bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polish Manhood in Transition: Anxieties of Neoliberal Masculinity in Robert Gliński’s Cześć Tereska
Authors: Holc Janine , Konradi Amanda
Published: December 2019

Robert Gliński’s post-communist film Cześć Tereska generated extensive controversy as a story of Polish teenagers disconnected from traditional morality in an anonymous apartment block. Its central character of a young girl, Tereska, makes the film appear to be about femininity and danger in 1990s neoliberal Poland. In an alternative interpretation using the approach that neoliberalism is a form of governmentality, an analysis of male characters surrounding Tereska demonstrates that the film can also be interpreted as a depiction of the inability of individuals to achieve neoliberal ideals of masculinity. The 1990s’ dominant ideology of individualism and freedom created expectations that men would embody a self-contained, self-restrained potency that functioned to curb the excesses of the society around them. We argue that the impossibility of achieving this embodiment generates tensions in the film that are only resolved at times when Tereska is made to take on the responsibility for managing men’s desires. While several scholars have pointed to a “crisis of masculinity” in Eastern Europe, we find that Cześć Tereska can be seen as a narrative that delineates the specific effects of anxious masculinities on female-gendered agency and autonomy, but that is limited in its ability to fully work out those implications.
Gotta Serve Somebody? Religious Liberty, Freedom of Conscience, and Religion as Comprehensive Doctrine
Authors: Beckwith Francis J.
Published: December 2019

This article critically assesses an account of religious liberty often associated with several legal and political philosophers: Ronald Dworkin, John Rawls, and Christopher Eisgruber and Lawrence Sager. Calling it the Religion as Comprehensive Doctrine approach (RCD), the author contrasts it with an account often attributed to John Locke and the American Founders Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the Two Sovereigns approach (TS). He argues that the latter provides an important corrective to RCD’s chief weakness: RCD eliminates (or greatly diminishes) from our vision those aspects of religious belief and practice that most conventional religious believers would consider essential to their faith.
Research on heat dissipation design method for motor controller radiator
Authors: Liu Huanlong , Xie Chixin , Chen Guanpeng , Cao Zeping
Published: December 2019

With the complication of electric vehicles operating conditions, the damage caused by the overheating of insulated gate bipolar transistor and freewheeling diode that are the core components of the motor controller has become a key factor restricting the development of electric vehicles. The motor controller is primarily cooled by a radiator, and the heat exchange of the radiator includes heat transfer between the heat sources of the motor controller and the radiator walls and heat convection between the cooling medium and the radiator walls. A fluid–solid coupling heat transfer model for analyzing the motor controller was established. The flow field performances and main influencing factors were analyzed, and the correctness of the method was verified by experiments. To improve the design efficiency of the motor controller radiator, a design method based on target temperature, installation position of the liquid cooling radiator, fluid parameters, and heating power was proposed. This method can quickly calculate and evaluate the heat dissipation capability of the radiator. The fluid–solid coupling heat transfer model using this design method is established in computational fluid dynamics software, and the results show that the relative error between the simulation results and the design method results is within 20%.
Expired places and forgotten people: Spatial and temporal practices of Military Homeless People in Serbia
Authors: Sztandara Magdalena
Published: December 2019

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, this article explores spatial and temporal practices of former officers of the Yugoslav People’s Army and their families who came to Serbia in 1990s and live in ‘collective centres’ long after the wars have ended. It focuses on social, spatial and temporal aspects of home-making, and waiting for normal life in the situation of being dis/misplaced. Former officers of the Yugoslav People’s Army and their families, who call themselves Military Homeless People are stuck between and (betwixt) state recognition and social oblivion; hence, hope (or its lack), politics and strategies of waiting, and the experiences of time and place become an important element in anthropological problematizations.
Evaluation Tools for Physical Activity Programs for Childhood Cancer: A Scoping Review
Authors: Shank Jena , Chamorro-Viña Carolina , Guilcher Gregory M. T. , Langelier David Michael , Schulte Fiona , Culos-Reed S. Nicole
Published: December 2019

Research on the benefits of physical activity (PA) in childhood cancer has been translated into a handful of community-based programs. However, to foster further translation, an understanding of how to evaluate participant outcomes would be beneficial to provide feedback to participants and stimulate future research. Such a review would provide a summary of acceptable tools for work in this area. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify the evaluation tools that have been used in PA/exercise studies or programs for childhood cancer. This review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies included in the review used physical and psychosocial evaluation tools within PA and exercise programs or research for childhood cancer. In addition, studies with measures of health behavior such as PA levels and activities of daily living were included. Tools that assessed physical fitness and physical performance were excluded. Information on the types of evaluation tools used, mean age of participants, and type of cancer was extracted. Psychometric properties of each evaluation tool are reported. The most commonly assessed patient outcomes were motor performance, fatigue, well-being, functional mobility, and quality of life. Less commonly reported patient outcomes were hope, self-efficacy, and self-perception. None of the evaluation tools reported in the PA/exercise and pediatric oncology literature assess physical literacy. This review was the first step in a knowledge translation process, identifying evaluation tools that have been used in PA/exercise programs in childhood cancer survivors, that will guide the development and evaluation of current and future community-based programs.
A novel finite-time disturbance observer-based partial control design: A guidance application
Authors: Razmjooei Hamid , Shafiei Mohammad Hossein
Published: December 2019

This paper presents a novel technique to design a robust finite-time partial stabilizer, based on the non-singular terminal sliding mode method and a disturbance observer for the missile guidance problem. In the proposed method, the finite-time stability is desired for only a part of the state variables in the guidance system. Accordingly, the guidance system is divided into two subsystems where the finite-time stability is desired only for the first subsystem. Then, a partial diffeomorphism transformation is used to convert the first subsystem into the normal form. Finally, the components of the input vector appearing in the transformed form of the first subsystem are designed to achieve finite-time stability based on a partial disturbance observer. In the proposed finite-time disturbance observer, the disturbances are estimated in a finite time without any knowledge about their upper bounds. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed guidance law to intercept maneuvering and non-maneuvering targets compared to the existing methods.
Effects of Fact-Checking Political Misinformation on Perceptual Accuracy and Epistemic Political Efficacy
Authors: York Chance , Ponder James D. , Humphries Zach , Goodall Catherine , Beam Michael , Winters Carrie
Published: December 2019

Numerous studies have shown fact-checks can debunk misinformation and improve perceptions of reality surrounding a specific political issue. We examine whether fact-checks might also boost epistemic political efficacy (EPE), which is confidence in one’s ability they can perceive reality surrounding political issues in general. Using a survey experiment ( N = 1,139), we find discrediting misinformation with a fact-check increases accuracy in issue perceptions and, indirectly, EPE. However, fact-checking’s direct effect on EPE is negative, suggesting fact-checks generally help individuals perform an immediate cognitive task—deciding which aspects of a political issue are true—while weakening confidence in task performance.
Lipopolysaccharide Increases Cortical Kynurenic Acid and Deficits in Reference Memory in Mice
Authors: Peyton Lee , Oliveros Alfredo , Tufvesson-Alm Maximilian , Schwieler Lilly , Starski Phillip , Engberg Göran , Erhardt Sopie , Choi Doo-Sup
Published: December 2019

Kynurenic acid (KYNA), a glial-derived metabolite of tryptophan metabolism, is an antagonist of the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and the glycine-binding site of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Kynurenic acid levels are increased in both the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of several psychiatric disorders including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer disease. In addition, pro-inflammatory cytokines have been found to be elevated in the blood of schizophrenic patients suggesting inflammation may play a role in psychiatric illness. As both pro-inflammatory cytokines and KYNA can be elevated in the brain by peripheral lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, we therefore sought to characterize the role of neuroinflammation on learning and memory using a well-described dual-LPS injection model. Mice were injected with an initial injection (0.25 mg/kg LPS, 0.50 mg/kg, or saline) of LPS and then administrated a second injection 16 hours later. Our results indicate both 0.25 and 0.50 mg/kg dual-LPS treatment increased l-kynurenine and KYNA levels in the medial pre-frontal cortex (mPFC). Mice exhibited impaired acquisition of CS+ (conditioned stimulus) Pavlovian conditioning. Notably, mice showed impairment in reference memory while working memory was normal in an 8-arm maze. Taken together, our findings suggest that neuroinflammation induced by peripheral LPS administration contributes to cognitive dysfunction.
A study on the crack detection in beams using linear and nonlinear normal modes
Authors: Erdogan Yildirim Serhat
Published: December 2019

Linear and nonlinear normal mode motions may provide promising information about the condition of mechanical structures under small and large amplitude vibrations, respectively. In this view, this study investigates the nonlinear dynamics of cracked beams through use of the nonlinear mode motion and extends the crack identification methods that utilize the linear characteristics to nonlinear vibrating structures. At first, the nonlinear normal modes of the intact and cracked beams are calculated by a continuation algorithm. A finite element model of a geometrically nonlinear prismatic beam was created based on crack stress intensity. Subsequently, a method based on normal mode motion and minimization of strain energy, which is valid for linear and nonlinear vibrating beams, was developed as an optimization problem. To this end, hybrid optimization was also used due to its capability in finding global minimum along with its computational efficiency. It was shown that the proposed crack detection technique is applicable to beams vibrating in linear and/or nonlinear regimes and well capable of detecting both crack location and severity.
Theoretical analysis of the vibration modes of the star herringbone gear transmission system
Authors: Wang Feiming , Wang Sanmin , Li Fei
Published: December 2019

The star herringbone gear transmission system has a high load-carrying capacity, and is widely used in aviation, marine power drives, off-road vehicles, and hybrid electric-drive vehicles. Vibration and noise are the key concerns with this transmission system. The lumped mass method was adopted to establish the dynamic model and equations of this system. The modes of the system were analyzed and classified, and the eigenvalues and their multiplicities were determined. The results showed that the system has four typical vibration modes: (1) a lateral-rotational coupled vibration mode (multiplicity m = 1), (2) star gear compound mode (multiplicity m =  N-3, N > 3), (3) center component lateral vibration mode (multiplicity m = 2), and (4) star gear and center gear-coupled mode (multiplicity m = 2). The contribution of this paper lies in the discovery of the coupling vibration modes in the star herringbone gear transmission system and the multiplicities of these modes. This work provides the foundation for further research on vibration suppression for the star herringbone gear transmission system and the theory of planet phasing.
The preemptive voice of enemy images: The before-and-after motif in news coverage of women homegrown terrorists
Authors: Szpunar Piotr M
Published: December 2019

This essay is about images of the enemy. But a particular enemy and a peculiar motif of representation: the woman homegrown terrorist and the before-and-after image as they appear in US online and broadcast news. The case of Shannon Conley, a young white American who attempted to join Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in 2014, is used to examine these against an already-gendered orientalist discourse about women and terrorism. The before-and-after motif includes the composite image as well as its disaggregation into juxtapositions and sequences, some of which use surrogate images. I utilize the ‘voice of the visual’ against the temporality of preemption to parse out how the before-and-after image ‘speaks security’. In the context of a paradigm centered on anticipating threats, I argue the motif invites viewers to re-examine the ‘before’ image and ask what they might spot in it to help forestall such a transformation, next time.
Censored quantile instrumental-variable estimation with Stata
Authors: Chernozhukov Victor , Fernández-Val Ivan , Han Sukjin , Kowalski Amanda
Published: December 2019

Many applications involve a censored dependent variable, an endogenous independent variable, or both. Chernozhukov, Fernández-Val, and Kowalski (2015, Journal of Econometrics 186: 201–221) introduced a censored quantile instrumental-variable (CQIV) estimator for use in those applications. The estimator has been applied by Kowalski (2016, Journal of Business & Economic Statistics 34: 107–117), among others. In this article, we introduce a command, cqiv, that simplifies application of the CQIV estimator in Stata. We summarize the CQIV estimator and algorithm, describe the use of cqiv, and provide empirical examples.
Multilevel mixed-effects parametric survival analysis: Estimation, simulation, and application
Authors: Crowther Michael J.
Published: December 2019

In this article, I present the community-contributed stmixed command for fitting multilevel survival models. It serves as both an alternative to Stata’s official mestreg command and a complimentary command with substantial extensions. stmixed can fit multilevel survival models with any number of levels and random effects at each level, including flexible spline-based approaches (such as Royston–Parmar and the log-hazard equivalent) and user-defined hazard models. Simple or complex time-dependent effects can be included, as can expected mortality for a relative survival model. Left-truncation (delayed entry) is supported, and t-distributed random effects are provided as an alternative to Gaussian random effects. I illustrate the methods with a commonly used dataset of patients with kidney disease suffering recurrent infections and a simulated example illustrating a simple approach to simulating clustered survival data using survsim (Crowther and Lambert 2012, Stata Journal 12: 674–687; 2013, Statistics in Medicine 32: 4118–4134). stmixed is part of the merlin family (Crowther 2017, arXiv Working Paper No. arXiv:1710.02223; 2018, arXiv Working Paper No. arXiv:1806.01615).
A New Sterol From Sporoderm-Broken Ganoderma sinense Spores and Its Anticancer Activity
Authors: Lian Danhong , Zhong Xin , Zheng Yimei , Zhou Sha , Gu Li , Liu Xin
Published: December 2019

A new sterol, ganodermaside E (1), and 4 known sterols, (22 E,24 R)-3β,5α-dihydroxyergosta-7,22-dien-6-one (2), (22 E,24 R)-3β,5α,9α-trihydroxyergosta-7,22-diene-6-one (3), (22 E,24 R)-ergosta-7,9(11),22-triene-3β,5α,6β-triol (4), and (22 E,24 R)-ergosta-7,22-diene-3β,5α,6α-triol (5), were isolated for the first time from the sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderm sinense Zhao, Xu et Zhang. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Furthermore, all the compounds were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity and migration inhibition on human non-small-lung cancer A549 cells. Compound 1 exhibited cytotoxicity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration value of 21.12 ± 1.46 µM. Compound 5 exhibited the strongest and most significant antimetastatic activity at concentrations of 100 and 200 µM.
Effect of environmental conditions on the durability of polycarbonate for the protection of cultural heritage sites
Authors: Ascione Laura , Mistretta Maria Chiara , Pedeferri MariaPia , La Mantia Francesco Paolo
Published: December 2019

Polycarbonate is a good material for covering and protecting cultural heritage sites because of its durability, mechanical properties, and transparency. However, polycarbonate degrades under environmental weathering with a significant decrease of physical and mechanical properties and loss of transparency. In this work, the contemporary presence of ultraviolet irradiation and different temperature and moisture conditions have been taken into account to study the environmental degradation of this polymer with regard to its mechanical and optical properties. The photo-oxidation reactions cause a decrease in the molecular weight and the formation of many oxygenated species. The hydrolytic scission, instead, gives rise to a remarkable reduction in the molecular weight. These two different degradation mechanisms do not seem interconnected because at the lowest degradation temperature and high humidity levels, the reduction of the molecular weight is more pronounced than that observed at the highest temperature but at a lower humidity level. Transparency decreases with the degradative processes, but even after severe degradation the loss of transparency is only about 10%. The yellowness index increases during the first stages of degradation, which has been attributed to the fast formation of carbonyl groups due to photo-oxidation.
Elite Ice Hockey Goalkeepers Have a High Prevalence of Hip and Groin Problems Associated With Decreased Sporting Function: A Single-Season Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wörner Tobias , Clarsen Benjamin , Thorborg Kristian , Eek Frida
Published: December 2019

Background:

The modern style of goalkeeping in ice hockey is thought to predispose athletes to hip and groin problems. However, little is known about the magnitude of these problems in elite goalkeepers.

Purpose:

To describe the incidence, prevalence, and severity of hip and groin problems in elite ice hockey goalkeepers over the course of a single season.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

We invited all elite Swedish ice hockey goalkeepers (n = 128) to participate in this prospective cohort study. Every second week, players reported hip and groin problems experienced within the past 14 days on the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire (OSTRC-O), classifying problems into “all” and “substantial” hip and groin problems. Three times during the season (pre-, mid-, and end-season), players reported hip and groin function on the Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) as well as on the OSTRC-O.

Results:

A total of 101 goalkeepers participated in the study (83.3% male [seniors, 44.1%; juniors, 39.2%], 16.7% female). The cumulative incidences of all hip and groin problems and substantial hip and groin problems were 69% (95% CI, 59%-79%) and 36% (95% CI, 26%-46%), respectively. The average biweekly prevalence for all hip and groin problems and substantial hip and groin problems was 28.1% (95% CI, 25.0%-31.3%) and 10% (95% CI, 8.7%-11.4%), respectively. Among all the reported hip and groin problems, 16.9% (n = 70) were acute, 83.1% (n = 343) were because of overuse, and 15.5% (n = 64) led to time loss. HAGOS did not differ in the pre-, mid-, or end-season. Players reporting hip and groin problems on the OSTRC-O had significantly worse HAGOS scores than players without problems ( P < .01).

Conclusion:

Hip and groin problems are highly prevalent in elite ice hockey goalkeepers. During a competitive season, 69% of players experienced hip and groin problems and 36% of players suffered from substantial problems. The vast majority of problems were because of overuse, not leading to time loss but related to reduced self-reported hip and groin function.
Closing the Digital Entrepreneurship Gap the Case of Returnee Entrepreneurs in Morocco
Authors: Wentrup Robert , Nakamura H. Richard , Ström Patrik
Published: December 2019

Despite the growing rates of Internet penetration and inflows of returnee entrepreneurs (REs) from Silicon Valley, there are still few examples of successful digital entrepreneurship ventures from emerging markets reaching international markets. Positioning itself at the intersection of returnee entrepreneurship, digital entrepreneurship and internationalization, this article is based on the case studies of the REs starting up digital ventures in Morocco. The results show that Moroccan digital entrepreneurship is driven by well-educated REs with working experience from the United States and Europe. These entrepreneurs play a dominant role in fostering the local digital entrepreneurship scene, and they have an international ambition in their ventures from the outset. The dominance of the REs also reveals vulnerability in the local digital ecosystem—reluctance of the indigenous business community to engage in the digital sector and a lack of domestic investors, programmers and start-up clusters. However, Moroccan digital start-ups struggle with the fierce competition among the global Internet firms, which benefit from an underdeveloped policy framework. This article contributes new insights to the complexity of the returnee and digital entrepreneurship and demonstrates the pivotal role of Moroccan REs in the country’s trajectory towards closing the extant digital entrepreneurship gap vis-à-vis developed markets.
Spatial pattern analysis of address quality: A study on the impact of rapid urban expansion in China
Authors: Lin Yue , Kang Mengjun , He Biao
Published: December 2019

Standard address data are essential geographical information that play an important role in urban management. However, due to the complex structures of Chinese addresses, poor address quality has long been a problem in China. Although several measures were established to improve the address quality, nonstandard address data are still common in new urban areas. To investigate the potential causes of the geographical disparities in address quality, in this paper, we hypothesize that the sprawling urban form caused by rapid urban expansion in China has hindered the generation of standard addresses in new urban areas. To test this hypothesis, the spatial pattern of address quality in Shenzhen, China, is analyzed, and the potential causal paths relating urban expansion, urban form, and address quality are examined using structural equation modeling. The results indicate poorer address quality in new urban areas in Shenzhen. Rapid urban expansion has an indirect negative relation with the address quality. In addition, both road compactness and land use compactness have a direct positive effect on address quality, but the latter is insignificant. In this case, to facilitate improvements in address quality, a plan with dense and small blocks is suggested in the planning of new urban areas.
Challenging Institutional Theory’s Critical Credentials
Authors: Munir Kamal A.
Published: December 2019

Institutional theory’s claim to be critical rings hollow. Not only does the theory lack an emancipatory agenda but most institutional studies privilege agentic power over hegemonic. Even when engaging with ‘grand challenges’ institutional theorists are inclined to overlook larger structures of domination in favour of focusing on smaller, more manageable issues. As a result, institutional theorists run the risk of becoming complicit in the reification and legitimation of structures of domination. A process of self-critique must be initiated in order to recognize the role institutional theory is playing in this process.
Learning from registries in pulmonary arterial hypertension: pitfalls and recommendations
Authors: Swinnen Katleen , Quarck Rozenn , Godinas Laurent , Belge Catharina , Delcroix Marion
Published: December 2019

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare and incurable chronic disease characterised by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and right heart failure. Patient registries collecting observational data can be of great value in the understanding of clinical problems. While clinical trials provide data in selected patient populations, registries better depict real-life practice. This review aims to reflect the input of patient registries in the general knowledge of the disease. Advances in epidemiology of the different subgroups, including data on incidence and/or prevalence, increasing age at presentation and stagnating diagnostic delay are reported. The importance of haemodynamic definition criteria and cardiac comorbidities are underscored. The review also shows the major transformation that pulmonary arterial hypertension therapeutic management has undergone, with still insufficient use of combination therapies; consecutive improvement in outcome; upcoming evidence in disfavour of anticoagulation; and validity of the available risk-stratification tools derived from large registries. Product registries are also briefly presented. Finally, the benefits of registries and methodological aspects are discussed, including immortal time bias, registry data quality and recommendations from EU organisations (EUCERD and PARENT).
Overexpression of rice jacalin-related mannose-binding lectin (OsJAC1) enhances resistance to ionizing radiation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Jung In Jung , Ahn Joon-Woo , Jung Sera , Hwang Jung Eun , Hong Min Jeong , Choi Hong-Il , Kim Jin-Baek
Published: December 2019

Background

Jacalin-related lectins in plants are important in defense signaling and regulate growth, development, and response to abiotic stress. We characterized the function of a rice mannose-binding jacalin-related lectin (OsJAC1) in the response to DNA damage from gamma radiation.

Results

Time- and dose-dependent changes of OsJAC1 expression in rice were detected in response to gamma radiation. To identify OsJAC1 function, OsJAC1-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants were generated. Interestingly, OsJAC1 overexpression conferred hyper-resistance to gamma radiation in these plants. Using comparative transcriptome analysis, genes related to pathogen defense were identified among 22 differentially expressed genes in OsJAC1-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines following gamma irradiation. Furthermore, expression profiles of genes associated with the plant response to DNA damage were determined in these transgenic lines, revealing expression changes of important DNA damage checkpoint and perception regulatory components, namely MCMs, RPA, ATM, and MRE11.

Conclusions

OsJAC1 overexpression may confer hyper-resistance to gamma radiation via activation of DNA damage perception and DNA damage checkpoints in Arabidopsis, implicating OsJAC1 as a key player in DNA damage response in plants. This study is the first report of a role for mannose-binding jacalin-related lectin in DNA damage.
A MYB-related transcription factor from sheepgrass, LcMYB2, promotes seed germination and root growth under drought stress
Authors: Zhao Pincang , Hou Shenglin , Guo Xiufang , Jia Junting , Yang Weiguang , Liu Zhujiang , Chen Shuangyan , Li Xiaoxia , Qi Dongmei , Liu Gongshe , Cheng Liqin
Published: December 2019

Background

Drought is one of the most serious factors limiting plant growth and production. Sheepgrass can adapt well to various adverse conditions, including drought. However, during germination, sheepgrass young seedlings are sensitive to these adverse conditions. Therefore, the adaptability of seedlings is very important for plant survival, especially in plants that inhabit grasslands or the construction of artificial grassland.

Results

In this study, we found a sheepgrass MYB-related transcription factor,LcMYB2that is up-regulated by drought stress and returns to a basal level after rewatering. The expression ofLcMYB2was mainly induced by osmotic stress and was localized to the nucleus. Furthermore, we demonstrate thatLcMYB2promoted seed germination and root growth under drought and ABA treatments. Additionally, we confirmed that LcMYB2 can regulateLcDREB2expression in sheepgrass by binding to its promoter, and it activates the expression of the osmotic stress marker genesAtDREB2A,AtLEA14andAtP5CS1by directly binding to their promoters in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Conclusions

Based on these results, we propose thatLcMYB2improves plant drought stress tolerance by increasing the accumulation of osmoprotectants and promoting root growth. Therefore,LcMYB2plays pivotal roles in plant responses to drought stress and is an important candidate for genetic manipulation to create drought-resistant crops, especially during seed germination.
Validating a transnational fracture treatment registry using a standardized method
Authors: Frese Jasper , Gode Annalice , Heinrichs Gerhard , Will Armin , Schulz Arndt-Peter
Published: December 2019

Aim

Subsequent to a three-month pilot phase, recruiting patients for the newly established BFCC (Baltic Fracture Competence Centre) transnational fracture registry, a validation of the data quality needed to be carried out, applying a standardized method.

Method

During the literature research, the method of “adaptive monitoring” fulfilled the requirements of the registry and was applied. It consisted of a three-step audit process; firstly, scoring of the overall data quality, followed by source data verification of a sample size, relative to the scoring result, and finally, feedback to the registry on measures to improve data quality. Statistical methods for scoring of data quality and visualisation of discrepancies between registry data and source data were developed and applied.

Results

Initially, the data quality of the registry scored as medium. During source data verification, missing items in the registry, causing medium data quality, turned out to be absent in the source as well. A subsequent adaptation of the score evaluated the registry’s data quality as good. It was suggested to add variables to some items in order to improve the accuracy of the registry.

Discussion

The application of the method of adaptive monitoring has only been published by Jacke et al., with a similar improvement of the scoring result following the audit process. Displaying data from the registry in graphs helped to find missing items and discover issues with data formats. Graphically comparing the degree of agreement between the registry and source data allowed to discover systematic faults.

Conclusions

The method of adaptive monitoring gives a substantiated guideline for systematically evaluating and monitoring a registry’s data quality and is currently second to none. The resulting transparency of the registry’s data quality could be helpful in annual reports, as published by most major registries. As the method has been rarely applied, further successive applications in established registries would be desirable.
Self-reported oral health in the Dutch 100-plus Study of cognitively healthy centenarians: an observational cohort study
Authors: Beker Nina , van der Maarel-Wierink Claar D. , de Baat Cees , Holstege Henne
Published: December 2019

Background

Due to improved healthcare, more people reach extreme ages. Oral health in the oldest-old has thus far been poorly described. Here, we investigated self-reported oral health factors, use of professional oral health care, and associations with clinical measures in centenarians considered cognitively healthy.

Methods

In this observational cohort study, we included 162 (74% female) centenarians from the Dutch 100-plus Study cohort who self-reported to be cognitively healthy, as confirmed by a proxy. Centenarians were questioned about their physical well-being including medication use and their cognitive functioning was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Questions regarding oral health included preservation of teeth, oral pain or discomfort, chewing ability, xerostomia, and time since last visit to an oral health care provider. Associations between oral health and clinical measures were investigated with ordinal logistic or linear regression analyses, adjusted for gender, age, and education.

Results

The majority of the centenarians indicated to have good oral health: 76% felt no oral pain/discomfort, 65% indicated to chew well; while only 18% had symptoms of xerostomia. Of all centenarians, 83% were edentulous and were wearing removable complete maxillary and mandibular dental prostheses, 1% was edentulous with no dental prosthesis, while 16% was dentate with or without removable partial dental prostheses (10 and 6% respectively). Dentate and edentulous centenarians experienced similar levels of oral pain and/or discomfort, chewing ability, xerostomia, and their cognitive functioning was similar. No relationship between cognitive functioning and chewing ability was found. Xerostomia was associated with medication use (p = .001), which mostly regarded medications for cardiovascular diseases, diuretics, anti-coagulants, and antacids. Only 18% of the centenarians visited an oral health care provider during the year prior to the interview, of whom 48% were dentate centenarians. Notably, 49% of the centenarians had not visited an oral health care provider for ≥10 years.

Conclusions

Most centenarians were edentulous and did not report oral complaints. Less than one-fifth of the centenarians continued to seek regular professional oral health care. Since the proportion of dentates in the oldest-old will increase in the near future, a proactive attitude toward this group is necessary.
Evaluation of gene-environment interactions for colorectal cancer susceptibility loci using case-only and case-control designs
Authors: Song Nan , Lee Jeeyoo , Cho Sooyoung , Kim Jeongseon , Oh Jae Hwan , Shin Aesun
Published: December 2019

Background

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 40 colorectal cancer susceptibility loci, but only a small fraction of heritability was explained. To account for missing heritability, we investigated gene-environment interactions (G × Es) between GWAS-identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and established risk or protective factors for colorectal cancer using both case-only and case-control study designs.

Methods

Data on 703 colorectal cancer cases and 1406 healthy controls from the National Cancer Center in Korea were used. We tested interactions between 31 GWAS-identified SNPs and 13 established risk or protective factors for colorectal cancer (family history, body mass index, history of colorectal polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, and diabetes mellitus, alcohol drinking, smoking, regular exercise, regular aspirin use, postmenopausal hormone replace therapy, red meat and processed meat intake, and dairy consumption). Logistic regression models were used to assess G × Es for colorectal cancer risk.

Results

The SNP rs4444235 at 14q22.2 interacted with regular exercise in colorectal cancer (pcase-only = 2.4 × 10− 3,pcase-control = 1.5 × 10− 3). The risk allele (C) of rs4444235 increased the risk of colorectal cancer in regularly exercising individuals (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.02–2.10) but decreased the risk in non-exercising individuals (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.62–0.94). Furthermore, the G × E between the SNP rs2423279 at 20p12.3 and regular aspirin use was statistically significant (pcase-only = 7.7 × 10− 3,pcase-control = 1.6 × 10− 3). The additive effect of the risk allele (T) of rs2423279 on colorectal cancer risk was increased among regular aspirin users (OR = 4.62, 95% CI = 1.97–10.80).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that SNP rs4444235 at 14q22.2 and SNP rs2423279 at 20p12.3 may interact with regular exercise and aspirin use in colorectal carcinogenesis.
Association between polymorphism of the NEDD4 gene and cognitive dysfunction of schizophrenia patients in Chinese Han population
Authors: Han Chao , Cui Kaiyan , Bi Xiaojiao , Wang Lina , Sun Mengmeng , Yang Limin , Liu Lanfen
Published: December 2019

Background

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder with unknown etiology. A number of recent studies have shown that the polymorphism of the neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated 4 (NEDD4) gene is associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, and may also be associated with cognitive dysfunction in these diseases.

Methods

A case-control study was carried out, the alleles and genotypes distributions of five loci (rs3088077, rs2303579, rs7162435, rs11550869, rs62043855) of the NEDD4 gene from 296 schizophrenia patients and 320 healthy controls were detected by using Taqman single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping technology. The clinical data of case and control group members were collected by self-made questionnaire and the psychotic symptoms of case group members were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The Matrics Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used to test the cognitive function of case group members.

Results

The alleles and genotypes frequency of two loci (rs3088077, rs2303579) between case and control group showed significant differences (P <  0.05). There was no significant difference in MCCB scores of patients with different genotypes at rs3088077, rs11550869 and rs7162435 loci in case group. The study of rs2303579 locus showed that, patients’ scores with CT genotype were significantly lower than those with CC and TT genotypes (P <  0.05) in the test of Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition (WMS-III): Spatial Span, the scores of patients with TT genotype were significantly higher than those with CT genotype (P < 0.05) in the test of Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R). The study of rs62043855 locus showed that patients with TG genotype had significantly lower scores than those with GG genotype (P < 0.05) in the test of Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB): Mazes.

Conclusions

Our study showed that in schizophrenia patients of Chinese Han population, the polymorphisms of rs3088077 and rs2303579 loci were related to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, while the polymorphisms of rs2303579 and rs62043855 loci were associated with cognitive dysfunction.
Variability in clinician intentions to implement specific cognitive-behavioral therapy components
Authors: Wolk Courtney Benjamin , Becker-Haimes Emily M. , Fishman Jessica , Affrunti Nicholas W. , Mandell David S. , Creed Torrey A.
Published: December 2019

Background

CBT comprises many discrete components that vary in complexity, but implementation and training efforts often approach CBT as a single entity. We examined variability in clinician intentions to use different structural and interventional components of CBT for three different clinical groups: clients receiving CBT, clients with depression, and clients with anxiety.

Methods

Clinicians (n = 107) trained in CBT completed a one-time electronic survey. Clinicians’ intentions were measured using established item stems from social psychology adapted to examine intentions to use six specific CBT components: exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, planning homework, reviewing homework, and agenda-setting.

Results

Intentions were weakest, on average, for exposure. They were strongest, on average, for reviewing homework. A series of ANOVAs with Tukey’s post-hoc tests revealed that participants intended to use exposure with clients receiving CBT (p = .015) and clients with anxiety (p < .001) significantly more than for clients with depression. Participants intended to use behavioral activation with clients with depression (p = .01) significantly more than for clients with anxiety. No other intentions to use CBT components differed among these three clinical populations.

Conclusions

When studying determinants of CBT use and designing interventions to increase use, implementers should consider that different CBT components may require different implementation strategies.

Trial registration

Not applicable.
Mental health among immigrants in Germany – the impact of self-attribution and attribution by others as an immigrant
Authors: Nesterko Yuriy , Friedrich Michael , Brähler Elmar , Hinz Andreas , Glaesmer Heide
Published: December 2019

Background

In Germany, the term ‘migration background’ has been established to differentiate between immigrants and natives. In the present study post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression were analysed in immigrant populations in Germany by considering self-attribution as well as attribution by others on one’s own ‘migration background’.

Methods

In a population-based survey (N = 2317), socio-demographic characteristics, migration background (official statistics definition vs. self-attribution as well as the anticipated attribution by others), PTSD (PCL-5), and symptoms of anxiety and depression (PHQ-4) were assessed. Logistic regression models were applied to predict mental health outcomes by considering socio-demographic and immigration-related factors.

Results

A total of 10.7% of respondents (N = 248) had a ‘migration background’. Immigrants of the 2nd generation compared to 1st generation immigrants are less likely to see themselves as immigrants. Attribution as an immigrant (self and/or by others) was found as significant predictor for PTSD and depression, but not anxiety.

Conclusions

It seems useful to focus on immigration-related factors considering subjective perspectives and not only comparing immigrants and natives using a federal statistics definition. Our findings suggest that research on the association between immigration-related factors such as attribution as an immigrant and mental health outcomes might be a promising approach to better identify subgroups at higher risk of mental distress.
Anemia and red blood cell transfusion practice in prolonged mechanically ventilated patients admitted to a specialized weaning center: an observational study
Authors: Ghiani Alessandro , Sainis Alexandros , Sainis Georgios , Neurohr Claus
Published: December 2019

Background

The impact of anemia and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion on weaning from mechanical ventilation is not known. In theory, transfusions could facilitate liberation from the ventilator by improving oxygen transport capacity. In contrast, retrospective studies of critically ill patients showed a positive correlation of transfusions with prolonged mechanical ventilation, increased mortality rates, and increased risk of nosocomial infections, which in turn could adversely affect weaning outcome.

Methods

Retrospective, observational study on prolonged mechanically ventilated, tracheotomized patients (n = 378), admitted to a national weaning center over a 5 year period. Medical records were reviewed to obtain data on patients’ demographics, comorbidities, blood counts, transfusions, weaning outcome, and nosocomial infections, defined according to the criteria of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The impact of RBC transfusion on outcome measures was assessed using regression models.

Results

Ninety-eight percent of all patients showed anemia on admission to the weaning center. Transfused and non-transfused patients differed significantly regarding disease severity and comorbidities. In multivariate analyses, RBC transfusion, but not mean hemoglobin concentration in the course of weaning, was independently correlated with weaning duration (adjusted β 12.386, 95% CI 9.335–15.436; p <  0.001) and hospital length of stay (adjusted β 16.116, 95% CI 8.925–23.306; p <  0.001); there was also a trend toward increased hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.050, 95% CI 0.995–4.224; p = 0.052), but there was no independent correlation with weaning outcome or nosocomial infections. In contrast, hemoglobin level on the day of admission to the weaning center was independently associated with hospital mortality (adjusted OR 0.956, 95% CI 0.924–0.989; p = 0.010), appearing significantly elevated at values below 8.5 g/dl (AUC 0.670, 95% CI 0.593–0.747; p <  0.001).

Conclusions

A high percentage of prolonged mechanically ventilated patients showed anemia on admission to the weaning center. RBC transfusion was independently correlated with worse outcomes. Since transfused patients differed significantly regarding their clinical characteristics and comorbidities, RBC transfusion might be an indicator of disease severity rather than directly impacting patient prognosis.
A comparison of diagnostic consistency for asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap and clinical characteristics study
Authors: Ye Wenjing , Li Xiaoming , Gu Wen , Guo Xuejun , Han Fengfeng , Liu Song
Published: December 2019

Background

The diagnostic criteria for asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap have not been unified. Different studies have used different criteria, and this has led to diagnostic inconsistencies.

Methods

We collected data of patients who were older than 40 years and hospitalised because of chronic bronchial diseases. One hundred and seventy-one patients were included in this study. We compared seven different diagnostic criteria, examined their consistency, and analysed differences among groups classified with each set.

Results

The prevalence of ACO ranged between 7.02 and 27.49% depending on the criteria applied. The patients who met the Soler-Cataluna et al. criteria also met the GesEPOC criteria. Rhee has proposed the strictest diagnostic criteria; hence, the number of patients who met these criteria was the smallest, and those patients also met the diagnostic criteria proposed by the other studies. We found that applying the different sets of criteria did not lead to the selection of the same population, while there were no statistical differences in age, disease duration, allergens, and inflammatory markers.

Conclusions

The diagnostic criteria of ACO have not been unified, which hinders the design and progress of clinical studies that would investigate the ACO phenotypes and underlying mechanisms.