bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The case for a population standardized infection ratio (SIR): A metric that marries the device SIR to the standardized utilization ratio (SUR)
Authors: Fakih Mohamad G. , Huang Ren-Huai , Bufalino Angelo , Erlinger Thomas , Sturm Lisa , Hendrich Ann , Haydar Ziad
Published: June 2019

Background:

The device standardized infection ratio (SIR) is used to compare unit and hospital performance for different publicly reported infections. Interventions to reduce unnecessary device use may select a higher-risk population, leading to a paradoxical increase in SIR for some high-performing facilities. The standardized utilization ratio (SUR) adjusts for device use for different units and facilities.

Methods:

We calculated the device SIR (calculated based on actual device days) and population SIR (defined as Σ observed events divided by Σ predicted events based on predicted device days), adjusting for the facility SUR for both central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in 84 hospitals from a single system for calendar years 2016 and 2017.

Results:

The central-line SUR was 1.02 for 801,172 central-line days, with a device SIR of 0.76 and a population SIR of 0.78, a 1.6% relative increase. On the other hand, the urinary catheter SUR was 0.90 for 757,504 urinary catheter days, with a device SIR of 0.84 and a population SIR of 0.76, a 10.0% relative decrease. The cumulative attributable difference for CAUTI to a target SIR of 1 was −135.4 for the device SIR compared to −203.66 for the population SIR, a 50.8% increase in prevented events.

Conclusion:

Population SIR accounts for predicted device utilization; thus, it is an attractive metric with which to address overall risk of infection or harm to a patient population. It also reduces the risk of selection bias that may impact the device SIR with interventions to reduce device use.
Coerced Migration and Resettlement in the Qin Imperial Expansion
Authors: Barbieri-Low Anthony J.
Published: June 2019

During the century of massive expansion of the Qin state in China (ca. 316–222 BCE), and the subsequent fifteen years of the empire (221–207 BCE), it is recorded that millions of persons were forcibly relocated and resettled throughout the empire and along its frontiers. For example, the historian Sima Qian (ca. 145–86 BCE) states that in just the years between 213 and 210 BCE, the First Emperor relocated more than a million people from interior counties of the empire to settle newly-conquered lands on the northern and southern frontiers. Yet this was only one type of forced resettlement carried out by the Qin. The Qin state also relocated thousands of aristocratic households from conquered states to the Qin capital of Xianyang, captured large numbers of non-Chinese peoples and assigned them to localities as slaves to open up agricultural land, exiled wealthy iron industrialists from the interior to the periphery, intentionally expelled the entire populations of conquered cities to replace them with amnestied criminals, and pooled and redirected the labor of convicts gathered from throughout the empire to labor on huge projects such as the First Emperor's tomb. This article seeks to analyze and categorize these various Qin forced resettlements to uncover the ideological and policy motivations behind them and the role they played in the larger project of Qin imperial expansion and colonization.
A Comprehensive Study of the 14C Source Term in the 10 MW High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor
Authors: Liu X , Peng W , Wei L , Lou M , Xie F , Cao J , Tong J , Li F , Zheng G
Published: June 2019

While assessing the environmental impact of nuclear power plants, researchers have focused their attention on radiocarbon (14C) owing to its high mobility in the environment and important radiological impact on human beings. The 10 MW high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR-10) is the first pebble-bed gas-cooled test reactor in China that adopted helium as primary coolant and graphite spheres containing tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) coated particles as fuel elements. A series of experiments on the 14C source terms in HTR-10 was conducted: (1) measurement of the specific activity and distribution of typical nuclides in the irradiated graphite spheres from the core, (2) measurement of the activity concentration of 14C in the primary coolant, and (3) measurement of the amount of 14C discharged in the effluent from the stack. All experimental data on 14C available for HTR-10 were summarized and analyzed using theoretical calculations. A sensitivity study on the total porosity, open porosity, and percentage of closed pores that became open after irradiating the matrix graphite was performed to illustrate their effects on the activity concentration of 14C in the primary coolant and activity amount of 14C in various deduction routes.
Gluten-free diet in French adults without coeliac disease: sociodemographic characteristics, motives and dietary profile
Authors: Perrin Laëtitia , Allès Benjamin , Buscail Camille , Ravel Catherine , Hercberg Serge , Julia Chantal , Kesse-Guyot Emmanuelle
Published: June 2019

The number of people avoiding gluten is growing in many Western countries. However, little information is available on their sociodemographic and dietary profiles. We aimed to describe sociodemographic, behavioural and dietary profiles of participants avoiding gluten in the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Participants of the NutriNet-Santé cohort – excluding coeliac patients – who completed a questionnaire about food exclusions, with complete data on sociodemographic characteristics and dietary intake were included (n 20 456). Food group consumptions and nutrient intakes according to self-reported avoidance of gluten were estimated using ANCOVA adjusted for age, sex and daily energy intake. Based on principal component analysis, three dietary patterns (DP) were identified. Association between DP and avoidance of gluten was investigated using multivariate logistic regression. All data were weighted on the French census. A total of 10·31 (95 % CI 9·90, 10·73) % of the participants declared avoiding gluten, of which 1·65 % totally. They were more likely to be women, older persons, non-smokers, to have a lower educational level and declared more food intolerances. They had higher consumption of fruit, vegetables and lower consumption of dairy products, salty/sweet and fatty foods and alcohol. After adjustments on confounders, a healthy dietary pattern was positively associated with total gluten avoidance (ORQuintile5vsQuintile1 = 14·44, 95 % CI 8·62, 24·19). Our study highlighted that, in this population, individuals who avoid gluten from their diet tend to have a diet more favourable to health. These results can serve as a basis for future studies investigating the potential consequences of a gluten-free diet in non-coeliac population.
Associations of food groups and cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers: does the meal matter?
Authors: Schwedhelm Carolina , Schwingshackl Lukas , Agogo George O. , Sonestedt Emily , Boeing Heiner , Knüppel Sven
Published: June 2019

Increased attention has been paid to circadian patterns and how predisposition to metabolic disorders can be affected by meal timing. Currently, it is not clear which role can be attributed to the foods selected at meals. On a cross-sectional sub-cohort study (815 adults) within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam study, we investigated whether the same foods (vegetables, fruits, refined grains, whole grains, red and processed meats) eaten at different meals (breakfast, lunch or dinner) show different associations with biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk. Meal-specific usual intakes were calculated from multiple 24-h dietary recalls. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models showed that intake of vegetables at breakfast was associated with lower LDL-cholesterol (−0·37 mmol/l per 50 g; 95 % CI −0·61, −0·12) and vegetables at dinner was associated with higher HDL-cholesterol (0·05 mmol/l per 50 g; 95 % CI 0, 0·10). Fruit intake at breakfast was associated with lower glycated Hb (HbA1c) (−0·06 % per 50 g; 95 % CI −0·10, −0·01) and fruits at dinner with lower C-reactive protein (CRP) (−0·21 mg/l per 50 g; 95 % CI −0·42, −0·01). Red and processed meat intake at breakfast was associated with higher HbA1c (0·25 % per 50 g; 95 % CI 0·05, 0·46) and CRP (0·76 mg/l per 50 g; 95 % CI 0·15, 1·36). Our results suggest that by preferring fruits and vegetables and avoiding red and processed meats at specific meals (i.e. breakfast and dinner), cardiometabolic profiles and ultimately chronic disease risk could be improved. Lunch seemed to be a less important meal in terms of food–biomarker associations.
Tokoro Belt (NE Hokkaido): an exhumed, Jurassic – Early Cretaceous seamount in the Late Cretaceous accretionary prism of northern Japan
Authors: Sakai Shunta , Hirano Naoto , Dilek Yildirim , Machida Shiki , Yasukawa Kazutaka , Kato Yasuhiro
Published: June 2019

The Tokoro Belt exposed in NE Hokkaido (Japan) represents part of a Late Cretaceous accretionary complex, which includes variously metamorphosed volcanic rocks that are interbedded with chert, lenticular limestone and some fore-arc sedimentary rocks. The Tokoro Belt is notably different from other Late Cretaceous accretionary complexes around the Pacific Rim because of widespread occurrence of basalts and volcaniclastic rocks in it. The Nikoro Group, characterized by widespread occurrence of volcanic rocks, is divided into western, eastern and southern sections based on the internal structure, geochemical affinities and metamorphic grades of their volcanic lithologies. OIB (ocean island basalt)-type volcanic rocks with low-grade metamorphic overprint predominate in the western and southern sections, whereas MORB (mid-ocean ridge basalt)- and OIA (ocean island alkaline basalt)-type rocks in the eastern section with partly high-pressure metamorphism make up the northern part of the eastern section. Trace element patterns display transitional trends from MORB to OIA geochemical affinities. OIB-type rocks display trace element characteristics similar to those of shield volcano lavas on Hawaii, rather than small and mainly alkaline, Polynesian hotspot lavas; furthermore, they show significant HREE (heavy rare earth element) enrichment probably caused by plume–ridge interaction. Widespread OIBs in the Tokoro Belt represents tectonic slices of a large (>80 km wide) Hawaiian-style, seamount shield volcano on the Izanagi oceanic plate that was accreted into the continental margin of Far East Asia in the Late Cretaceous.
MALTHUS, STATISTICS, AND THE STATE OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE
Authors: FENNELL SHAILAJA
Published: June 2019

References to Malthus are increasingly evident in narratives of agricultural trends in development discourse at the end of the twentieth century. This article addresses the long roots of Malthusian thinking in formulating public policy, that can be traced across from Malthus's own ideas and to subsequent construction of neo-Malthusianisms in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It deploys the distinction between two approaches to statistical data collection that emerge in Malthus's own time: an ‘open’ system that collects data to identify trends, and a ‘closed’ system that uses data to prove an existing model. The article uses these distinctions in order to demonstrate opposing tendencies in policy-making in both England and India, with particular reference to Indian agriculture. It shows how radical thinking about data collection as an inductive line of enquiry lost out to a deductive approach that regarded data on Indian agriculture as doomed, because of its ‘unimproved’ condition, and highlights three moments where opposing tendencies were important. The article concludes that this turn in thinking about food, land, and people continues to persist in agricultural policy-making in international development circles into the present.
Victims’ Justice? Reparations and Asset Forfeiture at the Extraordinary African Chambers
Authors: Birkett Daley J
Published: June 2019

This article critically analyses the reparations and asset forfeiture framework at the Extraordinary African Chambers and its application in the case against Hissène Habré. It identifies obstacles to implementing the reparations awarded and calls for states and international organizations to support their realization for the sake of Habré’s victims, without whose efforts the tribunal might not exist. It argues that international(ized) criminal tribunals should more readily utilize fines and forfeiture as penalties to alleviate the pressure on trust funds to implement reparations awards, particularly in cases where convicted persons possess substantial assets. Lastly, in light of the requirement that assets susceptible to forfeiture orders be derived directly or indirectly from the crime(s) of which a person is found guilty, the article questions the failure of the prosecutor to charge Habré with the war crime of pillage, despite its availability in the tribunal's statute and the finding that the suffering of many of Habré’s victims entitled to individual compensation resulted from pillage.
Inequalities in the utilization of maternal health care in the pre- and post-National Health Mission periods in India
Authors: Ali Balhasan , Dhillon Preeti , Mohanty Sanjay K.
Published: June 2019

Since the implementation of the National Health Mission (NHM) in India there has been a noticeable improvement in the utilization of maternal care, namely antenatal care (ANC), skilled birth attendants (SBA) and postnatal care (PNC) in the country. The increase in utilization of these services is expected to reduce inequality across geographies and population sub-groups, but little is known about the extent of inequality in maternal care use across socioeconomic groups over time. Using data from the last two rounds of National Family Health Surveys conducted in 2005–06 and 2015–16, this study examined the extent of inequality in utilization of full ANC, SBA and PNC in India and its states. Descriptive statistics were used, a concentration index was computed and decomposition analyses performed to understand the pattern and change of inequality in use of maternal care. The results suggest that the gap in maternal care utilization across socioeconomic groups has reduced over time. The concentration index for SBA showed a decline from 0.49 in 2005–06 to 0.08 by 2015–16, while that of PNC declined from 0.36 to 0.13 over the same period. The reduction in inequality in utilization of full PNC was the least. The results of the decomposition analysis revealed that urban residence, education and belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes positively contributed to the inequality. Based on these findings, it is suggested that the Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Sishu Suraksha Karyakaram schemes be continued and strengthened for poor mothers to reduce maternal health inequality, particularly in full ANC and PNC.
Stature and education among Roma women: taller stature is associated with better educational and economic outcomes
Authors: Čvorović Jelena
Published: June 2019

The association between body height and educational outcome, as measured by years of completed schooling, was investigated among Roma women in Serbia in 2014–2018. Height, demographic data, level of schooling and reproductive histories were collected from 691 Roma women aged between 16 and 80 years living in rural settlements in central and western Serbia. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that short stature was associated with an increased risk of low education, possibly as a result of poor growth and developmental disadvantage in early life. Roma cultural practices were also shown to influence the school achievement of these Roma girls: in addition to height, education was positively associated with a higher bride price and better socioeconomic status, as acquired through marriage. For Roma women, height might influence not only their level of education but also their lifetime prospects.
Checklist of marine mammal parasites in New Zealand and Australian waters
Authors: Lehnert K. , Poulin R. , Presswell B.
Published: June 2019

Marine mammals are long-lived top predators with vagile lifestyles, which often inhabit remote environments. This is especially relevant in the oceanic waters around New Zealand and Australia where cetaceans and pinnipeds are considered as vulnerable and often endangered due to anthropogenic impacts on their habitat. Parasitism is ubiquitous in wildlife, and prevalence of parasitic infections as well as emerging diseases can be valuable bioindicators of the ecology and health of marine mammals. Collecting information about parasite diversity in marine mammals will provide a crucial baseline for assessing their impact on host and ecosystem ecology. New studies on marine mammals in New Zealand and Australian waters have recently added to our knowledge of parasite prevalence, life cycles and taxonomic relationships in the Australasian region, and justify a first host–parasite checklist encompassing all available data. The present checklist comprises 36 species of marine mammals, and 114 species of parasites (helminths, arthropods and protozoans). Mammal species occurring in New Zealand and Australian waters but not included in the checklist represent gaps in our knowledge. The checklist thus serves both as a guide for what information is lacking, as well as a practical resource for scientists working on the ecology and conservation of marine mammals.
Melatonin deficiency at tissue level: a possible aetiological factor in nasal polyposis
Authors: Senturk E , Yildirim Y S , Ozturan O , Tekkeli S E K , Kiziltaş M V
Published: June 2019

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine whether melatonin is involved in the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis.

Method

This study included 29 patients with nasal polyposis and undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery. As a control group, 26 patients who had been operated on for a deviated nasal septum and concha bullosa were enrolled. Samples were taken from the nasal polyp tissue and from the resected middle concha bullosa mucosa of the control group. Serum samples were taken from all patients.

Results

It was found that the tissue and serum melatonin levels in the nasal polyp group were significantly lower compared with the tissue and serum melatonin levels in the control group.

Conclusion

In nasal polyposis, the melatonin level in the serum and tissue is lower than in individuals without polyposis. This deficiency may play a role in the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis.
Community structure of Harpacticoida and Canuelloida (Crustacea, Copepoda) on the Great Meteor Seamount (North-east Atlantic Ocean)
Authors: Richter Karin , George Kai Horst
Published: June 2019

During the expedition POS397 ‘GroMet’ in 2010 the sediments of the Great Meteor Seamount (GMS) plateau were sampled quantitatively for the first time, allowing statistical analysis of the community structure of Harpacticoida and Canuelloida. Analysis of similarity revealed no differences between three geographic regions at family/species level. Analysis of diversity indicated slightly greater diversity in the south, with more species belonging to more genera/families. Dispersal opportunities possibly occurring at the plateau (emergence, erosion, rafting) are discussed. Of 18 investigated families 106 species were identified, but only 5.66% were already scientifically known and widely distributed. Within the investigated families, 37.74% of the species belonged to shallow-water genera, leading to the conclusion that the plateau was once connected to shallow-water habitats, perhaps functioning as a stepping stone, but is now geographically isolated. This isolation is most likely due to seafloor spreading of the Atlantic Ocean and descending of the GMS. On the plateau, six species with wider distribution ranges were present, indicating that species may arrive accidentally, but their means of settlement remains unknown. Comparisons of the identified GMS plateau fauna with that of other seamounts and mid-oceanic islands revealed similar communities at family level, but at species level the GMS shares only one species with the Seine Seamount; all other elevations had more species in common. Hence, the GMS plateau is considered to be isolated regarding benthic Copepoda but may play an important role in meiofaunal species distribution, as it represents a shallow-water habitat within the deep sea.
REVISITING THE SPANISH ELICITED IMITATION TASK
Authors: Solon Megan , Park Hae In , Henderson Carly , Dehghan-Chaleshtori Marzieh
Published: June 2019

Elicited imitation tasks (EITs) have been shown to be a valid, reliable, and practical method for establishing second-language (L2) oral proficiency across a variety of languages. Nevertheless, research that has validated existing EITs has most often explored a narrow range of learner proficiencies or has examined how well the EIT distinguishes between low- and high-level learners. Bowden’s (2016) validation study of the Spanish EIT was the first to expand the range of learner proficiencies by including low, advanced, and very advanced L2 learners; her results suggested that, in its current state, the EIT may not be equipped to distinguish finer-grained levels of proficiency, especially at more advanced levels. The present study revisits the Spanish EIT to examine (a) its ability to distinguish between higher level learners and (b) whether including additional, more challenging EIT items allows for finer-grained distinctions at higher levels. Results suggest that the addition of longer, more challenging EIT items can improve the discriminability of the test among more advanced L2 learners.
Experiences of Racism among Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: Prevalence, Sources, and Association with Mental Health
Authors: Temple Jeromey B. , Kelaher Margaret , Paradies Yin
Published: June 2019

Cet article présente une analyse inédite de l’association entre la discrimination raciale et la détresse psychologique chez les personnes âgées indigènes et insulaires du détroit de Torres. Les résultats indiquent : (1) qu’une minorité importante d’aînés appartenant aux populations indigènes et insulaires du détroit de Torres ont été victimes de racisme (tel qu’expérimenté et mesuré en fonction d’inégalités de traitement) et d’évitement ; (2) qu’une association entre les expériences de racisme ou d’évitement et la détresse psychologique peut être mise en évidence, et que cette relation demeure robuste malgré la considération d’une variété de facteurs confondants et de caractéristiques complexes associées à la conception des enquêtes ; et (3) les associations entre le racisme et la détresse sont amplifiées en fonction de l’intensité du racisme et des comportements d’évitement. L’association reste robuste ou se trouve renforcée lorsque le racisme et l’évitement se produisent dans le cadre de contextes cruciaux au développement du capital humain des personnes âgées (p. ex. soins de santé, éducation, milieu de travail). Nos résultats soulignent l’importance des programmes et des services sociaux et de santé culturellement sécuritaires, ainsi que la nécessité de contrer la discrimination sous toutes ses formes.
Subtype-specific differences in the risk of hospitalisation among patients infected with hepatitis E virus genotype 3 in Belgium, 2010–2018
Authors: Subissi Lorenzo , Peeters Michael , Lamoral Sophie , Klamer Sofieke , Suin Vanessa , Van Gucht Steven
Published: June 2019

Some European countries recently reported an increase in hepatitis E virus genotype 3 (HEV-3) of the subtype 3c. No link between HEV-3 subtypes and severity is established to date. Here, we report that patients infected with HEV-3c were at lower risk of hospitalisation, compared to those infected with HEV-3f, the other main subtype circulating in Belgium.
Altruism and Desert
Authors: Clancy Sean
Published: June 2019

Suppose that virtue is intrinsically morally good, and that we have a pro tanto moral reason to act in ways which promote it. Further suppose that the failure of agents to receive what they deserve is intrinsically morally bad, and that we have a pro tanto moral reason not to act in ways which frustrate desert. When we are deciding whether to encourage others to make altruistic sacrifices, these two pro tanto moral reasons come into conflict. To encourage such sacrifices promotes virtue; it also causes virtuous agents to be worse off, preventing them from receiving their deserts. I argue that these effects on desert can reduce the moral desirability of promoting altruism so significantly as to make it morally wrong. This has implications for public policy, since certain practical questions turn on the extent to which we ought to rely on altruism as a means of solving social problems.
Participant voices: examining issue, program and policy priorities of SNAP-Ed eligible adults in California
Authors: Gosliner Wendi , Shah Heena
Published: June 2019

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) aims to prevent obesity and chronic disease among SNAP-eligible families by facilitating healthy eating and active living. This study aimed to capture the voices of California SNAP-Ed eligible parents to inform program planners of their challenges in feeding their families, their available supports and priorities for intervention. We conducted eight focus groups with 55 participants across five counties in California from May through August 2017. Trained researchers used Dedoose to code and analyze data for substantive themes and overarching findings.Ten key findings and 4 additional findings were identified. Participants experience multiple challenges, primarily inadequate income and limited access to high quality, affordable healthy food contrasted with easy access to affordable unhealthy food. Despite efforts to manage food resources, most struggle to afford adequate diets. Employed parents confront a particularly challenging dual poverty of money and time. Many parents report feeling guilt related to feeding their children. Participants appreciate available programs and services and suggest increasing community input; providing sustainable programs; lowering the cost of and improving access to healthy food; reducing access to unhealthy food; modifying food assistance efforts; and improving nutrition education and promotion. Overall, low-income parents in California struggle to feed their families the way they would like. Participants generally understand what to feed their children, but struggle with how to do it, perceiving their circumstances and environments as inhospitable to healthy eating. Participants' suggestions can help SNAP-Ed programs and other efforts better support families' needs.
Design of multiband circularly/linearly polarized antenna for multiple wireless (WWAN/Bluetooth/WiMAX/WLAN/Downlink Satellite System)
Authors: Sharma Manish
Published: June 2019

In this article, a multiband antenna for various wireless communications is proposed for WWAN, Bluetooth, WiMAX, WLAN, and Downlink satellite system. The antenna consists of a radiating patch and a rectangular ground plane with four L-shaped stubs which are embedded as side arms to obtain a resonating band for WWAN (1.9GHz), Bluetooth (2.4 GHz), WiMAX (2.5, 3.5, and 5.5 GHz), and WLAN (5.5 GHz) wireless systems and a C-shaped stub is etched on the radiating patch to obtain a higher WLAN band (2.4, 5.2, and 5.8 GHz) and a satellite downlink system (7.5 GHz). The proposed antenna exhibits circular polarization at WWAN band and linear polarization for remaining applications. Also, the proposed antenna exhibits an omnidirectional radiation pattern.
Emotional Processing and Personality as Predictors of Obsessive-compulsive Symptoms in College Students
Authors: Calero Vivas Daniel , Felipe-Castaño Elena , León Benito
Published: June 2019

The categorical definition of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and exclusive focus on thoughts and behaviors, have constrained the study and treatment of its symptoms. The present study’s aim was to search for relationships among emotional processing dimensions, five major personality dimensions, and self-perceived obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The participants were 100 college students, and the questionnaires used were a selection of images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), the Self-assessment Manikin (SAM), the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS), and the NEO-FFI. We found differences in emotional processing dimensions between participants with high and low DOCS scores, grouped according to sex (d = .56); and evidence that the neuroticism and agreeableness dimensions predict self-perceived obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Emotional processing dimensions and personality are considered useful to comprehending obsessive-compulsive symptoms, which lends support to dimensional models of OC symptomatology, as well as planning and developing psychological interventions.
Target-site resistance to cyhalofop-butyl in bearded sprangletop (Diplachne fusca) from China
Authors: Yuan Shuzhong , Di Yingjie , Chen Yueyang , Chen Yongrui , Cai Jingxuan , Deng Wei
Published: June 2019

Bearded sprangletop [Diplachne fusca(L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. ssp.fascicularis(Lam.) P. M. Peterson & N. Snow] is a noxious annual grass weed of paddy fields, distributed in coastal regions of the Jiangsu and Hebei provinces in China. Cyhalofop-butyl has been widely used to control grass weeds since 2006 in China. Overreliance on cyhalofop-butyl has led to the evolution of resistant weeds. In this study, the resistance level and cyhalofop-butyl resistance mechanisms were investigated in the putative resistant (JSHH) population. The dose–response experiments showed that the JSHHD.fuscapopulation had evolved 8.9-fold resistance to cyhalofop-butyl. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) sequencing revealed a point mutation (GGC to GCC) at amino acid position 2096, resulting in a Gly-2096-Ala substitution in the resistant population. To our knowledge, this is the first case of cyhalofop-butyl resistance inD.fuscaand the first report of a target-site mutation conferring resistance to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides inD.fusca. In addition, the resistantD.fuscapopulation (JSHH) with the Gly-2096-Ala mutation was cross-resistant to the aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicide metamifop, the cyclohexanedione herbicide sethoxydim, and the phenylpyrazolin herbicide pinoxaden.
Neoadjuvante, adjuvante und palliative onkologische Therapie beim kolorektalen Karzinom
Authors: Voegeli Michèle , Wicki Andreas
Published: June 2019

Zusammenfassung. Die neoadjuvante Behandlung spielt nur beim lokalisierten oder oligometastasierten Rektumkarzinom eine Rolle. Meistens kommt hier eine kombinierte Radiochemotherapie mit Capecitabine oder 5FU über 5 ½ Wochen zum Zug. Weitere 6 bis 9 Wochen später erfolgt die Operation. Beim kurativ operierten kolorektalen Karzinom im Stadium III (= befallene regionäre Lymphknoten) erhöht die adjuvante Chemotherapie die Heilungsrate um bis zu 20 %. Für die meisten Patienten ist eine Behandlung mit Capecitabine / Oxaliplatin während 3 Monaten angebracht. In der palliativen Situation ist eine sorgfältige Aufarbeitung der Biologie des Tumors der Grundstein für die Systemtherapie. Eine Next-Generation-Sequencing Analyse der Tumor DNA gehört heute zum Standard. Bei Mikrosatelliten-stabilen (MSS) kolorektalen Karzinomen verlängert die Chemotherapie das mediane Überleben von sechs auf ca. 30 Monate. Mikrosatelliten-instabile (MSI-h) Karzinome benötigen hingegen eine Immuntherapie. Diese kann zu langanhaltenden Remissionen führen.
Hidden Holocene Slip Along the Coastal El Yolki Fault in Central Chile and Its Possible Link With Megathrust Earthquakes
Authors: Melnick Daniel , Hillemann Christian , Jara‐Muñoz Julius , Garrett Ed , Cortés‐Aranda Joaquín , Molina Diego , Tassara Andrés , Strecker Manfred R.
Published: June 2019

Megathrust earthquakes are commonly accompanied by increased upper‐plate seismicity and occasionally triggered fault slip. In Chile, crustal faults slipped during and after the 2010 Maule (M8.8) earthquake. We studied the El Yolki fault (EYOF), a transtensional structure midways the Maule rupture not triggered in 2010. We mapped a Holocene coastal plain using light detection and ranging, which did not reveal surface ruptures. However, the inner‐edge and shoreline angles along the coastal plain as well as 4.3‐ to 4.0‐ka intertidal sediments are back‐tilted on the EYOF footwall block, documenting 10 m of vertical displacement. These deformed markers imply ~2‐mm/year throw rate, and dislocation models a slip rate of 5.6 mm/year for the EYOF. In a 5‐m‐deep trench, the Holocene intertidal sediments onlap to five erosive steps, interpreted as staircase wave‐cut landforms formed by discrete events of relative sea level drop. We tentatively associated these steps with coseismic uplift during EYOF earthquakes between 4.3 and 4.0 ka. The Maule earthquake rupture may be subdivided into three subsegments based on coseismic slip and gravity anomalies. Coulomb stress transfer models predict neutral stress changes at the EYOF during the Maule earthquake but positive changes for a synthetic slip distribution at the central subsegment. If EYOF earthquakes were triggered by megathrust events, their slip distribution was probably focused in the central subsegment. Our study highlights the millennial variability of crustal faulting and the megathrust earthquake cycle in Chile, with global implications for assessing the hazards posed by hidden but potentially seismogenic coastal faults along subduction zones.
FOXP1-induced lncRNA CLRN1-AS1 acts as a tumor suppressor in pituitary prolactinoma by repressing the autophagy via inactivating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Chao , Tan Chunlei , Wen Yuan , Zhang Dongzhi , Li Guofu , Chang Liang , Su Jun , Wang Xin
Published: June 2019

As the commonest type of functional pituitary tumor, prolactinoma takes up around 40–60% of functional pituitary tumors. Despite dedications attributed to the treatment of prolactinoma, complete cure remains difficult. Hence, it is of significance to bring to light the underlying mechanism of prolactinoma. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of transcripts which can regulate various biological processes. In the present study, we explored an lncRNA that was differentially downregulated in prolactinoma samples. LncRNA clarin 1 antisense RNA 1 (CLRN1-AS1) was downregulated in 42 patient samples and inactivated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Functionally, CLRN1-AS1 suppressed cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and inhibited autophagy. Subcellular fractionation assay revealed that CLRN1-AS1 was located in the cytoplasm of prolactinoma cells. Based on bioinformatics analysis and mechanism experiments, we determined that CLRN1-AS1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-217 to upregulate the dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 1 (DKK1). Furthermore, Forkhead box P1 (FOXP1) was verified to be a transcription suppressor of CLRN1-AS1. In summary, this study revealed that FOXP1-induced CLRN1-AS1 regulated cellular functions in pituitary prolactinoma by sponging miR-217 to release the DKK1/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
miR-211 facilitates platinum chemosensitivity by blocking the DNA damage response (DDR) in ovarian cancer
Authors: Wang Tianzhen , Hao Dapeng , Yang Shucai , Ma Jianhui , Yang Weiwei , Zhu Yuanyuan , Weng Mingjiao , An Xiang , Wang Xuefei , Li Yafei , Wu Di , Tang Jing , Yang Chao , He Yan , Zhang Lei , Jin Xiaoming , Wang Guangyu , Li Zhiwei , Zheng Tongsen , Meng Hongxue , Feng Yukuan , Li Xiaobo
Published: June 2019

The DNA damage response (DDR) is one of the most important mechanisms of platinum resistance in ovarian cancer. Some miRNAs have been identified to be involved in the regulatory network of DDR, thus the abnormal expression of miRNAs might affect platinum chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer. In this study, by assessing miRNAs simultaneously targeting a set of DDR genes that exhibited response to platinum, we found that miR-211 inhibited most of those genes, and proposed that miR-211 might affect the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to platinum by targeting multiple DDR genes and thereby determine the prognosis of ovarian cancer. To verify the hypothesis, we analyzed the association between miR-211 level and clinical prognosis, assessed the effect of miR-211 on DDR and platinum chemosensitivity, and explored the possible molecular mechanism. We revealed that miR-211 enhanced platinum chemosensitivity and was positively correlated with favorable outcomes in ovarian cancer patients. Many DDR genes including TDP1 were identified as targets of miR-211. In contrast, TDP1 suppressed DNA damage and platinum chemosensitivity. Moreover, the miR-211 level in tissues was shown to be associated with the good outcome of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and negatively correlated with the expression of TDP1. Conclusively, we demonstrated that miR-211 improves the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients by enhancing the chemosensitivity of cancer cells to platinum via inhibiting DDR gene expression, which provides an essential basis to identify novel treatment targets to block DDR effectively and improve chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer.
Discovery of potent necroptosis inhibitors targeting RIPK1 kinase activity for the treatment of inflammatory disorder and cancer metastasis
Authors: Hou Jue , Ju Jie , Zhang Zili , Zhao Cong , Li Zhanhui , Zheng Jiyue , Sheng Tian , Zhang Hongjian , Hu Linkun , Yu Xiaoliang , Zhang Wei , Li Yangxin , Wu Meng , Ma Haikuo , Zhang Xiaohu , He Sudan
Published: June 2019

Necroptosis is a form of regulated necrosis controlled by receptor-interacting kinase 1 (RIPK1 or RIP1), RIPK3 (RIP3), and pseudokinase mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL). Increasing evidence suggests that necroptosis is closely associated with pathologies including inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer metastasis. Herein, we discovered the small-molecule PK6 and its derivatives as a novel class of necroptosis inhibitors that directly block the kinase activity of RIPK1. Optimization of PK6 led to PK68, which has improved efficacy for the inhibition of RIPK1-dependent necroptosis, with an EC50of around 14–22 nM in human and mouse cells. PK68 efficiently blocks cellular activation of RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL upon necroptosis stimuli. PK68 displays reasonable selectivity for inhibition of RIPK1 kinase activity and favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Importantly, PK68 provides strong protection against TNF-α-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome in vivo. Moreover, pre-treatment of PK68 significantly represses metastasis of both melanoma cells and lung carcinoma cells in mice. Together, our study demonstrates that PK68 is a potent and selective inhibitor of RIPK1 and also highlights its great potential for use in the treatment of inflammatory disorders and cancer metastasis.
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcriptional landscape in breast cancer identifies LINC01614 as non-favorable prognostic biomarker regulated by TGFβ and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling
Authors: Vishnubalaji Radhakrishnan , Shaath Hibah , Elkord Eyad , Alajez Nehad M.
Published: June 2019

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a class of epigenetic regulators implicated in a number of physiological and pathological conditions. Herein, we characterized the lncRNA expression portrait from 837 patients with invasive breast cancer and 105 normals from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), which revealed eighteen upregulated and forty-six downregulated lncRNAs. Clustering analysis revealed distinct lncRNA profile for the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and normal breast tissue, while less separation was observed among the HER2+HR+, HER2+HR−, HER2−HR+ molecular subtypes. LINC01614, and LINC01235 correlated with worse disease-free survival (DFS), while the expression of lnc-LRR1–1, lnc-ODF3B-2, AC015712.5, lnc-LAMB3–1, lnc-SPP2–3, and lnc-MAP9–2 correlated with better DFS. The expression of LINC01235 correlated with worse overall survival (OS), while the expression of MIR205HG, lnc-MAP2K6–5, FGF14-AS2, lnc-SPP2–3 correlated with better OS. Highest expression of LINC01614 was observed in progesterone receptor (PR)+, Estrogen receptor (PR)+, and HER2+ tumors, while lowest expression was in TNBC. Concordantly, LINC01614 was highly expressed in the luminalB/HER2+ subtype from the SRP062132 dataset. Elevated expression of LINC01614 was subsequently validated in primary breast cancer tissue and breast cancer cell lines. Bioinformatics and pathway analyses on LINC01614high vs. LINC01614low BC tissue revealed TGFβ1 and ECM as the most activated networks in LINC01614high tumors. Concordantly, strong correlation between the expression of LINC01614 and COL10A1 (R2 = 0.6929), SPOCK1 (R2 = 0.5156), ZEB1 (R2 = 0.3372), TGFBI (R2 = 0.2978), TGFB1 (R2 = 0.1985), ACTA2 (R2 = 0.1833), and TAGLN (R2 = 0.1909) was observed. Mechanistically, exogenous TGFB1 induced LINC01614 expression in the BT474 triple positive BC model, while small-molecule inhibition of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ, SB-431542) or focal adhesion kinase (FAK, PF-573228) abrogated LINC01614 expression. Our data revealed the lncRNA transcription landscape in breast cancer and its molecular subtypes. Our data provide novel insight implicating LINC01614 as unfavorable prognostic marker in BC, its association with the HR+/HER2+ BC molecular subtype and its regulation by TGFβ and FAK signaling.
Update of the EMQN/ACGS best practice guidelines for molecular analysis of Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes
Authors: Beygo Jasmin , Buiting Karin , Ramsden Simon C. , Ellis Rachael , Clayton-Smith Jill , Kanber Deniz
Published: June 2019

This article is an update of the best practice guidelines for the molecular analysis of Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes published in 2010 in BMC Medical Genetics [1]. The update takes into account developments in terms of techniques, differential diagnoses and (especially) reporting standards. It highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each method and moreover, is meant to facilitate the interpretation of the obtained results - leading to improved standardised reports.
Genome-wide analysis of dental caries and periodontitis combining clinical and self-reported data
Authors: Shungin Dmitry , Haworth Simon , Divaris Kimon , Agler Cary S. , Kamatani Yoichiro , Keun Lee Myoung , Grinde Kelsey , Hindy George , Alaraudanjoki Viivi , Pesonen Paula , Teumer Alexander , Holtfreter Birte , Sakaue Saori , Hirata Jun , Yu Yau-Hua , Ridker Paul M. , Giulianini Franco , Chasman Daniel I. , Magnusson Patrik K. E. , Sudo Takeaki , Okada Yukinori , Völker Uwe , Kocher Thomas , Anttonen Vuokko , Laitala Marja-Liisa , Orho-Melander Marju , Sofer Tamar , Shaffer John R. , Vieira Alexandre , Marazita Mary L. , Kubo Michiaki , Furuichi Yasushi , North Kari E. , Offenbacher Steve , Ingelsson Erik , Franks Paul W. , Timpson Nicholas J. , Johansson Ingegerd
Published: June 2019

Dental caries and periodontitis account for a vast burden of morbidity and healthcare spending, yet their genetic basis remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we identify self-reported dental disease proxies which have similar underlying genetic contributions to clinical disease measures and then combine these in a genome-wide association study meta-analysis, identifying 47 novel and conditionally-independent risk loci for dental caries. We show that the heritability of dental caries is enriched for conserved genomic regions and partially overlapping with a range of complex traits including smoking, education, personality traits and metabolic measures. Using cardio-metabolic traits as an example in Mendelian randomization analysis, we estimate causal relationships and provide evidence suggesting that the processes contributing to dental caries may have undesirable downstream effects on health.
High sensitivity variable-temperature infrared nanoscopy of conducting oxide interfaces
Authors: Luo Weiwei , Boselli Margherita , Poumirol Jean-Marie , Ardizzone Ivan , Teyssier Jérémie , van der Marel Dirk , Gariglio Stefano , Triscone Jean-Marc , Kuzmenko Alexey B.
Published: June 2019

Probing the local transport properties of two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) confined at buried interfaces requires a non-invasive technique with a high spatial resolution operating in a broad temperature range. In this paper, we investigate the scattering-type scanning near field optical microscopy as a tool for studying the conducting LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface from room temperature down to 6 K. We show that the near-field optical signal, in particular its phase component, is highly sensitive to the transport properties of the electron system present at the interface. Our modeling reveals that such sensitivity originates from the interaction of the AFM tip with coupled plasmon–phonon modes with a small penetration depth. The model allows us to quantitatively correlate changes in the optical signal with the variation of the 2DES transport properties induced by cooling and by electrostatic gating. To probe the spatial resolution of the technique, we image conducting nano-channels written in insulating heterostructures with a voltage-biased tip of an atomic force microscope.
Integrative analysis of genomic and transcriptomic characteristics associated with progression of aggressive thyroid cancer
Authors: Yoo Seong-Keun , Song Young Shin , Lee Eun Kyung , Hwang Jinha , Kim Hwan Hee , Jung Gyeongseo , Kim Young A , Kim Su-jin , Cho Sun Wook , Won Jae-Kyung , Chung Eun-Jae , Shin Jong-Yeon , Lee Kyu Eun , Kim Jong-Il , Park Young Joo , Seo Jeong-Sun
Published: June 2019

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) and advanced differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) show fatal outcomes, unlike DTCs. Here, we demonstrate mutational landscape of 27 ATCs and 86 advanced DTCs by massively-parallel DNA sequencing, and transcriptome of 13 ATCs and 12 advanced DTCs were profiled by RNA sequencing.TERT,AKT1,PIK3CA, andEIF1AXwere frequently co-mutated with driver genes (BRAFV600EandRAS) in advanced DTCs as well as ATC, but tumor suppressors (e.g.,TP53andCDKN2A) were predominantly altered in ATC.CDKN2Aloss was significantly associated with poor disease-specific survival in patients with ATC or advanced DTCs, and up-regulation ofCD274(PD-L1) andPDCD1LG2(PD-L2). Transcriptome analysis revealed a fourth molecular subtype of thyroid cancer (TC), ATC-like, which hardly reflects the molecular signatures in DTC. Furthermore, the activation of JAK-STAT signaling pathway could be a potential druggable target inRAS-positive ATC. Our findings provide insights for precision medicine in patients with advanced TCs.
A bed nucleus of stria terminalis microcircuit regulating inflammation-associated modulation of feeding
Authors: Wang Yong , Kim JungMin , Schmit Matthew B. , Cho Tiffany S. , Fang Caohui , Cai Haijiang
Published: June 2019

Loss of appetite or anorexia associated with inflammation impairs quality of life and increases morbidity in many diseases. However, the exact neural mechanism that mediates inflammation-associated anorexia is still poorly understood. Here we identified a population of neurons, marked by the expression of protein kinase C-delta, in the oval region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), which are activated by various inflammatory signals. Silencing of these neurons attenuates the anorexia caused by these inflammatory signals. Our results demonstrate that these neurons mediate bidirectional control of general feeding behaviors. These neurons inhibit the lateral hypothalamus-projecting neurons in the ventrolateral part of BNST to regulate feeding, receive inputs from the canonical feeding regions of arcuate nucleus and parabrachial nucleus. Our data therefore define a BNST microcircuit that might coordinate canonical feeding centers to regulate food intake, which could offer therapeutic targets for feeding-related diseases such as anorexia and obesity.