bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF ADIPOSE TISSUE IN MALE NORWEGIANS WITH MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
Authors: Kirkeby Knut , Nitter‐Hauge Sigurd , Bjerkedal Inger
Published: November 2020

Gas‐chromatographic studies of the fatty acid composition of adipose tissue specimens have been carried our in 70 urban men with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in a control group comprising 25 healthy men of comparable age. Only subjects living free of dietary instructions were included in the study. Samples of adipose tissue obtained from patients with infarction who had had known coronary heart disease (CHD) for at least one year contained significantly higher mean linoleic acid than samples from patients with no history of previous heart disease or from healthy subjects. The difference between mean linoleic acid content in the two latter groups was also statistically significant, with the lowest values found in patients with infarction but without known previous CHD.

Diet is assumed to be the dominant factor responsible for the discrepancy in fatty acid composition. Patients with known CHD have probably been more assiduous in following recent widespread nutrional advice recommending increased intake of polyunsaturated fats than the population as a whole.

Male Norwegians living in urban areas exhibited almost the same adipose tissue fatty acid patterns as the inhabitants of countries with high incidence of CHD.
EVALUATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL IMPORTANCE OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC OBLITERATIONS IN THE AORTO‐ILIAC ARTERY BY PRESSURE/FLOW MEASUREMENTS
Authors: Lorentsen E. , Hoel B. L. , Hol R.
Published: November 2020

Arterial BP has been measured indirectly in the arm and intraarterially in the common femoral or external iliac artery of 23 patients with atherosclerosis obliterans and 2 patients with normal arteries. Blood flow in calf at rest and during reactive hyperemia has been measured by the use of venous occlusion plethysmography. The results of the pressure/flow measurements have been correlated to arteriographic findings. A systolic BP more than 10 mmHg lower in the common femoral or iliac artery than in the arm at rest and/or during reactive hyperemia was found to indicate atherosclerotic irregularities of functional importance. The results were found to be more informative if the ratio pressure drop/peak flow (“stenosis index”) could be calculated. A “stenosis index” of more than 2 was found in patients with serious changes in the aorto‐iliac arteries. The pressure measurements performed were found to give valuable information for the decision where to operate in cases of combined aorto‐iliac and femoropopliteal obliterations. They may be made in connection with the arteriography as a supplement to the radiologic examination.
PLASMA LIPID AND LIPOPROTEIN LEVELS IN A DANISH POPULATION
Authors: Dyerberg Jørn , Hjørne Niels
Published: November 2020

A study of the plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations has been carried out in 373 persons (179 women and 194 men) including 56 obese persons (24 women and 32 men) and 26 women treated with sex hormones, mainly for contraceptive purposes. The technique for quantitative lipoprotein electrophoresis described by the authors in previous papers was used. The technique was compared with other methods and found reliable. Increasing lipid and lipoprotein level with age was demonstrated; but while this increase continued in women, the increase in men ceased at about the age of 45. The levels of triglycerides and pre‐β‐lipoproteins were found to be higher in men than in women, while phospholipids and α‐lipoproteins were higher in women. Cholesterol and β‐lipoproteins were higher in women aged 11–20 years and over 50 years than in men in the corresponding age groups. Higher levels of triglycerides and pre‐β‐lipoproteins were found in obese than in non‐obese persons regardless of sex. An observation not described before was a lower α‐lipoprotein concentration in obese than in non‐obese women. No significant influence of contraceptive sex hormone intake on the lipid and lipoprotein levels could be demonstrated.
MUSCLE AND LIVER SERUM ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS GIVEN ALCOHOL ON A DIET POOR IN CARBOHYDRATES
Authors: Hed Ragnar , Nygren Arne , Sundblad Lars
Published: November 2020

In order to elucidate the importance of a short‐age of carbohydrates in the food for the occurrence of alcoholic muscle disease, muscle and liver enzymes (LDH isoenzymes, GOT, GPT and CPK) have been assayed in the serum of six healthy volunteers after alcohol ingestion on a diet poor in carbohydrates (group I). Twelve healthy subjects fed the carbohydrate‐poor diet without alcohol addition (group II) and six other subjects given alcohol when on the average Swedish diet (group III) served as controls. In the group given alcohol in addition to the carbohydrate‐poor diet an increase of LDH‐1 and LDH‐2 was observed. No other noticeable enzyme increases were registered. It is concluded that a lack of carbohydrate may be a factor involved in the pathogenesis of alcoholic myopathy.
THROMBOCYTOPENIA
Authors: Böttiger L. E. , Westerholm B.
Published: November 2020

An analysis of 126 cases of drug‐induced thrombocytopenia shows that oral diuretics (52 cases) and quinine/quinidine drugs (26 cases) are the entirely predominant causes. Drug‐induced thrombocytopenia has a favourable prognosis, and remission occurs usually within 1–2 weeks; 70% of the cases are women. The incidence of thrombocytopenia after 50 years of age, both that which is definitely drug‐induced and that due to other causes, is markedly parallel to the consumption of a group of potential thrombocytopenia‐inducing drugs, oral diuretics. The risk of thrombocytopenia through the use of oral diuretics may be calculated at 1 case/15 000 users, equal for men and women, but with rising risk at higher ages.
Strong amorphous carbon prepared by spark‐plasma sintering C60
Authors: Wu Yingju , Zhang Shuangshuang , Liang Zitai , Wang Xiaoyu , Ma Mengdong , Luo Kun , Zhang Yang , He Julong , Yu Dongli , Xu Bo , Zhao Zhisheng , Tian Yongjun
Published: November 2020

The phase transition of fullerene C60 under high pressure and high temperature has been widely studied, but the research on the spark‐plasma sintering of C60 is limited, and the mechanical properties of synthesized materials are still unknown. In this study, a series of amorphous carbon materials were synthesized by spark‐plasma sintering fullerene C60 at different temperatures. The structural characterizations showed that they were composed of multi‐graphene fragments with different sizes, curvatures, and ordering degrees. The densities of the synthesized amorphous carbons were 1.3‐1.4 g/cm3, which were lower than the values for graphite, but the mechanical properties were excellent. The highest compressive strength, indentation hardness, and elastic recovery of the amorphous carbons synthesized at different temperatures could reach up to ~1.25 GPa, ~3.8 GPa, and ~85.5%, respectively, which are far better than the values for commercial isotropic graphite materials.
Linear dielectric thermodynamics: A new universal law for optical, dielectric constants
Authors: Burns S. J.
Published: November 2020

The thermodynamics of linear dielectric are formally developed to explore the isothermal and adiabatic temperature‐pressure dependence of dielectric constants. The refractive index of optical materials is widely measured in the literature: it is both temperature and pressure dependent. The argument to establish the dielectric constant's isentropic temperature dependence is a thermodynamic one and is thus applicable to all physical models that describe electron clouds and electronic resonances within materials. The isentropic slope of the displacement field vs the electric field at all temperatures is described by an adiabatic dielectric constant in an energy‐per‐unit mass system. This slope is shown through the electronic part of the entropy to be unstable at high temperatures due to the change in the curvature of the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant. The electronic entropy contribution for optical, thermo‐electro materials has negative heat capacities which are unacceptable. The dielectric constant's temperature and pressure dependence is predicted to be only dependent on the specific volume so isentropes are always positive. A new universal form for the dielectric constant follows from this hypothesis: the dielectric constant is proportional to the square root of the specific volume for fully dense solids.
Aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases in Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease: A gain or a loss?
Authors: Zhang Han , Zhou Zhong‐Wei , Sun Litao
Published: November 2020

Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) is one of the most common inherited neurodegenerative disorders with an increasing number of CMT‐associated variants identified as causative factors, however, there has been no effective therapy for CMT to date. Aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases (aaRS) are essential enzymes in translation by charging amino acids onto their cognate tRNAs during protein synthesis. Dominant monoallelic variants of aaRSs have been largely implicated in CMT. Some aaRSs variants affect enzymatic activity, demonstrating a loss‐of‐function property. In contrast, loss of aminoacylation activity is neither necessary nor sufficient for some aaRSs variants to cause CMT. Instead, accumulating evidence from CMT patient samples, animal genetic studies or protein conformational analysis has pinpointed toxic gain‐of‐function of aaRSs variants in CMT, suggesting complicated mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of CMT. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in studies on CMT‐linked aaRSs, with a particular focus on their functions. The current challenges, future direction and the promising candidates for potential treatment of CMT are also discussed.

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The experience of school‐aged children with hospitalisation
Authors: Loureiro Fernanda Manuela , Antunes Ana Vanessa dos Reis Ameixa , Pelander Tiina , Charepe Zaida Borges
Published: November 2020

Aims and objectives

This study intended to contribute to the improvement of nursing care for both children and their parents and aimed to identify the best and worst experiences of school‐aged children during hospitalisation.

Background

Child hospitalisation has traditionally been studied from the parent's perspective, but studies in which the child is the subject are scarce and mainly focus on to the hospitalisation experiences.

Design

A cross‐sectional, observational and descriptive exploratory design was used, and STROBE reporting guidelines were followed.

Methods

A paper survey was applied by the primary researcher within a 3 months period to 252 children. It presented two open‐ended statements: ‘In my opinion the best thing about the hospital is …’ and ‘In my opinion the worst thing about the hospital is…’. The study was submitted and approved by the national data protection commission and also by the ethics committees of each of the six institutions where the study was undertaken. Informed consent was also obtained from children and parents.

Results

Answers were analysed through content analysis. Five categories were identified for each of the open‐ended statements. Children identified ‘people’, ‘physical environment’, ‘activities’, ‘outcomes’ and ‘food’ as best experiences. The worst experiences included: ‘feelings’, ‘activities’, ‘food’, ‘environment’ and ‘outcomes’.

Conclusions

The results allowed the identification of the children's most valued aspects of hospitalisation.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

The results should be considered by healthcare professionals in order to make the hospitalisation experience more positive from the perspective of the school‐aged children.
Comparison of the effects of 7.2% hypertonic saline and 20% mannitol on electrolyte and acid‐base variables in dogs with suspected intracranial hypertension
Authors: Hoehne Sabrina N. , Yozova Ivayla D. , Vidondo Beatriz , Adamik Katja N.
Published: November 2020

Background

Hyperosmolar agents frequently are used to decrease intracranial pressure but their effects on electrolyte and acid‐base variables have not been prospectively investigated.

Objectives

Compare duration and magnitude of changes in electrolyte and acid‐base variables after hyperosmolar treatment.

Animals

Twenty‐eight client‐owned dogs with intracranial hypertension caused by various pathologies.

Methods

Prospective, randomized, nonblinded, experimental cohort study. Fifteen dogs received a single dose (4 mL/kg) of 7.2% hypertonic saline (HTS), 13 dogs received 20% mannitol (MAN) 1 g/kg IV. Electrolyte and acid‐base variables were measured before (T0), and 5 (T5), 60 (T60), and 120 (T120) minutes after administration. Variables were compared between treatments and among time points within treatment groups.

Results

Mean plasma sodium and chloride concentrations were higher after HTS than MAN at T5 (158 vs 141 mEq/L; 126 vs 109 mEq/L) and significant differences were maintained at all time points. After HTS, plasma sodium and chloride concentrations remained increased from T0 at all time points. After MAN, plasma sodium and chloride concentrations decreased at T5, but these changes were not maintained at T60 and T120. Plasma potassium concentration was lower at T5 after HTS compared with T0 (3.6 vs 3.9 mEq/L) and compared to MAN (3.6 vs 4.1 mEq/L). At T60 and T120, plasma ionized calcium concentration was lower after HTS than MAN (1.2 vs 1.3 mmol/L). No significant differences were found in acid‐base variables between treatments.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

At the administered dose, dogs receiving HTS showed sustained increases in plasma sodium and chloride concentrations, whereas dogs receiving MAN showed transient decreases. Future studies should assess the effects of multiple doses of hyperosmolar agents on electrolyte and acid‐base variables.
An Understanding of (Mis)Understanders: Exploring the Underlying Mechanisms of Concept Learning Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Versteeg Marjolein , Hafkemeijer Anne , de Beaufort Arnout Jan , Steendijk Paul
Published: November 2020

Obtaining adequate understanding of scientific concepts is considered challenging due to learners' misconceptions about natural phenomena. Misconceptions may coexist with scientific knowledge in the brain. Therefore, misconceptions must be cognitively inhibited in order to select the scientific knowledge. There is, however, lack of substantial neuroscientific evidence supporting this hypothesis. In this study, we sought for this evidence by investigating medical students who solved a cardiovascular conceptual problem in a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Brain activation was compared between understanders who had the scientific knowledge, and misunderstanders who held a misconception. No significant activation was found in brain areas related to cognitive inhibition in understanders compared with misunderstanders. Therefore, we could not confirm the idea that cognitive inhibition is involved in overcoming a misconception. Instead, we found that the putamen was significantly activated in misunderstanders compared with understanders, suggesting a role for episodic memory in learners holding a misconception.
Gene expression during larval caste determination and differentiation in intermediately eusocial bumblebees, and a comparative analysis with advanced eusocial honeybees
Authors: Collins David H. , Wirén Anders , Labédan Marjorie , Smith Michael , Prince David C. , Mohorianu Irina , Dalmay Tamas , Bourke Andrew F. G.
Published: November 2020

The queen‐worker caste system of eusocial insects represents a prime example of developmental polyphenism (environmentally‐induced phenotypic polymorphism) and is intrinsic to the evolution of advanced eusociality. However, the comparative molecular basis of larval caste determination and subsequent differentiation in the eusocial Hymenoptera remains poorly known. To address this issue within bees, we profiled caste‐associated gene expression in female larvae of the intermediately eusocial bumblebee Bombus terrestris. In B. terrestris, female larvae experience a queen‐dependent period during which their caste fate as adults is determined followed by a nutrition‐sensitive period also potentially affecting caste fate but for which the evidence is weaker. We used mRNA‐seq and qRT‐PCR validation to isolate genes differentially expressed between each caste pathway in larvae at developmental stages before and after each of these periods. We show that differences in gene expression between caste pathways are small in totipotent larvae, then peak after the queen‐dependent period. Relatively few novel (i.e., taxonomically‐restricted) genes were differentially expressed between castes, though novel genes were significantly enriched in late‐instar larvae in the worker pathway. We compared sets of caste‐associated genes in B. terrestris with those reported from the advanced eusocial honeybee, Apis mellifera, and found significant but relatively low levels of overlap of gene lists between the two species. These results suggest both the existence of low numbers of shared toolkit genes and substantial divergence in caste‐associated genes between Bombus and the advanced eusocial Apis since their last common eusocial ancestor.
Linking nutrient sensing and gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum blood‐stage parasites
Authors: Kumar Manish , Skillman Kristen , Duraisingh Manoj T.
Published: November 2020

Malaria is one of the most life‐threatening infectious diseases worldwide, caused by infection of humans with parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The complex life cycle of Plasmodium parasites is shared between two hosts, with infection of multiple cell types, and the parasite needs to adapt for survival and transmission through significantly different metabolic environments. Within the blood‐stage alone, parasites encounter changing levels of key nutrients, including sugars, amino acids, and lipids, due to differences in host dietary nutrition, cellular tropism, and pathogenesis. In this review, we consider the mechanisms that the most lethal of malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, uses to sense nutrient levels and elicit changes in gene expression during blood‐stage infections. These changes are brought about by several metabolic intermediates and their corresponding sensor proteins. Sensing of distinct nutritional signals can drive P. falciparum to alter the key blood‐stage processes of proliferation, antigenic variation, and transmission.
A puzzle about fickleness
Authors: Woodard Elise
Published: November 2020

In this paper, I motivate a puzzle about epistemic rationality. On the one hand, there seems to be something problematic about frequently changing your mind. On the other hand, changing your mind once is often permissible. Why do one‐off changes of mind seem rationally permissible, even admirable, while constant changes seem quintessentially irrational? The puzzle of fickleness is to explain this asymmetry. To solve the puzzle, I propose and defend the Ratifiable Reasoning Account. According to this solution, as agents redeliberate, they gain two types of evidence. First, they gain inductive evidence that they will not stably settle their belief. Second, this inductive evidence affords higher‐order evidence that they are unreliable at assessing the matter at hand. The fact that fickle agents gain this higher‐order evidence explains why fickleness can be epistemically—not just practically—irrational. In addition to solving the puzzle, my account captures a wide range of contextual factors that are relevant for our judgments.
Comparing contingency fire containment strategies using simulated random scenarios
Authors: Wei Yu , Thompson Matthew P. , Belval Erin , Gannon Benjamin , Calkin David E. , O'Connor Christopher D.
Published: November 2020

Contingency firelines can be used to back up primary lines to increase probability of fire containment, decrease fire losses, and improve firefighter safety. In this study, we classify firelines into primary, contingency, and response lines. We design a modeling process to iteratively implement a mixed integer programming model to evaluate contingency strategies under randomly generated fireline breaching scenarios. Our objectives include: (1) gaining conceptual understanding of the effectiveness of using contingency containers in a fireline network, and (2) suggesting future data collection and model improvement directions to support contingency strategy planning. We evaluate the effectiveness of several model generated containment strategies: only responding to observed primary line breaches, being proactive by implementing a system‐level contingency plan, or constructing contingency lines to back up a proportion of a primary container. Data from the Ferguson Fire in California are used to derive a set of hypothetical test cases with different fireline breaching risks to support sensitivity analysis. For comparison, we also test a contingency plan inspired by the Ferguson Fire operation. Analyses suggest that a contingency plan will provide the greatest benefit when fireline breaching risk is high. This study also suggests there are significant data and knowledge gaps that must be addressed to make the model suitable for operational use.

Recommendations for Resource Managers

Systems analysis can help evaluate contingency containment plans.

A contingency plan will provide the greatest benefit when fireline breaching risk is high.

It is often efficient to strategically locate contingency lines to back up primary lines with high breaching probabilities.

A good contingency plan may help lower fire loss and save suppression effort under many fireline breaching scenarios.

Data collection and synchronization are important in supporting future advances in fire containment decisions.
A cycle‐jumping method for multicyclic Hubbert modeling of resource production
Authors: Tunnell Bolorchimeg N. , Conder James A. , Anderson Ken B. , Locmelis Marek
Published: November 2020

The amount of ultimately recoverable resources and/or timing of peak production have been the central purpose of numerous studies. One broadly applied method is Hubbert modeling, subsequently extended as multicyclic Hubbert modeling. This paper explores a modification to conventional multicyclic Hubbert modeling that we term “cycle‐jumping” wherein the overlap of multiple curves is limited and explicitly accounted for. The model is designed in a way that each curve is described by the same three parameters as a multicyclic Hubbert model, and every two curves are connected through an explicit transition. The transition width indicates the time of the shift from one curve to the next and is controlled by a weighting parameter for the respective curves. Cycle‐jumping provides a superior data fit compared to the conventional cycle‐addition model and, more important, reflects historical production data more realistically as socioeconomic and political factors important to resource production vary in time.

Recommendations for Resource Managers

Conventional multicyclic Hubbert modeling poorly reflects transitions in production trends.

Cycle‐jumping with a finite transition period practically and mathematically provides a superior model for historical resource production by limiting the overlap of multiple curves.

Cycle‐jumping with a finite transition period reflects more realistically the production profile affected by external factors including capturing inherent asymmetry in different cycles.
One step closer to influenza vaccine inclusiveness
Authors: Sgrulletti Mayla , Ottaviano Giorgio , Sangerardi Maria , Chini Loredana , Dellepiane Rosa Maria , Martire Baldassarre , Montin Davide , Rizzo Caterina , Moschese Viviana
Published: November 2020

Flu virus infection is a common cause of acute respiratory illness, with the major incidence in pediatric age, high morbidity, and mortality. The flu vaccine is recommended for all people aged ≥6 months, unless specific contraindications are present. Younger and older age, pregnancy, chronic diseases like asthma, and immunodeficiency are risk factors for severe complications following flu infection. Thus, these categories represent the target for flu vaccine strategies in most countries. Inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV), recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV) or live‐attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) are currently available, with specific precautions and contraindications. We aim to resume the current indications for vaccines in the vulnerable populations to support flu vaccination inclusiveness, in anticipation of a “universal vaccine” strategy.
Autoimmune diseases associated with common variable immune deficiency
Authors: Lenti Marco Vincenzo , Savioli Jessica , Achilli Giovanna , Di Sabatino Antonio
Published: November 2020

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most prevalent primary immune deficiency, affecting roughly 2‐4/100 000 individuals in the general population. The etiology is currently unknown, even if several genetic mutations have been described, and no single clinical feature or single laboratory test can establish the diagnosis, which is based on multiple criteria. CVID is characterized by B‐ and T‐cell dysfunction that predisposes to an increased risk of infections, with the typical involvement of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Besides this well‐established complication, though the coexistence of immunodeficiency and autoimmunity appears paradoxical, two‐thirds of CVID patients present concomitant autoimmune disorders. Of note, autoimmunity can often be the only clinical manifestation of CVID at the time of diagnosis. The most common autoimmune disorders associated with CVID are autoimmune cytopenias, that is, immune thrombocytopenic purpura and autoimmune hemolytic anemia, either as separate entities or as concurrently (Evans syndrome). CVID patients can also manifest rheumatologic diseases (eg, arthritis, Sjogren's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, Behçet's syndrome) and gastrointestinal autoimmune disorders (eg, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune atrophic gastritis, celiac disease). This latter may pose a particular diagnostic challenge, as celiac‐specific autoantibodies can be absent in CVID patients. Understanding the molecular basis and the clinical impact of autoimmunity in CVID patients might help manage CVID, thus reducing its diagnostic delay and preventing its complications.
Type‐2 inflammatory mediators as targets for precision medicine in children
Authors: Castagnoli Riccardo , Licari Amelia , Manti Sara , Chiappini Elena , Marseglia Gian Luigi
Published: November 2020

The prevalence, heterogeneity, and severity of type 2 inflammatory diseases, including asthma and atopic dermatitis, continue to rise, especially in children and adolescents. Type 2 inflammation is mediated by both innate and adaptive immune cells and sustained by a specific subset of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐5,IL‐13, and IgE. IL‐4 and IL‐13 are considered signature type 2 cytokines, as they both have a pivotal role in many of the pathobiologic changes featured in asthma and atopic dermatitis. Several biologics targeting IL‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐13, as well as IgE, have been proposed to treat severe allergic disease in the pediatric population with promising results. A better definition of type 2 inflammatory pathways is essential to implement targeted therapeutic strategies.
Hypersensitivity reactions to proton pump inhibitors in childhood
Authors: Mori Francesca , Franceschini Fabrizio , Saretta Francesca , Bianchi Annamaria , Bottau Paolo , Caimmi Silvia , Crisafulli Giuseppe , Liotti Lucia , Paglialunga Claudia , Caffarelli Carlo
Published: November 2020

Hypersensitivity reactions (HRs) to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are mainly described in adults. Anyway, increased use of PPIs in childhood has been observed in recent years. In the literature, only case reports are published on children. Most of the PPI HRs are IgE‐mediated. Skin test concentrations and allergy workup protocols used for adults are also applied in children. This study underlies that multicentric pediatric studies focusing on PPI reactions in children are needed.
Protecting youth from the vaping epidemic
Authors: Galderisi Alfonso , Ferraro Valentina Agnese , Caserotti Marta , Quareni Luca , Perilongo Giorgio , Baraldi Eugenio
Published: November 2020

E‐cigarettes (e‐cigs) have been initially proposed as an aid to smoke cessation in adults, whereas they turned into a paradoxical preferential gateway to tobacco and nicotine initiation for adolescents naïve to tobacco. More than 25% of US school‐age students is an e‐cigs user with a steep rise over the past years. A marketing strategy on media and social network targeting youths, in the absence of rules to protect the pediatric users, resulted in an unprecedented trend up in tobacco consumption among adolescents and gave rise to a new generation of nicotine‐addicted teenagers. Flavored e‐cigs liquids and aerosols contain airway irritants and toxicants, that, in turn, produced an increase in asthma prevalence and its exacerbations among adolescents. In addition, since August 2019 an outbreak of e‐cigarette, or vaping, product use‐associated lung injury (EVALI) has been described. In view of this, e‐cigs must no longer be considered harmless, especially in adolescents never used a tobacco product before. This is a call‐for‐action to establish effective rules and campaigns targeting youths aimed to limit their access to e‐cigs, thereby preserving the potential benefit in quitting tobacco addiction described in adults. Behavioral and educational actions, out of the conventional primary care setting, have been described as a model for a youth‐centered campaign. We call for stricter regulations on e‐cigs products, with respect to their marketing to the youngest ones, along with public health and primary care interventions that could curb the spread of this “vaping” epidemic.
The evolution of allergen‐specific immunotherapy: The near and far future
Authors: Pajno Giovanni Battista , Passanisi Stefano , Valenzise Mariella , Messina Maria Francesca , Lombardo Fortunato
Published: November 2020

In the era of precision medicine, allergen immunotherapy (AIT) represents a landmark for the management of IgE‐mediated allergic diseases. AIT is recognized as a potentially curative therapy and is currently accepted and routinely prescribed worldwide. However, there are still unmet needs. The efforts of researchers are aimed at implementing current immunotherapeutic strategies to improve the standard care of patients suffering from IgE‐mediated respiratory allergic diseases. In addition, over the horizon, the most realistic option is the active treatment of IgE‐mediated food allergy with oral immunotherapy. Preclinical studies and clinical trials are increasingly conducted to identify innovative forms of AIT administration, potential biomarkers, alternative immunotherapeutic allergen candidates, and new adjuvants. Telemedicine could represent a further emerging field capable of supporting health service delivery and improving clinical outcomes of AIT.
HMGB1: A pleiotropic activity
Authors: Colavita Laura , Ciprandi Giorgio , Salpietro Annamaria , Cuppari Caterina
Published: November 2020

High‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein involved in DNA replication, transcription, recombination, and repair. In the extracellular space, the HMGB1 plays an essential role in the onset and perpetuation of inflammation, belonging to the group of damage‐associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules, also called alarmins. For this, HMGB1 has been studied in several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases as an early biomarker of inflammation. An increased concentration of HMGB1 has been detected in serum, as the expression of systemic inflammation, and in specific samples (such as stool, synovial fluid, nasal lavage fluid, sputum, and cerebrospinal fluid), as the expression of local production, in several infectious and/or inflammatory diseases. These data are particularly important because they open new futuristic possibilities for target therapies, potentially also for the COVID‐19 treatment.
COVID‐19 and allergy: How to take care of allergic patients during a pandemic?
Authors: Cianferoni Antonella , Votto Martina
Published: November 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), also known as COVID‐19, is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. SARS‐CoV‐2 is recognized as a highly contagious respiratory virus with severe morbidity and mortality, especially in vulnerable populations. Being a novel disease, everyone is susceptible, there are no vaccine and no treatment. To contain the spread of the disease, health authorities throughout the world have restricted the social interactions of individuals in various degrees. Allergists, like other physicians, are faced with the challenge of providing care for their patients, while protecting themselves and patients from getting infected, with strategies that are in continuous evolution as states work through the different stages of social distance. Allergist provides care for patients with the most common non‐communicable disease in the world: asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy, venom allergy, drug allergy atopic dermatitis, and urticarial syndromes. Some of these diseases are not only considered risk factors for severe reactions but also have symptoms such as cough and sneezing that are in differential diagnosis with COVID‐19. As we move forward, allergy symptoms may prevent patients from working, go to school, or access medical services that increasingly are allowing only asymptomatic individuals. In this review, we will outline how to take care safety of different allergic patients during the pandemic.
Allergen immunotherapy in atopic dermatitis: Light and shadow in children
Authors: Caminiti Lucia , Panasiti Ilenia , Landi Massimo , De Filippo Maria , Olcese Roberta , Ciprandi Giorgio , Vernich Mario , Carelli Francesco , Votto Martina , Barberi Salvatore
Published: November 2020

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic remitting‐relapsing inflammatory skin disorder. Due to the multifactorial pathogenesis, there are numerous therapeutic management approaches, mainly based on symptomatic treatments. In recent years, allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has been progressively advanced as targeted disease‐modifying treatment of allergic disease. The most recent guideline from the American Academy of Dermatology concludes that data available do not support its use in AD. The Joint Task Force and The European Academy of Dermatology suggest that clinicians can consider AIT treatment in selected patients characterized by aeroallergen sensitization, prevalently HDM, severe AD, and clinical exacerbation after exposure to the causative allergen. Nevertheless, its role in AD is still under debate, especially in children.
Comparative effects of ascobin and glutathione on copper homeostasis and oxidative stress metabolism in mitigation of copper toxicity in rice
Authors: Tahjib‐Ul‐Arif M. , Sohag A. A. M. , Mostofa M. G. , Polash M. A. S. , Mahamud A. G. M. S. U. , Afrin S. , Hossain M. A. , Hossain M. A. , Murata Y. , Tran L.‐S. P.
Published: November 2020

Copper (Cu) pollution of agricultural land is a major threat to crop production. Exogenous chemical treatment is an easily accessible and rapid approach to remediate metal toxicity, including Cu toxicity in plants.

We compared the effects of ascobin (ASC; ascorbic acid:citric acid at 2:1) and glutathione (GSH) in mitigation of Cu toxicity in rice.

Plants subjected to Cu stress displayed growth inhibition and biomass reduction, which were connected to reduced levels of chlorophylls, RWC, total phenolic compounds, carotenoids and Mg2+. Increased accumulation of ROS and malondialdehyde indicated oxidative stress in Cu‐stressed plants. However, application of ASC or GSH minimized the inhibitory effects of Cu stress on rice plants by restricting Cu2+ uptake and improving mineral balance, chlorophyll content and RWC. Both ASC and GSH pretreatments reduced levels of ROS and malondialdehyde and improved activities of antioxidant enzymes, suggesting their roles in alleviating oxidative damage. A comparison on the effects of ASC and GSH under Cu stress revealed that ASC was more effective in restricting Cu2+ accumulation (69.5% by ASC and 57.1% by GSH), Ca2+ and Mg2+ homeostasis, protection of photosynthetic pigments and activation of antioxidant defence mechanisms [catalase (110.4%), ascorbate peroxidase (76.5%) and guaiacol peroxidase (39.0%) by ASC, and catalase (58.9%) and ascorbate peroxidase (59.9%) by GSH] in rice than GSH, eventually resulting in better protection of ASC‐pretreated plants against Cu stress.

In conclusion, although ASC and GSH differed in induction of stress protective mechanisms, both were effective in improving rice performance in response to Cu phytotoxicity.
The afterglow photosynthetic luminescence
Authors: Ortega José M. , Roncel Mercedes
Published: November 2020

The afterglow (AG) photosynthetic luminescence is a long‐lived chlorophyll fluorescence emitted from PSII after the illumination of photosynthetic materials by FR or white light and placed in darkness. The AG emission corresponds to the fraction of PSII centers in the S2/3QB non‐radiative state immediately after pre‐illumination, in which the arrival of an electron transferred from stroma along cyclic/chlororespiratory pathway(s) produces the S2/3QB− radiative state that emits luminescence. This emission can be optimally recorded by a linear temperature gradient as sharp thermoluminescence (TL) band peaking at about 45°C. The AG emission recorded by TL technique has been proposed as a simple non‐invasive tool to investigate the chloroplast energetic state and some of its metabolism processes as cyclic transport of electrons around PSI, chlororespiration or photorespiration. On the other hand, this emission has demonstrated to be a useful probe to study the effect of various stress conditions in photosynthetic materials.
A Bayesian Approach for Determining Player Abilities in Football
Authors: Whitaker Gavin A. , Silva Ricardo , Edwards Daniel , Kosmidis Ioannis
Published: November 2020

We consider the task of determining a football player’s ability for a given event type, for example, scoring a goal. We propose an interpretable Bayesian model which is fit using variational inference methods. We implement a Poisson model to capture occurrences of event types, from which we infer player abilities. Our approach also allows the visualisation of differences between players, for a specific ability, through the marginal posterior variational densities. We then use these inferred player abilities to extend the Bayesian hierarchical model of Baio and Blangiardo (2010, Journal of Applied Statistics, 37(2), 253–264) which captures a team’s scoring rate (the rate at which they score goals). We apply the resulting scheme to the English Premier League, capturing player abilities over the 2013/2014 season, before using output from the hierarchical model to predict whether over or under 2.5 goals will be scored in a given game in the 2014/2015 season. This validates our model as a way of providing insights into team formation and the individual success of sports teams.
Optimization of spectral pre‐processing for estimating soil condition on small farms
Authors: Singh Kanika , Aitkenhead Matt , Fidelis Chris , Yinil David , Sanderson Todd , Snoeck Didier , Field Damien J
Published: November 2020

The concepts of soil security (especially relating to soil condition) provide a useful framework in building spectral libraries. Spectral libraries can be used with the purpose of assessing soil condition by measuring soil organic carbon (SOC) or increasing productivity through soil nutrient management. A spectral library was generated by measuring SOC and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) and spectral reflectance data over the visible to near‐infrared range (350–2,500 nm) in soil samples collected from four production systems in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The spectral library was analysed using SpecOptim, a software tool developed at the James Hutton Institute to explore spectral pre‐processing and calibration options. From 192 model combinations of model, the best one was identified for each study area. Different combinations of data were also explored (e.g. by farm or all together). We believe that at the local‐scale, soil carbon and nitrogen variability can be captured; however, the spectrally inactive properties such as phosphorous and potassium need to have a higher variability and therefore pooling is required in order to predict properties chemometrically. The SpecOptim software is a useful tool where analysis of spectral data can be difficult to determine. Specifically, it helped improve the accuracy of predictions by 2% for C and N (except for East New Britain site) compared with previously used pre‐processing techniques and calibration models while automating identification of the optimal pre‐processing approach. We believe that we have developed research‐based evidence for using spectral libraries to fit with the soil priority areas of PNG.
Kaposi sarcoma in a child after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: Should pre‐transplant HHV‐8 screening be considered in recipients from high prevalence areas?
Authors: Valero‐Arrese Lorena , Benítez‐Carabante María Isabel , Soques Vallejo Elena , Roca Isabel , Navarro Jiménez Alexandra , Díaz‐de‐Heredia Cristina
Published: November 2020

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative disease associated with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV‐8). We report the case of a 10‐year‐old male from a high HHV‐8 prevalence area, diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia who underwent an upfront hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Five months after transplant, the patient was diagnosed with KS with skin, mucosae, lymph nodes and lung involvement. After withdrawal of immunosuppression the patient achieved complete remission without requiring further treatments. KS may occur after HSCT in patients from high HHV‐8 prevalence areas. Considering that, we propose that screening of HHV‐8 by antibody testing could be considered in HSCT donors/recipients from these areas.
SHORT‐ROOT 1 is critical to cell division and tracheary element development in rice roots
Authors: Xing Yadi , Wang Nan , Zhang Tianquan , Zhang Qiuli , Du Dan , Chen Xinlong , Lu Xin , Zhang Yingying , Zhu Maodi , Liu Mingming , Sang Xianchun , Li Yunfeng , Ling Yinghua , He Guanghua
Published: November 2020

The exocyst is a key factor in vesicle transport and is involved in cell secretion, cell growth, cell division and other cytological processes in eukaryotes. EXO70 is the key exocyst subunit. We obtained a gene, SHORT‐ROOT 1 (SR1), through map‐based cloning and genetic complementation. SR1 is a conserved protein with an EXO70 domain in plants. SR1 mutation affected the whole root‐development process: producing shorter radicles, adventitious roots and lateral roots, and demonstrating abnormal xylem development, resulting in dwarfing and reduced water potential and moisture content. SR1 was largely expressed in the roots, but only in developing root meristems and tracheary elements. The shortness of the sr1 mutant roots was caused by the presence of fewer meristem cells. The in situ histone H4 expression patterns confirmed that cell proliferation during root development was impaired. Tracheary element dysplasia was caused by marked decreases in the inner diameters of and distances between the perforations of adjacent tracheary elements. The membrane transport of sr1 mutants was blocked, affecting cell division in the root apical region and the development of root tracheary elements. The study of SR1 will deepen our understanding of the function of EXO70 genes in Oryza sativa (rice) and guide future studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in plant root development.
Sensors for the quantification, localization and analysis of the dynamics of plant hormones
Authors: Isoda Reika , Yoshinari Akira , Ishikawa Yuuma , Sadoine Mayuri , Simon Rüdiger , Frommer Wolf B. , Nakamura Masayoshi
Published: November 2020

Plant hormones play important roles in plant growth and development and physiology, and in acclimation to environmental changes. The hormone signaling networks are highly complex and interconnected. It is thus important to not only know where the hormones are produced, how they are transported and how and where they are perceived, but also to monitor their distribution quantitatively, ideally in a non‐invasive manner. Here we summarize the diverse set of tools available for quantifying and visualizing hormone distribution and dynamics. We provide an overview over the tools that are currently available, including transcriptional reporters, degradation sensors, and luciferase and fluorescent sensors, and compare the tools and their suitability for different purposes.
Walking with light and the discontinuous experience of urban change
Authors: Ebbensgaard Casper Laing , Edensor Tim
Published: November 2020

This paper is concerned with the affective power of light, darkness, and illumination and their role in exposing and obscuring processes of rapid urban change. Little academic attention has focused on how lighting informs multiple, overlapping, and intersecting urban temporalities and mediates our experience of an ever‐changing city. This paper foregrounds a walk through the illuminated city at night as an epistemic opportunity to develop an embodied account of material and temporal change in ways that disrupt the aesthetic organisation of the sensible world at night. By detailing the discontinuous experience of walking through differently lit spaces, the paper develops novel ways of conceptualising the experience of urban change that unsettle common understandings of subjectivity, temporality, and the city. The paper draws on a single night's walk from Canning Town to Canary Wharf in east London – an area that has recently undergone rapid change, including the erection of enclaves of high‐rise development. By accentuating the shared experiences of walking with light, we reveal the affective capacities of light and dark to conceal and expose wider material, embodied, and temporal urban changes but also how we might challenge the organisation of the nocturnal field of the sensible.
Early aging and postural control while listening and responding
Authors: Helfer Karen S. , van Emmerik Richard , Banks Jacob J. , Freyman Richard L.
Published: November 2020

It is not unusual for communication to take place while people are involved in another activity. This paper describes a study that measures the impact of listening while also completing an active postural control task. The focus was on whether the combination of listening and balancing was more detrimental to middle-aged adults than it was to younger adults as age-related changes in both hearing and postural control can occur within this age range. Speech understanding in the presence of noise and speech maskers was measured when participants (n = 15/group) were simply standing still, as well as when they were asked to complete a balancing-with-feedback postural control task, requiring different levels of effort. Performance on the postural control task also was measured in isolation. Results indicated that dual-task costs for postural control were larger when the masker was speech (vs noise) for the middle-aged group but not for the younger group. Dual-task costs in postural control increased with degree of high-frequency hearing loss even when age was controlled. Overall, results suggest that postural control in middle-aged adults can be compromised when individuals are communicating in challenging environments, perhaps reflecting an increased need for cognitive resources to successfully understand messages.