bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conversion of waste materials into very long chain fatty acids by the recombinant yeast Yarrowia lipolytica
Authors: Gajdoš Peter , Hambalko Jaroslav , Slaný Ondrej , Čertík Milan
Published: March 2020

Erucic acid (C22:1Δ13) has several industrial applications including its use as a lubricant, surfactant and biodiesel and composite material constituent. It is produced by plants belonging to the Brassicaceae family, especially by the high erucic acid rapeseed. The ability to convert oleic acid into erucic acid is facilitated by FAE1. In this study, FAD2 (encoding Δ12-desaturase) was deleted in the strain Po1d to increase oleic acid content. Subsequently, FAE1 from Thlaspi arvense was overexpressed in Yarrowia lipolytica with the Δfad2 genotype. This resulted in the YL10 strain producing very long chain fatty acids, especially erucic acid. The YL10 strain was cultivated in media containing crude glycerol and waste cooking oil as carbon substrates. The cells grown using glycerol produced microbial oil devoid of linoleic acid, which was enriched with very long chain fatty acids, mainly erucic acid (9% of the total fatty acids). When cells were grown using waste cooking oil, the highest yield of erucic acid was obtained (887 mg L–1). However, external linoleic and α-linolenic were accumulated in cellular lipids when yeasts were grown in an oil medium. This study describes the possibility of conversion of waste material into erucic acid by a recombinant yeast strain.
Reducing error in small-area estimates of multi-source forest inventory by multi-temporal data fusion
Authors: Katila Matti , Heikkinen Juha
Published: March 2020

Since the 1990s, forest resource maps and forest variable estimates for small areas have been produced by combining national forest inventory (NFI) field plot data, optical satellite images and numerical map data. A non-parametric $k$-NN method has frequently been employed. In Finland, such multi-source NFI (MS-NFI) forest variable estimates for municipalities have been produced eight times. A relatively large variation has been observed between subsequent estimates. In this study, a large-scale evaluation of small-area estimates from an MS-NFI conducted in 2013 was carried out in comparison with pure NFI field data-based estimates and error estimates. The proportion of municipalities with significant differences was larger than expected, e.g. over 10% for the mean volume, which indicates systematic error in the small-area estimates. A multi-temporal data fusion combining MS-NFI estimators from three time points—2011, 2013 and 2015—was tested as a means to improve single time point MS-NFI estimates of the mean volumes of growing stock and of tree species groups. A generalized least squares (GLS) technique and unweighted averaging were tested. The improvement was small but consistent when validated against the NFI field data-based estimates for the municipalities. The unweighted averaging worked nearly as well as a GLS estimator.
Variation in leaf area index in complex mixed-conifer forests in California’s Sierra Nevada: implications for stocking control
Authors: O’Hara Kevin L , Battles John J
Published: March 2020

The mixed-conifer forests in California’s Sierra Nevada include species from several genera (Pinus, Abies, Pseudotsuga, Calocedrus and Sequoiadendron). These forests have complex disturbance regimes dominated by low to moderate severity fire that often resulted in patchy spatial patterns and multiaged stands. Leaf area index (LAI) describes the total leaf surface area per unit area in a forest community and is related to wood and biomass production and ecosystem values such as water usage, water yields and carbon sequestration. LAI can also serve as a representation of growing space occupancy and the basis for stocking control, including in multiaged stands. Nine study sites were sampled with 22–37 0.05 ha plots per study site to estimate LAI and other metrics. LAI was highest in study sites with greater proportions of shade tolerant Abies and Calocedrus species and on higher productivity sites. Recent drought-related mortality has reduced stocking and LAI. The combination of fire suppression and timber harvest over the past century has resulted in stands with higher densities, and greater proportions of shade tolerant species. Managing these structures to restore their presettlement character will involve reducing overall stocking, increasing proportions of intolerant species and increasing fine-scale heterogeneity. LAI allocation—allocating leaf area to age classes, species or canopy strata—can be used to design new structures that resemble presettlement structures and are resilient to disturbances.
South Asian Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the United States Demonstrate More Fistulizing and Perianal Crohn Phenotype
Authors: Jangi Sushrut , Ruan Alex , Korzenik Joshua , de Silva Punyanganie
Published: March 2020

Background

South Asians have recently been identified as having a rapidly rising incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) throughout the world. However, longitudinal phenotypic studies of South Asians living in the United States remain scarce.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 171 South Asian patients with IBD treated at 2 US tertiary centers who presented between 2000 and 2016. South Asian IBD patients were randomly matched in a 1:2 ratio with sex and IBD subtype–matched (ulcerative colitis [UC] vs Crohn disease [CD]) white control patients (n = 342). Demographic and phenotypic characteristics were evaluated and compared between the 2 groups. Odds ratios (OR), logistic regression, and survival analysis were performed using R studio and STATA.

Results

81 South Asian patients and 162 white patients had CD, and 90 South Asians and 180 white patients had UC. Among the CD group, South Asian patients were diagnosed at a median older age (age 28) than white patients (21 years; P < 0.003). Fistulizing disease (24.1% vs 8.6%; P < 0.002), perianal disease (20.3% vs 2.5%; P < 0.005), and presentation of rectal pain (16.2% vs 2.9%; P < 0.001) were more common among South Asian patients with CD than among white patients. After adjusting for covariates, South Asian patients with CD were less likely to be placed on thiopurines (OR = 0.36; P < 0.007) or to receive more than 1 biologic (OR = 0.42; P < 0.040). South Asian patients with UC were less likely to have proctitis (10% vs 22.2%; P < 0.022) and more likely to have primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 7 vs n = 2; P < 0.007). South Asian patients born in the United States or those who had migrated before age 5 were younger at the age of IBD diagnosis (age 18.9 vs 32.4; P < 0.0005).

Conclusion

We found unique demographic and phenotypic characteristics among South Asian patients, including more penetrating disease in those with CD and less proctitis among those with UC, along with altered medication use patterns. Distinct environmental exposures and a potentially unique genetic profile of South Asian patients may confer this variable phenotypic expression, influencing management of this increasingly at-risk population.
Oracle inequalities for square root analysis estimators with application to total variation penalties
Authors: Ortelli Francesco , van de Geer Sara
Published: March 2020

Through the direct study of the analysis estimator we derive oracle inequalities with fast and slow rates by adapting the arguments involving projections by Dalalyan et al. (2017, Bernoulli, 23, 552–581). We then extend the theory to the square root analysis estimator. Finally, we focus on (square root) total variation regularized estimators on graphs and obtain constant-friendly rates, which, up to log terms, match previous results obtained by entropy calculations. We also obtain an oracle inequality for the (square root) total variation regularized estimator over the cycle graph.
An Action of the Polishchuk Differential Operator via Punctured Surfaces
Authors: Drummond-Cole Gabriel C , Tavakol Mehdi
Published: March 2020

For a family of Jacobians of smooth pointed curves, there is a notion of tautological algebra. There is an action of ${\mathfrak{s}}l_2$ on this algebra. We define and study a lifting of the Polishchuk operator, corresponding to ${\mathfrak{f}} \in{\mathfrak{s}}l_2$, on an algebra consisting of punctured Riemann surfaces. As an application, we compare a class of tautological relations on moduli of curves, discovered by Faber and Zagier and relations on the universal Jacobian. We prove that the so called top Faber–Zagier relations come from a class of relations on the Jacobian side.
Elliptic Multizetas and the Elliptic Double Shuffle Relations
Authors: Lochak Pierre , Matthes Nils , Schneps Leila
Published: March 2020

We define an elliptic generating series whose coefficients, the elliptic multizetas, are related to the elliptic analogues of multiple zeta values introduced by Enriquez as the coefficients of his elliptic associator; both sets of coefficients lie in $\mathcal{O}({{\mathfrak{H}}})$, the ring of functions on the Poincaré upper half-plane ${{\mathfrak{H}}}$. The elliptic multizetas generate a ${{\mathbb{Q}}}$-algebra ${{\mathcal{E}}}$, which is an elliptic analogue of the algebra of multiple zeta values. Working modulo $2\pi i$, we show that the algebra ${{\mathcal{E}}}$ decomposes into a geometric and an arithmetic part and study the precise relationship between the elliptic generating series and the elliptic associator defined by Enriquez. We show that the elliptic multizetas satisfy a double shuffle type family of algebraic relations similar to the double shuffle relations satisfied by multiple zeta values. We prove that these elliptic double shuffle relations give all algebraic relations among elliptic multizetas if (1) the classical double shuffle relations give all algebraic relations among multiple zeta values and (2) the elliptic double shuffle Lie algebra has a certain natural semi-direct product structure analogous to that established by Enriquez for the elliptic Grothendieck–Teichmüller Lie algebra.
Exporting Murder: US Deportations and the Spread of Violence
Authors: Ambrosius Christian , Leblang David A
Published: March 2020

Existing literature on cross-national variation in violence has paid little attention to the transnational transmission of crime. One such channel is the forced return of migrants with a penal record in their country of temporary residence. Responding to this research gap, we study the effect of US deportations of convicts on levels of violent crime in deportees’ country of origin for a cross-country panel of up to 123 countries covering the years 2003 to 2014. We find a strong and robust effect of the deportation of convicts on homicide rates in countries of origin, which is to a large degree driven by deportations to Latin America and the Caribbean. An additional inflow of ten deportees with a prior criminal history per 100,000 increases expected homicide rates by roughly two. In addition to controlling for country-specific fixed effects, we provide evidence on a causal effect using an instrumental variable approach, which exploits spatial and time variation in migrant populations’ exposure to state-level immigration policies in the United States.
Unmasking Islamophobia: Anti-Muslim Hostility and/as White Supremacy
Authors: Goodwin Megan
Published: March 2020

This article considers the twenty-first century enforcement of Georgia’s Anti-Masking Act as a site of confluence for American white supremacy and American anti-Muslim hostility. Extending Judith Weisenfeld’s theory of religio-raciality, I argue that contemporary American white supremacy might best be understood as a religio-racial force, evidenced in part through anastrophic law enforcement. As seen in the application of Georgia’s Anti-Masking Act, laws initially instituted to deter religio-racial terror in the public square now also work to publicly discipline non-white, non-Christian bodies as well as any who would overtly challenge the supremacy of American whiteness. This case study demonstrates the importance of understanding anti-Muslim hostility as informed but not exhausted by racism.
Postmortem Analysis of Benzodiazepines in Human Bone by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Mancini Rosanna , Fernadez-Lopez Lucia , Falcon Maria , Pellegrini Manuela , Luna Aurelio , Rotolo Maria
Published: March 2020

A procedure based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was developed for the analysis of benzodiazepines (nordiazepam, oxazepam, lormetazepam, lorazepam, clonazepam, bromazepam and alprazolam) in postmortem human ribs. Powdered bone samples, including marrow remains inside, with the internal standard diazepam-d5 were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis with 100 μL of β-glucoronidase and were incubated in sodium hydroxide for 1 h in a 70°C oven. Samples underwent liquid phase extraction and ethyl acetate was used as eluent. Chromatography was performed on a fused silica capillary column and the selected-ion-monitoring mode was used for analytes determination. The method was validated in the range 0.1–0.5 ng/mg (depending on the benzodiazepine) to 100 ng/mg with average values of recovery, matrix effect and process efficiency ranged from 83.2 to 94.3%, from 97.3 to 102.1% and from 80.5 to 91.2%, respectively. The intra- and inter-day accuracy was <15%. The procedure was tested in rib specimens obtained during routine autopsies from 20 cases where these benzodiazepines were found in blood. Benzodiazepines were detected in the combined bone and marrow samples in 60% of cases. Lorazepam was detected in bone in the range of 0.3–0.7 ng/mg, nordiazepam at 1.3–4.2 ng/mg and oxazepam at 1.1–1.2 ng/mg. To our knowledge, this protocol for the simultaneous analysis of these benzodiazepines is the first performed and validated using human ribs.
85 Safety and Efficacy of Early Fresh Frozen Plasma Administration in Burn Resuscitation
Authors: Wiktor Arek J , Carmichael Heather , Weber Elizabeth B , Duffy Patrick , Wagner Anne L Lambert
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Controversy exists over the use of colloid required for burn resuscitation. Data show that fresh frozen plasma (FFP) may have benefits beyond volume sparing alone, however, there are inherent risks including transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI) and transfusion reactions (TR). The aims of this project were: (1) determine the effectiveness of early FFP during burn resuscitation, and (2) to document any potential side effects of FFP administration.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed on all burn patients aged >18 years old with >20% total body surface area (TBSA) burns who underwent resuscitation using our nursing guided resuscitation protocol (NGRP) from November 2016- June 2019 at our ABA- verified burn center. Excluded were those with electrical injury, delayed resuscitation, polytrauma, renal replacement therapy and or death within 24 hours (hrs) of injury. Pursuant to the NGRP all patients with >30% TBSA burns received FFP at 6–8 hrs post injury. Data recorded included: demographics, % TBSA burned, total crystalloid/FFP, and urine output (UO). An hourly resuscitation ratio (I/O ratio) of fluid given (ml/kg/%TBSA/hr) to UO (ml/kg/hr) was calculated. FFP initiation was standardized to time zero. Major complications such as abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), TRALI and TR were documented. Univariate statistical analysis was performed.

Results

Over the study period 71 patients required NGRP resuscitation, 56 met inclusion criteria. Baseline demographics included: 47 male (84%), median age 34 years [IQR 27–53], median TBSA 30% [range 20–95%]. 40 patients were resuscitated with FFP versus 16 patients resuscitated with crystalloid alone. Median time to FFP administration was 7 hours [IQR 6–8] with an average of 1866 ml infused [779–4484]. Those who received FFP had larger % TBSA burns median 41% [29–57] vs no FFP 22% [20–24], p< 0.001. Median I/O ratio at FFP initiation improved from 1.0 [IQR 0.4–3.7] to 0.4 [IQR 0.2–1.5, p=0.01] at 2 hrs post FFP, see Graph. Median UOP improved from 0.18 cc/kg/hr the 2 hrs prior to FFP administration, to 0.44 cc/kg/hr at 2 hrs post FFP (p=0.01). Total 24 hour fluids given (cc/kg/% TBSA) were similar in both groups: FFP 3.94 [3.49–5.36] vs no FFP 3.92 [3.54–4.53], p=0.77. There were no reported incidents of ACS, ARDS, TRALI, or TR.

Conclusions

The use of FFP in burn resuscitation significantly improves UOP and normalizes I/O ratios. FFP administration did not cause any serious complications.

Applicability of Research to Practice

Future research efforts should focus on comparing albumin vs FFP in acute burn resuscitation.
536 Road Rash: Understanding a Challenging Form of Burn Injury
Authors: Collier Zachary J , Choi Katherine J , Pham Christopher H , Yenikomshian Haig A , Gillenwater Justin
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Road rash is a unique burn injury due to imbedded foreign debris and deeply seeded bacteria. Literature on this injury fails to address its unique mechanism and ways to reduce scarring and infection. Given the paucity of data, a retrospective review was performed at a single level 1 trauma center to study friction burn characteristics and outcomes from these injuries

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search with PubMed, Scopus, and OvidSP Medline databases using the following keywords: friction burn, traumatic tattoo, and road rash. Subsequently, we analyzed all patients treated by our ABA verified burn center for friction related injuries from January 1, 2015 to September 15, 2019 and evaluated demographics, interventions, and outcomes.

Results

Twenty-four pertinent articles were identified. Seven articles were included after full-text analysis. Analysis of 225 patients from these studies identified an average age of 23±7 years with 66% male. Most occurred from motor accidents (74%) with industrial (11%) and blast (10%) mechanisms accounting for the majority of the remaining cases. None of the studies recorded TBSA, but 49% were full thickness and 36% had associated injuries. Most patients (58%) required surgery. At our institution, 44 patients met inclusion criteria and the majority were young (25±18 years), men (75%), involved in motor accidents (75%), and low TBSA burns (6.3±5.6%). Over half (57%) had full thickness burns and 72% required surgery. Length of stay was 12±11 days. Of the 27% of patients with traumatic tattooing on admission, 92% successfully had all foreign debris removed by discharge. Eight (18%) patients had wound infections. Importantly, 75% of patients with wound infections had delayed evaluation by a burn practitioner; elucidating a strong and significant correlation (p< 10–5, Cramer’s V 0.84).

Conclusions

While road rash injuries are often small TBSA, the majority tend to be full thickness, often involve underlying critical structures and frequently require operative intervention. Significantly, patients who developed wound infections were often not evaluated by a burn provider.

Applicability of Research to Practice

The unique trauma of road rash causes a high degree of superficial and deep tissue injury with high risk for contamination, infection, and scarring such that rapid debridement is critical for optimal care. Burn surgeons should be consulted early as these patients have a high risk of wound infection when not consulted by wound experts.
716 Increased Mortality in Burn Center Admissions with Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia
Authors: Pogson Kaylyn , Nurczyk Kamil , Sljivic Sanja , Jones Samuel W , Cairns Bruce , Nizamani Rabia , Chrisco Lori , Williams Felicia N
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM) is a non-fermenting, gram-negative bacterium that is a challenge to treat in immunocompromised hosts. It is difficult to eradicate due to its natural resistance to multiple antibiotics and omni-presence. Our objective was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of burn patients diagnosed with SM infection in our Burn Unit.

Methods

A single-site, retrospective review using an institutional Burn Center registry and infection control data. All patients diagnosed with SM infection within our Burn Unit between June 1, 2012 and June 1, 2019 were included in this retrospective review. Demographics, burn characteristics, length of stay and mortality were evaluated. Patients were then compared to all admitted patients who were ventilated for greater than 4 days during the same time period. Significance was accepted at p< 0.05.

Results

Forty-seven patients were diagnosed with SM infection between 2012 to 2019. Among these patients 64% were male and 36% were female. Mean patient age was 51 years old +/- 16 years. The most common reason for admission was flame burns (64%), followed by Stevens Johnson/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SJS/TEN) (17%). The average total body surface area (TBSA) involved was 29% +/- 18%. Mean time from admission to a positive SM culture was 34.5 days. One-hundred percent of the patients were intubated. Positive cultures for SM were obtained from bronchial alveolar lavage in 96% of positive cultures for SM. Mean length of stay in this group was 108 days +/- 86 days, ranging from 5 to 362 days. The mortality rate for patients diagnosed with a SM infection was 40%, compared to 27% in all patients admitted during this time who were ventilated for greater than 4 days.

Conclusions

SM is a highly virulent bacteria associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients admitted to our burn unit. The patients with positive cultures were older, male, flame injured, mechanically ventilated, had large TBSA involvement, and had prolonged hospital courses.

Applicability of Research to Practice

This study demonstrates the virulence of SM in a high-volume burn center. Cultures positive for SM require aggressive source control and burn centers need to be hypervigilant in controlling environmental factors to mitigate risk.
754 Social Determinants Associated with Paediatric Burn Injury: A Population Based, Case-control Study
Authors: Padalko Adam A , Gawaziuk Justin , Logsetty Sarvesh
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Children are disproportionately represented as victims of burn injury compared to adults. Life-long sequelae post-burn manifest as increased rates of mental and physical illness, substance abuse, and suicide. Social determinants of health (SDoH) influence risk of injury, however the extent and influence of SDoH on burn injury is less clear. To determine which social determinants influence burn injury in children, a retrospective case-control study was conducted.

Methods

Children (< 17 years of age) admitted to a regional burn centre between January 1 1999 and March 30 2017 were matched based on age, sex and geographic location 1:5 with an uninjured cohort. Population level administrative data describing the SDoH, at the regional administrative multifaceted data repository were compared between the cohorts. Thirteen SDoH were chosen based on a systematic review conducted by the research team.

Results

No significant differences existed in descriptive statistics between the burn and control cohorts. Mean age at burn injury = 5.46 (± 5.23), average TBSA (%) = 10.5 (± 13.4). The most common mechanism of burn injury was scald (42.03%)

Upon multivariable logistic regression, children: from a low-income household (O.R. 1.97 (1.46, 2.65)); in foster care (O.R. 1.57 (1.11, 2.21)); from a family that received income assistance (O.R. 1.71 (1.33, 2.19)); or born to a teen mother (O.R. 1.43 (1.13, 1.81)) were associated with an increased risk of burn injury.

Conclusions

This study identified SDoH associated with an increased risk of burn injury. This case-control study supports the finding that children from a low-income household, children in care, from a family that received income assistance, and children born to a teen mother are at an elevated risk of burn injury.

Applicability of Research to Practice

Identifying children at increased potential risk provides an opportunity to prevent burn injuries, bypassing the associated long-term physical disfigurement, life-long mental health consequences and mortality. This study also has merit in maximizing the efficiency of a burn prevention budget through targeted burn safety and risk reduction programs.
775 The Spiritual and Religious Beliefs and Needs of Burn Reconstruction Patients
Authors: Wood Laurel , Hultman C Scott
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Acutely injured burn patients demonstrate a range of spiritual and religious needs, but little is known about the variability of their beliefs over time, as well as the impact of reconstruction on these spiritual and religious beliefs. We examined the faith needs of burn reconstruction patients over the course of their reconstruction.

Methods

After obtaining consent, we assessed the spiritual and religious beliefs of 34 burn patients who were referred to Plastic Surgery for reconstruction, using the validated Belief into Action Scale (BIAC), which measures strength of beliefs on a scale from 10 to 100. A Likert scale from 1 to 10 was used to evaluate spiritual needs. Patients were reassessed 2 years later by telephone interview, after the majority of had completed their reconstruction. We compared before and after BIAC scores, including subscales, using paired Student’s T tests, with p< 0.05 assigned statistical significance.

Results

BIAC scores increased from 43.6 to 45.6 (p< 0.05) in burn reconstruction patients, over a period of two years. The only subscale that was statistically different was “conforming your life to the teaching of your faith,” which increased from 5.8 to 6.8 (p< 0.05). Burn reconstruction patients reported the importance of their spirituality as a 7.6, the importance of spirituality in reconstruction as a 6.0, and meeting their spiritual needs as 8.6. Regarding demographics of these patients, mean age was 48.3 years, mean time from injury to reconstruction was 1.9 years, gender ratio was 17:17, mean TBSA was 12.4%, and 14/34 had significant neuro-psychiatric illness. 21/34 patients underwent some form of surgical reconstruction, with laser resurfacing of hypertrophic scars the most common procedure (n=16).

Conclusions

The spiritual and religious beliefs of burn reconstruction patients appear to strengthen over time, despite significant challenges that these patients encounter, either from their initial injury or concurrent neuro-psychiatric morbidity. Meeting these needs in the outpatient setting, through pastoral care and/or the local church community, may further enhance recovery.

Applicability of Research to Practice

Identifying the spiritual and religious needs of burn patients may enhance recovery from injury.
Initial Experience With Autologous Skin Cell Suspension for Treatment of Deep Partial-Thickness Facial Burns
Authors: Molnar Joseph A , Walker Nicholas , Steele Thomas N , Craig Christopher , Williams Jeffrey , Carter Jeffrey E , Holmes James H
Published: March 2020

Facial burns present a challenge in burn care, as hypertrophic scarring and dyspigmentation can interfere with patients’ personal identities, ocular and oral functional outcomes, and have long-term deleterious effects. The purpose of this study is to evaluate our initial experience with non-cultured, autologous skin cell suspension (ASCS) for the treatment of deep partial-thickness (DPT) facial burns. Patients were enrolled at a single burn center during a multicenter, prospective, single-arm, observational study involving the compassionate use of ASCS for the treatment of large total BSA (TBSA) burns. Treatment decisions concerning facial burns were made by the senior author. Facial burns were initially excised and treated with allograft. The timing of ASCS application was influenced by an individual’s clinical status; however, all patients were treated within 30 days of injury. Outcomes included subjective cosmetic parameters and the number of reoperations within 3 months. Five patients (4 males, 1 female) were treated with ASCS for DPT facial burns. Age ranged from 2.1 to 40.7 years (mean 18.2 ± 17.3 years). Average follow-up was 231.2 ± 173.1 days (range 63–424 days). Two patients required reoperation for partial graft loss within 3 months in areas of full-thickness injury. There were no major complications and one superficial hematoma. Healing and cosmetic outcomes were equivalent to, and sometimes substantially better than, outcomes typical of split-thickness autografting. Non-cultured, ASCS was successfully used to treat DPT facial burns containing confluent dermis with remarkable cosmetic outcomes. Treatment of DPT burns with ASCS may be an alternative to current treatments, particularly in patients prone to dyspigmentation, scarring sequelae, and with limited donor sites.
The final phyllosoma, nisto, and first juvenile stages of the slipper lobster Petrarctus brevicornis (Holthuis, 1946) (Decapoda: Achelata: Scyllaridae)
Authors: Wakabayashi Kaori , Yang Chien-Hui , Chan Tin-Yam , Phillips Bruce F
Published: March 2020

An unidentified final-stage scyllarine phyllosoma larva possessing a unique red-spotted pattern of chromatophores was found in sublittoral waters off Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The phyllosoma was reared in the laboratory, metamorphosed into a nisto, and then first juvenile stage. DNA barcoding analysis using 16S rRNA gene identified these stages as the scyllarid (slipper) lobster Petrarctus brevicornis (Holthuis, 1946). As these stages were previously unknown, the morphology of the final-stage phyllosoma, nisto, and first stage juvenile are described and illustrated.
Missing in Action
Authors: Sellers Patricia Viseur , Kestenbaum Jocelyn Getgen
Published: March 2020

The slave trade prohibition is among the first recognized and least prosecuted international crimes. Deftly codified in, inter alia, the 1926 Slavery Convention, the 1956 Supplementary Convention, Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions (AP II), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the norm against the slave trade — the precursor to slavery — stands as a peremptory norm, a crime under customary international law, a humanitarian law prohibition and a non-derogable human right. Acts of the slave trade remain prevalent in armed conflicts, including those committed under the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām (ISIS) Caliphate. Despite the slave trade’s continued perpetration and the prohibition’s peremptory status, the crime of the slave trade has fallen into desuetude as an international crime. Precursory conduct to slavery crimes tends to elude legal characterization; therefore, the slave trade fails to be prosecuted and punished as such. Several other factors, including the omission from statutes of modern international judicial mechanisms, may contribute to the slave trade crime’s underutilization. Also, the denomination of human trafficking and sexual slavery as ‘modern slavery’ has lessened its visibility. This article examines potential factual evidence of slave trading and analyses the suggested legal framework that prohibits the slave trade as an international crime. The authors offer that the crime of the slave trade fills an impunity gap, especially in light of recent ISIS-perpetrated harms against the Yazidi in Iraq. Therefore, its revitalization might ensure greater enforcement of one of the oldest core international crimes.
Refinement of the Protein Immunomarking Technique for Mark-Capture Research
Authors: Hagler James R , Machtley Scott A
Published: March 2020

A follow-up study was conducted to further evaluate the marking efficiency of broadcast spray applications of egg albumin (from chicken egg whites) on Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in alfalfa. A previous study recorded exceptional marking efficiency (e.g., >95% of the population) on H. convergens when using relatively high concentrations (10 to 50%) of chicken egg whites. The present study examines marking efficiency of egg whites using lower concentrations of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0%. We used cadaver and free-roaming beetles to measure protein mark acquisition (and retention) of each protein concentration by direct contact with the spray application and incidental contact with protein residue on the plant tissue, respectively. The vertical distribution of the protein mark was also determined by sampling the upper and lower portions of the alfalfa canopy. The data indicate, regardless of the egg white treatment, that the backpack sprayer provided uniform coverage of egg albumin on the alfalfa plants and cadaver beetles. Also, almost every free-roaming beetle acquired a mark within 24 h after contact exposure to protein marked plants. This study shows that a very low concentration of egg albumin is sufficient for marking arthropods directly in the field.
Putting the Pieces Together: Completing the Mechanism of Action Jigsaw for Sipuleucel-T
Authors: Madan Ravi A , Antonarakis Emmanuel S , Drake Charles G , Fong Lawrence , Yu Evan Y , McNeel Douglas G , Lin Daniel W , Chang Nancy N , Sheikh Nadeem A , Gulley James L
Published: March 2020

Sipuleucel-T is an autologous cellular immunotherapy that induces an immune response targeted against prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) to treat asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. In the phase III IMPACT study, sipuleucel-T was associated with a statistically significantly increased overall survival (OS) (median = 4.1 months) vs placebo. Patients with baseline prostate-specific antigen levels in the lowest quartile (≤22.1 ng/mL) exhibited a 13-month improvement in OS with sipuleucel-T. Together, this led sipuleucel-T to be approved and recommended as first-line therapy in various guidelines for treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. This review discusses the varied findings about the mechanisms of action of sipuleucel-T, bringing them together to form a more coherent picture. These pieces include inducing a statistically significant increase in antigen-presenting cell activation; inducing a peripheral immune response specific to the target (PAP) and/or immunizing (PA2024) antigens; stimulating systemic cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity; and mediating antigen spread (ie, increased antibody responses to secondary proteins in addition to PAP and PA2024). Each of these pieces individually correlates with OS. Sipuleucel-T also traffics T cells to the prostate and is associated with long-term immune memory such that a second course of treatment induces an anamnestic immune response. Prostate cancer does not have a strongly inflamed microenvironment, thus its response to immune checkpoint inhibitors is limited. Because sipuleucel-T is able to traffic T cells to the tumor, it may be an ideal combination partner with immunotherapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors or with radiation therapy.
Pre-akinete formation in Zygnema sp. from polar habitats is associated with metabolite re-arrangement
Authors: Arc Erwann , Pichrtová Martina , Kranner Ilse , Holzinger Andreas
Published: March 2020

In streptophytic green algae in the genus Zygnema, pre-akinete formation is considered a key survival strategy under extreme environmental conditions in alpine and polar regions. The transition from young, dividing cells to pre-akinetes is associated with morphological changes and the accumulation of storage products. Understanding the underlying metabolic changes could provide insights into survival strategies in polar habitats. Here, GC-MS-based metabolite profiling was used to study the metabolic signature associated with pre-akinete formation in Zygnema sp. from polar regions under laboratory conditions, induced by water and nutrient depletion, or collected in the field. Light microscopy and TEM revealed drastic changes in chloroplast morphology and ultrastructure, degradation of starch grains, and accumulation of lipid bodies in pre-akinetes. Accordingly, the metabolite profiles upon pre-akinete formation reflected a gradual shift in metabolic activity. Compared with young cells, pre-akinetes showed an overall reduction in primary metabolites such as amino acids and intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, consistent with a lower metabolic turnover, while they accumulated lipids and oligosaccharides. Overall, the transition to the pre-akinete stage involves re-allocation of photosynthetically fixed energy into storage instead of growth, supporting survival of extreme environmental conditions.
Defence against the modern arts: the curse of statistics—Part II: ‘Score-based likelihood ratios’
Authors: Neumann Cedric , Ausdemore Madeline
Published: March 2020

For several decades, legal and scientific scholars have argued that conclusions from forensic examinations should be supported by statistical data and reported within a probabilistic framework. Multiple models have been proposed to quantify and express the probative value of forensic evidence. Unfortunately, the use of statistics to perform inferences in forensic science adds a layer of complexity that most forensic scientists, court officers and lay individuals are not armed to handle. Many applications of statistics to forensic science rely on ad-hoc strategies and are not scientifically sound. The opacity of the technical jargon used to describe probabilistic models and their results, and the complexity of the techniques involved make it very difficult for the untrained user to separate the wheat from the chaff. This series of papers is intended to help forensic scientists and lawyers recognize limitations and issues in tools proposed to interpret the results of forensic examinations. This article focuses on tools that have been proposed to leverage the use of similarity scores to assess the probative value of forensic findings. We call this family of tools ‘score-based likelihood ratios’. In this article, we present the fundamental concepts on which these tools are built, we describe some specific members of this family of tools, and we compare them explore to the Bayes factor through an intuitive geometrical approach and through simulations. Finally, we discuss their validation and their potential usefulness as a decision-making tool in forensic science.
Elevated ionizing photon production efficiency in faint high-equivalent-width Lyman-α emitters
Authors: Maseda Michael V , Bacon Roland , Lam Daniel , Matthee Jorryt , Brinchmann Jarle , Schaye Joop , Labbe Ivo , Schmidt Kasper B , Boogaard Leindert , Bouwens Rychard , Cantalupo Sebastiano , Franx Marijn , Hashimoto Takuya , Inami Hanae , Kusakabe Haruka , Mahler Guillaume , Nanayakkara Themiya , Richard Johan , Wisotzki Lutz
Published: March 2020

While low-luminosity galaxies dominate number counts at all redshifts, their contribution to cosmic reionization is poorly understood due to a lack of knowledge of their physical properties. We isolate a sample of 35 z ≈ 4–5 continuum-faint Lyman-α emitters from deep VLT/MUSE spectroscopy and directly measure their H α emission using stacked Spitzer/IRAC Ch. 1 photometry. Based on Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we determine that the average UV continuum magnitude is fainter than −16 (≈ 0.01 L⋆), implying a median Lyman-α equivalent width of 259 Å. By combining the H α measurement with the UV magnitude, we determine the ionizing photon production efficiency, ξion, a first for such faint galaxies. The measurement of log10 (ξion [Hz erg−1]) = 26.28 ($^{+0.28}_{-0.40}$) is in excess of literature measurements of both continuum- and emission line-selected samples, implying a more efficient production of ionizing photons in these lower luminosity, Lyman-α-selected systems. We conclude that this elevated efficiency can be explained by stellar populations with metallicities between 4 × 10−4 and 0.008, with light-weighted ages less than 3 Myr.
Convergent Losses of TLR5 Suggest Altered Extracellular Flagellin Detection in Four Mammalian Lineages
Authors: Sharma Virag , Hecker Nikolai , Walther Felix , Stuckas Heiko , Hiller Michael
Published: March 2020

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role for the innate immune system by detecting pathogen-associated molecular patterns. TLR5 encodes the major extracellular receptor for bacterial flagellin and frequently evolves under positive selection, consistent with coevolutionary arms races between the host and pathogens. Furthermore, TLR5 is inactivated in several vertebrates and a TLR5 stop codon polymorphism is widespread in human populations. Here, we analyzed the genomes of 120 mammals and discovered that TLR5 is convergently lost in four independent lineages, comprising guinea pigs, Yangtze river dolphin, pinnipeds, and pangolins. Validated inactivating mutations, absence of protein-coding transcript expression, and relaxed selection on the TLR5 remnants confirm these losses. PCR analysis further confirmed the loss of TLR5 in the pinniped stem lineage. Finally, we show that TLR11, encoding a second extracellular flagellin receptor, is also absent in these four lineages. Independent losses of TLR5 and TLR11 suggest that a major pathway for detecting flagellated bacteria is not essential for different mammals and predicts an impaired capacity to sense extracellular flagellin.
Mammalian Alternative Translation Initiation Is Mostly Nonadaptive
Authors: Xu Chuan , Zhang Jianzhi
Published: March 2020

Alternative translation initiation (ATLI) refers to the existence of multiple translation initiation sites per gene and is a widespread phenomenon in eukaryotes. ATLI is commonly assumed to be advantageous through creating proteome diversity or regulating protein synthesis. We here propose an alternative hypothesis that ATLI arises primarily from nonadaptive initiation errors presumably due to the limited ability of ribosomes to distinguish sequence motifs truly signaling translation initiation from similar sequences. Our hypothesis, but not the adaptive hypothesis, predicts a series of global patterns of ATLI, all of which are confirmed at the genomic scale by quantitative translation initiation sequencing in multiple human and mouse cell lines and tissues. Similarly, although many codons differing from AUG by one nucleotide can serve as start codons, our analysis suggests that using non-AUG start codons is mostly disadvantageous. These and other findings strongly suggest that ATLI predominantly results from molecular error, requiring a major revision of our understanding of the precision and regulation of translation initiation.
The complete mitochondrial genomes of four Baikal molluscs from the endemic family Baicaliidae (Caenogastropoda: Truncatelloida)
Authors: Peretolchina T E , Sitnikova T Ya , Sherbakov D Yu
Published: March 2020

Here, we present the complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of four members of the Baicaliidae Fisher, 1885, a truncatelloidean family that is endemic to Lake Baikal (East Siberia). The mt genomes are those of Korotnewia korotnevi (15,171 bp), Godlewskia godlewskii (15,224 bp), Baicalia turriformis (15,127) and Maackia herderiana (15,154 bp). All these mt genomes contain 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. We detected non-canonical base pairs in some of the tRNA genes and variable numbers of non-coding spacers; some tRNAs do not have a TψC loop. We found gene order to be highly conserved in these Lake Baikal species and similar to the majority of caenogastropod mt genomes available on GenBank. A position of the putative control region is delimited to the non-coding region between trnF and the cox3 gene. It contains the ‘GAA(A)nT’ motif at the 3′ end and is similar to the replication origin found in most Caenogastropoda studied to date. We also compared the evolutionary rates of different genes to evaluate their use in different kinds of population or phylogenetic studies of this group of gastropods.
“Taking the Temperature of the Room”
Authors: McGregor Shannon C
Published: March 2020

For most of the twentieth century, public opinion was nearly analogous with polling. Enter social media, which has upended the social, technical, and communication contingencies upon which public opinion is constructed. This study documents how political professionals turn to social media to understand the public, charting important implications for the practice of campaigning as well as the study of public opinion itself. An analysis of in-depth interviews with 13 professionals from 2016 US presidential campaigns details how they use social media to understand and represent public opinion. I map these uses of social media onto a theoretical model, accounting for quantitative and qualitative measurement, for instrumental and symbolic purposes. Campaigns’ use of social media data to infer and symbolize public opinion is a new development in the relationship between campaigns and supporters. These new tools and symbols of public opinion are shaped by campaigns and drive press coverage (McGregor 2019), highlighting the hybrid logic of the political media system (Chadwick 2017). The model I present brings much-needed attention to qualitative data, a novel aspect of social media in understanding public opinion. The use of social media data to understand the public, for all its problems of representativeness, may provide a retort to long-standing criticisms of surveys—specifically that surveys do not reveal hierarchical, social, or public aspects of opinion formation (Blumer 1948; Herbst 1998; Cramer 2016). This model highlights a need to explicate what can—and cannot—be understood about public opinion via social media.
Can Social Media Incivility Induce Enthusiasm?
Authors: Kosmidis Spyros , Theocharis Yannis
Published: March 2020

Most studies of online incivility report negative effects on attitudes and behaviors of both the victims and the audiences who are exposed to it. But while we have extensive insights about the attitudinal and behavioral consequences of incivility, less emphasis has been paid on its emotional effects. We conduct a series of survey experiments using statements posted on Twitter by elite actors along with the comments they receive and measure the emotional reactions of the public in relation to the content of the original post. We find that when the raw information is accompanied by uncivil commentary (compared to civil or no commentary), respondents express higher levels of positive and lower levels of negative emotions. Further analysis of heterogeneous effects focusing on partisanship shows that the effects are primarily driven by those who are generally expected to agree with the expert’s claim. The broader consequences of incivility as entertainment on social media platforms are discussed.
Computer-guided library generation applied to the optimization of single-domain antibodies
Authors: Akiba Hiroki , Tamura Hiroko , Caaveiro Jose M M , Tsumoto Kouhei
Published: March 2020

Computer-guided library generation is a plausible strategy to optimize antibodies. Herein, we report the improvement of the affinity of a single-domain camelid antibody for its antigen using such approach. We first conducted experimental and computational alanine scanning to describe the precise energetic profile of the antibody–antigen interaction surface. Based on this characterization, we hypothesized that in-silico mutagenesis could be employed to guide the development of a small library for phage display with the goal of improving the affinity of an antibody for its antigen. Optimized antibody mutants were identified after three rounds of selection, in which an alanine residue at the core of the antibody–antigen interface was substituted by residues with large side-chains, generating diverse kinetic responses, and resulting in greater affinity (>10-fold) for the antigen.