNF-α and anti-TNF-α drugs in AD, using 5XFAD mice, and we have found a significant role for peripheral TNF-α in brain inflammation. Here we investigated the role of mouse TNF-α on the AD-like phenotype of 5XFAD mice using a knock-in mouse with deletion of the 3’UTR of the endogenous TNF-α (TNFΔARE/+) that develops rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. 5XFAD/TNFΔARE/+ mice showed significantly decreased amyloid deposition. Interestingly, microglia but not astrocytes were activated in 5XFAD/ TNFΔARE/+ brains. This microglial activation was associated with increased infiltrating peripheral leukocytes and perivascular macrophages and synaptic degeneration. APP levels and APP processing enzymes involved in Aβ production remained unchanged, suggesting that the reduced amyloid burden can be attributed to the increased microglial and perivascular macrophage activation caused by TNF-α. Peripheral TNF-α levels were increased while brain TNF-α remained the same. These data provide further evidence for peripheral TNF-α as a mediator of inflammation between the periphery and the brain.