bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-view Co-training for microRNA Prediction
Authors: Hassani Mohsen Sheikh , Green James R.
Published: April 2019

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, non-coding RNAs involved in cell regulation at post-transcriptional and translational levels. Numerous computational predictors of miRNA been developed that generally classify miRNA based on either sequence- or expression-based features. While these methods are highly effective, they require large labelled training data sets, which are often not available for many species. Simultaneously, emerging high-throughput wet-lab experimental procedures are producing large unlabelled data sets of genomic sequence and RNA expression profiles. Existing methods use supervised machine learning and are therefore unable to leverage these unlabelled data. In this paper, we design and develop a multi-view co-training approach for the classification of miRNA to maximize the utility of unlabelled training data by taking advantage of multiple views of the problem. Starting with only 10 labelled training data, co-training is shown to significantly increase classification accuracy of both sequence- and expression-based classifiers, without requiring any new labelled training data. After 11 iterations of co-training, the expression-based view of miRNA classification experiences an average increase in AUPRC of 15.81% over six species, compared to 11.90% for self-training and 4.84% for passive learning. Similar results are observed for sequence-based classifiers with increases of 46.47%, 39.53% and 29.43%, for co-training, self-training, and passive learning, respectively. The final co-trained sequence and expression-based classifiers are integrated into a final confidence-based classifier which shows improved performance compared to each individual view. This study represents the first application of multi-view co-training to miRNA prediction and shows great promise, particularly for understudied species with few available training data.

Availability

Code is available athttps://github.com/GreenCUBIC/miRNA_MVCT. All datasets are publicly available with accession numbers listed in the manuscript.

Contact

jrgreen@sce.carleton.ca
All-Assay-Max2 pQSAR: Activity predictions as accurate as 4-concentration IC50s for 8,558 Novartis assays
Authors: Martin Eric J , Polyakov Valery R , Zhu Xiang-Wei , Mukherjee Prasenjit , Tian Li , Liu Xin
Published: April 2019

Profile-QSAR (pQSAR) is a massively multi-task, 2-step machine learning method with unprecedented scope, accuracy and applicability domain. In step one, a “profile” of conventional single-assay random forest regression (RFR) models are trained on a very large number of biochemical and cellular pIC50assays using Morgan 2 sub-structural fingerprints as compound descriptors. In step two, a panel of PLS models are built using the profile of pIC50predictions from those RFR models as compound descriptors. Hence the name. Previously described for a panel of 728 biochemical and cellular kinase assays, we have now built an enormous pQSAR from 11,805 diverse Novartis IC50and EC50assays. This large number of assays, and hence of compound descriptors for PLS, dictated reducing the profile by only including RFR models whose predictions correlate with the assay being modeled. The RFR and pQSAR models were evaluated with our “realistically novel” held-out test set whose median average similarity to the nearest training set member across the 11,805 assays was only 0.34, thus testing a realistically large applicability domain. For the 11,805 single-assay RFR models, the median correlation of prediction with experiment was onlyR2ext=0.05, virtually random, and only 8% of the models achieved our standard success threshold ofR2ext=0.30. For pQSAR, the median correlation wasR2ext=0.53, comparable to 4-concentration experimental IC50s, and 72% of the models met ourR2ext>0.30 standard, totaling 8558 successful models. The successful models included assays from all of the 51 annotated target sub-classes, as well as 4196 phenotypic assays, indicating that pQSAR can be applied to virtually any disease area. Every month, all models are updated to include new measurements, and predictions are made for 5.5 million Novartis compounds, totaling 50 billion predictions. Common uses have included virtual screening, selectivity design, toxicity and promiscuity prediction, mechanism-of-action prediction, and others.
Preparation and pharmacokinetics of genistein MePEG-PLGA copolymer micelles
Authors: Swartz Mina , Smith John
Published: April 2019

In this report, we demonstrated a novel technique to prepare genistein (GEN) MePEG-PLGA copolymer micelles. Initial stability and pharmacokinetic behavior in rats after intravenous administration were investigated. The micelles were prepared by modified self-emulsifying solvent evaporation method. The morphology, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading, particle size and Zeta potential were investigated. The release behavior was investigated by dynamic membrane dialysis technique. The micelles were stored in a refrigerator at 4 °C, and samples were taken after 1 d, 10 d, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, and the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were examined. The GEN micelles were injected into the tail vein of healthy rats. The blood concentration of GEN in rats was determined by HPLC. The plasma concentration data was processed by DAS 2.0 software. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were statistically analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software. Results The encapsulation efficiency of the prepared micelles was (84.43+/-2.93) %, the drug loading was (2.63+/-0.91) %, and the particle size was (63.75+/-4.12) nm. The release behavior of GEN micelles was in line with the Weibull model. The 6-month leakage rate of GEN micelles was 2.45%, and the drug loading decreased by 0.18%. The main pharmacokinetic parameters AUC0-t after GEN micelles and GEN emulsion 40 mg·kg-1 were injected into the tail vein of rats. They were (99.46+/- 4.77) mg · L-1 ·h and (57.51+/-1.37) mg·L-1 ·h, and t1/2 were (7.48+/-1.15)h and (4.95+/- 1.15)h, respectively, and Cmax was (16.03+/-1.20) mg·L-1 and (16.73+/-1.10) mg·L-1, CL are (0.36+/-0.02) L·h-1 ·kg-1 and (0.67+/-0.02)L·h-1 ·kg-1.
Weak passports and bad behavior:
Authors: SHERIDAN DEREK
Published: April 2019

Chinese migrants in Tanzania regularly face inspections by street‐level bureaucrats, inspections that are often resolved by paying “tips.” These encounters make the Chinese feel vulnerable in Africa, although they disagree about why this is so. Some claim they are vulnerable because China lacks a colonial history in Africa, while others put the blame on some migrants’ illicit practices, which have made all Chinese targets for extortion. These contending etiologies reveal competing vernacular theories regarding the relationship between power, ethics, and status. The performance of petty corruption encounters reveals the ambiguities of economic and political power that characterize South‐South exchanges. How to act is therefore a space for experimenting with different possible forms of global Chinese citizenship. [empire, ethics, inequality, migration, corruption, South‐South relations, global China, Tanzania]
“Father released me”:
Authors: HARDIN JESSICA
Published: April 2019

In Samoan Pentecostal churches, ritualized friendships among women are an informal but essential relationship through which churches grow. The mentorship that women provide when a new convert is introduced to church life creates escalating forms of care and obligation, as well as an experience of urgency and acceleration. Converts learn how to construct rupture in their narratives and spiritual practices, which are modeled in peer socialization practices. This period of intense yet temporary mentorship creates a temporality of “repair”—embodied, linguistic, and social practices that restore the convert's identity, which has been disrupted by conversion. This care work compels us to consider the temporalization of care as a future‐making endeavor. [temporality, care, gender, conversion, Pentecostalism, Christianity, Samoa]
Impossible occultists:
Authors: DOOSTDAR ALIREZA
Published: April 2019

Since the turn of the 21st century, many middle‐class Iranians have turned to the Islamic tradition of occult sciences to find solutions to difficult life problems. Despite the intensity of their engagements, these Iranians often consider occult practice impossible. Their struggles elucidate differences between practicing a tradition and participating in it: In practice, one's purposes (healing a friend, cursing an enemy, winning a love interest, acquiring wealth) are aligned with internal goods like esoteric insight and realizing connections between the microcosm and macrocosm of God's universe. In participation, purposes and internal goods exist in tension and remain unreconciled. Participation may thus appear as a negation of practice, but it can also emerge as a possibility for learning or creating something new. [occult, tradition, practice, Islam, Iran]
Experts beyond discourse:
Authors: KLOOS DAVID
Published: April 2019

In Malaysia women exercise authority as they combine professional expertise with Islamic knowledge to engage with contentious religious debates. In the context of transformations caused by mass education and mass mediatization, professional experts without Islamic (seminary) education—such as doctors, lawyers, and psychologists—can successfully claim religious authority and establish themselves as part of the Islamic public sphere. This creates possibilities for women. Contemporary cultures of professionalism enable them to challenge long‐standing configurations of religious authority, including the perception that this authority is (primarily or necessarily) male. Their performances, although not without constraints, require an analysis that moves anthropological debates about women's roles and autonomies beyond a Foucauldian concern with discourse and the modes of (self‐)disciplining and resistance associated with it. [religious authority, professionalism, expertise, women, gender, Islam, Malaysia]
Conflictual collaboration:
Authors: POLLERI MAXIME
Published: April 2019

In the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, citizen scientists collectively tracked and monitored residual radioactivity in Japan, legitimizing alternative views to an official assessment of the radioactive contamination. But initial practices of resistance have evolved in collaboration with the official Japanese politics of radioactive governance, supporting hegemonic understandings of radiation danger and normative visions of postdisaster recovery. Civic resources used to resist and reinterpret official narratives of contamination end up reinforcing a state‐sponsored normalization of this disaster. Meanwhile, they become crucial techniques of neoliberal governmentality designed to govern the conduct of populations amid contaminated environments. [nuclear disaster, radioactive contamination, citizen science, governance, neoliberalism, Fukushima, Japan]
REMARKS ON A PROCEDURAL CONDITION FOR THE VOTING PARADOX
Authors: Cato Susumu
Published: April 2019

Schwartz [A Procedural Condition Necessary and Sufficient for Cyclic Social Preference, J. Econ. Theory 137 (2007), 688–695] provides a generalization of the voting paradox by using the impotence‐partition condition. This paper aims to clarify his result by providing several remarks. We show that a main result of Schwartz can be strengthened by replacing strong Pareto by weak Pareto. We also discuss how the impotence partition is related to the standard concept of decisiveness, which is widely employed in the literature on social choice.
Mothers' well‐being, parenting attitudes, and home environment: Cumulative risk and parity in early motherhood
Authors: Hickey Grainne , McGilloway Sinead , Leckey Yvonne , Furlong Mairead , Leavy Shane , Stokes Ann , O'Connor Siobhan , Bywater Tracey , Donnelly Michael
Published: April 2019

Background

This study explores mothers' wellbeing, experiences, and attitudes and the impact of cumulative demographic and antenatal risks and parity on parenting outcomes. A secondary aim was to assess mother and infant service utilisation.

Method

This study involved an assessment of the baseline characteristics of a sample of mothers (N = 190; Mean age = 31.6 years, SD = 5.4) with young infants (average age = 10.13 weeks, SD = 0.8) living in disadvantaged communities in Ireland.

Results

Mothers with more risk factors (e.g., lone and/or teenage parenthood, socioeconomic disadvantage, and low social support) reported significantly higher levels of depression and lower parental self‐efficacy. Observations of the home environment indicated that at‐risk parents engaged in less cognitive stimulation and lower levels of emotional support for their child. The impact of these risk factors differed for primiparous and multiparous mothers.

Conclusions

At‐risk mothers are more susceptible to mental health difficulties and poorer parenting outcomes during the transition to parenthood. This study also provides important comparative insights into experiences of primiparous and multiparous parents. These findings have important implications for practitioners and policy makers, particularly the provision of universal and proportionate supports to prevent and/or interrupt poor parent–child relationships and negative developmental outcomes.
Type 2 diabetes remission: economic evaluation of the DiRECT/Counterweight‐Plus weight management programme within a primary care randomized controlled trial
Authors: Xin Y. , Davies A. , McCombie L. , Briggs A. , Messow C.‐M. , Grieve E. , Leslie W. S. , Taylor R. , Lean M. E. J.
Published: April 2019

Aim

The Counterweight‐Plus weight management programme achieved 46% remission of Type 2 diabetes at 1 year in the DiRECT trial. We estimated the implementation costs of the Counterweight‐Plus programme and its 1‐year cost‐effectiveness in terms of diabetes remission, compared with usual care, from the UK National Health Service (NHS) perspective.

Methods

Within‐trial total costs included programme set‐up and running costs (practitioner appointment visits, low‐energy formula diet sachets and training), oral anti‐diabetes and anti‐hypertensive medications, and healthcare contacts. Total costs were calculated for aggregated resource use for each participant and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were based on 1000 non‐parametric bootstrap iterations.

Results

One‐year programme costs under trial conditions were estimated at £1137 per participant (95% CI £1071, £1205). The intervention led to a significant cost‐saving of £120 (95% CI £78, £163) for the oral anti‐diabetes drugs and £14 (95% CI £7.9, £22) for anti‐hypertensive medications compared with the control. Deducting the cost‐savings of all healthcare contacts from the intervention cost resulted an incremental cost of £982 (95% CI £732, £1258). Cost per 1 year of diabetes remission was £2359 (95% CI £1668, £3250).

Conclusions

Remission of Type 2 diabetes within 1‐year can be achieved at a cost below the annual cost of diabetes (including complications). Providing a reasonable proportion of remissions can be maintained over time, with multiple medical gains expected, as well as immediate social benefits, there is a case for shifting resources within diabetes care budgets to offer support for people with Type 2 diabetes to attempt remission. (Clinical Trial Registry No.: ISRCTN03267836)
Measured and modelled effect of land‐use change from temperate grassland to Miscanthus on soil carbon stocks after 12 years
Authors: Holder Amanda J. , Clifton‐Brown John , Rowe Rebecca , Robson Paul , Elias Dafydd , Dondini Marta , McNamara Niall P. , Donnison Iain S. , McCalmont Jon P.
Published: April 2019

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important carbon pool susceptible to land‐use change (LUC). There are concerns that converting grasslands into the C4 bioenergy crop Miscanthus (to meet demands for renewable energy) could negatively impact SOC, resulting in reductions of greenhouse gas mitigation benefits gained from using Miscanthus as a fuel. This work addresses these concerns by sampling soils (0–30 cm) from a site 12 years (T12) after conversion from marginal agricultural grassland into Miscanthus x giganteus and four other novel Miscanthus hybrids. Soil samples were analysed for changes in below‐ground biomass, SOC and Miscanthus contribution to SOC (using a 13C natural abundance approach). Findings are compared to ECOSSE soil carbon model results (run for a LUC from grassland to Miscanthus scenario and continued grassland counterfactual), and wider implications are considered in the context of life cycle assessments based on the heating value of the dry matter (DM) feedstock. The mean T12 SOC stock at the site was 8 (±1 standard error) Mg C/ha lower than baseline time zero stocks (T0), with assessment of the five individual hybrids showing that while all had lower SOC stock than at T0 the difference was only significant for a single hybrid. Over the longer term, new Miscanthus C4 carbon replaces pre‐existing C3 carbon, though not at a high enough rate to completely offset losses by the end of year 12. At the end of simulated crop lifetime (15 years), the difference in SOC stocks between the two scenarios was 4 Mg C/ha (5 g CO2‐eq/MJ). Including modelled LUC‐induced SOC loss, along with carbon costs relating to soil nitrous oxide emissions, doubled the greenhouse gas intensity of Miscanthus to give a total global warming potential of 10 g CO2‐eq/MJ (180 kg CO2‐eq/Mg DM).
Protective effect of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in patients with rapid renal function decline, stage G3 or G4 chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes
Authors: Miyoshi Hideaki , Kameda Hiraku , Yamashita Kumiko , Nakamura Akinobu , Kurihara Yoshio
Published: April 2019

Aims/Introduction

The risk of end‐stage kidney disease increases in proportion to the decline in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Although protective effects of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on the eGFR decline were shown in several large‐scale clinical trials, there are no studies investigating patients with a high risk of end‐stage kidney disease. We investigated the efficacy and safety of SGLT2i in advanced renal dysfunction patients (stage G3 or G4 of chronic kidney disease) with a rapid decline in eGFR.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective, longitudinal study enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with SGLT2i, and whose eGFR was <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and had declined >20% over 2 years (%ΔeGFR−2y) before initiating SGLT2i. The primary end‐point was the change in eGFR 2 years after initiation (%ΔeGFR+2y) compared with %ΔeGFR−2y.

Results

A total of 17 patients among 553 patients treated with SGLT2i for ≥2 years were included in the study. The average age, glycated hemoglobin and eGFR at SGLT2i initiation were 68.5 years, 7.3% and 38.3 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. %ΔeGFR+2y in patients who were treated with SGLT2i was significantly increased compared with the patients not treated with SGLT2i (2.3 and −21.7%, respectively; P < 0.0001). A multiple regression analysis showed that only the proportion of the rate of eGFR decline was the independent factor associated with improvement of %ΔeGFR+2y. There was no increase in serious adverse events including acute kidney injury.

Conclusions

SGLT2i was safe, and prevented further eGFR decline in patients with type 2 diabetes and advanced renal dysfunction.
Qigong as a promising mind‐body exercise for cognitive functioning: Letter to Editor
Authors: Ibañez Gladys E. , Fennie Kristopher , Larkey Linda
Published: April 2019

See the Reply by Wu and Tang
Elevated miR‐200a and miR‐141 inhibit endocrine gland‐derived vascular endothelial growth factor expression and ciliogenesis in preeclampsia
Authors: Wang Chia‐Yih , Tsai Pei‐Yin , Chen Ting‐Yu , Tsai Hui‐Ling , Kuo Pao‐Lin , Su Mei‐Tsz
Published: April 2019

Key points

Endocrine gland‐derived vascular endothelial growth factor (EG‐VEGF) is a critical factor that facilitates trophoblast invasion in placenta.

Plasma miR‐141 and miR‐200a levels were elevated, while EG‐VEGF was decreased in peripheral blood and placenta of preeclamptic patients. Furthermore, numbers of cilia in the placenta from preeclamptic women were significantly decreased.

Elevated miR‐141 and miR‐200a inhibited the expression of EG‐VEGF, downstream extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)/matrix metalloproteinase 9 signalling and cilia formation, thus leading to defective trophoblast invasion.

The growth of the primary cilium, which transduced ERK signalling upon EG‐VEGF induction for proper trophoblast invasion, was also inhibited by miR‐141 and miR‐200a upregulation.

Preeclampsia is a severe gestational complication, and inadequate trophoblast invasion during placental development is an important pathoaetiology. Endocrine gland‐derived vascular endothelial growth factor (EG‐VEGF) is a critical factor that facilitates trophoblast invasion in placenta. By binding to the primary cilium, EG‐VEGF initiates the signalling cascade for proper embryo implantation and placental development. The miR‐200 family was predicted to target the EG‐VEGF 5′‐untranslated region, and its specific binding site was confirmed using a dual luciferase and a co‐transfection assay. In the peripheral blood and placenta of preeclamptic patients, EG‐VEGF showed significantly lower expression, whereas plasma miR‐141 and miR‐200a had higher expression compared with the controls. The biological significance of miR‐141 and miR‐200a was verified using an overexpression method in a trophoblast cell line (HTR‐8/SVneo). Elevated miR‐141 and miR‐200a inhibited the expression of EG‐VEGF, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and downstream extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signalling, thus leading to defective trophoblast invasion. Additionally, the growth of the primary cilium, which transduces ERK/MMP9 signalling upon EG‐VEGF induction, was inhibited by miR‐141 and miR‐200a upregulation. Furthermore, the number of cilia in the human placenta of preeclamptic women was significantly decreased compared to normal placenta. In conclusion, the study uncovers the clinical correlations among the miR‐200 family, EG‐VEGF and the primary cilium in preeclampsia and the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results indicate that miR‐141 and miR‐200a directly targeted EG‐VEGF, suppressed primary cilia formation and inhibited trophoblast invasion. Thus, miR‐141 and miR‐200a could be explored as promising miRNA biomarkers and therapeutic targets in preeclampsia.
The African American Community and Professional Baseball: Examining Major League Baseball’s Corporate Social-Responsibility Efforts as a Relationship-Management Strategy
Authors: Anderson Shaun M. , Martin Matthew M.
Published: April 2019

In 1989, former Major League Baseball (MLB) player John Young created the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program as a way to increase the number of African Americans becoming involved with the game of baseball. Along with this program, MLB created the Urban Youth Academy (UYA) in 2006 as a way to not only teach the game but also provide life skills to youth and adults. However, MLB continues to struggle in developing relationships and increasing involvement of African Americans. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand why African Americans are not interested or involved in MLB. Corporate social responsibility and relationship management theory were used as the frameworks for this study. Eleven RBI and UYA program managers were interviewed to determine the challenges they face in getting African Americans involved in the game. Results from this study indicated four themes regarding MLB program managers’ challenges: inconsistency in measuring success, lack of parental involvement, and lack of trust. A discussion, implications, and future directions are addressed.
Differential Reduction of IP-10 and C-Reactive Protein via Aerobic Exercise or Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction Training in a Large Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Meyer Jacob D. , Hayney Mary S. , Coe Christopher L. , Ninos Cameron L. , Barrett Bruce P.
Published: April 2019

Exercise and meditation improve health and well-being, potentially through decreasing systemic inflammation. In this study, healthy adults (N = 413) were randomized to 8 weeks of training in aerobic exercise, matched mindfulness-based stress reduction, or wait-list control. Three inflammation-related biomarkers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10) were assessed preintervention, directly postintervention, and 17 weeks later. Within-group analyses found that exercise participants had decreased serum interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 postintervention and 17 weeks later, whereas C-reactive protein was lower in mindfulness-based stress-reduction participants 17 weeks postintervention only. Self-reported physical activity or amount of meditation practice did not predict biomarker changes. This study suggests that (a) training in aerobic exercise can lower interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10, a chemokine associated with interferon activity and illness, and (b) training in mindfulness meditation may have a delayed effect on C-reactive protein, an important inflammatory biomarker. The findings highlight the likelihood of multiple, distinct pathways underlying the health-promoting effects of these lifestyle interventions.
Ki-Yong Nam: A Korean Marathon Runner Under Japanese Colonial Rule
Authors: Nam Benjamin H. , Nam Sangback , Love Adam , Hayakawa Takuya , Marshall Rachael C. , Jung Kyung Su
Published: April 2019

This article presents a biographical investigation of Ki-Yong Nam, revealing a little-known story of a Korean marathon runner who lost the opportunity to compete in the canceled 1940 Olympics under Japanese colonial rule. During the Japanese colonial and postcolonial eras, Korean marathoners produced world-class performances in elite events including the Olympic Games and Boston Marathon. Their achievements served as an inspiration to ethnic Koreans during Japanese colonial rule. Today, many Koreans remember these athletes as sport activists and heroes. However, athletes who endeavored to express Korean ethnic identity received scant attention during the war period. This article explores a significant individual whose experiences and ethnic identity were largely erased from history due to the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II, while also illuminating his life after athletics as a coach and physical education teacher in postcolonial South Korea.
Virulence and Metabolism
Authors: Richardson Anthony R.
Published: April 2019

Staphylococcus aureus
is clearly the most pathogenic member of the
Staphylococcaceae
. This is in large part due to the acquisition of an impressive arsenal of virulence factors that are coordinately regulated by a series of dedicated transcription factors. What is becoming more and more appreciated in the field is the influence of the metabolic state of
S. aureus
on the activity of these virulence regulators and their roles in modulating metabolic gene expression. Here I highlight recent advances in
S. aureus
metabolism as it pertains to virulence. Specifically, mechanisms of nutrient acquisition are outlined including carbohydrate and non-carbohydrate carbon/energy sources as well as micronutrient (Fe, Mn, Zn and S) acquisition. Additionally, energy producing strategies (respiration versus fermentation) are discussed and put in the context of pathogenesis. Finally, transcriptional regulators that coordinate metabolic gene expression are outlined, particularly those that affect the activities of major virulence factor regulators. This chapter essentially connects many recent observations that link the metabolism of
S. aureus
to its overall pathogenesis and hints that the mere presence of a plethora of virulence factors may not entirely explain the extraordinary pathogenic potential of
S. aureus
.
Mechanical thrombectomy in nonagenarians with acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Meyer Lukas , Alexandrou Maria , Leischner Hannes , Flottmann Fabian , Deb-Chatterji Milani , Abdullayev Nuran , Maus Volker , Politi Maria , Roth Christian , Kastrup Andreas , Thomalla Goetz , Mpotsaris Anastasios , Fiehler Jens , Papanagiotou Panagiotis
Published: April 2019

Background

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a safe and effective therapy for ischemic stroke. Nevertheless, very elderly patients aged ≥90 years were either excluded or under-represented in previous trials. It remains uncertain whether MT is warranted for this population or whether there should be an upper age limit.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 79 patients with stroke aged ≥90 years from three neurointerventional centers who underwent MT between 2013 and 2017. Good functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin scale (mRS) ≤2 and assessed at 90-day follow-up. Successful recanalization was graded by Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction Scale (TICI) ≥2 b. Feasibility and safety assessments included unsuccessful recanalization attempts (TICI 0), time from groin puncture to recanalization, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), mortality, and intervention-related serious adverse events.

Results

Only occlusions within the anterior circulation were included. Median time from groin puncture to recanalization was 39 min (IQR 25–57 min). The rate of successful recanalization (TICI ≥2 b) was 69.6% (55/79). Good functional outcome (mRS ≤2) at 90 days was observed in 16% (12/75) of patients. In-hospital mortality was 29.1% (23/79) and increased significantly at 90 days (46.7%, 35/75; p<0.001). sICH occurred in 5.1% (4/79) of patients. No independent predictor for good functional outcome (mRS ≤2) at 90 days was identified through logistic regression analysis.

Conclusion

MT in nonagenarians leads to high mortality rates and less frequently good functional outcome compared with younger patient cohorts in previous large randomized trials. However, MT appears to be safe and beneficial for a certain number of very elderly patients and therefore should generally not be withheld from nonagenarians.
The influence of temperature and life stage in shaping migratory patterns during the early marine phase of two Newfoundland (Canada) Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations
Authors: Bøe Kristin , Power Michael , Robertson Martha J. , Morris Corey J. , Dempson J. Brian , Pennell Curtis J. , Fleming Ian A.
Published: April 2019

Owing to the iteroparous nature of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), a seaward migrating cohort may consist of juveniles and adults that differ in size, maturity, experience, and in the motivation and consequences of migratory movements. Few studies have investigated the role of ontogeny in shaping intrapopulation variability in movement patterns among Atlantic salmon monitored under the same environmental conditions. This study contrasted the movements of smolts and kelts in two Canadian (Newfoundland) populations from marine entry through coastal embayments and quantified the influence of local water temperatures on movement patterns. Significant differences in migration routes, migration speed, and diel movements between smolts and kelts were present. Kelts generally displayed faster, more directed, and less nocturnal movements compared with smolts. Temperature influenced seaward movement positively, as well as the degree of diurnal movement. Prolonged nearshore residency by smolts and kelts in the two embayments was accompanied by a considerable improvement in ocean thermal conditions, hypothesized to promote open ocean entry during conditions favorable to migration performance.
Catch shares drive fleet consolidation and increased targeting but not spatial effort concentration nor changes in location choice in a multispecies trawl fishery
Authors: Kuriyama Peter T. , Holland Daniel S. , Barnett Lewis A.K. , Branch Trevor A. , Hicks Robert L. , Schnier Kurt E.
Published: April 2019

Catch share systems are generally expected to increase economic rents in fisheries by increasing harvest efficiency, reducing capital costs through consolidation, and increasing the value of landed catch. However, these benefits may have costs, as consolidation and the potential for associated change in spatial distribution in landings can hinder social objectives such as maintaining access for fishery-dependent communities and small owner-operators. Achievement of such fishery management objectives are determined by changes in fisher behavior, which may be complex and difficult to predict. Predicting fisher behavior is particularly challenging in multispecies fisheries, in which the mix of species is a determinant of where and when fishing effort and landings occur. We evaluate changes in overall fishing effort, species targeting, and determinants of fishing location choice in response to catch shares in the US West Coast Groundfish Trawl Fishery. We found reductions in total fishing effort, increased targeting of some species, and no evidence of spatial effort concentration. Key determinants of location choice (distance, expected revenue, and recently fished locations) were similar among time periods, but after catch shares there was more avoidance of areas that lacked recent fishing activity or associated information with which to develop expectations of catch and bycatch. Additionally, location choice remained constant with up to 100-fold financial penalties on bycatch species.
Carnitine Is Associated With Atherosclerotic Risk and Myocardial Infarction in HIV‐Infected Adults
Authors: Sinha Arjun , Ma Yifei , Scherzer Rebecca , Rahalkar Smruti , Neilan Brendan D. , Crane Heidi , Drozd Daniel , Martin Jeffrey , Deeks Steven G. , Hunt Peter , Hsue Priscilla Y.
Published: April 2019

Background

People living with
HIV
(
PLWH
) have an increased risk of myocardial infarction (
MI
). Changes in the gut microbiota that occur with chronic
HIV
infection could play a role in
HIV
‐associated atherosclerosis. Choline, carnitine, betaine, and trimethylamine N‐oxide are small molecules that are, in part, metabolized or produced by the gut microbiome. We hypothesized that these metabolites would be associated with carotid artery intima‐media thickness and
MI
in
PLWH
.

Methods and Results

Carotid artery intima‐media thickness was measured at baseline and at a median interval of 4 years in 162
PLWH
from the
SCOPE
(Study of the Consequences of the Protease Inhibitor Era) cohort in San Francisco,
CA
. Separately, 105
PLWH
(36 cases with type I adjudicated
MI
and 69 controls without
MI
) were selected from the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems, a multicenter clinic‐based cohort. Controls were matched by demographics,
CD
4 cell count, and duration of viral suppression. In the
SCOPE
cohort, higher carnitine levels had a significant association with presence of carotid plaque and greater baseline and progression of mean carotid artery intima‐media thickness after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors. In the treated and suppressed subgroup, these associations with carnitine remained significant after adjustment for cardiovascular disease risk factors. In the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort, the risk of
MI
was significantly increased in subjects with carnitine levels in the highest quartile after adjustment for cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Conclusions

In
PLWH
, including the treated and suppressed subgroup, carnitine is independently associated with carotid artery intima‐media thickness, carotid plaque, and
MI
in 2 separate cohorts. These results emphasize the potential role of gut microbiota in
HIV
‐associated atherosclerosis and
MI
, especially in relation to carnitine metabolism.
School Start Times, Delinquency, and Substance Use: A Criminological Perspective
Authors: Semenza Daniel C. , Meldrum Ryan C. , Jackson Dylan B. , Vaughn Michael G. , Piquero Alex R.
Published: April 2019

Research finds a lack of sleep during adolescence is associated with a variety of negative outcomes and suggests that early school start times contribute to this problem. Criminologists have largely overlooked the relevance of school start times for adolescent delinquency and substance use, precluding multidisciplinary collaborations between criminologists and other social and health scientists that might further elucidate emerging policy initiatives. We provide a theoretically informed criminological perspective explicating the mechanisms through which delaying school start times may reduce delinquency and substance use. Two pathways are proposed: one focused on self-control and another on unstructured socializing with peers. After discussing evidence supporting the pathways, this article outlines a research agenda for criminologists to contribute to understudied portions of the model.
“I Avenge; Others Aggress”: A Victim–Perpetrator Asymmetry in Judging Whether a Transgression Was Motivated by Revenge
Authors: Ent Michael R. , Parton Drew M.
Published: April 2019

In two studies, victims differed from perpetrators as to whether they viewed a transgression as motivated by a desire for revenge. When participants wrote about autobiographical episodes in which they hurt others, they were somewhat likely to report that they were motivated by revenge; when the same participants wrote about episodes in which others hurt them, they were less likely to report that the perpetrators were motivated by revenge. This asymmetry could act as a barrier to reconciliation. This asymmetry may also facilitate a cycle of revenge in that those who view themselves as the targets of unprovoked aggression (as opposed to vengeance) may be especially likely to feel that they have a score to settle.
Capillary pressure–saturation curves of thin hydrophilic fibrous layers: effects of overburden pressure, number of layers, and multiple imbibition–drainage cycles
Authors: Tavangarrad Amir Hossein , Hassanizadeh S. Majid , Rosati Rodrigo , Digirolamo Luigi , van Genuchten Martinus Th
Published: April 2019

Unsaturated fluid flow in thin porous media depends on hydraulic properties, such as the capillary pressure, P c, as a function of saturation, S. We measured this relationship for two different types of compressible thin hydrophilic fibrous layers under varying conditions. Among other factors, we changed the number of layers and the overburden pressure (i.e. the confined solid pressure applied on top of the sample) imposed on one layer or a stack of layers. Applying an overburden pressure drastically affected the [Formula: see text] curves. However, increasing the number of fibrous layers had little impact on the capillary pressure–saturation curves. We also investigated the effect of multiple imbibition–drainage cycles on the [Formula: see text] data. Measured data points were used to find general expressions for the [Formula: see text] relationships of compressible thin porous media. Existing quasi-empirical correlations used in vadose zone hydrology, notably expressions by van Genuchten (Van Genuchten MTh. A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 1980; 44: 892-898) and Durner (Durner W. Hydraulic conductivity estimation for soils with heterogeneous pore structure. Water Resour Res 1994; 32: 211–223) for single- and dual-porosity media, respectively, were employed to fit the measured data points.
Study on the effect of an inert atmosphere for the heat treatment coloration of wool fabric
Authors: Li Daiqi , Tang Bin , Xu Zhenglin , Cai Guangming
Published: April 2019

This article is focused on a novel method to color wool fabric via heat treatment under an inert atmosphere. It can not only give new color to the fabric but also minimize pollution, because it is water and dye-free. The effects of temperature, time and different inert atmospheres (nitrogen, argon) used in the heat treatment on wool fabric color were studied. The bending stiffness, the crease recovery angle and tensile testing were used to analyze the mechanical properties of wool fabric before and after heat treatment. The color fastness to soaping and light of wool fabric after inert atmosphere heat treatment were compared with that of traditional basic yellow dyed wool fabric. The results showed that the K/ S value of wool fabric treated with a nitrogen and argon atmosphere increased with the increasing temperature and time. Under the same heat treatment conditions, the maximum K/ S value of fabric heat treated under nitrogen was higher than that under argon. The bending stiffness and crease recovery angle performance were improved and positively correlated with the heat treatment temperature and time. The samples treated under the same conditions under nitrogen showed higher bending stiffness and a lower crease recovery angle than under argon. The contact angle of the wool fabric after the treatment would decrease first and then increase with the increasing temperature. The tensile strength of the wool fabric would decrease with increasing temperature and time of the heat treatment in both nitrogen and argon, and the tensile strength of the wool fabric after treatment was higher than 80% of the original tensile strength, although the breaking elongation decreased. The color fastness to soaping and light of wool fabric after inert atmosphere heat treatment were better than for the traditional basic yellow dyed wool fabric. Therefore, the use of inert atmosphere heat treatment to endow wool fabric color is a potential research direction.
Of the Coming of John: A Contemporary Counter-Story of Race and Gifted Education
Authors: Ferrell Amy L. , Black Ray
Published: April 2019

Upholding critical race theory (CRT)’s transdisciplinary approach to unveil the educational violence against Students of Color, we apply W.E.B. Du Bois’s story of John from the chapter “Of the Coming of John” in The Souls of Black Folk. In doing so, we expose the problematic ideological and practical structures used for the identification and retention of Students of Color within gifted and talented programming. Examining the concepts of the Veil and double consciousness through the analogous relationship of Du Bois’s John to a contemporary John, we parallel the insidious educational experiences of Students of Color that has remained relatively constant over time.
Patterns of Dating Aggression and Victimization in Relation to School Environment Factors Among Middle School Students
Authors: Sullivan Terri N. , Goncy Elizabeth A. , Garthe Rachel C. , Carlson Megan M. , Behrhorst Kathryn L. , Farrell Albert D.
Published: April 2019

This study examined relations between patterns of dating aggression and victimization and school environment factors among 4,114 early adolescents attending 37 middle schools in four sites in the United States (51% Black, non-Hispanic, 21% Hispanic, and 17% White). Latent class analyses revealed a five-class solution that differentiated among youth classified as uninvolved (54%), psychologically aggressive victims (18%), aggressors (11%), victims (11%), and aggressive victims (5%). These groups differed in their perceptions of school environment factors, including the quality of student–student and student–teacher relationships, awareness/reporting of violence, school safety problems, and school norms for aggression and nonviolence. Our findings underscore the need for dating violence prevention efforts in early adolescence and the relevance of school environment and more selective interventions.
Wind energy resource assessment for Suva, Fiji, with accurate Weibull parameters
Authors: Kutty Saiyad S , Khan MGM , Ahmed M Rafiuddin
Published: April 2019

Wind resource assessment is carried out for Suva, the capital of the Republic of Fiji Islands. The wind speeds at 34 m and 20 m above ground level, wind direction, atmospheric pressure, and temperature were measured for more than five years and were statistically analyzed. The daily, monthly, yearly, and seasonal averages were estimated. For the site, the overall average wind speed at 34 m above ground level is found to be 5.18 m/s. The occurrence of effective wind (between the cut-in and cut-off wind speeds of the selected turbine) is predominantly from the east. An effective wind speed of 74.175% was recorded which can be used for power generation. The turbulence intensity and wind shear coefficient are estimated. The site’s overall turbulence intensities are 12.5% and 13.72% at 34 m and 20 m above ground level, respectively. The diurnal wind shear correlated with the temperature variation very well. The overall and seasonal wind distributions are analyzed, which shows that the wind speed in Suva is mostly between 3 m/s and 9 m/s although the winter season has higher wind speeds. The Weibull parameters and the wind power density were found using 10 different methods. The wind power density is estimated to be 159 W/m2 using the best method, which is found to be the empirical method of Justus. A high-resolution map around the site is digitized and the wind power density resource map is generated using wind atlas analysis and application program. From the wind atlas analysis and application program analysis, it is seen that Suva has high potential for power generation. Five possible locations are selected for installing wind turbines and the annual energy production is estimated using wind atlas analysis and application program. The total annual energy production from the five sites is 1950 MWh. The average capacity factor of the five turbines is 17%. An economic analysis is performed which showed a payback period of 10.83 years.
Introduction to “Sport and Failure”
Authors: Sheppard Samantha N.
Published: April 2019

This Special Issue is a collaborative project on the study of sport and failure. In dialogue with a range of works, queries, objects of study, and fields, these interdisciplinary sports studies scholars use a variety of approaches to ground and provide innovative critical entanglements to understand how sports types, players, cultures, worlds, and industries create, reproduce, and resist dominant ideas and structures. Collectively, these authors consider how sporting failures can articulate a “counterhegemonic discourse of losing” that challenges a world obsessed with power, prestige, privilege, and various other articulations of success. In this Issue, the authors explore how failure can catalyze acts of liberation from and resistance to restrictive and unequal modes of being in “societies structured in dominance.” Failure in this capacity can help to imagine alternatives to hegemonic norms, structures, and identities.
Merit-based exclusion in Finnish music schools
Authors: Elmgren Heidi
Published: April 2019

In this article I analyse merit-based exclusion in Finnish music schools for children and young people. I base my study on my earlier research on meritocracy and written data collected online from current and former music school students in the autumn and winter of 2015–2016. I am able to show there are implicit and explicit merit-based hierarchies in the music school. Hierarchies and exclusion are shown to be connected to the institution’s meritocratic features. As the hierarchies are merit-based, it is hard to question them. The hierarchies justify excluding students from certain practices such as performances. These practices are in fact learning opportunities, as has been established by earlier research. In addition to this, the hierarchies also influence students’ views of their potential and this, combined with limited learning opportunities, hinders their development. The hierarchies thus produce self-fulfilling prophecies of the students’ advancement. This is how the meritocratic system can in fact produce the failure it pretends only to reflect.