bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Population-based analysis of curative therapies in stage II non-small cell lung cancer: the role of radiotherapy in medically inoperable patients
Authors: Moore Sara , Leung Bonnie , Wu Jonn , Ho Cheryl
Published: January 2020

Objectives

Curative intent therapy of stage II NSCLC may include surgical resection or definitive radiotherapy. Primary management with surgery or radiotherapy may be influenced by patient and disease characteristics. We sought to perform a comparison of patients receiving surgery or radical radiation therapy as their curative treatment, and explore the impact of known prognostic factors on outcome.

Materials and methods

A retrospective review was completed of all patients with stage II NSCLC referred to the BC Cancer Agency from 2005 to 2012. Cases were filtered to identify those receiving curative intent therapy including surgery or radiotherapy. Information was collected on known prognostic and predictive factors. The primary outcome measure was overall survival. We compared survival among patients receiving curative intent radiotherapy versus surgical intervention.

Results

A total of 535 patients were referred. Of these, 245 (46%) received curative intent surgery, 132 (25%) curative intent radiotherapy, and 158 (30%) did not receive curative therapy. There were significant differences between cohorts with respect to median age, histology, ECOG PS, smoking status, and weight loss. Median OS was significantly different between cohorts: 61.4 m surgery, 26.5 m curative RT, and 13.1 m non-curative therapy. In a case-matched analysis, median OS remained superior for surgery at 101.6 m vs 28.1 m for curative RT. In a multivariate analysis, ECOG PS, weight loss, and treatment cohort all influenced survival. Among patients receiving curative intent radiotherapy, the use of concurrent chemotherapy and RT dose > = 60Gy were associated with improved outcomes.

Conclusions

Among patients with stage II NSCLC, many are unable to undergo standard of care surgical resection. Radiotherapy provides an inferior yet still curative option in the management of inoperable patients. Further work is needed to optimize outcomes in this population.
Treatment planning comparison of volumetric modulated arc therapy employing a dual-layer stacked multi-leaf collimator and helical tomotherapy for cervix uteri
Authors: Panda S. , Swamidas J. , Chopra S. , Mangaj A. , Fogliata A. , Kupelian P. , Agarwal J. P. , Cozzi L.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

To ascertain the dosimetric performance of a new delivery system (the Halcyon system, H) equipped with dual-layer stacked multi-leaf collimator (MLC) for risk-adapted targets in cervix uteri cancer patients compared to another ring-based system in clinical operation (Helical Tomotherapy, HT).

Methods

Twenty patients were retrospectively included in a treatment planning study (10 with positive lymph nodes and 10 without). The dose prescription (45Gy to the primary tumour volume and a simultaneously integrated boost up to 55Gy for the positive patients) and the clinical planning objectives were defined consistently as recommended by an ongoing multicentric clinical trial. Halcyon plans were optimised for the volumetric modulated arc therapy. The plan comparison was performed employing the quantitative analysis of the dose-volume histograms.

Results

The coverage of the primary and nodal target volumes was comparable for both techniques and both subsets of patients. The primary planning target volume (PTV) receiving at least 95% of the prescription isodose ranged from 97.2 ± 1.1% (node-negative) to 99.1 ± 1.2% (node-positive) for H and from 96.5 ± 1.9% (node-negative) to 98.3 ± 0.9% (node-positive) for HT. The uncertainty is expressed at one standard deviation from the cohort of patient per each group. For the nodal clinical target volumes, the dose received by 98% of the planning target volume ranged 55.5 ± 0.1 to 56.0 ± 0.8Gy for H and HT, respectively. The only significant and potentially relevant differences were observed for the bowels. In this case, V40Gyresulted 226.3 ± 35.9 and 186.9 ± 115.9 cm3for the node-positive and node-negative patients respectively for Halcyon. The corresponding findings for HT were: 258.9 ± 60.5 and 224.9 ± 102.2 cm3. On the contrary, V15Gyresulted 1279.7 ± 296.5 and 1557.2 ± 359.9 cm3for HT and H respectively for node-positive and 1010.8 ± 320.9 versus 1203.8 ± 332.8 cm3for node-negative.

Conclusion

This retrospective treatment planning study, based on the dose constraints derived from the Embrace II study protocol, suggested the essential equivalence between Halcyon based and Helical Tomotherapy based plans for the intensity-modulated rotational treatment of cervix uteri cancer. Different levels of sparing were observed for the bowels with H better protecting in the high-dose region and HT in the mid-low dose regions. The clinical impact of these differences should be further addressed.
Radiotherapy alone for stage IE ocular adnexal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas: long-term results
Authors: Niwa Masanari , Ishikura Satoshi , Tatekawa Kotoha , Takama Natsuko , Miyakawa Akifumi , Kubota Toshinobu , Kato Eriko , Shibamoto Yuta
Published: January 2020

Background

To evaluate the long-term efficacy and toxicity of radiation therapy in patients with Stage IE primary ocular adnexal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Methods

We designed a retrospective analysis to evaluate 81 patients with ocular adnexal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma treated with radiation therapy between 2006 and 2016. The median radiation dose was 30 Gy (range, 30–36 Gy in 15–18 fractions). Local control, progression-free survival, overall survival, and cumulative incidence of Grade 3 cataract were calculated by using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Result

The median follow-up time was 74 months (range, 4–157 months). The 5-year local control was 100%. Although local relapse was suspected in 3 patients after radiation therapy, 2 patients were pathologically diagnosed as IgG4-related inflammation and in 1 patient as intense inflammatory cell infiltration. The 5-year progression-free survival was 94.4%. Five patients had relapse at distant sites. The 5-year overall survival was 98.8%. Twenty patients had Grade 3 cataract. The 5-year cumulative incidences of Grade ≥ 3 and Grade ≥ 2 cataract for 58 patients treated without a lens shield were 38 and 40%, respectively. The incidence of Grade ≥ 3 cataract was 42% for 50 patients treated with 6-MV X-rays (estimated lens dose: 29 Gy) and 17% for 8 patients treated with 9-MeV electrons (estimated lens dose: 24 Gy).

Conclusions

Radiation therapy alone yielded excellent local control and long-term survival in Stage IE ocular adnexal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Long-term observation with careful attention to relapse at distant sites is necessary. In the case of suspected local relapse, IgG4-related disease should be carefully ruled out.
Towards European harmonisation of healthcare for patients with rare immune disorders: outcome from the ERN RITA registries survey
Authors:   on behalf of ERN RITA Council, Papa Riccardo , Cant Andrew , Klein Christoph , Little Mark A. , Wulffraat Nico M. , Gattorno Marco , Ruperto Nicolino
Published: January 2020

The Rare Immunodeficiency, AutoInflammatory and AutoImmune Disease (RITA) network is a European Research Network (ERN) that brings together the leading centres for rare immune disorders. On April 2018 an online survey was sent to all RITA members in order to facilitate the harmonization of data collection in rare immune disorders registries. Currently, as many as 52 different registries collect data on rare immune disorders, of whom 30 (58%) are dedicated primarily to autoimmune diseases, 15 (29%) to primary immunodeficiencies and 12 (23%) to autoinflammatory disorders. Improving data on patient safety, outcome, and quality of life measures is warranted to unfold the full potential of RITA registries.
The impact of high frequency oscillatory ventilation on mortality in paediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Wong Judith Ju-Ming , Liu Siqi , Dang Hongxing , Anantasit Nattachai , Phan Phuc Huu , Phumeetham Suwannee , Qian Suyun , Ong Jacqueline Soo May , Gan Chin Seng , Chor Yek Kee , Samransamruajkit Rujipat , Loh Tsee Foong , Feng Mengling , Lee Jan Hau ,   for the Pediatric Acute & Critical care Medicine Asian Network (PACCMAN)
Published: January 2020

Background

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) use was associated with greater mortality in adult acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Nevertheless, HFOV is still frequently used as rescue therapy in paediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS). In view of the limited evidence for HFOV in PARDS and evidence demonstrating harm in adult patients with ARDS, we hypothesized that HFOV use compared to other modes of mechanical ventilation is associated with increased mortality in PARDS.

Methods

Patients with PARDS from 10 paediatric intensive care units across Asia from 2009 to 2015 were identified. Data on epidemiology and clinical outcomes were collected. Patients on HFOV were compared to patients on other modes of ventilation. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality and secondary outcomes were 28-day ventilator- (VFD) and intensive care unit- (IFD) free days. Genetic matching (GM) method was used to analyse the association between HFOV treatment with the primary outcome. Additionally, we performed a sensitivity analysis, including propensity score (PS) matching, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and marginal structural modelling (MSM) to estimate the treatment effect.

Results

A total of 328 patients were included. In the first 7 days of PARDS, 122/328 (37.2%) patients were supported with HFOV. There were significant differences in baseline oxygenation index (OI) between the HFOV and non-HFOV groups (18.8 [12.0, 30.2] vs. 7.7 [5.1, 13.1] respectively; p < 0.001). A total of 118 pairs were matched in the GM method which found a significant association between HFOV with 28-day mortality in PARDS [odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3, 4.4, p value 0.01]. VFD was indifferent between the HFOV and non-HFOV group [mean difference − 1.3 (95%CI − 3.4, 0.9); p = 0.29] but IFD was significantly lower in the HFOV group [− 2.5 (95%CI − 4.9, − 0.5); p = 0.03]. From the sensitivity analysis, PS matching, IPTW and MSM all showed consistent direction of HFOV treatment effect in PARDS.

Conclusion

The use of HFOV was associated with increased 28-day mortality in PARDS. This study suggests caution but does not eliminate equivocality and a randomized controlled trial is justified to examine the true association.
Effect of Daesiho-tang on obesity with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial
Authors: Han Kyungsun , Kwon Ojin , Park Hyo-ju , Jung So-Young , Yang Changsop , Son Chang-Gue
Published: January 2020

Background

The high prevalence of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty acid disease has become an important public health problem. Daesiho-tang (DST) is an herbal medicine widely used to treat obesity, metabolic syndrome and liver diseases. This pilot study will assess the feasibility of using DST in obese patients with a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prior to undertaking a full-scale clinical trial.

Methods/design

This is a study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, stratified, placebo-controlled pilot trial. We will recruit a total of 60 participants with NAFLD who have a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2. They will take either DST or placebo (3 g, three times daily) for 12 weeks with a 4-week follow-up period. The effects of DST will be evaluated by the mean change in body weight as the primary measurement and other secondary parameters (body composition, anthropometric measurements, blood tests, hepatic fat quantification through transient elastography and a physical symptoms questionnaire). Faecal samples will be collected before and after the intervention for a gut microbial analysis.

Discussion

In anticipation of conducting further large-scale trials, in this study we will explore the effect of DST on weight loss and obesity-related markers, along with NAFLD-related clinical parameters, in obese patients with NAFLD. Furthermore, it will provide insight into the DST pharmacological mechanism of action through a gut microbiome analysis.

Trial registration

Korean Clinical Trial Registry, KCT0003554. Registered on 25 February 2019.
Proteins involved in the biosynthesis of lipophosphoglycan in Leishmania: a comparative genomic and evolutionary analysis
Authors: Azevedo Lucas Gentil , de Queiroz Artur Trancoso Lopo , Barral Aldina , Santos Luciane Amorim , Ramos Pablo Ivan Pereira
Published: January 2020

Background

Leishmania spp. are digenetic parasites capable of infecting humans and causing a range of diseases collectively known as leishmaniasis. The main mechanisms involved in the development and permanence of this pathology are linked to evasion of the immune response. Crosstalk between the immune system and particularities of each pathogenic species is associated with diverse disease manifestations. Lipophosphoglycan (LPG), one of the most important molecules present on the surface of Leishmania parasites, is divided into four regions with high molecular variability. Although LPG plays an important role in host-pathogen and vector-parasite interactions, the distribution and phylogenetic relatedness of the genes responsible for its synthesis remain poorly explored. The recent availability of full genomes and transcriptomes of Leishmania parasites offers an opportunity to leverage insight on how LPG-related genes are distributed and expressed by these pathogens.

Results

Using a phylogenomics-based framework, we identified a catalog of genes involved in LPG biosynthesis across 22 species of Leishmania from the subgenera Viannia and Leishmania, as well as 5 non-Leishmania trypanosomatids. The evolutionary relationships of these genes across species were also evaluated. Nine genes related to the production of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor were highly conserved among compared species, whereas 22 genes related to the synthesis of the repeat unit presented variable conservation. Extensive gain/loss events were verified, particularly in genes SCG1-4 and SCA1-2. These genes act, respectively, on the synthesis of the side chain attached to phosphoglycans and in the transfer of arabinose residues. Phylogenetic analyses disclosed evolutionary patterns reflective of differences in host specialization, geographic origin and disease manifestation.

Conclusions

The multiple gene gain/loss events identified by genomic data mining help to explain some of the observed intra- and interspecies variation in LPG structure. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive catalog that details how LPG-related genes evolved in the Leishmania parasite specialization process.
A highly sensitive and specific workflow for detecting rare copy-number variants from exome sequencing data
Authors: Rajagopalan Ramakrishnan , Murrell Jill R. , Luo Minjie , Conlin Laura K.
Published: January 2020

Background

Exome sequencing (ES) is a first-tier diagnostic test for many suspected Mendelian disorders. While it is routine to detect small sequence variants, it is not a standard practice in clinical settings to detect germline copy-number variants (CNVs) from ES data due to several reasons relating to performance. In this work, we comprehensively characterized one of the most sensitive ES-based CNV tools, ExomeDepth, against SNP array, a standard of care test in clinical settings to detect genome-wide CNVs.

Methods

We propose a modified ExomeDepth workflow by excluding exons with low mappability prior to variant calling to drastically reduce the false positives originating from the repetitive regions of the genome, and an iterative variant calling framework to assess the reproducibility. We used a cohort of 307 individuals with clinical ES data and clinical SNP array to estimate the sensitivity and false discovery rate of the CNV detection using exome sequencing. Further, we performed targeted testing of theSTRCgene in 1972 individuals. To reduce the number of variants for downstream analysis, we performed a large-scale iterative variant calling process with random control cohorts to assess the reproducibility of the CNVs.

Results

The modified workflow presented in this paper reduced the number of total variants identified by one third while retaining a higher sensitivity of 97% and resulted in an improved false discovery rate of 11.4% compared to the default ExomeDepth pipeline. The exclusion of exons with low mappability removes 4.5% of the exons, including a subset of exons (0.6%) in disease-associated genes which are intractable by short-read next-generation sequencing (NGS). Results from the reproducibility analysis showed that the clinically reported variants were reproducible 100% of the time and that the modified workflow can be used to rank variants from high to low confidence. Targeted testing of 30 CNVs identified inSTRC, a challenging gene to ascertain by NGS, showed a 100% validation rate.

Conclusions

In summary, we introduced a modification to the default ExomeDepth workflow to reduce the false positives originating from the repetitive regions of the genome, created a large-scale iterative variant calling framework for reproducibility, and provided recommendations for implementation in clinical settings.
An open-source video tracking system for mouse locomotor activity analysis
Authors: Zhang Chen , Li Haiwen , Han Renzhi
Published: January 2020

Objective

The ability to accurately and efficiently quantify mouse locomotor activity is essential for evaluating therapeutic efficacy and phenotyping genetically modified mice, in particular for the research of neuromuscular diseases. Our objective is to develop a program for video tracking of mice and locomotion analysis.

Results

Here we describe a MATLAB program for video tracking of mice and locomotion analysis. The system is composed of a webcam, an open field, and a computer with MATLAB installed. Animal behavior is recorded by the webcam and the video is then analyzed for mouse position on each frame by a customized MATLAB code. The system has been tested for analyzing two or more mice simultaneously placed in individual chambers. The accumulative moving distance, velocity and thigmotaxis (percentage of time spending in the outer peripheral of the arena, which is commonly used as an index of anxiety) within a test period can be readily obtained. This system can be easily implemented in any laboratory as an in vivo locomotion assay to assess the neuromuscular abnormality of genetically modified animals and the impact of therapeutic interventions.
Segment boundary detection directed attention for online end-to-end speech recognition
Authors: Hou Junfeng , Guo Wu , Song Yan , Dai Li-Rong
Published: January 2020

Attention-based encoder-decoder models have recently shown competitive performance for automatic speech recognition (ASR) compared to conventional ASR systems. However, how to employ attention models for online speech recognition still needs to be explored. Different from conventional attention models wherein the soft alignment is obtained by a pass over the entire input sequence, attention models for online recognition must learn online alignment to attend part of input sequence monotonically when generating output symbols. Based on the fact that every output symbol is corresponding to a segment of input sequence, we propose a new attention mechanism for learning online alignment by decomposing the conventional alignment into two parts:segmentation—segment boundary detection with hard decision—andsegment-directed attention—information aggregation within the segment with soft attention. The boundary detection is conducted along the time axis from left to right, and a decision is made for each input frame about whether it is a segment boundary or not. When a boundary is detected, the decoder generates an output symbol by attending the inputs within the corresponding segment. With the proposed attention mechanism, online speech recognition can be realized. The experimental results on TIMIT and WSJ dataset show that our proposed attention mechanism achieves comparable online performance with state-of-the-art models.
Correction to: On Gaussian covert communication in continuous time
Authors: Wang Ligong
Published: January 2020

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors flagged that the article had published with an error in one of the equations (Eq. 46), in addition to a few minor formatting errors (concerning spacing and parentheses).
An extreme rainfall-induced landslide susceptibility assessment using autoencoder combined with random forest in Shimane Prefecture, Japan
Authors: Nam Kounghoon , Wang Fawu
Published: January 2020

Background

Landslide-affecting factors are uncorrelated or non-linearly correlated, limiting the predictive performance of traditional machine learning methods for landslide susceptibility assessment. Deep learning methods can take advantage of the high-level representation and reconstruction of information from landslide-affecting factors. In this paper, a novel deep learning-based algorithm that combine classifiers of both deep learning and machine learning is proposed for landslide susceptibility assessment. A stacked autoencoder (StAE) and a sparse autoencoder (SpAE) both consist of an input layer for raw data, hidden layer for feature extraction, and output layer for classification and prediction. As a study case, Oda City and Gotsu City in Shimane Prefecture, southwestern Japan, were used for susceptibility assessment and prediction of landslides triggered by extreme rainfall.

Results

The prediction performance was compared by analyzing real landslide and non-landslide data. The prediction performance of random forest (RF) was evaluated as better than that of a support vector machine (SVM) in traditional machine learning, so RF was combined with both StAE and SpAE. The results show that the prediction ratio of the combined classifiers was 93.2% for StAE combined with RF model and 92.5% for SpAE combined with RF model, which were higher than those of the SVM (87.4%), RF (89.7%), StAE (84.2%), and SpAE (88.2%).

Conclusions

This study provides an example of combined classifiers giving a better predictive ratio than a single classifier. The asymmetric and unsupervised autoencoder combined with RF can exploit optimal non-linear features from landslide-affecting factors successfully, outperforms some conventional machine learning methods, and is promising for landslide susceptibility assessment.
IDC theory: interest and the interest loop
Authors: Wong Lung-Hsiang , Chan Tak-Wai , Chen Wenli , Looi Chee-Kit , Chen Zhi-Hong , Liao Calvin C. Y. , King Ronnel B. , Wong Su Luan
Published: January 2020

Numerous studies have shown that learning is enhanced when students show interest in the subject matter. However, educators continue to grapple with the challenges, or simply do not recognize their potential roles, in the development of students’ academic interest and interest in learning in general. This conceptual paper is written under the auspices of the interest-driven creator (IDC) initiative, a theoretical synthesis effort carried out by a group of educational researchers in Asia. The intention is to co-construct a holistic developmental/design framework to guide the students in fostering their learning interests, capabilities in creation, and learning habits—the three anchored concepts of IDC theory. This paper focuses on delineating a three-component “interest loop” to guide the design of a coherent learning process that encompasses a series of learning tasks. The three components are triggering interest, immersing interest, and extending interest. Underpinned by the rich literature on interest development, we will propose suitable design strategies for each of the three components, namely, curiosity, flow, and meaningfulness, respectively. We will then explicate their respective design considerations/principles to maximize the intended effects.
S100A4 is elevated in axial spondyloarthritis: a potential link to disease severity
Authors: Šumová Barbora , Cerezo Lucie Andrés , Hulejová Hana , Prajzlerová Klára , Tomčík Michal , Bubová Kristýna , Štěpán Jan , Filková Mária , Kropáčková Tereza , Grigorian Mariam , Pavelka Karel , Vencovský Jiří , Šenolt Ladislav
Published: January 2020

Background

S100A4 is a member of calcium binding S100 protein family well known for its role in cancer progression and metastasis. Nevertheless, S100A4 also serves as a negative regulator of bone formation. Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), marker of bone remodelling, is also implicated in the process of syndesmophyte formation in ankylosing spondylitis. The aim of our study was to evaluate plasma levels of S100A4 in patients with axial spondyloarthritis and to determine the potential association of S100A4 with disease severity, clinical manifestations and with bone changes in a cross-sectional study.

Methods

Fifty-eight patients with axial spondyloarthritis and 40 healthy controls were studied. Biological samples were analysed for S100A4 and Dickkopf-1. Disease activity was assessed according to the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index. C-reactive protein (CRP) was used as a marker of inflammation. Radiographic damage was assessed using the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS).

Results

The plasma levels of S100A4 were significantly higher in patients with axial spondyloarthritis compared to heathy controls (p < 0.0001). The levels of S100A4 were higher in early stages of the disease and lower in patients with the presence of syndesmophytes (p = 0.009). Furthermore, we found weak but significant inverse correlation of plasma S100A4 with the mSASSS (r = − 0.363, p = 0.030). Levels of S100A4 were negatively associated with disease duration (r = − 0.404, p = 0.002) and positively with Dickkopf-1 binding capacity (r = 0.312, p = 0.023).

Conclusions

This is the first study showing elevated circulating levels of S100A4 in patients with axial spondyloarthritis, particularly in early stages of the disease prior to spinal involvement, and its significantly lower levels in patients with syndesmophytes. The role of S100A4 in the pathogenesis of axial spondyloarthritis can be suggested.
Correction to: Prospective trial examining safety and efficacy of microcurrent stimulation for the treatment of sinus pain and congestion
Authors: Goldsobel Alan B. , Prabhakar Niveditha , Gurfein Blake T.
Published: January 2020

The original version of this article (Goldsobel et al. 2019), published on 20 November 2019, contained incorrect data. In this Correction the affected parts of the article are shown.
Psychosis in children of separated parents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ayerbe Luis , Pérez-Piñar María , Foguet-Boreu Quintí , Ayis Salma
Published: January 2020

Background.

Parental separation is a very common childhood adversity. The association between other adverse childhood experiences and an increased risk of psychosis has been reported. However, the evidence on the risk of psychosis for children of separated parents is limited. In this systematic review, cohort, case–control, and cross-sectional studies, comparing the risk of psychotic disorders for people with and without separated parents, were searched, critically appraised, and summarized.

Methods.

Studies were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Web of Science, from database inception to September 2019. A meta-analysis, using random-effects models, was undertaken to obtain pooled estimates of the risk of psychosis among participants with separated parents.

Results.

Twelve studies, with 305,652 participants from 22 countries, were included in the review. A significantly increased risk of psychosis for those with separated parents was observed, with a pooled odds ratio: 1.53 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29–1.76), p < 0.001. The association remained significant when cohort, case–control, and cross-sectional studies were analyzed separately. The five cohort studies included in this review showed and increased risk of psychosis with odds ratio: 1.47 (95% CI: 1.26–1.69), p < 0.001.

Conclusions.

Parental separation is a common childhood adversity associated with an increased risk of psychosis. Although the risk for an individual child of separated parents is still low, given the high proportion of couple that separate, the increased rates of psychosis may be substantial in the population. Further studies on the risk of psychosis in those with separated parents, and the explanatory factors for this association, are required.
Angiotensin-(1-7) Participates in Enhanced Skeletal Muscle Insulin Sensitivity After a Bout of Exercise
Authors: Echeverría-Rodríguez Omar , Gallardo-Ortíz Itzell A , Del Valle-Mondragón Leonardo , Villalobos-Molina Rafael
Published: January 2020

A single bout of exercise increases subsequent insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle; however, it is unknown whether angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), a vasoactive peptide of the renin-angiotensin system, participates in this process. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of Ang-(1-7) in enhanced skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity after an exercise session. Male Wistar rats were forced to swim for 2.5 hours. Two hours after exercise, insulin tolerance tests and 2-deoxyglucose uptake in isolated soleus muscle were assessed in the absence or presence of the selective Mas receptor (MasR, Ang-(1-7) receptor) antagonist A779. Ang II and Ang-(1-7) levels were quantified in plasma and soleus muscle by HPLC. The protein abundance of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R), and MasR was measured in soleus muscle by Western blot. Prior exercise enhanced insulin tolerance and insulin-mediated 2-deoxyglucose disposal in soleus muscle. Interestingly, these insulin-sensitizing effects were abolished by A779. After exercise, the Ang-(1-7)/Ang II ratio decreased in plasma, whereas it increased in muscle. In addition, exercise reduced ACE expression, but it did not change the protein abundance of AT1R, ACE2, and MasR. These results suggest that Ang-(1-7) acting through MasR participates in enhanced insulin sensitivity of skeletal muscle after a bout of exercise.
Ghosts in the Barn: Dead Labor and Capital Accumulation in Helena María Viramontes’s Under the Feet of Jesus
Authors: López Dennis
Published: January 2020

There are ghosts in the barn, or at least Helena María Viramontes’s Under the Feet of Jesus leads one to believe so. Instances of spectrality abound in the novel, suggesting a fundamental connection between Viramontes’s figurative appeal to the “ghostly” and her more openly political and economic concerns in telling a story about the poverty, exploitation, and violence suffered yearly by farmworkers at the hands of US agribusiness. This essay argues that Viramontes’s turn to spectrality in Under the Feet of Jesus aims to lay bare the fundamental fetishism and phantasmagoria surrounding the value form and the products of labor under capitalism—what Karl Marx suggestively calls “all the magic and necromancy” shrouding capital accumulation. Capitalism inescapably conjures its own phantoms and so remains haunted by the spectral figures of “dead labor” occulted under the sign of value. Accordingly, Under the Feet of Jesus depicts a California agricultural landscape haunted at every turn by disavowed “dead labor,” both in Marx’s figurative sense and in a tragically literal sense.
Profile Epistemologies, Racializing Surveillance, and Affective Counterstrategies in Claudia Rankine’s Citizen
Authors: Johnston Katherine D.
Published: January 2020

“Profile Epistemologies, Racializing Surveillance, and Affective Counterstrategies in Claudia Rankine’s Citizen” contextualizes contemporary data profiling and social sorting within the history of racial discrimination, surveillance, and biometrics. Through close readings of Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric, the article explores the ideologies inherent in a supposedly neutral profile epistemology, which maintains, for example, that “data speaks for itself” and that “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.” Linking the truth claims of data surveillance to histories of racial profiling and respectability politics, it analyzes how profile epistemology remains dependent on white supremacy, demonstrating how critical race theory, affect theory, and poetry can open up forms of oppositional looking to undermine the ostensible objectivity of data.
Diaspora and Entanglement
Authors: Wright Michelle M.
Published: January 2020

This essay interrogates rising interest in the concept of “entanglement” by Black studies scholars. Beginning with its definition in theoretical physics, the essay moves to Karen Barad’s “agential realism” to explore how diasporic ways of knowing are used to define and connect Black identities across space and time. The majority of the essay focuses on close readings of two contemporary novels on diasporic pasts, presents, and futures, Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing (2016) and Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s Kintu (2018), to contrast “vertical” and “horizontal” epistemologies, respectively. Although Gyasi’s novel impressively and warmly constructs a Middle Passage epistemology between the United States and West Africa, this essay argues that its reliance on vertical relations between the past, present, and future is inimical to producing an equality of relations between Black subjects. However, Makumbi’s novel, while defying traditional diasporic narrative structures by focusing on diaspora within East Africa, specifically Gandaland and Uganda, and by rejecting fixed hierarchies of relations for horizontal ones, in which all Black subjects are equally knowing and unknowing, offers a model for more equitable diasporic epistemologies in Black discourses.
Inactivation of Zeb1 in GRHL2-deficient mouse embryos rescues mid-gestation viability and secondary palate closure
Authors: Carpinelli Marina R. , de Vries Michael E. , Auden Alana , Butt Tariq , Deng Zihao , Partridge Darren D. , Miles Lee B. , Georgy Smitha R. , Haigh Jody J. , Darido Charbel , Brabletz Simone , Brabletz Thomas , Stemmler Marc P. , Dworkin Sebastian , Jane Stephen M.
Published: January 2020

Cleft lip and palate are common birth defects resulting from failure of the facial processes to fuse during development. The mammalian grainyhead-like (Grhl1-3) genes play key roles in a number of tissue fusion processes including neurulation, epidermal wound healing and eyelid fusion. One family member, Grhl2, is expressed in the epithelial lining of the first pharyngeal arch in mice at embryonic day (E)10.5, prompting analysis of the role of this factor in palatogenesis. Grhl2-null mice die at E11.5 with neural tube defects and a cleft face phenotype, precluding analysis of palatal fusion at a later stage of development. However, in the first pharyngeal arch of Grhl2-null embryos, dysregulation of transcription factors that drive epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurs. The aberrant expression of these genes is associated with a shift in RNA-splicing patterns that favours the generation of mesenchymal isoforms of numerous regulators. Driving the EMT perturbation is loss of expression of the EMT-suppressing transcription factors Ovol1 and Ovol2, which are direct GRHL2 targets. The expression of the miR-200 family of microRNAs, also GRHL2 targets, is similarly reduced, resulting in a 56-fold upregulation of Zeb1 expression, a major driver of mesenchymal cellular identity. The critical role of GRHL2 in mediating cleft palate in Zeb1−/− mice is evident, with rescue of both palatal and facial fusion seen in Grhl2−/−;Zeb1−/− embryos. These findings highlight the delicate balance between GRHL2/ZEB1 and epithelial/mesenchymal cellular identity that is essential for normal closure of the palate and face. Perturbation of this pathway may underlie cleft palate in some patients.
Exploring Nonoperative Exercise Interventions for Individuals with Femoroacetabular Impingement
Authors: Terrell Sara Lynn , Lynch James
Published: January 2020

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Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is characterized by pathologic contact during hip range of motion, with aggravating movements most noted in hip flexion, adduction, and internal rotation. Hip impingement diagnoses and surgeries are becoming an increasingly prevalent concern with today's athletes and general population. Exploration of nonoperative exercise interventions is warranted. Exercise professionals can safely improve postural alignment, core stabilization, gluteal activation, and range of motion in individuals with FAI.

Morphological correction and prevention of hip osteoarthritis are often primary reasons to support arthroscopy for individuals with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). However, exploration of nonsurgical approaches such as exercise intervention focused on postural alignment, core stabilization, and gluteal activation may improve motor control and hip stabilization strength and provide a nonoperative alternative to surgery.

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Financial Education versus Costly Counseling: How to Dissuade Borrowers from Choosing Risky Mortgages?
Authors: Agarwal Sumit , Amromin Gene , Ben-David Itzhak , Chomsisengphet Souphala , Evanoff Douglas D.
Published: January 2020

This paper explores the effects of mandatory third-party review of mortgage contracts on consumer choice. The study is based on a legislative pilot carried out in Illinois in 2006, under which mortgage counseling was triggered by applicant credit scores or by their choice of “risky mortgages.” Low-credit score applicants for whom counselor review was mandatory did not materially alter their contract choice. Conversely, higher credit score applicants who could avoid counseling by choosing nonrisky mortgages did so, decreasing their propensity for high-risk contracts between 10 and 40 percent. In the event, one of the key goals of the legislation—curtailment of high-risk mortgage products—was only achieved among the population that was not counseled. (JEL D14, D18, G21, R21)
RNAconTest: comparing tools for noncoding RNA multiple sequence alignment based on structural consistency
Authors: Wright Erik S.
Published: January 2020

The importance of noncoding RNA sequences has become increasingly clear over the past decade. New RNA families are often detected and analyzed using comparative methods based on multiple sequence alignments. Accordingly, a number of programs have been developed for aligning and deriving secondary structures from sets of RNA sequences. Yet, the best tools for these tasks remain unclear because existing benchmarks contain too few sequences belonging to only a small number of RNA families. RNAconTest (RNA consistency test) is a new benchmarking approach relying on the observation that secondary structure is often conserved across highly divergent RNA sequences from the same family. RNAconTest scores multiple sequence alignments based on the level of consistency among known secondary structures belonging to reference sequences in their output alignment. Similarly, consensus secondary structure predictions are scored according to their agreement with one or more known structures in a family. Comparing the performance of 10 popular alignment programs using RNAconTest revealed that DAFS, DECIPHER, LocARNA, and MAFFT created the most structurally consistent alignments. The best consensus secondary structure predictions were generated by DAFS and LocARNA (via RNAalifold). Many of the methods specific to noncoding RNAs exhibited poor scalability as the number or length of input sequences increased, and several programs displayed substantial declines in score as more sequences were aligned. Overall, RNAconTest provides a means of testing and improving tools for comparative RNA analysis, as well as highlighting the best available approaches. RNAconTest is available from the DECIPHER website (http://DECIPHER.codes/Downloads.html).
Sobre as ‘empregadas de antigamente’: mudanças e permanências no campo do trabalho doméstico remunerado
Authors: Pinto Tatiane de Oliveira
Published: January 2020

Neste trabalho busco refletir sobre a ideia do desaparecimento da ‘empregada doméstica de antigamente’, destacando elementos que caracterizam uma transformação no perfil e nas vivências das mulheres inseridas nesse universo de trabalho. Para além dessas mudanças no perfil das trabalhadoras domésticas, procuro identificar quais são os elementos e/ou práticas que ainda permanecem no cotidiano de trabalho dessas mulheres, sobretudo, no que diz respeito às questões de classe, raça, gênero e geração. Pretende-se, também, articular a problematização à difícil transição geracional no cotidiano laboral de muitas mulheres e também em relação à luta sindical da categoria, considerando a idade mais avançada de algumas das trabalhadoras domésticas no universo pesquisado.
Vida e morte colaterais: notas sobre militarização e guerra ao crime no Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Predes Rômulo
Published: January 2020

As notas de pesquisa apresentadas neste trabalho são resultantes de uma monografia em construção, organizadas em diálogo com o debate em torno das diferentes faces da violência política dentro da ordem democrática. É desenvolvida uma reflexão crítica sobre a militarização e a “guerra ao crime” como opções políticas de estratégia para segurança pública, através da análise do histórico de exceção e autoritarismo na atuação estatal em combate ao crime organizado. Por fim, é proposta uma associação do racismo e desigualdades estruturais na sociedade brasileira ao exercício de uma necropolítica em conflito com os direitos e garantias pressupostos na ordem de normalidade democrática.
Belchior e o regime militar brasileiro: autoritarismo estatal e a migração inter-regional em suas letras
Authors: Bezerra Santos Leandro Martan
Published: January 2020

O presente artigo visa analisar a obra do músico Antônio Carlos Belchior de acordo com um olhar crítico centrado em aspectos das ciências humanas e sociais. A partir do estudo das letras das músicas escritas por Belchior, e empregando uma abordagem qualitativa sobre essas composições, pretende-se compreender de que maneiras Belchior dialogava com a sociedade brasileira, assim como há uma busca pelo entendimento de sua produção, rica em análises críticas sobre temas diversos e pertinentes como migração, e seu olhar sobre a ditadura civil-militar que perdurou no Brasil entre os anos 1964 e 1985, que afetou de maneira direta e indireta grande parte do seu período de carreira, seja na forma de censura de suas canções, ou no próprio contexto vivenciado a partir do período inicial de sua vida adulta.
Phenotype of a transient neonatal diabetes point mutation (SUR1-R1183W) in mice
Authors: Sachse Gregor , Haythorne Elizabeth , Proks Peter , Stewart Michelle , Cater Heather , Ellard Sian , Davies Ben , Ashcroft Frances M.
Published: January 2020

Background:The KATPchannel plays a key role in glucose homeostasis by coupling metabolically generated changes in ATP to insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells.  Gain-of-function mutations in either the pore-forming (Kir6.2) or regulatory (SUR1) subunit of this channel are a common cause of transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM), in which diabetes presents shortly after birth but remits within the first few years of life, only to return in later life. The reasons behind this time dependence are unclear.

Methods:In an attempt to understand the mechanism behind diabetes remission and relapse, we generated mice expressing the common TNDM mutation SUR1-R1183W. We employed Cre/LoxP technology for both inducible and constitutive expression of SUR1-R1183W specifically in mouse beta-cells, followed by investigation of their phenotype using glucose tolerance tests and insulin secretion from isolated islets. 

Results:We found that the R1183W mutation impaired inhibition of KATPchannels by ATP when heterologously expressed in human embryonic kidney cells. However, neither induced nor constitutive expression of SUR1-R1183W in mice resulted in changes in blood glucose homeostasis, compared to littermate controls. When challenged with a high fat diet, female mice expressing SUR1-R1183W showed increased weight gain, elevated blood glucose and impaired glycaemic control, but glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic islets appeared unchanged.

Conclusions:The mouse model of TNDM did not recapitulate the human phenotype. We discuss multiple potential reasons why this might be the case. Based on our findings, we recommend future TNDM mouse models employing a gain-of-function SUR1 mutation should be created using the minimally invasive CRISPR/Cas technology, which avoids many potential pitfalls associated with the Cre/LoxP system.
History of state and local government in Russia IX-XXI centuries
Authors: Borschik Natal'ya , Tret'yakov Aleksandr
Published: January 2020

The most important task of the Supreme bodies of state power and local administration in Russia is the strengthening and development of modern Russian federalism based on the constitutional relationship of the centre and subjects of Federation.
The present textbook contains a set of materials for conducting lectures and practical exercises, background material, questions for self-students, etc. they are based on the author's development, some of which were used as assignments for seminars, essays, essays and other creative works within the framework of the teaching course "the Historical experience of state and local government in Russia."
Meets the requirements of Federal state educational standards of higher education of the last generation.
For students enrolled in training 46.03.02 "documentation studies and archival studies".
Special economic areas of Russia
Authors: Orlov Sergey , Ivanov Gennadiy
Published: January 2020

In this tutorial, one of the first in the Russian Federation on the topic, discusses the major theoretical and practical aspects of the model of spatial development of Russia as the fundamental basis of the modern system of strategic planning. Close attention is paid to development of special (free) economic zones, territories of priority socio-economic development of the system of free ports and innovative scientific and technology centres. Important factors to attract investors, the process of progressive economic development of individual territories are a free customs area, tax and some other privileges that define significant benefits for domestic and foreign businesses. This is one of the first editions, which has been studied in detail the issues of formation and functioning special economic areas.
Meets the requirements of Federal state educational standards of higher education of the last generation.
For students enrolled in the following specialties and directions of preparation as "Customs", "Economic security" and "Economics", "Management", "State and municipal management", "trading business".