bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discontinuation of metformin to prevent metformin-induced high colonic FDG uptake: is 48 h sufficient?
Authors: Schreuder Nanno , Klarenbeek Hedwig , Vendel Brian N. , Jager Pieter L. , Kosterink Jos G. W. , van Puijenbroek Eugène P.
Published: August 2020

Objective

In this retrospective, single-center observational study, we investigated whether discontinuing metformin for at least 48 h prevents metformin-induced [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in all segments of the colon.

Methods

Patients with type 2 diabetes who were using metformin before undergoing an FDG PET/CT scan were included. Two groups were created: patients who discontinued metformin for less than 48 h (< 48 h group) and patients who discontinued metformin for between 48 and 72 h (≥ 48 h group). A control group comprised non-diabetic patients who were not using metformin before undergoing an FDG PET/CT. We visually scored the uptake of FDG in four segments of the colon—the ascendens, transversum, descendens, and rectosigmoid—using a four-point scale (1–4) and considered scores of 3 or 4 to be clinically significant.

Results

Colonic FDG uptake in the ≥ 48 h group (n = 23) was higher than uptake in the control group (n = 96) in the colon descendens [odds ratio (OR) 14.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.8–40.9; p value: 0.001] and rectosigmoid (OR 11.3; 95% CI 4.0–31.9; p value: 0.001), and there was no difference in the colon ascendens and transversum. Colonic FDG uptake in the < 48 h group (n = 25) was higher than uptake in the ≥ 48 h group (n = 23) in the colon transversum (OR 4.8; 95% CI 1.3–18.5; p value: 0.022) and rectosigmoid (p value: 0.023), and there was no difference in the colon ascendens and descendens.

Conclusions

Discontinuing metformin for 48 h before undergoing an FDG PET/CT still gives a high uptake in the distal parts of the colon when compared with non-diabetic patients who are not using metformin. Discontinuing metformin for 48 h seems to be useful for scanning the more proximal segments of the colon.
Vascular peroxidase 1 is independently associated with worse kidney function in patients with peripheral artery disease
Authors: Costas Lavinia , Herz Carsten Thilo , Höbaus Clemens , Koppensteiner Renate , Schernthaner Gerit-Holger
Published: August 2020

Background

Oxidative stress is involved in cardiovascular disease such as peripheral artery disease (PAD). Vascular Peroxidase 1 (VPO1), a novel heme-containing peroxidase mainly expressed in the cardiovascular system, aggravates oxidative stress. Evidence in humans is limited. Current work aims to measure VPO1 in patients suffering from PAD, and to evaluate the association of VPO1 with conventional markers of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), including the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria categories.

Methods

This study is part of a longitudinal observational study. At baseline, 236 PAD-patients were included. VPO1 plasma levels (ng/mL) were measured by commercially available ELISA kits. A two-sided p level of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

In the cross-sectional analysis (n = 236), VPO1 associated with ageing (p = 0.035) as well as with eGFR and albuminuria category, the markers of chronic kidney disease (CKD)-progression (p = 0.042). The longitudinal 18-months follow-up analysis (n = 152) demonstrated that baseline VPO1 predicts rapid kidney function decline (RKFD) (n = 49), defined as more than − 3 mL/min/1.73m2 eGFR loss per year, (OR per one SD VPO1 1.60 (1.11–2.30); p = 0.009). This association between VPO1 and kidney function withstood the multivariable adjustment for traditional CVRF including baseline eGFR and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), (adjOR per one SD VPO1 1.73 (1.14–2.61); p = 0.046).

Conclusion

This study is first to reveal that VPO1 is independently associated with declining kidney function in patients with PAD. VPO1 shows a tighter association to kidney function than to other CVRF. This finding points to VPO1 as a potential target protein to assess CKD-progression.
Effective Surface Treatment for High-Performance Inverted CsPbI2Br Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency of 15.92%
Authors: Fu Sheng , Li Xiaodong , Wan Li , Zhang Wenxiao , Song Weijie , Fang Junfeng
Published: August 2020

Highlights

A simple and multifunctional surface treatment strategy is proposed to address the inferior-performance inverted CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

The induced-ions exchange can align energy levels, passivate both GBs and surface, and gift the solid protection from external erosions.

The inverted CsPbI2Br PSCs reveal a champion efficiency of 15.92% and superior stability after moisture, operational, and thermal ages.

Developing high-efficiency and stable inverted CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cells is vitally urgent for their unique advantages of removing adverse dopants and compatible process with tandem cells in comparison with the regular. However, relatively low opening circuit voltage (Voc) and limited moisture stability have lagged their progress far from the regular. Here, we propose an effective surface treatment strategy with high-temperature FABr treatment to address these issues. The induced ions exchange can not only adjust energy level, but also gift effective passivation. Meanwhile, the gradient distribution of FA+ can accelerate the carriers transport to further suppress bulk recombination. Besides, the Br-rich surface and FA+ substitution can isolate moisture erosions. As a result, the optimized devices show champion efficiency of 15.92% with Voc of 1.223 V. In addition, the tolerance of humidity and operation get significant promotion: maintaining 91.7% efficiency after aged at RH 20% ambient condition for 1300 h and 81.8% via maximum power point tracking at 45 °C for 500 h in N2. Furthermore, the unpackaged devices realize the rare reported air operational stability and, respectively, remain almost efficiency (98.9%) after operated under RH 35% for 600 min and 91.2% under RH 50% for 300 min.

Graphic Abstract
The Biological Significance of Multi-Copy Regions and Their Impact on Variant Discovery
Authors: Sun Jing , Zhang Yanfang , Wang Minhui , Guan Qian , Yang Xiujia , Ou Jin Xia , Yan Mingchen , Wang Chengrui , Zhang Yan , Li Zhi-Hao , Lan Chunhong , Mao Chen , Zhou Hong-Wei , Hao Bingtao , Zhang Zhenhai
Published: August 2020

Identification of genetic variants via high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies has been essential for both fundamental and clinical studies. However, to what extent the genome sequence composition affects variant calling remains unclear. In this study, we identified 63,897 multi-copy sequences (MCSs) with a minimum length of 300 bp, each of which occurs at least twice in the human genome. The 151,749 genomic loci (multi-copy regions, or MCRs) harboring these MCSs account for 1.98% of the genome and are distributed unevenly across chromosomes. MCRs containing the same MCS tend to be located on the same chromosome. Gene Ontology (GO) analyses revealed that 3800 genes whose UTRs or exons overlap with MCRs are enriched for Golgi-related cellular component terms and various enzymatic activities in the GO biological function category. MCRs are also enriched for loci that are sensitive to neocarzinostatin-induced double-strand breaks. Moreover, genetic variants discovered by genome-wide association studies and recorded in dbSNP are significantly underrepresented in MCRs. Using simulated HTS datasets, we show that false variant discovery rates are significantly higher in MCRs than in other genomic regions. These results suggest that extra caution must be taken when identifying genetic variants in the MCRs via HTS technologies.
Why organisational readiness is vital in the fight against insider threats
Authors: Rodbert Mark
Published: August 2020

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It's a well-known phrase, but one that rings particularly true when considering a business's cyber security. In Securonix's 2019 Insider Threat Survey Report, 73% of organisations confirmed that insider attacks are becoming more frequent, and 59% said they think that privileged IT users pose the biggest insider security risk to organisations. 1 Insider threat is on the rise, and it's time for more companies to become aware of the risk they face and prepare correctly.

The insider threat is on the rise, and it's time for more companies to become aware of the risk they face and prepare correctly.

Organisational readiness is a factor that too many overlook in their pursuit of complete security. The right foundations need to be set before any business can produce a top-drawer security system. Once employees understand the importance of their role in protecting their company and buy into a secure culture, businesses can expect to reap the full benefits of the technology they're installing, argues Mark Rodbert of Idax Identity Analytics.
Zoombombing – the end-to-end fallacy
Authors: Secara Ion-Alexandru
Published: August 2020

Zoombombing, a trend in recent months, has quickly moved from online classroom pranks to organised disruption efforts, which the FBI has threatened to punish with jail time. “The FBI has received multiple reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language.” the agency stated in a recent press release. 1

Zoombombing has quickly moved from online prank to organised disruption effort, which the FBI has threatened to punish with jail time.

As the use of Zoom has increased dramatically due to the Covid-19 pandemic, multiple security issues have emerged concerning the platform. The company is taking steps to bring the platform up to date with industry standards. But the issue clearly shows that certain companies focus more on the functionality they provide to their users than they do on the appropriate security, says Ion-Alexandru Secara.
What does ‘secure by design’ actually mean?
Authors: Duncan Rory
Published: August 2020

‘Secure by design’ is not a new concept. Much discussed as part of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance, it has recently re-emerged as a discipline that's integral to strategic security planning. But what does secure by design really mean? A quick search will bring up plenty of options to choose from, covering everything from IoT security to software development. It's so much more than a tagline, however.
Practice Guidelines for Canadian Neurophysiology Laboratories During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors:   Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists (CSCN),   Canadian Association of Electroneurophysiology Technologists (CAET),   Association of Electromyography Technologists of Canada (AETC),   Board of Registration of Electromyography Technologists of Canada (BRETC), Canadian Board of Registration of Electroencephalograph Technologists (CBRET), Appendino Juan Pablo , Baker Steven K. , Chapman Kristine M. , Dykstra Tamara , Hussein Tabrez , Jones Michelle-Lee , Mezei Michelle M. , Mirsattari Seyed M. , Ng Marcus , Nikkel Joanne , Obradovic Vaso , Phan Cecile , Robinson Lawrence , Scott Angela , Tellez-Zenteno Jose , Van Niekerk Michelle , Venance Shannon , Moore Fraser
Published: August 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on clinical practice. Safe standards of practice are essential to protect health care workers while still allowing them to provide good care. The Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists, the Canadian Association of Electroneurophysiology Technologists, the Association of Electromyography Technologists of Canada, the Board of Registration of Electromyography Technologists of Canada, and the Canadian Board of Registration of Electroencephalograph Technologists have combined to review current published literature about safe practices for neurophysiology laboratories. Herein, we present the results of our review and provide our expert opinion regarding the safe practice of neurophysiology during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.
Framing bullying as a health risk: Null effects on young adults’ support for anti-bullying policies
Authors: Schacter Hannah L.
Published: August 2020

Given extensive research underscoring the deleterious effects of bullying on youth adjustment, anti-bullying policies and programming are critical public health priorities. However, strategies that increase public support for anti-bullying causes are not well understood. This experiment assessed the influence of “bullying messaging” on support for anti-bullying policies. Specifically, I investigated whether learning about the health consequences of bullying, as opposed to its prevalence or educational impact, increased individuals’ support of anti-bullying policies. Participants (n = 329) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions where they read a brief summary about bullying research; conditions varied by whether the research documented the: a) prevalence of bullying b) mental health consequences of bullying c) physical health consequences of bullying or d) academic consequences of bullying. Results indicated that participants endorsed high levels of support for anti-bullying policies, regardless of experimental condition, and that policies aimed at increasing K-12 mental health resources were most supported.
Long-term vitamin D deficiency promotes renal fibrosis and functional impairment in middle-aged male mice
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Hui , Luo Biao , Xu Shen , Zhang Zhi-Cheng , Xing Wei-Yang , Chen Yuan-Hua , Zhang Cheng , Wang Hua , Xie Dong-Dong , Xu De-Xiang
Published: August 2020

Renal fibrosis is common especially in the elderly population. Recently, we found that vitamin D deficiency caused prostatic hyperplasia. This study aimed to investigate whether vitamin D deficiency promotes renal fibrosis and functional impairment. All mice except controls were fed with vitamin D-deficient (VDD) diets, beginning from their early life. The absolute and relative kidney weights on postnatal week 20 were decreased in VDD diet-fed male pups but not in female pups. A mild pathological damage was observed in VDD diet-fed male pups but not in females. Further analysis showed that VDD-induced pathological damage was aggravated, accompanied by renal dysfunction in 40-week-old male pups. An obvious collagen deposition was observed in VDD diet-fed 40-week-old male pups. Moreover, renal α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), a marker of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and Tgf-β mRNA were up-regulated. The in vitro experiment showed that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 alleviated transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-mediated down-regulation of E-cadherin and inhibited TGF-β1-evoked up-regulation of N-cadherin, vimentin and α-SMA in renal epithelial HK-2 cells. Moreover, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 suppressed TGF-β1-evoked Smad2/3 phosphorylation in HK-2 cells. These results provide experimental evidence that long-term vitamin D deficiency promotes renal fibrosis and functional impairment, at least partially, through aggravating TGF-β/Smad2/3-mediated EMT in middle-aged male mice.
Democracy, Autocracy, and Emergency Threats: Lessons for COVID-19 From the Last Thousand Years
Authors: Stasavage David
Published: August 2020

Our experience with COVID-19 has yet to show that either democracies or autocracies are unambiguously better at dealing with this threat. What the pandemic has instead demonstrated is that these two forms of government each have specific strengths and weaknesses when it comes to dealing with external emergencies. In autocracies centralization of power allows for decisive action, but their ability to maintain secrecy means that they can also suppress information and ignore a problem. In a democracy greater transparency makes it hard to cover up a threat, but the decentralization of power that is inherent to a democracy can lead to a slow and potentially ineffective response. Using both current and historical comparisons between China and western countries, I show that these different patterns have deep roots, dating back a thousand years or more. I then consider three alternative proposals for democracies to be able to act more decisively: allowing for rule by decree, devolving responsibility to localities, and investing in preventative state capacity. History shows that the latter of these three is the safest and most effective strategy, but for it to work voters must reward politicians for investing in prevention. Unfortunately, this reward cannot be assumed.
The Song Remains the Same: International Relations After COVID-19
Authors: Drezner Daniel W.
Published: August 2020

Since the onset of COVID-19, there has been a surfeit of commentary arguing that 2020 will have transformative effects on world politics. This paper asks whether, decades from now, the pandemic will be viewed as an inflection point. Critical junctures occur when an event triggers a discontinuous shift in key variables or forces a rapid acceleration of preexisting trends. Pandemics have undeniably had this effect in the far past. A welter of economic and medical developments, however, have strongly muted the geopolitical impact of pandemics in recent centuries. A review of how the novel coronavirus has affected the distribution of power and interest in its first six months suggests that COVID-19 will not have transformative effects on world politics. Absent a profoundex postshift in hegemonic ideas, 2020 is unlikely to be an inflection point.
Eureka! or, How I learned to stop worrying and love the survey
Authors: Kinginger Celeste
Published: August 2020

Two decades ago, a personally-addressed ten-page survey printed on salmon-colored stock appeared in my campus mailbox. An accompanying letter explained that the sender was a student collecting data for a graduate-level thesis and included contact information for the thesis advisor … in marketing. It was the one and only ‘Consumer Durable Goods Study’ I would ever receive as an applied linguist.
The Warden procedure for partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in children: 10 years experience in 65 cases
Authors: Alkady Hesham , Elnaggar Ahmed , Eldegwy Mahmoud , Nosair Abdallah
Published: August 2020

Introduction:

In this study, we share our experience in the Warden procedure for the repair of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections (PAPVCs) draining high in the superior caval vein in 65 cases of the paediatric age group over a period of 10 years.

Patients and methods:

In total, 65 patients receiving the Warden procedure for the repair of high PAPVCs (draining above the cavoatrial junction) over a period of 10 years starting from January, 2010 to January, 2020 were included in this study.

Results:

In total, 34 were males (52.3%) and 31 were females (47.7%). The mean age was 3.47 ± 1.4 years, while the mean weight was 17.3 ± 5.3 kilograms. The mean bypass time was 84.2 ± 13.9 minutes and the mean cross clamp time was 54.8 ± 12.9 minutes. The mean intensive care unit stay was 2.14 ± 0.89 days, while the mean hospital stay was 5.9 ± 1.4 days. There was no in-hospital mortality or persistent sinus node dysfunction necessitating permanent pacemaker. In total, 62 patients (95%) could be followed up for a mean period of 7.8 ± 1.2 years after discharge. During the follow-up period, no stenosis was detected in the Warden anastomosis or the rerouted pulmonary veins and only one case of late mortality (1.6%) occurred due to a non-cardiac cause.

Conclusion:

The Warden procedure is a safe approach for the repair of high PAPVCs (above the cavoatrial junction) in the paediatric age group with good long-term results and low incidence of complications like sinus node dysfunction as well as pulmonary vein and superior caval vein obstruction.
Stability of food insecurity status in paediatric primary care
Authors: Courts Kelly A , Hubbard Rebecca A , Kersten Hans B , Klusaritz Heather
Published: August 2020

Objective:

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening for food insecurity (FI) at all well-child visits due to well-documented negative effects of experiencing FI in childhood. Before age 3, children have twelve recommended primary care visits at which screening could occur. Little is known regarding the stability of FI status at this frequency of screening.

Design:

Data derived from electronic health records were used to retrospectively examine the stability of household FI status. Age-stratified (infantv. toddler) analyses accounted for age-based differences in visit frequency. Regression models with time since last screening as the predictor of FI transitions were estimated via generalised estimating equations adjusting for age and race/ethnicity.

Setting:

A paediatric primary care practice in Philadelphia.

Participants:

3451 distinct patients were identified whose health record documented two or more household FI screens between April 1, 2012 and July 31, 2018 and were aged 0–3 years at first screen.

Results:

Overall, 9·5 % of patients had a transition in household FI status, with a similar frequency of transitioning from food insecure to secure (5·0 %) and from food secure to insecure (4·5 %). Families of toddlers whose last screen was more than a year ago were more likely to experience a transition to FI compared with those screened 0–6 months prior (OR 1·91 (95 % CI 1·05, 3·47)).

Conclusions:

Screening more than annually may not contribute substantially to the identification of transitions to FI.
Wahrnehmungen von Pflegenden im Bereich der Intensivpflege während der COVID-19-Pandemie
Authors: Begerow Anke , Michaelis Ulrike , Gaidys Uta
Published: August 2020

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Während zu Beginn der COVID-19-Pandemie der Bedarf an intensivpflegerischer Versorgung steigt, sind die spezifischen Versorgungsbedarfe der Patientinnen und Patienten noch weitgehend unbekannt. Dies ist eine Herausforderung für die Arbeit von Intensivpflegenden. Ziel: Das Ziel der Studie ist eine Darstellung von Wahrnehmung der Arbeitssituation von Pflegenden auf Intensivstationen und die Konsequenzen für die Versorgung der Patientinnen und Patienten. Methode: Die Studie ist ein qualitativer Survey. Mit einem webbasierten Fragebogen wurden Narrative von insgesamt n = 902 Pflegenden erhoben. Dieser Beitrag berichtet die Wahrnehmungen von n = 397 Pflegenden aus dem Intensivbereich. Die Auswertung erfolgt mit der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach 18-1Mayring (2015). Ergebnisse: Die Analyse der Daten zeigt folgende sechs Kategorien: von „Man merkt den Personalmangel extrem“ bis „Das Warten auf etwas“, „Kampf um PSA (Persönliche Schutzausrüstung)“, „lehrreiche Zeit“, „erhebliche Diskrepanz“ in der Versorgung der Patientinnen und Patienten, „Kompensationsversuche“ und „ständig ein ungutes Gefühl“. Die Spannung zwischen den Wissens- und Informationsdefiziten einerseits und andererseits dem professionellen Anspruch den Schwerkranken und ihren Angehörigen gerecht zu werden, bringt die Pflegenden an ihre professionelle Belastungsgrenze. Schlussfolgerung: Es müssen Bedingungen für ethische Auseinandersetzungen für klinische Versorgungsentscheidungen entwickelt und Konzeptionen für eine klare Autonomie- und Verantwortungszuschreibung für Intensivpflegende eingeführt werden.
Zwischen Traum und Trauma – Aufbau und Betrieb einer Kohortenstation für Patient_innen mit COVID-19 in einem Akutspital
Authors: Rabes Clemens , Bläuer Cornelia , Büche Volker , Gisler Ries Isabelle , Knüppel Lauener Susanne , Kuehl Richard , Osthoff Michael , Pfeiffer Marlen , Probst Silvia , Todorov Victor , Panfil Eva-Maria
Published: August 2020

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Im Rahmen der Pandemie müssen Spitäler in kürzester Zeit Patient_innen mit COVID-19 versorgen. Ziel: Beschreibung des Aufbaus einer Kohortenstation auf einer chirurgischen Station für Patient_innen mit COVID-19 inkl. der Entwicklung des Pflegeteams. Methoden: Die intrinsische retrospektive Fallstudie beschreibt die Situation, identifiziert reflektierend besondere Phänomene und verknüpft diese mit vorhandenem Wissen. Daten waren anekdotisch, Routinedaten wurden im Rahmen der pflegerischen Praxisentwicklung erhoben. Ergebnisse: Der Aufbau der Kohortenstation in einem Schweizer Spital bestand aus baulich-technischen Planungen, Maßnahmen zum Infektionsschutz, Aufbau interprofessioneller Strukturen und interner Kommunikation. Während des vierwöchigen Betriebs wurden 71 Patient_innen behandelt. Die Nutzung der Methodologie der Praxisentwicklung initiierte eine kulturelle Veränderung. Die Reflexion beschreibt ein Spannungsfeld zwischen „Traum und Trauma“: Als Traum wurde die als optimal erlebte Pflege mit gut funktionierenden Prozessen, ausreichendem Material und Personal und einer sehr guten interprofessionellen Zusammenarbeit bewertet. Traumen in Form von hohen Ansteckungsraten und psychischen und physischen Belastungen blieben aus. Nach Beendigung der Kohortenstation besteht das Risiko im Normalbetrieb auf Basis bekannter ökonomischer und organisatorischer Bedingungen zu arbeiten mit dem Wissen, dass eine andere Zusammenarbeit und Organisation möglich ist. Schlussfolgerungen: Positive Erfahrungen aus dem „Krisenmodus“ sollten genutzt werden, um notwendige Handlungsfelder im Normalbetrieb weiter zu entwickeln.
COVID-19 driven care changes in high risk patients from an outpatient to a community setting
Authors: Daly Mary Louise , Zimmer Andrea , Stickling Julia , Daikeler Thomas , Grossmann Florian F.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Background: COVID-19 has led to a change in care for patients with chronic conditions, involving a transfer of drug administration from an outpatient to a community setting. Aim: To investigate patient preferences for treatment settings in the light of the current pandemic. Methods: Patients, who prior to the pandemic had attended two different outpatient clinics in a university hospital for their infusions or injections, were interviewed by telephone. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Results: Out of 49 patients with either anti-inflammatory or immunoglobulin treatments (response rate: 83 %), 24 (49.0 %) switched from subcutaneous (sc) injections in the hospital to the community setting, 18 (36.7 %) from intravenous infusions (iv) in the hospital to sc administration at home and 7 (14.3 %) moved to iv at home. During the pandemic 38 (80.9 %) wanted to continue their treatment at home, but after the pandemic 22 (46.8 %) would opt to go back to the hospital. Satisfaction was high with both settings, slightly favoring drug administration in hospital. Qualitative data shows that patients while emphasizing the importance of the relationship with the healthcare team, had increased concerns about safety as a result of COVID-19. Conclusions: The experience during the COVID-19 pandemic has increased self-management-skills in some patients, but long-term follow-up is needed. It has repercussions for future shared decision making for patients and their healthcare teams.
Gesundheitsverhalten und Bedürfnisse von Menschen mit COPD während der COVID-19-Pandemie
Authors: Hübsch Christine , Clarenbach Christian F. , Petry Heidi , Baltes-Wieser Annina , Schmid-Mohler Gabriela
Published: August 2020

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Die von der Regierung ausgesprochenen Verhaltensempfehlungen während der COVID-19-Pandemie betrafen Menschen mit einer COPD auf mehreren Ebenen. Sie zählten einerseits zur Gruppe der besonders gefährdeten Personen und waren anderseits gefordert, ihr Gesundheitsverhalten, insbesondere die Bewegung, auf die Empfehlungen hin anzupassen, um negative Auswirkungen auf den Krankheitsverlauf zu verhindern. Wie diese Personengruppe mit diesen Herausforderungen während der COVID-19-Pandemie umging, ist wenig bekannt. Ziel: Aufzuzeigen, welche Gesundheitsverhalten und Bedürfnisse Menschen mit einer COPD während telefonischer Pflegeberatungen beschreiben und welche pflegerischen Interventionen erfolgen. Methode: Es wurde eine Dokumentenanalyse von 50 telefonischen Pflegeberatungen durchgeführt. Die Daten wurden sowohl deskriptiv zusammengefasst als auch thematisch analysiert. Ergebnisse: Vordergründige Themen waren die Anpassung des Bewegungsverhaltens, die Umsetzung der ausgesprochenen Empfehlungen in der persönlichen Lebenssituation, das Erkennen einer COVID-19-Infektion und Fragen bezüglich der Planung von medizinischen Terminen. Schlussfolgerung: Die COVID-19-Pandemie stellte zusätzliche Herausforderungen an das Krankheitsmanagement von Menschen mit einer COPD. Dem situativ erhöhten Versorgungsbedarf konnte in den telefonischen Pflegeberatungen durch Wissensvermittlung begegnet werden, jedoch bleibt offen, welche Rolle die Beratung in einer nachhaltigen Verhaltensveränderung und im Umgang mit belastenden Emotionen einnimmt.
Fragen zur Umsetzung von Inklusion in der Schule
Authors: Nolte Marianne , Bock Anna Sophie
Published: August 2020

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Ausgehend von einem Beispiel werden in dem Artikel ausgewählte Fragen beleuchtet, die sich um die Umsetzung von Inklusion im schulischen Alltag drehen. Methoden: Das Aufgreifen mehrerer Themen führt zwangsläufig zu einer selektiven Literaturauswahl, die orientiert an den verschiedenen Themen mit einem Schwerpunkt zu Studien aus der Mathematikdidaktik erfolgt. Ergebnisse: Als ein wichtiges Thema für die Praxis wird auf die professionellen Kompetenzen der Lehrkräfte im Kontext inklusives Lehren und Lernen Bezug genommen. Der Artikel geht auf unterschiedliche Facetten der professionellen Kompetenz wie beliefs, Handlungswissen und situationsspezifische Fähigkeiten ein. Darüber hinaus gilt es die unterschiedlichen professionellen Kompetenzen verschiedener Disziplinen durch Teamarbeit zusammen zu bringen. Wesentlich für die Umsetzung von Inklusion in der Schule ist jedoch auch die Organisationsentwicklung, die Bedingungen der Umsetzung bereitstellt. Als ein fruchtbarer Ansatz für die Praxis wird das Konzept „Universal Design for Learning“ vorgestellt und Implikationen für die Lehrerbildung formuliert. Diskussion: Bedingt durch das noch relativ geringe Handlungswissen beschreibt der Artikel Herausforderungen für die Praxis und erste Ansätze für die Überwindung von Problemen. Die Entwicklung der Diskussionen in den Didaktiken verlaufen unterschiedlich, so dass aus den Ergebnissen der Mathematikdidaktik nur bedingt Schlüsse für andere Bereiche gezogen werden können.
Do Employees Prefer to Receive Ratings? The Role of Justice Perceptions and Justice-Related Factors
Authors: Roch Sylvia G. , Braddock Kimberly L.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. We empirically investigated whether employees would rather not receive performance ratings, as often claimed by those advocating the elimination of ratings. We also investigated whether rating preference is colored by perceived justice/injustice and whether factors antithetical to positive reactions to ratings – politics, low previous performance rating, and lack of a perceived link between ratings and outcomes – relate to employee rating preference. A survey of working adults indicated that most would rather receive ratings than not. The results also suggest that justice perceptions have a stronger influence on rating preference than injustice perceptions and that the perceived rating–outcome link has an especially robust relationship with rating preference.
Treatment of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer with radium-223: a retrospective study at a US tertiary oncology center
Authors: McKay Rana R. , Silver Rebecca , Bhak Rachel H. , Korves Caroline , Cheng Mu , Appukkuttan Sreevalsa , Simmons Stacey J. , Duh Mei Sheng , Taplin Mary-Ellen
Published: August 2020

Background

Guidelines for optimal sequencing of radium-223 and chemotherapy for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) do not exist. This study evaluated treatment patterns and overall survival (OS) among patients with mCRPC treated with radium-223 in an academic clinical setting.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted of bone metastases-predominant mCRPC patients treated with radium-223. Treatment patterns from 2013 to 2018 were evaluated in patients treated with radium-223 pre- vs. post-chemotherapy. OS was examined using Kaplan–Meier medians and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

In total, 220 patients were treated with radium-223 (64 pre-chemotherapy, 83 post-chemotherapy, 73 no chemotherapy). Mean radium-223 injections per patient was 5.3 and 4.3 in the pre- vs. post-chemotherapy cohorts, respectively (p < 0.001). The number of chemotherapy cycles was similar for chemotherapy given pre- or post-radium-223. Mean line of mCRPC therapy of radium-223 was 3rd and 5th when given pre- and post-chemotherapy, respectively (p < 0.001). 41.8% patients were treated with radium-223 in combination with another mCRPC therapy, commonly abiraterone acetate (43.5%) or enzalutamide (52.2%). The majority received combination therapy for the duration of radium-223 treatment; 20.7% started another agent after radium-223 initiation; 20.7% initiated radium-223 while on established therapy. Median OS from first mCRPC treatment was 39.4 months (95% CI 33.0, 48.8) for patients with radium-223 pre-chemotherapy vs. 37.4 months (95% CI 32.0, 43.5) post-chemotherapy (and 35.2 months [95% CI 27.9, 43.3] vs. 32.0 months [95% CI 26.9, 36.0] for patients with radium-223 combination vs. monotherapy).

Conclusions

This retrospective analysis of patients treated with radium-223 demonstrates that administration of radium-223 pre-chemotherapy increased likelihood of completion of radium-223 treatment. Radium-223 given pre- or post-chemotherapy and with or without combination therapy did not result in significant differences in OS. Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal sequencing strategy of mCRPC in the modern era.
An invasive beetle–fungus complex is maintained by fungal nutritional-compensation mediated by bacterial volatiles
Authors: Liu Fanghua , Wickham Jacob D , Cao Qingjie , Lu Min , Sun Jianghua
Published: August 2020

Mutualisms between symbiotic microbes and animals have been well documented, and nutritional relationships provide the foundation for maintaining beneficial associations. The well-studied mutualism between bark beetles and their fungi has become a classic model system in the study of symbioses. Despite the nutritional competition between bark beetles and beneficial fungi in the same niche due to poor nutritional feeding substrates, bark beetles still maintain mutualistic associations with beneficial fungi over time. The mechanism behind this phenomenon, however, remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated the bark beetle Dendroctonus valens LeConte relies on the symbiotic bacterial volatile ammonia, as a nitrogen source, to regulate carbohydrate metabolism of its mutualistic fungus Leptographium procerum to alleviate nutritional competition, thereby maintaining the stability of the bark beetle–fungus mutualism. Ammonia significantly reduces competition of L. procerum for carbon resources for D. valens larval growth and increases fungal growth. Using stable isotope analysis, we show the fungus breakdown of phloem starch into d-glucose by switching on amylase genes only in the presence of ammonia. Deletion of amylase genes interferes with the conversion of starch to glucose. The acceleration of carbohydrate consumption and the conversion of starch into glucose benefit this invasive beetle–fungus complex. The nutrient consumption–compensation strategy mediated by tripartite beetle–fungus–bacterium aids the maintenance of this invasive mutualism under limited nutritional conditions, exacerbating its invasiveness with this competitive nutritional edge.
Presence of toxin-antitoxin systems in picocyanobacteria and their ecological implications
Authors: Fucich Daniel , Chen Feng
Published: August 2020

Picocyanobacteria (mainly Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus) contribute significantly to ocean’s primary production. Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) systems present in bacteria and archaea are known to regulate cell growth in response to environmental stresses. However, little is known about the presence of TA systems in picocyanobacteria. This study investigated complete genomes of Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus to understand the prevalence of TA systems in picocyanobacteria. Using the TAfinder software, Type II TA systems were predicted in 27 of 33 (81%) Synechococcus strains, but none of 38 Prochlorococcus strains contain TA genes. Synechococcus strains with larger genomes tend to contain more putative type II TA systems. The number of TA pairs varies from 0 to 42 in Synechococcus strains isolated from various environments. A linear correlation between the genome size and the number of putative TA systems in both coastal and freshwater Synechococcus was established. In general, open ocean Synechococcus contain no or few TA systems, while coastal and freshwater Synechococcus contain more TA systems. The type II TA systems inhibit microbial translation via ribonucleases and allow cells to enter the “dormant” stage in adverse environments. Inheritance of TA genes in freshwater and coastal Synechococcus could confer a recoverable persister mechanism important to survive in variable environments.
TRIM22 activates NF-κB signaling in glioblastoma by accelerating the degradation of IκBα
Authors: Ji Jianxiong , Ding Kaikai , Luo Tao , Zhang Xin , Chen Anjing , Zhang Di , Li Gang , Thorsen Frits , Huang Bin , Li Xingang , Wang Jian
Published: August 2020

NF-κB signaling plays a critical role in tumor growth and treatment resistance in GBM as in many other cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying high, constitutive NF-κB activity in GBM remains to be elucidated. Here, we screened a panel of tripartite motif (TRIM) family proteins and identified TRIM22 as a potential activator of NF-κB using an NF-κB driven luciferase reporter construct in GBM cell lines. Knockout ofTRIM22using Cas9-sgRNAs led to reduced GBM cell proliferation, whileTRIM22overexpression enhanced proliferation of cell populations, in vitro and in an orthotopic xenograft model. However, two TRIM22 mutants, one with a critical RING-finger domain deletion and the other with amino acid changes at two active sites of RING E3 ligase (C15/18A), were both unable to promote GBM cell proliferation over controls, thus implicating E3 ligase activity in the growth-promoting properties of TRIM22. Co-immunoprecipitations demonstrated that TRIM22 bound a negative regulator of NF-κB, NF-κB inhibitor alpha (IκBα), and accelerated its degradation by inducing K48-linked ubiquitination. TRIM22 also formed a complex with the NF-κB upstream regulator IKKγ and promoted K63-linked ubiquitination, which led to the phosphorylation of both IKKα/β and IκBα. Expression of a non-phosphorylation mutant, srIκBα, inhibited the growth-promoting properties of TRIM22 in GBM cell lines. Finally, TRIM22 was increased in a cohort of primary GBM samples on a tissue microarray, and high expression of TRIM22 correlated with other clinical parameters associated with progressive gliomas, such as wild-type IDH1 status. In summary, our study revealed that TRIM22 activated NF-κB signaling through posttranslational modification of two critical regulators of NF-κB signaling in GBM cells.
Aquaporin 1 promotes sensitivity of anthracycline chemotherapy in breast cancer by inhibiting β-catenin degradation to enhance TopoIIα activity
Authors: Chong Wei , Zhang Huikun , Guo Zhifang , Yang Limin , Shao Ying , Liu Xiaoli , Zhao Yawen , Wang Zhe , Zhang Ming , Guo Caixia , Fu Li , Ma Yongjie , Gu Feng
Published: August 2020

Anthracyclines are a class of conventional and commonly used frontline chemotherapy drugs to treat breast cancer. However, the anthracycline-based regimens can only reduce breast cancer mortality by 20–30%. Furthermore, there is no appropriate biomarker for predicting responses to this kind of chemotherapy currently. Here we report our findings that may fill this gap by showing the AQP1 (Aquaporin1) protein as a potential response predictor in the anthracycline chemotherapy. We showed that breast cancer patients with a high level of AQP1 expression who underwent the anthracycline treatment had a better clinical outcome relative to those with a low level of AQP1 expression. In the exploration of the underlying mechanisms, we found that the AQP1 and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) competitively interacted with the 12 armadillo repeats of β-catenin, followed by the inhibition of the β-catenin degradation that led to β-catenin’s accumulation in the cytoplasm and nuclear translocation. The nuclear β-catenin interacted with TopoIIα and enhanced TopoIIα’s activity, which resulted in a high sensitivity of breast cancer cells to anthracyclines. We also found, the miR-320a-3p can attenuate the anthracycline’s chemosensitivity by inhibiting the AQP1 expression. Taken together, our findings suggest the efficacy of AQP1 as a response predictor in the anthracycline chemotherapy. The application of our study includes, but is not limited to, facilitating screening of the most appropriate breast cancer patients (who have a high AQP1 expression) for better anthracycline chemotherapy and improved prognosis purposes.
Phosphorylation of cyclophilin D at serine 191 regulates mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and cell death after ischemia-reperfusion
Authors: Hurst Stephen , Gonnot Fabrice , Dia Maya , Crola Da Silva Claire , Gomez Ludovic , Sheu Shey-Shing
Published: August 2020

The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, including ischemia/reperfusion injury. Although the pore structure is still unresolved, the mechanism through which cyclophilin D (CypD) regulates mPTP opening is the subject of intensive studies. While post-translational modifications of CypD have been shown to modulate pore opening, specific phosphorylation sites of CypD have not yet been identified. We hypothesized here that phosphorylation of CypD on a serine residue controls mPTP opening and subsequent cell death at reperfusion. We combined in silico analysis with in vitro and genetic manipulations to determine potential CypD phosphorylation sites and their effect on mitochondrial function and cell death. Importantly, we developed an in vivo intramyocardial adenoviral strategy to assess the effect of the CypD phosphorylation event on infarct size. Our results show that although CypD can potentially be phosphorylated at multiple serine residues, only the phosphorylation status at S191 directly impacts the ability of CypD to regulate the mPTP. Protein-protein interaction strategies showed that the interaction between CypD and oligomycin sensitivity-conferring protein (OSCP) was reduced by 45% in the phosphoresistant S191A mutant, whereas it was increased by 48% in the phosphomimetic S191E mutant cells. As a result, the phosphoresistant CypD S191A mutant was protected against 18 h starvation whereas cell death was significantly increased in phosphomimetic S191E group, associated with mitochondrial respiration alteration and ROS production. As in vivo proof of concept, in S191A phosphoresistant rescued CypD-KO mice developed significantly smaller infarct as compared to WT whereas infarct size was drastically increased in S191E phosphomimetic rescued mice. We conclude that CypD phosphorylation at S191 residue leads to its binding to OSCP and thus sensitizes mPTP opening for the subsequent cell death.
LncRNA CDKN2B-AS1/miR-141/cyclin D network regulates tumor progression and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Dasgupta Pritha , Kulkarni Priyanka , Majid Shahana , Hashimoto Yutaka , Shiina Marisa , Shahryari Varahram , Bhat Nadeem S. , Tabatabai Laura , Yamamura Soichiro , Saini Sharanjot , Tanaka Yuichiro , Dahiya Rajvir
Published: August 2020

The molecular heterogeneity of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) complicates the therapeutic interventions for advanced metastatic disease and thus its management remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the role of the lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 and miR-141-3p interactions in the progression and metastasis of kidney cancer. Human renal cancer cell lines (ACHN and Caki1), normal RPTEC cells, tissue cohorts, and a series of in vitro assays and in vivo mouse model were used for this study. An overexpression of CDKN2B-AS1 was observed in RCC compared to normal samples in TCGA and our in-house SFVAMC tissue cohorts. Reciprocally, we observed reduced expression of miR-141 in RCC compared to normal in the same cohorts. CDKN2B-AS1 shares regulatory miR-141 binding sites with CCND1 and CCND2 genes. Direct interactions of CDKN2B-AS1/miR-141/Cyclin D1–D2 were confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays indicating that CDKN2B-AS1/miR-141/Cyclin D1–D2 acts as a ceRNA network in RCC. Functionally, attenuation of CDKN2B-AS1 and/or overexpression of miR-141 inhibited proliferation, clonogenicity, migration/invasion, induced apoptosis in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in xenograft mouse model. Further, overexpression of CDKN2B-AS1 is positively correlated with poor overall survival of RCC patients. Expression of miR-141 also robustly discriminated malignant from non-malignant tissues and its inhibition in normal RPTEC cells induced pro-cancerous characteristics. CDKN2B-AS1 attenuation or miR-141 overexpression decreased CCND1/CCND2 expression, resulting in reduced RAC1/pPXN that are involved in migration, invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. This study, for the first time, deciphered the role of CDKN2B-AS1/miR-141/Cyclin D axis in RCC and highlights this network as a promising therapeutic target for the regulation of EMT driven metastasis in RCC.
Structure of an antagonist-bound ghrelin receptor reveals possible ghrelin recognition mode
Authors: Shiimura Yuki , Horita Shoichiro , Hamamoto Akie , Asada Hidetsugu , Hirata Kunio , Tanaka Misuzu , Mori Kenji , Uemura Tomoko , Kobayashi Takuya , Iwata So , Kojima Masayasu
Published: August 2020

Ghrelin is a gastric peptide hormone with important physiological functions. The unique feature of ghrelin is its Serine 3 acyl-modification, which is essential for ghrelin’s activity. However, it remains to be elucidated why the acyl-modification of ghrelin is necessary for activity. To address these questions, we solved the crystal structure of the ghrelin receptor bound to antagonist. The ligand-binding pocket of the ghrelin receptor is bifurcated by a salt bridge between E124 and R283. A striking feature of the ligand-binding pocket of the ghrelin receptor is a wide gap (crevasse) between the TM6 and TM7 bundles that is rich in hydrophobic amino acids, including a cluster of phenylalanine residues. Mutagenesis analyses suggest that the interaction between the gap structure and the acyl acid moiety of ghrelin may participate in transforming the ghrelin receptor into an active conformation.
Machine learning enables completely automatic tuning of a quantum device faster than human experts
Authors: Moon H. , Lennon D. T. , Kirkpatrick J. , van Esbroeck N. M. , Camenzind L. C. , Yu Liuqi , Vigneau F. , Zumbühl D. M. , Briggs G. A. D. , Osborne M. A. , Sejdinovic D. , Laird E. A. , Ares N.
Published: August 2020

Variability is a problem for the scalability of semiconductor quantum devices. The parameter space is large, and the operating range is small. Our statistical tuning algorithm searches for specific electron transport features in gate-defined quantum dot devices with a gate voltage space of up to eight dimensions. Starting from the full range of each gate voltage, our machine learning algorithm can tune each device to optimal performance in a median time of under 70 minutes. This performance surpassed our best human benchmark (although both human and machine performance can be improved). The algorithm is approximately 180 times faster than an automated random search of the parameter space, and is suitable for different material systems and device architectures. Our results yield a quantitative measurement of device variability, from one device to another and after thermal cycling. Our machine learning algorithm can be extended to higher dimensions and other technologies.