bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Progressive eye pathology in mucopolysaccharidosis type I mice and effects of enzyme replacement therapy
Authors: Gonzalez Esteban A. , Visioli Fernanda , Pasqualim Gabriela , de Souza Carolina F. M. , Marinho Diane R. , Giugliani Roberto , Matte Ursula , Baldo Guilherme
Published: January 2020

Background

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by α‐L‐iduronidase deficiency, resulting in accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Ophthalmological manifestations are common in MPS I patients and often lead to visual impairment. Accumulation of GAG in corneal or retinal tissues reduces vision causing corneal opacity and neurosensory complications. One available treatment for MPS I patients is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), but the results of such treatment on eye disease are still debatable. Therefore, we aimed to determine the progression of ocular manifestations as well as the effectiveness of intravenous ERT in MPS I.

Methods

Corneal and retinal analyses were perform in eyes from 2‐ to 8‐month normal and MPS I mice. Some MPS I mice received ERT (1.2 mg/kg of laronidase) every 2 weeks from 6 to 8 months and histological findings were compared with controls. Additionally, cornea from two MPS I patients under ERT were evaluated.

Results

Mouse corneal tissues had GAG accumulation early in life. In the retina, we found a progressive loss of photoreceptor cells, starting at 6 months. ERT did not improve or stabilize the histological abnormalities. MPS I patients, despite being on ERT for over a decade, presented GAG accumulation in the cornea, corneal thickening, visual loss and needed corneal transplantation.

Conclusion

We provide data on the time course of ocular alteration in MPS I mice. Our results also suggest that ERT is not effective in treating the progressive ocular manifestations in MPS I mice and fails to prevent corneal abnormalities in patients.
Systematic literature review of learning curves for colorectal polyp resection techniques in lower gastrointestinal endoscopy
Authors: Rajendran A. , Pannick S. , Thomas‐Gibson S. , Oke S. , Anele C. , Sevdalis N. , Haycock A.
Published: January 2020

Aim

The performance of therapeutic procedures in lower gastrointestinal endoscopy (LGI) can be challenging and carries an increased risk of adverse events. There is increasing demand for the training of endoscopists in these procedures, but limited guidelines exist concerning procedural competency. The aim of this study was to assess the learning curves for LGI polypectomy, colorectal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Method

A systematic review of electronic databases between 1946 and September 2019 was performed. Citations were included if they reported learning curve data. Outcome measures that defined the success of procedural competency were also recorded.

Results

A total of 34 out of 598 studies met the inclusion criteria of which 28 were related to ESD, three to polypectomy and three to EMR. Outcome measures for polypectomy competency (en bloc resection, delayed bleeding and independent polypectomy rate) were achieved after completion of between 250 and 400 polypectomies and after 300 colonoscopies. EMR outcome measures, including complete resection and recurrence, were achieved variably between 50 and 300 procedures. Outcome measures for ESD included efficiency (resection rates and procedural speed) and safety (adverse events). En bloc resection rates of over 80% and R0 resection rates of over 70% were achieved at 20–40 cases and procedural speed increased after 30 ESD cases. Competency in safety metrics was variably achieved at 20–200 cases.

Conclusion

There is a paucity of data on learning curves in LGI polypectomy, EMR and ESD. Despite limited evidence, we have identified relevant outcome measures and threshold numbers for the most common LGI polyp resection techniques for potential inclusion in training programmes/credentialing guidelines.
Policy Merchandising and Social Assistance in Africa: Don't Call Dog Monkey for Me
Authors: Adesina Jimi O.
Published: January 2020

The title of this article draws on a Yorùbá aphorism that roughly translates into ‘don't sell me a dummy’. The dark side of social policy, the theme of this Debate, has a distinct character in the African context. The transformation of the African public policy landscape, shaped by the ‘counter‐revolution’ in development thinking, has taken a new form with the donor ‘policy merchandising’ of cash transfer schemes. The stratified and segregated social policy on offer contrasts with the historical experience of ‘donor’ countries themselves. The policy instrument advanced is cast as ‘a silent revolution in development’, embodying the idea of development shifting from structural transformation to poverty alleviation. What is promoted is an impoverished version of development. Within the discourse of ‘working with the grain of African politics’, the politics of social assistance policy merchandising starts with a notion of politics as clientelist. It then deploys the instrumentality of clientelism — within an imperial deployment of power — in the manufacture of civil society and policy coalition, to ensure the local adoption of a policy instrument that the extra‐territorial donor actors offer. This modality of public policy formulation contrasts sharply with the historical experience of public policy making in the ‘donor’ countries themselves. The result is the subversion of the consolidation of democracy in the African client states.
Endoscopic submucosal dissection of a rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor close to the dentate line
Authors: Ishida Tsukasa , Furumatsu Keisuke , Kado Takuo
Published: January 2020

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Factors contributing to student satisfaction with dental loupes and headlights
Authors: Reinhardt John W. , Romine Jarrett J. , Xu Zheng
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Surgical loupes and headlights are becoming standard equipment for dental professionals and students. Students often purchase these relatively expensive instruments with limited knowledge of which features will affect their satisfaction with use. The purpose of this study was to measure levels of satisfaction with loupes and headlights amongst dental and dental hygiene students after 1, 2 and 3 years of use, and use those findings to guide first‐year students in making better purchasing decisions.

Methods

An electronic survey was sent to all second, third and fourth year dental students as well as second‐year dental hygiene students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in October 2018. The survey asked students to respond to multiple questions with a 5‐level Likert scale measurement of satisfaction and provide open‐ended responses to questions about their loupes and headlights.

Results

Ninety‐three percent of eligible students responded. Overall, 68% of students were very satisfied with their loupes and 56% were very satisfied with their headlights. Sixty‐seven percent of dental students chose 3.5× magnification or higher and 96% of dental hygiene students chose 2.5×.

Conclusions

Of all characteristics evaluated for loupes, customer service and sales representatives received the lowest satisfaction ratings. For headlights, battery‐related factors (battery life in hours, rate of recharging, size or weight and on/off controls) received the lowest satisfaction scores. Information collected and reported in this way can help future students make better decisions when selecting products, vendors and features that will best meet their needs.
Resistance to fracture of extracted teeth used for pre‐clinical endodontic procedures: Influence of storage conditions
Authors: Mello Isabel , Michaud Pierre‐Luc , Tanner Nicole
Published: January 2020

Objectives

The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine whether different storage conditions used during endodontic procedures affect the fracture resistance of extracted teeth used for pre‐clinical dental education.

Methods

Freshly extracted mandibular incisors and canines were sterilised in an autoclave for 40 minutes at 24°F under a pressure of 20 psi and then stored in distilled water at 4°C until use. Specimens were randomly assigned to two groups based on the storage method used whilst undergoing endodontic procedures. Between endodontic sessions, teeth in the Wet Group (n = 16 incisors; n = 4 canines) were stored in distilled water and teeth in the Dry Group (n = 16 incisors; n = 4 canines) were stored in a dry container. All specimens were kept at room temperature and away from sunlight. Endodontic treatments were performed in 3 sessions over a 3‐week period. The specimens were then brought to fracture under compressive forces along the long axis of the tooth in an Instron universal testing machine. The data were analysed using t tests (α = 0.05).

Results

None of the teeth fractured during endodontic procedures. However, the compressive load required to fracture teeth stored under wet conditions was significantly higher than the load needed for teeth stored dry (P < .05).

Conclusions

Fracture resistance is affected by storage conditions; teeth stored in water have a higher resistance to fracture than teeth that are stored dry. Fracture resistance was, however, not reduced enough to lead to tooth fracture during pre‐clinical endodontic procedures.
Schools as learning organisations in Greece: Measurement and first indications
Authors: Papazoglou Asimina , Koutouzis Manolis
Published: January 2020

School context—institutional, community, national socio‐cultural, economic and political—plays an important role in developing the characteristics of a learning organisation. In the last decade, the discussion on the school as a learning organisation (SLO) has emerged in Greece which is characterised by a centralised and highly bureaucratised educational system. However, there is a gap in studying SLOs nationwide in Greece and more importantly in using a valid and tested instrument related specifically to schools. The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the School as Learning Organisations Survey, based on Integrated Model of the School as Learning Organisation, used in a large scale nationwide SLO study in the Greek context and investigate whether two key antecedents, school size and school geographic location, are related to the level of schools' operating as learning organisations (LOs). A quantitative research was conducted in 418 primary schools throughout Greece. Findings showed that the Schools as Learning Organisations scale in the Greek context consisted of six dimensions and 65 items that loaded on these dimensions. Furthermore, “school size” is related to the transformation of schools into LOs. On the contrary, there seems to be no association between school geographic location and the operation of Greek schools as LOs.
Microbial dynamics and soil physicochemical properties explain large‐scale variations in soil organic carbon
Authors: Zhang Haicheng , Goll Daniel S. , Wang Ying‐Ping , Ciais Philippe , Wieder William R. , Abramoff Rose , Huang Yuanyuan , Guenet Bertrand , Prescher Anne‐Katrin , Viscarra Rossel Raphael A. , Barré Pierre , Chenu Claire , Zhou Guoyi , Tang Xuli
Published: January 2020

First‐order organic matter decomposition models are used within most Earth System Models (ESMs) to project future global carbon cycling; these models have been criticized for not accurately representing mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization and SOC response to climate change. New soil biogeochemical models have been developed, but their evaluation is limited to observations from laboratory incubations or few field experiments. Given the global scope of ESMs, a comprehensive evaluation of such models is essential using in situ observations of a wide range of SOC stocks over large spatial scales before their introduction to ESMs. In this study, we collected a set of in situ observations of SOC, litterfall and soil properties from 206 sites covering different forest and soil types in Europe and China. These data were used to calibrate the model MIMICS (The MIcrobial‐MIneral Carbon Stabilization model), which we compared to the widely used first‐order model CENTURY. We show that, compared to CENTURY, MIMICS more accurately estimates forest SOC concentrations and the sensitivities of SOC to variation in soil temperature, clay content and litter input. The ratios of microbial biomass to total SOC predicted by MIMICS agree well with independent observations from globally distributed forest sites. By testing different hypotheses regarding (using alternative process representations) the physicochemical constraints on SOC deprotection and microbial turnover in MIMICS, the errors of simulated SOC concentrations across sites were further decreased. We show that MIMICS can resolve the dominant mechanisms of SOC decomposition and stabilization and that it can be a reliable tool for predictions of terrestrial SOC dynamics under future climate change. It also allows us to evaluate at large scale the rapidly evolving understanding of SOC formation and stabilization based on laboratory and limited filed observation.
Compartmentalized cytotoxic immune response leads to distinct pathogenic roles of natural killer and senescent CD8+ T cells in human cutaneous leishmaniasis
Authors: Covre Luciana Polaco , Devine Oliver Patrick , Garcia de Moura Renan , Vukmanovic‐Stejic Milica , Dietze Reynaldo , Ribeiro‐Rodrigues Rodrigo , Guedes Herbert Leonel de Matos , Lubiana Zanotti Raphael , Falqueto Aloisio , Akbar Arne N. , Gomes Daniel Claudio Oliveira
Published: January 2020

Cytotoxic activity mediated by CD8+ T cells is the main signature of the immunopathogenesis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Here, we performed a broad evaluation of natural killer (NK) cell phenotypic and functional features during cutaneous leishmaniasis. We demonstrate for the first time that CL patients present the accumulation of circulating NK cells with multiple features of replicative senescence including low proliferative capacity and shorter telomeres, elevated expression of CD57, KLRG1 but diminished CD27 stimulatory receptor expression. Moreover, they exhibited higher cytotoxic and inflammatory potential than age‐matched controls. The accumulation of circulating senescent NK cells (CD56dim CD57bright) correlated positively with skin lesion size in the same patients, suggesting that they, like circulating senescent CD8+ T cells, may contribute to the immunopathology of CL. However, this senescent population had lower cutaneous lymphocyte antigen expression and so had diminished skin‐homing potential compared with total or senescent CD8+ T cells. This was confirmed in CL skin lesions where we found a predominance of CD8+ T cells (both senescent and non‐senescent) that correlated with the severity of the disease. Although there was also a correlation between the proportions of senescent NK cells (CD56+ CD57+) in the skin and lesion size, this was less evident. Collectively our results demonstrate first‐hand that senescent cytotoxic cells may mediate skin pathology during human cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, as senescent cytotoxic CD8+ T cells predominate in the skin lesions, they may have a greater role than NK cells in mediating the non‐specific skin damage in CL.
River‐Ditch Flow Statistical Relationships in a Traditionally Irrigated Valley Near Taos, New Mexico
Authors: Cruz Jose J. , Fernald Alexander G. , VanLeeuwen Dawn M. , Guldan Steven J. , Ochoa Carlos G.
Published: January 2020

Current and predicted drought and population growth challenge the longevity of irrigation systems of northern New Mexico. Irrigation ditches, also known as acequias, draw runoff directly from rivers without use of storage reservoirs, so it is important to understand the effects of changing river flow on irrigation flow. This study sought to examine river‐ditch relationships in an agricultural valley of the region. A first order linear model was used to fit the river‐ditch flow relationship on which daily river flow was the explanatory variable and daily ditch flow the response variable. A strong positive relationship between river and ditch flow was observed for all but one of the ditches. Using a statistical model approach that addressed serial autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity, as well as outlier observations, statistical evidence at 5% significance level was found in all ditches but one. The ditch without a positive relationship was at a downstream location, subject to upstream flow diversion that may have influenced river‐ditch flow relationships. Results from this study can be used to evaluate the potential effects of changing socioeconomic dynamics and climate change projections in the operations of these irrigation systems to better understand and manage their water resources.
Determining the underlying structure of insular isolation measures
Authors: Carter Zachary T. , Perry George L. W. , Russell James C.
Published: January 2020

Aim

Island isolation is measured in many ways. We seek to determine what the underlying latent factors characterizing these measures are, in order to understand how they mechanistically drive island biogeographical patterns and in order to recommend the most parsimonious measures. We then test the discriminatory power of the identified components against hypotheses generated from the biogeographical patterns of invasive rats.

Location

The 890 offshore islands (≥1 hectare area) of the New Zealand archipelago (latitude: 34.1–47.3°S, longitude: 166.2–178.4°E).

Taxon

Mammals.

Methods

We identified 16 measures that have been frequently used to characterize isolation in the past, including Euclidean‐based distance metrics, landscape connectivity metrics derived from least‐cost and circuit theory modelling, landscape buffers, stepping stones and insular area. We used principal components analysis (PCA) to synthesize the underlying structure of insular isolation with respect to terrestrial mammal dispersal. Finally, we tested the discriminatory power of retained principal components (PCs) using permutational multivariate analyses of variance (PERMANOVA). Tests include comparison of historical rat distributions, islands targeted for rat eradication and islands reinvaded by rats.

Results

The underlying structure of island isolation as characterized in the 16 metrics was described by three independent PCA components. Variable clustering suggests that PC1 captured distance from the mainland source to the focal island (PC1 Distance), PC2 described stepping stones available along the dispersal pathway (PC2 Stepping Stones) and PC3 described the focal island's position in the landscape (PC3 Insular Network). Each discriminatory test affirmed its respective biogeographical pattern hypothesis.

Main conclusions

The three underlying components we identify form the basis of a robust description of insular isolation that is of broad importance to understanding island biogeography dynamics. Moreover, these components can be applied across taxa without extensive structural or functional assumptions because the highest loading variables are not biologically informed.
Backpack palsy and other brachial plexus neuropathies in the military population
Authors: Dorhout Mees Sanne M. , van Faals Nina L. , van Alfen Nens
Published: January 2020

Brachial plexus neuropathy is often seen in the military population, especially due to pressure (backpack palsy, BPP) or idiopathic (neuralgic amyotrophy, NA). We aimed to gain insight in the disease characteristics of soldiers with brachial plexus neuropathies in the Dutch military population and to compare disease characteristics between patients with BPP and NA. In this retrospective chart review study we aimed to include all patients with brachial plexus neuropathy, who presented in the Joint Military Hospital between 1 January, 2011 and 31 December, 2016. We calculated the incidence of NA and BPP and Chi‐square tests or Student t tests were performed for differences in patient characteristics between NA and BPP. We included 127 patients, 63 with BPP, 45 with NA, 10 with traumatic brachial plexus neuropathy, and 9 with other plexopathy. The incidence of brachial plexus neuropathy was 50/100 000 person years overall, 25/100 000 person years for BPP, and 18/100 000 person years for NA. Patients in the BPP group differed from the NA with regard to pain (BPP 41% vs NA 93%, P = .000), atrophy (13% BPP vs 29% NA, P = .049), and sensory symptoms (83% BPP vs 44% NA, P = .000). In the BPP group 90% had incomplete recovery and in the NA group 78%. Our study showed a high incidence of BPP and NA in the military population and suggests recovery is not so benevolent as previously thought. Future research is necessary to improve insight and outcome of military patients with brachial plexus neuropathies.
Delayed skin necrosis following hyaluronic acid filler injection: A case report
Authors: Cassiano Daniel , Miyuki Iida Tatiana , Lúcia Recio Ana , Yarak Samira
Published: January 2020

Vascular compromise is a rare but serious complication of dermal filler injection. Vessel occlusion tends to have a more immediate onset of symptoms. We report a case of skin necrosis that started with pain, erythema and edema two days after hyaluronic acid filler on the forehead of a 57‐year‐old woman. The patient was treated with less than 24 hours the onset of symptoms, leaving discreet scar. The current theories that explain skin necrosis caused by HA fillers include angiospasm and embolization. The frontal region has many anastomoses, the embolized proximal vessel initially did not lead to symptoms. However, the HA inside the artery may have traveled over time and reached a terminal distal branch, which generated localized skin damage and pain. The urgent treatment of arterial occlusion and thromboembolism caused by HA injection is intralesional high‐dose hyaluronidase.
Gustatory function in persons with cerebral palsy
Authors: Nakashima Tsutomu , Suzuki Hirokazu , Sugiura Saiko , Beppu Reiko , Ishida Kazuo
Published: January 2020

Gustatory function is closely related to chewing and swallowing; however, there are currently no reports regarding gustatory function in persons with cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this study was to compare the gustatory function between persons with CP and healthy controls. We investigated sweet, salty, sour and bitter tastes using the whole‐mouth method and measured the electrogustometric thresholds in the chorda tympani nerve area. Twelve participants with CP (6 women and 6 men) for whom gustatory testing was possible at our facilities, and 17 age‐matched controls (9 women and 8 men) were included. The mean age ± standard deviation was 58.6 ± 8.1 years and 58.5 ± 8.7 years in subjects with CP and controls, respectively. Taste detection and identification were significantly worse in persons with CP compared with the controls. Taste identification was more impaired than taste detection. At the highest concentration, taste identification was impossible 11 times out of 48 (12 persons × 4 kinds of tastes) in persons with CP but such a deficit was not observed in 68 attempts (17 persons × 4 kinds of tastes) involving controls. The electrogustometric thresholds were not significantly different between the groups. Gustatory function associated with chewing and swallowing is worse in persons with CP compared to the controls.
Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 modulates malignant behaviour of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Celentano Antonio , Yap Tami , Paolini Rita , Yiannis Callisthenis , Mirams Michiko , Koo Kendrick , McCullough Michael , Cirillo Nicola
Published: January 2020

Background

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a crucial role in the malignant phenotype of cancer cells. In particular, active levels of MMP2 in cancer cells have been associated with invasion and metastasis through the degradation of basement membrane extracellular matrix proteins. However, little is known about the role of this potential biomarker in oral cancer. Our aim was to investigate the effect of MMP2 inhibition on OSCC activity in vitro, as well as to assess MMP2 dysregulation in oral cancer samples.

Methods

Human OSCC cell lines H357 and H400 were tested with the selective MMP2 inhibitor ARP101 and the MMP2 neutralising monoclonal antibody MA5‐13590 to assess cell proliferation in vitro using MTS assay. Cell migration at 12/24 h was assessed using a Transwell migration assay. Cell invasion was assessed at 24 h using a Corning Matrigel invasion assay. MMP2 expression was assessed in 208 tissue samples (related to 60 OSCC cases and nine normal control) using tissue microarray (TMA) and further analysed via TCGA.

Results

Both ARP101 and MA5‐13590 monoclonal antibody reduced cell proliferation in both the cell lines tested. Treatment with 4μg/mL of MMP2 monoclonal antibody showed a significant decrease in cell migration at 24 hours. The administration of ARP101 and monoclonal antibody to H357 and H400 cell lines induced a drastic reduction in cell invasion at 24 h compared to the control. In patients, TCGA analysis demonstrated that oral cancer tissues express significantly higher levels of MMP2 mRNA compared to normal oral tissues. Further, IHC analysis on TMA showed significant difference in MMP2 protein expression between low and high histopathological grade OSCC.

Conclusions

We have demonstrated, for the first time, that MMP2 inhibition affects oral cancer cells ability to survive, migrate and invade in vitro. Differences between MMP2 expression in normal and malignant tissues varied. Further research on the role of MMP2 in OSCC and novel mechanisms to inhibit MMP2‐dependent pathways should be encouraged.
Characterization of Dinophysis spp. (Dinophyceae, Dinophysiales) from the mid‐Atlantic region of the United States1
Authors: Wolny Jennifer L. , Egerton Todd A. , Handy Sara M. , Stutts Whitney L. , Smith Juliette L. , Whereat Edward B. , Bachvaroff Tsvetan R. , Henrichs Darren W. , Campbell Lisa , Deeds Jonathan R.
Published: January 2020

Due to the increasing prevalence of Dinophysis spp. and their toxins on every US coast in recent years, the need to identify and monitor for problematic Dinophysis populations has become apparent. Here, we present morphological analyses, using light and scanning electron microscopy, and rDNA sequence analysis, using a ~2‐kb sequence of ribosomal ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2, and LSU DNA, of Dinophysis collected in mid‐Atlantic estuarine and coastal waters from Virginia to New Jersey to better characterize local populations. In addition, we analyzed for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins in water and shellfish samples collected during blooms using liquid‐chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and an in vitro protein phosphatase inhibition assay and compared this data to a toxin profile generated from a mid‐Atlantic Dinophysis culture. Three distinct morphospecies were documented in mid‐Atlantic surface waters: D. acuminata, D. norvegica, and a “small Dinophysis sp.” that was morphologically distinct based on multivariate analysis of morphometric data but was genetically consistent with D. acuminata. While mid‐Atlantic D. acuminata could not be distinguished from the other species in the D. acuminata‐complex (D. ovum from the Gulf of Mexico and D. sacculus from the western Mediterranean Sea) using the molecular markers chosen, it could be distinguished based on morphometrics. Okadaic acid, dinophysistoxin 1, and pectenotoxin 2 were found in filtered water and shellfish samples during Dinophysis blooms in the mid‐Atlantic region, as well as in a locally isolated D. acuminata culture. However, DSP toxins exceeded regulatory guidance concentrations only a few times during the study period and only in noncommercial shellfish samples.
Being neutral: Agnosticism, inquiry and the suspension of judgment
Authors: McGrath Matthew
Published: January 2020

Epistemologists often claim that in addition to belief and disbelief there is a third, neutral, doxastic attitude. Various terms are used: ‘suspending judgment’, ‘withholding’, ‘agnosticism’. It is also common to claim that the factors relevant to the justification of these attitudes are epistemic in the narrow sense of being factors that bear on the strength or weakness of one's epistemic position with respect to the target proposition. This paper addresses two challenges to such traditionalism about doxastic attitudes. The first concerns the relevance of non‐epistemic factors we might call “future‐comparative” – e.g., that you'll have more decisive evidence on whether p tomorrow – to the justification of suspending judgment. The second, from Jane Friedman, is to explain the point of the neutral attitude without appealing to inquiry and thus taking goal‐related factors, which are not epistemic, such as the value of the goal or the prospects for finding means to achieve it, to bear on the justification of the neutral attitude. My defense of traditionalism relies on distinguishing three ways of being neutral on a question: agnosticism, inquiry and suspension of judgment. Traditionalism is saved because, of these, agnosticism alone is a genuine doxastic attitude.
Role of CD44 in tumor‐initiating cells of salivary gland pleomorphic adenoma: More than a surface biomarker
Authors: Shen Shukun , Lu Hao , Liu Limin , Wang Yang , Zhang Chenping , Yang Wenjun , Xu Wanlin
Published: January 2020

CD44, a cell‐surface glycoprotein, functions as a receptor for hyaluronic acid. Our research group has previously shown that CD44 is a biomarker for the CD44hi cells (tumor‐initiating cells; TICs) in murine salivary gland tumors. However, little is known concerning the biological roles of CD44 in the tumorigenesis of pleomorphic adenoma. The present study is aimed to investigate the effects of CD44 on the proliferation, invasive capability, and apoptosis of TICs in vitro, as well as the tumorigenicity of TICs in vivo. The results demonstrated that knockdown of CD44 attenuated the malignant phenotype of TICs. Furthermore, in vivo xenograft studies indicated that CD44 knockdown inhibited tumorigenesis of pleomorphic adenoma. In addition, neither the CD44low cells nor the CD44‐modified CD44low cells developed neo‐tumors, which indicated that overexpression of CD44 did not enable the CD44low cells to be transformed into TICs. Taken together, these data demonstrate that CD44 not only acts as a biomarker, but also functions as a key player in the tumor‐initiating capacity of TICs. These results shed light on the pathogenesis of salivary gland tumors and provide a potential therapeutic target for treating pleomorphic adenoma.
BETWEEN EAST AND WEST: AMORGIAN POTTERY IN EARLY BRONZE AGE HERAION (SAMOS)
Authors: Menelaou Sergios , Day Peter M.
Published: January 2020

The island of Samos occupies a key position between the central Aegean and western Anatolia during the third millennium BC. A recent study of the substantial pottery assemblages from the pivotal site of Heraion has defined a rich stratigraphy covering the entire Early Bronze Age (EBA). Currently the only known EBA site on Samos, Heraion has provided the opportunity to undertake a holistic ceramic study with the aim of defining and characterizing local pottery production and, by extension, determining for the first time a secure provenance of suspected imported vessels, through the application of an integrated typological/morphological, macroscopic and microscopic (ceramic petrography) analytical methodology. This diachronic ceramic study, alongside a comparative fabric study of pottery of known origin from a number of contemporary sites, shows clear evidence for the exchange/importation of specific vessel shapes and, in the case of the collared jars, presumably their contents. This enables the reconstruction of patterns of interaction during the later phases of EB II, when there was a particular acceleration in the movement of goods. The present paper draws on a distinctive ceramic class (blue and red schist/phyllite fabrics/wares) and vessel types (transport jars with incised/slashed handles and beaked jugs with a two‐stage neck profile) particular to the EB II late period and discusses them in relation to already published or analysed data from selected Cycladic and Anatolian sites.
Coordination and Dynamic Promotion Strategies in Crowdfunding with Network Externalities
Authors: Li Zhuoxin , Duan Jason A. , Ransbotham Sam
Published: January 2020

Crowdfunding, a peer‐to‐peer fundraising mechanism, solicits capital from individual backers to support entrepreneurial projects. Entrepreneurs set a funding target and deadline; the project will be funded only if it reaches this funding target by the deadline. Backers individually decide whether to contribute, but their total contributions collectively determine whether the project will be successfully funded. This study models the dynamics of backers’ contributions in the presence of success uncertainty and analyzes managerial promotion strategies to maximize the likelihood of funding success. Two opposing forces affect backer decisions: backers are more likely to back a project that has already reached a greater fraction of its funding goal (positive externalities), but the backing propensity declines over time (negative deadline effects). These two competing forces give rise to a time‐dependent critical threshold of funding that a project must attain to achieve successful funding. We evaluate actionable promotion strategies (when to promote the project and how much promotion effort to spend) for entrepreneurs to dynamically manage their crowdfunding campaigns.
WEG1, which encodes a cell wall hydroxyproline‐rich glycoprotein, is essential for parental root elongation controlling lateral root formation in rice
Authors: Lucob‐Agustin Nonawin , Kawai Tsubasa , Takahashi‐Nosaka Misuzu , Kano‐Nakata Mana , Wainaina Cornelius M. , Hasegawa Tomomi , Inari‐Ikeda Mayuko , Sato Moeko , Tsuji Hiroyuki , Yamauchi Akira , Inukai Yoshiaki
Published: January 2020

Lateral roots (LRs) determine the overall root system architecture, thus enabling plants to efficiently explore their underground environment for water and nutrients. However, the mechanisms regulating LR development are poorly understood in monocotyledonous plants. We characterized a rice mutant, wavy root elongation growth 1 (weg1), that produced higher number of long and thick LRs (L‐type LRs) formed from the curvatures of its wavy parental roots caused by asymmetric cell growth in the elongation zone. Consistent with this phenotype, was the expression of the WEG1 gene, which encodes a putative member of the hydroxyproline‐rich glycoprotein family that regulates cell wall extensibility, in the root elongation zone. The asymmetric elongation growth in roots is well known to be regulated by auxin, but we found that the distribution of auxin at the apical region of the mutant and the wild‐type roots was symmetric suggesting that the wavy root phenotype in rice is independent of auxin. However, the accumulation of auxin at the convex side of the curvatures, the site of L‐type LR formation, suggested that auxin likely induced the formation of L‐type LRs. This was supported by the need of a high amount of exogenous auxin to induce the formation of L‐type LRs. These results suggest that the MNU‐induced weg1 mutated gene regulates the auxin‐independent parental root elongation that controls the number of likely auxin‐induced L‐type LRs, thus reflecting its importance in improving rice root architecture.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐A*11:280 allele by next‐generation sequencing in a Chinese cord blood donor
Authors: Dong Lina , Wang Fang , You Xuan , He Ji , Zhu Faming
Published: January 2020

HLA‐A*11:280 differs from HLA‐A*11: 01: 01: 01 by a single nucleotide substitution at position 982 G>T.
Impact of integrated mental health care on food insecurity of households of people with severe mental illness in a rural African district: a community‐based, controlled before–after study
Authors: Tirfessa Kebede , Lund Crick , Medhin Girmay , Selamu Medhin , Birhane Rahel , Hailemichael Yohannes , Fekadu Abebaw , Hanlon Charlotte
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of integrated mental health care upon food insecurity (FI) in households of people with severe mental illness (SMI) in a rural Ethiopian district, and to investigate mediation by improved work impairment and discrimination.

Methods

A community‐based, controlled before–after study was conducted. People with probable SMI were identified in the community, diagnosed by primary healthcare workers, with diagnostic confirmation from a psychiatric nurse. Households of a person with SMI were matched to control households. District‐wide integration of mental health care was implemented. Change in FI status over 12 months of follow‐up was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale. Multivariable models were used to assess improvement in FI. Direct and indirect mediators of change in FI status were modelled using path analysis.

Results

A total of 239 (81.8%) people with SMI and 273 (96.5%) control households were assessed after 12 months. Maintenance of food security or improvement in food insecurity status was observed in 51.5% of households of a person with SMI vs. 39.7% of control households (adjusted risk ratio 1.41: 95% CI 1.11, 1.80). Reduction in symptom severity was indirectly associated with improved FI status via an impact on reducing work impairment and discrimination (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Improving access to mental health care may reduce food insecurity in households of people with SMI. Optimising engagement in care and adding interventions to improve work functioning and tackle discrimination may further reduce food insecurity.
Three decades of globalisation: Which countries won, which lost?
Authors: Gunter Bernhard G. , Wilcher Britni
Published: January 2020

The world average exports‐to‐GDP ratio increased from 17% in 1985 to 27% in 2015. Hence, world exports have grown much faster than world GDP. However, despite this overall trade integration, which is a key aspect of globalisation, the exports‐to‐GDP ratios have declined for 29 of the 118 countries with such data from 1985 to 2015. Some countries have been driving globalisation, while others have become marginalised. This paper examines three decades of globalisation to shed some light upon which countries might be considered winners and which countries might be considered losers of globalisation. After summarising the evolution of income and income per capita, we examine the evolution of exports and net inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI). Contradictory to previous decades, we show there are now many countries from all income groups that have either experienced marginalisation or been driving globalisation. We then use novel regression analysis to review the robustness of generally accepted drivers of globalisation and marginalisation, with education and macroeconomic stability being the two most robust determinants.
Bias between two methods of albumin measurement in the white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum
Authors: Hooijberg Emma H. , Cray Carolyn , Miller Michele , Buss Peter , Steenkamp Gerhard , Goddard Amelia
Published: January 2020

Background

The bromocresol green (BCG) method has been reported to overestimate serum albumin concentration in several species due to non‐specific binding to globulins. As the white rhinoceros has high concentrations of serum globulins, significant differences in albumin measured by the BCG method, and the field method of agarose gel serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) are expected.

Objectives

We aimed to compare the BCG and SPE methods for albumin determination in the serum of white rhinoceroses.

Methods

SPE and BCG albumin were measured in 82 white rhinoceros serum samples. Results were compared using Bland‐Altman difference plots and Passing‐Bablok regression analysis.

Results

BCG albumin showed a significant mean constant positive bias of 7 g/L, or 36%, which was more than the total allowable error of 15% and was clinically significant. Methods were not comparable within the inherent imprecision of each method.

Conclusions

The BCG method overestimated albumin concentrations in this species compared with agarose gel SPE, and method‐specific reference intervals should be used.
Experimental Characterization of Two-Phase Flow Through Valves Applied to Liquid-Assisted Gas-Lift
Authors: Coutinho Renato P. , Waltrich Paulo J. , Williams Wesley C. , Mehdizadeh Parviz , Scott Stuart , Xu Jun , Mabrye Wayne
Published: January 2020

Liquid-assisted gas-lift (LAGL) is a recently developed concept to unload wells using a gas–liquid fluid mixture. The success deployment of the LAGL technology is related to the behavior of two-phase flow through gas-lift valves. For this reason, this work presents an experimental and numerical study on two-phase flow through orifice gas-lift valves used in liquid-assisted gas-lift unloading. To the knowledge of the authors, there is no investigation in the literature on experimental characterization of two-phase flow through gas-lift valves. Experimental data are presented for methane-water flow through gas-lift valves with different orifice port sizes: 12.7 and 17.5 mm. The experiments were performed for pressures ranging from 1.00 to 9.00 MPa, gas flow rates from 0 to 4.71 m3/h, and water flow rate from 0 to 0.68 m3/min. The experimental results are compared to numerical models published in the literature for two-phase flow through restrictions and to commercial multiphase flow simulators. It is observed that some models developed for two-phase flow through restrictions could successfully characterize two-phase flow thorough gas-lift valves with errors lower than 10%. However, it is first necessary to experimentally determine the discharge coefficient (CD) for each gas-lift valve. The commercial flow simulators showed a similar performance as the models available in the literature.
A Steerable Neuroendoscopic Instrument Using Compliant Contact-Aided Joints and Monolithic Articulation
Authors: Eastwood Kyle W. , Swarup Arushri , Francis Peter , Alvara Alexander N. , Chen Honzer , Looi Thomas , Naguib Hani E. , Drake James M.
Published: January 2020

This work presents the design of an articulate neuroendoscopic instrument (ANI), a handheld tool for use in minimally invasive neurosurgery. The instrument consists of a handle and a steerable tube-shaft with a distal end-effector. The design aims to increase the reach of surgeons operating through narrow channels within the center of the brain when approaching multiple targets from a single incision point. The steerable tube-shaft consists of a 1.6- mm notch-tube compliant joint mechanism augmented with contact-aids modeled after a gear geometry. The contact-aid geometry aims to address the performance tradeoff between stiffness, range-of-motion (RoM), and joint compactness for millimeter-scale notched-tube joints; it increases blocking force without sacrificing RoM. Finite element modeling (FEM) was used to refine design features, and the joint stiffness and RoM are assessed experimentally for three prototypes. The joint is incorporated into a tube-shaft instrument, and the assembled tool's stiffness properties are characterized. The prototype was then assessed in a validated neurosurgical simulator. An individual 1.24-mm outer-diameter notch-tube compliant joint with gear contact-aids is capable of 30 deg maximum bending and can sustain a 0.55 N blocking force with 0.5 mm displacement. A functional instrument shaft with a 15.5- mm-long articulating section was constructed from three joints in series with an external flexible stainless-steel sheath. It achieves a 6.7-mm bending radius at 75 deg maximum bending angle. In preclinical testing with an endoscopic third ventriculostomy and endoscopic tumor biopsy (ETV-ETB) simulator, the tool successfully completes the biopsy and fenestration maneuvers from a single burr-hole entry point. The ANI prototype uses contact-aid geometry incorporated into a compliant nitinol notched-tube joint to produce an articulate biopsy instrument for minimally invasive neurosurgical applications.
Deflection Maps of Planar Elastic Catenary Cable-Driven Robots
Authors: Notash Leila
Published: January 2020

In this paper, the cable tension and platform deflection of cable-driven robots are studied. The significance of cable density, elasticity, and cross-sectional area; platform mass, radius, and center of mass; the external wrench and platform orientation on the cable tension, platform deflection, and workspace of the planar cable robots is investigated. It is shown that, in addition to the cable mass, external wrench has a more prominent effect on the workspace of the catenary cable model. Moreover, design issues and parameters affecting the manipulator deflection are examined, and those that would result in disjointed workspace regions and deflection maps are identified. It is presented that the change in the deflection is gradual throughout the workspace for a constant external wrench. For the catenary model, depending on the cable properties, platform orientation, manipulator design, and external wrench, the workspace with the deflection limit may consist of disconnected regions.
Modeling Deposit Erosion in Internal Turbine Cooling Geometries
Authors: Libertowski Nathan D. , Geiger Gabriel M. , Bons Jeffrey P.
Published: January 2020

Experiments were performed to study the erosion of deposit structures due to large particle impacts (>5 μm). Cone-shaped dust deposits were created in an oversized (6.35 mm diameter) impingement cooling jet at 811 K with 0–5 μm Arizona road dust (ARD). Subsequently, the deposit cones were eroded with larger particle distributions (5–10, 10–20, 20–40, and 40–80 μm ARD) at various velocities and temperatures. It was found that erosion rate increased with increasing particle size and flow velocity and with decreasing temperature. The dependency on size and velocity occurs through the particle's kinetic energy at impact, while the dependency on temperature is related to the adhesive forces in the deposit structure. Using the experimental data, an empirical erosion model was developed to be added to the Ohio State University (OSU) deposition model. A computational flow simulation combined with mesh morphing is shown to capture key features of the erosion physics.
Dropwise condensation on solid hydrophilic surfaces
Authors: Cha Hyeongyun , Vahabi Hamed , Wu Alex , Chavan Shreyas , Kim Moon-Kyung , Sett Soumyadip , Bosch Stephen A. , Wang Wei , Kota Arun K. , Miljkovic Nenad
Published: January 2020

Hydrophilic solid surfaces having low contact angle hysteresis can induce stable dropwise condensation.
Beyond mass spectrometry, the next step in proteomics
Authors: Timp Winston , Timp Gregory
Published: January 2020

This survey illuminates alternatives for sequencing proteins with the brightest prospects for displacing mass spectrometry.
π-π stacking interactions: Non-negligible forces for stabilizing porous supramolecular frameworks
Authors: Deng Ji-Hua , Luo Jie , Mao Yue-Lei , Lai Shan , Gong Yun-Nan , Zhong Di-Chang , Lu Tong-Bu
Published: January 2020

Collective weakness makes strength: A case of multiple π-π stacking interactions stabilizing a porous supramolecular framework.
Physical and data structure of 3D genome
Authors: Huang Kai , Li Yue , Shim Anne R. , Virk Ranya K. A. , Agrawal Vasundhara , Eshein Adam , Nap Rikkert J. , Almassalha Luay M. , Backman Vadim , Szleifer Igal
Published: January 2020

New theoretical and experimental work suggests that 10-nm chromatin fiber is folded into tree-like domains in single cells.
Uncovering β-relaxations in amorphous phase-change materials
Authors: Peng Si-Xu , Cheng Yudong , Pries Julian , Wei Shuai , Yu Hai-Bin , Wuttig Matthias
Published: January 2020

Secondary relaxations, which enable fast atomic motion and facilitate crystallization, are discovered in phase-change materials.