bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health-related quality of life and risk of hospitalization in a healthy general population
Authors: Bonaccio M , Di Castelnuovo A , Costanzo S , Persichillo M , De Curtis A , Cerletti C , Donati M B , de Gaetano G , Iacoviello L
Published: November 2019

Background

The association of health-related quality of life (HRQL) with total and cardiovascular (CVD) hospitalization was assessed in a population-based cohort of apparently healthy subjects; several pathways possibly accounting for such associations were also tested.

Methods

Longitudinal analysis on 16,849 subjects free from CVD and cancer from the Moli-sani Study, Italy (2005-2010). HRQL was performed by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey including both mental and physical domains. First hospital admissions were recorded by direct linkage with hospital discharge form registry. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated by multivariable Cox-regression.

Results

Over a median follow-up of 7.3 y, 6,061 all-cause, 1907 CVD, 431 IHD and 294 stroke hospital admissions were ascertained. The highest quintile of mental HRQL was associated with 23% (95%CI: 17% to 29%), 26% (15% to 36%) and 30% (5% to 48%) lower risk of total, CVD and IHD admissions to hospital, respectively, as compared to the lowest.

Risk estimates for physical health were 0.60 (0.56-0.65 for Q5 vs Q1), 0.57 (0.50-0.65) and 0.73 (0.55-0.97) for total, CVD and IHD hospital admissions, respectively. A downward trend with stroke hospitalizations was found for both mental and physical HRQL. Healthy behaviours explained up to 13% of the association between mental HRQL and IHD risk; inflammatory markers (i.e. C-reactive protein and white blood cell count)) accounted for a significant proportion (34%) of the association of physical HRQL with IHD hospitalizations.

Conclusions

In a large sample of disease-free subjects, not only physical, but also higher mental HRQL is associated with lower risk of total and CVD hospitalizations.

Key messages

HRQL adds meaningful information beyond traditional risk factors to the prediction of hospitalization. HRQL assessment may be useful in stratifying hospitalization risk among a general population of healthy adults.
No evidence for phylosymbiosis in western chipmunk species
Authors: Grond Kirsten , Bell Kayce C , Demboski John R , Santos Malia , Sullivan Jack M , Hird Sarah M
Published: November 2019

Phylosymbiosis refers to a congruent pattern between the similarity of microbiomes of different species and the branching pattern of the host phylogeny. Phylosymbiosis has been detected in a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, but has only been assessed in geographically isolated populations. We tested for phylosymbiosis in eight (sub)species of western chipmunks with overlapping ranges and ecological niches; we used a nuclear (Acrosin) and a mitochondrial (CYTB) phylogenetic marker because there are many instances of mitochondrial introgression in chipmunks. We predicted that similarity among microbiomes increases with: (1) increasing host mitochondrial relatedness, (2) increasing host nuclear genome relatedness and (3) decreasing geographic distance among hosts. We did not find statistical evidence supporting phylosymbiosis in western chipmunks. Furthermore, in contrast to studies of other mammalian microbiomes, similarity of chipmunk microbiomes is not predominantly determined by host species. Sampling site explained most variation in microbiome composition, indicating an important role of local environment in shaping microbiomes. Fecal microbiomes of chipmunks were dominated by Bacteroidetes (72.2%), followed by Firmicutes (24.5%), which is one of the highest abundances of Bacteroidetes detected in wild mammals. Future work will need to elucidate the effects of habitat, ecology and host genomics on chipmunk microbiomes.
A High-quality Draft Genome Assembly of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) Based on Nanopore Sequencing
Authors: Zhou Chuang , Yu Haoran , Geng Yang , Liu Wei , Zheng Shuai , Yang Nan , Meng Yang , Dou Liang , Price Megan , Ran Jianghong , Yue Bisong , Wu Yongjie
Published: November 2019

The black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) which inhabits high-altitude areas has the largest body size of the world’s 15 crane species, and is classified as threatened by the IUCN. To support further studies on population genetics and genomics, we present a high-quality genome assembly based on both Illumina and nanopore sequencing. In total, 54.59 Gb Illumina short reads and 116.5 Gb nanopore long reads were generated. The 1.23 Gb assembled genome has a high contig N50 of 17.89 Mb, and has a longest contig of 87.83 Mb. The completeness (97.7%) of the draft genome was evaluated with single-copy orthologous genes using BUSCO. We identified 17,789 genes and found that 8.11% of the genome is composed of repetitive elements. In total, 84 of the 2,272 one-to-one orthologous genes were under positive selection in the black-necked crane lineage. SNP-based inference indicated two bottlenecks in the recent demographic trajectories of the black-necked crane. The genome information will contribute to future study of crane evolutionary history and provide new insights into the potential adaptation mechanisms of the black-necked crane to its high-altitude habitat.
The State of States’ Assisted Living Websites: Information Available to Consumers
Authors: Roberts Mitchell , Peterson Lindsay J , Hyer Kathryn
Published: November 2019

Background and Objectives

Assisted living (AL) is a growing sector of the U.S. long-term care market, with its development driven largely by private market choices. However, consumers need information to choose the right AL community (ALC). This paper examined information available on U.S. state websites concerning ALC quality, costs, and services.

Research Design and Methods

Based on prior research and their analysis of a sample of state websites, researchers identified 39 key informational elements and grouped them into four categories, (a) ALC characteristics, (b) payment and services, (c) quality, and (d) website usability. Researchers then examined the presence of the 39 elements on 51 websites (U.S. states and the District of Columbia), meeting regularly to discuss findings and resolve differences.

Results

A majority of states provided basic information about individual ALCs (e.g., number of beds, ownership). Only 35% listed payment(s) accepted (e.g., Medicaid), and 31% indicated the availability of memory care. Nearly 70% posted inspection results, while only 43% provided information about complaints. Many met basic usability guidelines (e.g., type size), but locating content on many sites required multiple steps, and none met 5th-grade-or-below readability standards.

Discussion and Implications

A majority of websites provided important information, such as inspection results. However, many were lacking key elements concerning payment accepted and services. Finding what was available was burdensome. More work is needed to help states provide information that enables consumers to find ALCs that meet their needs. The lack of such information puts older adults at risk of inappropriate placements.
Seafloor massive sulphide exploration using deep-towed controlled source electromagnetics: Navigational uncertainties
Authors: Gehrmann Romina A S , Haroon Amir , Morton McKinley , Djanni Axel T , Minshull Timothy A
Published: November 2019

Deep-towed geophysical surveys require precise knowledge of navigational parameters such as instrument position and orientation because navigational uncertainties reflect in the data and therefore in the inferred geophysical properties of the sub-seafloor. We address this issue for the case of electrical conductivity inferred from controlled source electromagnetic data. We show that the data error is laterally variable due to irregular motion during deep towing, but also due to lateral variations in conductivity, including those resulting from topography. To address this variability and quantify the data error prior to inversion, we propose a two-dimensional perturbation study. Our workflow enables stable and geologically reliable results for multi-component and multi-frequency inversions. An error estimation workflow is presented, which comprises the assessment of navigational uncertainties, perturbation of navigational parameters, and forward modelling of electric field amplitudes for a homogeneous and then a heterogeneous sub-seafloor conductivity model. Some navigational uncertainties are estimated from variations of direct measurements. Other navigational parameters required for inversion are derived from the measured quantities and their error is calculated by means of error propagation. Some navigational parameters show direct correlation with the measured electric fields. For example, the antenna dip correlates with the vertical electric field and the depth correlates with the horizontal electric field. For the perturbation study each standard deviation is added to the navigational parameters. Forward models are run for each perturbation. Amplitude deviations are summed in quadrature with the stacking error for a total, laterally varying, data error. The error estimation is repeated for a heterogeneous sub-seafloor model due to the large conductivity range (several orders of magnitude), which affects the forward model. The approach enables us to utilize data from several components (multiple electric fields, frequencies and receivers) in the inversion to constrain the final model and reduce ambiguity. The final model is geologically reasonable, in this case enabling the identification of conductive metal sulphide deposits on the seafloor.
Understanding fragility: implications for global health research and practice
Authors: Diaconu Karin , Falconer Jennifer , Vidal Nicole , O’May Fiona , Azasi Esther , Elimian Kelly , Bou-Orm Ibrahim , Sarb Cristina , Witter Sophie , Ager Alastair
Published: November 2019

Advances in population health outcomes risk being slowed—and potentially reversed—by a range of threats increasingly presented as ‘fragility’. Widely used and critiqued within the development arena, the concept is increasingly used in the field of global health, where its relationship to population health, health service delivery, access and utilization is poorly specified. We present the first scoping review seeking to clarify the meaning, definitions and applications of the term in the global health literature. Adopting the theoretical framework of concept analysis, 10 bibliographic and grey literature sources, and five key journals, were searched to retrieve documents relating to fragility and health. Reviewers screened titles and abstracts and retained documents applying the term fragility in relation to health systems, services, health outcomes and population or community health. Data were extracted according to the protocol; all documents underwent bibliometric analysis. Narrative synthesis was then used to identify defining attributes of the concept in the field of global health. A total of 377 documents met inclusion criteria. There has been an exponential increase in applications of the concept in published literature over the last 10 years. Formal definitions of the term continue to be focused on the characteristics of ‘fragile and conflict-affected states’. However, synthesis indicates diverse use of the concept with respect to: level of application (e.g. from state to local community); emphasis on particular antecedent stressors (including factors beyond conflict and weak governance); and focus on health system or community resources (with an increasing tendency to focus on the interface between two). Amongst several themes identified, trust is noted as a key locus of fragility at this interface, with critical implications for health seeking, service utilization and health system and community resilience.
Ca2+-permeable TRPV1 pain receptor knockout rescues memory deficits and reduces amyloid-β and tau in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kim Juyong , Lee Siyoung , Kim Jaekyoon , Ham Sangwoo , Park Jung Han Yoon , Han Seungbong , Jung Yong-Keun , Shim Insop , Han Jung-Soo , Lee Ki Won , Kim Jiyoung
Published: November 2019

The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) protein is a pain receptor that elicits a hot sensation when an organism eats the capsaicin of red chili peppers. This calcium (Ca2+)-permeable cation channel is mostly expressed in the peripheral nervous system sensory neurons but also in the central nervous system (e.g. hippocampus and cortex). Preclinical studies found that TRPV1 mediates behaviors associated with anxiety and depression. Loss of TRPV1 functionality increases expression of genes related to synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. Thus, we hypothesized that TRPV1 deficiency may modulate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We generated a triple-transgenic AD mouse model (3xTg-AD+/+) with wild-type (TRPV1+/+), hetero (TRPV1+/−) and knockout (TRPV1−/−) TRPV1 to investigate the role of TRPV1 in AD pathogenesis. We analyzed the animals’ memory function, hippocampal Ca2+ levels and amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies when they were 12 months old. We found that compared with 3xTg-AD−/−/TRPV1+/+ mice, 3xTg-AD+/+/TRPV1+/+ mice had memory impairment and increased levels of hippocampal Ca2+, Aβ and total and phosphorylated tau. However, 3xTg-AD+/+/TRPV1−/− mice had better memory function and lower levels of hippocampal Ca2+, Aβ, tau and p-tau, compared with 3xTg-AD+/+/TRPV1+/+ mice. Examination of 3xTg-AD-derived primary neuronal cultures revealed that the intracellular Ca2+ chelator BAPTA/AM and the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine decreased the production of Aβ, tau and p-tau. Taken together, these results suggested that TRPV1 deficiency had anti-AD effects and promoted resilience to memory loss. These findings suggest that drugs or food components that modulate TRPV1 could be exploited as therapeutics to prevent or treat AD.
Cytomegalovirus Humoral Response Against Epithelial Cell Entry-Mediated Infection in the Primary Infection Setting After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Zamora Danniel , Krantz Elizabeth M , Green Margaret L , Joncas-Schronce Laurel , Blazevic Rachel , Edmison Bradley C , Huang Meei-Li , Stevens-Ayers Terry , Jerome Keith R , Geballe Adam P , Boeckh Michael
Published: November 2019

Background

The influence of humoral immunity on the prevention of primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is poorly understood.

Methods

To determine whether neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against CMV pentameric complex (PC)-mediated epithelial cell entry decrease CMV infection after HCT, samples were analyzed from a randomized controlled trial of CMV intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) prophylaxis. Weekly serum from 61 CMV donor-positive/recipient-negative (D+/R−) HCT patients (33 control, 28 CMV IVIG) was tested using a PC-entry nAb assay and quantitative CMV polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results

There was a trend toward higher weekly PC-entry nAb titers (P = .07) and decreased CMV infection by PCR at viral load cutoffs of ≥1000 and ≥10 000 IU/mL in the CMV IVIG arm. High nAb titers were not significantly protective against CMV infection later after HCT in both study arms. Among CMV-infected patients, each log2 increase in nAb titer was associated with an average 0.2 log10 decrease in concurrent CMV viral load after infection (P = .001; adjusted for study arm).

Conclusions

This study provides initial support that CMV IVIG prophylaxis moderately enhances PC-entry nAB activity in D+/R− HCT recipients.
Female Mating Frequency and Reproductive Fitness in the Willow Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Zhao Lvquan , Qiu Ying , Shi Xiaodi , Wang Wei , Liu Shouzhu
Published: November 2019

Multiple mating in females is common in nature but may involve fitness costs. Adult females and males of the beetle Plagiodera versicolora Laicharting can mate multiple times. We studied the effect of mating frequency and mating pattern (time interval between matings) on female reproductive fitness by measuring fecundity, hatching probability, and female longevity. Fecundity and longevity were similar in single- and double-mated (two matings separated by a 7 d interval) females. However, two and three successive matings and three matings separated by two 7 d interval had a significant negative effect on the lifetime fecundity and longevity of females. Multiple mating had a positive effect on egg hatching, and two matings sufficed to fertilize the full egg load. These results indicate that the two matings separated by a 7 d interval are optimum for reproductive fitness in female P. versicolora. Suboptimal mating frequency (successive mating or an excessive number of matings) exacts a physiological cost that shortens the female life span and reduces fecundity.
Beyond Information Costs: Preference Formation and the Architecture of Property Law
Authors: Zhang Taisu
Published: November 2019

Contemporary property theory highlights information costs as the central determinant of exclusion rights and numerus clausus-type standardization: rising information costs lead to stronger exclusion rights and more standardization, whereas falling information costs have the opposite effect. This paradigmatic model lacks, however, a theory of how information costs change in the first place. By developing such a theory, this article demonstrates that, in prominent cases, the legal impact of information costs tends to be counterbalanced by concurrent changes in individual preference, and that preexisting predictions about the relationship between information costs, standardization, and exclusion are therefore partially wrong, and otherwise incomplete.
The invasive potential of a hybrid species: insights from soil chemical properties and soil microbial communities
Authors: Sun Feng , Ou Yuyi , Ou Qiaojing , Zeng Lingda , Yu Hanxia , Zheng Jin , Gao Lei , Li Weihua , Li Na , Peng Changlian
Published: November 2019

Aims

Natural hybridization between invasive and native species, as a form of adaptive evolution, threatens biodiversity worldwide. However, the potential invasive mechanisms of hybrids remain essentially unexplored, especially insights from soil chemical properties and soil microbial communities.

Methods

In a field experiment, soil microbial community, potassium-solubilizing bacteria, phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, enzyme activities, and light-saturated photosynthetic rate were measured in invasive Sphagneticola trilobata and its hybrid with native Sphagneticola calendulacea in 2 years.

Important Findings

In general, soil dissolved organic carbon and the biomass of phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria were significantly higher under the hybrid treatment than S. trilobata and S. calendulacea. However, there were no significant differences in acid phosphatase, total PLFAs, bacterial PLFAs, fungi PLFAs, cellulase, and urase in these treatments. The hybrids had significantly higher light-saturated photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic nitrogen-, phosphorus-, potassium- use efficiencies than the invasive S. trilobata, but no significant difference with S. calendulacea. The total biomass and root biomass of hybrids were higher than S. calendulacea. Our results indicate that the hybrids species have a higher invasive potential than S. calendulacea, which may aggravate the local extinction of S. calendulacea in the future.
Genome-wide phylogenetic and structural analysis reveals the molecular evolution of the ABA receptor gene family
Authors: Yang Jing-Fang , Chen Mo-Xian , Zhang Jian-Hua , Hao Ge-Fei , Yang Guang-Fu
Published: November 2019

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role during the plant life cycle as well as in adaptive responses to environmental stresses. The core regulatory components of ABA signaling in plants are the pyrabactin resistance1/PYR1-like/regulatory component of ABA receptor family (PYLs), which comprise the largest plant hormone receptor family known. They act as negative regulators of members of the protein phosphatase type 2C family. Due to the biological importance of PYLs, many researchers have focused on their genetic redundancy and consequent functional divergence. However, little is understood of their evolution and its impact on the generation of regulatory diversity. In this study, we identify positive selection and functional divergence in PYLs through phylogenetic reconstruction, gene structure and expression pattern analysis, positive selection analysis, functional divergence analysis, and structure comparison. We found the correlation of desensitization of PYLs under specific modifications in the molecular recognition domain with functional diversification. Hence, an interesting antagonistic co-evolutionary mechanism is proposed for the functional diversification of ABA receptor family proteins. We believe a compensatory evolutionary pathway may have occurred.
Comparative proteome and metabolome analyses of latex-exuding and non-exuding Taraxacum koksaghyz roots provide insights into laticifer biology
Authors: Benninghaus Vincent Alexander , van Deenen Nicole , Müller Boje , Roelfs Kai-Uwe , Lassowskat Ines , Finkemeier Iris , Prüfer Dirk , Schulze Gronover Christian
Published: November 2019

Taraxacum koksaghyz has been identified as one of the most promising alternative rubber crops. Its high-quality rubber is produced in the latex of laticifers, a specialized cell type that is organized in a network of elongated tubules throughout the entire plant body. In order to gain insights into the physiological role(s) of latex and hence laticifer biology, we examine the effects of barnase-induced latex RNA degradation on the metabolite and protein compositions in the roots. We established high-quality datasets that enabled precise discrimination between cellular and physiological processes in laticifers and non-laticifer cell types of roots at different vegetative stages. We identified numerous latex-specific proteins, including a perilipin-like protein that has not been studied in plants yet. The barnase-expressing plants revealed a phenotype that did not exude latex, which may provide a valuable genetic basis for future studies of plant–environment interactions concerning latex and also help to clarify the evolution and arbitrary distribution of latex throughout the plant kingdom. The overview of temporal changes in composition and protein abundance provided by our data opens the way for a deeper understanding of the molecular interactions, reactions, and network relationships that underlie the different metabolic pathways in the roots of this potential rubber crop.
Dynamic spherical collapses towards growing black holes in relativistically degenerate or hot host mass reservoirs
Authors: Lou Yu-Qing , Shen Wei
Published: November 2019

We study the self-similar spherical hydrodynamics of γ = 4/3, with or without shocks, of general polytropic (GP) relativistically degenerate or hot matter in global mass reservoirs under the Paczynski–Wiita (PW) gravity that retains essential general relativistic (GR) effects for dynamic accretions on to growing Schwarzschild black holes (BHs). Various self-similar dynamic solutions are derived and constructed. Among others, one important solution type is the expansion-wave collapse solution (EWCS) with a central mass-growing BH event horizon in expansion. Such GP dynamic collapses are highly efficient for the rapid dynamic growth of supermassive and hypermassive BHs (SMBHs and HMBHs) in the Universe including the early Universe, in contrast to much slower disc mass accretion and BH merger processes. Particularly, the extra degree of freedom for the effective pressure of those relativistically degenerate or hot mass reservoirs makes it possible to construct EWCSs with even higher efficiency for BH growths. Pertinent astrophysical applications of our model also include dynamic core collapses of massive or very massive stars or supermassive stars and compact objects as well as supernova explosions. Under joint actions of effective pressure and the PW gravity, self-similar dynamic solutions with central expanding spherical voids or cavities with either sharp or smooth density transitions across their rims can emerge. Dynamic expansion shocks are also constructed and examined.
The survival of star clusters with black hole subsystems
Authors: Wang Long
Published: November 2019

Recent observations have detected top-heavy IMFs in dense star forming regions like the Arches cluster. Whether such IMFs also exist in old dense stellar systems like globular clusters is difficult to constrain, because massive stars already became black holes (BHs) and neutron stars (NSs). However, studies of stellar dynamics find that BHs/NSs influence the long-term evolution of star clusters. Following Breen & Heggie (2013) and by carrying out two-component N-body simulations, we demonstrate how this dynamical impact connects with the shape of IMFs. By investigating the energy balance between the BH subsystem and the global, we find that to properly describe the evolution of clusters, a corrected two-body relaxation time, Trh, p = Trh/ψ, is necessary. Because ψ depends on the total mass fraction of BHs, M2/M, and the mass ratio, m2/m1, the cluster dissolution time is sensitive to the property of BHs or IMFs. Especially, the escape rate of BHs via ejections from few-body encounters are linked to mass segregation. In strong tidal fields, top-heavy IMFs easily lead to the fast dissolution of star clusters and the formation of BH-dominant dark clusters, which suggests that the observed massive GCs with dense cores are unlikely to have extreme top-heavy IMFs. With the future observations of gravitational waves providing unique information of BHs/NSs, it is possible to combine the multi-message observations to have better constrains on the IMFs of old star clusters.
The First World War and the Democratic Control of Foreign Policy*
Authors: Stöckmann Jan
Published: November 2019

As the world went to war in 1914, a group of politicians, scholars and activists developed a radically new concept of foreign policy. It rested on the assumption that the war was the result of a flawed diplomatic system and that democratic institutions would make international relations more peaceful. Specifically, they proposed a set of reforms to improve parliamentary oversight, to prohibit secret treaties and to make foreign affairs more accessible to the general public. Most historians have written them off as pacifist propagandists or isolated national splinter groups. However, as this article shows, the advocates of democratic control built a transnational campaign across more than two dozen countries and drew up an elaborate agenda which anticipated long-lasting debates about foreign policy governance. The leaders of the campaign — including American educationalist Fannie Fern Andrews, German social democrat Eduard Bernstein and British politician Arthur Ponsonby — began by protesting decision-making in July 1914, but gradually worked out a more rigorous foreign policy critique. They hosted conferences, circulated academic-style publications and lobbied governments. Although their programme resonated with Wilsonian and socialist visions for a democratic peace, it failed to materialize in 1919. Ultimately, it remained an exercise in democratic governance.
Marker gene analysis reveals the spatial and seasonal variations in the eukaryotic phytoplankton community composition in the Yangtze River, Three Gorges Reservoir, China
Authors: Hu Yuxin , Liu Xudong , Xing Weiyue , Hu Zhengyu , Liu Guoxiang
Published: November 2019

The eukaryotic phytoplankton community in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) of the Yangtze River in China was investigated, based on marker gene analysis of the 18S rRNA V4 region. Community composition was investigated in four seasons (to assess seasonal variation) and in the mainstream and tributary of the river (to assess spatial variation). Chlorophyll a concentration was used to estimate eukaryotic phytoplankton biomass. A significant negative correlation of biomass and evenness was found in the TGR; this relationship may be due to a few highly competitive species dominating the eukaryotic phytoplankton community, suggesting that eukaryotic phytoplankton bloom events tend to occur in such communities. Our results showed that eukaryotic phytoplankton is more likely to bloom in the tributary when compared with mainstream, and we identified two unreported algal blooms, Tetraselmis and Mychonastes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a novel lineage in Cryptophyta and substantially more diverse species in Bacillariophyta, two high relative abundance operational taxonomic units in Bacillariophyta classified to Peridiniopsis diatom endosymbionts; their high relative abundance may result from a high relative abundance of the genus Peridiniopsis. We found that Cryptomonas was the most widely distributed genus and had the highest relative abundance, and species in TGR that have higher relative abundance tend to be distributed more widely.
Management of Supraventricular Tachycardia in Pregnancy
Authors: Peterson Ashley A , Arendt Katherine W , Sharpe Emily E
Published: November 2019

Supraventricular tachycardia is a common arrhythmia in pregnancy. During labor and delivery, neuraxial analgesia is important to prevent arrhythmia recurrence. We present the case of a 27-year-old gravida 2 para 1 woman at 35 weeks’ gestation presenting with supraventricular tachycardia that converted to normal sinus rhythm with adenosine. To prevent recurrence of the arrhythmia, an early epidural was provided during labor to minimize catecholamine release.
Decoding fairness motivations from multivariate brain activity patterns
Authors: Speer Sebastian P H , Boksem Maarten A S
Published: November 2019

A preference for fairness may originate from prosocial or strategic motivations: we may wish to improve others’ well-being or avoid the repercussions of selfish behavior. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify neural patterns that dissociate these two motivations. Participants played both the ultimatum and dictator game (UG–DG) as proposers. Because responders can reject the offer in the UG, but not the DG, offers and neural patterns between the games should differ for strategic players but not prosocial players. Using multivariate pattern analysis, we found that the decoding accuracy of neural patterns associated with UG and DG decisions correlated significantly with differences in offers between games in regions associated with theory of mind (ToM), such as the temporoparietal junction, and cognitive control, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal cortex. We conclude that individual differences in prosocial behavior may be driven by variations in the degree to which self-control and ToM processes are engaged during decision-making such that the extent to which these processes are engaged is indicative of either selfish or prosocial motivations.
A Gamble to Take? Visas and Delegated Legislative Power on English Language in Australia
Authors: Npoanlari Dagbanja Dominic
Published: November 2019

This article seeks to engender scholarly and policy engagement with the neglected but important subject of subsidiary legislative power on different levels of English language capability for Australian visas. The question is, does the Migration Act 1958 (Commonwealth) permit regulations and legislative instruments on different levels of English language capability such as ‘competent English’? I argue that since section 5(2) of the Migration Act defines ‘functional English’ for purposes of the whole of the Act and Regulation 5.17 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Commonwealth) has been made giving effect to it, the object of the Act on the level of English language proficiency a visa applicant must have is effectively and exhaustively addressed. Therefore, the Governor-General and Minister lack subsidiary legislative power to regulate different levels of English language proficiency. I also argue that the Governor-General cannot subdelegate regulation-making power under the Migration Act. I argue as well that the competent English regulations and instruments do not contain an exhaustive definition of what it takes to prove competent English and that by virtue of sections 54(1) and 55(1) of the Migration Act, the evidence to be used to prove a visa criterion is not limited to only the prescribed evidence.
Mapping Microaggressions on a Southern University Campus: Where Are the Safe Spaces for Vulnerable Students?
Authors: Johnson Kirk A , Johnson Willa M , Thomas James M , Green John J
Published: November 2019

When leaders at institutions of higher education downplay everyday incivilities directed against racial and other minority groups, it can obscure the magnitude of intergroup antipathy at these schools. At the most prominent university in the only state whose flag contains the Confederate emblem, we wondered whether reports of so-called microaggressions were more common than university leaders sometimes suggest, more frequent in certain campus spaces than in others, and likely to invoke the South and its history. Using online diaries, we collected 1,301 accounts of incidents from 684 students during the 2014–2015 academic year.  Our mixed-method approach revealed widespread incivilities, many of them blatant, both on and off campus. Microaggressions in classrooms were less frequent but as blatant as those in living spaces, and reports of environmental microaggressions seemed particularly likely to invoke students’ references to the history of the region. This research suggests the value of using online diaries as a method for understanding the everyday experiences of vulnerable students at predominantly white institutions of higher learning.
Different Phenotypes, Similar Genomes: Three Newly Sequenced Fusarium fujikuroi Strains Induce Different Symptoms in Rice Depending on Temperature
Authors: Piombo Edoardo , Bosio Pietro , Acquadro Alberto , Abbruscato Pamela , Spadaro Davide
Published: November 2019

Bakanae, caused by the hemibiotrophic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi, is one of the most important diseases of rice and is attributed to up to 75% of losses, depending on the strain and environmental conditions. Some strains cause elongation and thin leaves, whereas others induce stunting and chlorotic seedlings. Differences in symptoms are attributed to genetic differences in the strains. F. fujikuroi strains Augusto2, CSV1, and I1.3 were sequenced with Illumina MiSeq, and pathogenicity trials were conducted on rice cultivar Galileo, which is susceptible to bakanae. By performing gene prediction, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) calling, and structural variant analysis with a reference genome, we show how an extremely limited number of polymorphisms in genes not commonly associated with bakanae disease can cause strong differences in phenotype. CSV1 and Augusto2 were particularly close, with only 21,887 SNPs between them, but they differed in virulence, reaction to temperature, induced symptoms, colony morphology and color, growth speed, fumonisin, and gibberellin production. Genes potentially involved in the shift in phenotype were identified. Furthermore, we show how temperature variation may result in different symptoms even in rice plants inoculated with the same F. fujikuroi strain. Moreover, all of the F. fujikuroi strains became more virulent at higher temperatures. Significant differences were likewise observed in gibberellic acid production and in the expression of both fungal and plant gibberellin biosynthetic genes.
The Role of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in the Treatment of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma in the Era of CAR-T Cell Therapy
Authors: Lekakis Lazaros J. , Moskowitz Craig H.
Published: November 2019

For many years now and based on the results of the PARMA trial, relapsed Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is treated with salvage combination cytotoxic chemotherapy (most often platinum-based) followed by high dose myeloablative chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT). This approach has resulted in long-term disease free survival in about half of the patients. With the incorporation of rituximab in the upfront treatment (RCHOP), more patients with DLBCL are cured but there has been a signal of inferior outcomes with auto-HCT if DLBCL relapses. Nevertheless, a careful review of the literature still shows very good outcomes with auto-HCT for DLBCL with complete remission to salvage chemotherapy. For those who do not respond well to classic salvage other approaches are reviewed here including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and treatment with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as well as bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs). The outcome of auto-HCT after successful treatment with ADCs or BITEs is unknown. It is also unknown if CAR-T cell therapy should be reserved for those who have failed 2 lines of chemotherapy or it should be moved earlier. Finally, we review here the effects of Myc and bcl2 amplifications or translocations to the outcome of the auto-HCT. Some attempts to improve the salvage or conditioning regimens are mentioned. We also discuss the role of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in the paradigm of treatment for relapsed DLBCL.
Pneumococcal Pneumonia Resembling Acute Myocardial Infarction in an Adolescent Male
Authors: Chiong Yee Keow , Tan Ian , Lim Terence CW , Thong Wen Yi , Chan Mark Y , Chan Si Min
Published: November 2019

Myocarditis is commonly associated with viruses. However, we present a novel case of a teenager with pneumococcal pneumonia and bacteremia complicated by myocarditis and rhabdomyolysis, presenting with features of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. Physicians should be aware that Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, like Group A Streptococcus, can mimic acute myocardial infarction in young males without cardiovascular risk factors.
Serum Cryptococcal Antigen Testing in Immunosuppressed HIV-positive Children and Adolescents
Authors: Zuma Phumzile , Ramsamy Yogandree , Mlisana Koleka , Archary Moherndran
Published: November 2019

Objectives:

Describe the epidemiology of immunocompromised HIV-infected pediatric (children and adolescents ≤ 19 years) and adults (> 19 years) with positive serum cryptococcal antigen lateral flow assay (CrAg-LFA) in KwaZulu-Natal.

Design:

Retrospective review of laboratory-based database and clinical charts.

Methods:

A review of the National Health Laboratory Services database of all serum CrAg-LFA performed in KwaZulu-Natal between June 2015 and December 2016 and comparison of the epidemiology of pediatric and adult patients was conducted. A reflex serum CrAg-LFA (IMMY CrAg-LFA) was performed on samples with CD4 counts < 100 cells/μL. Charts of all pediatric patients with a positive CrAg-LFA at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital were reviewed and 1-year outcome assessed.

Results:

A total of 22,741 laboratory records were retrieved, and 1140 records were removed because of duplicate entries (1074) and insufficient data (64). There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of positive CrAg-LFA in pediatrics and adults, respectively [40 (3.5%) versus 1194 (5.8%), P = 0.001]. The incidence of positive CrAg-LFA in Ethekwini district was 59 and 56 cases per 100,000 persons in adolescents 10–14 years and 15–19 years, respectively. Six of the 8 patients with available treatment history were on antiretroviral treatment (ART) with immune failure at the time of CrAg-LFA testing.

Conclusions:

Severe immune suppression in adolescents on ART is a risk factor for cryptococcal antigenemia. A concerted effort to timeously manage ART failure in adolescents with appropriate changing of ART regimens is urgently warranted.
Prevalence of myocardial injury requiring percutaneous coronary intervention after acute carbon monoxide poisoning
Authors: Nakajima Mikio , Aso Shotaro , Matsui Hiroki , Kaszynski Richard H. , Fushimi Kiyohide , Yamaguchi Yoshihiro , Yasunaga Hideo
Published: November 2019

Objective

More than one-third of patients with moderate to severe acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning had myocardial injury. However, the ratio of acute CO patients necessitating percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains unknown. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of myocardial injury requiring PCI or CABG in patients with CO poisoning.

Methods

This was a nationwide retrospective cohort study, using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database focusing on the period between 2010 and 2017. We extracted data on patients diagnosed with CO poisoning and determined the prevalence of cases presenting with myocardial injury requiring PCI or CABG.

Results

We identified 9091 eligible patients. Within this patient pool, eight patients underwent PCI within 2 days of admission. No patients required CABG. The prevalence of subsequent PCI was 0.09% (8/9091). The patients who required PCI had a significantly higher median age than those who did not (75 vs. 52 years of age, respectively). Patients requiring PCI were older and were more likely to have underlying comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion

The present study reported a low prevalence of myocardial injury requiring PCI in acute CO poisoning patients. Although myocardial injury due to coronary artery occlusion would be a very rare presentation in the setting of acute CO poisoning, coronary occlusion should be taken into consideration for elderly patients and/or patients who have coronary risk factors.
Time as a consequence of internal coherence
Authors: Mendes Leandro R. S. , Soares-Pinto Diogo O.
Published: November 2019

Time has been an elusive concept to grasp. Although we do not yet understand it properly, there have been advances made in regard to how we can explain it. One such advance is the Page–Wootters mechanism. In this mechanism, time is seen as an inaccessible coordinate and the apparent passage of time arises as a consequence of correlations between the subsystems of a global state. Here we propose a measure that captures the relational character of the mechanism, showing that the internal coherence is the necessary ingredient for the emergence of time in the Page–Wootters model. Also, we connect it to results in quantum thermodynamics, showing that it is directly related to the extractable work from quantum coherence.
A rigorous mathematical treatment of the shape of a dissipative rope fountain
Authors: Bevan Jonathan J. , Deane Jonathan H. B.
Published: November 2019

This is a theoretical and numerical study of a model of a rope fountain subject to a drag force that depends linearly on the rope velocity. A precise, analytical description of the long-term shape adopted by the rope is given, and various consequences are derived from it. Using parameters that naturally appear in the model, we distinguish between cases wherein energy is conserved by means of a constant tension far from the rope source (the ‘free’ case) and where energy conservation is a consequence of a non-constant tension (the ‘braked’ case). The model is used, among other things, to generate rope fountain shapes based on approximate experimental estimates of the parameter values and a careful numerical treatment.
Contrasting drivers of diversification rates on islands and continents across three passerine families
Authors: Conway Meaghan , Olsen Brian J.
Published: November 2019

Diversification rates vary greatly among taxa. Understanding how species-specific traits influence speciation rates will help elucidate mechanisms driving biodiversity over broad spatio-temporal scales. Ecological specialization and range size are two hypothesized drivers of speciation rates, yet each mechanism predicts both increases and decreases in speciation. We constructed a continuous index of specialization using avian bill morphology to determine the relative effect of specialization and range size and shape on speciation rates across 559 species within the Emberizoidea superfamily, a morphologically diverse New World clade. We found a significant positive correlation between specialization and speciation rate and a negative correlation with range size. Only the effect of specialization persisted after removing island endemics, however, suggesting that ecological specialization is an important driver of diversity across large macroevolutionary scales, and the relative importance of specific drivers may differ between islands and continents.
Impact of dogs with deltamethrin-impregnated collars on prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis
Authors: Zahid Mondal Hasan , Kribs Christopher M.
Published: November 2019

Leishmaniasis is a vector borne zoonosis which is classified as a neglected tropical disease. Among the three most common forms of the disease, Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is the most threatening to human health, causing 20,000 to 30,000 deaths worldwide each year. Areas where VL is mostly endemic have unprotected dogs in community and houses. The presence of dogs usually increases VL risk for humans since dogs are the principal reservoir host for the parasite of the disease. Based on this fact, most earlier studies consider culling dogs as a control measure for the spread of VL. A more recent control measure has been the use of deltamethrin-impregnated dog collars (DIDCs) to protect both humans and dogs by putting DIDCs on dogs neck. The presence of dogs helps to grow the sandfly population faster by offering a more suitable blood-meal source. On the other hand, the presence of DIDCs on dogs helps to reduce sandfly population by the lethality of deltamethrin insecticide. This study brings an ecological perspective to this public health concern, aiming to understand the impact of an additional host (here, protected dogs) on disease risk to a primary host (here, humans). To answer this question, we compare two different settings: a community without dogs, and a community with dogs protected with DIDC. Our analysis shows the presence of protected dogs can reduce VL infection risk in humans. However, this disease risk reduction depends on dogs’ tolerance for sandfly bites.
Emergence of neuronal diversity during vertebrate brain development
Authors: Raj Bushra , Farrell Jeffrey A. , McKenna Aaron , Leslie Jessica L. , Schier Alexander F.
Published: November 2019

Neurogenesis in the vertebrate brain comprises many steps ranging from the proliferation of progenitors to the differentiation and maturation of neurons. Although these processes are highly regulated, the landscape of transcriptional changes and progenitor identities underlying brain development are poorly characterized. Here, we describe the first developmental single-cell RNA-seq catalog of more than 200,000 zebrafish brain cells encompassing 12 stages from 12 hours post-fertilization to 15 days post-fertilization. We characterize known and novel gene markers for more than 800 clusters across these timepoints. Our results capture the temporal dynamics of multiple neurogenic waves from embryo to larva that expand neuronal diversity from ∼20 cell types at 12 hpf to ∼100 cell types at 15 dpf. We find that most embryonic neural progenitor states are transient and transcriptionally distinct from long-lasting neural progenitors of post-embryonic stages. Furthermore, we reconstruct cell specification trajectories for the retina and hypothalamus, and identify gene expression cascades and novel markers. Our analysis reveal that late-stage retinal neural progenitors transcriptionally overlap cell states observed in the embryo, while hypothalamic neural progenitors become progressively distinct with developmental time. These data provide the first comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic time course for vertebrate brain development and suggest distinct neurogenic regulatory paradigms between different stages and tissues.