bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retzius‐sparing robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy vs the standard approach: a systematic review and analysis of comparative outcomes
Authors: Checcucci Enrico , Veccia Alessandro , Fiori Cristian , Amparore Daniele , Manfredi Matteo , Di Dio Michele , Morra Ivano , Galfano Antonio , Autorino Riccardo , Bocciardi Aldo Massimo , Dasgupta Prokar , Porpiglia Francesco
Published: August 2019

Objectives

To summarize the current evidence on Retzius‐sparing (RS)‐robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and to compare its oncological, peri‐operative and functional outcomes with those of standard retropubic RARP (S‐RARP).

Materials and Methods

After establishing an a priori protocol, a systematic electronic literature search was conducted in January 2019 using the Medline (via PubMed), Embase (via Ovid) and Cochrane databases. The search strategy relied on the ‘PICO‘ (Patient Intervention Comparison Outcome) criteria and article selection was carried out in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Only studies reporting the oncological and functional outcomes of RARP (as determined by type of procedure [RS‐RARP vs S‐RARP]) were considered for inclusion. Risk of bias and study quality were assessed. Finally, peri‐operative and functional outcomes were recorded and analysed.

Results

A shorter operating time was associated with RS‐RARP (weighted mean difference [WMD] 14.7 min, 95% confidence interval [CI] −28.25, 1.16; P = 0.03), whereas no significant difference was found in terms of estimated blood loss (WMD 1.45 mL, 95% CI −31.18, 34.08; P = 0.93). Also, no significant difference between the two groups was observed for overall (odds ratio [OR] 0.86, 95% CI 0.40, 1.85; P = 0.71) and major (Clavien >3; OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.30, 2.57) postoperative complications; however, the likelihood of positive surgical margins (PSMs) was lower for the S‐RARP group (rate 15.2% vs 24%; OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.12, 2.60; P = 0.01). The cumulative analysis showed a statistically significant advantage for RS‐RARP in terms of continence recovery at 1 month (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.16, 5.53; P = 0.02), as well as at 3 months (OR 3.86, 95% CI 2.23, 6.68; P < 0.001), 6 months (OR 3.61, 95% CI 1.88, 6.91; P = 0.001), and 12 months (OR 7.29, 95% CI 1.89, 28.13; P = 0.004).

Conclusion

Our analysis confirms that RS‐RARP is a safe and feasible alternative to S‐RARP. This novel approach may be associated with faster and higher recovery of continence, without increasing the risk of complications. One caveat might be the higher risk of PSMs, and this can be regarded as a current pitfall of the technique, probably related to an expected learning curve.
Andean hypersaline lakes in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Between lithium exploitation and unique biodiversity conservation
Authors: Gajardo Gonzalo , Redón Stella
Published: August 2019

Hypersaline lakes or brines are unique ecosystems with unique value and biodiversity that provide economic (mining) and noneconomic services (waterbird habitat). As they are shrinking around the world due to brine diversion and climatic oscillations, this article alerts on the fragility of Andean high‐altitude hypersaline lagoons in Salar de Atacama in the hyperarid Atacama Desert, northern Chile. As an integral part of the world's largest lithium exploitation from brine pumped from beneath the Salar, brine diversion and water shortage should compromise lagoons structure, functioning, and their high ecological value as habitat for endangered migratory birds like flamingos. Conserving the unique biodiversity and properties of these lagoons require long‐term monitoring, including keystone taxa like the brine shrimp Artemia. How Chile will combine biodiversity agreements, treaties on wetlands and endangered birds conservation under the soaring lithium demand to support electromobility? Chile's government has granted new lithium extraction quotas to mining companies until 2030, which raises a concern and shows the difficulty to reconcile profit‐driven economic development with nature conservation. As these lagoons may be shrinking and their food web altered, a problem only noticed so far by the declining flamingos, there is an urgent need to consider them in the environmental impact assessment legislation.
Routine surveillance endoscopy and biopsy after isolated intestinal transplantation—Revisiting the gold standard
Authors: Moon Jang I. , Schiano Thomas D. , Iyer Kishore R.
Published: August 2019

The value of endoscopy and biopsy after intestinal transplantation in the absence of clinical concerns has never been investigated. We examined clinical yield of routine surveillance endoscopy and biopsy (control group, n = 28, Jan 2011 to Jun 2014). Most episodes of acute rejection were diagnosed when there were clinical symptoms or signs such as increased stoma output, fever, or bacteremia, but not by routine surveillance endoscopy and biopsy. The new protocol abandoned routine surveillance. Intestinal allografts were examined only when relevant clinical symptoms and/or signs raised concern for graft dysfunction. We compared outcomes between control and study groups (new protocol, n = 25, Jul 2014 to Dec 2016). Incidence of acute rejection (32% vs 32%), graft salvage rate after acute rejection treatment (78% vs 63%), patient survival (75% vs 88% 1 year, 71% vs 83% 3 years after intestinal transplantation), and graft survival (68% vs 80% 1 year, 61% vs 76% 3 years after intestinal transplantation) were similar between control and study groups. Protocol‐driven, routine surveillance endoscopy, and biopsy do not appear to confer any survival advantage to patients or grafts. Endoscopy and biopsy “for cause” without routine surveillance seem to be effective and adequate to monitor intestinal allografts.
Invisible dermatosis, diagnostic discrepancy between the general pathologist and dermatopathologist
Authors: Alhumidi Ahmed , Alshamlan Najd , Alfaraidi Mona , Mohajer Khaled
Published: August 2019

Background

Many clinically indicated skin biopsies show minimal histological changes referred to as “invisible dermatoses.” They pose a challenge to general pathologists and dermatopathologists. This study determines the discrepancy between the general pathologists' diagnosis and the dermatopathologist's diagnosis and helps define a pathway for reaching the correct diagnosis.

Methods

In total, 81 skin cases were selected from a tertiary hospital pathology department. They were diagnosed by general pathologists as “no specific diagnosis,” or “minimal pathologic changes.” These cases were reviewed carefully and diagnosed by a dermatopathologist. His diagnoses were compared with the original diagnoses.

Results

Out of the 81 cases, 43 cases (53%) were reported by the dermatopathologist to have a specific diagnosis while 38 cases (46.9%) remained nonspecific. Both inflammatory and neoplastic diagnoses of potential clinical significance were made in the first group of 43 cases. The remaining 38 cases with nonspecific results were due to inadequate biopsy, inactive lesions or inadequate clinical data.

Conclusion

“Invisible dermatoses” describes skin diseases with clinically evident but histologically hidden changes. They are difficult cases for general pathologists and dermatopathologists to diagnose. Hence, it is important to be aware that minor changes on a skin biopsy do not mean it is disease‐free.
GLP‐1 receptor agonists for prevention of cardiorenal outcomes in type 2 diabetes: An updated meta‐analysis including the REWIND and PIONEER 6 trials
Authors: Giugliano Dario , Maiorino Maria Ida , Bellastella Giuseppe , Longo Miriam , Chiodini Paolo , Esposito Katherine
Published: August 2019

A meta‐analysis of cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) comparing glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) and placebo concerning cardiorenal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is presented. An electronic search without language restrictions up to June 15, 2019 was conducted to determine eligible trials. A meta‐analysis of available trial data was undertaken, using a random‐effects model to calculate overall hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Data from seven CVOTs, comprising 56 004 patients (68.9% with established cardiovascular disease) were included. GLP‐1RA reduced major cardiovascular events (MACE) by 13% (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80–0.96; P = 0.011) with a non‐significant heterogeneity between subgroups of patients with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD) (P = 0.220). GLP‐1RA also reduced the risk of cardiovascular death by 12%, of non‐fatal stroke by 16%, of hospitalization for heart failure by 9%, of all‐cause mortality by 11%, and the broad composite kidney outcome by 17%; the latter appeared to be driven only by a reduction in macroalbuminuria (HR, 0.76 [0.68–0.86]; P = 0.003). GLP‐1RAs have moderate benefits concerning MACE, and also reduce hospitalization for heart failure and all‐cause mortality; they also robustly reduce the incidence of macroalbuminuria, without affecting the progression of diabetic renal disease.
Do prey select for vacant hunting domains to minimize a multi‐predator threat?
Authors: Kohl Michel T. , Ruth Toni K. , Metz Matthew C. , Stahler Daniel R. , Smith Douglas W. , White P.J. , MacNulty Daniel R.
Published: August 2019

Many ecosystems contain sympatric predator species that hunt in different places and times. We tested whether this provides vacant hunting domains, places and times where and when predators are least active, that prey use to minimize threats from multiple predators simultaneously. We measured how northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) responded to wolves (Canis lupus) and cougars (Puma concolor), and found that elk selected for areas outside the high‐risk domains of both predators consistent with the vacant domain hypothesis. This enabled elk to avoid one predator without necessarily increasing its exposure to the other. Our results demonstrate how the diel cycle can serve as a key axis of the predator hunting domain that prey exploit to manage predation risk from multiple sources. We argue that a multi‐predator, spatiotemporal framework is vital to understand the causes and consequences of prey spatial response to predation risk in environments with more than one predator.
Health Behaviors and Social Determinants of Migraine in a Canadian Population‐Based Sample of Adults Aged 45‐85 Years: Findings From the CLSA
Authors: Hammond Nicole G. , Stinchcombe Arne
Published: August 2019

Background

Social determinants of health are well linked to adverse health outcomes, but less is known about how they relate to migraine. While much attention has been given to the role of modifiable lifestyle factors which may mitigate risk of migraine, the role of physical activity in headache management is not yet understood.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between social determinants of health, health behaviors, and migraine prevalence in a sample of the Canadian population aged 45‐85 years.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional analysis of baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, respondents were between 45 and 85 years of age and migraine was self‐report of physician diagnosis. Analyses were stratified by sex/gender (nwomen = 22,176, nmen = 21,549).

Results

The weighted prevalence of migraine for men and women was 7.5% and 19.6%, respectively. There were relationships between social determinants of health and migraine for both men and women. Notably, higher perceived social status was associated with a 3% reduced odds of migraine among women (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95, 0.98, P < .001). Gay and bisexual men had 50% higher odds of migraine compared to heterosexual men (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.99, P = .005). Some forms of physical activity were associated with reduced odds of migraine for women: walking for 30 minutes but less than 1 hour (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.96, P = .005), light sports for less than 30 minutes (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.73, 1.00, P = .048), and 1 hour but less than 2 hours (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.97, P = .018), strenuous sports for 30 minutes but less than 1 hour (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.89, P < .001), and 1 hour but less than 2 hours (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.92, P = .001). Men who engaged in daily walking as a form of leisure time physical activity had higher odds of migraine: walking less than 30 minutes (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.45, P = .042), 2 hours but less than 4 hours (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.80, P = .005), and 4 hours or more (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.31, P = .004).

Conclusions

Social determinants of health are associated with migraine prevalence for both men and women. Physical activity is a modifiable lifestyle factor which merits further exploration as an intervention option for migraine headaches in aging samples, especially among older women. Greater odds of migraine among older men who walked for exercise may be explained by reverse causality.
THE ROLES OF INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS IN THE FAILURE OF NEWLY PUBLIC STOCKS
Authors: Qian Hong , Ramalingegowda Santhosh , Zhong Zhaodong (Ken)
Published: August 2019

In this article, we study two negative events that can happen to newly public stocks: (1) the price drops at least 50% from the closing price on the first trading date within one year after the initial public offering (IPO) (initial failure) and (2) the firm is delisted for negative reasons within three years after the IPO (final failure). We find that high investor sentiment at the time of IPO can lead to both initial failure and final failure of IPO firms, whereas monitoring by external professionals plays a more important role in averting final failure than initial failure. Exploring the roles of different types of institutional investors, we find that transient (i.e., short‐term trading) institutions sell before initial failure. In contrast, dedicated (i.e., monitoring) institutions focus on long‐term performance and may stay with stocks suffering temporary initial failure, but their selling typically signals the imminent final failure of newly public firms.
New insights into the development of the human cerebral cortex
Authors: Molnár Zoltán , Clowry Gavin J. , Šestan Nenad , Alzu'bi Ayman , Bakken Trygve , Hevner Robert F. , Hüppi Petra S. , Kostović Ivica , Rakic Pasko , Anton E. S. , Edwards David , Garcez Patricia , Hoerder‐Suabedissen Anna , Kriegstein Arnold
Published: August 2019

The cerebral cortex constitutes more than half the volume of the human brain and is presumed to be responsible for the neuronal computations underlying complex phenomena, such as perception, thought, language, attention, episodic memory and voluntary movement. Rodent models are extremely valuable for the investigation of brain development, but cannot provide insight into aspects that are unique or highly derived in humans. Many human psychiatric and neurological conditions have developmental origins but cannot be studied adequately in animal models. The human cerebral cortex has some unique genetic, molecular, cellular and anatomical features, which need to be further explored. The Anatomical Society devoted its summer meeting to the topic of Human Brain Development in June 2018 to tackle these important issues. The meeting was organized by Gavin Clowry (Newcastle University) and Zoltán Molnár (University of Oxford), and held at St John's College, Oxford. The participants provided a broad overview of the structure of the human brain in the context of scaling relationships across the brains of mammals, conserved principles and recent changes in the human lineage. Speakers considered how neuronal progenitors diversified in human to generate an increasing variety of cortical neurons. The formation of the earliest cortical circuits of the earliest generated neurons in the subplate was discussed together with their involvement in neurodevelopmental pathologies. Gene expression networks and susceptibility genes associated to neurodevelopmental diseases were discussed and compared with the networks that can be identified in organoids developed from induced pluripotent stem cells that recapitulate some aspects of in vivo development. New views were discussed on the specification of glutamatergic pyramidal and γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons. With the advancement of various in vivo imaging methods, the histopathological observations can be now linked to in vivo normal conditions and to various diseases. Our review gives a general evaluation of the exciting new developments in these areas. The human cortex has a much enlarged association cortex with greater interconnectivity of cortical areas with each other and with an expanded thalamus. The human cortex has relative enlargement of the upper layers, enhanced diversity and function of inhibitory interneurons and a highly expanded transient subplate layer during development. Here we highlight recent studies that address how these differences emerge during development focusing on diverse facets of our evolution.
A role for gangliosides and β1‐integrin in the motility of olfactory ensheathing glia
Authors: Santos‐Silva Alessandra , Piña‐Rodrigues Felipe Márquez , Mermelstein Claudia dos Santos , Allodi Silvana , Barradas Penha C. , Cavalcante Leny A.
Published: August 2019

Olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG) are found in the olfactory mucosa, nerve and bulb, and provide in vivo ensheathment for the unmyelinated olfactory axons within the central and peripheral nervous system domains. OEG cells are able to migrate long distances within the neuropil of the central nervous system. Because gangliosides such as 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 have crucial regulatory roles in neuronal migration during development, we analyzed whether OEG in organotypical cultures are revealed by anti‐9‐O‐acetyl GD3 and/or gangliosides are recognized by the A2B5 antibody (G‐A2B5), and whether these gangliosides are involved in OEG migration. Our results showed that all OEG migrating out of a section of olfactory bulb onto a laminin substrate bound to the 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 and A2B5 antibodies, and that 2′,3′‐cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CNPase) colocalized with 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 and with G‐A2B5. Additionally, we showed that the immune blockade of 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 or G‐A2B5 reduced the migration of OEG on laminin, and that 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 and G‐A2B5 colocalized with the β1‐integrin subunit. We also confirmed the phenotype of in‐vitro‐grown OEG cells derived from adult rats, showing that they express CNPase, and also α‐smooth muscle actin, which is not expressed by Schwann cells. Our data showed that the gangliosides 9‐O‐acetyl GD3 and G‐A2B5 participate in the migratory activity of OEG cells, and that the β1‐integrin subunit colocalizes with these gangliosides. These results suggest a new role for β1‐integrin and gangliosides in the polarized migration of OEG cells, and provide new information on the molecules controlling OEG motility and behavior.
Formulation and optimisation of novel transfersomes for sustained release of local anaesthetic
Authors: Bnyan Ruba , Khan Iftikhar , Ehtezazi Touraj , Saleem Imran , Gordon Sarah , O’Neill Francis , Roberts Matthew
Published: August 2019

Objective

To investigate the effect of formulation parameters on the preparation of transfersomes as sustained-release delivery systems for lidocaine and to develop and validate a new high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for analysis.

Method

Taguchi design of experiment (DOE) was used to optimise lidocaine-loaded transfersomes in terms of phospholipid, edge activator (EA) and phospholipid : EA ratio. Transfersomes were characterised for size, polydispersity index (PDI), charge and entrapment efficiency (%EE). A HPLC method for lidocaine quantification was optimised and validated using a mobile phase of 30%v/v PBS (0.01 m) : 70%v/v Acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1 ml/min, detected at 255 nm with retention time of 2.84 min. The release of lidocaine from selected samples was assessed in vitro.

Key findings

Transfersomes were 200 nm in size, with PDI ~ 0.3. HPLC method was valid for linearity (0.1–2 mg/ml, R2 0.9999), accuracy, intermediate precision and repeatability according to ICH guidelines. The %EE was between 44% and 56% and dependent on the formulation parameters. Taguchi DOE showed the effect of factors was in the rank order : lipid : EA ratio ˃ EA type ˃ lipid type. Optimised transfersomes sustained the release of lidocaine over 24 h.

Conclusion

Sustained-release, lidocaine-loaded transfersomes were successfully formulated and optimised using a DOE approach, and a new HPLC method for lidocaine analysis was developed and validated.
Northern Hemisphere megafossil of Dacrycarpus (Podocarpaceae) from the Miocene of South China and its evolutionary and paleoecological implications
Authors: Wu Xin‐Kai , Zavialova Natalia E. , Kodrul Tatiana M. , Liu Xiao‐Yan , Gordenko Natalia V. , Maslova Natalia P. , Quan Cheng , Jin Jian‐Hua
Published: August 2019

The modern genus Dacrycarpus (Endl.) de Laub. of the family Podocarpaceae, containing nine species, is mainly distributed in tropical mountain rainforests of the southwestern Pacific region, ranging from New Zealand to low‐latitude Asia. This genus has abundant fossil records in both hemispheres, but all the known megafossils were limited to Australasia and South America. Here we report on Dacrycarpus guipingensis sp. nov. from the Miocene Erzitang Formation of Guangxi, South China. This is the first megafossil of Dacrycarpus in the Northern Hemisphere. The new species is represented by mummified dimorphic foliage, ovuliferous shoots, and a male cone with in situ pollen. It resembles the extant Dacrycarpus imbricatus (Blume) de Laub., which is common in rainforests from southern China and northern Myanmar to Fiji. This paper presents the first data on the anatomical structure of seed cone and exine ultrastructure of Dacrycarpus in situ pollen grains from a fossil material by using computed tomography scanning and ultrathin sectioning. For comparative purpose, data on the pollen morphology and ultrastructure were obtained for modern D. imbricatus for the first time. The D. guipingensis fossils strongly suggest the Miocene arrival of Dacrycarpus in Asia from the Southern Hemisphere. Based on the modern ecological niche and related fossil elements, this fossil locality was probably covered by conifer–broad‐leaved mountain rainforests during the Miocene.
Children With Developmental Language Disorder Have an Auditory Verbal Statistical Learning Deficit: Evidence From an Online Measure
Authors: Lammertink Imme , Boersma Paul , Wijnen Frank , Rispens Judith
Published: August 2019

Successful language use requires the ability to process nonadjacent dependencies (NADs) that occur in linguistic input. Learning such structural regularities seems therefore crucial for children, and researchers have indeed proposed that language problems in children with developmental language disorder (DLD), especially problems with grammar, are due to their decreased sensitivity to NADs. Because the evidence supporting this claim is scarce, we compared children with DLD (n = 36; Mage = 9.1 years) and without DLD (n = 36; Mage = 9.1 years) performing a learning task with NADs. Using response times as an online measure of learning NADs, we observed that participants with DLD were less sensitive to NADs than were typically developing peers. The confidence intervals of the effect, however, indicated that the effect was probably small in size. We discuss clinical and theoretical implications of the present study in light of this effect size.

Open Practices

This article has been awarded Open Materials and Open Data badges. All data, materials, and analysis scripts for this study are publicly accessible via the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/8a3yv. The study materials are also publicly available via the IRIS database at https://www.iris-database.org. Learn more about the Open Practices badges from the Center for Open Science: https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki.
Saksenaea infection masquerading as a brain tumor in an immunocompetent child
Authors: Magaki Shino , Minasian Tanya , Bork Jane , Harder Sheri L. , Deisch Jeremy K.
Published: August 2019

Saksenaea species are a rare cause of mucormycosis, the majority associated with cutaneous and subcutaneous infections resulting from trauma in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Unlike other causative agents of mucormycosis, cerebral infections are exceptionally rare. We describe the first case of isolated cerebral infection by Saksenaea in a 4‐year‐old previously healthy male child who presented with headaches. He had no past medical history other than an episode of febrile seizures. In addition to raising the awareness of an unusual presentation of infection by Saksenaea, this case highlights the importance of pathologic examination for the prompt diagnosis of mucormycosis as well as the specific fungal identification for treatment as Saksenaea spp. may be more susceptible to posaconazole and less susceptible to amphotericin B compared to more common causes of mucormycosis.
Divergent gene expression networks underlie morphological diversity of abscission zones in grasses
Authors: Yu Yunqing , Hu Hao , Doust Andrew N. , Kellogg Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2019

Abscission is a process in which plants shed their parts, and is mediated by a particular set of cells, the abscission zone (AZ). In grasses (Poaceae), the position of the AZ differs among species, raising the question of whether its anatomical structure and genetic control are conserved.

The ancestral position of the AZ was reconstructed. A combination of light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, RNA‐Seq analyses and RNA in situ hybridisation were used to compare three species, two (weedy rice and Brachypodium distachyon) with the AZ in the ancestral position and one (Setaria viridis) with the AZ in a derived position below a cluster of flowers (spikelet).

Rice and Brachypodium are more similar anatomically than Setaria. However, the cell wall properties and the transcriptome of rice and Brachypodium are no more similar to each other than either is to Setaria. The set of genes expressed in the studied tissues is generally conserved across species, but the precise developmental and positional patterns of expression and gene networks are almost entirely different.

Transcriptional regulation of AZ development appears to be extensively rewired among the three species, leading to distinct anatomical and morphological outcomes.
Palaeoclimatic reconstruction for a Cenomanian‐aged angiosperm flora near Schefferville, Labrador
Authors: Demers‐Potvin Alexandre V. , Larsson Hans C. E.
Published: August 2019

An understanding of local and regional climate trends is essential to investigate the remarkable angiosperm radiation that happened during the Albian–Cenomanian transition. However, many of the inland depositional environments pioneered by the first modern angiosperms are poorly represented in the fossil record. Eastern Canada, in particular, has a very poor Mesozoic record. In this paper, we present the first multivariate palaeoclimate analysis (CLAMP) for the environment of a geologically isolated woody dicot dominated flora found in the Redmond no.1 mine, Labrador, near Schefferville, with an estimated Cenomanian age. It reveals that the Redmond flora would have experienced a mean annual temperature of 15.1 ± 2.1°C, one of the coolest recorded for North America at this time. These results confer the Redmond no.1 site a warm temperate and fully humid climate with a hot summer, in accordance with previous qualitative palaeoclimate estimates. This flora fits smoothly into palaeolatitudinal MAT gradients that use other Cenomanian‐estimated North American floras. Despite an inland setting, the climate analysis does not recover a significantly higher degree of seasonality than the sites to which it is compared, which agrees with established climate equability models for the Cretaceous and Palaeogene. This study also introduces 15 new morphotypes discovered in recent fieldwork. The eventual description of the species they represent may refine our dating estimates for the Redmond Formation. A greater understanding of the depositional environment and of the natural history of these angiosperms is required to improve this community's characterization, along with estimates from other proxies.
In‐depth characterization of Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolase TrCel7A produced in Nicotiana benthamiana reveals limitations of cellulase production in plants by host‐specific post‐translational modifications
Authors: van Eerde André , Várnai Anikó , Jameson John Kristian , Paruch Lisa , Moen Anders , Anonsen Jan Haug , Chylenski Piotr , Steen Hege Særvold , Heldal Inger , Bock Ralph , Eijsink Vincent G. H. , Liu‐Clarke Jihong
Published: August 2019

Sustainable production of biofuels from lignocellulose feedstocks depends on cheap enzymes for degradation of such biomass. Plants offer a safe and cost‐effective production platform for biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and industrial enzymes boosting biomass conversion to biofuels. Production of intact and functional protein is a prerequisite for large‐scale protein production, and extensive host‐specific post‐translational modifications (PTMs) often affect the catalytic properties and stability of recombinant enzymes. Here we investigated the impact of plant PTMs on enzyme performance and stability of the major cellobiohydrolase TrCel7A from Trichoderma reesei, an industrially relevant enzyme. TrCel7A was produced in Nicotiana benthamiana using a vacuum‐based transient expression technology, and this recombinant enzyme (TrCel7Arec) was compared with the native fungal enzyme (TrCel7Anat) in terms of PTMs and catalytic activity on commercial and industrial substrates. We show that the N‐terminal glutamate of TrCel7Arec was correctly processed by N. benthamiana to a pyroglutamate, critical for protein structure, while the linker region of TrCel7Arec was vulnerable to proteolytic digestion during protein production due to the absence of O‐mannosylation in the plant host as compared with the native protein. In general, the purified full‐length TrCel7Arec had 25% lower catalytic activity than TrCel7Anat and impaired substrate‐binding properties, which can be attributed to larger N‐glycans and lack of O‐glycans in TrCel7Arec. All in all, our study reveals that the glycosylation machinery of N. benthamiana needs tailoring to optimize the production of efficient cellulases.
Knockout of two BnaMAX1 homologs by CRISPR/Cas9‐targeted mutagenesis improves plant architecture and increases yield in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Zheng Ming , Zhang Liang , Tang Min , Liu Jinglin , Liu Hongfang , Yang Hongli , Fan Shihang , Terzaghi William , Wang Hanzhong , Hua Wei
Published: August 2019

Plant height and branch number are essential components of rapeseed plant architecture and are directly correlated with its yield. Presently, improvement of plant architecture is a major challenge in rapeseed breeding. In this study, we first verified that the two rapeseed BnaMAX1 genes had redundant functions resembling those of Arabidopsis MAX1, which regulates plant height and axillary bud outgrowth. Therefore, we designed two sgRNAs to edit these BnaMAX1 homologs using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The T0 plants were edited very efficiently (56.30%–67.38%) at the BnaMAX1 target sites resulting in homozygous, heterozygous, bi‐allelic and chimeric mutations. Transmission tests revealed that the mutations were passed on to the T1 and T2 progeny. We also obtained transgene‐free lines created by the CRISPR/Cas9 editing, and no mutations were detected in potential off‐target sites. Notably, simultaneous knockout of all four BnaMAX1 alleles resulted in semi‐dwarf and increased branching phenotypes with more siliques, contributing to increased yield per plant relative to wild type. Therefore, these semi‐dwarf and increased branching characteristics have the potential to help construct a rapeseed ideotype. Significantly, the editing resources obtained in our study provide desirable germplasm for further breeding of high yield in rapeseed.
Fishing Households, Social Support, and Depression after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Authors: Parks Vanessa , Slack Tim , Ramchand Rajeev , Drakeford Leah , Finucane Melissa L. , Lee Matthew R.
Published: August 2019

This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on mental health in the aftermath of disasters by examining depressive symptoms among residents of the U.S. Gulf Coast region 6 years after the onset of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS). Using data from the Survey of Trauma, Resilience, and Opportunity in Neighborhoods in the Gulf (STRONG), we test how social support and ties to the fishing industry are related to the likelihood of a positive depression screen. The results show that, among most residents of the Gulf Coast region, social support holds an inverse relationship with the likelihood of a positive depression screen. However, among fishing households, greater social support is associated with a higher probability of screening positive for depression. By showing that fishing households with greater social support are more susceptible to depressive symptoms in this setting, our results uncover a potentially important mechanism that contributes to the unique vulnerability of fishers, which in turn holds implications for differential impacts across social groups in environmental disaster contexts.
Estimation of cyclic long‐memory parameters
Authors: Alomari Huda Mohammed , Ayache Antoine , Fradon Myriam , Olenko Andriy
Published: August 2019

This paper studies cyclic long‐memory processes with Gegenbauer‐type spectral densities. For a semiparametric statistical model, new simultaneous estimates for singularity location and long‐memory parameters are proposed. This generalized filtered method‐of‐moments approach is based on general filter transforms that include wavelet transformations as a particular case. It is proved that the estimates are almost surely convergent to the true values of parameters. Solutions of the estimation equations are studied, and adjusted statistics are proposed. Monte‐Carlo study results are presented to confirm the theoretical findings.
Comparing cannula‐based subcision with the common needle method: A clinical trial
Authors: Nilforoushzadeh Mohammad Ali , Lotfi Elaheh , Heidari‐kharaji Maryam , Nickhah Nahid , Alavi Shiva , Mahmoudbeyk Mona
Published: August 2019

Summary of trial design

Treatment of depressed acne scars requires multiple modalities. Although needle subcision is a valuable method, it exhibits mild to moderate efficacy in treatment of deep acne scars owing to the high recurrence rate and other side effects. A total of 100 patients with rolling acne scars were randomly treated using the standard technique of 18 gauge cannula and 27 gauge needle subcision in two parallel groups, and the effect of cannula subcision instead of needle subcision was evaluated in the treatment of rolling acne scars.

Methods

A total of 100 patients were randomly treated using the standard technique of 18 gauge cannula and 27 gauge needle subcision. The outcomes of these procedures were assessed by three blinded dermatologists and by patients’ satisfaction.

Results

Subcision using the cannula showed good and very good improvement in about 83% of patients (n = 50, P < .05) based on dermatologists investigation and almost no side effects were observed in compared with needle subcision. The response rate was significantly different while using cannula subcision.

Conclusion

Cannula subcision appears to be a safe and practical technique that can enhance the efficacy of subcision without considerable complications.
Importance of authorship and inappropriate authorship assignment in paediatric research in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Rees Chris A. , Keating Elizabeth M. , Dearden Kirk A. , Haq Heather , Robison Jeff A. , Kazembe Peter N. , Bourgeois Florence T. , Niescierenko Michelle
Published: August 2019

Objective

To understand the importance of authorship and authorship position, and gauge perceptions of inappropriate authorship assignment, among authors publishing paediatric research conducted in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs).

Methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional, mixed‐methods study using an online survey of both corresponding and randomly selected, non‐corresponding authors who published research conducted in LMICs from 2006 to 2015 in the top four paediatric journals by Eigenfactor score. We used chi‐square tests to compare responses by authors living in LMICs to authors living in high‐income countries (HICs). We analysed qualitative responses using thematic analysis.

Results

Of 1420 potential respondents, 19.6% (n = 279) completed the survey. 57% (n = 159) lived in LMICs and 43% (n = 120) in HICs. LMIC authors more commonly perceived first authorship as most important for their academic advancement than HIC authors (74.2% vs. 60.8%, P = 0.017), while HIC authors reported last authorship as most important (25.1% vs. 38.3%, P = 0.018). 65% (n = 181) of respondents believed that their collaborators had been inappropriately assigned authorship positions (no difference in LMIC and HIC responses) and 32.6% (n = 91) reported personally accepting inappropriate authorship positions (more common in HIC respondents, P = 0.005). In qualitative data, respondents questioned the applicability of standard authorship guidelines for collaborative research conducted in LMICs.

Conclusions

LMIC and HIC authors held different perceptions about the importance of authorship position. Reported inappropriate authorship assignment was common among both LMIC and HIC respondents. Alternatives to standard authorship criteria for research conducted in LMICs merit further studies.
Perceptions of minimally invasive osteosynthesis: A 2018 survey of orthopedic surgeons
Authors: Robinson William P. , Knowles Toby G. , Barthelemy Nicolas P. , Parsons Kevin J.
Published: August 2019

Objective

To report perspectives of minimally invasive osteosynthesis (MIO) techniques in veterinary surgical practice in 2018.

Study design

Electronic questionnaires.

Sample population

Diplomates and residents of the American College of Veterinary Surgery and European College of Veterinary Surgery and members of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society.

Methods

Survey questions pertaining to MIO and minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) were sent electronically to the sample population. Questions assessed training, current caseload, benefits, and limitations of MIO and MIPO.

Results

Two hundred fifty‐six veterinary surgeons completed questions pertaining to MIO, and 238 veterinary surgeons completed questions pertaining to MIPO. With regard to MIO, only 16% of respondents reported that they performed MIO regularly or exclusively, and 62% wanted to perform more MIO than they were currently undertaking. Tibial fractures were most commonly selected for MIO/MIPO stabilization techniques in both cats and dogs. Challenges in achieving adequate fracture reduction were identified as the greatest limitations of MIO/MIPO techniques. Forty‐three percent of respondents felt there were not enough MIPO training opportunities.

Conclusion

Currently, MIO/MIPO techniques are performed infrequently, with a large proportion of respondents revealing that they would like to perform more in the future. There is also evidence that additional training opportunities would be welcomed for MIPO.

Clinical significance

The results of our survey provide evidence that, despite the benefits of MIO and MIPO compared with more traditional fracture stabilization approaches, significant barriers must be overcome before the techniques are likely to be more widely adopted.
Determinantes físicoquímicos de la calidad de la miel: una revisión bibliográfica
Authors: Pineda Ballesteros Eliécer , Castellanos Riveros Alberto , Téllez Acuña Freddy Reynaldo
Published: August 2019

La calidad de la miel es uno de los aspectos que menos se han investigado en Colombia. La revisión bibliográfica de este artículo identificó las características fisicoquímicas de la miel necesarias para establecer su calidad, y se encontró que los parámetros de acidez, pH, hidroximetilfurfural (HMF), cenizas, conductividad eléctrica, azúcares y humedad, entre otros, son los más usados. Para esta revisión se seleccionaron 60 artículos por criterios como procedencia geográfica, publicación reciente y relevancia con el tema de la investigación. Al final del texto, se exponen algunas posibles aplicaciones no tradicionales de la miel que a su vez surgen como nuevos espacios de investigación.
Experiencias de turismo comunitario en el Área Natural Protegida del Nevado de Toluca, México: hacia la construcción de productos turísticos patrimoniales alternativos
Authors: Osorio-García Maribel , Domínguez Estrada José Francisco
Published: August 2019

A través de una investigación-acción participativa aplicada al área natural protegida del Nevado de Toluca, en México, se llevó a cabo un proceso para desarrollar productos turísticos en diez comunidades ejidales vinculadas a esta área, con los propósitos de reconocer los elementos objetivos y subjetivos que se conjugaron en su construcción y de identificar los significados socioculturales caracterizados por espacios regionales particulares. Se concluyó que el avance en la construcción del producto turístico de cada ejido obedece no solo a su potencialidad y a su capital social, sino a las nociones y prácticas de sus actores y a la sinergia con su espacio regional.
A Machine Learning Approach to Customer Needs Analysis for Product Ecosystems
Authors: Zhou Feng , Ayoub Jackie , Xu Qianli , Jessie Yang X.
Published: August 2019

Creating product ecosystems has been one of the strategic ways to enhance user experience and business advantages. Among many, customer needs analysis for product ecosystems is one of the most challenging tasks in creating a successful product ecosystem from both the perspectives of marketing research and product development. In this paper, we propose a machine-learning approach to customer needs analysis for product ecosystems by examining a large amount of online user-generated product reviews within a product ecosystem. First, we filtered out uninformative reviews from the informative reviews using a fastText technique. Then, we extract a variety of topics with regard to customer needs using a topic modeling technique named latent Dirichlet allocation. In addition, we applied a rule-based sentiment analysis method to predict not only the sentiment of the reviews but also their sentiment intensity values. Finally, we categorized customer needs related to different topics extracted using an analytic Kano model based on the dissatisfaction-satisfaction pair from the sentiment analysis. A case example of the Amazon product ecosystem was used to illustrate the potential and feasibility of the proposed method.
Decoupling of Multiple Concurrent Faults for Diagnosing Coal Cutter Gearboxes: An Extensive Experimental Investigation With Multichannel Sensor Measurements
Authors: Li Zhixiong , Liu Fushun , Sun Shuaishuai , Sarkodie-Gyan Th. , Li Weihua
Published: August 2019

Due to harsh operating environments in underground coal seams, the key components (e.g., gear pairs and bearings) in the power transmission systems of coal cutters suffer from extreme wear and functional damages. To guarantee the safe and reliable operation of the coal cutters, it is important to monitor the condition of their transmission systems and detect possible faults in a timely manner. A challenging task here is to diagnose multiple concurrent faults. A literature review indicates that the current interests lie on the decoupling of multiple co-existing faults and that the very limited work has been done to deal with the dependence/correlation between the fault signals. To address this issue, this work extends our previous work on gear crack detection using the bounded component analysis (BCA) and proposes an improved BCA-based approach for decoupling hybrid faults with high dependence/correlation in coal cutter transmission systems. The proposed approach incorporates the Vold–Kalman order tracking and spectral kurtosis into an improved BCA framework (OTBCA-SK). Owing to the uniform sampling of order tracking, the influence of background noise and rotational speed variation on vibration signals can be effectively reduced. Since BCA is capable of handling vibration sources that are statistically dependent, OTBCA-SK can decouple both independent and dependent source signals. As a result, the vibration sources excited by hybrid faults, although maybe dependent/correlated, can be fully decoupled into single-fault vibration source signals. Three specially designed case studies were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed OTBCA-SK approach in decoupling hybrid gear faults. The analysis results demonstrate better performance of hybrid fault decoupling using OTBCA-SK than that of three representative techniques, i.e., Erdogan's BCA (E-BCA), joint approximate diagonalization of eigen matrices (JADE) and fast independent component analysis (FastICA). These case studies also suggest that the proposed OTBCA-SK approach can retain the physical meaning of the original vibration and is hence suitable for hybrid fault diagnosis in practical applications.
Record Purcell factors in ultracompact hybrid plasmonic ring resonators
Authors: Su Y. , Chang P. , Lin C. , Helmy A. S.
Published: August 2019

The experimental realization of micrometer-scale, long-range plasmonic ring resonators with ultrahigh Purcell factor is reported.
Photothermally and magnetically controlled reconfiguration of polymer composites for soft robotics
Authors: Liu Jessica A.-C. , Gillen Jonathan H. , Mishra Sumeet R. , Evans Emily E. , Tracy Joseph B.
Published: August 2019

Combining photothermal heating and magnetic actuation enables the design of untethered, reconfigurable soft robots.
Observation of a transition between dynamical phases in a quantum degenerate Fermi gas
Authors: Smale Scott , He Peiru , Olsen Ben A. , Jackson Kenneth G. , Sharum Haille , Trotzky Stefan , Marino Jamir , Rey Ana Maria , Thywissen Joseph H.
Published: August 2019

Ultracold fermions provide a new testbed for dynamical phases of quantum matter forbidden by equilibrium thermodynamics.
Typing of
mecD
Islands in Genetically Diverse Methicillin-Resistant
Macrococcus caseolyticus
Strains from Cattle
Authors: Schwendener Sybille , Nigg Aurélien , Collaud Alexandra , Overesch Gudrun , Kittl Sonja , Phumthanakorn Nathita , Perreten Vincent
Published: August 2019

Since its first description in 2017, the methicillin resistance gene
mecD
has been detected in
M. caseolyticus
strains from different cattle sources and countries. Our study provides new insights into the molecular diversity of
mecD
-carrying
M. caseolyticus
strains by using two approaches to characterize
mecD
elements: (i) multiplex PCR for molecular typing of McRI

mecD

and (ii) read mapping against reference sequences to identify McRI

mecD

types
in silico
. In combination with multilocus sequence typing, this approach can be used for molecular characterization and surveillance of
M. caseolyticus
carrying
mecD
.