bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting Young Elite Athletes With Mental Health Issues: Coaches’ Experience and Their Perceived Role
Authors: Lebrun Florence , MacNamara Àine , Collins Dave , Rodgers Sheelagh
Published: March 2020

This study explored talent-development coaches’ experiences of athletes having faced mental health issues (MHIs). A second objective was to allow participants to share their opinion on how sport environments could improve the support offered to coaches and athletes encountering MHIs. A thematic analysis was performed on 11 verbatim-transcribed interviews conducted with UK-based talent-development coaches. While monitoring and supporting their athletes’ performance and well-being were viewed as day-to-day practice, dealing with MHIs was, however, not considered part of their role for a variety of reasons. Findings also suggest that coaches need more suitable and context-specific knowledge and tools to appropriately respond to and support their athletes. Generating a better understanding of coaches’ perceived role, knowledge, and needs to adequately support their athletes suffering from MHIs is crucial for the design of sport-specific interventions and for the athletes themselves.
Age change in healthcare settings: a reply to Lippert-Rasmussen and Petersen
Authors: Räsänen Joona
Published: March 2020

Lippert-Rasmussen and Petersen discuss my ‘Moral case for legal age change’ in their article ‘Age change, official age and fairness in health’. They argue that in important healthcare settings (such as distributing vital organs for dying patients), the state should treat people on the basis of their chronological age because chronological age is a better proxy for what matters from the point of view of justice than adjusted official age. While adjusted legal age should not be used in deciding who gets scarce vital organs, I remind the readers that using chronological age as a proxy is problematic as well. Using age as a proxy could give wrong results and it is better, if possible, for states to use the vital information directly than use age as a proxy.
Laser switch based on electric field modulated PT-symmetric structure
Authors: Cao Qing-Hua , fang Yun-Tuan
Published: March 2020

In order to achieve a laser output at 1550 nm and a dynamical control, we perform an optimization design for one-dimensional PT-symmetric structure. The optimization is based on the structure parameters and the modulation of the external electric field. The optimization is performed by three steps: to achieve the defect mode, to achieve the amplification of the defect mode and to move the defect mode with a large peak value to the special wavelength 1550 nm. The maximum transmittance can reach 687.4. Through changing the electric field, the transmittance of the structure can be modulated to an arbitrary value from the cut-off state to its maximum value.
Cosmological models based on relativity with a privileged frame
Authors: Burde Georgy I.
Published: March 2020

Cosmological models, stemming from the extension of the “special relativity (SR) with a privileged frame” to general relativity (GR), are developed and fitted to the observational data. The framework termed “SR with a privileged frame” incorporates the privileged frame into SR while retaining the fundamental spacetime symmetry which, in the standard SR, manifests itself as Lorentz invariance. The correspondingly modified GR, like the standard GR, is based on the equivalence principle but with the properly modified spacetime local symmetry in which an invariant combination differs from the Minkowski interval of the standard SR. Applying the modified GR to cosmology yields the luminosity distance — redshift relation corrected such that the observed deceleration parameter can be negative as it is obtained from the data for Type Ia supernovae. Thus, the observed negative values of the deceleration parameter can be explained within the matter-dominated Friedman–Robertson–Walker (FRW) cosmological model of the universe without introducing the dark energy. A number of other observations, such as Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and Cosmic Microwave Background, also can be well fit to the cosmological model arising from the GR based on the SR with a privileged frame.
Concept and Behavior of a Steel Ring Restrainer with Variable Stiffness and Buffer Capacity
Authors: Sun Jubo , Wang Zhanfei , Xue Diwei , Ge Hanbin
Published: March 2020

In this paper, a novel restrainer called steel ring restrainer (SRR) is proposed to prevent the unseating of bridges. The restrainer is comprised of a steel ring, an upper guiding pulley, a downward guiding pulley, and two connections. The SRR can provide different stiffnesses under different seismic excitations. The SRR is not activated under daily load but provides smaller stiffness in small and medium earthquakes and even larger stiffness in strong earthquakes. The stiffness changes smoothly from small and medium earthquakes to strong earthquakes. This mechanism called buffer capacity reduces the impact on the connection between the SRR and structure. In order to study the effect of each design parameter on the mechanical properties of the SRR, 54 finite element (FE) models in four groups were established and analyzed. The results show that the diameter of the cross-section of the steel ring has an important influence on the initial stiffness, secondary stiffness, buffering capacity, and ultimate bearing capacity of the SRR, the radius of the curved part of the steel ring significantly affected the initial stiffness and ultimate displacement, the nonworking length of the SRR was decided by the length of the straight part of the steel ring, and the diameter of the guide pulley governed the ultimate bearing capacity and ultimate displacement. Additionally, the predicted formulas of the design parameters were derived and eight models were employed to investigate the effectiveness of the formulas, in order to be applied in the seismic design.
Randomized Experiments in Education, with Implications for Multilevel Causal Inference
Authors: Raudenbush Stephen W. , Schwartz Daniel
Published: March 2020

Education research has experienced a methodological renaissance over the past two decades, with a new focus on large-scale randomized experiments. This wave of experiments has made education research an even more exciting area for statisticians, unearthing many lessons and challenges in experimental design, causal inference, and statistics more broadly. Importantly, educational research and practice almost always occur in a multilevel setting, which makes the statistics relevant to other fields with this structure, including social policy, health services research, and clinical trials in medicine. In this article we first briefly review the history that led to this new era in education research and describe the design features that dominate the modern large-scale educational experiments. We then highlight some of the key statistical challenges in this area, including endogeneity of design, heterogeneity of treatment effects, noncompliance with treatment assignment, mediation, generalizability, and spillover. Though a secondary focus, we also touch on promising trial designs that answer more nuanced questions, such as the SMART design for studying dynamic treatment regimes and factorial designs for optimizing the components of an existing treatment.
The Value of Imagistics in Early Diagnosis of Tuberous Sclerosis
Authors: Borțea Claudia Ioana , David Vlad Laurentiu , Stoica Florina , Mureșan Cezara , Boia Marioara
Published: March 2020

Tuberous sclerosis complex is a multisystemic genetic disorder with high phenotypical variability. Its progress frequently brings along autism (61%), epilepsy, intellectual disability (45%), and neurocognitive impairment (Gipson and Johnston, 2017). We are considering the case of an infant suspected with tuberous sclerosis complex by imagistic investigation in the prenatal period. The pre- and postnatal ultrasound, fetal MRI, ophthalmoscopy, and dermatological and neurological examinations were used for diagnosis and follow-up. The seven major and minor criteria were regarded as sufficient for accurate diagnosis.
INR: A Programming Model for Developing APPs of Insect Intelligent Building
Authors: Zhao Shuo , Yang Qiliang , Xing Jianchun , Zhou Qizhen , Xue Guangtong , Chen Wenjie
Published: March 2020

Insect Intelligent Building (I2B) is a novel platform of intelligent buildings. The outstanding feature of I2B is the decentralized network structure connected by smart nodes. I2B can employ APPs (applications) developed by various practitioners or programming fans to manage and control buildings. However, due to the unique parallel operation of I2B platform and the popularization of APP developers, there still exists no effective approach to supporting I2B APP development. To deal with the challenges and provide meaningful guidance for describing and developing I2B APP and motivating the prospective programming language design, we propose INR, a programming model for I2B APP development. Three submodels in INR, namely, Individual, Neighborhood, and Region, are defined and implemented, respectively, for describing different task requirements. Moreover, new mechanisms of Tag-based programming and Clustering operation are established to support the plug-and-play and parallel abilities of APPs in I2B. Finally, we apply the programming model into an application case to illustrate the developing pattern of the I2B APP and verify the effectiveness of our approach.
The Effect of Hamatum Curvature Angle on Carpal Tunnel Volumetry: A Mathematical Simulation Model
Authors: Alp Nazmi Bülent , Kaleli Tufan , Kalay Onur Can , Karpat Fatih , Akdag Gokhan , Macunluoglu Aslı Ceren , Oral Gamze Saygı
Published: March 2020

In carpal tunnel volume measurements, the angle of the hamatum curvature is not considered a variable, and its effect on carpal tunnel volume has not been investigated. We hypothesize that a change in the anatomical angle of the hamatum curvature changes the carpal tunnel volume. To prove our hypothesis, we used a mathematical simulation model considering the carpal tunnel as a truncated cone. We reviewed the wrist CT scans of 91 adults (>18 years of age), including 51 men and 40 women. We measured the angle of the hamatum curvature in the CT scans. We measured cross-sectional areas at the outlet of the carpal tunnel at the level of the trapezium and hook of hamate (r1) and at the inlet at the level of the scaphoid and pisiform (r2) and the length (h) of the carpal tunnel. We attempted to calculate the effect of 2 degree by 2-degree changes in the angle of the hamatum curvature between the angles of 98° and 140° on the carpal tunnel volume. The mean angle of the hook of hamatum of the subjects was 122.55° ± 8.20° (range, 97.20° − 139.31°). No suitable cutoff point was found for the angle values. There was no difference between the gender groups according to the angle value. The data clearly show that there is a high correlation between carpal tunnel volume and the angle of hamatum curvature. The results of our study emphasize the importance of taking into account the anatomical features of the hamatum bone, especially the angle of curvature, which may play a predisposing role in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.
Time to Development of Anemia and Predictors among HIV‐Infected Patients Initiating ART at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Retrospective Follow‐Up Study
Authors: Manaye Yibekal , Asrat Anemaw , Mengesha Endalkachew Worku
Published: March 2020

Introduction. Anemia is the most common hematological abnormality in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) clients, and it is a widespread public health problem. In Ethiopia, there is limited information about time to development of anemia and predictors for anemic HIV patients. Hence, this study is aimed at determining time to development of anemia and predictors among HIV/AIDS clients taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital in Bahir Dar, northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A retrospective follow‐up study was conducted among clients on ART from 2012 to 2017. Data were collected using checklists. The Kaplan‐Meier curve was employed to compare survival rates. The Cox proportional hazard model was applied to identify predictors of time to development of anemia. Results. A total of 490 ART patients were followed. The overall incidence of anemia was 27/100 person‐years. The incidence was highest in the second year (18.7/100 PY) of starting ART when compared with the first year (13.8/100 PY) and third year (18.1/100 PY) of ART initiation. The independent predictors show an association for time to development of anemia and were as follows: being female (AHR = 2.94, 95%CI = 2.15–4.0), pulmonary tuberculosis positive (AHR = 2.98, 95%CI = 1.62–5.51), baseline weight < 60 kg (AHR = 1.51, 95%CI = 1.19‐1.92), and severe acute malnutrition (AHR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.39‐2.89). Conclusion. Most of the anemia cases occurred after the first year of ART initiation. Pulmonary tuberculosis, baseline weight, nutritional status, and sex were predictors for anemia. Clients with low baseline weight and abnormal nutritional status need to get close follow‐up to prevent the risk of early development of anemia.
Lead and Mercury Exposure and Related Health Problems in Metal Artisan Workplaces and High-Risk Household Contacts in Thimphu, Bhutan
Authors: Monger Adeep , Wangdi Karma
Published: March 2020

Background. Metal artisans have been using lead and mercury in their settings for centuries. Exposure to these toxic heavy metals causes adverse health effects. We assessed the occupational exposure of metal artisans and their high-risk household contacts at Thimphu, Bhutan. Methods. A cross-sectional study in which 134 metal artisan center employees and 48 high-risk household contacts were tested for blood lead and mercury levels. Sociodemographic data, occupational exposure risk factors, and clinical syndrome related to lead and mercury exposure were further obtained and analyzed using EpiInfo 7.0. Results. The mean age of the metal artisan center employees was 36.02 ± 10.3. The prevalence of elevated blood lead and mercury level was 38.4% and 51.9%, respectively. Significantly higher prevalence of mercury level was observed among the artisans compared to nonartisans (66.97 vs, 16.0). Among three centers, the goldsmith section of the Department of National Properties had the highest (94.1%). Profession as an artisan, mold designing, performing gold amalgamation, working for >8 hours a day, working for >5 years, and working at home were significant risk factors associated with elevated blood mercury level. Significant association was observed between elevated mercury level and complaints of burning or watery eyes (p=0.001), anxiety, nervousness, irritability, severe shyness (p=0.029), muscle aches (p=0.019), and stomach cramps or pain (p=0.009). Conclusion. The prevalence of elevated blood mercury level is concerning among the artisans. Advocacy, proper usage of personal protective equipment, awareness on chemical safety, and hazard associated with lead and mercury usage are needed to minimize the exposure.
Duchamp with Mallarmé
Authors: Davila Thierry
Published: March 2020

The poet Stéphane Mallarmé was always a key figure for Marcel Duchamp and a major ally in the quest to invent the art of the future. In this essay, Thierry Davila essay focuses in particular on three aspects of this relationship: the window (translucency), an object celebrated by the poet and the artist; the life of fluids (smoke, wind); and nothingness. Through these themes, the text also proposes an interpretation of the readymade and the infra-thin.
Between the Book and the Lamp
Authors: Krauss Rosalind E.
Published: March 2020

Rosalind E. Krauss discusses the origins and argument of Douglas Crimp's “On the Museum's Ruins,” celebrating it as embodying the epistemê of cultural rebellion.
Period Piece
Authors: Copjec Joan
Published: March 2020

From 1981 to 1990, nearly a decade, Douglas and the author worked together at October as colleagues and friends. “Period Piece” is a reflection on that time, on what it means to be a contemporary.
Dreams and Visions as Diagnosis in Medieval Sufism
Authors: Abuali Eyad
Published: March 2020

In recent scholarship the notion that dreams and visions in Islamic societies are phenomena with no relevance to historic events or societal concerns has been challenged and overturned. However, the theoretical underpinnings of Sufi oneirology in the medieval period have yet to receive a full exposition. Furthermore, the relevance of such seemingly abstract texts to Sufi organisational and institutional structures has not been realised. This article argues that understanding the development of Kubrawī oneirology offers important insights into Islamic thought and society. Focusing on the first generation of Kubrawī Sufi thinkers, this article accounts for the emergence of diagnostic oneirology in the sixth/twelfth and seventh/thirteenth centuries in two steps. Firstly, by detailing the systematisation of oneiric theory which occurs in early Kubrawī thought. And secondly, by demonstrating that this systematisation crafted a close relation between Sufi theory and the communal and institutional bonds that allowed the Sufi community to adapt to changing socio-political circumstances.
Multimoment Ice Bulk Microphysics Scheme with Consideration for Particle Shape and Apparent Density. Part I: Methodology and Idealized Simulation
Authors: Tsai Tzu-Chin , Chen Jen-Ping
Published: March 2020

To improve the parameterization of ice-phase microphysics in regional meteorological models, this study developed a triple-moment bulk scheme, which also tracks the variations in the shape and density of several hydrometeors. Solid-phase hydrometeors are classified into pristine ice, snow aggregates, rimed ice, and hailstones based on their physical mechanisms. The new scheme has been incorporated into the Weather Research and Forecasting Model and tested with an idealized two-dimensional simulation of a squall-line system. The simulation successfully revealed the smooth transition from the convective core to the stratiform anvil as well as the alternating pattern in the hydrometeor vertical distributions, as was similarly demonstrated in other similar studies. A few sensitivity tests were performed to reveal the importance of including shape and density variations, which strongly affect the mean particle size by up to 50% and fall speed by as much as 100% for individual hydrometeor categories. Furthermore, the inclusion of a third moment could enhance the diffusional growth rate of small crystals and reduce the ventilation effect of large particles compared with the conventional double-moment approach. These factors have a significant influence on cloud structure and precipitation amounts.
Age- and gender-specific upper limits and reference equations for workload-indexed systolic blood pressure response during bicycle ergometry
Authors: Hedman Kristofer , Lindow Thomas , Elmberg Viktor , Brudin Lars , Ekström Magnus
Published: March 2020

Background

Guidelines recommend considering workload in interpretation of the systolic blood pressure (SBP) response to exercise, but reference values are lacking.

Design

This was a retrospective, consecutive cohort study.

Methods

From 12,976 subjects aged 18–85 years who performed a bicycle ergometer exercise test at one centre in Sweden during the years 2005–2016, we excluded those with prevalent cardiovascular disease, comorbidities, cardiac risk factors or medications. We extracted SBP, heart rate and workload (watt) from ≥ 3 time points from each test. The SBP/watt-slope and the SBP/watt-ratio at peak exercise were calculated. Age- and sex-specific mean values, standard deviations and 90th and 95th percentiles were determined. Reference equations for workload-indexed and peak SBP were derived using multiple linear regression analysis, including sex, age, workload, SBP at rest and anthropometric variables as predictors.

Results

A final sample of 3839 healthy subjects (n = 1620 female) were included. While females had lower mean peak SBP than males (188 ± 24 vs 202 ± 22 mmHg, p < 0.001), workload-indexed SBP measures were markedly higher in females; SBP/watt-slope: 0.52 ± 0.21 versus 0.41 ± 0.15 mmHg/watt (p < 0.001); peak SBP/watt-ratio: 1.35 ± 0.34 versus 0.90 ± 0.21 mmHg/watt (p < 0.001). Age, sex, exercise capacity, resting SBP and height were significant predictors of the workload-indexed SBP parameters and were included in the reference equations.

Conclusions

These novel reference values can aid clinicians and exercise physiologists in interpreting the SBP response to exercise and may provide a basis for future research on the prognostic impact of exercise SBP. In females, a markedly higher SBP in relation to workload could imply a greater peripheral vascular resistance during exercise than in males.
Reversed paired-gRNA plasmid cloning strategy for efficient genome editing in Escherichia coli
Authors: Ding Tingting , Huang Chaoyong , Liang Zeyu , Ma Xiaoyan , Wang Ning , Huo Yi-Xin
Published: March 2020

Background

Co-expression of two distinct guide RNAs (gRNAs) has been used to facilitate the application of CRISPR/Cas9 system in fields such as large genomic deletion. The paired gRNAs are often placed adjacently in the same direction and expressed individually by two identical promoters, constituting direct repeats (DRs) which are susceptible to self-homologous recombination. As a result, the paired-gRNA plasmids cannot remain stable, which greatly prevents extensible applications of CRISPR/Cas9 system.

Results

To address this limitation, different DRs-involved paired-gRNA plasmids were designed and the events of recombination were characterized. Deletion between DRs occurred with high frequencies during plasmid construction and subsequent plasmid propagation. This recombination event was RecA-independent, which agreed with the replication slippage model. To increase plasmid stability, a reversed paired-gRNA plasmids (RPGPs) cloning strategy was developed by converting DRs to the more stable invert repeats (IRs), which completely eliminated DRs-induced recombination. Using RPGPs, rapid deletion of chromosome fragments up to 100 kb with an efficiency of 83.33% was achieved in Escherichia coli.

Conclusions

The RPGPs cloning strategy serves as a general solution to avoid plasmid RecA-independent recombination. It can be adapted to applications that rely on paired gRNAs or repeated genetic parts.
Improved RIDIT statistic approach provides more intuitive and informative interpretation of EQ-5D data
Authors: Marfak Abdelghafour , Youlyouz-Marfak Ibtissam , El Achhab Youness , Saad Elmadani , Nejjari Chakib , Hilali Abderraouf , Turman Jr Jack
Published: March 2020

Background

EQ-5D is generic measure of health-related quality of life. Studies using EQ-5D generate ordinal data that are interpreted as categories ordered by severity. New analytic approaches taking into account the ordinal nature of the health dimension severity and leading to a better interpretation of EQ-5D data are needed to better elucidate differences in health-related quality of life. We propose utilizing the Improved RIDIT statistical method to analyze EQ-5D outcomes.

Methods

556 Moroccan participants aged over 18 years representing four chronic diseases: back pain (n = 158), renal insufficiency (n = 56), diabetes (n = 82) or hypertension (n = 80) and healthy subjects (n = 180). All participants received the two EQ-5D versions. Two other published data sets were included. The first was extracted from a diabetic Spain study and the second was extracted from a clinical trial study. The Improved RIDIT analyses were carried out using an R statistic program we developed.

Results

Applying the Improved RIDIT on the EQ-5D data allowed estimating for the first time the ordinal odds, the Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR) or the Absolute Risk Increase (ARI) and the Number Needed to Treat. The ARI values estimated for Moroccan patients showed that (i) hypertension increased anxiety/depression by 66% and reduced mobility by 65%; (ii) back pain increased pain/discomfort by 69%; (iii) renal insufficiency impacts mobility (ARI = 57%, oddsordinal = 9.95) and usual activities (ARI = 44%, oddsordinal = 6.41) and (iv) diabetes acts only on anxiety/depression (ARI = 50%, oddsordinal = 4.8). Also, we demonstrated that the approach works well in clinical trials.

Conclusions

Improved RIDIT provides more intuitive and informative interpretation of the EQ-5D data by (1) taking into account the level severity; estimating (2) the odds ordinal, (3) the ARR/ARI and the NNT; (4) analyzing the five dimensions of the EQ-5D separately, which gives clinical teams more precision in understanding the treatment/pathology impacts on the health status and completes the EQ-5D data analysis based on score utilities.
High serum Antimullerian hormone levels are associated with lower live birth rates in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome undergoing assisted reproductive technology
Authors: Tal Reshef , Seifer Charles M. , Khanimov Moisey , Seifer David B. , Tal Oded
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Antimullerian hormone (AMH) strongly correlates with ovarian reserve and response to controlled ovarian stimulation. Emerging data suggests that serum AMH level may also predict ART outcomes. However, AMH is characteristically elevated in PCOS women and it is unknown whether it may predict live birth outcomes in this population.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of 184 PCOS women (Rotterdam criteria) who underwent their first fresh IVF/ICSI cycle. Women were divided into 3 groups according to the <25th (low), 25 to 75th (average), or > 75th (high) percentile of serum AMH concentration. Cycle stimulation parameters and reproductive outcomes were compared between groups.

Results

Women in the low serum AMH group were older than those in the average or high AMH (p < 0.05), and required greater gonadotropin dose for stimulation compared to the high AMH group (p < 0.05). Women with high AMH had greater testosterone level compared to women in the low or average AMH groups. No differences were noted between groups in terms of maximal E2, oocytes retrieved and fertilization rate. However, low serum AMH women had significantly greater live birth rates (p < 0.05) and showed a trend towards greater clinical pregnancy rates compared to women in the average and high AMH groups (p = 0.09). The significant association of AMH with live birth rate remained after adjusting for age, BMI, day of transfer and number of embryos transferred.

Conclusions

In PCOS women, elevated AMH concentrations are associated with hyperandrogenism and lower live birth rates.
Shikonin and 4-hydroxytamoxifen synergistically inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells through activating apoptosis signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Lin Hong-Yan , Han Hong-Wei , Wang Yin-Song , He De-Liu , Sun Wen-Xue , Feng Lu , Wen Zhong-Ling , Yang Min-Kai , Lu Gui-Hua , Wang Xiao-Ming , Qi Jin-Liang , Yang Yong-Hua
Published: March 2020

Background

Tamoxifen (TAM) is a cell type-specific anti-estrogen and is applied to improve the survival of patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER +) breast cancer. However, long-term TAM use can induce serious drug resistance, leading to breast cancer recurrence and death in patients. Further, it is almost useless among patients with estrogen receptor negative (ER −) breast cancer. Shikonin (SK) is a natural product broadly explored in cancer therapy. Some studies have demonstrated the combined treatment of SK and clinical anticancer drugs including TAM on various tumors. However, the combined effect of SK and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) on ER- breast cancer is not known. The current study aimed to assess the combination effects of SK and 4-OHT on human breast cancer cells, MCF-7 (ER +) and MDA-MB-435S (ER −), in vitro and in vivo and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

CCK-8 assays and flow cytometry were conducted to determine the cell viability and apoptotic profiles of human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-435S) treated with SK, 4-OHT, and the combination. ROS and JC-1 assays were used to determine ROS level and mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blot analysis was performed to investigate proteins that are associated with apoptosis. Haematoxylin & Eosin (HE) staining was used to detect the tumor and kidney morphology of mice. TUNEL and immunohistochemical staining were performed to detect Ki67 expression level and cell apoptotic profile in tumor tissues.

Results

SK and 4-OHT synergistically inhibited MCF-7 and MDA-MB-435S cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis by reducing mitochondrial membrane potential and increasing the intracellular ROS level. The combination of SK and 4-OHT activated the mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis and the death receptor pathways, significantly regulating the PI3K/AKT/Caspase 9 signaling pathway. Compared with SK and 4-OHT alone, the combination of SK and 4-OHT could better inhibit tumor growth in mice.

Conclusion

The combination of SK and 4-OHT shows highly efficient anticancer effects on breast cancer therapy. SK may be a promising candidate as an adjuvant to 4-OHT for breast cancer treatments, especially for ER- breast cancer.
The impact of point-of-care testing for influenza A and B on patient flow and management in a medical assessment unit of a general hospital
Authors: O’Connell S. , Conlan C. , Reidy M. , Stack C. , Mulgrew A. , Baruah J.
Published: March 2020

Objectives

Timely implementation of influenza infection control and treatment can significantly reduce the impact on Hospital resources and patient management when demand is at peak. Turnaround times of Laboratory based screening tests for the diagnosis of influenza may have an impact on the implementation of infection control measures and treatment. In this study the objectives included determining the correlation between the Abbott ID NOW point-of-care testing (POCT) instrument using the Influenza A&B2 test and the laboratory based GeneXpert Flu+RSV kit. In addition the impact of the POCT instrument on the prescription of antivirals and antibiotics was evaluated by comparing with practice when the instrument was not in place.

Results

The results of the correlation study with a cohort of 54 patients revealed the Abbott ID NOW POCT has 92% sensitivity for the detection of Influenza A, while specificity was 100% for both Influenza A and B. The impact of the POCT instrument on the frequency of prescription of antivirals and amount of antibiotics consumed (33% reduction in antibiotic consumption in a cohort of 65 (2017) and 61 (2018)) was significant. In addition the average patient length of Hospital stay was significantly reduced from 5.26 days to 3.73 days.
The extracellular thioredoxin Etrx3 is required for macrophage infection in Rhodococcus equi
Authors: Mourenza Álvaro , Collado Cristina , Bravo-Santano Natalia , Gil José A. , Mateos Luís M. , Letek Michal
Published: March 2020

Rhodococcus equi is an intracellular veterinary pathogen that is becoming resistant to current antibiotherapy. Genes involved in preserving redox homeostasis could be promising targets for the development of novel anti-infectives. Here, we studied the role of an extracellular thioredoxin (Etrx3/REQ_13520) in the resistance to phagocytosis. An etrx3-null mutant strain was unable to survive within macrophages, whereas the complementation with the etrx3 gene restored its intracellular survival rate. In addition, the deletion of etrx3 conferred to R. equi a high susceptibility to sodium hypochlorite. Our results suggest that Etrx3 is essential for the resistance of R. equi to specific oxidative agents.
Dynamic alterations in early intestinal development, microbiota and metabolome induced by in ovo feeding of L-arginine in a layer chick model
Authors: Dai Dong , Wu Shu-geng , Zhang Hai-jun , Qi Guang-hai , Wang Jing
Published: March 2020

Background

Prenatal nutrition is crucial for embryonic development and neonatal growth, and has the potential to be a main determinant of life-long health. In the present study, we used a layer chick model to investigate the effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) of L-arginine (Arg) on growth, intestinal development, intestinal microbiota and metabolism. The treatments included the non-injected control, saline-injected control, and saline containing 2, 6, or 10 mg Arg groups.

Results

IOF Arg increased early intestinal index and villus height, and enhanced uptake of residual yolk lipid, contributing to subsequent improvement in the early growth performance of chicks. Prenatal Arg supplementation also increased the early microbial α-diversity, the relative abundance of Lactobacillales and Clostridiales, and decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria of cecum in chicks. Furthermore, the shift of cecal microbiota composition and the colonization of potential probiotics were accelerated by IOF of Arg. Simultaneously, metabolomics showed that metabolisms of galactose, taurine-conjugated bile acids and lipids were modulated to direct more energy and nutrients towards rapid growth of intestine at the beginning of post-hatch when embryos received IOF of Arg.

Conclusions

Prenatal Arg supplementation showed beneficial effects on the early intestinal development, cecal microbiota and host metabolism of layer chicks, contributing to subsequent improvement in the early growth performance. These findings provide new insight into the role of IOF of Arg in the establishment of the gut microbiota of newly-hatched layer chicks, and can expand our fundamental knowledge about prenatal nutrition, early bacterial colonization and intestinal development in neonate.
Recommendations for Advancing the Diagnosis and Management of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer in Brazil
Authors: Achatz Maria Isabel , Caleffi Maira , Guindalini Rodrigo , Marques Renato Moretti , Nogueira-Rodrigues Angelica , Ashton-Prolla Patricia
Published: March 2020

PURPOSE

The objective of this review was to address the barriers limiting access to genetic cancer risk assessment and genetic testing for individuals with suspected hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) through a review of the diagnosis and management steps of HBOC.

METHODS

A selected panel of Brazilian experts in fields related to HBOC was provided with a series of relevant questions to address before the multiday conference. During this conference, each narrative was discussed and edited by the entire group, through numerous drafts and rounds of discussion, until a consensus was achieved.

RESULTS

The authors propose specific and realistic recommendations for improving access to early diagnosis, risk management, and cancer care of HBOC specific to Brazil. Moreover, in creating these recommendations, the authors strived to address all the barriers and impediments mentioned in this article.

CONCLUSION

There is a great need to expand hereditary cancer testing and counseling in Brazil, and changing current policies is essential to accomplishing this goal. Increased knowledge and awareness, together with regulatory actions to increase access to this technology, have the potential to improve patient care and prevention and treatment efforts for patients with cancer across the country.
U-Shaped Association of Plasma Testosterone, and no Association of Plasma Estradiol, with Incidence of Fractures in Men
Authors: Yeap Bu B , Alfonso Helman , Chubb S A Paul , Center Jacqueline R , Beilin Jonathan , Hankey Graeme J , Almeida Osvaldo P , Golledge Jonathan , Norman Paul E , Flicker Leon
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Whether androgens, distinct from estrogen, maintain bone health during male aging has implications for understanding osteoporosis. We assessed associations of different sex hormones with incidence of any bone fracture or hip fracture in older men.

Participants and methods

Analysis of 3307 community-dwelling men aged 76.8 ± 3.5 years, median follow-up period of 10.6 years. Plasma testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and estradiol (E2) assayed by mass spectrometry, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and luteinizing hormone (LH) using immunoassay. Incident fractures determined via data linkage. We analyzed probability of fracture and performed Cox regression adjusted for age, medical comorbidities, and frailty.

Results

Incident fractures occurred in 330 men, including 144 hip fractures. Probability plots suggested nonlinear relationships between hormones and risk of any fracture and hip fracture, with higher risk at lower and higher plasma T, lower E2, higher SHBG, and higher LH. In fully adjusted models, there was a U-shaped association of plasma T with incidence of any fracture (Quartile 2 [Q2] versus Q1: fully adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51–0.94, P = .020; Q3: HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.42–0.83, P = .002) and hip fracture (Q2 versus Q1: HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.37–0.93, P = .043; Q3: HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31–0.88, P = .015). DHT, E2, and LH were not associated with fracture. Higher SHBG was associated with hip fracture (Q4 versus Q1: HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.05–2.96, P = .033).

Conclusions

Midrange plasma T was associated with lower incidence of any fracture and hip fracture, and higher SHBG with increased risk of hip fracture. Circulating androgen rather than estrogen represents a biomarker for hormone effects on bone driving fracture risk.
Roles of Endogenous IL-10 and IL-10-Competent and CD5+ B Cells in Autoimmune Thyroiditis in NOD.H-2h4 Mice
Authors: Qin Jing , Zhao Na , Wang Shuo , Liu Shanshan , Liu Yongping , Cui Xuejiao , Wang Shiwei , Xiang Yang , Fan Chenling , Li Yushu , Shan Zhongyan , Teng Weiping
Published: March 2020

Interleukin (IL)-10 is a highly important anti-inflammatory cytokine in the immune system. CD1dhi and CD5+ B cells are both traditionally defined IL-10-secreting B cells. In recent years, a B cell group with combined markers of CD1dhi and CD5+ has been widely studied as it has been reported to suppress autoimmunity in mouse models of autoimmune diseases through IL-10 mechanisms. From the perspective of origination, CD1dhi and CD5+ B cells are developed from different B cell lineages. Whether the regulatory capacity of these 2 B cell groups is consistent with their ability to secrete IL-10 has not been determined. In this study, we generated IL-10 knockout NOD.H-2h4 mice to investigate the function of endogenous IL-10 in autoimmune thyroiditis and conducted adoptive transfer experiments to explore the respective roles of CD5+ and CD1dhi B cells. In our results, the IL-10–/– NOD.H-2h4 mice developed thyroiditis, similar to wild-type NOD.H-2h4 mice. The CD5+ B cells were more capable of secreting IL-10 than CD1dhi B cells in flow cytometric analysis, but the CD1dhi B cells showed more suppressive effects on thyroiditis development and autoantibody production, as well as Th17 cell response. In conclusion, endogenous IL-10 does not play an important role in autoimmune thyroiditis. CD1dhi B cells may play regulatory roles through mechanisms other than secreting IL-10.
Conversations with Wittgenstein, St. Augustine, and Stanley Cavell
Authors: Randall Belle
Published: March 2020

In memory of Stanley Cavell, a family friend of more than a half-century’s standing writes about his years in Berkeley (1944 to 1964), when he was deciding between music and philosophy as his field and then, eventually, joined the philosophy faculty as a lecturer. This guest column is a collage of diverse original sources—Randall’s poetry and memories, Cavell’s memoir Little Did I Know, and relevant passages in Wittgenstein and Augustine—that involve the interplay of events in Cavell’s personal life with the dissertation that in time became his first book, Must We Mean What We Say?. Randall considers Cavell’s influence on her own unique, perhaps insupportable, understanding of passages in all three of her eponymous authors—passages dealing with an infant’s acquisition of language and reflecting on Randall’s own relationship as a child with Cavell.
Unraveling “Under One Roof”: The Tenement Museum and Its Discontents
Authors: Bae Minju
Published: March 2020

This essay looks at the content of the Tenement Museum’s newest exhibit, the museum as an employer, and the position of the museum in a rapidly changing neighborhood in Manhattan. The museum’s new tour at their newest exhibition space in 103 Orchard Street–Under One Roof–revealed some of the ironies of the Tenement Museum’s displays of labor’s recent pasts. Throughout the 2000s, museum educators mounted unionization campaigns for better wages, job security, and safer working conditions. Educators were also concerned with the new building’s development, as tenants of 103 Orchard Street had to move out to make room for historical interpretation. But the 2008 unionization campaign ended abruptly. The Tenement Museum’s upper management effectively discouraged educators from signing their union cards. The author asks in the essay, “Does recounting the lived experiences of working-class families justify the museum’s ongoing gentrification of its own neighborhood? And further, what about the museum educators and their labor rights as they convey these stories to visitors?” New York’s museum world has undergone several transformations since the 2008 unionization drive. In April 2019, the frontline museum workers of the Tenement Museum successfully won their union bids, and this essay studies some of the contexts and implications for the public humanities, more broadly.
Reduction of endocytic activity accelerates cell elimination during tissue remodeling of the Drosophila epidermal epithelium
Authors: Hoshika Shinichiro , Sun Xiaofei , Kuranaga Erina , Umetsu Daiki
Published: March 2020

Epithelial tissues undergo cell turnover both during development and for homeostatic maintenance. Cells that are no longer needed are quickly removed without compromising the barrier function of the tissue. During metamorphosis, insects undergo developmentally programmed tissue remodeling. However, the mechanisms that regulate this rapid tissue remodeling are not precisely understood. Here, we show that the temporal dynamics of endocytosis modulate physiological cell properties to prime larval epidermal cells for cell elimination. Endocytic activity gradually reduces as tissue remodeling progresses. This reduced endocytic activity accelerates cell elimination through the regulation of Myosin II subcellular reorganization, junctional E-cadherin levels, and caspase activation. Whereas the increased Myosin II dynamics accelerates cell elimination, E-cadherin plays a protective role against cell elimination. Reduced E-cadherin is involved in the amplification of caspase activation by forming a positive-feedback loop with caspase. These findings reveal the role of endocytosis in preventing cell elimination and in the cell-property switching initiated by the temporal dynamics of endocytic activity to achieve rapid cell elimination during tissue remodeling.
The power from within – understanding the driving forces of neutrophil extracellular trap formation
Authors: Neubert Elsa , Meyer Daniel , Kruss Sebastian , Erpenbeck Luise
Published: March 2020

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are one of the most intriguing discoveries in immunological research of the past few years. After their first description in 2004, the number of research articles on how NETs affect immunodefense, and also how they contribute to an ever-growing number of diseases, has skyrocketed. However, tempting as it may seem to plunge into pharmaceutical approaches to tamper with NET formation, our understanding of this complex process is still incomplete. Important concepts such as the context-dependent dual functions of NETs, in that they are both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, or the major intra- and extracellular forces driving NET formation, are only emerging. In this Review, we summarize key aspects of our current understanding of NET formation (also termed NETosis), emphasize biophysical aspects and focus on three key principles – rearrangement and destabilization of the plasma membrane and the cytoskeleton, alterations and disassembly of the nuclear envelope, and chromatin decondensation as a driving force of intracellular reorganization.
On the structure of the graduation thesis “On the physical development of school students of the town of Tartu” defended at the Department (former Chair) of Zoology at the University of Tartu (former Tartu State University) in 1958
Authors: Kasmel Jaan , Kasmel Tiiu
Published: March 2020

Throughout times, along with simpler papers (essays, reports, subject and research papers), students of different specialities at the University of Tartu have also done more serious research in many areas, including anthropology, under the supervision of lecturers.

More than a quarter of century ago, before 1991, the students of the Soviet-time Tartu State University wrote, in addition to exercises in research, term papers, graduation theses and prize essays of Students Scientific Society (founded in 1948).

The article will deal with 10 graduation theses compiled at the Chair of Zoology of Tartu State University from 1958–1970. These papers addressed Estonian school students’ physical development based on anthropological material collected from 1956–1967.

In those years, the graduation thesis was a student’s independent research paper which was defended in front of a state examination board to complete the studies at the university.

Particular attention is paid to the first of these graduation theses – the graduation thesis defended by 5th-year student Viivi Schüts in 1958, “On the physical development of school students of the town of Tartu” (in Estonian, on 94 pages in typescript, hard-cover). The article includes the structure of this research paper.
Effect of a period of cervical flexion on upper extremity muscle strength
Authors: Uher David , Anoufriev Gregory , Toczko Michael E.
Published: March 2020

Background: Technology is prevalent in almost every aspect of life, from handheld phones to computers. Increases in cervical flexion can cause a strain on the neck and muscles of the upper extremity.

Objective: To examine the effect of 30 minutes of cervical flexion at 45 degrees. It was hypothesized that muscle strength will decrease after flexion, and there would be no significant differences between dominant and nondominant arms or genders.

Study design: Twenty-four participants (12 male, 12 female) (n = 24; height = 173.1 + 9.3 cm; weight = 73.33 + 22.58kg) were measured before and after cervical flexion using a MicroFET2 Hand Held Digital Muscle Tester to test the middle deltoid, biceps brachii, and triceps brachii of each arm.

Results: Compared to pre-measures significant differences were found in both middle deltoids and both biceps brachii, but not in either triceps brachii (p < 0.05). Overall no limited significant differences were found between genders of muscles of either arm. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in the dominant biceps brachii, non-dominant biceps brachii, dominant triceps brachii, dominant deltoid, and non-dominant deltoid.

Conclusion: These results suggest that a normal daily degree of cervical flexion will decrease some upper extremity strength over the course of 30 minutes.